It might be a little hard to envision now, but there was a time where products were only sold in a physical sense and salespeople were the experts to go to prior to any sale. The advancements due to technology further implement these changing habits. Nowadays, consumers rely five times more on digital content than they did in the early 2000s.
It’s important for automakers, marketers, and dealers to understand that the next generation of car buyers are Millennials. This generation is very active on social networks and digital platforms. They are experts at everything digital, which is part of the reason why dealers need to know how to sell their vehicles better online.
The majority of Millennials won’t be buying cars for brand loyalty, image, or even status, but instead, they’ll be looking at it as a practical need. The majority are also likely to be fine with an autonomous vehicle, as they are the generation least interested in torque or raw engine horsepower.
As a salesperson or dealership owner, it’s highly likely that you’ve noticed the rapid pace of change occurring in the automotive industry. The majority of the change is due to technology, which is continually changing and creating ways to connect with customers, marketing strategies, and buying habits. In order for businesses, especially dealerships, to stay ahead of the game, they need to be able to use every single digital tool that is at their disposal.
Regardless of the level of experience that you have in this industry, from seasoned professionals to new sales reps, knowing how to sell better online can be really helpful. It’ll allow you to keep up with the current trends as well as give you an edge.
So, how can dealers use the digital age to enhance their reach and visibility? Keep on reading for our top five tips on how to sell better online.
5 Tips To Sell Better Online
- Master All Types Of Digital Communication
You need to practice and refine all of your communication skills in order to be a good digital communicator. As Gen-Xers and Millennials immerse themselves in texting, email, and social media, you’ll also need to become experts in these fields. This is to ensure that you’ll be on the same playing field as your customers and leads. It’s best if you learn their language and then adapt to their chosen ways to interact.
For selling more cars, you’ll have to become a master of internet-based communication. For this to work as best as possible, you need to have a few things set in place. These include:
- Excellent Writing Skills: You might want to start reading materials on email and internet-based writing. It might also be helpful to start by practice writing one or two emails daily and editing to ensure that it is grammatically correct. The same could be done with text messaging.
- Scheduled Posts: Scheduling time that is solely dedicated for you to promote, share, or post content on social media can help you engage with your audience. It’ll also help with staying active more often.
- Fully Decked, Professional Profiles: You should have professional profiles on all the major social networking sites, including Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. You might also want to consider some industry-centric websites as well.
- Use CRM Software To Streamline Task Management
CRM software is critical in ensuring daily tasks to be as effective and efficient as possible. If your dealership hasn’t invested in it yet, it is strongly recommended that you start thinking about it. CRM software can help to see your appointments, meetings, and your countless follow-ups, all in one central place.
A quality CRM system can help you to focus on finding more ways to sell cars, including:
- Real-time data to give you sales performance tracking.
- Customer up sheets and mobile phone VIN number scanning – all available on the go.
- Customized actions plans for workflow checkpoints, appointment scheduling, and follow-up emails.
- User-friendly interface for task management and e-leads.
- Utilize Video To Connect With Buyers
Nowadays, a large number of consumers are shopping online. They’re researching vehicles, viewing their features, and ultimately comparing prices. All of which is done before they even contact you or come into your dealership. In certain ways, this makes your job as a salesperson a bit easier as once they arrive at your dealership, they have done roughly 85% of the groundwork. All that you need to do at this point, is to reassure, advise, and secure the sale.
But how can you use digital media to attract prospects into contacting you and your dealership, instead of competitors? Well, video content is a great tool that can be at your disposal. Ways to use video content, include:
- Promoting Yourself In ‘Employee Spotlight’ Segments: This will help to show your dedication and personality to customer service by connecting with leads before they even meet you.
- Recording Virtual Presentations Of Inventory: If a consumer contacts you about a particular vehicle, you can record a quick little video showcasing all the features that it has to offer. Within that vide, you can also add specially discounted vehicles as well as any other current deals.
- Promoting Video Tutorials And Walk-Throughs: These videos can be great for potential customers to see what exactly they can expect when they visit the dealership to work with you.
- Generate Your Own Leads
Regardless of whether it’s been a slow week or month, salespeople shouldn’t be waiting around for the manager to delegate leads. Everyone should be using their skills to create a workflow, reaching out to generate business, and ultimately making additional connections.
By developing communication methods and expanding your digital resources, you will find additional ways to sell and have a constant workflow. You can do this by:
- Sending out promotions through social media. You should also try to include a video presentation of vehicles.
- Put together an offer for current customers who have teenage drivers. You can reach out to them and ask if they are in the market for a vehicle for their teenagers.
- Comb through your email list to find customers who might be looking for trade-in opportunities.
- Stay Engaged Even After The Deal Is Closed
The sales process is continually changing nowadays. The first contact that you have with leads is through social media, text messages, and email, which means that you have to earn their trust before they even come to the dealership. After that, you’ll be presenting them with the vehicle, going for a test drive, talking about pricing, coming to a deal, and then finally closing the sale. Following that, they’ll just be driving off the lot with their new car.
But then what are doing after the sale? How can you create customer experiences that bring you continued business, more referrals, and more leads? One of the best ways to sell more cars is to just stay in touch with every single satisfied customer. As a salesperson in the digital age, you’ll need to be developing relationships with each customer so that they can turn into referral sources.
Some great ways to do this include:
- Sending out personal e-letters on birthdays and holidays
- Scheduling reminders for quarterly emails in which you can ask customers how their vehicles are performing as well as if there is anything you can do to help.
- Sending hand-written letters to new customers thanking for their business. Make sure to make them professional, genuine, and short
