Digital Dealer
Don't let quality leads get lost in your e-mail
By John Holt
It is predicted that 55 percent of all new car buyers will use the Internet in 2000-with that number expected to grow to 66 percent in 2001 (J.D. Power & Associates). A comprehensive, informative Web site is the first step to getting your share of these Internet customers. The next step is making it easy for them to contact you to start the sales process. Prominent e-mail links on your site gives customers a fast, easy way to send you a message. Plus, with a Web site that incorporates service, parts, and finance & insurance information, direct e-mail links can feed leads directly to all of the profit centers in your dealership.
But staying on top of all of these incoming e-mail leads poses a challenge to a busy dealership. While e-mail leads produce a significant number of sales opportunities, many of those opportunities can be missed when dealerships are unable to handle the volume of e-mail with their current systems. A recent study shows that nearly 17 percent of consumers never got a response when they e-mailed an automotive dealer. Almost 35 percent of consumers who asked for an online price quote did not receive one (Friedman-Swift Associates). In many cases, all it takes to begin a dialog with a customer is a quick reply with one or two key points of information.
Fortunately, technology is keeping pace with this explosion in e-mail communication. Newly available lead management software can help you handle your e-mail quickly and easily and use it to your best advantage. A good software package can sort e-mail by subject, route it to the appropriate staff member or department, and even alert staff when a new lead enters the system.
In addition to organizing and routing e-mails, a lead management system can automate initial e-mail replies to customers, letting them know you've received their request and are working to get them the information. It's a way to provide a prompt reply-one of the most important ways to retain the Internet customer-without strapping your staff time.
A lead management system also provides tools to help you make decisions about where to focus your online marketing efforts. You can run reports to give you statistics on where your leads are coming from and which ones are the most profitable. And with the database of information that is collected from your e-mail leads, you can target past customers and prospective customers with special promotions.
Most importantly, lead management software is easy to use, and makes it easier for you to manage your overall Internet program. As your dealership's use of the Internet becomes more sophisticated, it doesn't mean it has to become more complicated. By taking advantage of technology that is specially designed to help automotive dealerships, you can handle more online leads with less effort and maximize your Internet sales.
John Holt is Co-CEO of The Cobalt Group, Inc. jholt@dealeronline.com
