- Dec 19, 2018
- 865
- 885
- Awards
- 8
- First Name
- Bill
Everyone has heard of the "First Four Sales": Person, Place, Product, and Price. It provides the entire outline for our sales process. Until we sell those 4 things, we aren't selling a car. But outside of those four sales, there are hundreds of other tiny sales that we have to make along the way. To keep things moving we should always know what the next sale is.
Most often, the first mistake I see dealerships make when trying to convert an internet guest is literally their very first response. The problem starts with not knowing what the first sale needs to be. It's not you, it's not the dealership, it's not the car, and it's not the price. The first sale that needs to be made with an internet guest is simply getting some form of engagement.
You can be a great salesperson who works at a quality dealership with the right car at the right price and still miss if you don't understand this concept. If your customer won't even respond, you could be willing to give away a free car and it wouldn't matter. Before selling the last two parts of the "first four sales," focus on making it quick and easy for the guest to engage with you. This will likely knock out the first two parts and get the ball rolling.
With all of its benefits, AI could actually make this more important for dealers soon. Over the years, I've been amazed at the number of guests who don't seem to recognize automated or template responses. I believe that is going to change. People are already beginning to develop a healthy skepticism of AI-generated content. Moving forward, it is likely that people will be wary of responding to anything that looks like it might be an AI-generated response.
Our rules for engagement with our internet guests are simple: be fast, be accurate, be real, and be engaging.
Most often, the first mistake I see dealerships make when trying to convert an internet guest is literally their very first response. The problem starts with not knowing what the first sale needs to be. It's not you, it's not the dealership, it's not the car, and it's not the price. The first sale that needs to be made with an internet guest is simply getting some form of engagement.
You can be a great salesperson who works at a quality dealership with the right car at the right price and still miss if you don't understand this concept. If your customer won't even respond, you could be willing to give away a free car and it wouldn't matter. Before selling the last two parts of the "first four sales," focus on making it quick and easy for the guest to engage with you. This will likely knock out the first two parts and get the ball rolling.
With all of its benefits, AI could actually make this more important for dealers soon. Over the years, I've been amazed at the number of guests who don't seem to recognize automated or template responses. I believe that is going to change. People are already beginning to develop a healthy skepticism of AI-generated content. Moving forward, it is likely that people will be wary of responding to anything that looks like it might be an AI-generated response.
Our rules for engagement with our internet guests are simple: be fast, be accurate, be real, and be engaging.
