Videos and texts go together like peanut butter and jelly. A perfect pair. Videos keep customers engaged and help build rapport. Texts deliver information fast and are hard to ignore. We’re conditioned to listen for that “ping,” so it’s no wonder 90 percent of texts are read within three seconds.

Don’t forget that you must obtain consent before texting customers. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), you cannot send messages to consumers unless they opt-in. Ignore this law and you’ll likely turn-off customers and potentially face penalties.

It drives me crazy when employees say they can’t get customer consent. Are they asking for it? Just spit it out at the right time. For example, when a customer is standing in front of you, tell them you are going to send a text and will they please respond right away so the two of you can communicate faster and easier?

When you’re answering questions for a customer on the phone, ask if you can text them when you find more information or have some better pricing.  Ask for permission, and follow-up with something of value so it’s a fair trade. Customers will go for it.

Once you have permission, don’t annoy customers with lengthy or irrelevant texts. Keep it simple with a few sentences and videos that are 30-second or less. Get too wordy and you may as well pick up the phone. Send long videos and your customers won’t watch them.

I see a lot of salespeople today doing it right with valuable content that almost becomes like a digital newsletter and sets them up as a customers’ car guy or gal. Here are five examples (with video links underlined):

The introduction

Hi Sara. This is Phil from ABC Automotive. Are you available for a short call to discuss our new vehicle specials? We’re offering super low interest rates on 2021 models. Check out this video for a quick preview. Please let me know if you’re interested by replying to this message. I look forward to hearing from you.

Tips and tricks

Hi Mark. This is Phil from ABC Automotive. Hope you’re loving your new car. Here’s a quick video about how to pair your phone to your car via Bluetooth. If you have questions feel free to shoot me a text back. Have a great day!

Abandoned digital retailing experience

Hi Hannah. This is Phil from ABC Automotive. I noticed you were checking out the new Dodge Ram on our website but didn’t get a chance to complete the digital retailing steps.  Was there anything you didn’t like or were the steps confusing? We’d love your feedback to make the experience better for you and all our customers. Thanks for your help!

Sales follow-up

Hi Dan. This is Phil with ABC Automotive. We have word inventory is starting to come back and you previously expressed interest in a 2021 GM Sierra. As you can imagine, demand is high. Do you want us to put one on hold for you? Please text back or give me a call to discuss. 

Reminders and confirmations

Hi Lisa. This is Phil from ABC Automotive. I wanted to remind you about your appointment to test drive the 2021 Toyota Camry on Friday 8/5 at 5 pm. Here’s a map in case you need directions to our dealership. I look forward to seeing you!

All of these messages are pertinent to where a customer is in the buying process, are short and sweet, and deliver value with a relevant video. The videos do not need to be customized to each customer, so you can quickly build a library and re-use videos to save time.

My last tip is to ensure your CRM integrates with texting and video tools so you can track and manage all conversations for quality control and a better customer experience.

Some things just go together – like texting and videos. A short, relevant text matched with a video that offers value will engage customers, help build rapport, and lead to more sales.

For decades, the unofficial motto of the auto industry seemed to be “we’re for anything but change.” Then the pandemic threw our “normal” sales process into a tail spin. Seemingly overnight, dealership floors turned into ghost towns and the sales process moved online.

While some dealerships are in states that are now open with decent traffic in their showrooms, that is not the case for many others. How can a salesperson adapt and thrive in this new retail environment? Embrace online channels and enthusiastically develop a personal brand.

If you’re rolling your eyes right now it’s likely because you’ve always laughed at the idea of branding yourself. I get it. You’re used to customers coming into your store, or running into them at Starbucks, or chatting with them at your local café. That traditional way of doing business isn’t happening much right now. We all hope normal social activity resumes quickly. But even when it does, you can expect new contactless ways of doing business to stick.

People like researching and shopping online. It’s fast, easy, and convenient. If I’m a salesperson looking to adapt and become a top producer today, or a sales manager seeking to help my team expand their virtual selling skills, here’s what I would do:

Develop a personal brand.

A personal brand is simply how you promote yourself. It gives you the opportunity to highlight your strengths and it helps customers believe they know you, and people have much higher trust in those they feel they know. A personal brand also helps you stand out from everybody else and makes you memorable.

Your brand is not all about selling. It’s about identifying your target market, what is important to them, and how you can help. Once you identify who you are and what you have to offer, it’s much easier to build credibility and authority with every customer interaction.

Get comfortable on video.

It’s well known that people struggle with public speaking. Most also struggle on camera. They don’t know where to look, what to do with their hands, or how to adjust the lighting. The wrong tone, address, or even facial expression can offend a customer in seconds. Practice is key. Make a variety of videos and share them internally before you send them to customers.

Consider hiring a virtual or on-site expert to provide video training on a monthly basis, or as needed. An expert can share the most up-to-date practices and pinpoint areas for improvement.

Create social media accounts.

Part of personal branding should include having social media accounts on the social networks where your audience spends their time. You can start by experimenting on one or two, such as Facebook and YouTube. Share content that is useful, thought-provoking, or just entertaining. Demonstrate your knowledge and expertise as your customers “go to car expert” with social media videos showcasing vehicle safety features, financing tips, weather related service tips, and more. The opportunities are endless.

Very few dealers currently use TikTok, which means you should get on board now. It’s a great platform to reach first-time drivers, young families, and Millennials. This 60-send TikTok video showing how to use park assist in a Mercedes-Benz E-Class has already been watched 48,000 times. Can you do something similar?

Leverage technology.

As more companies gravitate towards video to interact with customers, new technology has emerged to help. Many platforms now offer video hosting, video analytics, and personalized video creation. It’s key that any technology integrate with your CRM so that you can track interactions and conversations. A flexible, open CRM should allow you to work with third-party providers of your choice so you can elevate your video strategy.

Change is coming fast and furious to our industry. I believe this is a blessing in disguise, especially for enterprising salespeople. Embrace the opportunity to create your personal brand and leverage video and social media to reach more customers, generate more leads, and close more sales.

In today’s retail environment, why are so many dealerships still playing games with customers? Sales Managers and salespeople dodge questions and push hard for appointments. They’ll also play bait and switch with website offers. Are you among them?

Playing games ruins your reputation and costs you sales —I know this from a personal experience. On the day before Christmas, I was going to buy Dodge Charger for my daughter. I went to the website of the closest Dodge dealership and saw a special offer for a 2020 Charger for $29,000. That’s a great deal! Other Dodge dealerships had prices upwards of $35,000. 

I called the dealership and the salesperson immediately asked for an appointment. But I had questions —how much does the car cost? He came back to tell me that with taxes, title, and license, the price went up $10,000. He also said that the car didn’t have paint protection so I would have to add that in too. None of this was detailed on the website. There was no special offer — it was a bait and switch. Trust me, I will never go back to that store.

Today’s customers are smart. They also know when they’re being played, so stop doing it. For the next few minutes, let’s pretend I’m the new Sales Manager at your dealership. Here’s how I would design the ultimate lead follow-up process:

1. Answer every question. Give customers what they want before you ask for the appointment. Tell them the price, tell them about available rebates or specials, and get it all out in the open. You’ll sell more when you’re transparent and helpful from the beginning.
2. Run a 30-day follow-up plan. Use your CRM to make sure every salesperson is following the process. One industry benchmark is seven calls and five emails per lead over a 30-day period. Test it out. If this works for your store, great. Fine-tune the plan as needed.
3. Warm up cold leads with video. You’ve worked the process, but the lead’s getting cold. Now it’s time to warm it up with video. Write the customer’s name on a piece of paper, then film yourself holding the sign and say something along the lines of: “Hey Phil! I haven’t heard from you in a while and I want to make sure you’re taken care of, whether you buy a car from me or not. I’m here if you have questions about any part of the car-buying process.” Make it personal, upbeat, and above all, helpful. You will get clicks!
4. Transition to BDC follow-up. If the video doesn’t get a response, turn the lead over to your BDC for continued follow-up. Don’t set an aggressive communication cadence — once or twice a month is plenty. And don’t bombard leads with boring emails or irrelevant content. If they initially contacted you about a particular vehicle, send specials for that vehicle. If they mentioned a current vehicle during the conversations, send service specials.
5. Prepare for the test drive.  The hot lead is coming in, so now’s the time to make them feel special and valued. Pull up the vehicle, make sure it’s clean and park it in a special VIP area. Grab a Sharpie, write the customer’s name on a piece of paper and put it on the dashboard. Now they can visualize it as their car.
6. Shut up and drive. Don’t try to make conversation during the first half of the test drive. Let the customer take it all in, get a feel for the car and have fun. Do initiate a conversation during the second half of the drive. Ask what they like about the car, what they don’t like, etc. You’ve already done your discovery, so you should know about kids, pets, long commutes and hobbies. Talk about those things and how the car meets or doesn’t meet those needs. Build a sincere relationship where your only job is to find the best fit between customer and vehicle.
7. Return to a VIP delivery area. Instruct the customer to park in a VIP delivery area that is separate from where you got into the car. This sends the message that it’s time to finish the deal. Walk around the car, pop the hood and trunk and answer any additional questions.
8. Minimize alone time. Walk inside the dealership and sit down with the customer. Don’t leave the customer in the booth without you. That’s when the excitement wears off, or their companion starts talking about how the dealership is gearing up to play hardball. Minimizing alone time will really push your sales.
9. Eliminate F&I, or at least stay with the customer. I’ve written about this before, but it’s controversial: Get rid of F&I and have the salesperson handle the deal from start to finish. I firmly believe that 100 percent transparency with one person throughout the process is the way to go. You state the price of the car, present a shopping cart of optional add-ons and tell the customer why they’re recommended. Open and honest communication is how you build trust and sell more. Not ready to ditch F&I? Go into the finance office with the customer and help them through the process.

Make 2021 the year that your dealership stops playing games. If you adopt these nine lead follow-up steps, you will earn more sales and loyal customers. Be the dealership that succeeds in your market because you treat your customers like friends, not competitors.

Generation X is at peak buying power with the lucrative Millennial generation not far behind. Marketing to both of these generations is a smart, long-term play. However, another big buying group is ready to give its predecessors a run for their money: Generation Z.

Born between 1995 and the mid 2000s, Generation Z accounts for slightly over 20 percent of the US population and holds around $44 billion in buying power. Sure, many of this generation are teens and tweens. Why market to them now?

Turns out, they have a lot of power: up to 73 percent influence how their parents spend money on household goods and big-ticket items. Plus, they’re digital natives. They navigate online channels much better than their parents and grandparents, so they often run the show from product evaluation to purchasing methods.

They are also inching closer to peak buying power every day. Develop marketing and engagement strategies now so you can attract this generation as they develop habits and brand relationships that they may take into adulthood.

Like the generations before them, Gen Z has their own set of retailer expectations and unique way of shopping. How can you build a strong brand relationship with this new crop of consumers?

Market where they spend their time. YouTube is their platform of choice to be entertained or cheered up, according to a survey by Google. But that’s not all. 80% say YouTube has helped them become more knowledgeable about a product or service. Create a YouTube channel with videos that are entertaining and informative for a wide-range of consumers. A video about what to expect from your financing department is helpful when researching with parents. A video offering driving tips or how to get a license in your state appeals directly to Generation Z and sets you up as a trusted resource. The ideas for videos are endless. Use your imagination and don’t be boring!

Offer mega-mobility. It boggles my mind that even in our current age of COVID-19, so many dealers still don’t have digital retailing tools that are optimized to every device. You’re especially missing the boat with Generation Z if you’re not giving customers all the information on their smartphones that they need to make decisions. Along with digital retailing, they need to be able to access videos and interact with your dealership quickly from a mobile device. Video and text is where it’s at.

Build a dealership app. Some forward-thinking dealers have an app for their stores that every customer has access to. Customers can do multiple processes through it, including texting salespeople, watching vehicle videos, and scheduling service. The dealer can also push out messages like a “happy birthday” or notifications about service specials. Including games is a great way to get those younger Generation Z’s involved, too. I play a game with my kids when we’re driving where we count motorcycles. It gets them to focus on the road so that when they start driving they’ll be conditioned to be aware and cognizant of what is going on around them. Get all this relevant, interactive content in one app and you become the go-to source for the whole family. Building an app takes some technical training, but more open source app building software on the market makes it easier and cost-effective. Here’s a good review of the best free app builders.

Explore community partnerships. Community partnerships can be a great way to get your brand in front of a younger audience. How about partnering with a driving school? You promote their services and they promote yours. That’s a great way to build relationships with teenagers and their parents. Or take some marketing dollars and invest in your local high school. Both driver’s education classes and mechanics classes are sorely needed but often the victim of budget cuts. Help a school bring back those programs and you’re the “car guy” for future generations. Dealers recruit for mechanics; why not recruit for drivers? As this Washington Post article argues, bringing back driver’s education could be just the thing to get teens behind the wheel, and into your dealership.

Generation Z is on the cusp of peak buying power. Start putting in the work now to meet their expectations and win them over. Embrace technology and forge meaningful community partnerships to provide quality content that will inspire loyalty in this key demographic.