I recently helped a friend celebrate his retirement by choosing which new car to purchase for his next chapter in life. As it turns out, his purchase mirrors a national trend that shows ‘baby boomers’ are purchasing more new cars than younger buyers. According to a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Instituteand reported by Automotive News, the largest chunk of new car buyers by age in 2011 was that between 55 and 64 years-old. This means that auto dealers must not only include cutting-edge technology services like CarChat24 in their strategy, but find other methods to connect with these older buyers, as well.

While some analysts point to the economy as a reason for this difference and others note that younger buyers have fewer licenses and are actually driving less, the cause doesn’t really matter. What matters is finding a way to effectively target this valuable segment, especially since Pew Research Center indicates people age 50 to 64 are at least 14 percent less likely to use the internet and 24 percent less likely to use social media than younger buyers.

Just because there are fewer Boomers using the web and social media, don’t ignore these valuable tools, because these same studies indicate that 60 percent of users 50-64 are on social networking sites and 77 percent of them are online. And, as you can see from the Toyota video ad above, manufacturers recognize the buying power this market segment still represents and is working to attract these buyers.

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Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

I recently helped a friend celebrate his retirement by choosing which new car to purchase for his next chapter in life. As it turns out, his purchase mirrors a national trend that shows ‘baby boomers’ are purchasing more new cars than younger buyers. According to a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Instituteand reported by Automotive News, the largest chunk of new car buyers by age in 2011 was that between 55 and 64 years-old. This means that auto dealers must not only include cutting-edge technology services like CarChat24 in their strategy, but find other methods to connect with these older buyers, as well.

While some analysts point to the economy as a reason for this difference and others note that younger buyers have fewer licenses and are actually driving less, the cause doesn’t really matter. What matters is finding a way to effectively target this valuable segment, especially since Pew Research Center indicates people age 50 to 64 are at least 14 percent less likely to use the internet and 24 percent less likely to use social media than younger buyers.

Just because there are fewer Boomers using the web and social media, don’t ignore these valuable tools, because these same studies indicate that 60 percent of users 50-64 are on social networking sites and 77 percent of them are online. And, as you can see from the Toyota video ad above, manufacturers recognize the buying power this market segment still represents and is working to attract these buyers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

As dealers continue recognize the benefits of either hosted live chat or chat software managed in-house on their automotive websites, many still feel using their staff to handle the chats is their best option. With some proper planning and execution, it is possible (we’ll cover staffing investment another time). Here are four live chat success tips to help you implement a successful in-house live chat strategy.

1. Be sure to use a proactive (popup) live chat invite. This is the equivalent of greeting a buyer on your lot, and can increase your interaction by 80 percent or more.
2. Don’t demand contact information up front. It is surprising how businesses using live chat in every sector blow shoppers off their website by demanding names and emails (as if that’s really a lead) before the chat. USE THE CHAT to build rapport so you can get a quality lead
3. Answer the chat – QUICKLY! It seems like a basic step, but dealers using in-house staff often report their BDC or sales staff are tied up on a call and NADA reports as much as 55 percent of chats are missed during business hours.
4. Create an effective plan of action and scripts. Ensure your chat processes are managed and that effective scripts and processes are firmly in place. Just like a phone-up, the goal is to set an appointment, or at least generate a quality car sales lead. That is why chat operators MUST stick to their processes and scripts.

Dealerships that can implement these in-house live chat success tips and stick to the program show very measureable increases in leads and car sales. Live chat is a web technology that is here to stay, and the stores that can best use it to engage their shoppers should see a measurable increase in sales.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

As dealers continue recognize the benefits of either hosted live chat or chat software managed in-house on their automotive websites, many still feel using their staff to handle the chats is their best option. With some proper planning and execution, it is possible (we’ll cover staffing investment another time). Here are four live chat success tips to help you implement a successful in-house live chat strategy.

1. Be sure to use a proactive (popup) live chat invite. This is the equivalent of greeting a buyer on your lot, and can increase your interaction by 80 percent or more.
2. Don’t demand contact information up front. It is surprising how businesses using live chat in every sector blow shoppers off their website by demanding names and emails (as if that’s really a lead) before the chat. USE THE CHAT to build rapport so you can get a quality lead
3. Answer the chat – QUICKLY! It seems like a basic step, but dealers using in-house staff often report their BDC or sales staff are tied up on a call and NADA reports as much as 55 percent of chats are missed during business hours.
4. Create an effective plan of action and scripts. Ensure your chat processes are managed and that effective scripts and processes are firmly in place. Just like a phone-up, the goal is to set an appointment, or at least generate a quality car sales lead. That is why chat operators MUST stick to their processes and scripts.

Dealerships that can implement these in-house live chat success tips and stick to the program show very measureable increases in leads and car sales. Live chat is a web technology that is here to stay, and the stores that can best use it to engage their shoppers should see a measurable increase in sales.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

There are numerous ways to build success into your live chat strategy, but if you want the ONE THING that is sure to guarantee embarrassment and failure (not to mention waste time and money), try this: make your guests give you contact information before you (or your live chat vendor) have a live chat conversation!

Done. Kaput. Fin. Nyet. Nada. Zilch.

That pretty much sums up your live chat success with this very ill-advised practice. But maybe you wonder, why not ask up front so you can generate a ‘lead’? Here are five good reasons you should not force your website shoppers to give you their contact info to ‘earn’ their chat conversation:

1. You will definitely upset them
2. The information is likely bogus
3. You will definitely upset them
4. The lead is low quality and will have low closing probability
5. You will definitely upset them

This won't be a QUALITY lead

Let’s face it – people shop online for convenience AND anonymity. One of the key principles and goals of a successful live chat strategy is to earn trust and build a relationship by communicating with buyers on THEIR terms. Forcing information out of them without the benefit of a mutual information exchange is not only bad business practice, but it’s rude.

Would you REALLY have your receptionist demand contact information before forwarding a sales call to the sales floor or BDC? I have seen dealers try it, and for as long as the experiment lasted, it created more of a problem than a solution.

Yes, businesses really do this

I recently shopped on the website of a leader in discount electronic accessories. I had a simple question about a product with some vague information in the description, and thought I would see if the chat operator had (or could get) the answer. When I saw them forcing my hand for full contact information, I moved to another source. It was that simple. They lost the sale. And so will your dealership. Since automotive buyers typically only visit one dealership after shopping several online, why would you blow them out before the conversation gets started? This was with a company who HAS MY INFO because I have spent hundreds of dollars with them, but I didn’t have the time or desire to indulge their arrogant (in my perception) demand.

Use Live Chat to earn the buyer's trust

Just like your salesperson on the floor has to EARN the right to ask for the sale in the product presentation, you have to earn the right to ask for contact info in a chat conversation by providing a certain amount of good faith information exchange. Whether you handle your own live chat conversations or contract a chat vendor for hosted service, be sure there are scripts in place that both address the shoppers’ needs and build the trust required to gather quality lead information that can result in a car sale.

Photo: freedigitalphotos.net / Grant Cochrane

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24
Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

There are numerous ways to build success into your live chat strategy, but if you want the ONE THING that is sure to guarantee embarrassment and failure (not to mention waste time and money), try this: make your guests give you contact information before you (or your live chat vendor) have a live chat conversation!

Done. Kaput. Fin. Nyet. Nada. Zilch.

That pretty much sums up your live chat success with this very ill-advised practice. But maybe you wonder, why not ask up front so you can generate a ‘lead’? Here are five good reasons you should not force your website shoppers to give you their contact info to ‘earn’ their chat conversation:

1. You will definitely upset them
2. The information is likely bogus
3. You will definitely upset them
4. The lead is low quality and will have low closing probability
5. You will definitely upset them

This won't be a QUALITY lead

Let’s face it – people shop online for convenience AND anonymity. One of the key principles and goals of a successful live chat strategy is to earn trust and build a relationship by communicating with buyers on THEIR terms. Forcing information out of them without the benefit of a mutual information exchange is not only bad business practice, but it’s rude.

Would you REALLY have your receptionist demand contact information before forwarding a sales call to the sales floor or BDC? I have seen dealers try it, and for as long as the experiment lasted, it created more of a problem than a solution.

Yes, businesses really do this

I recently shopped on the website of a leader in discount electronic accessories. I had a simple question about a product with some vague information in the description, and thought I would see if the chat operator had (or could get) the answer. When I saw them forcing my hand for full contact information, I moved to another source. It was that simple. They lost the sale. And so will your dealership. Since automotive buyers typically only visit one dealership after shopping several online, why would you blow them out before the conversation gets started? This was with a company who HAS MY INFO because I have spent hundreds of dollars with them, but I didn’t have the time or desire to indulge their arrogant (in my perception) demand.

Use Live Chat to earn the buyer's trust

Just like your salesperson on the floor has to EARN the right to ask for the sale in the product presentation, you have to earn the right to ask for contact info in a chat conversation by providing a certain amount of good faith information exchange. Whether you handle your own live chat conversations or contract a chat vendor for hosted service, be sure there are scripts in place that both address the shoppers’ needs and build the trust required to gather quality lead information that can result in a car sale.

Photo: freedigitalphotos.net / Grant Cochrane

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24
Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

AutoWeek spotlighted the ’53 Mercury on their website, and it got me thinking how sad it is that such a storied brand has fallen by the wayside, and that dealerships that aren’t careful can also end up like the dodo bird or Mercury brand.

CSI is critical to SURVIVAL

One of the intangible benefits for our Live Chat products is that it can help guard your CSI. Not just the CSI the factory measures, but the one that has your customers posting great things on social media and telling their friends how great it is doing business with your dealership. The one that ensures you are still in business two years, five years, ten years down the road – or just the next recession or manufacturer dealer chop.

Years back when I was part of the management team of one of the top luxury dealerships in the world in both sales and CSI, our general manager continuously harped on the fact that from a business longevity point of view, the “WOULD YOU RECOMMEND US” question was more important than the TOP BOX / COMPLETELY SATISFIED question.

Relationships are the key

That same GM stressed that the RELATIONSHIP that every staff member had with every customer was critical to help ensure future business. I’ll never forget him sharing how his father’s insurance agent knew everything about their family so they could be an effective advisor, from “buffy the dog” to “uncle Harry’s liver operation”.

We were obsessively committed to a CULTURE that would help ensure this result and create customers who are AMBASSADORS in the community. I shared this with my brother, who lives in a rural area in the eastern U.S., when we were discussing how one of his small local dealers didn’t seem to care about customer service - but that it didn’t matter because they would always be in business. I told him to mark my words when the economy slipped and that dealership would fall by the wayside. Sure enough, it was an unfortunate casualty of the recession.

Three keys to stronger CSI

Is your dealership TRULY committed to the satisfaction of your customers? Here are three keys to help you achieve this holy grail:

• Have every staff member commit to it – ensure they understand the critical importance in the long and short term
• Make sure every employee can recognize a problem, and empower them to help begin the resolution
• Measure – measure – measure, by every means you have to

Whether your relationship begins through live chat, walking on the lot, or as a phone up, a commitment to true satisfaction can help ensure your dealership doesn’t go the way of the dodo bird – or Mercury.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24
Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

AutoWeek spotlighted the ’53 Mercury on their website, and it got me thinking how sad it is that such a storied brand has fallen by the wayside, and that dealerships that aren’t careful can also end up like the dodo bird or Mercury brand.

CSI is critical to SURVIVAL

One of the intangible benefits for our Live Chat products is that it can help guard your CSI. Not just the CSI the factory measures, but the one that has your customers posting great things on social media and telling their friends how great it is doing business with your dealership. The one that ensures you are still in business two years, five years, ten years down the road – or just the next recession or manufacturer dealer chop.

Years back when I was part of the management team of one of the top luxury dealerships in the world in both sales and CSI, our general manager continuously harped on the fact that from a business longevity point of view, the “WOULD YOU RECOMMEND US” question was more important than the TOP BOX / COMPLETELY SATISFIED question.

Relationships are the key

That same GM stressed that the RELATIONSHIP that every staff member had with every customer was critical to help ensure future business. I’ll never forget him sharing how his father’s insurance agent knew everything about their family so they could be an effective advisor, from “buffy the dog” to “uncle Harry’s liver operation”.

We were obsessively committed to a CULTURE that would help ensure this result and create customers who are AMBASSADORS in the community. I shared this with my brother, who lives in a rural area in the eastern U.S., when we were discussing how one of his small local dealers didn’t seem to care about customer service - but that it didn’t matter because they would always be in business. I told him to mark my words when the economy slipped and that dealership would fall by the wayside. Sure enough, it was an unfortunate casualty of the recession.

Three keys to stronger CSI

Is your dealership TRULY committed to the satisfaction of your customers? Here are three keys to help you achieve this holy grail:

• Have every staff member commit to it – ensure they understand the critical importance in the long and short term
• Make sure every employee can recognize a problem, and empower them to help begin the resolution
• Measure – measure – measure, by every means you have to

Whether your relationship begins through live chat, walking on the lot, or as a phone up, a commitment to true satisfaction can help ensure your dealership doesn’t go the way of the dodo bird – or Mercury.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24
Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

More than a dozen years ago, I learned a priceless life lesson from Grant Cardone – to use proven sales techniques “every day, every time, without fail, no exceptions”.

But before you get to the point of this magical consistency he teaches, you have to discover what works – and what doesn’t in your situation. What definitely doesn’t work very well is a team of salespeople and managers who have one year of experience five to ten or more times, rather than several years of growth. Salespeople who ‘wing it’ may end up with a certain amount of success, but just like a novice in Vegas who gets lucky with an unadvised hit on 18 or 19 at the blackjack table, ‘winging it’ eventually fails.

Carly with a ‘Y’ or Carli with an ‘I’?

The reason for asking about the differences in Carli’s is that it actually makes a difference (FYI – with an ‘I’ garners better response). The scientific testing methods we use to test Live Chat details actually show that even something as seemingly insignificant as one spelling actually affect the outcome. How many salespeople or managers make the conscious effort to sharpen their skills to the point of knowing which greeting is more effective, which walk-around points elicit the most emotion, or the specifics of price discussion that close the most deals? A high-achiever recently pointed out to me that he was the ONLY one taking notes in the weekly meeting because he uses this kind of attention to detail to stay atop the car sale board.

Because ALL we do is provide live chat services and software to dealers, we can tweak each element of the customer experience without compromising lead acquisition count or shopper satisfaction. But this also works in the showroom. Times change. Buyers change. Technology changes. Why shouldn’t word tracks?

Legendary trainers, Jackie B. Cooper and Grant Cardone wouldn’t have developed their systems without adapting their approach until they knew it was effective and it worked  and then used it every day, every time, without fail – no exceptions.

How to grow

Examine every aspect of your customers’ experience to figure out your ‘best practices’. First, correct those points that need immediate attention, THEN start looking for ways to improve best practices to make them even better so you can sell more cars and stay on top of the competition.

Check out Jeff Sterns, CarChat24 VP of Sales and Business Development, at AutoCon 2013 in Las Vegas

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24

Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website Chat Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

More than a dozen years ago, I learned a priceless life lesson from Grant Cardone – to use proven sales techniques “every day, every time, without fail, no exceptions”.

But before you get to the point of this magical consistency he teaches, you have to discover what works – and what doesn’t in your situation. What definitely doesn’t work very well is a team of salespeople and managers who have one year of experience five to ten or more times, rather than several years of growth. Salespeople who ‘wing it’ may end up with a certain amount of success, but just like a novice in Vegas who gets lucky with an unadvised hit on 18 or 19 at the blackjack table, ‘winging it’ eventually fails.

Carly with a ‘Y’ or Carli with an ‘I’?

The reason for asking about the differences in Carli’s is that it actually makes a difference (FYI – with an ‘I’ garners better response). The scientific testing methods we use to test Live Chat details actually show that even something as seemingly insignificant as one spelling actually affect the outcome. How many salespeople or managers make the conscious effort to sharpen their skills to the point of knowing which greeting is more effective, which walk-around points elicit the most emotion, or the specifics of price discussion that close the most deals? A high-achiever recently pointed out to me that he was the ONLY one taking notes in the weekly meeting because he uses this kind of attention to detail to stay atop the car sale board.

Because ALL we do is provide live chat services and software to dealers, we can tweak each element of the customer experience without compromising lead acquisition count or shopper satisfaction. But this also works in the showroom. Times change. Buyers change. Technology changes. Why shouldn’t word tracks?

Legendary trainers, Jackie B. Cooper and Grant Cardone wouldn’t have developed their systems without adapting their approach until they knew it was effective and it worked  and then used it every day, every time, without fail – no exceptions.

How to grow

Examine every aspect of your customers’ experience to figure out your ‘best practices’. First, correct those points that need immediate attention, THEN start looking for ways to improve best practices to make them even better so you can sell more cars and stay on top of the competition.

Check out Jeff Sterns, CarChat24 VP of Sales and Business Development, at AutoCon 2013 in Las Vegas

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24

Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website Chat Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus