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YouTube Videos alone are Not going to Sell you Cars

Posted by Sean V. Bradley on November 8, 2013 at 2:22pm

Hello everyone,

I wanted to reshare this article written for Dealer20.com

The broken process in our industry is sending a templated email with one or two phone calls and then trying the next day.

I call 4x a day, with a video message, a confirmation to that video message, a handwritten card or thank you postcard, a text message and I call 4x a day.

The process closes over 20% of internet traffic.



Posted and Written by Alethe Denis on October 25, 2013 

 

Branding yourself on Youtube is no simple task however Elise has managed to make her videos so popular amongst those in the auto industry that some stores are using them for training purposes. The Youtube Diva is on the cutting edge as far as incorporating the technology available to us today into her sales process. She’s also become quite good at it; being recognized by the likes of Jim Zigler as far back as 2010. She’s now sharing a lot of her insights at automotive industry conferences and of course via her YouTube channel.

In the beginning Elise’s videos were very focused on the vehicle, that the customer stated they were interested in, per the customers email or form filled out on the dealer website. Her videos strained to hold the attention of the prospect in todays busy world. They contained loads of information up front and rounded out at about 5 minutes run time. Elise found that by paring these videos down, to focus on starting that relationship with the customer, she had a lot more success and better customer response. Focus on the customer experience and the personal relationship, more than the vehicle and sales pitch right off the bat. You want to put the customer at ease, show them you are a real person and begin a friendship. Including referrals has also become a trademark of Elise’s videos to customers.

This process has been tried and tested with exceptional success by Elise. Below is her process for contacting new internet leads step-by-step:

1. From your Office Line, Call the customer at about 9am.
a. Tell the customer that you have “Some Great News” and ask for a return call
b. Keep it short and non-specific but give your hours and contact information
c. Let the customer know that if you don’t hear back from them you WILL try them again later today
2. Send your Video email message immediately after your first call attempt.
a. Introduce yourself and your store
b. Tell the customer briefly what you discussed if you got ahold of them and thank them for speaking with you
c. If you left a voicemail then give them your vehicle options that match the customer enquiry e.g. “We have the 2013 Honda Accord available in the red or white today”
d. Give the customer your direct contact information clearly and your hours in store
e. Make it Personal. Use the customers name and be casual and conversational
f. Keep your video under 90 seconds and under 60 seconds is optimal
g. Ask for the Call back and let the customer know that you WILL contact them again if you don’t hear from them.
3. From your Mobile Phone, Call the customer at about 11am.
a. Do NOT leave a message
4. From your Mobile Phone, Call the customer at about 2pm.
a. Again Do NOT leave a message
5. From your Office Line, Call the customer at about 5pm.
a. Leave a Message again with your contact details and hours in store today
b. Ask for the call back and explain that you WILL call the customer back again tomorrow if you do not hear from them before then

Some people may call this borderline harassment, but the simple fact is that the customer has requested this information about a car that interested them on your lot. You may get some negative feedback on occasion however for the most part it is your job to reply to these leads and you aren’t doing your job if you don’t get in touch with the customer.

The goal is to Set an Appointment. You can’t sell a car if you don’t get that customer on the lot. How you begin your relationship with each lead will determine if you get that appointment set. Treat each lead as Elise suggests above and I bet you set more appointments. It’s our job to sell cars and put the numbers on the board sure, but giving the customer the most wonderful car buying experience should also be high on your personal agenda. Once you get the customer on the lot they can fall in love with the car. Videos and that personal touch will build trust and help the customer to fall in love with your store. It also removes the awkward from your first appointment as the customer feels that they have already met you and you can get straight down to it when they arrive.

Source: http://www.dealerelite.net/profiles/blog/show?id=5283893%3ABlogPost%3A395399&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_post

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Invest 90 Seconds to Make More Sales!

Posted by Mat Koenig on May 11, 2013 at 11:17am

With all the competition in the Automotive World and so many websites, targeted ads and retargeting display ads vying for consumer attention it seems harder than ever to know whether or not your customer will remember you.

How do you set yourself apart from the competition and stay in the customer's mind?

USE COMMON SENSE AND THINK ABOUT USING MOBILE TO CONNECT WITH MOBILE! Niesen did a study in November about Mobile Auto Shoppers and it showed that 49% of mobile Auto Shoppers intend to buy within 24 hours. Rather than debating intention, let's talk about how you can capture the attention of most of these customers. 

Get their attention and keep it with TOUT

#1 - Download the TOUT app! Get it for iPhone HERE or Get if for Android HERE

#2 - Make sure you get the customer's mobile phone number or email address  when you meet with them. Obviously you can't send them a message if you don't know how :)

 

Tout gives you the ability to record a 15 second video for anything in the world and since it's so short it FORCES you to make your point fast!

Here are some Follow Up Video Ideas you can try. Please share your feedback and let everyone know how it works for you :)

First follow up video: (Just a video of you in any spot at the dealership - NOTE: SMILE) "Hi Bob & Sue this is Mat at ABC Motors saying thanks for stopping in to see the CTS. Call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX if you'd like to take another peek at that or any other vehicles. I'd really love the opportunity to show you why our customers love us."

Second follow up video two days after they were in: (Offer an incentive or some other reason to come back) "Hi guys. I wanted to say hello and invite you back for another look at the CTS you drove. You can get a special savings coupon this week if you text the code AC to the phone number 71441. Call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX if you'd like me to bring it by, or if you'd like to stop back in. 

Third follow up video if you haven't heard from them within another 2-3 days: (Alternative Vehicle Offering) "Hi Bob & Sue, I was walking our inventory and saw this (alternative vehicle - maybe a 3 series or C Class) and wanted to give you a quick peek at it. I have a few other vehicles that you may like to see so give me a ring at XXX-XXX-XXXX if you'd like me to bring one over."

Every one of these little scripts are just over 14 seconds so they are perfect for a TOUT!

Chances are, if you haven't heard from them by the time you send the third video, there may have been something that turned them toward purchasing elsewhere but don't give up hope! By sending these quick videos will make you different than everyone else by actually sending personalized follow up PLUS, it will keep you at the top of their mind.

Will this work with everyone? Of course not, but it will take a total time investment of 15 seconds to make and another 15 seconds to send to your customer so invest 90 seconds with your next customer and see if it will help you sell a few more vehicles :)

My name is Mat Koenig, and I was born and raised in Western Michigan. I'm VP and Partner of AutoOption and the CEO and Founder of KonigCo, the best mobile marketing company for Automotive Dealers, located in Kalamazoo, MI. Learn more here: www.konig.co

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5 Alarm Follow Up - Get Them Back!

Posted by Gregory Gershman on March 13, 2013 at 10:00pm

Image

Fresh off another successful week, putting good people together with great Dealerships.

I had a blog post request (felt nice, my first one), how when do we call back Unsold Showroom Traffic?  Best answer URGENTLY, but seriously here is my game-plan.

Let' start with what to say, and then when to call.  We need to use the most motivating factors we have, the 4 major components of paying for a car; Payment, Down Payment, Trading Value, and Price.  The highest motivational factor for a client is movement on one of the four ends.  In that light the schedule below is going to roll through incentives on each area, until one hits the client's hot button and brings them in.

First call:

This is a two-part.  When the client's taillights are on the driveway, leave a message on either their home phone, a text, or an email.  This is going to be a "Great News" message.  "Thank you Mr & Mrs Client for allowing me to try and earn your business.  I have some great news for you, and will give you a call in a few hours."

Get off the phone and ask your Management if it is okay to have the client revisit the store to have a secondary appraisal done.  Once you get the go-ahead call the client (in about 2 hours) and say, "As I mentioned I have great news, I have a second Manager here at ABC Motors that is willing to take a second look at your vehicle and try and enhance your trade value.  We would really love to see you and your car again.  We are sincerely eager to earn your business.".

If that doesn't get an appointment for you next step is to set up the call for the next day.  "I am really motivated to help you, so I am going to ask our Finance Manager tomorrow morning what he can do to sweeten the finance package.  I will call you at ____"

Call Two:

The following morning, corner your Manager and ask what can be done about getting a better interest rate, or term to lower the payments.  Call the client and say, "I had a productive talk with Management about your deal, and I feel we have everything in line to get this done.  Your new payment is ______, it is a significant savings because we really care about where you buy your next car."

If that doesn't motivate an appointment, time to move on to Price.  Set up your next call with, "I never mind rolling up my sleeves and putting in the extra work to save my clients a few bucks.  I am going to bug the General Manager tomorrow morning, and see what can be done to really WOW you.  I'll give you a call at _____"

Call Three:

First thing in the morning, go to Management.  Tell them you have had a client floating for 72 hours now, and need to give them a jolt to get in the door.  This can be done through a coupon, incentive, or discount.  The important part to understand here is that the odds of retaining this client are now getting to a critical stage.  This person has now been shopping for 72 hours and has more than enough information to make a decision.  

"Mr & Mrs Client, this is fantastic!  I really feel like I have a winner here for both you and I.  Your purchase price will be ______.  Would like to come here to finish this, or should I just head over to you with a Buyer's Order?  (if no)  You don't need to do this today do you?  (Almost everyone says no, why?)  This might not be the only car for you, in order to give us both a little flexibility why don't I check not only what I have on the ground, but what I have coming in the next few days.  What time tomorrow are you available for me to go over the results?"

The last portion is a take-away close.  Either the client bites back on the car you are selling, by telling you the car is perfect, he just has some other objection, or the client backs off and tells you to research inventory.  That tells you the client wasn't sold on the car.

If you treat every client that leaves like a Five Alarm Fire when they leave, you will get more back.

Next blog post, objections, why you should love them!

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New Followers on Twitter, Or Why You Should At Least Say Hello

Posted by Kevin Lyle Dillon on January 3, 2013 at 2:58pm

Picture the following scene. You're throwing a party. You have even sent out invitations. You have allowed your guests to each bring a +1 or even +2. Fastforward. It's the party. You're standing by the door, casually talking to a friend of yours. Every so often another one of your guests strolls in with one or two people you have never met before. And, you completely ignore them even after they've extended their respective hands to greet you. That party isn't going to last very long. 

When your Twitter account receives new followers, whether it's two or ten, are you ignoring them? Or, are you reciprocating their virtual handshake? It should be custom for any dealership or business to at least thank their newest followers. They have, after all, taken the time to check out your page and click the "Follow" button. You should be grateful that someone cares what you have to say. This may seem like a silly topic to discuss, but it ties into the larger problem that most dealerships face when it comes to social media. The anti-human tweeters, I like to call them. J.D. Rucker recently touched on this (See here: Dealer Should Posts Fewer Links and More Interactions, Text, and Images) 

It's so simple, yet many fail to do it. When we were children, we were always taught to say "Thank you" upon receiving something from a friend, family member, neighbor, and so forth. On Twitter, it should be no different. It only takes a few seconds to tweet to "@ILOVEFORD123" and say "Thanks for following!! Looking forward to connecting." Depending upon the person, you may not even hear from them ever again. But, that's not the point. The point is that you're building an online community and the evolution of your virtual network starts with a simple handshake. 

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Follow Up with your prospects & customers using SOCIAL MEDIA & Internet resources like: Face Book, Twitter, MySpace, Google & AOL Instant Messenger - Sean V. Bradley

Posted by Sean V. Bradley on November 2, 2010 at 9:00pm
Follow Up with your prospects & customers using SOCIAL MEDIA & Internet resources like: Face Book, Twitter, MySpace, Google & AOL Instant Messenger - Sean V. Bradley I have been thinking about an article / Video post that I can do that is of value and a little bit different than what you see everywhere else... and here is what I have come up with: In my travels ALL OVER THE COUNTRY with dealerships, I hear a lot that it is hard to get an Internet prospect on the phone... YES it is!!! LOL!! *** Seriously, that is the HARDEST part of Automotive Internet Sales... getting the prospect on the phone. As a matter of fact statistically, you are going to reach about 12- 15% of your attempts or phone calls... So, lets break out the calculator and be crystal clear here. If you attempt to call 120 people per day (what we suggest), at a 12% connection ratio... you will connect with about 14.4 people.... at a 15% connection ratio you will connect with 18 people. Lets do the math in the other direction... if you ONLY are calling 30 people in a day... you are ONLY going to connect with about 3-5 people a day... So, first TIP is to attempt to contact people MORE... Why...? Well, more attempts = more connection...more connections = MORE appointments!!! & More appointments = MORE Shows and MORE SALES!!!! However, it is HARD to connect with people... I get it. BUT, are you going to just sit around and "WOE is Me"? or are you going to be proactive and try to do something about it? Sales is SIMPLE... you get what you put into it. You put no effort, and you will be BROKE... you put effort in and you can make $$$$$$$$. Here are some quick things you can do if you CAN NOT reach a prospect by the phone or you have a bad phone number or NO phone #... * First, you can try doing a "Reverse" look up with the operator... and try to get a different # * You can drop your prospect’s name into Google and you might find out some details, a Social Networking site etc... * you can go to Face Book or Twitter directly and drop their name or name and other deails (if you have) and try to find their profile and or page... ** If you find them on their Social Media... you can contact them directly through their Social Media. What is GREAT about this is that MOST Social Media is directed to people's cell phones :) And more than 1/3 of the population access Social Media via their mobile devices... *** Another opportunity is through Instant Messaging tools like AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). If you get an email from a prospect that is like: - johndoe@aol.com / johndoe@hotmail.com / johndoe@gmail.com... the PREFIX (The words BEFORE the @ symbol is USUALLY their INSTANT MESSENGER Address!!! That means that you can try to Instant Messenge hard to reach prospects... There are a LOT more cool things you can do to try to engage your prospects... This was just a quick article to assist you all. I hope you see value in it and I trust it will help you IF YOU TRY IT-
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