Internet car shoppers are not necessarily looking for a cheaper price. But they are most certainly looking for an alternative shopping experience. Here is how to provide it.
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INTRODUCTION

This site is a free web version of the Kindle and paperback book “The Art & Science of Internet Car Sales,” which is available for free as a Kindle book (if you have Amazon Prime), $5 otherwise, or $10 as a paperback. I intentionally keep the price for this material cheap to free so that any new or used car salesperson anywhere can afford to try it out.

This book first began to take shape more than 10 years ago. So much has changed in that time. Viewed through today’s eyes some of the tools and communication styles we used and recommended back then were, at best, quaint, and, at worst, cringeworthy. Change is good. Yet one thing that has not changed in all this time is automobile dealerships' overall inability to deliver a consistently professional shopping experience to Internet customers. This book exists to help solve that problem.

Note that this is not a traditional car sales training book. If you want to learn how to overcome objections, how to prospect, how to do a perfect walkaround, how to memorize and deploy proven closes, etc. etc. there are already thousands of titles out there for that. Instead, this book teaches you how to connect with Internet prospects in ways that will generate more sales appointments. Because, until you have a customer in the store, you don’t have a sales opportunity. And without a sales opportunity you don’t have anyone to practice those closing skills on.

Therefore, this book is about how to get more of your Internet shoppers talking to you. Whether you are brand new to the biz or are a veteran Internet/BDC salesperson I think you will find valuable instructional content here.

In 2010, after 26 years of inside and outside sales (houses, multimedia services, software and cars) I became a salesmanship and communications skills best practices consultant and trainer for Ford Motor Company, and later Subaru. Every day I was in car dealerships watching, listening, teaching, training, and helping them improve their Internet sales efforts. Therefore, you can be assured that the information herein is real-world common-sense stuff that works.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Section 1: THE WHAT & THE WHY

 

 

HOW HAS THE INTERNET CHANGED OUR BUSINESS?

Everyone agrees that the Internet has changed the retail car business, but what does that mean?  Yesterday we did not send emails, today we do?  Yes and no; the changes the Internet has brought to our industry go far above the addition of new electronic communications mediums.

For decades, the only way consumers could learn about, see, drive and purchase cars was to go to a retailer.  Dealers controlled all the information and access, leaving consumers defenseless against some stores’ egregious profiteering and, at times, unethical behavior.  As a result, car dealers and their salespeople acquired a nasty (and not always undeserved) reputation.  People loved their new cars, but they hated the experience of buying them.

The Internet changed all that overnight.  Suddenly car shoppers were empowered with accurate product data, including wholesale and market value pricing, thereby eliminating dealers’ long-standing chokehold on information.  Consumers seized on this newfound arsenal of intelligence and, in the process, forever altered the balance of power in the consumer/dealer relationship.

What does this mean to you today as a retail automobile salesperson?

1). Nobody Makes A Purchase Today Without First Using the Internet To Become Informed.  Any and all products at every price point are now viewed on a screen before they are seen in person at a store.  This means today’s retail shopping experience includes an extra step that did not exist only 20 +/- years ago.  This phenomenon, nicknamed Zero Moment Of Truth or ZMOT in 2011, is explained well and in great detail in Google’s free e-book “Winning The Zero Moment Of Truth.”  If you are not already familiar with the concept I highly recommend you take a moment to look over one or all of these essential pages.
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/research-studies/2011-winning-zmot-ebook.html
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/research-studies/zmot-auto-study.html

2). Everything You Do Is Now Public Knowledge.  Before a shopper ever comes to your dealership he/she is online learning not only about your products but also about your store, especially the reviews from your satisfied and unsatisfied customers.  Suddenly, “word of mouth” has gone from being one-on-one to one-on-thousands.

3). You Are Now Evaluated On Your Ability As A Communicator.  We’ve already established that most customers’ first encounter with your store (and, therefore, the moment of impact that forms their all-important first impression of your business) now occurs online, and not in your showroom or outside your building.  So how does your dealership come across on your website?  In your outbound emails?  On consumer review sites?  What does your online presence say about you and your store?  What is your narrative?  Do you own your brand?  What is your brand?  Are you in control of your message, or is the message unintentionally controlling you?

4). Prospect Management Is No Longer Optional.  Every name and email address in your contact management system today represents either a sales opportunity or a marketing opportunity. Effectively managing and utilizing your prospect and customer contact data is imperative if you are to maximize your message impact and harvest the sales hiding inside your database.

WHAT EXACTLY IS “INTERNET CAR SALES”?

Actually, there are two common Internet sales models, both grouped under the single label of “Internet Car Sales”:

  • eCommerce

  • At-Home/In-Store

When customers purchase the car they want on a website, and then either have it shipped to them or come by to pick it up – that’s true Internet sales, AKA eCommerce.  Using this definition, for example, Carvana is a true eCommerce dealership, because a customer can complete every step of the purchase on Carvana’s website, with or without the hands-on assistance of store personnel.

eCommerce still accounts for a very small percentage of national car sales, however.  While all car shoppers today do use the Internet, most use it for preliminary research and self-education and follow that with a traditional in-store test drive and purchase experience.  (The At-Home/In-Store combo.)  An estimated 25%-35% of these shoppers will submit electronic inquiries (i.e. Internet “leads”) to one or more retailers while in their research and self-education phases.  Therefore, all dealerships today need sales staff dedicated to or designated to respond to these leads with the goal of converting as many of them as possible into in-store appointments.  If you are reading this book, chances are good that you are one of these salespeople.

Note that conventional car dealerships can now be eCommerce dealers too.  Software products that equip traditional dealer websites with online shopping capabilities are available and were in the early adoption phase when the 2020 pandemic arrived. An explosion of dealer interest in these “digital retailing” (eCommerce) products quickly followed.  At the time of this writing, digital retailing (often called “DR”) is still in its youthful growth stage.  Whether consumers will gravitate to it in greater numbers in the years to come is yet to be seen.

WHAT WORKS BEST: BDC? DEDICATED INTERNET DEPARTMENT? SOMETHING ELSE?

Nobody has yet come up with the perfect set-up for Internet sales staffing.  There are many approaches and all have their strengths and weaknesses.

Here are five approaches we’ve seen in daily use, with the first three by far the most common:

1). DEDICATED INTERNET SALESPEOPLE: Work the prospect from lead arrival to vehicle delivery.

  • Upside:  Salesperson is empowered to provide any and all information the customer wants/needs in order to get to the sale.  Customer develops a trust relationship with the salesperson that continues all the way to delivery. 

  • Downside: Salesperson is often busy with test drives and deliveries when new leads come in; fresh leads sit unanswered for long periods of time.  Long term sales follow-up also suffers.

In an ideal world the full-time dedicated Internet salespeople report to a full-time, dedicated Internet Sales Manager.

2). ALL-INTERNET STORE: Some or all showroom salespeople work Internet leads in addition to phone and floor ups. There is no “Internet Department.”

  • Upside: Salesperson is empowered to provide any and all information the customer wants/needs in order to get to the sale. Customer develops a trust relationship with the salesperson that continues all the way to delivery.

  • Downside: Salesperson is often busy with showroom customers, test drives and deliveries when new leads come in; fresh leads sit unanswered for long periods of time. Additional contact attempts/short and long-term follow-up also suffers because salespeople are busy with numerous other duties.

  • Additional downside: monitoring and managing the Internet sales activities of a team of combo floor and Internet salespeople is labor intensive. (Think herding cats.) Individuals and team Internet lead management performance metrics are rarely gathered and analyzed as a result.

The “All-Internet Store” model is very popular today for logical and economic reasons. And, considering that “they’re all Internet customers now” it makes sense to view Internet sales, phone sales, and showroom sales as three components of one whole. However, most dealerships also logically assume that the General Sales Manager, New Car Sales Manager or Used Car Sales Manager can oversee Internet sales in addition to his/her other duties. This rarely, if ever, works because the Internet requires that one be both a marketer and a salesperson. Sales managers only care about that second part.

In an ideal world, full-time combo Internet/showroom salespeople report to a full-time, dedicated Internet Sales Manager in addition to the GSM, NCSM or UCSM.

3). APPOINTMENT SETTERS, also known as BDC (acronym for Business Development Center): Inbound/outbound communications center, works each lead to appointment stage only.

  • Upside: since personnel spend all day in front of their computers and phones, leads are guaranteed a fast response and multiple short and long-term follow-up contacts.

  • Downsides: BDC personnel may have never sold cars, must often rely on floor salespeople or sales management to locate vehicles, price vehicles, and/or provide the information customers request. Miscommunication and/or slow follow-up replies to customers can result. Prospects are handed off to a salesperson once they show up at the store, creating potential for miscommunication or customer mistrust and discomfort.

The Appointment Setters/BDC model works best when the staffers are knowledgeable about the products and the elements of the sale. Internet car buyers do not want to interact with someone who is essentially a receptionist or appointment taker.

In an ideal world the full-time dedicated appointment setters report to a full-time, dedicated BDC Manager.

4). INTERNET DESK TIME: Showroom salespeople receive Internet leads during appointed daily or weekly “Internet desk time” shifts. They return to showroom at end of shift but get to keep and work all leads received during desk time.

  • Upside: leads are guaranteed a fast and quality first response from a salesperson empowered to provide any and all info customer wants/needs in order to get to the sale.

  • Downside: Additional contact attempts/follow-up not guaranteed because salespeople are also working the floor, taking test drives and making deliveries.

5). INTERNET TEAM: Duo or trio with each member responsible for specific components of the sales process. (i.e. one team member handles all 1st Response & Follow-Up, the other team member handles all test drives, closes and deliveries).

  • Upside: leads guaranteed fast and quality first response and follow-up, plus they get a salesperson empowered to provide any and all info customer wants/needs in order to get to the sale.

  • Downside: Team members are “married” and must get along. All sales credits and commissions shared: concept runs contrary to car sales’ historic culture of rugged individualism.

WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD INTERNET SALESPERSON?

Being a retail Internet automobile salesperson requires a certain amount of skill in:

  • Written Communications

  • Telephone Communications

  • Prospect Data Management

  • Salesmanship

It is not necessary to be extremely talented or experienced in all four areas to work in Internet car sales.  If your store has a good 1st Response and Long-Term Follow-Up Process in a contact management system (CRM) and knows how to motivate its team to continually follow the process, then all you have to do is make the calls and send the texts and emails as prompted, use the templates provided, and follow the process.  You will be guaranteed a certain level of success.  If your store does not have these things then you will have to put more of your own thought, effort and discipline into the job to make it work.

The prospect management component does require that Internet salespeople be disciplined and able to perform repetitive tasks each day.  For this reason, classic ADHD-type showroom sales stars often fail at Internet sales.  The ideal Internet salesperson is a combination left-brained/right-brained person; a disciplined strategist who at the same time is creative and has people skills. This ideal candidate is often hard to find. 

WHAT MAKES INTERNET SALES DIFFERENT FROM SHOWROOM SALES?

The showroom/floor salesperson begins each day asking, "What can I do to sell a car today?"  The Internet car salesperson (especially the new car salesperson) instead asks "What can I do today that will help me sell a car today and another one the day after that?  And the day after that?  And the day after that?"  Whereas showroom/floor selling is pretty much all tactical, Internet sales is both tactical and strategic.

Therefore, Internet car sales is really two jobs in one:

  • Marketer

  • Salesperson

A lead is a prospective customer who has reached out to you and given you permission to contact him/her in return.  If the prospect is ready to buy, he/she might be giving you permission to engage in sales negotiations – now.  But if the prospect is still in the research and education phase, he/she might instead be giving you permission to communicate to them only. 

This does not always mean they want two-way communication.  Not yet, anyway.  The researcher might instead be saying, “I just want to stand downstream of your information output.  Please include me in your content flow.”  Either way, the prospect has given you permission to communicate to them, and the more you do that (and do it by giving value), the better your chances of becoming their seller when they are ready to buy.  Outbound communicating with offerings of value to potential customers has a name: marketing.

Ideally, your store’s CRM has a 1st Response and Long-Term Follow-Up Process that automatically markets to non-responsive prospects for you and does it for up to 90 days or more.  If not, you have to do it on your own. Continuously communicating to your database of unsold customers is an essential part of the Internet sales job.

The paradox to this is that car salespeople are only paid to sell, not to market.  But market you must if you want to take full advantage of the opportunities hiding in your unsold prospects database.

Some people mistakenly assume that the selling part of Internet car sales is easy, that you just sit in your chair all day and stare at a screen while sales opportunities wash over you.  But in fact, Internet sales is often harder than floor sales because the Internet/BDC salesperson does not have the advantage of face to face contact with the customer and does not have the physical product at hand.  The Internet/BDC person must build initial trust and emotional connection with the customer solely through the use of images, the written word, and voice. 

So never underestimate the importance of good salesmanship skills in Internet car sales.  It is as necessary here as it is in any other form of selling.  Maybe more.

WHAT DOES THE INTERNET DEPARTMENT MANAGER DO?

Unless there is somebody at the store whose paycheck (in whole or in large part) depends upon the store’s Internet sales being done right, it won’t get done right.  This is fact.

That said, there are as many possible Internet Director and/or Internet Sales Manager or BDC Manager configurations as there are Internet department structures.  Some are selling managers, others are desking managers, others are I.T. systems administrators, some are marketing managers, and others are trainers and coaches.  These are but a few examples we have seen.

Regardless of the store’s Internet department set up, one thing we know for certain is that somebody, be it the department manager, the manager’s assistant, or some other designated person (or combination of people) in the store must be tasked with the following:

  • Combing through the CRM throughout the day to be sure salespeople’s scheduled follow-up activities are completed. Although a salesperson might be out on a customer test drive, delivering a car, taking his/her day off, or whatever, prospect follow-up must continue on schedule.  When the assigned salesperson is unavailable someone else needs to maintain the sales momentum and complete the follow-up tasks due.

  • Ensuring that incoming phone calls and Live Chat requests don’t go unanswered during business hours and that voice messages do not languish unreturned.

  • Managing the CRM to ensure that email and phone templates, plus sales processes are effective and functioning properly at all times.

  • Tracking and measuring the appointment setters’/salespeople’s lead management performance metrics and holding them accountable for consistently achieving benchmarks.

  • Coaching and mentoring the staff on continuous communications improvement.

  • Ensuring that the dealership’s online presence is viable, up to date, and delivering the desired message(s). This may or may not mean being in charge of the store’s marketing, but it should mean having some input into the store’s website content. Weak or missing vehicle photos, an outdated Staff page, confusing sales or policy messages, incomplete vehicle descriptions, absent or incorrect product pricing, etc. etc. cannot be allowed to happen.

The Internet car sales job, by its very nature, can be rote and repetitive.  Opportunities to circumvent boredom will eventually prove too strong for most salespeople to resist.  They will begin to second-guess and/or sidestep the Internet sales process, cherry pick and/or pre-qualify leads, and otherwise stray from the proven successful path to the sale.  Someone has to be the “cop on the beat,” monitoring the staff’s activities daily to be sure this fallout does not occur and correcting it when it inevitably does.

MUST WE HAVE A PLAN?  MUST WE STICK WITH IT?

Yes.  Regardless of how your store decides to operate it is imperative that you have an Internet strategy of some kind and that, once it is launched, you hold true to it.  Making small adjustments and corrections from time to time is expected, but you must leave your overall plan in place for a minimum of 90 days while your strategy matures.  Do not change course during the 90 day start-up period!  This is very difficult for many dealers as it runs counter to their ever-changing / always-reactive store culture and nature.  However, we can tell you with certainty that it is mandatory if you want the department launch/re-launch to succeed.  Stick to your plan for a minimum of 90 days and, if necessary, up to 180 days.  Stay the course.

MUST WE devote resources $ to INTERNET Sales?

Yes.  A little investment in furniture and equipment is necessary if you want your people to work efficiently and effectively.  But, good news!  It won’t cost much money at all.

Twin monitors, a new or new-ish computer, a decent chair, and the fastest Internet speed available at your location are must-haves for any Internet sales/BDC person or department today.  This is the minimum required equipment needed for the job.

The 2020 pandemic added a new twist, spawning a boom in the use of video conferencing services like Zoom, MS Teams, BlueJeans, Google Meet and many others.  This, combined with the rise in popularity of digital retailing (DR), means that additional tools are needed.  A microphone, a camera, and some speakers (or headphones) are now essential items too.

Here’s the list again:
- Twin monitors
- New (or new-ish) computer
- Decent chair
- Fastest Internet speed available at your location. 
- Microphone
- Camera
- Speakers (or headphones)

For each person.  That’s it.  Please do not cut corners here.

HOW MANY LEADS CAN ONE PERSON WORK?

For the past twenty years the guidelines below have seen general acceptance from the industry:

  1. If your dedicated Internet department salespeople work leads from arrival to vehicle delivery, they should each be able to competently manage 80 – 100 new leads (new car, used car, or combination) per month. (Do not exceed 100.)

  2. If the salespeople work showroom customers, plus phone ups, plus Internet leads they should each be able to competently manage 35 – 40 new Internet leads (new car, used car, or combination) per month depending upon the store’s walk-in and phone customers volume.

  3. If your appointment setter/BDC people work leads to appointment stage only they should each be able to handle 180 – 200 new leads (max) per month.

Today, as the number of walk-in customers declines, and the amount of Internet-based transactions increases, many stores argue that they are now Internet-centric appointment-based stores that see a few walk-ins, instead of the other way around.  They claim that the days when a salesperson could survive on floor ups alone are over.  For these reasons, these stores believe that combo showroom/Internet/phone up salespeople can now be expected to competently work 60-65 Internet leads per month.

Note that if your people’s time management skills are weak you may have to back down these numbers a bit.

HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS?

There are four essential metrics to measure:
1. How many leads did the salesperson/BDC person receive?
2. How many of those leads became appointments?
3. How many of those appointments made good and showed up?
4. How many of those who showed up bought a car or truck?

There are your four key criteria for measuring Internet lead management performance. But what are good numbers? What numeric goals should we be trying to achieve? Well…it depends.

Many factors affect the four e-metrics above, including:

  • Inventory level and product mix

  • Staffing quantity and abilities

  • Market area demographics

  • Weather and season

  • Local and national economic conditions

  • And more

Therefore, we believe in setting numerical goals for each store based upon a combination of affecting factors unique to that store.

There is an additional essential, though harder to measure, metric you can watch. We’ll call it number 1.5:

  • 1.5: How many prospects responded to the salesperson’s/BDC person’s email, phone and/or text messages?

If the leads-to-appointments ratio (#2 above) seems too low, try measuring number 1.5 (response-to-replies ratio) instead.

If too few people respond to your emails, phone messages or texts then there is something wrong with your emails, phone messages or texts. (Much more on this later.)

HOW DO INTERNET PROSPECTS DIFFER FROM WALK-IN PROSPECTS?

While we can’t claim that all Internet and walk-in shoppers differ in the ways we are about to describe, the comparisons below will help you understand how Internet and walk-in customers can have differing sets of expectations.

In the classic showroom sales set-up, the customer walks in the door to the dealership and is greeted by a salesperson.  The talk quickly turns to the customer’s vehicle of interest which (hopefully) leads to the test drive phase of the sales encounter.  Hoping to “land him/her on a car” the salesperson takes the prospect on a test drive, the customer (hopefully) receives a professional quality drive and walk-around, and the two return happy to the dealership.  The salesperson then turns to the customer and says, “Shall we make this one yours today?”  At which point the customer says, “Well, not so fast….”  Now the salesperson’s work begins; we’ve entered the obstacles and objections phase.

In many cases, however, the Internet customer turns this formula around: he/she wants to get the obstacles and objections phase out of the way first.  This explains why prospects like to self-educate themselves on their current vehicle’s trade-in value, why they ask for monthly payments information in an email, and why they say they “don’t want to waste time coming in to your dealership” until they receive a $ quote and all the cumbersome and unpleasant elements of the vehicle purchase are satisfactorily resolved first.  

The salesperson (and/or BDC person’s) goal is to get the appointment, and the way to get the appointment is to ease the anxieties that are keeping the customer from coming in to the store.  So whereas your goal is to get the appointment, your job is to solve the Internet customer’s problems, thereby easing his/her anxieties.  Do that and the appointment part will take care of itself.

WHY CAN’T WE JUST GET 'EM IN?

We still hear this from sales managers who don’t understand the logic of Internet shoppers.

Today’s Internet car shoppers are self-educating themselves as much as they can, contacting retailers only when it becomes a necessary step toward reaching their purchase goal.  If you tell these customers that you will not/cannot provide information of value until they come to your store they will never come to your store.  It’s that simple.

The way the shoppers see it, if you (the dealer) are not helping them advance themselves closer to a purchase by providing information they need in order to feel competent and confident in buying a car, you are actually standing in the way of their purchase.  You are an impediment to the sale!  Why would they want to do business with a store like that?

WHAT’S THE BIG HURRY?

In Internet time, a minute seems like an hour and a few seconds wait time is unbearable. (Think about it; how long do you allow the little hourglass or daisy wheel to spin before you give up in disgust and move on to a different page?).

Although the Internet prospect may not respond quickly to you (if at all) he/she nonetheless expects you to respond within a time frame that matches his/her attention span. This means that a slow response (1+ hour after lead arrival) runs the risk of being only slightly better than no response at all. All the studies conclude that he/she who responds quickly has the advantage in getting the prospect’s attention. However, prospects immediately dismiss fast responses with no satisfying content. Therefore, the real winner is the dealer who responds quickly but who also provides information of value to the consumer.

Which leads to the next question…

WHAT DO SHOPPERS WANT TO KNOW?

When consumers research a big-ticket purchase, they seek answers to five essential questions, and usually in this order.

1.       What’s the best made product(s) of this type in this class?
2.       What size/shape/configuration of this product will work best for me?
3.       Can I afford it?
4.       Where should I buy it?
5.       Am I getting a good deal?

The highest “high funnel” customers are working on the answer to question 1.  Once satisfied with the answer to 1 they seek an answer to number 2.  Once satisfied with the answer to 2 they seek an answer to number 3, bringing them to the mid-funnel stage.  They become low funnel shoppers (i.e. highly likely to buy and buy soon) when they seek the answers to questions 4 and 5, thereby completing all 5 steps.

So, while we don’t always initially know what the person behind that new Internet lead wants from us, we do know that they want something, and if we want to be relevant and useful to them, we need to provide it.

WHY DID THEY REACH OUT TO YOU?

At its simplest, a new or used car/truck Internet lead is a help request from someone trying to get from where they are now to where they want to be. People planning to buy a big-ticket item want to feel competent and confident when making that important purchase. The Internet, with its unlimited store of information, allows prospective buyers to self-educate themselves in their quest to reach what they believe will be an inevitable purchase. (See ZMOT section earlier.)

Some people begin their pre-purchase self-education journey at square one. Others are already somewhere in the middle of the board when they start out, and still others already know exactly what they want and how to get it. Regardless of where they are at in their shopping journey, a percentage of all car and truck shoppers (most estimates put it at 25%-35%) will at some point contact a retailer in order to advance themselves to the next stage in purchase preparation. These are people who:

  • Cannot get where they want to get next without talking to a retailer, or

  • For whatever reason do not want to do the work needed to get to the next stage of the purchase and want a dealer to do it for them, or

  • Do not know how to buy a car and/or are overwhelmed by the selection and purchase process and need a dealer to help walk them through it, or

  • Do not have time to do the work and need a dealer to do it for them.

SO…IS AN INTERNET SALES LEAD AN “UP”?

Yes.  In most cases an Internet lead is one of two things:

1. A person seeking info to help them complete their pre-purchase research (cool-to-warm lead) or, 
2.  A person seeking connection because they are ready to engage in sales negotiations (warm-to-hot lead).

Think of the two customer categories like this:

1. I Am A Gatherer:  I am still in the collecting information stage. I might not want to talk on the phone and/or have a direct relationship with you – not yet, anyways.  But by giving you my contact info I am telling you that I want to stand downstream of your present and future communications flow if it is relevant to me.  Please reply with the info I requested. (Cool to warm lead, i.e. high-to-mid funnel.)

2. I Am A Sorter: I am finished gathering info and doing research; I am now working on my short list.  I am ready to make a purchase or getting closer to it. Here is what you need to know about me now.  Please read it over, utilize what I have given you, and respond via most appropriate method with the info I requested. (Warm to hot lead, i.e. mid-to-low funnel.)

Far more leads fit into category # 1, above, than category # 2, and this is where many dealers get it wrong.  If you try to goad or incite category # 1 prospects into becoming category # 2 prospects without giving them the info they need to get there you run the risk of coming on too strong too fast and scaring them off, or of simply being irrelevant to them.  Likewise, if you treat category # 2 customers like they are category # 1 people who don’t yet know what they want, you run the risk of insulting them and losing their business.  So, in all cases your job is to get in step with all prospects and deliver a sales experience that matches up to their current stage in the buying journey.

HOW DO WE CONTACT THEM?

You reply using all available media until you connect with the prospect.
- Email
- Phone
- Text Message

At this point all three are universally accepted, and since people tend to have a favorite, you want to use them all until you discover what that customer’s favorite is.  In addition, each medium is better suited for some uses than for others, so limiting yourself to only one or two is counterproductive.  If you got it, use it. 

In our humble opinion:
- Email is best for compendiums of information.
- Phone works best for emotional connection (and it’s in real-time).
- Text messaging is best for notifications

WHAT PERCENTAGE WILL RESPOND?

The answer to this varies wildly, and few stores track this statistic.  (They should.)   Lead quality in your market area has some impact on this figure, but the greatest factor affecting lead quality is response quality.  If you reply to leads with professional, timely responses that give value (i.e. the information you provide helps prospects advance themselves closer to a purchase) then you will discover that your lead response rate is high.  Conversely, if you just shoot off some hasty emails and phone messages saying “Call me” you’re going to discover that your response rate is quite low. (More on this later.)

WHAT PERCENTAGE WILL BUY?

Again, this number can vary wildly.  Many factors come into play, including those outside the dealer’s control, like local market conditions, inventory, competitive market situation, and others.  Plus, Internet leads of various types and from various sources have varying quality levels. 

- The highest quality Internet leads we are seeing today are from Digital Retailing (DR) tools.
- Used car leads, regardless of source, can be expected to close at a higher rate than new car leads
- VIN-specific new car leads from the dealer’s website call-to-action buttons (typically “Get Today’s Price” or similar message) close higher than…
- Non-VIN-specific new car leads from independent 3rd party sources.
- “Buyer’s Club” and Affinity Program leads (TrueCar, Costco, local credit union special program, etc.) close higher than independent 3rd party leads and can be as good or better than VIN-specific new car leads from the dealer’s website.

The target closing ratios for your store are unique to your store and must be calculated on an individual dealership basis.  But this does not mean that your closing ratios are entirely outside your control.

Example: if the percentage of leads that respond to you is, say, 25% (in our opinion, a low hypothetical number) and the averaged new car + used car closing ratio at your store is, say, 12.5% (also a hypothetical number), then the math says that 50% of the prospects who respond to you will become a buyer – either at your store or at a competitor’s.  Therefore, the more prospects you can get to respond to you, the more you will sell.  Simple as that.

WHEN DO THEY BUY?

Shopper behavior varies according to dealership, market area, time of year, and vehicle price level, brand and type.  Also, used car buyers typically purchase faster than new car buyers.

Using the hypothetical example below, a typical new car days-to-the-sale breakdown might look like this:
- 43% sales = Day 1 – 5
- 21% sales = Day 6 – 10
- 11% sales = Day 11 – 30
- 25% sales = >Day 30
- Average day to buy for those >30-day shoppers:  Day 70.

This is valuable data as it helps you understand how to make the best use of your selling and marketing time. Some (but not all) new car manufacturers have this days-to-the-sale data and share it with their retailers.

WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE SO HARD?

Because a lead is often not what it first appears to be.  In an ideal world every Internet lead would come to you already containing the answers to these three questions:

1). Why the customer is in the market.
2). What stage of the shopping process they are in.
3). What they need/hope to accomplish with this purchase.   

But we don’t live in an ideal world.  Until you make direct connection with a prospect and get the chance to ask them these questions directly, you can’t know what brought them here or what they are trying to do. 

Let’s say you work for a Chevy dealer and you just got a lead on a new Malibu.  Is this a person who wants a new Malibu?  Possibly, but it could also be:

- Someone who actually wants a used car
- A 14-year-old kid building his fantasy car on chevrolet.com
- Someone who already knows he/she is hopelessly upside down in their current vehicle and can’t buy today but is wishing and hoping for a miracle rescue
- A parent or grandparent looking for a cheap used car for their teenager.  (Why did they click on the new Malibu button?  Who knows?)
- A future first-time car buyer trying to educate themselves on how car buying is done
- Someone who thought they were registering online to win a free iPad
- An English-speaking child making inquiry for their non-English speaking parent
- A person whose lease isn’t up for 2 years and is just window shopping
- A buyer (Yay)!  But also, a grinder. (Boo)
- A “Get me bought” with a <450 Beacon making their umpteenth desperate attempt to get a car loan from somebody, anybody
- Or one of at least 1,336,749 other possibilities that can be added to the list above. 

Under our current convoluted open system of multiple lead providers, multiple lead types, and varying lead qualities you can’t know what that lead is all about until you connect with whoever is behind it. 

HOW MANY TYPES OF INTERNET SALES LEADS ARE THERE?

Regardless of the source, with few exceptions all incoming leads fall into one of only five categories:

1). New Car/Truck - General Inquiry
Provides name, contact info, plus (in most cases) year, make and model of vehicle desired - and little else.

2). New Car/Truck – In-Stock Unit Inquiry
Provides name, contact info, plus VIN or Stock # of the car or truck desired.

3). Used Car/Truck – In-Stock Unit Inquiry
Provides name, contact info, plus VIN or Stock # of the car or truck desired.

4). Trade-In Valuation
Provides semi-detailed info on prospect's current car/truck and its estimated wholesale value - may or may not tell you what the consumer wants to buy to replace it.  (If anything.)

5). Credit App First.
The prospect begins everything by submitting a credit app. 

Each lead type requires a first response unique to that lead type. (You wouldn’t respond to a used car lead with a new car offer, right?) Sending the wrong response for that lead can be a major turn off to the consumer.  You must make the effort to read and understand the lead before you send your first response emails/texts/voice messages.

Note that some digital retailing (DR) products create multiple leads of multiple types from just one buyer.  DR allows shoppers to select a vehicle, receive a value estimate for their trade-in, complete a credit application, and more.  Therefore, depending upon the brand of DR product being used and how the dealership has it set up, one customer’s DR shopping journey can conceivably result in three or more leads for you, one from each stage of the purchase journey.  (New car selected, trade-in evaluated, credit app completed, appointment requested, etc.)

WHERE DO INTERNET LEADS COME FROM?

Every Internet-originated sale starts with an electronic sales lead (which the industry generally refers to as a “form lead.”)  There are new car sales leads and there are used car sales leads.  But where do they come from?  Not every prospect finds you via your dealership’s website or your listing on Autotrader.  How many different lead sources and lead types are there?  A lot.

The most common lead sources are:

  • Manufacturers (OEM) Websites

  • Dealership Websites

  • 3rd Party eLead Aggregators

  • Affinity Programs

  • Buyer Shopping Services

  • Membership Programs

  • Finance Applications

  • Autotrader / cars.com / similar sites

  • eBay / CraigsList / similar public sale sites

  • Trade-In Valuation Sites

  • Chat software

Prospects send you their eLeads from various sources, each prospect coming to you with his/her own agenda, and each lead source site having its own way of setting the customer’s expectations.  Therefore, all leads are not the same.  Some people came to you because they pushed a button saying “Get Your Internet Price Quote.” Others clicked “Get More Information.” Still others pressed “Make An Offer” or maybe “Search Local Dealer Inventories” or “Name Your Price” or even “Get Three Dealers To Fight For Your Business” or who knows what.  And there are many more.  It is important to understand where a lead comes from and what expectations the customer has based upon when and where he/she submitted the eLead.

Manufacturers (OEM) Website
(OEM is an acronym for “Original Equipment Manufacturer.)  
Every manufacturer has a national public website presenting and promoting its products (www.ford.com, www.hyundaiusa.com, www.volvocars.com, etc. etc.) and new car dealers benefit by being tied to their manufacturer’s public site.  The goal of OEM sites is to sell the consumer on that brand of vehicle, so these sites are rich with product images and detailed product information. Consumers usually visit the OEM’s site when doing their initial research and self-education.  Most OEM sites allow interested prospects to “build” (specify) their ideal vehicle, then find that vehicle (or one similar) in local dealers’ inventories. 

Every manufacturer’s site is unique: if you work at a new car dealership and have not yet gone to your manufacturer’s site to experience it, do so right away.  Act the role of an interested shopper, see what you can learn about your brand vehicles, and then note the multiple opportunities the site offers you to contact a local dealership.  Send yourself some test leads: what expectations did the pages set for you before you clicked the "Submit" button?  Were these customer expectations then conveyed to you when the lead arrived in your CRM?

Dealership’s Website(s)
This is your store’s very own website or websites.  It’s where you spend most of your screen time because your store’s inventory lives here. Each new or used car or truck in stock or on its way from the factory to your store has its own page, often called the VDP, or “vehicle details page”.  The VDP presents photos, pricing and detailed specifications on that car.  It also contains CTA (“call to action”) buttons that encourage shoppers to reach out to the dealer and create a sales lead.

Typical CTA buttons might read:
- Get Today’s Price or Confirm Availability (or something similar) – this creates a basic “price quote request” lead.
- Value Your Trade-In – this notifies you that the shopper has investigated the wholesale value of his/her current car and shows you the results presented to them.
- Apply for Financing – this will notify you that the shopper has completed a credit application.
- Begin The Buying Process, or Shop From Home (or something similar) – this takes the shopper to the DR (digital retailing) program on your site and may result in one or multiple leads sent to you.

There are other type CTAs but those above are the most common.

Within the Dealership Website category are two subcategories: OEM dealership sites and 3rd party dealership sites: 
- OEM dealership sites are sites provided to new car dealers by the manufacturer.  Since all dealers in the manufacturer’s national network get a version of the same site, these sites can be somewhat homogenous or generic looking, although most manufacturers allow the dealerships some level of customization and personalization of their site.  Today, most dealers, large and small, use the manufacturer provided website as their only site. 
- 3rd party dealership sites are sites created by an outside vendor at the request of a dealership.  If your store has its own unique website, i.e. one not connected to the manufacturer, it’s because your dealership contracted with a website developer to build and launch (and possibly maintain) the site.  Some 3rd party dealership sites are completely unique and one-of-a-kind, but most come from established 3rd party website development vendors.

3rd Party Lead Generators. 
These can also be described as purchased leads and are not to be confused with 3rd party dealership website leads.  3rd Party lead generators are “middlemen” companies that collect interested
prospects’ names and contact info and then sell it to manufacturers and dealerships.  There are many, many sources for these leads; most come from websites promising consumers research and/or comparison shopping answers.  These companies are not directly affiliated with the manufacturers whose information they present, and many of these sites exist solely to collect prospects’ name and contact info and then in turn sell that to dealers and/or manufacturers.

If you have not explored the many 3rd party car websites out there do it now.  Act the role of an interested shopper and, starting with a Google search for your vehicle of interest, see what you can learn about today’s Internet car research and shopping experience.  Once you stray from the OEM and dealership websites you will find a jungle of sites promising (and sometimes not delivering) a wide array of pricing and other valuable information to info-hungry car shoppers.

Affinity Programs
These are most commonly employer-related discount programs.  For example; some large corporations offer their employees pre-arranged discounted retail pricing programs from various products, retailers and/or manufacturers.  Also, US military members have an affinity program through USAA.

Buyer Shopping Services
These companies offer new car buyers the ability to acquire a guaranteed competitive no-negotiations-needed price on a vehicle before the buyer visits a dealership.  Some, like Edmunds.com and Consumer Reports are primarily vehicle research and comparison sites.  Others, like True Car, are primarily shopping services.  (Note that True Car the company also manages other companies' affinity programs, including those of USAA, Allstate, Geico, American Express and Consumer Reports.)

Membership Programs
These are very similar to affinity programs though they are not related to specific employers.  For example, pre-arranged discounted retail new car pricing is available for a small fee to anyone belonging to Sam’s Club, Costco and some other discount clubs.  In addition, many credit unions offer pre-arranged discounted retail new car pricing programs to their members.  There are others.

Finance Applications
This is the prospect that completes a credit application before anything else.  Sometimes these leads arrive with no vehicle of interest listed.  Often this is a customer who first wants to know (or needs to know) if he/she is financeable before proceeding to select a car or truck. 

Autotrader / cars.com / similar aggregator sites
Dealerships pay a fee (per vehicle listed or by subscription) to feature their vehicles on these popular public marketplace sites.  These are predominantly used car and truck leads (some dealerships feature their new vehicles here also).

eBay / CraigsList / similar sites
eBay is the popular and well-established national public auctions site.  CraigsList is an online free classifieds advertising site with local editions in most larger cities.

Trade-In Valuation Sites
These sites allow consumers to get sight-unseen data-driven automated trade-in value estimates for their current cars and trucks.  When the consumer enters his/her info and clicks the "get my trade-in value now" button a lead is generated and sent to your store.  Note that the lead may or may not include info on the new vehicle the consumer wants to buy - if, indeed, he/she does want to buy something.  Black Book, KBB, Carfax and Trade-In Valet are just a few of the most popular services.

Chat Programs
Your store might have a live chat feature on its website(s).  Often these are managed by outside companies, sometimes dealers manage chat in-house.  Most chat programs provide you with a transcript of each chat.  Often these come into your CRM as a sales lead.

HOW DOES DIGITAL RETAILING (DR) FIT INTO THE PICTURE?

For decades car buyers have been telling consumer surveys that they love getting a new car, but they hate engaging with car dealers.  Digital Retailing (eCommerce from traditional car dealers) now allows customers to actually buy the car online, sidestepping most of the time consuming in-store elements of a purchase.

The phrase “Digital Retailing” (or its initials “DR”) often refers to a class of website software programs that empower consumers to select a car from a retailer’s online inventory and configure some or all of the components of the sale without human assistance.  To be a full-fledged Digital Retailing (DR) tool the software service/product must (at minimum) enable a shopper to configure a purchase using the familiar elements of a four-square.

1. Desired vehicle
2. Trade-In value (before and after payoff)
3.  Money down (if any)
4.  Desired payment

Many DR Tools go further than this and also let shoppers buy vehicle accessories and/or protection plans.  Most DR Tools also contain a direct link to an online credit application.

Most DR Tools also allow consumers to set an appointment, be it for a test drive, an onsite used car appraisal, final delivery of the car and/or all of the above.

At some point(s) in the DR shopping journey the consumer is asked to provide name and contact information, either so he/she can advance to the next component of the deal, or in order to save completed work thus far, or both.  This information is automatically sent to the retailer as one or more Digital Retail Internet leads.

Even though DR tools provide shoppers with everything they need to complete the car deal on their own, very few do it.  Most get through just two or three components of the deal (selecting the car to buy, entering trade-in info, configuring a payment, etc.) and then stop, becoming At-Home/In-Store shoppers instead.    

ARE NEW CAR leads & USED CARS leads workED THE SAME?

Yes and no – setting new car sales appointments requires a similar but different approach than that used to sell pre-owned car appointments. Here’s why:

USED: A used car is a one-of-a-kind item – no two used cars, even if they are the same year/make/model are identical.  Therefore scarcity creates urgency as the customer realizes that he/she might have to purchase this vehicle right now or someone else will.

- VERSUS – 

NEW: A new car is a considered a commodity – the prospect thinks there's no scarcity, and that the dealer can always locate another one or the factory can always build another one if necessary.  The new car buyer might spend months researching the products and making the purchase decision.

USED: It’s a level playing field - cars.com, autotrader.com, eBay.com (and others) have established and promoted their national online used car marketplaces where any dealer can offer his wares.  The small rural store can put its inventory in front of just as many people as the big city store and at the same price.

- VERSUS –

NEW: There is no community marketplace – each dealer has to market and merchandise its own products and store via its own websites, banner ads, paid search campaigns, etc.  Size of inventory and size of marketing budget can give big stores an advantage when selling new vehicles online.

DO INTERNET NEW CAR CUSTOMERS SHOTGUN THEIR INFO TO MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS?

In a word, no.  A few grinders will do it, yes, but they make up a minority of car buyers.  The belief that all Internet customers submit their info to multiple dealers is a carryover from two decades ago when the Internet was still very new, and dealers had not yet figured out how to react to it.

For example, it is believed that in years past fewer than 40% of the people who submitted leads to dealerships received an email reply of any kind.  Shoppers discovered that they had to submit leads to multiple dealerships if they wanted to get a response from even one. 

At the same time, dealerships were awakened to the fact that, thanks to the Internet, interested customers now had access to wholesale vehicle information never before made so widely public.  (See ZMOT section earlier in this book.)  Some dealers reacted defensively, convinced that all Internet buyers were grinders committed to pitting all dealers against each other in a race to the cheapest price.

The truth is, when most interested buyers reach out to you their first objective is not to find a car – it is to find a retailer who understands them and can help them get where they are trying to get on their shopping journey. Once they find this helpful partner, they then turn their attention to the vehicle they intend to purchase. 

Therefore, what most Internet shoppers actually want from you is convenient and useful information that helps them work their way closer to a purchase. When they submit a lead to your store, they are giving you the opportunity to provide that and delight them.  If you do, they are happy, and you have overcome the important first impressions hurdle.  However, if you disappoint them, they immediately move on and you have little chance of recapturing them. 

Do online shoppers cross shop?  Of course, absolutely.  But that’s not the same as shotgunning leads to lots of stores.  Think about some of your own personal online shopping experiences; how many competing retailer sites did you visit?  Why?  And what finally caused you to stop cross-shopping and use the store that you chose?

Now ask yourself, “Aren’t my Internet customers just like me?”

WHAT ARE “PROCESS” & “CONTENT”?

Everything starts at the beginning and Internet car sales communication starts here.

  • Process

  • Content.

You've already seen the word Process used a few times in this book so it’s a good idea to understand what both words mean in this context.

PROCESS:  As used here the word Process means a logical, timeline-based prospect 1st Response & Long Term Follow-Up schedule that cues the salesperson to which prospects need a follow-up call or email each day and what message needs to be delivered to each. The software tool that enables us to accomplish this is called a CRM (acronym for Customer Relationship Management) or contact management system.  If set-up correctly, your CRM successfully mates a viable prospect 1st Response & Long Term Follow-up Process with email (and sometimes phone) scripts (i.e. Content) you can employ when making follow-up attempts.  Plus, the CRM maintains prospect activity histories, enables you to send bulk email blasts to the database, and allows you to run reports that we couldn’t dream of before this technology arrived. 

Even if you only get 2 new leads per day, and assuming that, say, only 8% of your eLeads are turning into sales, by the end of 4 weeks you have 36 active leads to manage.  Within 90 days you have 140.  That doesn’t sound like a lot of leads to manage but it is; staying on top of even a small amount of leads for more than two or three days is nearly impossible without some type of contact management tool plus 1st Response & Long Term Follow-Up Process.

Keep in mind that the CRM is not the Process; the CRM is the software system that manages your Process for you.  Most dealers assume that, by signing up for a CRM (regardless of brand), they are also getting viable Internet (and other) sales processes included in the deal.  Not so.  The people and companies who build and install CRMs are good technology folks but for the most part they have never sold a car in their lives.  It is up to you, the dealership, to see to it that good Internet Process and Content is built into your CRM.

The trick to Process is that it must be followed daily; a Process that is not enforced is no Process at all.  There are no “days off” from Process.   It is important to keep this in mind.

CONTENT:  This is the information you are giving to your prospects via email and/or phone.  Some or all of your email replies might be hand typed and personalized.  Others, for the sake of timeliness and efficiency, might be “canned” (pre-written) email messages commonly called templates.  If a prospect responds to your initial replies you may have no use for templates content at all.  But if the prospect is non-responsive (and the majority are) templates will allow you to stay in front of him/her without having to hand type a personal email every single time.

This is worth noting: Process trumps Content.  You can have a good Process and weak Content and still sell cars.  But if you have good Content but no Process you will have mediocre results at best.

CAN WE ACTUALLY ADVANCE SALES MOMENTUM WITH EMAILS?

Yes!  Emails are not just “word noise” that you throw at customers!

Consider this: we’ve all seen (and sometimes used) phone scripts.  A good call script helps you maintain and advance the sales momentum.  It does it by asking the targeted questions that get the answers that help you keep your prospect on the critical path to closing.  You can employ the same logic with your email templates.

Consider that there are 3 key elements to most sales:

  1. The vehicle the customer wants to buy,

  2. The vehicle the customer wants to trade-in, and

  3. The money the customer will acquire to pay for their purchase

All three of these elements above provide shoppers with both excitement and anxiety. For every happy thought the prospect has of driving his/her new car or truck he/she also has painful worries about the process of acquiring it.  

  • “Will they give me enough for my trade?"

  • "Will I get a payment I can afford?"

  • "Will I be able to get the exact car/truck I want?"

  • "Will this car dealer hose me in the finance office?” Etc. etc.

Almost every prospect will be relieved (and therefore relaxed and appreciative) when a salesperson helps him/her ease the anxiety connected to these three elements.  Effective email follow-up can lead prospects down the critical path to the sale by offering opportunities - opportunities to get answers and information to these critical components of the sale.  In other words, information that gives value. 

THREE EASY EXAMPLES: 
1) “Do you have a trade-in?  Want to know what it is worth today?  A free, no obligation appraisal at our store takes only minutes.”
2) “Would you like to know in advance what kind of financing you can get at Friendly Motors?  Just click this link, fill-out the credit app and I’ll get right back to you with answers
3) “Are you too busy to come to our dealership for a test drive? Let me bring the car/truck to you.

Be creative and think of as many value providing messages as you can.  Now save these, because they will soon form the basis of your catalog of email follow-up templates.

Properly written follow-up emails always advance the sales momentum – they do it by giving the prospect value - value in the form of opportunity, i.e. information that enables the customer to advance him/herself to the next stage of the purchase.

WHAT ARE THE SECRETS TO GOOD FOLLOW-UP?

No secrets, really, just principles. There are only two* and they are very simple.

  • Only make a follow-up phone call/send a follow-up email/send a follow-up text to either

    o Give information to the prospect. Or,

    o Get information from the prospect.

  • And never do both in the same phone call, email or text.

Think about it: if you have no info to give, and you have no info to get, then you have no business doing the follow-up because you have nothing of value to offer.

One communication = one message. And every communication must give value. Simple as that.

* Shout out to Diana Ball Cooksey for teaching me this timeless gem more than twenty-five years ago.

WHY MUST WE GIVE A PRICE IN EMAILS?

To price or not to price? Few issues have been as hotly argued over the years as this one.

Dealers who refuse to include pricing in an email usually say, “Why should I provide a price if the customer did not ask for one?” Or they hold to the argument that if they do publish a price customers are just going to print that email, rush down to a competing dealership, wave the page in front of the other dealer’s face and shout “Can you beat this?” By refusing to send a price the dealership thinks it is protecting its opportunity to hold for gross on the prospect’s possible purchase.

Let’s say that again; the store thinks it is protecting its opportunity to hold for gross on the prospect’s possible purchase. Huh?

You can already see that this logic is questionable. The dealer is risking losing a possible sales opportunity (i.e. customer in the store) in exchange for the chance to hold for gross on a sale that is now likely im-possible because the customer won’t come to the store because the seller won’t discuss price!

In most cases the dealer who refuses to put a price in emails is confusing Giving A Price with Making An Offer To Sell.

Think about traditional newspaper, radio and television car dealer advertising.  It screams “$10,000 Off MSRP!”  or “Get This 2021 Ford F-150 XLT for only $ 29,999!” or “Lease for $299 Month with Only $1,000 Down!” or something similar.  Does this type advertising give a price, or does it make an offer to sell?

Overall, Internet customers are no more determined to get the lowest possible price than are showroom customers. While they don’t want to discover that they paid too much, they don’t mind paying a fair price. Yes, there are always going to be a small number of grinders who will drive clear across town to save $50 but this has been and will always be true. The majority of shoppers, showroom and Internet, will pay what in their mind is a fair price.

As we saw earlier, the Internet shopper wants to get the details stuff out of the way upfront, then come to the dealership. Therefore, if your FQR (first quality response) email makes no offer to sell, you are withholding a key component of the info the shopper wants and needs to see before he/she will come to your store. You just got crossed off their short list.

Here are just a few examples of scenarios where withholding a price in the FQR email can have negative results.

  • Few buyers drive out of your store in the vehicle they came in to see. Many dealers argue, therefore, that it really doesn’t matter what $ you put in your FQR email, no matter how heinous that $ might be to the dealership, because the customer ends up picking out another vehicle once he/she gets to your store anyway and when that happens negotiations start anew. (Plus you might get a trade-in you can hold on, plus you might get their financing business). But it was that price you included in the FQR, in concert with other elements that succeeded in getting the customer to come to the store. And isn’t getting the appointment really the goal of Internet sales?

  • How better to build sales excitement from the start than to tell the new customer that you have products on sale now? (Everybody loves a sale). And how far along the path to the sale can you get before price comes up anyway? So instead of avoiding the inevitable, present it proudly and be the first to do so. Your time-to-sale will decrease.

  • Let’s say the customer sends a lead to your store and to another. Your FQR makes no mention of price save for MSRP, the other dealer shows MSRP and discounts. Which FQR is the customer more likely to reply to?

  • Sometimes the customer is an immediate buyer, has already located the dealers who have the exact vehicle he wants, and is staging a price bake-off among multiple dealers. If you send him a written (email) price quote he will take your page and use it for price comparison with your competitors, true. But that’s been his objective all along and in most cases he’s made it clear from the start. He is not interested in your superior customer service, not interested in your convenient ride shuttle, not interested in your free coffee, not interested in anything but who has “the best deal.” If you refuse to send a price to this customer and instead try to cajole him into “coming on down” to your dealership for a visit you will be instantly eliminated from the contest and receive 100% of $ zero. Note: if you are not interested in the grinder’s business that’s fine, simply let him know that. Reply and say “Thank you for your offer but we decline to participate.”

Additional notes about giving a price in emails:

  • When they clearly request a price you have no choice but to comply. If you withhold the info the prospect wants unless he agrees to come in, he won’t come in. Period.

  • The strong majority of new car leads are non-VIN specific, therefore, you can safely start off showing them an example of that model that you have on sale, then offer specifics.

  • When a prospect asks your price on a specific new car VIN he is often just trying to understand how your store prices cars. (Remember, most people do not end up buying the car they 1st requested a quote on anyway). Only a small percentage of buyers are true price grinders.

  • Price is a major compelling factor for the used car buyer. He/she expects the seller to lead off the price negotiations early in the game.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN “THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE”?

It turns out Marshall McLuhan was right. *

For more than 100 years people have been witnessing news and entertainment on movie screens. For more than 60 years Americans have had televisions in their homes. At some point in the last 20 years almost every American home acquired at least one computer monitor. In the past decade high quality flat screen monitors have become affordable commodities for everyone, everywhere and in every setting. And today brilliant high definition smart phone screens are truly ubiquitous.

The result of this 24/7 bombardment of electronic text and images is this: people are exposed to so much high visual quality electronic media every day that they now expect professional looking content on their screens. Any screen. Every screen.

When your dealership sends emails with confusing sentence structures, graphics that are too large (or too small), syntax errors, broken links, needless additional paragraphs, amateurish images, misspellings, grammatical errors, mixed fonts and/or spacing issues it tells customers a lot about you – and it’s not good. Your store and its employees come across as sloppy, mediocre, unprofessional and/or insincere in the eyes of the consumer, the very person you are trying so desperately to impress.

Like it or not, once you put text and/or images onto a screen today you are in the professional electronic communications business.

You have to be good at it. The customer expects it.

* McLuhan’s premise essentially states that the form of a medium is a major component in any message it transmits or conveys, creating as it does a version of that message in which the medium itself influences how the message is perceived.

 

Section 2:
THE HOW TO

 

 

 

 

THE 5 GOLDEN RULES FOR WORKING INTERNET LEADS

Here are five Golden Rules to live by:
1)      Respond quickly
2)      Respond often
3)      Always give value
4)      Always be upbeat
5)      Always advance the sales momentum 

These Golden Rules will carry you all the way.  Memorize them.  Print them and paste them over your monitor if necessary but make them part of your daily habits.

1)      Respond quickly – FQR (first quality response) email + phone + text in < 1 hour every time
2)      Respond often – Touch prospects often so that they feel they are being courted. 
3)      Always give value – In all your communications provide the prospect with opportunities to acquire knowledge and information that will lead him/her to an inevitable purchase.
4)      Always be upbeat – Never sound needy, disappointed, or irritated.  In all your communications convey the cheery, optimistic and unquestionable assumption that the prospect will be a customer – if not today, someday.
5)      Always advance the sales momentum – never throw control of the sale back to the customer.  Customers are asking you to show them the way to the answers they seek.  Be in charge and stay in charge. 

That last one (number 5) seems to be the most difficult for many Internet salespeople to grasp and employ.  For that reason, and before we get into the greater mechanics of “how to” work Internet leads, we are going to stop and examine sales momentum.

HOW TO OWN THE SALES MOMENTUM

Remember that the person who submits an Internet sales lead is trying to get from where they are now to where they want to be next.  They may have already devoted anywhere from one hour to 20 or more hours to research and self-education before hitting the “Submit” button that pops them onto your screen.  And for every happy moment spent picturing themself driving their new car/truck/SUV, they also feel some anxiety about the process of acquiring it.  Therefore, the Internet lead you just received contains not only the prospect’s name, contact information and desired vehicle, but also the weight of his/her hopes, dreams and anxieties connected to this purchase, plus the value of the personal time they have devoted to car shopping thus far.  By clicking the Call-To-Action button they are essentially throwing you a heavy ball that says, “Here’s who I am, please help me get from point A to point B.”

If you’re like many salespeople, you catch that ball, take out a Sharpie, write on the ball, “Hi!  This is Joe from Friendly Motors!  When do you want to come in?  Here’s my number.  Give me a call,” and throw it back.  How did that help the prospect get from point A to point B?  It didn’t.

By throwing the ball back to the customer that way, you not only didn’t help them advance themselves closer to a purchase (you gave them no information of value), you also just gave them the ball!  You have now tasked them with taking the next step in the sales process, and in doing so you have given them control of the sale.  Are they going to give you a second chance and throw the ball to you again?  Maybe.  Or are they going to turn and throw it to a new salesperson from another store in the hopes that that salesperson will recognize the precious ball for what it is and use it to help the shopper get from point A to point B?

Never throw the ball back to the customer.  Instead, use its contents to guide the customer to a purchase.  Do this by giving them information of value and continuing to give them information of value in every communication, even when they don’t respond.  Keep the sales momentum moving forward until the prospect either buys a car from you or tells you with certainty to stop contacting them.

RELATED NOTE: Likewise, never throw a problem or decision back at the prospect and make him/her deal with it.  As the salesperson it is your job to address obstacles, step over them, and keep things moving forward. Example: if you get a sales lead on a car that is already sold never say, “The one you asked about has just sold.  Here’s a link to our website so you can find something else.”  You just released the customer from your control and told them to go self-service shopping again, i.e. do more work, and do it on their own. Why do they need you now?  (They don’t.)  Instead: “The one you asked about has just sold, but I have another like it in gray with all the same features.  I also have a blue one with a sunroof and more features.  May I show them both to you?”

HOW TO RESPOND TO eLEADS: 4 STEPS

It’s corny, but it’s true: you only get one chance to make a good first impression.  This applies to Internet sales just as it does in the showroom.

The sale can be made or lost in the first hour: your initial response is far more important than all your (nevertheless important) follow-up efforts. Don’t blow it coming out of the gate!

So - a new lead has just arrived. What do you do?  Here it is, and except for # 1, they are listed in no particular order of completion:

1)      Read the lead (like, really, really read the lead)
2)      Send a good First Quality Response (FQR) email
3)      Make the first phone attempt
4)      Send a text message

1). Read the Lead
Believe it or not, failure to read the lead is the most common dealer error we encounter when doing mystery shops.  This is especially true of digital retailing (DR) leads.   

Have you ever purchased something online, and when it arrived you opened the box only to discover that they sent you the wrong order?  That’s how it feels to the customer when he/she requests X and you respond with Y - or with no information of value at all.  Example: a prospect sends you a new car VIN-specific inquiry and your first email reply says “Hello, I need more information before I can help you.  Do you have a particular make, model or color in mind?”  He already told you the VIN or stock number of the specific car he desires – it’s right there in the lead.  Therefore, your reply comes off as a ploy to get him on the phone without providing any information upfront.  And/or it proves to him that you did not take the time to read his lead before responding.  Either way, he has now branded you a “typical car salesman” who just wants to get him into the store and hose him. Or a sloppy loser who doesn’t pay attention to business.   Or both.  Either way, you just made a terrible first impression on this prospect

Most leads contain additional and valuable information for you if you make the effort to find it.  Granted, some do not.  But you must be curious and read every lead thoroughly to find out if there are important clues in there for you.  This is imperative.

2). Send the First Quality Response (FQR) Email

  • Respond Quickly. Responding to a fresh lead via email in less than one hour multiplies your chances of a reply. Internet shoppers want info NOW, not 5 hours from now. If an hour or two has passed and they haven’t heard from you there’s a great chance that they have moved on. He who responds quickly with quality (i.e. value-giving) content has first mover advantage.

  • Personalize the Email. Fresh prospects are looking for a relationship first, and a car second. Form letters do not create relationships. Find some way to add a brief personal line or two to the beginning of the email, even if the lines are unrelated to the car deal. Say something/anything to let the prospect know that a real person has taken the time to read his inquiry and is replying with a personal touch.

  • Fill-In the Blanks. If you are using First Quality Response (FQR) templates, they should have sections that must be completed by you before sending. Be sure every line is filled-in correctly and that any non-applicable wording is removed before sending the email! This is your one shot at making a strong positive first impression. Dedicate 5 – 8 minutes to the task and tailor the template to the customer’s request. A great FQR email is the first step to staying in the game.

3). Make the First Phone Attempt
If you are like many (perhaps most) people today, you do not pick up the phone when the caller is an unrecognized number.  Your customers don’t either.  So as much as 90% of the time your first phone attempt will go to voice mail.  Not a problem; in a later section we will show you how to leave a voice message that gives value to the consumer and encourages him/her to respond to you.

4). Send A Text Message
Airlines text you when your flight is delayed.  Restaurants text you when your table is ready.  UPS texts you when your package is delivered.  Uber texts you when you driver arrives.  Your own dealership’s service department probably texts customers when their car is ready.  Today, few leads come with a landline phone number.  When you have a cell number to both call and text why not utilize it? 

A note about texting permissions: in 2011 Lithia Motors paid $2.5 million to settle a class action suit asserting that Lithia spammed 58,000 customers/prospects with unwanted text messages.  Influenced by this event the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was amended in 2013 to address the issue of spam texting. The rules wording is considered ambiguous by many and there are conflicting interpretations as a result.  Most CRM manufacturers interpreted the rule to mean that calls/texts sent from software products/devices (that would include CRMs, then) must have written consent (i.e. opt-in) from the consumer before they can be sent, whereas calls/texts manually sent from individuals’ phones do not.  (The spammers and scammers who robo-call and robo-text me every day must have decided not to read the TCPA.)  However, when you text a prospect who willingly supplied his/her phone number do you not have implied permission to do so?  Your outreaches to that consumer are not unsolicited – they submitted their info knowing it will be used to contact them.  So why is an “Opt In” message necessary?  Nobody said it had to make sense.  Do the small amount of research necessary to familiarize yourself with the TCPA then act as you see fit.

LOOKING FOR CLUES: READING THE LEAD.

It is in your very best interest to read that lead before you first call or email the prospect.  Most leads contain clues that help you learn about your prospect, and that, in turn, enables you to personalize your responses.  Why do you want to do that?  Because people don’t like impersonal, one-size-fits-all, machine-made replies.  Remember that when a person first submits that lead, he or she is often not yet looking for a car; they are looking for a salesperson who understands them and will help them.  You can take the first step toward being that salesperson by first reading the lead.

At its most basic, you want to read the lead to see if it contains answers to the following:

  • Is the prospect already in your CRM? (Existing customer.)

  • Where did the lead come from? (Lead source.)

  • Is the lead VIN-specific or non-VIN-specific?

  • Is it a new car lead or a used car lead?  A Trade-In Value lead?  A DR (digital retailing) lead?  Something else?

  • Did the customer leave any comments to read? 

And, if the lead includes an address (even if it’s only a zip code):

  • Where does the prospect live?

Existing Customer – Has the customer submitted a lead to your store in the past?  Has he/she purchased a car from your store in the past?  If so, have they taken that car to your store for service in the past?  These are great things to know because they might mean the difference between a cold lead and a warm or even hot one. If your prospect has a pre-existing relationship with your store (good or bad) take advantage of that familiarity and acknowledge it when you reply to the lead.

Lead Source – All lead types are not created equal.  For example, leads from a dealer’s website are often sent by shoppers who have moved past the info gathering stage and are now sorting and discarding info in order to create a short list.  These folks might be very close to making a purchase.  By contrast, leads from 3rd party websites or trade-in evaluation sites often come from people still in the information gathering stage.  These people might be a few weeks or even months away from making their buy.  While the above conclusions are not true in every case, aren’t you in a better position to help this customer (and prioritize your own time) if you first have some idea of where the prospect is at in his/her shopping journey before you contact them?  Taking note of the lead source is your first step in doing that.

VIN-Specific or Non-VIN-Specific – this often corelates with Lead Source. 

  • Leads from your store’s website, including DR leads, are almost always VIN-Specific as the sender has selected a specific car from your inventory and is requesting information on it.  These are usually the highest closing ratio leads. 

  • A non-VIN-Specific lead might be from a person ready to buy but it might also be from a person still in the purchase research and preparation stage.  Therefore, you want to approach each lead a bit differently. 

For example, your first reply to the VIN-specific prospect will always include ‘The one you asked about, stock #00000, is here and ready for you to see and test drive,” but if you send that same message to the non-VIN-specific prospect it will sound silly since he/she did not request info on a specific car.  The message you send in your first email reply to the prospect must be specific to the type of lead received.  One message does not fit all types of leads, and you can’t know what type of lead you have until you first thoroughly read it.

New Car?  Used Car?  Other? – Again, all leads are not the same.  People who seek new cars usually have different transportation, money and status objectives than those who look for used. And people who submit trade-in evaluation leads are often first thinking about how to put a deal together – if they can at all.  Who is your prospect and what is he/she attempting to accomplish with this purchase?  Attempting to understand your prospects’ intentions before you first contact them gives you an edge on the salesperson who does not study leads beforehand and responds the same way to all.

Comments – Recently, when looking for a car for the wife, we found an inbound vehicle that perfectly suited her.  Knowing that this particular make/model was in short supply we submitted a lead to our local dealer and, in the “Comments” section, asked these questions:
- Is it too late to put our name on this car and reserve it?
- When is it scheduled to arrive?
- Does it already have the popular convenience package on it?

Do those sound like the questions of someone who is serious about buying this car?  Uh, yeah.  But here is how the dealer replied:
- What colors and features are important to you in your next car?
- When do you want to come in and test drive this car?  This afternoon?  Or this evening?  (It’s inbound, remember: they did not have it in stock yet.)
- Do you have a car to trade in?

It was immediately clear to us that this salesperson never read our comments.  Meaning that if we wanted to get answers to our questions, we were going to have to do more work and reach out to the dealer a second time.  Or do more work and find another dealership that would provide the help we were seeking.  And that’s what we did.  Dealer # 2’s website showed that it had the exact same car, also inbound, so we submitted to that dealer asking the same three questions as before. That salesperson replied with the answers to our questions. And that salesperson got our deposit that evening. 

Remember that when a prospect submits a lead, they often are not yet looking for a car; they are looking for a salesperson who understands them and wants to help facilitate their purchase. Salesperson # 1 failed that test and did not get our business, all because he/she failed to read the comments section of our lead.

The Address - Where does the prospect live?  In your market area? That’s good; people like to shop close to home.  Outside your market area and close to a rival same brand dealership?  Hmmm…that might be good too.  Or not.  It might mean that they are cross shopping you against their local store, either because they are comparing prices, or because you have the product they want and the other guy doesn’t, or both.  Are they in another city hundreds of miles away?  That’s gotta be an inventory thing, no?  Maybe you’ve got the car they want and nobody local to them has it.  Or maybe they sent their lead to you by mistake?  Or maybe they live in another city or state but are buying the car for someone in your city or state?  If you pause to consider these possibilities before you connect with the prospect you have a wealth of important questions to ask of them, questions that help you get the relationship off to a good start.

Can you now see why asking yourself these questions before you contact the customer is a good thing?  Therefore, whatever you do, before you reply to an inquiry read the lead!

CALL FIRST? TEXT FIRST? EMAIL FIRST? THAT IS THE QUESTION

“The email sells the phone call, the phone call sells the appointment, and the appointment sells the car.” – David Kain, Kain Automotive.

It’s a fact that some people who want and expect an email reply from you will be irritated when you call instead.  And yet, there are still people (especially older people) who like the telephone and consider calls to be a sign of caring, personalized customer service.  At the same time, some people (especially young adults) eschew phone calls, and even email; they prefer their conversations via text message, only acquiescing to email or phone communication (they see email as burdensome and phone as intrusive) when it becomes a necessity. So how are we supposed to connect?

Unless they clearly state their preference upfront you simply don’t know if your prospect is a phone-centric person, an email-centric person, or a text-centric person.  Thus, you must initially give equal attention to all available mediums until you find the one your prospect likes best.

So which medium do you use first?  There is no one correct answer.

Fans of the call-first approach believe that if you get the prospect on the phone right away you can leap-frog over the FQR email stage and get right into a buyer/seller relationship.  This may be true.

Fans of the email-first approach say that when you email the prospect (a prospect who chose to send you an electronic lead instead of calling or coming to the store) you are giving them in return what they requested as they requested it, thereby earning you the right to now call or text.  This may also be true.

Fans of the text-first approach simply point to texting’s high response rate as proof of its superiority as a medium.  This may also be true.

Regardless of whether you believe in calling first or emailing first or even texting first (the last time I talked to David Kain, for example, he still advocated calling first) the italicized proverb at the beginning of this section remains true.  At some point you are going to find yourself emailing and calling and texting as all three mediums have a rightful place in your toolbox. 

Therefore, regardless of the sequence in which the mediums are employed, the information of value in your email(s) will cause the customer to trust you and want to speak to you in real-time. The emotional connection made in real-time will enable you to excite the customer about making an appointment.  And the customer who honors his/her appointment will most likely buy a car.

Notes:

  • One argument in favor of emailing before calling is that if you phone first you have very little to say in your voice message (do not most calls result in a voice message?) except, “Hi James, Tom at Friendly Motors here, ready to talk about that Jetta you asked for.  Please call me back at 555-5555.” Whereas if you send the FQR email first you now have a valuable message to leave on the prospect’s voice recorder (“Hi James, Tom at Friendly Motors here, I received your request and replied already with the very information you want.  Please check your email and please let me know if you do not have it.”)  Your voice message just gave value!

  • You may call within minutes of receiving the lead and leave a voicemail message, believing that you have fulfilled your duty to respond quickly.  Your CRM may even count the quick phone reply as a fast lead response time (LRT).  But if you don’t also send an FQR email within minutes of completing your call the prospect expecting a prompt and informative written word reply is extremely disappointed at what he/she perceives as your very slow email response time, no matter how many phone messages you leave.

WHAT TO SAY IN YOUR FQR EMAIL, VOICE MESSAGE & TEXT MESSAGE

The prospect submitted a lead form because their self-education efforts took them to a place where they needed to communicate with a human being at a dealership in order to get to the desired next stage in their pre-purchase preparation.

When the Internet salesperson responds with a message that says only “Thank you for your request.  Here’s my number, call me,” and/or ignores the direct question in the prospect’s submittal, the salesperson really hasn’t given the prospect anything of value, i.e. he/she hasn’t given the customer anything back that the customer can’t already discover through their own web research.  So why are we disappointed when the customer does not respond?  You must reply with information that helps them advance themselves to the next step of the purchase.  Otherwise they don’t need you.

In almost all cases a first quality response (FQR), be it an email, voice message or text message, must contain the core elements that give value to the customer.  To illustrate this point, allow us to first tell a brief story…

THE SHOE STORE (A True Story)
A local Ford dealer launched a BDC.  They staffed this communications center with four young women, all of whom had a small amount of prior retail work experience but no car business experience.  The savviest of the four had been an assistant manager at a chain shoe store.  When I stopped in after a few weeks to inquire on the BDC’s progress she said to me, “This car business is weird.  These old car dogs here wouldn’t last a day at my former shoe store.”  I asked her to explain.   

She said, “Imagine a customer walks into a shoe store and says ‘I’m interested in a pair of men’s dress shoes.  Here’s how we were taught to respond to that customer:”

  • “Great! I am thrilled to be of help.” Acknowledge the customer and show enthusiasm

  • “We have a great selection of men’s dress shoes.” Confirm availability of the product so the customer knows he/she is in the right place.

  • “In fact, we have (BRAND NAME SHOE) on sale this week for only $XX.XX.” Make an offer to sell something – let the customer know your store has stuff on sale.

  • “Follow me this way and we’ll try on some shoes.” Lead the prospect to the next step of the purchase, the hands-on experience.

“But,” she said, “If one of these old car dogs here had to work at a shoe store it would go like this: 

CUSTOMER: “I’m interested in a pair of men’s dress shoes.” 
OLD CAR DOG SALESMAN: “Sure, I’ll need a little more information before I can help you.”

o   Are you looking for leather sole shoes or rubber sole shoes?

o   Do you want black, brown or cordovan colored shoes?

o   Do you want slip-ons or lace shoes?

o   Do you want round toes, square toes or wing tips?

o   Are these formal dress shoes or casual dress shoes?

o   Are you already working with someone else at our store?

o   And are you planning to pay for this with cash, check, a debit/credit card or are you interested in financing with us?

Her joke was painfully on target.  How many times have we all acted exactly like the old car dog in the example above?  We get a lead that says only “2021 GMC Sierra” and we immediately send the customer an email that grills him with questions:

  • Do you want the V6 or the V8?

  • What trim line do you like best?

  • What colors are important to you?

  • What features in your current vehicle do you want to keep and what features would you like to replace?

  • Are you already working with somebody else at this dealership?

  • Do you have a trade-in? Has it been appraised?

  • Are you planning to finance? If so, do you have some idea of what your credit score is?

In our efforts to get right to the close we end up slapping the customer in the face with hard questions that he/she in all likelihood can’t answer.  And if the customer did know the answers to all these questions why would they need us?  In our misguided effort to quickly land the customer on a car we waste the opportunity to provide value and service. 

Remember: we are only valuable to the consumer when we provide solutions to the problems that caused him/her to reach out to us in the first place. 

Therefore…

Part 1 - THE 5 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A GOOD FQR EMAIL

In all but a few situations the perfect new car/truck FQR email must have these five key components:

  1. Brief, personalized and enthusiastic greeting - Acknowledge the customer and show enthusiasm.

  2. Confirmation of availability of product - “You are in luck! We have a great selection of ______” – or – “We have access to a large selection of______….” or “The one you want is here and ready for you to test drive…” or something to that effect.

  3. A photo or picture of the product plus description - Big is better – remember that the majority of recipients are reading this email on their smart phone. Teeny little postage stamp size pics/drawings do not get it. Plus, briefly describe the vehicle (i.e. “has sunroof, back-up camera, and cold weather package,” etc.) so the prospect can differentiate it from another he/she might be looking at on another dealer’s website.

  4. An offer to sell something - “With all available rebates this one is now $29,999 – or – We’ve got 0% for 72 months on this model through the end of the month only! – or – The manufacturer just added an extra $500 rebate on this model for the next 5 days!” or something to that effect. Say something, anything, which generates some sales price excitement.

  5. Notification to the customer that you are going to maintain the sales momentum and advance him/her to the next stage of the sales process - “I’ll be calling you soon to be sure you got this email – or – I’ll be calling you to set up a test drive” or something to that effect.

In the template example that follows you will see these concepts put into action. This is a New Car/Truck General Inquiry FQR: the lead gave only the prospect’s contact info plus year/make/model of the new vehicle of interest. That’s it. How is that any different from “I’m interested in a pair of dress shoes”? It’s not. Here’s a salesperson’s sample first email response.

Nissan FQR.JPG

Note that the last line is the killer line: “I’ll be calling you soon to be sure you got this email.”  It is imperative that you alert customers that you are advancing the sales momentum.  After all, by submitting this lead did they not willfully enlist your aid in helping them get from where they are now to where they want to be?  And how can you help them get there if you just stand around waiting for them to contact you back?  By submitting the lead they have given you permission to contact them and also to keep things moving forward - and that’s what they expect you to do.

Hello, World!

Part 2: THE UNIVERSAL VOICE MESSAGE

OK, you just sent the perfect FQR.  Phone follow-up is now a necessary second step.  The problem is, few people today answer their phone.  For one thing, only people over age 40 actually use their phone for talking.  And, despite it being illegal to tele-market to cell phone numbers, everyone who lives in a major metro area receives 4-6 unwanted telemarketing calls to their smart phones every day.  As a result, nobody today picks up calls that come from unknown, un-trusted numbers.  So how can we make good use of the telephone?

Knowing that you are going to leave a voice message 90% of the time allows you to memorize this short, simple but effective two part voice message script.  And it goes like this:

“Hi _______, this is Tommy Carguy at Friendly
Motors.  I got your request and replied already
by email with the information you asked for.  Please
let me know if you don’t have it. (Brief pause) Sorry
I missed you.  I’ll try you again later, or you can
reach me back at this number.”

There’s a lot of positive stuff going on in this seemingly innocuous message.  Let’s analyze it:

  • “I got your request…” is an acknowledgment that you received the lead.  

  • “…and replied already by email with the information you asked for.” 

You’ve just alerted the customer that he has an email waiting (excellent) and that the email you sent contains info of value to him/her.  What customer doesn’t like that?

  • “Please let me know if you don’t have it” 

This line, without ever using the dreaded (negative) words “spam” or “junk,” tells the reader that if he/she doesn’t have your email they need to check their spam folder.  (We have done many mystery shops where the salesperson never left this message and the shopper never realized that he had emails waiting in his spam folder.)  You have just provided an additional courtesy.  Who doesn’t like courtesy?

  • “Sorry I missed you.  I’ll try you again later, or you can reach me back at this number.”

“I’ll try you again later” puts the customer on alert that you are going to fulfill your duty to him/her to advance the sales momentum.  You are essentially saying, “I know you are busy, and I know buying a car is often not fun, but I also know you contacted us for help so I will keep trying until you and I are able to connect at a time that is convenient for you.”

Hello, World!

Part 3: THE RIGHT TEXT MESSAGE

You sent a perfect FQR, you left a perfect voice message, now it’s time to send a text message.  It can be as short and simple as this:

TextMsg1.png

Casual, personal, short and to the point.  And it gives value.

In just the past year we have also been seeing a new and clever use of text messaging to request telephone appointments.  See example below:

TextMsg3.png

As a general rule, text messages are brief (the original technology kept messages at 160 characters or less).  They are also immediate: text messages arrive within seconds of being sent.  Also, the fact that they appear only on your personal cell phone gives them an intimacy that email lacks.  For all the reasons above text messages tend to get double the response rate of emails.  And yet, they must be used sparingly.  At least at first.  Because text messaging is a relatively new technology, social and commercial texting etiquettes are still evolving.

Pictures & Video: Many stores like to send photos and/or a short video of the customer’s desired vehicle via text as part of the first response process.  Is it effective?  In our experience not so much, but if it’s working for you, great.  Keep it up.  Texting pix of a car that the prospect just saw on your website or other source seems, to us, redundant. And while video can be a fantastic way to make connection with people, video is not for everybody.  Remember the earlier chapter on how “The Medium Is the Message”?  If you have a knack for making snappy, attention-getting videos go for it.  But if filmmaking or being on camera is not your thing, it’s best to find other methods of connecting with your customers.  (Note: there are times when sending pix or video of a vehicle by text is the perfect thing to do, of course.  Like when a car has not yet been photographed for your site, or when a customer asks for shots of a feature or detail not seen in the already available photos.  These are just two examples.)

WORKING DIGITAL RETAILING (DR) LEADS

DR leads are different.  And so, your Day One responses must be different.  Different, but not complicated.  Different, but not difficult.

Imagine that your search for dinner has led you to an Italian restaurant’s website. On it you can order food to pick up or have delivered. You select a 16” pizza with four toppings and click the “Order” button.  A few minutes later you get an email confirming that you have selected a 16” pizza with four toppings, and that your food will be ready in 20 minutes.  Cool.

Now imagine the same scenario, but this time you are also curious about the restaurant’s salads.  And you’d like to try their breadsticks, too.  So, you select a 16” pizza with four toppings, a large salad, and an order of breadsticks and click the “Order” button.  A few minutes later you get an email confirming that you have selected a 16” pizza with four toppings, and that your food will be ready in 20 minutes.

What’s your immediate reaction? “WTH happened to my salad and breadsticks?!?!”  Exactly.  This is how the DR user feels when he/she selects a car, enters data on a trade-in, plays around with possible payments (or more) and gets a reply from the dealership that only addresses the selected car.

Because DR users devote precious time to educating themselves in the complexities of a car purchase, a retailer must recognize this and assure the shopper that his/her work was not in vain, while also extending a hand that leads the shopper into the next stages of the purchase process. The technique for doing this in first response email and voice messages is simply to:

  1. Acknowledge the customer’s DR shopping journey. “I see you used our online shopping service. Thank you!”

  2. Restate the components of their order.

    - “I see you want 2021 Kia Telluride stock # 12345.   You’re in luck, it is here and available to purchase.”

    - “I see you have a 2016 Honda Passport to trade-in and its estimated worth is $11,495.  We definitely want to see that.

    - “I see you are looking for a payment in the $540 range.  Got it.”  

    - And so on, until you have recognized each component of the deal completed by the shopper.

  3. Advance the customer to the next purchase step. “What can I help you accomplish today?  Shall we start with a test drive?”

Your DR email (and voice message) FQRs can do this, and you will find an example at the end of this book.  Otherwise, the general rules for employing email, phone and text messaging for DR leads are the same as for any other type of Internet lead.  Likewise, your 1st Response & Long-Term Follow-Up process itself need not be modified to accommodate DR leads. The difference between working a DR lead and a conventional lead is in the first response content.

Acknowledge
Restate
Advance

It’s as simple as that.

FQR RATER (First Quality Response email & website scoring tool)

How good are your store’s FQR emails?  Do they pass the “Five Key Components” test?  The FQR Rater form (next page) enables you to score FQRs to ensure that they give value to prospects. (The bottom half also contains a section for critiquing your store’s website.)  Try it: open your store’s CRM and randomly read and score your salespeople’s FQRs with this form. How many FQRs get a “Yes” on most rows?  The more “Yes” boxes you can check the better the FQR. (Note: if you want a copy of this chart as a .pdf or .doc just drop me an email.)

FQR Email Scoring Tool - Universal.JPG

WORKING THE RESPONSIVE PROSPECT

Congratulations; the prospect you replied to yesterday wrote/called/texted you back in the wee hours or when you were otherwise unavailable. Now what do you do? Do you call? Do you write back? Ultimately, you have to use your own good judgment.

If the prospect responds to you by email… This is good, though a bit tricky – it could be that he likes what you sent, but does not yet want to get one-on-one with you via telephone. Or it may just be easier for him to do the car deal after hours via email. Or maybe he is at work and needs to use a medium that does not involve making noise. You probably want/need to reply by email, at least for now. Note: be careful, because email always carries the potential for miscommunication due to poor word choice or misconstrued tone. Give the customer whatever he/she wants (within reason, of course) but measure your words carefully. Pause, re-read, and be certain your reply says exactly what you need/want it to say before you hit the “Send” button.

Note: Avoid the back-and-forth, back-and-forth email trap. You can email yourself right out of a relationship. Rule of thumb: if the customer writes and you reply, then they reply and you reply again, and then they reply again that marks 3 times the customer has replied via email. At this point stop emailing if at all possible and engage them on the phone. Too many email back-and- forths can become tedious and cause the prospect to lose interest (even though they started it). Also, the more you email back-and-forth the more risk that someone’s tone or choice of wording will eventually be misunderstood, causing the relationship to sour and end.

If the prospect responds to you by telephone… This could go well – the prospect likes what you sent and wants to get one-on-one with you on the phone. Your goal now is to secure an appointment, either at the store or at the prospect’s home or workplace. Work it according to what common sense and your good salesmanship skills tell you to do.

If the prospect responds to you by text…. This is very good; although the prospect is still using the written word to communicate with you versus real time verbal communication. Text messaging has an urgency and intimacy about it that makes it a powerful communication medium. The fact that he is using text to talk to you can be interpreted to mean that he is allowing you inside his private communication device; his smart phone. Keep every text communication brief and to the point. Rule of thumb: text messages should be short enough that they can be read at a stop light, or better yet, a stop sign.

NOTE: two texting errors our mystery shoppers repeatedly see:

  • Many salespeople today prefer to lead off with a text message. That’s fine, but oftentimes, if the customer responds, the salesperson immediately assumes that the customer only likes to text. From this point on the shopper gets nothing but texts, too many texts, texts that are too long and complicated, or all of the above. Don’t stop using email and phone when the prospect responds to your text messages. When possible use texting to notify the customer that you sent him information via email or voice message instead. Note: while we are personally wary of the nothing-but-text method (too much opportunity for misunderstanding due to misconstrued tone or word interpretation, no emotional connection established) we must admit we have seen it work in some cases. If the prospect only wants to engage you via texting then let them, of course.  But beware of the pitfalls.  

  • Always identify yourself when you text a prospect. Just because you had some exchanges yesterday, don’t assume that he/she is going to recognize your number today. Our mystery shoppers have to text “Who is this?” a lot because salespeople don’t ID themselves.

If the prospect responds by just showing up at your store… Other than the fact that these surprise drop-ins can crater your activity plan for that day this is the very best result you can hope for. You now have a customer in your showroom. Go sell!

WORKING THE NON-RESPONSIVE PROSPECT

You replied to yesterday’s new lead and did everything right.  It’s the next morning and still no reply.  Now what? 

The hard fact is most of the people who send in leads will not respond right away, no matter how good your first response process.  So what do we do with these prospects?  Do you ignore them?  Do you harass them?  Do you delete them? 

The answer is:

  • You sell to the folks who respond to you.

  • You market to the folks who do not. And,

  • You rely upon your CRM’s First Response & Long-Term Follow-Up Process to help you do both.

Just because a prospect has, until now, been unresponsive, it doesn’t mean that they are not a buyer, today or in the future.  You don’t yet know.  They might have a lot of other things going on in their life right now and this car purchase is but one.  Don’t assume at this early stage of the game they are not a buyer just because they haven’t replied yet.

Recent Internet car shopper behavior data says that, depending upon your brand, store and market area, anywhere from 50% - 60% of your Internet leads who convert to buyers will do so within 5 – 10 days of submitting their lead.   (Assume this is true for the sake of this section).  Logic says that, to increase your chances of connecting with those who are ready to be a buyer soon, you want to make as many contact attempts as is reasonably possible during this critical first 5 – 10 day period.

However, some buyers won’t come around until well after 5 days – and as many as 25% of the buyers won’t buy until well after 30 days. 

You can’t devote the same amount of attention to these late-comers as you must to the hot fresh prospects – but you can’t afford to ignore these folks, either.  The practical solution is to write a 1st Response & Long-Term Follow-Up Process that tasks salespeople with devoting ample personal attention to prospects in their first 1 - 5 (or more) days while automating (as much as is possible) an email follow-up schedule that lets you market to these unsold/unresponsive prospects after that time.

THE 1st RESPONSE & LONG TERM FOLLOW-UP PROCESS

Most CRM tools come from the factory pre-loaded with a default lead handling Process plus some email templates Content.   The Process and Content included with most CRMs is generic, outmoded and outdated stuff that is provided only so you will have something to run when you first turn on the system.  It is highly unlikely that you want to use it.  We recommend that you build your own Process and Content and structure them to match the days-to-the-sale demonstrated buying habits of your store’s customers.

The two most common types of First Response & Long Term Follow-Up processes are:
- Timeline Based
- Rules Based

The Timeline Based (sometimes called "Independent") process is the easiest to write and manage.  It assigns first response and follow-up tasks according to a fixed schedule that launches the day the lead arrives (if possible) or the following day.  With a Timeline Based process, if for some reason a day’s tasks are not completed, the next day you simply move on and complete the tasks scheduled for the current day.  What’s past is past.

The Rules Based (sometimes called "Dependent") process is more sophisticated. It says “On Day X you do this.  Once you complete this task the next task in the process will reveal itself.”   In this case, if for some reason a day’s task is not completed, the next day you must complete (or at least address) the previous day’s task(s) before you can complete today’s tasks also. 

90 day fu process.JPG

There are many other 1st Response & Long Term Follow-Up processes out there – we happen to be fond of this one for a number of reasons.  This all-purpose easy to use Timeline-Based 90 Day example works with both new and used car buyers.  (Note that the number of calls, emails, and texts shown here are minimum recommendations.) The point is to sell to prospects during the first (in this example) five days and, if they remain unresponsive after that time, market to them thereafter.

In the image above note that for the sake of simplicity and familiarity we are calling Day 1 the day of lead arrival. (Most CRMs call this Day 0.)

DAY 1: The first item to go out is the Auto-responder, a 24 Hour Auto-Response Email – this is the prospect’s “receipt” acknowledging that the dealer received the lead. Auto-responders are optional; some stores like them as an after-hours acknowledgement, some like them 24/7, some don’t like them at all. Your choice. In any case the auto-response email should be nothing more than an acknowledgement. Period.

Next up:

  • FQR (First Quality Response) template-based outgoing email. (Manual Send)

  • 1st call attempt

  • Text message

  • “Did You Get My Reply?” – sent at end of the day if prospect has been unresponsive.

STEPS SHOWN BELOW APPLY TO ALL PROSPECTS WHO REMAIN ACTIVE YET UNRESPONSIVE. If a prospect replies/responds change his/her status in the CRM to “Working” “Responding” “Contacted” “Appointment Set” or whatever CRM status applies. However, depending upon the prospect and their particular situation, you may or may not wish to cancel the remaining Process steps shown below. But if the prospect remains unresponsive then definitely continue the schedule shown below until either direct contact is made or until you elect to drop manual follow-up and allow automation to take over. (In this example all manual follow-up ends after Day 5. Some dealers, depending upon staff quantity and quality, like the automation to start earlier or later than 5 days, or not to use it at all.)

The suggested process steps shown here assume that the dealership has a portfolio of email templates that can be used for both manually sent emails and automatically sent emails. Aside from the FQRs a dealership can get away with having only 8-10 additional templates to use as they can be repeated/re-used to complete the long term follow-up process.

  • Day 2 – 2nd Quality Response Email

  • Day 2 – Call attempt

  • Day 2 – Text message (OPTIONAL)

  • Day 3 – 3rd Quality Response Email

  • Day 3 – Call attempt

  • Day 4 – 4th Quality Response Email

  • Day 5 – Call attempt

All remaining outgoing contact attempts here can be manually sent or automated emails. Once the template supply is exhausted (every template has been used once) it’s OK to start at the beginning and repeat the templates sequence as many times as necessary in order to complete the schedule below. (Prospects will not notice that they are receiving the same template they received a few days/weeks ago.)

  • Day 6 - Email

  • Day 8 - Email

  • Day 10 – Email

  • Day 12 – Email

  • Day 15 – Email

  • Day 18 – Email

  • Day 21 – Email

  • Day 25 – Email

  • Day 30 – Email

  • Day 40 – Email

  • Day 50 – Email

  • Day 60 – Email

  • Day 70 – Email

  • Day 80 – Email

  • Day 90 – Email

Bulk/Blast Emails - 5th day of each month send targeted email – and/or - 20th day of each month send targeted email.

USING TARGETED BULK (BLAST) EMAIL

When done correctly, bulk email is an extremely effective way to generate quick traffic boosts to your store.  Bulk email is fast, it’s easy to do and, best of all it’s free.  What possible reason is there for not using bulk email at your store?

The goal of a bulk email is to help unsold and/or unresponsive prospects advance themselves from Gatherers to Sorters.  Therefore, every outgoing bulk email should contain a strong call to action.  Use bulk emails to sell!

If you are using your CRM to automatically send regular long-term follow-up messages to unsold and/or unresponsive prospects every 7 –10 days then 1 or 2 bulk emails each month is likely all you need.

Alternatively, some dealerships use bulk email as their only long-term email follow-up Process and this is fine; if your store sends out a bulk email every few days you are making enough regular “touches” to stay in front of the unsold and/or unresponsive prospects in your CRM database.

Many dealers use bulk email to send electronic versions of their print “box ads” and there is certainly no harm in getting double use out of a print graphic.  However, it’s worth noting that print advertising is usually designed to shower a broad common denominator audience, whereas email marketing is more effective when recipients are made to feel that they are part of a niche audience (i.e. “targeted”).  Also, print car ads tend to “shout” at people, and while that captures attention to the printed page it can be abrasive on a screen.  The best email marketing pieces tend to be quieter and more personal than broadcast print pieces.

Ultimately, there are no hard and fast rules as to what makes a great bulk email template or bulk email campaign.  Experiment a bit until you find what works best for your store.

In the example shown here, we have a proven effective bulk email template with a strong call to action that, nevertheless, is quieter and more personal than your typical car dealer email.

Example: DOWN TO OUR LAST FEW SALE.
It’s an age-old truism that the best way to get people to want something is to tell them they can’t have it.  In the email example here, we tell the recipients that we have an outstanding sale, but only a limited amount of merchandise – this is a time-tested approach that has worked for centuries.

The small quantity of product made available (5 - 10 units seems to work best) gives the offer an air of exclusivity that appeals to people looking for a “special deal.”  Notice that the merchandise is described in such a way that the interested prospect must contact the store in order to learn which vehicles have what specific trim lines and colors.  This is the opposite of the tact used in most car ads, in which everything about the product is revealed up front.  Here we create mystery by leaving some product details up in the air.

We have discovered that this template can be used across all prospects in your database and need not be filtered for new (versus used vehicles of interest) or model-specific prospects only.  Send it to everyone.  This email has generated responses from prospects not at all interested in the make and model being promoted who nevertheless are so intrigued by the approach that they ask if the store has sale pricing on the year make and model vehicle in which they do have interest.

You can write variations on this template concept and use it to sell aged inventory, to sell a small inventory of multiple model vehicles, to sell used cars, or just about anything else for which you can create a perceived scarcity.  (The example next uses Ford F-150 as the promoted vehicle).

bulk_email_example.JPG

COMPOSING EFFECTIVE EMAIL TEMPLATES

Now that you have a process you know when to touch your prospects.  So what do you say to them?  This is where email templates come in handy.

Some stores refuse to employ templates, believing as they do that personal, hand-written emails are far more effective than “canned” ones.  We agree!  So why do we believe in templates?  Easy.  Remember the 5 Essential Elements of a good FQR email?  After more than 500 Internet sales mystery shops we have yet to see a dealership that can daily send hand-written personal FQR emails without forgetting to include at least one of the essential elements.  The best compromise is to train your people to personalize good FQR templates, and to do it without removing one or more of these 5 essential components.

Before we get into some template examples, know that there are no rules for creating good content, only principles.  Good email content is composed of equal parts communication and salesmanship skills, mixed with an eye for basic (can be very basic) graphic design, and assembled with an awareness that “the media is the message.”  And, of course, your messages must be relevant to the recipient by giving value.

COMMUNICATION – The tone of the email goes a long way toward pushing the message across.  For example, technology (email, chat, text) has caused our communications today to be increasingly informal, personal and brief.  Whereas ten years ago formal-sounding business letters were the accepted response to customer inquiries, today short, informal email or text messages rule the day.  Rule Of Thumb: if it looks good on a smart phone, it will look good everywhere.  Make your templates clean, clear and concise – shorter is better than longer.  And always test them on a smart phone before launching.

SALES MOMENTUM – It is the salesperson’s job to direct and maintain the sales momentum. The only person allowed to stop the sales momentum is the customer. Therefore, properly written follow-up emails must advance the sales momentum – they do it by giving the prospect value in each email - value in the form of opportunity for the customer to educate and (therefore) advance him/herself closer to the inevitable purchase. Therefore, in all your communications convey the cheery, optimistic and unquestionable assumption that the prospect will be a customer – if not today, then someday.

DESIGN – Use fonts and spacings that are easy on the eyes, plus a simple one piece graphic header that pushes your store’s brand (optional).  Sans-serif fonts (Arial, Calibri and Tahoma are popular examples) look best on electronic screens.  Serif fonts (Times New Roman, Courier, Garamond and hundreds of others) look best on the printed page and should be avoided.  Note: be sure that every outgoing email uses the same graphic header, same font type and same font size.  Employing these simple, basic branding techniques is the easiest way to establish brand familiarity (for you and the dealership) while also notifying prospects that you and your store are professional.

GIVE VALUE – you are going to get tired of hearing us say this but it cannot be ignored: all outbound messages must be relevant to the consumer and the way to be relevant is to give value.  Think about this: every time we sit down to our computers or look at our phones we expect to be entertained, informed or both.  A session in which we are neither entertained nor informed results in frustration.  Let’s use YouTube as an example: you click on a video that looks interesting, it plays, you like it, and now you feel different than you did when you first clicked on the vid.  Success!  You feel pleasantly better now than you did when you started.  This is good.  If time allows you might let YouTube call up another video, and if you like that one you will let YouTube call up yet another video.  As long as you’re getting that rush of feeling pleasantly different at the end of each video than you did at the beginning you will let YouTube show you videos all day.  You like YouTube.  But what happens when YouTube serves you a video you don’t like?  One that bores you, or is uninteresting?  You’re out of here.  You feel irritated and frustrated and you close YouTube and move on.  You no longer like YouTube.  Your internet sales prospects react the same way to you and your outreaches; as long as they feel pleasantly better at the end of each email or voice message or text than they did when they started they will like you and your dealership.  If not….

KEEP IT BRIEF AND TO THE POINT – remember this: with the exception of reading done for pleasure, anybody reading anything wants it to be over!  In every email (and text and phone message) you send get immediately to the point and then get to the end.

Additional notes:

  • Many industry professionals advocate and employ email templates designed to guilt or shame the nonresponsive prospect into replying. (Example: “Is there a reason you have not returned my calls?” or “Have I done something wrong?” etc. etc.) To our mind, while the nagging spouse / nagging parent approach may work on prospects with reduced self-esteem, others will find the tone of the emails to be arrogant and audacious. In our opinion, displaying chutzpah is not the way to get the nonresponsive prospect to open up to you. Nevertheless, some stores report great success with this type of template. (We think it only works if the prospect is first pleased and impressed with the FQR email sent on Day 1. You may have a differing opinion).

  • Consider this: Amazon.com, L.L. Bean, Home Depot and the hundreds of other companies who email you regularly have to impact you with email only – they can’t call all 1,000,000+ people on their prospects list. They successfully write and send template-based emails that cause people to take a course of action. Why can’t you? (You can).

Here’s a challenge: when composing templates pretend that none of your e-prospects has provided a telephone number. You are now forced to create sales excitement solely through the written word. Can you give value, advance the sales momentum, and deliver your needed message in as few words as possible?

TESTING YOUR EMAIL EFFECTIVENESS

Do you feel that your outbound emails should be generating more results? Pretty much everyone does.

It’s tempting to blame prospects for being inconsiderate jerks. “Why do these people send in leads if they don’t want to buy?” “These leads suck – these people are just shoppers!”

But as any professional stage performer knows, if the audience isn’t applauding your act it’s not because they don’t want to be entertained. It’s because you, the performer, are not in step with what they want to see and hear right now.

  • Remember what we said earlier: today’s Internet car shoppers are self-educating themselves as much as they can, contacting retailers only when it becomes a necessary step toward reaching their purchase goal. They expect you to provide value in the form of information that helps them advance themselves to the inevitable sale. No info of value = no engagement.

  • One email no longer makes an impact. It’s been a long time since people got excited every time their computer exclaimed “You’ve got mail!” Everyone receives hundreds of emails per day now with the majority of them junk or irrelevant. To stand out and register with the reader today you have to be relevant (i.e. give value) and you have to be in front of their eyes repeatedly. Email has become like billboards; how many times must you drive by the same billboard before it finally sticks in your head? A lot. The same is now true with email.

  • Are your emails fugly? Are they too wordy? Are they too stuffy and formal sounding? People today expect stuff to be personal, concise, professional and easy on the eyes.


Do this: gather a sampling of your outbound emails and read them out loud. How do they sound? Upbeat and conversational? Or stilted and awkward? Crisp and concise? Or long and painful? Reading them out loud will reveal everything that is right or wrong about your email content.

It’s often hard to evaluate the communications effectiveness of our own emails - we are just too close to the material to have an objective eye. However, you have an invaluable (and free) resource right under your nose – the wife! (Or husband. Or cousin. Or best friend. Or whatever.) One who is not in the car business. Who does not read car magazines. Who is only interested in cars for their ability to get them from point A to B, for their safety and their reliability. (And maybe their status). Sounds like an average customer, right?

If you have a spouse, or cousin or friend (or whatever), male or female, who is not in the car business and is not impassioned about cars, ask him/her to mystery shop your store and give you his/her subjective analysis. Ask them:

  • “What first impression did you get when you saw this email/these emails?”

  • “How did it make you feel after you read it?”

  • “Was the information presented valuable to you?”

  • “Was it easy to read and understand?”

  • “Did this email make you like our dealership and/or the salesperson sending it?”

It beats paying money for an outside focus group. And you'll likely be startled by the results. (But maybe not in a good way.)

MAKE YOUR TEMPLATES SMART-PHONE-FRIENDLY

People read everything today on their smart phone. All your outbound emails must now look good on a smart phone screen – no exceptions!

Here are some general guidelines to follow when composing your templates:

  • Limit graphic headers to around 500 pixels in width.

  • Avoid using frames and/or tables in the header. (Some brand CRM templates are formatted this way right out of the box. Delete them).

  • Avoid sidebars (side frames or side tables) at all cost.

  • Do not frame (surround) the content field (main text area).

  • Do not paste large images (i.e. window stickers, big newspaper ad image files, etc.) into the body (main text area). (Note, however, that one vehicle photo sizes just fine)

  • Keep content (text) to a minimum; make the message short and sweet.

  • Idea: put your store’s phone number in the subject line of the emails. On smart phones the phone number reads as a hyperlink; the user hits it once with his/her thumb and the phone calls your store.

Many CRMs have a feature that allows you to easily insert a vehicle into your email. While this is hard to beat for convenience, the resulting emails are almost impossible for customers to read on a small screen. See the examples below: the one on the left was made using the insert vehicle feature in the dealer’s CRM. The one on the right was made by manually copying and pasting the vehicle’s main photo on the dealer’s site. Which one do you think looks and reads better? Which one does a better job of grabbing the customer’s attention? Which one contains more visual excitement?

comparison.JPG

If you show these two examples to friends and family members, people who are not in the car business or car enthusiasts, they will pick the one with the bigger image almost every time. What does that say?

A note on graphic headers: studies have proven that while the public likes and trusts car manufacturers, they do not like and trust car dealers. You can work this to a competitive advantage when creating a graphic header for your outgoing emails. At the very least, be sure your manufacturer’s logo/icon/badge is clearly visible in the header. And if you sell a brand that uses monthly or seasonal promotions with rebates, discounts or other incentives you can take this a step farther. When your brand’s OEM launches its current promotion, update your graphic header to copy the images, slogans and overall “look” of that promotion. In this way, your outgoing emails mimic the appearance of the OEM’s current outgoing material. When customers see your emails they now view your store as an adjunct arm of the manufacturer and are more inclined to trust you and the dealership.

TELEPHONE: WHAT TO SAY

It’s important that you leave a fresh voice message each time you call. Leaving the same, tired “Hi it’s Joe at ABC Motors, just wonderin’ if yer still interested in a new RAM pickup?” value-less message over and over again is a sure way to get blocked by the prospect. But even leaving a gives-value message is no good if you keep leaving the same one repeatedly. So where can you get something fresh and new to say every time?

There is an easy and foolproof phone trick that solves the problem regardless of whether you get the answering machine, or the prospect picks up the phone.

What to say when you call:

  • Tell them that you just sent an email of value (“…and please let me know if you didn’t get it.”)

  • Or, simply reiterate the gives-value message in the email you last sent. (Example: “Did you know it only takes 20 minutes to get a guaranteed appraisal at our store…?”)

It’s as simple as that. And it doesn’t require any memorization or reading of words that sound canned or unnatural.

Example: On Day 1 send the FQR email first and then call. For a message all you have to do is say this: “Hi Joe, this is Bob at ABC Motors, I got your request and replied with the information you asked for. Check your email and please let me know if you cannot find it or do not have it.” You just left a message that gave value to the customer!

Then on Day 2 – 5 (or however long you continue phone attempts) you can leave a message that matches the one in that day’s follow-up email. Example: if on Day 2 you sent a Trade-In info email then on that same day leave a voice message that reiterates the email’s message. “Hi Joe, this is Bob at ABC Motors. Do you have a car or truck to trade-in? Did you know it only takes 20 minutes to get a guaranteed appraisal at our store…?”

For days that follow just use the same procedure; leave a voice message that mimics the content of that day’s value-giving outgoing email.

(Note: if, for example, there is an email task on, say, Day 6 but no telephone call task until Day 7, no problem. Just leave a voice message that mimics the contents of the Day 6 email.)

If you follow this practice every voice message you deliver gives value to the customer and (therefore) advances the sales momentum. And you will no longer dread doing phone follow-up because now you have something new and different to say every time!

TEXT MESSAGE CONTENT

 Example - Day 2 follow-up text message that gives value:

TextMsg2.JPG

There is no established rule for how many text messages you should send to a nonresponsive prospect before giving up, though most people seem to agree that 1 or 2 is enough.  Whereas most customers are comfortable letting you issue a deliberately paced stream of emails over a long-term, most will not accept the same from text messaging, which, as we said, appears only on the recipient’s personal phone and is much more difficult to ignore.  Too many texts make the prospect feel that he/she is being hounded. 

Some CRMs allow you to send texts directly from your computer keyboard.  This is a great feature for two reasons: 1). It’s much faster and easier to type your text message from a full-sized computer keyboard than from a smart phone, and 2). If you send your text from within your CRM you now have a copy of record in the prospect’s profile. 

But text messaging this way for commercial use is complicated by the CRM manufacturers’ “Opt In” requirements (a result of interpretation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act).  If the customer declines or ignores the “Opt In” message you are instantly denied further use of one of the three communications mediums at your disposal. Some CRM’s let you customize the mandatory “Opt In” message so that it can be friendly and give value in addition to asking for permission.  But many others do not.  And while many salespeople prefer to just bypass the CRM and use their own phones, many others, especially women, do not.

If your CRM does not have a text messaging feature there are numerous free to cheap web vendors that enable you to send text messages from your PC via a browser.  www.zipwhip.com, www.slytext.com, and Google Voice (www.google.com/voice) are just a few. Check ‘em out.

TELEPHONE, EMAIL, TEXT: WHAT NOT TO SAY

Please promise us you will never, ever use these phrases in your email, phone or text outreaches to customers.

  • “Hassle free”

  • “Questions or concerns”

  • “Earn your business”

Our mystery shoppers encounter these tired and counter-productive phrases all the time in emails and voice messages. Please avoid them at all costs. Here’s why:

Hassle Free – introduces a negative (hassle). One of the first rules in sales communication is never, ever introduce a negative because negatives introduce fear and fear destroys trust. When you say “I promise you a hassle free experience” the customer thinks “Why is he/she saying that? I wasn’t expecting this shopping experience to be a ‘hassle.’ Should I be? Why is he/she pre-apologizing for something that hasn’t happened? I’m starting to get a little nervous….”

Questions Or Concerns – another one that introduces a negative (concern). People become concerned when they suspect things are taking a wrong turn. When you ask “Do you have any questions or concerns?” the customer thinks “Why is he/she saying that? Should I be having concerns?” More important, however, is that we see this phrase used over and over when it is clear that the salesperson has run out of things to say and simply doesn’t know what to do next. It’s lazy.

Earn Your Business – this phrase was already tired when we first heard it over twenty five year ago. As used in the car biz “What’s it gonna take to earn your business?” almost inevitably means “Let’s cut to the chase. What price are you telling me you want to buy this for? Name your offer.” A seller truly earns a buyer’s business through trust, transparency, good salesmanship that helps the customer get where they want to get, and good value pricing. If, instead, we use it to mean “How cheap do you think I have to be to get you to buy?” we have merely capitulated to get the customer’s attention. We haven’t earned anything except disrespect. “Earn your business” is a disingenuous phrase and consumers know it.

HOW TO WRITE GOOD EMAILS (By Learning To Recognize Bad Emails)

To do something right you must be able to recognize when it is being done wrong.  In this section we are going to dissect and analyze some actual emails our mystery shoppers have received over the years. 

1). THE AUTO-RESPONSE

Dear James Smith,

Thank you for your request on the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta. I am pleased that you have considered Friendly Motors to assist you and your family with your present or future automotive needs.

I want to make sure that your request is processed properly and that your internet experience is an enjoyable one.  It will be my pleasure to assist you in purchasing your new vehicle. Please be patient while specific vehicle details are gathered and a search for the vehicle to match your request is made.

If you would like to see our monthly specials or in stock vehicles, please visit our website at www.friendlymotors.com.

Friendly Motors offers all clients a comprehensive program of amenities and privileges which include:

- Complimentary Shuttle Transportation
- Complimentary Car Washes during Business Hours
- Client Lounges with Wireless Internet Access Hi-Definition Flat Screen TV’s
- Complimentary Beverages
- Online Service Scheduling and Convenient Saturday Hours

Looking forward to speaking with you and thank you for contacting Friendly Motors.

Proud member of the Friendly Motors Auto Group. 

Tommy Salesman

###

OK, what is wrong with this letter?  Other than everything?  Let’s examine it line by line:

Dear James Smith,

 “Dear First Name Last Name” seems terribly formal, no?  Formalities are conducted at arm’s length – they reduce emotional connection, not increase it.  Why are you (the author) passing on the opportunity to establish an immediate emotional connection with the prospect?  Wouldn’t “Hi James” be more friendly and inviting?

Thank you for your request on the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta.

We haven’t completed the first sentence and already something feels wrong.  The word “on” isn’t right, causing the whole line to seem clumsy and awkward. How about “Thank you for asking us about the new 2021 Volkswagen Jetta”?  Isn’t that simpler and friendlier?

I am pleased that you have considered Friendly Motors to assist you and your family with your present or future automotive needs.

Why is this paragraph even in here? 
- You already thanked the prospect in the previous line - why does he care that you are pleased? 
- The lead was sent in by one person – why do you mention family?  How do you know he has family or that they are in any way involved in this purchase? 
- Why do you mention future needs?  You want him to buy a car today, not in the future.  Why is this distraction even in here?
- Overall, the sentence is too long - and passive; it has no energy at all.  Try this instead: “Thank you for asking Friendly Motors to help you find your next car or truck!”  You just condensed 23 words into 15 and gave the sentence much more energy and immediacy.
- Note also that “…pleased” is a past tense word (ends in “ed”) whereas “Thank you” takes place in the present.  The present always has more energy and excitement.
- Likewise, “…that you have considered” is past tense and long (five syllables) whereas “asking” takes place in the present (ends in “ing”) and has only two syllables. 

I want to make sure that your request is processed properly and that your internet experience is an enjoyable one.

Um, who cares?  Can we please get past these trivial introductory remarks?  So far, this email is all talk and no action.  Delete this line.

It will be my pleasure to assist you in purchasing your new vehicle.

You have now told the prospect three times that you appreciate him and want to please him.  Don’t talk about it, show it!  (And start by deleting this line.)

Please be patient while specific vehicle details are gathered and a search for the vehicle to match your request is made.

Can we please try this instead?  “I will reply promptly with the exact information you requested.”  Hello?  Thank you!  That’s all we’re looking for.  We also just condensed 21 words into 10. The new sentence is quicker, cleaner and far more energetic.

If you would like to see our monthly specials or in stock vehicles, please visit our website at www.friendlymotors.com.

Okay…why is this here?  Who said anything about monthly specials? We’re still waiting for the info that was requested.  Now you’ve gone off topic and changed the subject of the letter!  Plus, by directing us to your website, you are effectively telling the prospect to go back out into the store and shop some more.  He’s standing at your cash register with year/make/model merchandise he selected (he submitted a lead, remember) and you are telling him to go back out and wander around in the store some more.  Why in the world would you want to do that?

Friendly Motors offers all clients a comprehensive program of amenities and privileges which include:
- Complimentary Shuttle Transportation
- Complimentary Car Washes during Business Hours
- Client Lounges with Wireless Internet Access & Hi-Definition Flat Screen TV’s
- Complimentary Beverages
- Online Service Scheduling and Convenient Saturday Hours

*Sigh* Sure, this is nice and all but, once again, you’ve changed the subject. One email = one topic. This one already has three: 1). Thank you for your inquiry, 2). Here’s a link to our specials, and 3). “Why buy here.”  The purpose of this letter is not to sell them on the dealership. (That comes later.)  This is an autoresponder: it should be nothing more than an acknowledgement that you received the lead.  So far you have told the customer that he is appreciated (three times), then told him to be patient while you search the planet for a car, then told him to go back out in the store and shop.  And now you tell him about your store’s amenities.  MEANWHILE – he’s still waiting for the info he requested and beginning to suspect that it’s never going to arrive. Kill this whole section, please.

Looking forward to speaking with you and thank you for contacting Friendly Motors.

Not only is this an incomplete sentence (it should say “I look forward to…”), but it also tries to say two things in one sentence. (Looking forward to speaking + thank you.)  One sentence = one thought.   If you must keep this in here, we suggest instead: “Thank you again for contacting Friendly Ford. I look forward to replying soon with the info you requested.” At least drive home the message that you are the salesperson who is going to give him what he asked for!

Proud member of the Friendly Motors Auto Group.

Um, sure, whatever. If you hadn’t already wasted so much time talking about nothing, you could probably leave this in here.  But now?  Plus, it’s another incomplete sentence but at this point we’re too weary to care.

All you really need and want to do with the 1st automated response letter is tell the customer

  • I/we got your request

  • I’m on the case

  • I’ll be back soon with the goods.

That’s it! If you want to say more say it in another email. We repeat again: one email = one topic.

By taking a surgical knife to this Jetta example we end up with a better auto-response email reading something like this:

Hi James -

Thank you for asking Friendly Motors to help you find your next car or truck!

We will return promptly during business hours with the information you requested. 

We look forward to talking to you soon.

Tommy Salesman

Boom!  Short, sweet, and on target.

2). THE ALL-CUSTOM NON-TEMPLATE FQR

Many Internet salespeople and sales managers are opposed to using templates for FQR emails (or any emails for that matter) thinking that they are too impersonal and robotic.  Or that salespeople get lazy and, without reading the lead, just pick a template and hit “send” without really thinking about what they are sending.  It’s a good point, and one reason we have stressed on these pages the importance of reading the lead before using a template based FQR.  So why not delete all templates and let your people write custom FQRs every time? 

Because they will forget to sell the car, or the appointment, or both.

We see this all the time in our mystery shop adventures when we receive personally written FQRs that fail the FQR Rater test.  (See “FQR Rater” earlier in the book.) 

In the examples below our shopper selected an end-of-model-year F-150 from the dealers’ inventories and in the “Comments” box wrote “Current incentives?”

Now let’s look below at two real life examples from the extreme ends of the spectrum.

Dealer Number One:

Dear James,

I received your request for information on a 2021 Ford F-150. I tried to reach you by phone, so I could get a little more information from you and what we are trying to do. I can be reached by email or phone to better assist you at 000-000-0000 or tommys@friendlymotors.com.

Tommy Salesman

“I tried to reach you by phone…” Can’t argue this one – he is giving value by letting the customer know that he made an outreach attempt.

“…so I could get a little more information from you and what we are trying to do.” …and what we are trying to do? Huh? We assume he meant “…so I can get a little more information from you and understand what you are trying to accomplish.” That would have been better.

Remember when you get a lead you don’t know
• Where they are in the shopping process. (Gatherer? Sorter? High funnel? Mid-funnel? Low funnel?)
• What they are trying to accomplish with this purchase.

Once you know the answer to those two questions you are well on your way to being able to sell the customer. But, sadly, this salesman typo’d the most important sentence in his FQR and came off looking somewhat sloppy. Bummer! This, of course, would not have happened had he used a template.

But that’s a minor point: the salesman ultimately failed because he never gave the prospect the remaining key FQR components needed to educate and advance the consumer to the inevitable sale, components that would have been in his FQR template:
• Confirmation of the availability of product
• Merchandising the product (photo and description)
• Making an offer to sell something
• Letting the customer know that he will be advancing the sales momentum

Plus, this shopper never heard from this salesman again. :-(

His closing line, “I can be reached by email or phone to better assist you at…” is also a fail because he is throwing the sales momentum back into the customer’s lap and saying “Tag, you’re it!” Remember that the consumer has spent some time already on the Internet getting to the point where he wants/needs to submit a lead. Having done so it is now the salesperson’s duty to pick up the ball and take it down the field. This salesman did not pick up and run the ball, nor did he provide the customer with the information the customer requested.

Score = 0.

Dealer Number Two:

On the other side of the scale is this far superior FQR we received from another dealer

Dear James,

Thank you for your inquiry. My name is Tommy Salesman, I'm the internet sales manager for Friendly Motors. I would like to be your sales person and help you from point A to Z with your purchase.

I see that you’re in the market for a new 2020 F150 and would like to know about current incentives. The rebates right now are very high on the remaining 2019's available. The 2020's are out now so now is really the best time to get the best deal on a 2019. The rebates depend on what cab size and series you’re interested in.

The super cab 4x2 STX F150 that you inquired about is available and its window sticker is pasted below my contact info. This truck has $XXXX in total rebates available and an additional $XXXX rebate if you trade in a 1995 or newer vehicle making it $XXXX.

f-150.jpg

However I would provide you with more discounts then this even. The Supercab STX below MSRP's at $XXXXX but your sale price after all rebates (including financing with Ford and the additional trade-in rebate) would be $XXXXX!!

f-150-2.jpg

This is really cutting to the chase and I can only offer this until the end of the month because the extra $XXXX trade-in rebate will go away on the 2nd of November.

However If you would be interested in a crewcab XLT then there is a total of $XXXX in rebates plus the trade-in rebate making the total $XXXX before my discounts.

Feel free to call or email me at any time. Thanks again for the inquiry and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Tommy Salesman

Wow! This guy is great! As a potential buyer I now feel totally informed, educated and illuminated. He just removed all the mystery and obfuscation surrounding pricing and incentives. He merchandized the product and made an offer to sell on not one but two new trucks. He made me feel that he is really looking out for me and wants to guide me to a smart, satisfying purchase. I trust him and I am ready to put myself into his hands. A beautiful piece of work, really. So what’s the problem?

It feels like he is pushing me to buy a ’19 when I asked for a ’20.

His email is very long. (Though that might be forgiven considering how much education he provided.)

But – and here’s where the fail occurs - he forgot to ask for the appointment.

He ends with the dreaded “Feel free to call me any time” line which essentially releases the shopper from having any obligation to further the relationship with the salesman or his store. (By telling the shopper to feel free to call him it means there is no obligation, therefore the shopper is also free to NOT call him.) Had he used a proper template (or been able to discipline himself to always end his FQRs by advancing the sales momentum) this never would have happened.

Had he instead ended with “I will be calling you soon to be sure you got this email” or “I will be calling you soon to set up your test drive appointment” the shopper would have been on high alert and welcoming his call - especially if he had also followed the email with a text. (“Tommy @ Friendly Motors here. Got your request, replied via email. Will call soon to be sure you got.”)

And, sadly, this shopper never heard from this salesman again. :-(

3). THE “BUY OR DIE” EMAIL

Here’s something that was mentioned earlier and that we see a lot in mystery shops. It’s an email (template in most cases) used by many dealers and one that we also used for a time when we were selling. We thought it was pretty good at the time but now that we’re on the other side we feel differently. What do you think?

The letter in question always contains some variation of the following:

Dear James –

I received a request for a Camry from you several days ago. I have replied via email and phone, but, to date, I have gotten no response from you. Are you still in the market for a car?

Perhaps you have not had time to answer my e-mail or phone calls regarding your vehicle purchase request. It is very important that I speak with you.

Some versions even go so far as to add:

If you are no longer in the market just reply to this letter with ‘Unsubscribe’ in the subject line and I will remove you from my list.

We used to like this template because we felt that it flushed out the serious people and separated them from the window shoppers. Maybe so, but at what cost? The data proves that a great many Internet car shoppers contact dealers weeks, or even months, in advance of their actual buy date. Many like to lurk in the shadows, quietly gathering and processing information until they are ready to come out into the daylight. (Gatherers advancing themselves to become Sorters.)

Today, when our mystery shopper gets the “Are you still in the market?” letter we find ourself feeling that this dealer is only interested in us if we are ready to buy right now. And if we are not ready to buy right now any additional help we receive will be given begrudgingly.

Perhaps the most disturbing line is “It is very important that I talk to you.” Really? And you are…who? The police? The IRS? The authorities? This line strikes us as being insolent.

The last line, “If you are no longer in the market just reply to this letter with ‘Unsubscribe’ in the subject line…,” provides the only information of value in the email as by this point we are only too happy to oblige and opt out.

Is the “Are you still in the market” template a smart ploy? Or is it killing lurker gatherers and therefore killing potential future customers?

We think it’s the latter.

4). THE ZOMBIE FQR TEMPLATE

Dear James,

Thank you for your inquiry on the new Honda CR-V. We currently have a great selection of CR-Vs in stock starting as low as $00,000.00.

To ensure I provide you with a price on a vehicle that meets your needs, it’s important that I speak with you to determine which options and equipment are most important to you.

I’ve enclosed an e-brochure for your convenience.

I will be following up this email with a phone call so that we can discuss you specific needs.

Thank you again for your inquiry and I look forward to speaking with you and for the opportunity to earn your business!

Sincerely,

Tommy Salesman

Now the breakdown and analysis:

Thank you for your inquiry on the new Honda CR-V. We currently have a great selection of CR-Vs in stock starting as low as $00,000.00.

Score!  He leads off with a confirmation of availability of the product.  Plus, he follows it with “…starting as low as $00,000” which can easily be construed as an offer to sell.  We can check two “Yes” boxes on the FQR scoring tool and we’re just getting started.  So far so good.

To ensure I provide you with a price on a vehicle that meets your needs, it’s important that I speak with you to determine which options and equipment are most important to you.

And now we start to go off the rails.

  • To begin, we don't like the use of the word "needs."  People buy new cars in order to realize their aspirations, not their “needs.”   A plain white F-350 diesel with a utility bed meets one’s vocational “needs.”  A Honda CR-V is a passenger vehicle and is expected to be more exciting than just four wheels that meet one’s needs. 

  • The shopper submitted a lead on an CR-V – doesn’t that mean he already thinks the CR-V is a car that will meet his “needs”?  It may or may not, but until he gets to your dealership you can’t know whether it truly meets his needs or not.  So why not play along?  By submitting a CR-V lead he’s asking you to confirm the wisdom of his selection of the CR-V, and to help him discover the CR-V that makes him feel happy, not the one that meets his “needs.” 

  • "...it's important that I speak with you..."  Here’s that line again!  It always gives us the shivers; it's what the principal's office used to say when they called you down, and it's what the IRS and the police say when they call you in for an "interview."  It sounds so stern and parental; it makes us want to run in the opposite direction.  Plus, it’s rather audacious is it not?  Who is some car salesman to tell us it’s important that we speak to him?  Aren’t we the customer?  Don’t we get to determine what is important and what is not?

  • "...to determine which options and equipment are most important to you.”  At this very early stage in the game why are we focusing on product details?  Remember your job at this point is to figure out

    • What brought him into the market

    • Where he is in the shopping process, and

    • What he’s trying to accomplish with this purchase.  The product part comes later. 

Besides, the way to find out what product items are important to a customer is to show him a product you’ve selected and ask, “Do you like this one?”  He’ll quickly tell you what he likes and does not like.  Grilling the customer for product specifics that he in all likelihood does not know until he sees it is likely to scare him off.

I’ve enclosed an e-brochure for your convenience.

Um…why?  Hasn't the prospect already been on a web page somewhere that pictured and described the product?  He’s already been on countless websites and seen one or more electronic brochures, why throw literature at him now?  Literature he has probably already seen, in fact.  He is reaching out to you to help him advance himself to the next step in the sale.  Why are you handing him a book and telling him to go over in the corner alone and read it?  From this moment on the customer gets all his education from you, not from sales literature!

I will be following up this email with a phone call so that we can discuss you specific needs.

Well, at least he’s back on track with notifying us that he is going to advance the sales momentum.  But - there's that "needs" word again!  Only now it's beginning to make us feel "needy."  At this point the prospect does not have needs - he has anxieties.  "If I like the CR-V will I get enough for my trade-in?" "Does the CR-V fit my payment range?"  “Is my credit good enough to qualify?" "Is this dealer a rip-off?"  Etc. etc. etc.   Our job now is not to qualify his needs, it is to ease his anxieties.

Also, notice the typo: “I will be following up this email with a phone call so that we can discuss you specific needs.”  *sigh*

Thank you again for your inquiry and I look forward to speaking with you and for the opportunity to earn your business!

"...to earn your business!"  "Seinfeld" spoofed this line 25 years ago, and it was spoof-able because consumers already found “earn your business” tired and laughable then.  But, really, why is this line here?  In the car biz "earn your business" really means “How low do I have to go $ to make you happy?”  That’s a discussion to have when you are in final negations stage; this letter is an FQR!  We are not even remotely at negotiations stage yet.

The salesman scored by opening with a confirmation of availability of product, and by laying out a starting price range.  He also said he will be advancing the sales momentum.  All good.  But what key element did he forget to include? 

  • Merchandise the product (photo and details)

Plus he added two needless lines that obfuscated the true purpose of the email. Here’s an alternative General Inquiry FQR – doesn’t this do a better job? Tommy Salesman can now call and text this customer and ask for the test drive appointment without any hesitation or embarrassment because his FQR stayed on target and gave value.

Honda CRV FQR example.JPG

GOOD TEMPLATE EXAMPLES

We are in no way suggesting that these are the best and only templates a dealership can use. They are provided here as examples of email templates that we have found, been given, or created and that are known to work, today or in the recent past. Some may be appropriate for your store, some may not. The one constant in every template is that they always give value. Feel free to modify them and utilize them anyway you see fit.

FQR templates are always intended to be personalized – think of the FQR examples here as foundations or frameworks for your personal efforts and not just fill-in-the-blanks templates.

The FQR examples shown here use a simplified version of the “stacked” pricing presentation method that complies with Texas and Oklahoma standards. You are going to want to present pricing and incentives in a manner that you feel works best for you and also complies with your local and/or state regulations.

Most of the long term follow-up templates can be sent as-is and can be automated if you so choose.

Note that the merge codes shown in these examples work with the eLeads brand CRM. If you copy these templates you will need to insert the merge codes appropriate to your store’s brand CRM.

#1 AUTORESPONDER

SUBJECT LINE:  Friendly Motors Received Your Request

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; -Thank you for asking &lt;{DealershipName}&gt; to help you find your next car or truck!We will return promptly during business hours with the information you requested.We look forward to talking to you soon.&lt;{EmailSigna…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

Thank you for asking <{DealershipName}> to help you find your next car or truck!

We will return promptly during business hours with the information you requested.

We look forward to talking to you soon.

<{EmailSignature}>

This autoresponse template is intentionally short and to the point.  An autoresponder should be a receipt or acknowledgment and nothing more.  “We got your request, we’re on the case, back at ya soon.”  That’s it.  Save the selling and informing for later.

#2 FQR – NEW CAR or TRUCK – GENERAL INQUIRY (YMM only)

SUBJECT LINE: [Vehicle Year, Make & Model] From Friendly Motors (709) 709-7090

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - Good news! We have &lt;{SoughtModel}&gt; models in stock right now for you to see and drive. Do you like this one? It is available and on sale: INSERT VEHICLE PHOTO HERE &lt;{SoughtYear}&gt; &lt;{SoughtMake}&gt; &lt…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

Good news! We have <{SoughtModel}> models in stock right now for you to see and drive.

Do you like this one? It is available and on sale:

INSERT VEHICLE PHOTO HERE
<{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> Stock #
Exterior color / Interior color .
Key options/upgrades/packages:
MSRP +$
Current factory-to-consumer discount/rebate incentives* -$
<{DealershipName}> special discount -$
Your <{DealershipName}> sale price = $ (+ TT&L).

<{SoughtMake}> is offering __% financing or $___mo. lease special on this model too. This offer ends soon!

You can have a free, no obligation <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> test drive today. Shall we make an appointment now? Or can I bring one by your home or workplace today instead?

I'll call you in a little bit to be sure you got this email.

<{EmailSignature}>

* Some factory-to-consumer incentives are contingent upon having a trade-in vehicle and/or using manufacturer-provided financing. Special additional discounts and/or incentives may also be available to you as a qualified buyer. I will work to be sure you receive all the discounts and incentives for which you are eligible!

#3 FQR – NEW CAR or TRUCK – GEN INQUIRY w/ SOME SPECS
SUBJECT LINE: [Vehicle Year, Make & Model] From Friendly Motors (709) 709-7090

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - You are in luck! I have a &lt;{SoughtModel}&gt; just like the one you specified - OR - I have a &lt;{SoughtModel}&gt; much like the one you specified - OR - I have located a &lt;{SoughtModel}&gt; like the one you specif…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

You are in luck! I have a <{SoughtModel}> just like the one you specified - OR - I have a <{SoughtModel}> much like the one you specified - OR - I have located a <{SoughtModel}> like the one you specified.

Have you driven a <{SoughtModel}> yet? I have this one we can test drive to see how you like them.

INSERT VEHICLE PHOTO
<{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> Stock #
Exterior color / Interior color .
Key options/upgrades/packages:
MSRP +$
Current factory-to-consumer discount/rebate incentives* -$
<{DealershipName}> special discount -$
Your <{DealershipName}> sale price = $ (+ TT&L).

<{SoughtMake}> is offering __% financing or $___mo. lease special on this model too. This ends soon!

I'll call you in a little bit to be sure you got this email.

Talk to you soon.

<{EmailSignature}>

* Some factory-to-consumer incentives are contingent upon having a trade-in vehicle and/or using manufacturer-provided financing. Special additional discounts and/or incentives may also be available to you as a qualified buyer. I will work to be sure you receive all the discounts and incentives for which you are eligible!

#4 FQR – NEW CAR or TRUCK – IN-STOCK UNIT (VIN specific)

SUBJECT LINE: [Vehicle Year, Make & Model] From Friendly Motors (709) 709-7090

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; -Good news! The &lt;{SoughtYear}&gt; &lt;{SoughtMake}&gt; &lt;{SoughtModel}&gt; you like, stock #&lt;{SoughtStockNum}&gt;, is here and ready for you to see and test drive.INSERT VEHICLE PHOTO HERE &lt;{SoughtYear}&gt; &lt;…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

Good news! The <{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> you like, stock #<{SoughtStockNum}>, is here and ready for you to see and test drive.

INSERT VEHICLE PHOTO HERE
<{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}>
VIN #<{SoughtVin}>
Exterior color / Interior color .
Key options/upgrades/packages:
MSRP +$
Current factory discounts/rebates/incentives* -$
<{DealershipName}> special discount -$
Your <{DealershipName}> sale price = $ (+ TT&L).

<{SoughtMake}> is offering __% financing or $___mo. lease special on this model too. Ends soon!

You can have a free, no obligation test drive of this <{SoughtModel}> today. Shall we make an appointment now? Or can I bring it by your home or workplace today instead?

I'll call you in a little bit to be sure you got this email.

<{EmailSignature}>

* Some factory-to-consumer incentives are contingent upon having a trade-in vehicle and/or using manufacturer-provided financing. Special additional discounts and/or incentives may also be available to you as a qualified buyer. I will work to be sure you receive all the discounts and incentives for which you are eligible!

#5 FQR – USED CAR or TRUCK – IN-STOCK UNIT
SUBJECT LINE: [Vehicle Year, Make & Model] From Friendly Motors (709) 709-7090

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - Good news! The &lt;{SoughtYear}&gt; &lt;{SoughtMake}&gt; &lt;{SoughtModel}&gt; you like, stock #&lt;{SoughtStockNum}&gt;, is here and ready for you to see and drive. INSERT VEHICLE PHOTO HERE &lt;{SoughtYear}&gt; &lt;{…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

Good news! The <{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> you like, stock #<{SoughtStockNum}>, is here and ready for you to see and drive.

INSERT VEHICLE PHOTO HERE
<{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}>
VIN # <{SoughtVin}>
Exterior color / Interior color
Key options/upgrades/packages:
Kelly Blue Book values this vehicle at $
Your <{DealershipName}> special sale price is $ !(+ TT&L)

<{DealershipName}> has low rate installment financing and extended service agreements for this vehicle too.

You can have a free, no obligation test drive of this <{SoughtModel}> today. Shall we make an appointment now? Or can I bring it by your home or workplace today instead?

I'll call you in a little bit to be sure you got this email.

Talk to you soon.

<{EmailSignature}>

#6 FQR – NEW or USED VEHICLE – DIGITAL RETAILING LEAD
SUBJECT LINE: [Vehicle Year, Make & Model] From Friendly Motors (709) 709-7090

acme_mtrs__header.gif

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

Thank you for using our website’s shop from home feature.  We hope you are
enjoying the experience!

The <{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> you like, stock #<{SoughtStockNum}>, is here and ready for you to see and drive.

INSERT VEHICLE PHOTO HERE

<{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}>   Stock #   Exterior color  
/ Interior color.
Key options/upgrades/packages:
MSRP +$            
Your <{DealershipName}> sale price = $

Here are the steps-to-purchase you have completed so far:

New Car:                                 Selected
Payments & term:                   Completed   In progress   Paying cash
Trade-In Information:              Completed   In progress   No trade-in
Estimated trade-in value:       $
Protection Plan                       Selected       Not Selected
Accessories                            Selected       Not Selected
Credit application:                   Completed    Not started
Schedule test drive:                Completed    Not scheduled
Schedule delivery:                  Completed    Not scheduled

I am here to help you complete all the steps above so you can get into your new car! 
I can also schedule a home delivery for you if you don't want to or can't come to our store.  Everything at {DealershipName}> is designed to make it easy for you to get your new wheels.

I'll call you in a little bit to be sure you got this email.

<{UserSignature}>

NOTE: some digital retailing tools (products) automatically generate a deal recap page for the customer.  Some automatically send that to the customer as an email and might even send more than one depending upon the brand of DR tool, how you have it configured, and how many deal modules the customer completed.  Others don’t send the recap to the shopper, but it is presented for your eyes inside the tool’s dashboard and/or in your CRM.  In instances where you have access to this recap, you might be able to eliminate the…


New Car:                                 Selected
Payments & term:                   Completed   In progress   Paying cash
Trade-In Information:              Completed   In progress   No trade-in
Estimated trade-in value:       $
Protection Plan                       Selected       Not Selected
Accessories                            Selected       Not Selected
Credit application:                   Completed    Not started
Schedule test drive:                Completed    Not scheduled
Schedule delivery:                  Completed    Not scheduled

…section from your DR FQR email and instead include the link to the shopper’s recap page as shown to you in the DR tool dashboard or CRM.  See example below:

Here are the steps-to-purchase you have completed so far:

<insert hyperlink to customer’s deal sheet/deal recap here>

#7 FQR – TRADE-IN VALUATION LEAD
SUBJECT LINE: Here's More About Your Trade-In Value - Friendly Motors (709) 709-7090

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - Thank you for using our online Trade-In Value Estimator! The numbers you saw are "sight unseen" estimates and therefore general. Want a firm number? Just let our appraisers check out your vehicle in person. We will gi…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

Thank you for using our online Trade-In Value Estimator!

The numbers you saw are "sight unseen" estimates and therefore general.

Want a firm number? Just let our appraisers check out your vehicle in person. We will give you a Guaranteed Trade-In Offer while you wait.

A free, no obligation market value appraisal at our dealership takes just 20 minutes.

I’ll help you look up your loan or lease payoff while you wait, too.

Or you can test drive that <{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> you have your eye on.

You can make an appointment now – my contact info appears below.

I'll call you in a little bit to be sure you got this email.

Talk to you soon.

<{EmailSignature}>

#8 FQR – COLD CREDIT APP LEAD
SUBJECT LINE:  Friendly Motors Received Your Financing Request

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - Thank you for your credit inquiry. Please allow me to look it over. If there is any missing info I’ll be sure to call you right away. Once I know the application is complete I’ll review it with our Finance Office, th…


Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

Thank you for your credit inquiry.

Please allow me to look it over. If there is any missing info I’ll be sure to call you right away.

Once I know the application is complete I’ll review it with our Finance Office, then call you to discuss in confidence.

<{EmailSignature}>

#9 SEND @ END 1ST DAY IF CUSTOMER UNRESPONSIVE
SUBJECT LINE:  Did You Get Your Reply From Friendly Motors? (709) 709-7090

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - I got your request and replied right away. Did you get it? Did I send what you're looking for? Please let me know. Thanks! &lt;{EmailSignature}&gt;

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

I got your request and replied right away. Did you get it?

Did I send what you're looking for?

Please let me know. Thanks!

<{EmailSignature}>

#10 TRADE-IN LETTER
SUBJECT LINE:  What About The Car Or Truck You Have Now?

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt;, Are you thinking of selling your current car or truck? If so, can we see it? A free, no obligation market value appraisal at our store takes just 20 minutes. I’ll help you look up your loan or lease payoff while you …

Hi <{CustFirstName}>,

Are you thinking of selling your current car or truck? If so, can we see it?

A free, no obligation market value appraisal at our store takes just 20 minutes.

I’ll help you look up your loan or lease payoff while you wait, too.

Or you can test drive that <{SoughtYear}> <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> you have your eye on.

It's easy to make an appointment – my contact info appears below.

I’ll also call you in a little bit to be sure you received this email.

Thanks.

<{EmailSignature}>

#11 FINANCE LETTER
SUBJECT LINE:  Save Time – Finance In Advance At Friendly Motors (709) 709-7090

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt;, You can save time and do a lot of your paperwork details BEFORE you come here for a test drive. Like financing. Click HERE, complete the short and simple application, then "Submit." Your new wheels might be just a mou…

Hi <{CustFirstName}>,

You can save time and do a lot of your paperwork details BEFORE you come here for a test drive.

Like financing. Click HERE, complete the short and simple application, then "Submit."

Your new wheels might be just a mouse click away!

<{EmailSignature}>


++ Make "HERE" is a hyperlink to dealer's website's credit app page. ++

#12 I’LL KEEP TRYING (Send 4th day if customer unresponsive - works well)
SUBJECT LINE:  I’ll Keep Trying.  (Friendly Motors 709-709-7090)

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt;, Sorry we’ve been unable to connect. But I’ll keep trying! Is it possible you're already talking to someone else at our store? Or should I be reaching you a better way? What do you like best? Email? Phone? Text? Just…

Hi <{CustFirstName}>,

Sorry we’ve been unable to connect. But I’ll keep trying!

Is it possible you're already talking to someone else at our store?

Or should I be reaching you a better way?

What do you like best? Email? Phone? Text?

Just say the word.

Thanks.

<{EmailSignature}>

#13 LET US COME TO YOU
SUBJECT LINE: Can't Come Here?  We'll Come To You

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt;, If it's hard for you to visit our store let me bring a car or truck to you. I can meet you at your home or workplace* at a day and time when it is convenient. It's all part of the service. Ready to make an appointment?…

Hi <{CustFirstName}>,

If it's hard for you to visit our store let me bring a car or truck to you.

I can meet you at your home or workplace* at a day and time when it is convenient. It's all part of the service.

Ready to make an appointment? My contact info is below. I look forward to hearing from you.

<{EmailSignature}>

* Within a reasonable distance from our store, of course.

#14 LETTER FROM THE MANAGER (Suggest send 6th day if customer still unresponsive.  We recommend letting the CRM send this and all subsequent emails automatically.)

SUBJECT LINE:  How Are We Doing?  Friendly Motors Really Wants Your Opinion

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt;, I'm &lt;{GeneralManagerFullName}&gt;, General Manager of &lt;{DealershipName}&gt;. I'd really like to know what you think of your Internet car shopping experience so far. How are we doing? • Did we send you a nice price…

Hi <{CustFirstName}>,

I'm <{GeneralManagerFullName}>, General Manager of <{DealershipName}>.

I'd really like to know what you think of your Internet car shopping experience so far. How are we doing?
• Did we send you a nice price on the <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> you want?
• Are you getting the additional assistance you want?
• Is there anything we can do to make getting a car or truck easier for you?

If you are delighted with our service so far I'd love to know.

If you are not delighted with our service I NEED to know.

My contact information appears below. Please take a moment to tell me what you think. I truly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

<{GeneralManagerFullName}>
<{DealershipName}>
<{DealershipEmail}>
<{DealershipPhone}>

 #15 CONSUMER REVIEWS LETTER
SUBJECT LINE:  What Do Our Customers Say About <{DealershipName}>?

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - We don’t need to talk about our great customer service – our customers do it for us! Link(s) to reviews page(s) here When people like their &lt;{SoughtMake}&gt; dealer word gets around; &lt;{DealershipName}&gt; has be…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

We don’t need to talk about our great customer service – our customers do it for us!

Link(s) to reviews page(s) here

When people like their <{SoughtMake}> dealer word gets around; <{DealershipName}> has been a Top 100 and ________ Award <{SoughtMake}> dealer __ times.

At <{DealershipName}> we’ve got great people, great service, and the most exciting brand of new cars, trucks and SUVs on the market today. Let us show you!

<{EmailSignature}>

#16 YOU NAME IT WE CAN GET IT
SUBJECT LINE:  You Name It We Can Get It

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt;, I have access to thousands of new &lt;{SoughtMake}&gt; vehicles through the &lt;{SoughtMake}&gt; dealer network. If the car or truck you want has been built, I can find it. OR - if we can’t find one exactly like you wa…

Hi <{CustFirstName}>,

I have access to thousands of new <{SoughtMake}> vehicles through the <{SoughtMake}> dealer network.

If the car or truck you want has been built, I can find it.

OR - if we can’t find one exactly like you want why not factory order?

There is no additional charge to have one built just for you.

Locate or order? The choice is yours. Please just call or write and describe what you want. I’ll start looking right away!

<{EmailSignature}>

#17 NOBODY LIKES TO BE SOLD
SUBJECT LINE:  Nobody Likes To Be Sold.

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - They say everybody likes to buy, but nobody likes to be sold. At &lt;{DealershipName}&gt; we don’t want to sell you anything. Instead, we want to help you get to where you want to be. We’ve got great people, great se…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

They say everybody likes to buy, but nobody likes to be sold.

At <{DealershipName}> we don’t want to sell you anything. Instead, we want to help you get to where you want to be.

We’ve got great people, great service, and the best cars and trucks on the market today.

Let me show you!

<{EmailSignature}>

#18 BARGAIN HUNTER
SUBJECT LINE:  Are You A Bargain Hunter?

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - Need some cheap wheels? Then check out the Bargain Lot at &lt;{DealershipName}&gt;. These are great used vehicles that, for whatever reason, have simply been in our inventory too long. Before we wholesale them to other…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

Need some cheap wheels? Then check out the Bargain Lot at <{DealershipName}>.

These are great used vehicles that, for whatever reason, have simply been in our inventory too long. Before we wholesale them to other dealers you've got a shot at grabbing one yourself at a near-wholesale price.

Everybody loves a bargain. But bargains don't last. Check out <{DealershipName}>'s Bargain Lot today then contact me for a test drive appointment!

<{EmailSignature}>

#19 THE FIRST ONE’S FREE
SUBJECT LINE:  The First One’s On The House

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - The day you buy a new car or truck from us is a happy day. But we want to be sure you stay happy after the sale too. That’s why at &lt;{DealershipName}&gt; your first scheduled new vehicle maintenance visit is on us.…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

The day you buy a new car or truck from us is a happy day.

But we want to be sure you stay happy after the sale too.

That’s why at <{DealershipName}> your first scheduled new vehicle maintenance visit is on us.

That’s right – free. Gratis. Comp'd.

It’s our little way of checking back to make sure you are delighted with your purchase.

Will we be seeing you soon?

<{EmailSignature}>

#20 CPO MEANS PEACE OF MIND
SUBJECT LINE: Certified Pre-Owned Means Peace Of Mind

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; - How would you like to purchase a just-like-new car or truck - but - for a less than new car or truck price? You can with &lt;{DealershipName}&gt;'s Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) cars program. Every Certified Pre-Owned &lt;…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

How would you like to purchase a just-like-new car or truck - but - for a less than new car or truck price? You can with <{DealershipName}>'s Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) cars program.

Every Certified Pre-Owned <{SoughtMake}> has passed a stringent 172 point mechanical inspection and comes with a free CARFAX® Vehicle History Report™

PLUS - every <{SoughtMake}> Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with a comprehensive limited warranty covering more than 500 components for 12 months/12,000 miles.

PLUS - you get 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty coverage and free 24 hour Roadside Assistance.

PLUS - you get <{SoughtMake}> financing as low as 1.9% APR.
(With approved credit of course).

If you have not already considered a Certified Pre-Owned <{SoughtMake}> check out our current selection!

You might drive home with more car for less money than you were planning to spend.

What's not to like about that?

<{EmailSignature}>

#21 IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU
SUBJECT LINE:  It’s All About You

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt;, Just want you to know that if you need time I am patient. And if you need help but are afraid to ask, don't be. Just ask me. I don't care whether you are in the early information gathering stage or you are ready to bu…

Hi <{CustFirstName}>,

Just want you to know that if you need time I am patient.

And if you need help but are afraid to ask, don't be. Just ask me.

I don't care whether you are in the early information gathering stage or you are ready to buy now, I will give you the same amount of attention.

May we be your dealership?

<{EmailSignature}>

#22 CHALLENGE US
SUBJECT LINE:  We Like To Be Challenged

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt;, I like to solve problems. Is there an obstacle keeping you from buying the new ride you want? Let me try to make that obstacle go away. Please write or call and let me know what's standing between you and the car or…

Hi <{CustFirstName}>,

I like to solve problems.

Is there an obstacle keeping you from buying the new ride you want?

Let me try to make that obstacle go away.

Please write or call and let me know what's standing between you and the car or truck you want.

I look forward to the challenge!

<{EmailSignature}>

#23 RESEARCHER
SUBJECT LINE: How Is Your Research Coming Along?

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; ,There's a lot to learn about &lt;{SoughtMake}&gt; products. There's even more to like.Whether this is your first time to consider &lt;{SoughtMake}&gt;, or you've already owned one in the past, the all new &lt;{SoughtMake}…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> ,

There's a lot to learn about <{SoughtMake}> products. There's even more to like.

Whether this is your first time to consider <{SoughtMake}>, or you've already owned one in the past, the all new <{SoughtMake}> models are packed with new safety and reliability features and the latest technology.

I am trained and certified on all <{SoughtMake}> car, truck and SUV products. What additional info can I provide to help you with your research?

<{UserSignature}>

#24 WHAT CAN I DO TODAY?
SUBJECT LINE: What Can I Do For You Today?

Hi &lt;{CustFirstName}&gt; -Your time and attention are valuable. At &lt;{DealershipName}&gt; we respect that. Our online shopping process is designed for people just like you. - You can select your car or SUV and we can agree on a price complete…

Hi <{CustFirstName}> -

Your time and attention are valuable. At <{DealershipName}> we respect that. Our online shopping process is designed for people just like you.
- You can select your car or SUV and we can agree on a price completely online.
- I can have the car out front and ready for you to test drive when you arrive.
- You can do most or all of your purchase paperwork before you come to our store.
- Or we can even deliver the car directly to you.

Who says car shopping can't be quick and convenient?

What can I do to help you get started?

<{UserSignature}>

#25: WOULD YOU LIKE A NEW PRICE?
(Special thanks to friend and veteran field consultant Jason Robinson for coming up with this one).

This template capitalizes upon the fact that manufacturers announce new retail incentives sometime after the first of each month.  Most CRMs will allow you to write a bulk email campaign with criteria filters.  In this case, the filters will be “Desired Vehicle = New” and “Prospect Created Date = (all dates prior to the date new incentives began this month).”

You can get double use out of this template by including it in your CRM automated emails Long-Term follow-up Process.  Set up the Process so this template goes out after the 6th or 7th of each month, or, if your Process is timeline-based, set it up so this template is used when a prospect is 35 or more days old (so that they assuredly arrived when the previous month’s incentives were in place) and every 30-40 days or so thereafter.  (Using the 90 Process provided earlier in this chapter you can make this template the Day 40, 70, and 90 template).

SUBJECT LINE:  Would You Like A New Price?

acme_mtrs__header.gif

Hi <{CustFirstName}>, 

It’s been a few weeks now since you sent me your request.  Our inventory, store
promotions, and factory incentives have changed. 

The <{SoughtMake}> <{SoughtModel}> sale price offer I sent you is no longer
current.  Can I send you a new price today?

Just reply to this letter – and let me know what you are now looking for.  I’ll get
back to you with a new price and anything else you want.

<{EmailSignature}>

CONCLUSION

This is where we stop today.  As new materials and changing industry trends and events arrive this material will be updated again.

It has been said that the GMs and GSMs of tomorrow can be found today in dealerships’ Internet departments and I have to think there is a lot of truth to that.  Who would have thought a mere ten years ago that online communications and retail car sales would become so inextricably linked?  But they are.

Although much growth has occurred in the last ten years this industry is far from mature.  There is a lot of uncharted opportunity out there for those who see it and are willing to seize it.  We hope you will be one of those people.

Thanks for reading.

Trace V. Ordiway
trace@ordiway.com
214-577-2711 v/t

http://www.linkedin.com/in/traceordiway

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