If the importance of an engaging first interaction is common knowledge in person , why would it shift from channel to channel ? Although the traditional “ meet-and-greet ” is not obsolete , in many cases this first introduction is taking place online . In fact , research shows online introductions are on the rise and growing to become the primary method . This begs the question : does your dealership connect as effectively online as it does in the store ?
If your answer isn ’ t a resounding YES , there ’ s a good chance your website practices contradict your in-person policies .
Want a clearer picture ? Imagine this : someone walks through your door and you ignore them . You see them looking at a unit , or walking up to the counter to ask a question , and you continue doing whatever it is you ’ re doing – getting to them later at your convenience . That ’ s terrible , right ? You would never do that , because they would simply leave . Yet , that is the current treatment customers receive online .
Instead of giving customers the fast , easy , connected experience that they desire ( and studies show are willing to pay more for ), a lot of dealerships are , in fact , blocking their own sales and effectiveness through these three pitfalls : → Frustrating customers through poor communication ( bad response times / rates ) → Failing to provide knowledge where it counts :
• Customers must pinpoint that you have what they want and that they can afford it . If you fail to quickly determine these two things , you waste your time by not quickly identifying leads ≠ sales and their decision is no longer easy .
→ Focusing on price : while it ’ s a key factor , it ’ s not the only factor . Stop focusing all of your attention on price rather than preference . A quality experience is quite literally what studies show people will pay more for .
Just like you make it a point to connect immediately in person , speed is vital online as well . A recent study focusing on lead timing found that 78 % of customers buy from the company that responds to their inquiry first . 1 How are you going to make an impression that engages the customer right off the bat and ensure that you respond quickly and clearly ? Texting .
Seamless communication wins sales As texting has become one of the main forms of communication , it has also become the new normal within businesses . Recent polls show that 90 % of people want to text a business , and 58 % of people text with a business at least once a month . 2
Today , one of the top reasons your dealership loses deals is poor communication . Many take too long , aren ’ t clear , or worse yet , don ’ t respond at all . Communication is ground level – the bare minimum . However , responding to every lead is not as easy as it sounds , especially if you don ’ t implement means to quickly determine whether the lead will lead to a sale . But how can you tell if a lead is worth your time ? You need to reach customers quickly , the way they want to be reached , get your message out effectively so their decision is well-informed , and give them the opportunity to commit right then and there .
Texting is becoming bigger and more essential as a business . 70 % of people say texting is the fastest way to reach them and the open rate for SMS is 98 %. 3 In a world where convenience and speed can mean you get the deal instead of a competitor , this is key . Texting means there ’ s almost a guarantee your message will be seen , immediately upping your chances of closing the deal . Seamless communication includes texting :
• 69 % of consumers want to receive texts related to payments 4
• 88 % of people want to receive appointment scheduling texts from businesses 4
• 77 % of people want to text for customer service 4
Yet more than the fact that customers want texting , there is a bigger implication of what this means . Why do customers want texting ? Well , it ’ s because customers want connected commerce . Customers want a completely personalized experience focused around their time frame and preferred methods . Although texting is a key part of this , it is just a piece in this connected jigsaw that comes together to create the all-in-one experience that customers want . Seamless communication from the customer ’ s preferred channel is what wins sales .
Why connected commerce will launch you overall While you may argue that what you ’ re doing is working well enough , think of later down the road . When we look at dealerships 15 years ago , what differentiates those who grew to become market leaders today and those who didn ’ t ? Those that were early adopters of a website . While they didn ’ t double their sales overnight , the long-term success as opposed to just survival was because they saw the worth of a website in the long haul . Today is an entirely different ball game . What once took decades to become recognized as the normal standard , is rapidly shortening . Technology adoption is accelerating . Everyone has a computer . Everyone has a phone . The new standard is not that your business has a website , it ’ s that it offers an omnichannel experience .
You might be able to get by with mediocre online practices right now , but when 80 % of customers say they prefer omnichannel strategies due to the seamless communication experience 5 and 86 % of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience , 6 how long will you last ? The key with implementing omnichannel is not that you double your sales overnight , it ’ s playing the long game : more than just surviving later down the road , but growing into a market leader . This is the direction our world is headed , this is what customers now expect . continued on next page
PRODUCTS
FUNCTIONALITIES Customer Engagement Messaging Digital Retail Scheduling Lending Simplified Connected Commerce
Fraud & Legal Automations Integrations Marketing
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