Automotive Intelligence Insights
Part 1

23/06/2020

Automotive Intelligence Insights <br/> Part 1

AUTOMOTIVE INTELLIGENCE INSIGHTS PART 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFICIENT SALES TECHNIQUES IN A NEW ERA

This article is part of the weekly Insights Series, in which Automotive Intelligence shares techniques, tips & tricks that you can use to become a better, smarter car salesperson, even in the times of corona. In the first instalment, we’ll address the importance of rhythm, sound preparations and generating leads by means of a proactive approach.

There’s not much more that can be said about how the coronavirus has irrevocably altered the retail landscape. Social distancing is here to stay, showroom visits are decreasing and revenues are down as a result. Dealerships and sales reps alike will have to ask themselves the question: how can I deal with this? It is tempting to say that there has been a paradigm shift and that everything is different now, and though it is true, it is not entirely true. After all, the techniques that lead to sale have remained unchanged. All we need to do is become smarter and more proactive in applying those techniques.

NEW TOOL

Ok, so we have to be smarter. What does that really mean? As we mentioned in the last paragraph, there does seem to have been some sort of paradigm shift, especially considering the transition from offline to online. This shift has been going on for years, but to be honest, the automotive world has been slow to take it up so far. Needs must, however, and businesses are quickly gaining ground with respect to the online customer journey. AM-i has also sped up the development of various tools to meet the new needs & wishes of a market that changed fundamentally overnight. One of these tools is the Online Consultation, which is part of Carstock and offers customers and sales reps a fully interactive online environment in which they can safely and easily look over the full stock of available cars or even configure an entirely new vehicle. Smart, right?

THE RIGHT PREPARATION – MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER

So, is there any need to stay proactive? Absolutely, it’s more important than ever. There are several reasons for this. It takes time to develop a habit, so it makes sense to take some time to get used to this new approach; no matter how well technologies like Online Consultation work, digital connections are still different physical ones. In addition, it is likely that the total number of leads that sales reps will be able to work their magic on will be smaller for the time being, due to a decline in showroom visits. This is counterbalanced by an increase in online visitors and a more effective approach to funnelling and communicating with these visitors (with better websites and new tools such as OC), but as long as lead numbers are down, we will have to strive to boost the success rate per lead. To do so, the right preparation and a proactive attitude are key. The good news is that, eventually, this will only make your job easier. Here are three important things to do:

1. Practice
Sales meetings with Online Consultation may feel awkward at first. How can you quickly get customers to feel at ease? What alternatives are there now that you can’t offer your customary a cup of coffee? And what is the ideal rhythm for an Online Consultation? It is up to every sales rep to find out what works for them, which is best done in practice. To this end, try to have one Online Consultation a day. This brings us straight to the second point.

2. Lead creation
Now that less of your time is taken up by customers in the showroom, you’re left with much more time to do some archival research. Which customers bought a new car from you more than 2 years ago? Draw up a clear list with contact details and block off some time to call customers on the list. Be honest and say that you’re calling because you had some extra time to reconnect with past customers and have a car in stock that could be a perfect replacement for their current car.

3. Prepare the quote
This might just be the most important step. After all, sound preparation makes all other steps, including future steps, a whole lot easier. You could even consider going through this step before even picking up the phone at all. What will really make your life as a sales rep easier? Preparing quotes. If you call a customer with the news that you have a great car in stock for them with – more importantly – a carefully considered, appropriate offer, the customer will be carried along with your enthusiasm* and will be much more likely to schedule an appointment, online or otherwise, to discuss your quote. Again, you will be much more convincing if you have a detailed hard copy of the quote in front of you.

* It is impossible to fake this kind of enthusiasm. During tests in the past, it was found time and time again that the group who had prepared their work was significantly more successful (i.e. two or three times more) than the group that had not.

Want to find out more about AM-i and Online Consultation?

Next week, we’ll tell you more about how to discuss your prepared quotes with colleagues before presenting them to the customer. What are your first experiences with Online Consultation? Share them with us via support@am-i.nl and we’ll pass them on to other users to help everyone become better online sales reps.

To find out more about AM-i Carstock and Online Consultation, make an appointment for a live demo.

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Automotive Intelligence Insights Part 1