Focus on change
When I was managing salespeople in a dealership there was always a fair amount of emphasis on follow up. As we got better at tracking this part of the sales process through better CRM’s we realized how often the call didn’t happen. Or, if the call did happen, they found out nothing new. Often they couldn’t get their guests to pick up the phone at all.
Initially, a good follow up call is set up before the guest leaves the dealership. If they decide not to buy on the first visit, finding out what the customer is thinking and making sure no stone is left unturned is the best way to make sure the guest picks up the phone. Also, set a time for the follow up call, get the best number to contact them, and then ask for another number
When talking about before-the-sale follow up, there is one rule that must always be followed. Focus on what has changed. What has changed on your end? What has changed for the customer?
Some of the obvious changes for the salesperson are inventory and rebates or incentives. A dealership is always selling cars, getting in fresh inventory either from the factory or on trade. On new vehicles, the manufacturers are always putting out new programs to move inventory. Like I said, fairly obvious.
But let’s look at what has changed with the customer. After the guest left the dealership they didn’t climb into a vacuum. They are visiting other dealerships. They may be shopping and researching online (how many times have you had a guest visit your store and submit a lead that same evening?). They may be going over finances. A good sales consultant knows that the guest may be on a different model, brand, or possibly switched from new to used.
Spend some time thinking about all the different ways you can get your customers to tell you what has changed. I’d love to see your answers posted.