Does your auto dealership have a permission-based email marketing strategy? If not, be careful that you are not a "Tarzan." In other words, let's say your dealership has 21000 customers in their automotive CRM database. You have been actively collecting data and your email capture is up to 40%. So you have 8400 customers that you can actively target with with permission-based digital marketing...
A “Tarzan” is the auto dealer or business development (BDC) manager or someone else in dealership sales management who does three mass emailers to these customers monthly because they can. So in essence, the are jumping up on the table, beating their chest, and screaming the Tarzan yell, hoping that customers will respond to their dealership marketing.
What you are really doing is “over-farming” your data and subsequently diluting your dealership advertising message. Your opt out rates will likely skyrocket and your WILL get blacklisted. When the time comes that you have a message the car-buying customer actually wants to hear, you will have “cried wolf” so many times, that he or she will have tuned you out.
Autobase CRM recommends a blended email strategy using an eNewsletter as a nucleus. eNewsletters are nice “soft” touches to your entire database of Service, sold and prospect customers. Incidentally, our newletter has less than 1% opt out rate.
We then recommend a more targeted or laser marketing approach. Go after smaller cross sections of your customers based on vehicle interest, where they are in their trade cycle and current programs. You will get a higher response rate on three email campaigns of 1000 to 1500 per campaign than you will blasting your entire databse three times a month.
by Shawn Belles
As a trainer, I travel all across the United States working with all kinds of people. Normally, I only train auto dealership sales management (and their staff) on the most basic functions of their new auto CRM, but every so often, I get to work with an automotive dealership that’s been using the program for months or years. Before my first trip to train a long-time customer, I wondered what I could possibly show them. After all, they had been using the program as long as I had. Surely, they would know just as much. I was wrong.
In my years of training, I’ve seen similar trends from Connecticut to California. Even with a great amount of onsite and online training available, I'll find most of automotive CRM users haven’t moved beyond a basic understanding of the most rudimentary features of the program. They haven’t explored the program or learned any new skills. They’ve only tapped a fraction of the potential contained within this amazing tool. When we show them how we turn the number of unassigned Service customers the dealership sales management is amazed by this newfound potential revenue stream.
The integration with Service is just one of dozens of great features that dealerships never find. It’s not because these features are locked away, hidden from view. It’s because dealerships fail to avail themselves of the training that automotive CRM providers offer. Sure the training takes time out of the day, but when you break down the numbers, those 30 minutes (or less) could add THOUSANDS to your monthly gross profit each month. It’s like playing the lottery one time and winning every month for the rest of your career.
by Nick Mulichak
I once had a college professor who was a bit of a sarcastic cynic who felt that you had to be wary of charitable institutions that were fighting something (cancer, world hunger, the common cold) because you needed to realize that if they ever found a cure, they would be out of business. A somewhat skewed vision of the world but such are the inclinations of most cynics that I know. What I took from that is that they will never be done -- reminds me of Autobase CRM (but in a MUCH more positive way).
I remember serving auto dealers back in the days of our Autobase DOS product. Some of you may recall DOS from your visits to the Museum of Natural History (think Pong vs. Wii and that describes where Autobase has come from and where we are today).
We have some GREAT things brewing that will be revealed at NADA 2010 ... beyond that, it's an open book as yet unwritten, but you can believe that it will include the cutting edge of technology and keep us in the catbird seat of the industry. From our DOS days when we were virtually a simple shell that was an electronic file cabinet (but very high tech for the time) to the robust product of today.
Today our solution includes (among other things) showroom control features, a permission-based marketing suite, 70+ integrations, desking capabilities, digital marketing, newsletters, Internet lead management (ILM) ... as part of a TOTAL lead management system, and elements of every hot technology that can make a dealer more successful in today’s environment.
We are not done by a long shot, and we never will be either! Now get me some more Legos. I feel a product enhancement coming on!!!
by John Champeau
Yesterday, as I walked into a large Honda dealership, a sales person greeted me. I’ve seen him a couple times recently. This time he wanted to tell me his ideas to improve the auto dealer CRM software they were using. After every single one of his suggestions, my reply was always the same… "Great idea! But you can already do that!”
Then together we walked through the processes in his auto CRM software. He was amazed that the searches and the features he was seeking already lived right at his fingertips. I know it made his day to find a whole new source of leads. He started showing the other sales people in the showroom what he had discovered.
My question to him was “how long have you been here?” I was assuming the answer ranged anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. To my surprise he told me he had been there over 5 years. It occurred to me that even the experienced pros need to be frequently reminded of and shown all the benefits that exist in a high end sales and marketing solution, like Autobase CRM.
The salesman relayed the story to a couple of the sales managers at the tower who agreed that they do not take advantage of all the revenue streams available to them in their CRM. I showed them all the extensive on-line training that is available 24/7. Surprisingly no one in that large Honda store has taken advantage of it yet. And reminded them that they can turn to any Autobase employee for some guidance.
Bottom line is no matter how long you have been at a job, there is still plenty to be learned. It is up to all of us to seek out the help available.
by Mike Niebling
So your auto dealership just purchased an automotive CRM and everyone is excited; everyone except for you. Maybe you aren't as familiar with a computer. You believe your phone is your primary tool in the showroom. When you do come near a computer, you use two fingers to key everything.
If the CRM system your dealer has installed is Autobase, we have good news for you. though you may feel like you may get left behind, there is hope. Here are a few tips that will help ease your apprehension and chase away those CRM jitters:
- F1 Help – In order to feel comfortable with Autobase, you have to get to know Autobase. What better way to get to know it than through the Online Tutorial. F1 is the universal help button for any program. In Autobase F1 is an online tutorial that provides information from Adding A Client, Internet Leads Management. Using this option will prove to be beneficial.
- Ask for help – At your dealership, someone may have been designated as the Autobase Champion. Start looking to them for assistance.
- Work at your own pace – You know that you are not the computer star at your dealership and there is no reason you have to be. Autobase doesn’t require you to be a computer whiz or to type 55 words per minute. Just work at your own pace.
Tomorrow we'll look at a few more tips that will help you succeed with Autobase CRM.
by Tami Davis
A few days ago, I posted a blog on putting some creative ideas together with use of your Auto Dealer CRM software. Of course, if you're using Autobase CRM, it's got you covered for those days when your creative juices are flowing in abundance. Here are a few ways Auto CRM from Autobase can be used to "sell outside the box" ... and, yes, these are shameless plugs!
• Autobase Digital Marketing – Juice up your email correspondence with the components of our of hi-powered, digital marketing suite. Turn your old in-store "Why Buy Here?" presentation into a video email that drives traffic!
• Auto Sales Software - Use our Sales Center tool to track customer hobbies and interests and market toward these special interest groups. Then, have a car show, cigar bar party, or golf outing!
• Autobase Permission-based Marketing - Put our Business Solutions to work in concert with Sales Center CRM to create a targeted newsletter (or other customized webad), and track the deliverability of your message through detailed built in reporting within your Autobase Sales Solution!
• Business Development – Utilize the Autobase Loyalty Center or Virtual BDC (outsourced) to leverage your Autobase CRM solution further for lead management, follow-up, and appointment setting!
by Zach Thompson
I had an auto dealer lamenting to me that he was having a hard time finding viable used vehicle inventory. Units at the auctions were rising in price and what was available was slim. His pre-owned sales were suffering.
We started discussing alternatives to auctions. Using his automotive CRM system (in this case, it was Autobase CRM), we were able to run a search of his Service RO’s and find loyal service customers who were driving vehicles with mileage between 30K and 36K. We put together a dealership marketing strategy to send out a permission-based digital marketing campaign letting these customers know he needed their vehicles in trade. 1/3rd of these customers were loyal to service but had never purchased a vehicle from the dealership. This was a great CONQUEST opportunity.
Thinking outside the box, he then searched Autobase CRM for closed RO’s in which customers had been into service in the last 90 days with over 90K on their vehicles. He then had his sales staff reaching out to these customers. Timing was perfect as CASH for CLUNKERS was just ramping up...
by Shawn Belles
Were I still in retail and fortunate enough to use Autobase as our dealership CRM system, I would somehow have to create a quick link to the Search button in every screen and logbook.
Man, talk about "Knowledge is Power!" With one push of a button, establishing of a few criteria which I am prompted to choose from, one or two magic words, and I have just accessed the mother-load of information that is going to make me a very successful car guy. (OK, the magic words aren’t really necessary but they impress anyone who is watching.)
I now have a list of my clients (or a list of "All Clients" if I am part of the dealership sales management) who match the criteria that I have entered. If I am fortunate to have other Autobase capabilities installed, I'll choose some form of permission-based marketing (email digital marketing, voice messaging, text messaging) to maintain contact and get my message home to these specifically targeted groups.
The most recent version of Autobase CRM includes numerous additional capabilities in this Search capability alone. I’m not the most high-tech type, but with the easy-to-use Auto Dealer CRM from Autobase you don’t have to be. Simply enter your data, and use the Search functionality to mine that data. It’s so easy even a ... well you know what I mean!
by John Champeau
If you're an auto dealer looking for an automotive CRM system, chances are you begin your research with certain features in mind -- CRM software features that you can use every day to sell more cars at lower costs. With over 20 years of auto CRM experience under our belt here at Autobase -- and over 20 years of listening to what is important to dealerships across the US -- we can assure you, while the dealer CRM software is important, do not underestimate the value of onsite and online training when selecting your CRM vendor.
Yes, onsite training (better stated, "onsite consulting") is extremely valuable. A hands-on approach makes all the difference as the dealership sales management is initially launching the CRM effort. But, as strong as this consulting may be, it is only for a few days at launch, and only a day or so here and there as the months go by. The real value comes with a virtual consultant that is available on demand.
Online training meets this exact (and very important) need. With online courses:
- You can learn the basics and master the advanced portions of your CRM system when YOU want.
- Product documentation should also be available to print and distribute as training materials to your entire organization.
- Your CRM partner of choice should offer online training programs that tracks each employee’s training with ease and increased effectiveness.
- It should provide new hires with a structured curriculum and personalized development plans.
- The dealership management staff should be able to obtain individualized testing and training results for each of your employees. And of course ...
- You should be able to access it at your convenience -- 24/7.
You might even consider this kind of training (or lack thereof) as a deal breaker, even over those one or two cool little features that the other CRM vendor might offer. Profits will only flow from productive usage of the CRM software in your auto dealership ... and usage will flow best from strong onsite and online training!
I had my team of Account Managers together for meetings last week. This is a great group of Autobase team members, well-versed in the automotive industry and highly skilled in the Autobase CRM system. Unfortunately, one of their greatest concerns when trying to help auto dealers and dealership sales management is that the dealership personnel rarely has time to sit down with them. I say "unfortunate" because the Account Manager is the one person that can get face-to-face with dealers and help implement a path to real success for the store.
I introduced a document to my team to use to lay out a customized plan for each of their dealers. This plan covers six months worth of visits and details exactly what topics will be covered in each meeting and specifies the online Autobase University classes that will help ensure success. It’s my hope that this type of documentation will show the value that the Account Manager will bring to the table.
The value that an Autobase Account Manager can bring to the table is priceless, but it’s a two way street. If you're an auto dealer -- regardless of what auto CRM software you use, lean on the value of your Account Managers. They have much to offer toward the success of your business, especially in this current market. To our Account Managers -- think outside the box, listen to your dealers, and keep up the great work!
by Laurie Simons, Personal Service Team Manager
Thinking outside the box is what everyone needs to do in today’s automotive market. I ran into one such auto dealers doing just that with his Autobase CRM.
They are currently using Craig’s lists free online services posting area to post specials in different areas of the dealership. When emailed back on those postings that goes into his auto dealer CRM software just like a web lead from their website. Once the lead is in his Autobase CRM, it can be assigned and its follow up tracked all the way through the process -- even down to how long the rep was on the phone with the customer to ensure that the follow up actually happens. All to drive sales in parts, service, and the showroom!
This has proven to be highly effective particularly on the service side as they have grown the number of first time RO’s by 22% over their previous 6 month average! Exciting stuff and it’s FREE! It just takes some time and creative thinking to post the services specials then the hits start coming.
With this type of thinking and with Autobase CRM tracking and measuring all efforts this customer is growing their business even in this challenging time!
by Jeffrey Bean
Western Regional Sales Manager
Just like the fictional “A Team,” I love it when a plan comes together!
It's great to see an auto dealer realize some functionality that he held in his Autobase CRM, but didn’t know about. Just the other day, I had a dealer comment to me that he had taken an Autobase University course (FREE online training to all Autobase dealers) on “What’s New in Our 7.4 Version” and said how much they had learned about capabilities that they didn’t know they had.
Specifically, this auto dealership does a lot of event marketing to their client base found out about using the Info Tab. The Info Tab in our auto dealership CRM denotes interests, and how to run group searches using the specific interest. Furthermore, the sales staff learned about the use of "special codes" and how to apply them to a full-blown, permission-based marketing campaign.
Energized and excited, this auto dealer made sure his team was using Autobase University. Then he went back into the program and completed the other available courses -- one more committed and knowledgeable dealer with a sales staff about to reap some serious benefits!
by John Champeau
Phil Sura, writing in an article for Digital Dealer Magazine, advised dealers to get their best vendors involved with their management team. Based on how Autobase CRM and our dealer consultants conduct business, we would advise that dealers make sure they involve their management team with their best vendors.
Our account managers and regional Personal Service Team (PST) Team Managers are intimately involved with their dealership contacts, meeting with them on a regular basis. Often, our executive team members also visit dealerships to participate in these regularly scheduled meetings. There is an agenda and all present can benefit from the discussions of topics (everything to using the Auto Dealer CRM to marketing to data mining).
The advice that is offered from Account Analysts who have reviewed the performance of the dealership provides strong recommendations toward success with Automotive CRM, yielding stronger results in productivity and profitability. Information is exchanged, training needs are evaluated, and a support plan is developed -- with results to be reviewed at the next meeting which will normally be scheduled at the conclusion of the current visit.
Because dealers commit cash and resources when investing in automotive software, they should encourage their management (who use the system and in fact make it successful -- or not) to participate in such a meeting that will only make them better users (and more money!). So, let's reverse Mr. Sura’s statement and advise dealers to make sure their managers interact with their vendors. "Life is beautiful" when all parties are fully engaged together!
CRM is a real investment, but significant, positive results await the store that takes full advantage of this software.
So, how can auto dealerships best take advantage of their automotive CRM system? A couple thoughts. Assuming the CRM software is easy-to-use and powerful enough to drive real results, the best thing an auto dealer can do is to make it central to everything done on the showroom floor.
Pull up reports and use it in sales meetings. Enforce usage from the point the up is taken to the time the deal is booked. Capture as much data as possible, because it’s the data that is key in making money.
Of course, to accomplish this, lean on the CRM system provider. Soak up the onsite and online training made available by the CRM provider. Spend quality phone and face time with the CRM Account Manager to learn best practices that will maximize ROI across both fixed and variable operations. Usage is key, but the dealer shouldn’t have to go at it alone. Dealers can best take advantage of their CRM by taking advantage of everything their CRM partner has to offer.
The mere thought of “Customer Relationship Management” (CRM) is enough to raise the blood pressure of some auto dealers. While this response is due much in part to souring experiences with some CRM providers, many are frustrated from confusion over the concept itself, and the plethora of “so-called CRM providers” isn’t helping.
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