Cell Phones. Who do you know that doesn’t have a cell phone?
Cell phone companies are everywhere to, radio, TV, billboards. You can’t drive past a strip mall without seeing a cell phone store in it. And, in that store, you will see a lot of customers. No matter where you are, you are guaranteed to see someone talking or texting on a cell phone.
As shown by their auto dealer CRM system from Autobase has understood this trend of the communication age and applied it to our dealer CRM. With Autobase CRM, you can reach out to your customers through email, phones, ‘snail mail’, and many other options. You can even send a SMS message inside the Autobase system to any of your customers with a cell phone.
With so many people using cell phones today, our auto dealership software provides yet another way to stay in contact with the most important people to your business, your customers.
by Jason Solida
Auto CRM habit #3 is Proactivity.
Proactivity is always being one step ahead. As yourself, "What would the competition do?" Whatever the situation or scenario is beat the competition to the punch, by getting their faster/smarter. Up to this point you have begun educating yourself and have taken ownership of your customer data. Now put that to work by using the CRM solution at your auto dealership to contact customers proactively so you can keep them for life! Autobase CRM will do a lot of the work for you, in terms of scheduling, but remember you have to actually make the contacts!
Think ahead to what your customer will need. Not today but tomorrow and put a plan together to get that accomplished. Each customer will be different. So get as much information from them as you can and document it in the customer’s notes within your CRM system. Without the proper information for your customers you may begin to confuse them and you won’t be able to stay proactive.
If you anticipate what your customer wants or needs before they have to ask for it they will think you are the best salesperson they have ever worked with. If you appear to be doing all of the work for them you are more likely building a relationship that allows you to keep a customer for life.
Proactivity takes time to figure out. It can be challenging figuring out how to use the ‘magic 8 ball’ when it comes to figuring out what your customers want, but once you do, life will be much easier. Congratulations, you have just moved on to habit #4.
by Sheena Lee
Trip Advisor and similar sites have done wonders to enable guests of hotels, resorts, and other vacation locations to rate these establishments and document their experiences. Likewise, community sites for automotive dealerships are popping up more and more where auto dealers and other dealership sales management can offer their input on various technology vendors in the automotive retail market.
Autobase and its automotive CRM, Internet Lead Management (ILM), and other products/services show up from time to time on such sites. We are ecstatic over the (currently)
94% vendor rating Autobase CRM has achieved on one particular community blog.
Following is one of the many dealer testimonials we have enjoyed reading ...
"I have been an Autobase user for quite some time and have experience using other CRM tools, by far Autobase is the best CRM product I have used. Being able to utilize the Save a Deal log has generated renevue for us that did not exit before Autobase. The ability of the system to keep my sales team in touch with their customers and actually "know" their customers is priceless. Our Regional Manager always providses support and provides us new ways of making money on each visit, by far the best Regional Manager I have dealt with. He is truly dedicated to making us a better dealership."
Got to love it!
by Steve Lausch
Is your memory sufficient? Ask a question like that in this day and age, and most people assume you are referring to their computer memory. Rest assured for the purpose of today’s blog, that is not the case. I am reminded of a time long ago in a place far, far away (okay it was Quantico, Virginia and it was 42 years ago) that I was reminded by a US Marine Corps Drill Instructor that he never seen someone as unprepared as I was to stand in front of him. I believe that I had forgotten some small item that was my responsibility to recall instantly.
Fast forward to about two weeks ago when I came across one of my favorite daily business comics, “Dilbert” by Scott Adams. There is no doubt that Adams has his finger on the pulse of business and can find humor in everyday events encountered by all of us at one time or another. This particular comic focused on Dilbert trying to get his boss to write down and recall the four things that he felt were important to bring to the attention of another executive and not to confuse them. The pointy haired boss says no problem he can recall all three of them. “Four” says Dilbert and the boss says sure the one about the battery and the other two. Again Dilbert says “Four ... and there is nothing about a battery!” Skip to the last panel and the boss asks the sales director, “So, should the new software have a battery?”
The lesson here is that in even the simplest interactions, the human memory is a fragile thing. That’s why we as dealership sales management need an auto dealer CRM solution that can assist us in recalling who to call, when to call, why we are calling and provide access to all kinds of helpful information to assist the sales professional in their quest for success. Such a solution exists with the Daily Planner within the automotive CRM by Autobase. Better yet, it is available not only to the individual salesperson, but their manager, so he can also see the planner of each and every sales staff member and track their progress through the activities that are scheduled for that day and see the results.
Slick and simple and, hey, it requires no battery to work.
by John Champeau
Sometimes life is so ironic. I had decided to sit down last night and write this blog, started and decided I was not sure of the topic to write about, deleted it all, and watched T.V. I could not think I had a mental block.
Then today I was at one of my dealer visits and out of the blue one of the sales managers said to me, “Why does the car industry get such a bad rap? We are not the sleazy used car sales people of the 60’s and 70’s!” I could not believe it. I told him what had happened to me last night and said, “This is fate; I have to go home and continue my blog!"
As I help auto dealers benefit from their investment in a strong dealership CRM solution, I have the utmost respect for all of my dealers as well as their dealership sales management and their staff. The automotive industry has come a long way. Auto dealerships are now run just like any other industry in corporate America, and should be addressed in that fashion. About a month ago, one of my former employers (who happens to now be one of my accounts!) accused me of “being so corporate."
Sales Consultants, I believe people respond to how they are treated, and if you present yourself as well as Autobase CRM in this light to your dealers, you may be surprised at the favorable and positive response you will receive!
by Donna McCarthy
We have all heard, at one point in our lives that it takes, roughly, 3 weeks to form a good habit. Many have tried but it seems that a lot of us fail. For whatever reason it can be extremely difficult to form and keep a good habit, even in the average auto dealership. Whether you're the dealer, the GM, in sales management, or a sales consultant, it is simply our human nature or our fear of change that keep us from progressing with these habits. Whatever the reason, forming these habits is essential when mastering an automotive CRM solution.
In my next 6 blog posts I will talk about what the 6 habits are and why you need them.
#1 - Knowing the Know
#2 - Taking Ownership
#3 - Pro-Activity
#4 - Follow Through
#5 - Staying the Course
#6 - Don’t be a Fool, Stay in School
Stay tuned!
by Sheena Lee
Yesterday I was the recipient of my mother’s first text message. My mom is likely the least tech savvy person on the continent, and for her to be sending text messages, well that is quite impressive, not to mention a sign of the times. When you stop for a moment and think about how communication has changed and evolved over time it is quite staggering. Everyone is texting now, and it has become part of our daily lives, but more importantly for Automotive Dealerships it’s a promising new sales tool and outlet medium for marketing and notification.
Using text messaging in conjunction with Auto CRM is an innovative way to drive sales and lead notification. I’m hard pressed to find an internet manager who doesn’t think there is a direct correlation between weblead response times and sold internet ups. I’m sure this is why Autobase CRM customers are so passionate about their weblead response times and SMS reminders! How can Auto Dealer CRM be used to deliver text messages as timely weblead reminder, or marketing message?
Here are a few ways Autobase (as the leading Automotive CRM solution) can deliver a timely text message reminder or marketing message:
- Sending out a text to tell a service customer their vehicle is read for pickup
- Sending an SMS when a new lead has been assigned to you
- Dispatching an SMS with customer information (email, vehicle of interest, etc..) when a new lead has been assigned to you
- Sending an SMS to notify you when you have not accepted a lead quickly enough, and it has been roundrobined away from you
- Sending out a text when a lead hits your weblead email account before it even comes into Autobase
- Any many marketing messages to come in “Project X” (Don’t worry, the cat will be out of the bag soon)
by Zach Thompson
Autobase has some pretty cool product offerings about to be announced ... additions to our current auto dealer CRM solution. There, I said it. I can't go into details, but I’m thinking to myself that this product couldn’t come at a better time for our dealers.
I was on the phone with a general sales manager at one of our dealerships in Chicago area and he summed it up best on the current climate. He said, “A couple of years ago CRM didn’t really matter, we didn’t really care about the software we were using. We were just sitting back and counting the money... Now you have to use everything that is available to you like reports, Save-a-Deal, and Call Verification to get ahead.”
Agreeing with him, I told him about the upcoming [let's call it Project X] and how this could help his dealership even more. He was really excited and eager to get this tool going at the dealership. The ability to pin-point potential clients and accurately market to them is so vital in this current day. I know products like this will become solid part of how our dealerships market to their clients in the future and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
By Neil Schuman
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
Although most dealers view CRM as a customer retention tool and a way to maximize profit from a range of marketing techniques, they do not see the real soul of CRM. Many auto dealers see auto CRM software as a search engine and dealership marketing tool, but what most people don’t see if the possibility of change and renewal inside their own stores.
Automotive CRM has to be looked at differently; it cannot be compared to just another data organizational system that allows you to systematize every prospect or owner that has ever set foot into your dealership. For real CRM success, a store should identify its own objectives, and take into account every process the dealership entails (and not only the sales process). Any auto dealer CRM solution worth its salt (take, for instance, Autobase and its supporting staff) can help your dealership pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses in your processes and the way you handle situations.
This consulting process allows you to find out who you are as a dealership, reanalyze your goals on an ongoing basis, and find out truly what type of relationship you strive to establish with your customer base. Auto CRM provides the tools to adjust your efforts from not only a macro outside point of view but also on a micro level within your own dealership.
By Allison Tanner
Auto Dealer CRM software is no small piece of technology. Are you aware of all the various components included in your CRM solution? Take a few minutes to review some of the unused features of your CRM system. Investigate to see if there are “tools” available to help streamline internal processes and increase efficiency. Here's a few examples of some of the lesser utilized tools that may be in your CRM toolbox:
Of the many auto dealers I work with, I consulted with one dealership last week who had a low CSI survey ratings but had not developed processes to document and resolve their client issues. The great news for this dealer wat that Autobase CRM had him covered.
You are ready to take a client on a demo ride. What about the license plate that tends to disappear when you need it? Who was the last person to use that plate? Don’t have time to ask around for the plate? Again, Autobase CRM has you covered.
What about your sales people? Do they need help setting monthly sales goals? Put a goal in “writing." Set the forecast and let them aim for the goal. As a Manager wouldn’t it be nice to know how many cars each salesperson believes they will sell for the month? How close are they to your sales expectations? Don’t know? Autobase CMR has you covered.
Customer problem resolution? License plate tracking? Sales forecasting? What esle could be waiting for you in your CRM toolkit?
by Carol Urichich
We all look for ways to get though our day-to-day tasks quickly. Between all the clients that are coming into the showroom and adding and/or updating customer records in the dealership CRM, it’s easy to feel that all the “pointing and clicking” is dragging you down. We can't speak for other automotive CRM solutions, but there are many shortcuts within the Autobase CRM that can help speed up the process, from accessing your e-mail to adding clients.
Anytime you see a single letter underlined in a phrase within Autobase CRM, it signifies a shortcut. Hit the letter on the keyboard that is underlined on the screen, and it will take you directly to that part of the program.
Let’s walk through a few steps in the Add a Client process. From the main screen, notice the ‘A’ in Add a Client is underlined. Click the ‘A’ key on the keyboard. Now you will notice that the different Client Types have short cuts as well. Click ‘F’ for Floor Traffic, ‘N’ for Next, and you are on your way. Below is a list of other helpful Autobase shortcuts:
F1 Autobase Help
F2 Save
F3 Notes
F4 Client Info
F7 Search
F8 Letters
Alt-B Bulletin Board
Alt-C Card Ex
Alt-E Email
Alt-I Inventory
Alt-P Change Password
Another way to save time while navigating through Autobase is by taking advantage of the type-o-matic lists. When a list automatically pops up (i.e. Make, Model, Color, or Advertising Source) is type-o-matic. If you type the first few letters of the item you wish to select, Autobase CRM will select it automatically, eliminating the scrolling though seemingly endless lists.
Sometimes there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done that needs to be done; use these short cuts to help gain some of that time back.
by Colleen Persic
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