Kelley Blue Book
Old School Sales Tactics That Still Work
Today I received an email from Kourtney, my group and suite salesperson for the Dallas Stars, which is an NHL team for those of you who aren’t hockey-inclined. Reading that first sentence, you’re probably thinking I spend a lot of money going to Stars games, but I don’t. I can’t. I live out of state. I spent under $300 with the Stars last season and even less the season before, both times to take friends and family to a game when I was in town for the holidays. As far as group and suite purchases, this probably falls in the bottom five percent of her sales.
The email informed me that she was moving on to another company and someone else from the team would be in touch soon about next season. She provided a number to call with any needs in the meantime and thanked me for my business. While reading her email, I reflected on my limited experiences with Kourtney and compared it to all the other sales experiences I could remember with cars, high-end electronics, furniture, bicycles, and anything else costing more than $100. Some memories were good, some bad, but most were ‘so-so’ transactions typically performed by a friendly salesperson that went for the close, got it, and immediately moved on to the next one without thinking about me ever again.
Not so with Kourtney. When I placed my ticket orders, she took the time to listen to my needs and handled them in a friendly, personable way, in addition to having an infectious smile I could hear through the phone. This alone put her above most of the salespeople I’ve interacted with. Where she truly went above and beyond were the personal touches she added after the sale was closed. I received a handwritten thank you card with my tickets in the mail in November, and another handwritten card at the end of the season thanking me for my business. When was the last time you received a handwritten thank you card from anyone, let alone two for the same transaction? I get thank you cards for giving wedding gifts to friends and family, but I almost never get them from salespeople. I can only remember one other.
Kourtney could have sat back after getting my phone order and let the organization’s marketing department do the work to pull in the next round of leads. She could have relaxed and only included a receipt in the envelope with my tickets. She could have taken it easy and skipped all those written thank you notes at the end of the season that probably gave her hand cramps… but she didn’t cut any corners, and it made a big difference.
I grew up with computers and email, but a personalized, handwritten thank you note still has a very strong impact on me and so does being remembered and appreciated after the sale is made. I recognize that Kourtney has a better opportunity for repeat business from me because the buying cycle for sports tickets is much shorter than that of a car, but that doesn’t make sending written thank you cards any less valuable in making your customers feel appreciated. In fact, it may make them more likely to come to your dealership for service instead of an independent shop or give you a positive recommendation on Google, Yelp or your CSI survey. If you maintain that relationship, the customer is more likely to buy their next car from you instead of someone else.
In my reflection while reading her email, I realized I was losing something special with Kourtney leaving the Stars, so I let her know how impressed I was with the way that she treated me, and that I was a few weeks away from getting a firm head count on another order for next season. Her response? She thanked me for the kind words, emphasized that she treated people the way she would like to be treated in their position, and offered to connect on LinkedIn in case my new rep didn’t take care of me. She still cares about my satisfaction as a customer - even after she leaves the company. I was blown away again, and apparently so were others because her LinkedIn profile is a good collection of recommendations from happy customers. I added one more.
Sending written thank you notes is viewed by some as “old school” in this day of emails, instant messages and texts, but it carries significantly more weight because it’s far more personal. What do you do to make your customers feel special and appreciated after delivery?
Kelley Blue Book
Old School Sales Tactics That Still Work
Today I received an email from Kourtney, my group and suite salesperson for the Dallas Stars, which is an NHL team for those of you who aren’t hockey-inclined. Reading that first sentence, you’re probably thinking I spend a lot of money going to Stars games, but I don’t. I can’t. I live out of state. I spent under $300 with the Stars last season and even less the season before, both times to take friends and family to a game when I was in town for the holidays. As far as group and suite purchases, this probably falls in the bottom five percent of her sales.
The email informed me that she was moving on to another company and someone else from the team would be in touch soon about next season. She provided a number to call with any needs in the meantime and thanked me for my business. While reading her email, I reflected on my limited experiences with Kourtney and compared it to all the other sales experiences I could remember with cars, high-end electronics, furniture, bicycles, and anything else costing more than $100. Some memories were good, some bad, but most were ‘so-so’ transactions typically performed by a friendly salesperson that went for the close, got it, and immediately moved on to the next one without thinking about me ever again.
Not so with Kourtney. When I placed my ticket orders, she took the time to listen to my needs and handled them in a friendly, personable way, in addition to having an infectious smile I could hear through the phone. This alone put her above most of the salespeople I’ve interacted with. Where she truly went above and beyond were the personal touches she added after the sale was closed. I received a handwritten thank you card with my tickets in the mail in November, and another handwritten card at the end of the season thanking me for my business. When was the last time you received a handwritten thank you card from anyone, let alone two for the same transaction? I get thank you cards for giving wedding gifts to friends and family, but I almost never get them from salespeople. I can only remember one other.
Kourtney could have sat back after getting my phone order and let the organization’s marketing department do the work to pull in the next round of leads. She could have relaxed and only included a receipt in the envelope with my tickets. She could have taken it easy and skipped all those written thank you notes at the end of the season that probably gave her hand cramps… but she didn’t cut any corners, and it made a big difference.
I grew up with computers and email, but a personalized, handwritten thank you note still has a very strong impact on me and so does being remembered and appreciated after the sale is made. I recognize that Kourtney has a better opportunity for repeat business from me because the buying cycle for sports tickets is much shorter than that of a car, but that doesn’t make sending written thank you cards any less valuable in making your customers feel appreciated. In fact, it may make them more likely to come to your dealership for service instead of an independent shop or give you a positive recommendation on Google, Yelp or your CSI survey. If you maintain that relationship, the customer is more likely to buy their next car from you instead of someone else.
In my reflection while reading her email, I realized I was losing something special with Kourtney leaving the Stars, so I let her know how impressed I was with the way that she treated me, and that I was a few weeks away from getting a firm head count on another order for next season. Her response? She thanked me for the kind words, emphasized that she treated people the way she would like to be treated in their position, and offered to connect on LinkedIn in case my new rep didn’t take care of me. She still cares about my satisfaction as a customer - even after she leaves the company. I was blown away again, and apparently so were others because her LinkedIn profile is a good collection of recommendations from happy customers. I added one more.
Sending written thank you notes is viewed by some as “old school” in this day of emails, instant messages and texts, but it carries significantly more weight because it’s far more personal. What do you do to make your customers feel special and appreciated after delivery?
4 Comments
Kelley Blue Book
I agree, Mike. With sales and marketing technology changing at a breakneck pace, at least there are some things that take a lot longer to go out of style. I don't see thank you notes losing their value until mail service stops.
Maryann Keller & Associates
There are always going to be exceptions to every trend. I'm still amazed when I receive a sale from a free car buyer's magazine offered at a supermarket.
Dealer eTraining
When you provide a great experience you build a loyal following. When you leave to take another position the loyalty might just stay with you and you can continue to earn your client's business. This is also the difference between veteran sales professionals that sell 40 units per month over the average 10-12 unit sales person.
Kelley Blue Book
Webinar Hosted by Jared Rowe, President of Kelley Blue Book: Introducing the All-New Kbb.com Classifieds
Kelley Blue Book President Jared Rowe will be hosting a free webinar to introduce the industry to the new kbb.com Classifieds on Tuesday, June 5, at 2PM EST/11AM PST. You can register for it here.
This month, Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com is launching an all-new Classifieds experience in partnership with AutoTrader.com that will allow dealers to reach millions of in-market car buyers that largely cannot be found on other automotive websites.1 The “cars for sale” section of kbb.com has been completely rebuilt, featuring a new design and functionality created for the unique audience of consumers who use kbb.com to research new- and used-vehicle information and reviews, obtain values and pricing information, and find the right car for sale in their area.
More than 75% of visitors to kbb.com are undecided on which make and model they want to purchase,2 and with supply and demand pushing used-vehicle pricing close to new-vehicle pricing, many are also uncertain about whether they will purchase new, used or certified. Therefore, kbb.com’s new Classifieds experience is uniquely designed to allow consumers to search cars for sale based on their needs, while also keeping the option to run a traditional make/model search. This new approach allows consumers who are undecided on make/model to see vehicles that both meet their needs and possibly be exposed to some that they might not have otherwise considered. Consumers also have the option to return new, used and certified inventory within the same search. As a time-saver, changing or refining search parameters is possible within the same search, without starting over from scratch and filling out all the parameters again. The redesigned Classifieds also allows them to continue researching vehicles via trusted Kelley Blue Book information such as reviews and ratings without leaving the Classifieds experience.
The initial SRP (search results page) is prioritized based on “Best Match,” a formula that ranks vehicles based on what is determined to be most relevant and engaging to the consumer performing the search. This formula is in part based on the quantity and quality of vehicle information dealers provide, including the number of photos, video, detailed vehicle descriptions as well as certain characteristics of the vehicle such as distance from the user, mileage vs. the average for that model year, and the length of time the listing has been on the site. This means that participating dealers have the opportunity to directly influence their placement on the SRP through better merchandising of their listings.
To make things as easy as possible, the new kbb.com Classifieds is a turnkey experience for dealers: your contact for kbb.com Classifieds is your AutoTrader.com Advertising Consultant, your inventory is automatically pulled from dealer data already on AutoTrader.com, and listings and reporting for both sites are managed within one system. This means no additional data feed setup and management is required, you have a single point of contact for both sites, and there’s no extra backend to log into to manage everything.
To find out more, Kelley Blue Book President Jared Rowe will be hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, June 5, at 2PM EST/11AM PST. You can register for it here.
1Comscore Media Metrix: Cross Visiting Report: March 2012
2 AutoTrader.com Shopper Frame of Mind Research Study: March 2011
No Comments
Kelley Blue Book
Webinar Hosted by Jared Rowe, President of Kelley Blue Book: Introducing the All-New Kbb.com Classifieds
Kelley Blue Book President Jared Rowe will be hosting a free webinar to introduce the industry to the new kbb.com Classifieds on Tuesday, June 5, at 2PM EST/11AM PST. You can register for it here.
This month, Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com is launching an all-new Classifieds experience in partnership with AutoTrader.com that will allow dealers to reach millions of in-market car buyers that largely cannot be found on other automotive websites.1 The “cars for sale” section of kbb.com has been completely rebuilt, featuring a new design and functionality created for the unique audience of consumers who use kbb.com to research new- and used-vehicle information and reviews, obtain values and pricing information, and find the right car for sale in their area.
More than 75% of visitors to kbb.com are undecided on which make and model they want to purchase,2 and with supply and demand pushing used-vehicle pricing close to new-vehicle pricing, many are also uncertain about whether they will purchase new, used or certified. Therefore, kbb.com’s new Classifieds experience is uniquely designed to allow consumers to search cars for sale based on their needs, while also keeping the option to run a traditional make/model search. This new approach allows consumers who are undecided on make/model to see vehicles that both meet their needs and possibly be exposed to some that they might not have otherwise considered. Consumers also have the option to return new, used and certified inventory within the same search. As a time-saver, changing or refining search parameters is possible within the same search, without starting over from scratch and filling out all the parameters again. The redesigned Classifieds also allows them to continue researching vehicles via trusted Kelley Blue Book information such as reviews and ratings without leaving the Classifieds experience.
The initial SRP (search results page) is prioritized based on “Best Match,” a formula that ranks vehicles based on what is determined to be most relevant and engaging to the consumer performing the search. This formula is in part based on the quantity and quality of vehicle information dealers provide, including the number of photos, video, detailed vehicle descriptions as well as certain characteristics of the vehicle such as distance from the user, mileage vs. the average for that model year, and the length of time the listing has been on the site. This means that participating dealers have the opportunity to directly influence their placement on the SRP through better merchandising of their listings.
To make things as easy as possible, the new kbb.com Classifieds is a turnkey experience for dealers: your contact for kbb.com Classifieds is your AutoTrader.com Advertising Consultant, your inventory is automatically pulled from dealer data already on AutoTrader.com, and listings and reporting for both sites are managed within one system. This means no additional data feed setup and management is required, you have a single point of contact for both sites, and there’s no extra backend to log into to manage everything.
To find out more, Kelley Blue Book President Jared Rowe will be hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, June 5, at 2PM EST/11AM PST. You can register for it here.
1Comscore Media Metrix: Cross Visiting Report: March 2012
2 AutoTrader.com Shopper Frame of Mind Research Study: March 2011
No Comments
4 Comments
MIKE PORRO
Sam Swope Honda World
somethings never get old great post
Alex Schoeneberger
Kelley Blue Book
I agree, Mike. With sales and marketing technology changing at a breakneck pace, at least there are some things that take a lot longer to go out of style. I don't see thank you notes losing their value until mail service stops.
Jeremy Alicandri
Maryann Keller & Associates
There are always going to be exceptions to every trend. I'm still amazed when I receive a sale from a free car buyer's magazine offered at a supermarket.
Stan Sher
Dealer eTraining
When you provide a great experience you build a loyal following. When you leave to take another position the loyalty might just stay with you and you can continue to earn your client's business. This is also the difference between veteran sales professionals that sell 40 units per month over the average 10-12 unit sales person.