Digital Dealer - August 2017 - 19

IN THE AGE OF INTERNET DATA, IT'S NOT ONLY
CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT DEALERSHIPS. DEALERSHIPS ALSO HAVE
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CUSTOMERS."
YOUR CRM DATA:
THE LEVERAGE TO
REACH CUSTOMERS
MORE EFFECTIVELY

With good lead capture tools, your CRM
contains information
far more extensive
than merely the vehicle
customers converted on.
You can see the amount
of time shoppers spent
on your site, the pages
they viewed, and the
VDPs they checked out-
and how many times,
and for how long. This
information allows the
BDC to move beyond
offering general help
to truly engaging the
customer with relevant
information. CRM data
can be rich enough to
tell a story about each
customer, allowing your
team to build real relationships with leads. This
is powerful leverage: the
ability to provide tailored
assistance and build loyalty- when the competition likely is not.
Consider, for example, a shopper whose
CRM lead data indicates
multiple visits to your
specials page prior to
conversion, as well as
economy model VDP
views. These data points
are not distinct, but
rather tell the story of a
price-sensitive customer.

Armed with this knowledge, your BDC can
call the lead and have a
conversation guided by
a focus on pricing. This
technique can be subtle:
the rep does not have to
say the words "I see from
your behavior on our site
that price is important to
you" - instead, they can

looking at the same, or
similar vehicles, is probably more ready to come
in for an appointment,
whereas someone with
broader viewing behaviors may need more help
focusing their search.
Knowing this in advance
can guide the BDC rep to
have a conversation that

provide customers with
the tailored shopping experience they want before
they even walk through
your showroom doors.
Understanding lead
data before making follow-up calls enables your
BDC reps to build your
client base more effectively and outpace the

...THE LEVERAGE TO START
A CONVERSATION WITH LEADS
THAT IS TRULY VALUABLE AND
CUSTOMIZED TO THEIR INTERESTS."
use that knowledge to
provide information they
know is relevant and
important to the customer. Or, you might see a
lead in your CRM who
has spent multiple visits
over a number of weeks
viewing the same VDP
before converting. The
call in this case can focus
on specific features of
this car- and the BDC rep
can take a few moments
before the call to make
sure they are fully prepared for questions about
this vehicle. Having those
answers builds trust, but
not having them can turn
customers off.
CRM lead data can
also tell you where shoppers are in the buying
funnel. A shopper who
has spent focused time

is more valuable for the
customer- and more profitable for the dealership.
Make the connection- and the sale- with
data-driven follow up
Too often, BDC reps
overlook this lead information. They are in such
a rush to book the appointment that they don't
take the time to get to
know these crucial details
about what their shoppers
actually want. And in so
doing, they give up the
leverage they could have
when they make the call.
In an age when shoppers
typically visit only one
or two dealerships, this
oversight can lead to
missed opportunities and
lost revenue. By taking
just a few moments to
prepare, your BDC can

competition. Information
and transparency don't
have to make life harder
for your BDC- they can
actually help them bring
more customers to your
dealership.
MATT WATERMAN is a
Regional Sales Manager
at AutoLeadStar, which
specializes in Artificial
Intelligence for dealerships.
He got into the auto industry
during his college years
at Northwood University,
starting his career in the
BDC of a high-line multi
brand store in south Florida.
After this stint in marketing,
he moved to work in sales,
first at a BMW dealership
and later for an independent
dealer specializing in exotics
and collectables. Cars are
Matt's life and passion, and
he can't imagine working
anywhere but automotive.
EMAIL: matt@autoleadstar.
com

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

AUGUST 2017

19
http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - August 2017
