Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Three Direct Mail Lead Management Tips for New-Vehicle Dealers

happy owner of new car shaking hands with salesperson
Despite the role of technology in today's marketing, a study by eMarketer shows that traditional methods like direct mail don't need to be traded in. (Who'da thunk it?)

If you want to prompt leads to start researching new vehicles, give your hottest new vehicles a prominent spot on a snazzy mailer (don't forget to include a tracking number!) and get ready.

As soon as John Smith finds your mailer in his mailbox and one of your shiny new models catches his eye, the clock starts ticking. After John researches that car that caught his eye on your mailer, he's most likely going to call your dealership, submit an online form or stop by in person. 

Here's the thing. You have to be prepared for John to take the next step at any moment by following the three steps below.

Lessen the Chance of Missing Calls


Did you know that new-vehicle shoppers cross-shop up to five different makes? If you miss John's call, that gives him plenty of time to call other dealerships. Uh-oh.

With enhanced call completion tools, John's more likely to get in touch with a representative the first time he calls (whew!). You'll be able to route phone calls to other numbers or locations if the main line stops ringing, and you can also set up round robin so calls will roll to the next representative if one doesn't answer.

Prepare for Leads


Help Scout says that phone reps only ask for a caller's name 21 percent of the time. Since 38 percent of customers say that personalization makes for a positive experience, make sure your reps know to get John's name and use it throughout the conversation.

In fact, you won't even have to ask John for his name if you use a desktop notification tool that tells you who your caller is and where they're calling from. By knowing this information, you can give John a happier customer experience and make him want to keep doing business with you.

Respond to Online Leads Quickly


When John fills out a contact form online, he's going to want some information pronto! Don't let slow response times drive John to get his information from a competing dealership. If you can respond within 10 minutes (auto replies don't count!), you'll triple your chances of John walking through your doors. 

A feature like Lead Chaser can help you improve your response times. Using text-to-speech technology, the tool will call sales reps immediately when John fills out the online form. After that, your rep can call John, already knowing all his information, and he might even still be browsing your site when you call (yep, it's that fast!). That'll give the rep more confidence on the call and impress John.

Once you've settled in with a lead management system, make sure your salespeople are equipped to handle leads. If your team is made up of different personalities, check out our tips on how to manage cat- and dog-like salespeople.

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