Image by Sean MacEntee via Flickr
The conversation below was in an eNewsletter I get from Dealer Refresh, a marketing company for auto dealerships. I get the newsletter because I find it very beneficial for anyone in marketing.
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When I was on the floor; I got every customer’s email address. I was determined to follow-up via phone and email, if for some reason I was unable to close the sale.
It’s what I did. It was part of MY process.
If I couldn’t close the customer on the first visit or failed at capturing a solid appointment over the phone, you can bet I was going to take a photo of the vehicle they were interested in (with my Sony Mavica Floppy disc camera) and send them a photo(s) with an email brochure until they were sold or kindly asked me to stop.
If a sales representative is determined to follow-up with a customer with a personal email, they’ll ask for it (if they’re really good, he/she will even acquire their mailing address and send them a personal card in the mail).
Now we have the technology to not only send a photo but a quick vehicle video walk-around right from our phone.
That being said, when was the last time you saw someone from your sales staff taking photos or a video of a vehicle with their iPhone, then sending to a potential customer?
If a sales professional is determined to follow-up with a customer via email, they’ll acquire a customers email address. It will be part of their process.
Too often, having a mandatory email capture rate lands you a CRM full of bogus email addresses. Hopeful in keeping the management mouths shut.
If you don’t have a consistent email marketing campaign in place for prospect and retention, then why does it matter if you acquire a customers email address?
Because the manufacture said so…
True – but let’s agree, retention after the sale is something most sales staff place little importance on.
Education. Take the time to educate your staff on the direct benefits in gaining a customers email address. Get their buy-in by showing and educating them on the importance of how it helps them sell more cars, and schedule more service.
Are your sales and service staff copied on each email campaign? If not..why? Get it done! Today.
Including and copying your staff on your email campaigns will eventually help them understand the importance of capturing the email address. Especially when they tie it back to a direct opportunity to a sale.
We train our sales staff to sell on benefits not features.
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Every salesperson will benefit from following this advice. You are as much a marketing person as you are a salesperson. Email remains a valuable tool. I especially like one of the first sentences, “ you can bet I was going to take a photo of the vehicle they were interested in (with my Sony Mavica Floppy disc camera) and send them a photo(s) with an email brochure until they were sold or kindly asked me to stop.” How many times have you taken a photo of your product, or of you, and sent it to a prospect who didn’t buy on the first visit? Doing that personalizes your relationship to the prospect; demonstrates a commitment to the customer; and keeps you in the mind of the customer; not to mention sets you apart from other salespeople.
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