Old School Follow up

[ddavis]

Back in the "olden days", most dealerships used paper-based customer tracking system from NADA called SalesTrack. You still see copies of those large pads on sales desks.

I bought one of the first computer tracking programs at a NADA convention that they called TrackMate. It came on 5 1/4 inch floppy disks.

Salespeople carried TrackMate cards and filled them out to be entered into the system. I had a part-time student, from LSU (This years National Football Champions), that entered each customer into an old XT computer. She would call each customer, "We wanted to check to see how you were treated while you were at our store". She verified that the salesperson went through the steps to the sale, got the customer to rate the salesperson's product knowledge, politeness, professionalism and find out why, if they didn't purchase the car. It was a simple database that would allow you to follow a customer, print letters and send out promotions. You knew who was calling back their customers, cutting corners, and give you closing percentages. It was a very primitive but effective system.

I remember when salespeople first heard her calling their customers and asking questions like "did you like the way the car drove" or "from 1 to 5, how would you rank your salesperson's product knowledge"? It was an "oh shit" moment for most salespeople. I conducted one on one meetings with each salesperson going through the information that came from those reports.

As sophisticated as our CRM tools are today, do you think that level of customer follow up is being done, today?

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Doug,*Nothing beats good ol fashion personal follow-up.*With all the technology and systems I place, I would bet to say most dealers still miss the mark with simple follow up. Maybe dealers have gotten better with short term follow up on average with the growth of online leads (only slightly) but still fall short with follow up after a few days to a week or two.*When I was on the floor I kept a spread sheet and card file system for follow up. I only wish I had half the tools we have today that one can use for follow up.*With all the technology, we forget about hand written snail mail letters and cards. Even with all the junk mail, it's nice to get a hand written card in the mailbox.*As for the survey, not sure if the phone call is the way to handle that anymore. I always wonder ...Phone survey vs Online survey with an incentive to complete.*WIIFM - would a 10.00 gift card work?*

 

[AJHamblin]

I think the CRM tools are often a false accountability measure. It's so easy for a salesperson to click through their daily work log on Reynolds CM with out making a single call. If management relies on those tools, as I have already seen in my short career, then salesmen will follow the past of least resistance and shortchange the process. The answer though is probably the same as it was then, some teams are doing it right and some are not, but at the end of the day the tools are only as strong as the real accountability measures that are built into the process. Your example is spot on to what should be happening today even with the technological solutions available.
-The one thing I am curious about is the use of the template email. Which is often the terribly used. I always laugh when I mystery shop a group and get something like.

"My name is xxx and I am your your Certified Internet Sales Consultant with . I would like to speak with you as soon as possible so that I could be of better assistance to you in your search for a new car. I want to make sure you have received the messages I have sent and we can discuss any questions you have regarding a Hyundai Elantra.
Is the phone number I have in our data base ( ) the best number for reaching you? If not, could you please provide a telephone number you would prefer that I use? To avoid disturbing you, when is the best time of day or early evening (before 7:00 PM) to call you?\
(only the individual sales reps name has been changed)

I mean he did follow up and probably hit his target time(think 40 mins on this one), but wouldn't it be better to not send any email. When did sending template emails become commonplace in this industry. When did they begin to be created in CRM with auto-generated ( lead info inserted here) formats.

 

[ddavis]

Jeff, there is no substitute for common courtesy and sincerity. I sold cars putting a young couples under my wing and moving them through the process, like they were mine.

AJ, I'm not familiar with your CRM but if it is easy for a salesperson to jick the system, you might want to look around. I used one CRM where the ISM only had to put a check mark "called customer" and it completed the task. I added Century Interactive which made that impossible.

My old DOS based program forced the salesperson to follow the steps to the sale. I haven't seen that happen with modern CRMs.

I doubt there are many Desk Managers that call their desk logs with that degree of detail. If they are calling them at all. How many extra cars would they sell? How much would it improve the talent in the store?

 

[joe.pistell]

I think the CRM tools are often a false accountability measure. It's so easy for a salesperson to click through their daily work log on Reynolds CM with out making a single call. If management relies on those tools, as I have already seen in my short career, then salesmen will follow the past of least resistance and shortchange the process. The answer though is probably the same as it was then, some teams are doing it right and some are not, but at the end of the day the tools are only as strong as the real accountability measures that are built into the process....

You nailed it AJ,

The world is full of lazy managers that squat at a desk and wait for offers, then whine about marketing's failures when offers stop coming.

Nothing costs a dealer principal more money than a poorly trained manager (and a poorly built scoring system).

 

[ddavis]

Lazy Managers that whine? I'm sure that is a phenomena unique to the car business, in New York.