When it comes to selling new and pre-owned cars, there is a lot of competition these days. Where once shoppers relied on local dealerships, used car lots, or the classifieds to make sales, their options have now expanded to include social media marketplaces, Craigslist, Kijiji, and many others. The overwhelming majority of buyers now start their search online, and if dealerships want to stay competitive, they need to adapt to the new economic realities this entails.
But while the sales representatives could wait for the business to come to them are over, the Internet also provides dealerships with new ways to get in touch with potential buyers. One of the most popular new methods is dealer chat, which offers online lead generation through a sophisticated mix of cutting-edge software and strategic use of support staff to maximize efficiency.
1. Chat Turns Your Website Into A Digital Showroom
A dealership’s website is a lot like its sales lot: it offers casual shoppers a tantalizing look at the vehicles available for purchase, and gives potential customers a chance to see themselves in the newest makes and models. The main difference is that when a customer pulls into the lot, a salesperson is there to greet them. How do you reach out to online shoppers when they’re the ones who need to call you?
Dealer chat gives potential customers a chance to make contact with a salesperson immediately through their browser, 24/7 — which means that even when a dealership is closed, it can still be generating leads online.
2. Chat Software Allows Dealership Staff To Move From Leads To Sales
Live chat software works through remote salespeople who are contracted by dealer chat providers and make first contact with a potential buyer. It allows dealers to watch chats in real time so they can jump in to complete a sale if they get the sense a customer is seriously considering a purchase. Some live chat software even allows potential customers to submit a credit check prequalification form right there in the chat window, smoothing the process and making it much easier to move from lead to sale.
3. Behavioural Analysis Software Helps Identify Customer Needs
How much would it help your sales pitch if you knew exactly what kind of vehicle and price range a potential buyer was considering — before you engaged them in conversation? One of the main live chat providers, Florida-based Gubagoo, has developed software that does just that. By keeping track of the search patterns used by visitors to dealership websites, this software creates a profile of what individual buyers are looking for. This in turn allows sales staff to target them with particular offers or deals.
Takeaway
Auto sales in the United States have slowed considerably in the past year, and according to CNBC they are likely to remain weak in 2018. This is why it is more important than ever for dealerships to take advantage of every opportunity to reach new customers.
Live chat is already changing how many dealerships sell cars, and as it becomes established as a standard way of doing business across the industry, those who are slow to adopt it are likely to be left behind.
