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Passive leads are customers who have not yet entered the purchase process or are in the early stages. This category includes, for example, customers whose lease contract expires in six months, customers who are contacted 12, 24, or 36 months after purchase for satisfaction follow up, and, any customer whose historical data indicates they are in a time frame to consider a vehicle purchase to replace their current vehicle. Because the initiative for the contact does not lie with the customer and the customer does not expect a call, the likelihood for a sales discussion is very slim. These kinds of leads do not belong to a salesperson. Not today, not tomorrow, never!

Is it a disadvantage to have a separate sales team for online leads? Many dealerships are thinking about designating one person, or even several people, to follow up on warm online leads. That’s something I personally wouldn’t recommend. The salesperson is your best chance at selling a car. If a potential customer raises their hand online and sends out buying signals, it’s important to put this warm lead in contact with a sales specialist as soon as possible.

In today’s pandemic and the by-product of low inventory, we all know one thing for sure: the showroom that never closes is the online showroom. Car companies invest a lot of energy, creativity, and money into their highly visible digital showroom. It is considered the center of the company; a place where new shoppers and existing customers can find the information they are looking for. They could be searching for hours for directions to the dealership, a list of your service offerings and scheduling opportunities, or details about the vehicle inventory selection and pricing. Your dealership’s website is often the only place where information is available about the parts and aftersales you offer.

There are two questions I often get from sellers: 1. How do I determine the quality of an online lead? and 2. How do I determine which leads I should or should not follow up? Let me start by recognizing that there is indeed a difference in the quality of online leads. Countless factors will influence the quality of a lead. For example, how far down the funnel is the potential customer? One customer wants to buy within seven days, the other only after 70 days. One lead buys a car, and the other doesn’t. 

Lead follow-up is a matter of looking for a dialogue, then the appointment and only then the sale. When you get leads, whether they are telephone or online leads, many potential customers are curious about 1 thing, the so-called trade-in price for the trade-in car.

In this current crisis, we all know one thing for sure: the only showroom that cannot be closed is the online showroom. Car companies invest a lot of energy, creativity, and money into their digital showroom. It is now regarded as the heartbeat of the company because everything about the company can easily be found online and in one place, even more conveniently than visiting the physical storefront. Customers can not only research and shop for vehicles but schedule their service, view available parts, and look at any other items the dealer may want to market.
It is easy to demonstrate a car through Facetime, view the trade-in car closely, and even make a proposal. A test drive at home is also possible, but that is something that dealers could always make happen if they chose to. 

Many dealers and car companies have announced on LinkedIn that, in addition to historically traditional means of communication, they can also be reached via WhatsApp video calling, Facetime, Google Meets, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams. This flexible accessibility has been launched at a fast pace. We are in a period where the customer wants to operate and do business from an offsite location, both from convenience and safety.

It is easy to demonstrate a car through Facetime, view the trade-in car closely, and even make a proposal. A test drive at home is also possible, but that is something that dealers could always make happen if they chose to. 

Question: Is getting more leads really the best goal? Leads are actually just a starting point for a dialogue. At least that’s what I’ve been saying for years to anyone who wants to hear it. But is that really the case? Does the salesperson really want leads? When I ask them, they say NO. They […]

The highest quality visitors come from your organic search volume! (SEO) NOTE: Some dealers, unfortunately, are still buying their own name and paying Google and their ad agencies for the privilege of running those campaigns. If consumers are already searching for your business by name, why are you paying Google? This is just a personal […]

Why do we develop bad habits in good times? You’ve probably heard this saying before: a skipper who only sails with the wind is a less accomplished skipper than one who can stay on course when facing a headwind, or even a storm. This is no different in our industry. The COVID pandemic era has […]