It’s a digital shopping world, we all know it. I go online to find the best products and yourcustomers are doing the same thing.According to a recent survey by Deloitte,60% of consumers say they are going online more often to find the best products and services – and their decisions are heavily influenced by the tools, information, and service they find when they go to websites or perform a search.

What’s even more interesting about this survey is what customers expect:

83% of shoppers surveyed said they needed some form of support during their online journey. This is a particular issue for 'dependent' shoppers, those with limited experience of online shopping, where this increases to 90%.

While shoppers say they need help, they aren't too persistent in accessing it:

• Half of online shoppers (51%) will either try once or give up immediately when seeking help before an online purchase.

• If they need help post-purchase, shoppers are prepared to persist to get their issue resolved, 76% trying at least twice.

They also expect to receive support quickly. 71% expect some assistance within five minutes. If they don't get it 48% will abandon the site.

How fast do they want this support?

31 percent expect it immediately, and 40 percent expect help within five minutes. What’s

worse, if they don’t get help when they want it, nearly half (48 percent) will leave your site.

How do they want this form of support?

A telephone number, an email address, or LIVE CHAT!

Dealer Takeaway: Implementing live chat will meet the demands of your digital showroom shoppers. If you need help in deciding which live chat solution is right for you, download our FREE eBook In-House vs, Managed Chat.

Also, yesterday we released our newest eBook: The 5 Top Reasons Managed Chat Fails. You can download it here for FREE.

It’s a digital shopping world, we all know it. I go online to find the best products and yourcustomers are doing the same thing.According to a recent survey by Deloitte,60% of consumers say they are going online more often to find the best products and services – and their decisions are heavily influenced by the tools, information, and service they find when they go to websites or perform a search.

What’s even more interesting about this survey is what customers expect:

83% of shoppers surveyed said they needed some form of support during their online journey. This is a particular issue for 'dependent' shoppers, those with limited experience of online shopping, where this increases to 90%.

While shoppers say they need help, they aren't too persistent in accessing it:

• Half of online shoppers (51%) will either try once or give up immediately when seeking help before an online purchase.

• If they need help post-purchase, shoppers are prepared to persist to get their issue resolved, 76% trying at least twice.

They also expect to receive support quickly. 71% expect some assistance within five minutes. If they don't get it 48% will abandon the site.

How fast do they want this support?

31 percent expect it immediately, and 40 percent expect help within five minutes. What’s

worse, if they don’t get help when they want it, nearly half (48 percent) will leave your site.

How do they want this form of support?

A telephone number, an email address, or LIVE CHAT!

Dealer Takeaway: Implementing live chat will meet the demands of your digital showroom shoppers. If you need help in deciding which live chat solution is right for you, download our FREE eBook In-House vs, Managed Chat.

Also, yesterday we released our newest eBook: The 5 Top Reasons Managed Chat Fails. You can download it here for FREE.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I feel that being imitated means the imitator lacks the creativity to come up with ideas on their own.

Virtual Sales Associates (VSA’s) has become a popular title in the chat industry lately. ActivEngage coined this term in 2007 and now other chat providers are using that same terminology to describe their chatting staff.

That’s okay though, because there’s something that ActivEngage’s Virtual Sales Associates have that no other chat provider can match - passion. Passion for the car industry, passion for the art of conversation, passion for creating that very special connection with YOUR customer. Passion that cannot be imitated no matter how hard others try.

Passion cannot be Imitated.
As many of you know, I was a VSA for six months before moving into our marketing department. I came here knowing not a single thing about cars, the automotive industry, or car lingo. I was hesitant in my first chat because everything was new to me. However, with training, encouragement, and a wonderful team structure that provided ongoing support, I made it through and I shined. I shined through the busiest chatting month of the year - December. In a single day, I took 70+ chats. I didn’t miss a detail and it was invigorating! During those days, I received recognition for taking on so many chats and having over 80% of my chats converting to leads for our dealers, over 75% phone numbers acquired, and over 10% appointments set. Passion.

Every Chat, Every Word, Every Time!
The environment I was in created passion. Our Virtual Sales Associates have a motto, Every Chat, Every Word...Every Time. It’s painted on a bright orange wall, to remind each and every VSA what we do and the passion with which we do it.

Although others are naming their chat staff VSA’s, we know who the real VSA’s are and you will too when you read our chats.

I’ll leave you all with a video to let this sink in just a little bit more:
Watch as our Virtual Sales Director, Carol Marshall, describe our Virtual Sales Associates, the training they receive, and what they provide YOUR dealership. No other chat provider does what our VSA’s can do.

What is your dealership passionate about? Let us know in the comments section below!

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I feel that being imitated means the imitator lacks the creativity to come up with ideas on their own.

Virtual Sales Associates (VSA’s) has become a popular title in the chat industry lately. ActivEngage coined this term in 2007 and now other chat providers are using that same terminology to describe their chatting staff.

That’s okay though, because there’s something that ActivEngage’s Virtual Sales Associates have that no other chat provider can match - passion. Passion for the car industry, passion for the art of conversation, passion for creating that very special connection with YOUR customer. Passion that cannot be imitated no matter how hard others try.

Passion cannot be Imitated.
As many of you know, I was a VSA for six months before moving into our marketing department. I came here knowing not a single thing about cars, the automotive industry, or car lingo. I was hesitant in my first chat because everything was new to me. However, with training, encouragement, and a wonderful team structure that provided ongoing support, I made it through and I shined. I shined through the busiest chatting month of the year - December. In a single day, I took 70+ chats. I didn’t miss a detail and it was invigorating! During those days, I received recognition for taking on so many chats and having over 80% of my chats converting to leads for our dealers, over 75% phone numbers acquired, and over 10% appointments set. Passion.

Every Chat, Every Word, Every Time!
The environment I was in created passion. Our Virtual Sales Associates have a motto, Every Chat, Every Word...Every Time. It’s painted on a bright orange wall, to remind each and every VSA what we do and the passion with which we do it.

Although others are naming their chat staff VSA’s, we know who the real VSA’s are and you will too when you read our chats.

I’ll leave you all with a video to let this sink in just a little bit more:
Watch as our Virtual Sales Director, Carol Marshall, describe our Virtual Sales Associates, the training they receive, and what they provide YOUR dealership. No other chat provider does what our VSA’s can do.

What is your dealership passionate about? Let us know in the comments section below!

Ever since I attended the B2B Marketing Sherpa Summit at the end of August,  I’ve been following Dr. Flint McGlaughlin’s latest articles and observations. Today, I came across an article on Transparent Marketing that I believe is worth sharing with you all.

Back in the late 1800s there was a product named Modoc Oil that promised to cure all your ailments in one minute. Here is the original sales copy printed in a local paper at the time:
"Modoc Oil – The greatest medicine on earth. It has no equal. It relieves all pain instantly:Toothache in one minute – Headache in one minute – Earache in ten minutes – Sore Throat in one night –Neuralgia in from three to five minutes."

Sounds pretty bogus to us now, but back then the demand for this oil was so high that the company had to build a new plant that encompassed an entire block. That demand was so high because people trusted and believed its message, but today that’s a different story. Let’s take a look at some statistics before we move on:

• The average person is assaulted with a barrage of 577 new marketing messages per week.

• Statistics indicate that we retain less than 1% of the marketing messages we encounter

And here’s the bad news as Dr. McGlaughlin puts it, “The Post Modern Consumer just doesn't believe us anymore. They have endured too many empty promises, too many exaggerated benefits, and too many artful disclaimers.”

So how can we get this skeptical generation to accept and respond to our marketing message? By using Transparent Marketing. As Dr. McGlaughlin states:

1. Tell (only) the (verifiable) Truth
The task is challenging. First, we must strip our ad copy of every last info fragment that is not absolutely accurate. Then, we must go back and strip it again, this time of every fragment that is not absolutely verifiable.

Here is a direct quote from the mission statement of HealthWidgets.Com:
"We consider respect, trust and integrity to be essential in all our dealings. We expect honest, ethical behavior from ourselves, and we encourage it in others."

Fine sounding words, but despite the noble tone, their message will likely be discarded. If the Post Modern Consumer can't instantly verify a claim, they will assume that it is false.

2. Purge all vague modifiers.
Let's take a pair of surgical scissors to the MediWidgets pitch. Let's cut away the subjective adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases.
"Led by ______________________ management teams in the industry, MediWidgets has _________ demonstrated a _________ understanding of the industry and a ___________ vision for its future. This vision translated into a concept of a ____________ system - of how patients should move _________ through a _______ healthcare system that offers _____________________."

Question: What do we have left? Answer: Not much.

What is this copy saying? How will it impact a prospect?
Here is a paraphrase of the remaining paragraph, along with the likely responses of a weary decision maker as he scans for meaning.

• Info-Fragment 1: MediWidgets is led by a management team. (So what. So is every other company)
• Info-Fragment 2: MediWidgets has demonstrated an understanding of the industry and it's future. (Yeah, yeah, yeah. Says who? How have they demonstrated this "understanding?")
• Info-fragment 3: MediWidgets has designed a system for moving patients through a healthcare system. (What are these people talking about? What do they really do? How can they help me?)

3. Let someone else do your bragging
To the Post Modern Consumer, nothing is more nauseous than the sound of someone singing their own virtues. If you must convey subjective information about your product, then do so through the voice of your customers, peers, or reviewers.

In our sample copy we deleted the following modifiers: finest, consistently, keen, strong, superior, smoothly, less invasive, cost-effective. Anyone of these colorful words could be acceptable, bracketed within the quotes of an unbiased third party, but they will not work when we declare them for ourselves.

4. Substitute general descriptions with specific facts
The Post Modern Consumer demands to be respected as a capable decision maker. They despise thinly veiled sales pressure, but they appreciate simple, direct communication. Give them the resources they need to make an intelligent comparison; then politely "step back" and allow them to make their own evaluation.

5. Admit your Weaknesses
The Post Modern Consumer is not looking for perfection. He is looking for honesty. He wants to build a relationship with someone or with some company that he can trust.

Keep in mind that Transparent Marketing is about values. It asks that we treat the customer with the same integrity that we would expect to be treated.

What do you think about Transparent Marketing? Do you think you’ll be able to implement this strategy at your dealership and on your website?

Ever since I attended the B2B Marketing Sherpa Summit at the end of August,  I’ve been following Dr. Flint McGlaughlin’s latest articles and observations. Today, I came across an article on Transparent Marketing that I believe is worth sharing with you all.

Back in the late 1800s there was a product named Modoc Oil that promised to cure all your ailments in one minute. Here is the original sales copy printed in a local paper at the time:
"Modoc Oil – The greatest medicine on earth. It has no equal. It relieves all pain instantly:Toothache in one minute – Headache in one minute – Earache in ten minutes – Sore Throat in one night –Neuralgia in from three to five minutes."

Sounds pretty bogus to us now, but back then the demand for this oil was so high that the company had to build a new plant that encompassed an entire block. That demand was so high because people trusted and believed its message, but today that’s a different story. Let’s take a look at some statistics before we move on:

• The average person is assaulted with a barrage of 577 new marketing messages per week.

• Statistics indicate that we retain less than 1% of the marketing messages we encounter

And here’s the bad news as Dr. McGlaughlin puts it, “The Post Modern Consumer just doesn't believe us anymore. They have endured too many empty promises, too many exaggerated benefits, and too many artful disclaimers.”

So how can we get this skeptical generation to accept and respond to our marketing message? By using Transparent Marketing. As Dr. McGlaughlin states:

1. Tell (only) the (verifiable) Truth
The task is challenging. First, we must strip our ad copy of every last info fragment that is not absolutely accurate. Then, we must go back and strip it again, this time of every fragment that is not absolutely verifiable.

Here is a direct quote from the mission statement of HealthWidgets.Com:
"We consider respect, trust and integrity to be essential in all our dealings. We expect honest, ethical behavior from ourselves, and we encourage it in others."

Fine sounding words, but despite the noble tone, their message will likely be discarded. If the Post Modern Consumer can't instantly verify a claim, they will assume that it is false.

2. Purge all vague modifiers.
Let's take a pair of surgical scissors to the MediWidgets pitch. Let's cut away the subjective adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases.
"Led by ______________________ management teams in the industry, MediWidgets has _________ demonstrated a _________ understanding of the industry and a ___________ vision for its future. This vision translated into a concept of a ____________ system - of how patients should move _________ through a _______ healthcare system that offers _____________________."

Question: What do we have left? Answer: Not much.

What is this copy saying? How will it impact a prospect?
Here is a paraphrase of the remaining paragraph, along with the likely responses of a weary decision maker as he scans for meaning.

• Info-Fragment 1: MediWidgets is led by a management team. (So what. So is every other company)
• Info-Fragment 2: MediWidgets has demonstrated an understanding of the industry and it's future. (Yeah, yeah, yeah. Says who? How have they demonstrated this "understanding?")
• Info-fragment 3: MediWidgets has designed a system for moving patients through a healthcare system. (What are these people talking about? What do they really do? How can they help me?)

3. Let someone else do your bragging
To the Post Modern Consumer, nothing is more nauseous than the sound of someone singing their own virtues. If you must convey subjective information about your product, then do so through the voice of your customers, peers, or reviewers.

In our sample copy we deleted the following modifiers: finest, consistently, keen, strong, superior, smoothly, less invasive, cost-effective. Anyone of these colorful words could be acceptable, bracketed within the quotes of an unbiased third party, but they will not work when we declare them for ourselves.

4. Substitute general descriptions with specific facts
The Post Modern Consumer demands to be respected as a capable decision maker. They despise thinly veiled sales pressure, but they appreciate simple, direct communication. Give them the resources they need to make an intelligent comparison; then politely "step back" and allow them to make their own evaluation.

5. Admit your Weaknesses
The Post Modern Consumer is not looking for perfection. He is looking for honesty. He wants to build a relationship with someone or with some company that he can trust.

Keep in mind that Transparent Marketing is about values. It asks that we treat the customer with the same integrity that we would expect to be treated.

What do you think about Transparent Marketing? Do you think you’ll be able to implement this strategy at your dealership and on your website?

Car Dealers! Have you heard of the term, “Showrooming?” It’s basically a customer that comes into your dealership to look at vehicles while looking online on their smartphone at your competitor’s pricing. Annoying, right? So how do you combat these “show-roomers?”

One thing you can do is create a loyalty program. For loyalty programs to have the desired effect, you must consider these anti-showrooming strategies:

1. Your prices have to be in the same ballpark as those of your competitors.
2. Customers make every purchasing decision independently. You can't expect them to take long-term loyalty rewards into account as part of the buying decision unless those customers are explicitly prompted to do so.
3. Buying decisions often take place in a matter of seconds, which means that any anti-showrooming strategy needs to be executed in near real time to have any effect.

According to Marketingprofs.com  there are five tactics that are worth exploring when showrooming is a problem:

1. Closing the price gap. When customers in a loyalty program receive discounts, the distance between the in-store price and the competitor's online price diminishes. Dealers must find a way to communicate the "effective price" (the current price minus the points-based discount) quickly and clearly: for example, "With your Valued Customer discount, the effective price of this [item]  is $14,999!" Customers can't be expected to do the math themselves.
2. Bonus points. When showrooming is a problem with specific items, retailers can offer increased discounts or points on those items to further mitigate the price difference.
3. Free accessories. Dealers can offer free items that complement the purchase, such as a a bobble head for the car or some cool sunglasses to wear with the customer’s new ride. Often, such items have a perceived value that's significantly higher than their actual dollar value.
4. Bounceback offers. If a customer's behavior indicates the potential for a lost sale, dealers can transmit a bounceback offer, either with a discount or some other incentive. To be effective, however, the bounceback needs to happen in near real-time and it must relate very specifically to the customer's interests (Ex. free window tinting with vehicle purchase).
5. Pushed coupons. With today's technology, retailers can offer instant discounts and special cross-sell or up-sell opportunities; they can even reward customers simply for entering the store. The value of so-called push technology is that it gives customers a reason to make an in-store purchase. For example, ActivEngage, thanks to an integration with Hooklogic, offers ActivShow, which brings customers into your showroom by offering great incentives like a $25 prepaid MasterCard or $25 incentives to popular stores like Starbucks® or Target®.

What do you think of these tactics? Do you have any strategies in combating showrooming?

Car Dealers! Have you heard of the term, “Showrooming?” It’s basically a customer that comes into your dealership to look at vehicles while looking online on their smartphone at your competitor’s pricing. Annoying, right? So how do you combat these “show-roomers?”

One thing you can do is create a loyalty program. For loyalty programs to have the desired effect, you must consider these anti-showrooming strategies:

1. Your prices have to be in the same ballpark as those of your competitors.
2. Customers make every purchasing decision independently. You can't expect them to take long-term loyalty rewards into account as part of the buying decision unless those customers are explicitly prompted to do so.
3. Buying decisions often take place in a matter of seconds, which means that any anti-showrooming strategy needs to be executed in near real time to have any effect.

According to Marketingprofs.com  there are five tactics that are worth exploring when showrooming is a problem:

1. Closing the price gap. When customers in a loyalty program receive discounts, the distance between the in-store price and the competitor's online price diminishes. Dealers must find a way to communicate the "effective price" (the current price minus the points-based discount) quickly and clearly: for example, "With your Valued Customer discount, the effective price of this [item]  is $14,999!" Customers can't be expected to do the math themselves.
2. Bonus points. When showrooming is a problem with specific items, retailers can offer increased discounts or points on those items to further mitigate the price difference.
3. Free accessories. Dealers can offer free items that complement the purchase, such as a a bobble head for the car or some cool sunglasses to wear with the customer’s new ride. Often, such items have a perceived value that's significantly higher than their actual dollar value.
4. Bounceback offers. If a customer's behavior indicates the potential for a lost sale, dealers can transmit a bounceback offer, either with a discount or some other incentive. To be effective, however, the bounceback needs to happen in near real-time and it must relate very specifically to the customer's interests (Ex. free window tinting with vehicle purchase).
5. Pushed coupons. With today's technology, retailers can offer instant discounts and special cross-sell or up-sell opportunities; they can even reward customers simply for entering the store. The value of so-called push technology is that it gives customers a reason to make an in-store purchase. For example, ActivEngage, thanks to an integration with Hooklogic, offers ActivShow, which brings customers into your showroom by offering great incentives like a $25 prepaid MasterCard or $25 incentives to popular stores like Starbucks® or Target®.

What do you think of these tactics? Do you have any strategies in combating showrooming?

As more consumers are using the web to research and communicate with dealerships before they decide to purchase a vehicle, it is important to understand the value of live chat and the power behind establishing a relationship between the chatter and your dealership. Keep in mind that although your potential customer has access to countless forms of information online, one thing hasn’t changed: until someone gets in a car and drives it, they can’t be sure of their purchase.

There is plenty of literature on the Web that establishes the best practices of live chat for automotive dealers. Watch out for these articles, if they are not from credible sources! Here are some common misconceptions that are found online about live chat and the real facts to help your dealership master the art of chat.

Misconceptions of automotive live chat:

1. Dealers can sell a vehicle during a chat conversation.

• FACT: The notion that you can turn a chat into a sale right then and there is ridiculous. Carol Marshall, Director of Virtual Sales at ActivEngage states, “Unlike other commodities, like shoes and clothing, a car is something people need to drive and to ‘experience.’ This cannot be achieved online.”

     2. Asking for contact information too early in the chat

• FACT: By asking for contact information (full name, email, phone number..etc) too early in the chat you are basically, “closing too early.” And as all Sales Managers know this can be detrimental in the sales process. Instead, you need to be proactive in understanding what the chatter wants as well as their preferences.

    3. Never ignore questions

• FACT: Around 24% of shoppers online actually buy the vehicle they inquired about. Many questions aren’t black or white and neither are the answers. Ask to clarify the questions instead so your salespeople, the experts, can answer them. Marshall added, “We make them aware of their need to come to the dealership through relative questions. We ask questions in order to get clarification on their request and then, when appropriate, go for a tentative appointment.”

     4. Be persistent by offering promotional materials, direct mails of offers, or by calling them.

• FACT: Online customers do not want to be bombarded by promotional materials. They want to be contacted to get answers to their questions. By ignoring what they are truly asking for, you are ignoring the customer and negating the 9 + min conversation they had with your online assistant, the VSA.

     5. While chatting, watch your tone in your responses.

• FACT: Its about grammar, professionalism, and the length of responses that create the “tone.” Every word matters in a chat conversation.

We view our live chat services as more than just a lead providing machine, so we task ourselves with building a relationship with the customer for your dealership so that visitors feel tied to your dealerships. “We are handling the ‘meet and greet’ and some needs analysis, allowing the dealership to do what they do best - sell cars,” Marshall commented.

As more consumers are using the web to research and communicate with dealerships before they decide to purchase a vehicle, it is important to understand the value of live chat and the power behind establishing a relationship between the chatter and your dealership. Keep in mind that although your potential customer has access to countless forms of information online, one thing hasn’t changed: until someone gets in a car and drives it, they can’t be sure of their purchase.

There is plenty of literature on the Web that establishes the best practices of live chat for automotive dealers. Watch out for these articles, if they are not from credible sources! Here are some common misconceptions that are found online about live chat and the real facts to help your dealership master the art of chat.

Misconceptions of automotive live chat:

1. Dealers can sell a vehicle during a chat conversation.

• FACT: The notion that you can turn a chat into a sale right then and there is ridiculous. Carol Marshall, Director of Virtual Sales at ActivEngage states, “Unlike other commodities, like shoes and clothing, a car is something people need to drive and to ‘experience.’ This cannot be achieved online.”

     2. Asking for contact information too early in the chat

• FACT: By asking for contact information (full name, email, phone number..etc) too early in the chat you are basically, “closing too early.” And as all Sales Managers know this can be detrimental in the sales process. Instead, you need to be proactive in understanding what the chatter wants as well as their preferences.

    3. Never ignore questions

• FACT: Around 24% of shoppers online actually buy the vehicle they inquired about. Many questions aren’t black or white and neither are the answers. Ask to clarify the questions instead so your salespeople, the experts, can answer them. Marshall added, “We make them aware of their need to come to the dealership through relative questions. We ask questions in order to get clarification on their request and then, when appropriate, go for a tentative appointment.”

     4. Be persistent by offering promotional materials, direct mails of offers, or by calling them.

• FACT: Online customers do not want to be bombarded by promotional materials. They want to be contacted to get answers to their questions. By ignoring what they are truly asking for, you are ignoring the customer and negating the 9 + min conversation they had with your online assistant, the VSA.

     5. While chatting, watch your tone in your responses.

• FACT: Its about grammar, professionalism, and the length of responses that create the “tone.” Every word matters in a chat conversation.

We view our live chat services as more than just a lead providing machine, so we task ourselves with building a relationship with the customer for your dealership so that visitors feel tied to your dealerships. “We are handling the ‘meet and greet’ and some needs analysis, allowing the dealership to do what they do best - sell cars,” Marshall commented.