Help, the car is not yet available for order, and yet I am receiving leads…from the importer

Leads for new cars that aren’t available yet!

Many car brands generate leads for new cars that are in stock or available for order. This is great, relevant, and relatively easy to convert into good conversations, appointments, and eventually sales. However, many brands also generate leads for new models that have yet to be introduced in our country, even though the car has already been presented worldwide and a lot of information is available online. The brand wants to capitalize on that global interest in the local market.

A new Toyota, for example

A new Toyota for the European market might be shown to the press nine months before it hits the dealers. After that, the information appears on the brand’s own website. It’s a small step to generate a lead to recognize these potential customers, follow up with them, and then, what next? This lead comes to the salespeople or online sales teams for follow-up, and that’s where things unknowingly go wrong. It is often unclear to the salespeople what the goal of these leads is, resulting in varied follow-ups. Some suggest calling the customer back when the car is in the showroom, some send a quote, others ask the customer to get back in touch in a few months, and so on.

The customer is orienting

The fact is that the customer is currently orienting themselves, and you need to ensure that the customer binds themselves to you, your company, your brand, and preferably the model that is yet to come. What is the best way to achieve this? The showroom appointment. In the showroom, you can make the best start with a relationship with you and your company. You might not have the new model yet, but you can introduce the customer to you, your company, and the brand. And you probably have information available that you can review with the customer. Even if a lot of information is available online, that doesn’t mean the customer understands it and can independently make the best choice.

There is no alternative but to follow up

What is the alternative? There is always enough supply in the market that the customer does not have to wait for. Who says that an alternative model you have in stock doesn’t meet their needs much better? Have you thoroughly discussed the customer’s wishes and requirements? Are you sure the customer has enough time to wait? If you are sure that the new model is the best choice for the customer, how will you keep the customer’s interest? The marketing department should do that. But if you as a salesperson close the lead with ‘no interest’ or ‘model not available’, can the marketing department ‘easily’ reactivate it, or is the lead lost forever? Usually, the lead is gone, invisible in the lead management system, and the marketing department has to look for a new fresh opportunity again.

Easy?

Is it just as easy to make an appointment for a model that has yet to arrive as it is for a car that is in the showroom? No, it’s easier to make an appointment with a car in the showroom. And so you will make fewer appointments for a model that is still on the way. But is that a reason not to try to make a showroom appointment? A showroom appointment should always be the goal, car or no car.

There is a clear difference in appointment conversion between new cars that can be ordered and new cars that have yet to be introduced. Logical, just as there is a difference in appointment conversion between used cars and new cars, and that doesn’t stop us from following up leads for new cars. So yes, you will be less successful with these leads, but every appointment counts.

And as mentioned, how often have we found ourselves in the situation where the final car does not meet expectations and an alternative needs to be sought? Let’s have that conversation in the showroom and see if there might be another, immediate alternative available! Good luck!