Replying to customer emails. Best practices.

In a different post I talked about the importance of business processes and how a well defined process separates a good from a great auto dealer.

In most cases dealers tend to blame low closing rates on the quality of the leads, however the reality is that each dealership's process greatly affects the closing rates.

Best practices for auto dealers' internet sales reps:

1. Immediate follow up: Make sure to call and email back within 30 minutes of receiving the lead.
2. Include alternatives: Provide one or two alternatives with all lead responses.
3. Long term follow up: Implement a long term follow up plan (1 week, 2 weeks etc.) for customers who don't respond immediately or who sound indecisive.
4. Ask questions: The more you know about why this visitor is interested in this sepcific car the better. You may then be able to upsell him a different car or sell him some other service.
5.  Study your lead carefully: Your lead information can help you learn/understand more about your customer.
   1. Check the email address. See whether the email address is personal or business. If it's business check the website to find out where your customer works.
   2. Check the time the lead was sent. Time of day or night can indicate the lifestyle of the customer.
   3. Check the name. It can indicate gender or ethnicity. Also check the dealership database to find out if this customer or a family member has bought a vehicle from this dealer in the past.
   4. Check the address of the lead. It can show you what part of the city your customer lives in.
   5. Read the comments carefully. They can indicate needs and wants.
6. Fully answer to all and any questions: If there is a question that you need more information to answer it then don't be affraid to say so in your email. Also, if the customer requests a price quote make sure that you give them a price. Price should not be the focus of the conversation, but if the customer specifically request for a price you should be able to provide them with one.

When writing your email reply there are 4 important email elements you need to remember:

1. Attention
2. Interest
3. Urgency
4. Action

Grab the customer's attention

You should do this in both the subject line and in the opening paragraph of your email.

You don't grab the customer's attention by making an extraordinary (usually false) claim. In fact, the best way to grab their attention is by stating the obvious. If they've sent you an email inquiring about a VW Jetta then a good approach would be to use exactly this as your email's title. Also, next to it you can add the dealership's name so that you can create trust.

Your opening paragraph should also be to the point and not lose the reader with irrelevant blabbing about how great your dealership is, or what a great choice the customer made to choose that vehicle etc.

Create interest on your product or service

Now that you've grabbed your customer's attention give him enough relevant information to create interest about the product or service you're offering. If you're trying to sell him that VW Jetta then make sure that you'll provide them with a few different options of Jettas (maybe a few different colours, a few different years, different options etc.). This is also your chance to push that certified vehicle. According to a 2008 J.D Power's research over 70% of your clients will opt in for a certified vehicle.

Suggest urgency

Don't lock yourself in those corny car salesmen line: "this price is only good today".
You can create the sense of urgency without sounding pushy. For example, you could write: "Our dealership offers some great financing options this month", and therefore hint that this month is the month to get a good deal.

Call to Action

Don't make the mistake to end your letter in one of the usual sales-pitch endings: "I look forward to hearing from you", or "Please email me back or call me at your earliest convenience".

Instead, provide the customer with some links that elicit action (for example the link to your online credit application), or tell them that you'll be available all day to receive their call and they can call you at any time TODAY, or you can also suggest that you can give them a call in a few minutes to make sure they received your email and explain over the phone any questions they may have.

e²media (e-squared media) is an internet marketing and interactive advertising company based in Edmonton, AB offering affordable internet advertising, search engine optimization, web development and corporate identity services. Over the past 12 years we've worked with many organizations mainly in the Edmonton and Calgary area. We're specialized in the automotive industry and in Internet marketing and web development in general, but we've also worked in several projects for small, medium and large size organizations ranging from website design, flash movies, databases, shopping carts, search engine optimization (SEO) to full Internet marketing campaigns and corporate identity design. For more information on any previous projects, or for client references, please click here to contact us.