6:29 am, May 13, 2020
Dealerships need to ensure their sales process is fit for purpose as they look to reopen at the beginning of June.
That’s the advice of consultancy Sentience Automotive Solutions, whose managing director Ali May-Khalil said inquiry management was all-important as the retail model changes because of the pandemic.
‘With a plethora of channels available to the modern consumer – who has now been given little option but to transact to varying extents online given the circumstances – it is imperative that the sales team think differently now,’ he said, adding that sales managers would be playing an even more important role.
May-Khalil said the teams needed to focus on five key areas:
Set up – What targets are the team given? A more activity-based focus is recommended for the targets
Stick close to marketing (lead generation) – The sales manager and team should work far more closely with marketing to ensure the created content has an impact, can be measured and has an output
Inquiry management – From where did the lead originate and what is the conversion rate from each source of inquiry?
Cost per acquisition – How much are you spending on lead generation against sold units?
Lead to sale – What comprises the journey now? Are test drives still as important? Is it more important to nurture the inquiry rather than manage it?
May-Khalil added: ‘I see the sales team now very much being a lead-generation and inquiry-management function and much less so a traditional “sales team who close deals” as, it can be argued, those are not so needed now.
‘A team that has a firm grip over how to generate, handle and move leads towards sales – online or offline – will be the ones who thrive.’
And he said sales teams should communicate with customers in the way the customer originally got in touch, eg, if they sent an email then dealers should reply via email. ‘Basic I know, but preferred method of contact is a much underrated process,’ he said.
‘How can you help the customer to buy? How easy are we to do business with? These are the questions that all sales teams must ask themselves every single day.
‘The future is nothing to be feared, and will create much opportunity for those who embrace the buying process and ensure their sales process is fit for purpose.’
Car Dealer Live 2: Sentience Automotive Solutions crisis consultants give sound advice
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