Put Down The Phone

[John V.]

Different strokes for different folks I guess.....when you crack 15% close rates on a rolling 90 let me know.

The stores that call first and place a phone call to +95% of all leads close the most leads. The two we have that text first close at half that. Texting is extremely useful, don't get me wrong, but its sole purpose is to move the customer to a phone call.

 

[craigh]

Different strokes for different folks I guess.....when you crack 15% close rates on a rolling 90 let me know.

The stores that call first and place a phone call to +95% of all leads close the most leads. The two we have that text first close at half that. Texting is extremely useful, don't get me wrong, but its sole purpose is to move the customer to a phone call.

I dream of a day where my phone never rings again.
Do all business via text when possible.

 

[Alex Snyder]

I dream of a day where my phone never rings again.
Do all business via text when possible.

text or email

 

[John V.]

Boy this sounds very similar to "I dream of the day I can just buy the car online"......oh yea, how is that working for us?

"Don't call your internet leads - Customers prefer texting"
What's next?
"Don't have sales people on the lot chasing people down in golf carts- customers don't want to be bothered"
"Don't start at full addendum on first pencil - customer want a discount"
"Don't make the customer drive the car before giving them numbers - the car buying process takes too long"

We would just be test drive centers with an jiffy lube in the back living off minis if we did what the customers wanted. Remember - we're not in this business for our health.

 

[Alex Snyder]

John - I think you're taking this a little too far. Bill is simply saying he's getting better results by sending the customer a text first. I have not heard him say they've ditched the phone altogether.

Craig and I are just saying we'd prefer to do things in our personal lives without the phone first.

 

[John V.]

maybe i'm the on e that needs to quit smoking.

 

[BillKVMotorCo]

@BillKVMotorCo When you say your conversion went up 5%, do you mean 5 points like from 6% to 11% or a 5% change like 6.1% to 6.4%? What have Appointment Set and Show rates done?

We went from 12% to 17% lead to sold. I honestly don't have the appointment numbers, but we very rarely have no-shows and those that show buy. I think that has more to do with our market than anything else though.

 

[BillKVMotorCo]

Different strokes for different folks I guess.....when you crack 15% close rates on a rolling 90 let me know.

The stores that call first and place a phone call to +95% of all leads close the most leads. The two we have that text first close at half that. Texting is extremely useful, don't get me wrong, but its sole purpose is to move the customer to a phone call.

No doubt the conversion numbers were over a short period, but the response rates alone are telling in my opinion.

There is more to this too. Customers tell us more what they are thinking over text than they do on a call. Plus, my team is able to move on from uninterested leads faster giving them more time to work the hot ones.

 

[BillKVMotorCo]

Updated numbers for the month:

55 internet leads with a phone number
49 responded
89% conversion for responses
19% sold

 

[Dan Sayer]

Updated numbers for the month:

55 internet leads with a phone number
49 responded
89% conversion for responses
19% sold

100% texting that set of 55? No other channel like email, correct? All responses were from text alone? How many moved to phone conversations?