In today’s fiercely competitive auto market, personalized customer interactions aren’t just a nice-to-have; they’re essential. On the latest episode of Loyalty-Based Sales Strategies, Jen Suzuki, President of eDealer Solutions, reveals how dealerships can harness detailed CRM notes and creative communication tools to connect meaningfully with customers, boost loyalty, and ultimately drive sales.
According to Suzuki, winning customer loyalty today requires more than just traditional sales tactics; it demands highly tailored experiences that make customers feel genuinely understood and valued. “It’s a dogfight out there,” she says.
"Everyone’s clawing for that same customer, so everything we do has to be memorable, meaningful, and top of the line.”
A cornerstone of Suzuki’s approach is leveraging the detailed notes collected by BDC teams during customer conversations. These notes often include specific preferences, lifestyle details, and pain points—for example, a customer who skis and needs extra space, prefers black leather, and wants heated seats. However, Suzuki points out that many dealerships fail to use this valuable information in their follow-up communication, missing a critical opportunity to deepen the relationship.
Suzuki shares how she personally uses this data to create tailored outreach, such as sending personalized videos addressing a customer’s busy schedule or texting customized GIFs and memes that relate to the customer’s unique situation, like rescheduling a missed service appointment due to work demands. These tailored touches differentiate the dealership from competitors by showing customers that they are valued as individuals, not just as transactions.
She also emphasizes the importance of sales teams reading CRM notes before interacting with customers. “That history is going to tell you how to sell them a car,” she says. Proper use of CRM data ensures that salespeople can immediately connect on details like previous purchases, preferred models and colors, and specific features desired, helping customers feel respected and confident.
Suzuki advocates for bridging the gap between sales and BDC departments, ensuring all teams work in sync to deliver a seamless, tailored customer journey. She underscores that reading and acting on CRM notes is not optional but essential to avoid devaluing internal team members and to maximize each sales opportunity.
In summary, Suzuki’s loyalty-based sales strategy centers on continuous, meaningful personalization, transforming every interaction into a memorable experience and cultivating customers into lifelong clients.
