First Contact & Follow Up. It's a simple ask of sales personnel, yet it's become one of the largest downfalls in the sales process. It's not the act of actually making contact, its the method that in fact creates the madness. By splattering phone calls, texts, and emails at random days and/times, it becomes about as useful as not contacting a consumer at all. Using the correct methods though, along with having the ability to hold sales personnel responsible through reporting and analytics, will be the most efficient way of gaining more sales through proper contact and follow-up procedures.

There are a multitude of methods to take for contacting leads/consumers. Taking a look at each and the correct initiatives to take can dramatically increase the chances for your sales personnel to succeed. Having said that, if these methods are directed through a dealerships CRM, then not only do you have a proper record of each contact, you also have the ability for a more direct targeting campaign. There are three main avenues to take when it comes to contacting the consumer, however it's the approach in which you take that will make the difference.

• Dropping Voicemails will utilize the relationship already established with the dealership, providing a voice to coincide with the faces inside your showroom that the consumer has already visited. Using a CRM that has the ability to set up voicemails, allows the dealership the ability to have custom voicemails created to reach the consumer to close leads, as well as providing another level of customer service. For those who retain an internal/external BDC, this can add to or even replace the department, without having to worry about the questionable voicemails left by some individuals. Some of which, lead to do-not-call lists or robocall worries.

• Time Targeted Texting provides a direct route to the consumer with an exact time scheduled to reach at the peak time. Using a CRM with the technology to establish the best time/day has a dramatic effect on engagement. After all, on average texting provides up to a 45% engagement rate. Its the simple truth that consumers in general believe that texting, used as a form of communication, is more personal than an email or in some cases a phone call. If these texts are custom, and are set to go out depending on the consumers most "alert" time, the engagement is undeniably going to increase.

• Sending the Perfect Email at a specific time will forgo purchasing email marketing from numerous vendors that work outside of your system. With an email directed through the dealership CRM, the sales staff can have the ability to follow up with leads and not impact any of the dealerships' outside marketing efforts. With certain CRM's, emails can be given a unique email account to protect each dealership from being listed as spam. Too many dealerships have had to go through a multitude of email systems because of Gmail and others listing them as spam. This is a problem that actually HAS a solution.

These three contact methods seem normal. All three are even being implemented by almost every dealership across the country. But just because you're performing an action, it doesn't mean your performing it RIGHT. No matter if it's an independent dealership or group, every dealership and its' personnel can improve the methods of contact follow-up. If you believe you're doing everything "perfect", well, most likely you're not.