What are the Top 3 questions shoppers ask when they arrive at your car dealership?

[ddavis]

Joe, often customers will come in and say they want to see a Santa Fe. They are reluctant to tell that they have been online. It comes out later.

 

[joe.pistell]

Do you have A 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport? Can we take one for a test drive?

User Story: "I don't have an exact VIN in mind, I've been on the net and talked to friends and I'm trying to narrow my "consideration set". The 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport looks appealing, but, I'd like to touch it to see if it creates an emotional connection with me before I get serious".

(note: kinda reminds me of online dating... what if a dealership had a "speed dating" promo? hahaha

 

[joe.pistell]

Joe, often customers will come in and say they want to see a Santa Fe. They are reluctant to tell that they have been online. It comes out later.

Doug, we know that ALL shoppers "hold their cards close to their vest" (to varying degrees). Sales reps want shoppers to drop their walls, not raise them, so they instinctively know to NOT ask shoppers probing questions. >50% of our ups have been on a multi-month, 25 web site journey and their OPENING QUESTIONS reveal where they jumped off the web...

WHERE THEY JUMPED OFF THE WEB is what I am fishing for.

 

[ddavis]

All of the customers that I talked to came in on confirmed appointments or asked for an ISM by name. A huge percentage came through the website but most of them saw the car initially at either Cars or AutoTrader. I would interview customers during their wait into F&I. It was a bottleneck before we ramped up and I needed to free up the ISMs for other customers.

We all know that the majority of customers won't call or submit a lead before showing up. They end up meeting a floor salesman that usually doesn't qualify the customer, properly. They are afraid that their customer might have talked to an ISM or they have seen a discounted price online.

 

[joe.pistell]

Doug, I'm with ya, been in the trenches for a decade. I know how reps are. I'm not after that, I am asking folks here "what are some of the most common 1st questions that comes out of a fresh up's mouth".


I'll give you a clue of where this is going:
"Building a website that sells more cars means you need to help shoppers answer their questions, but... Car shoppers are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but perhaps there is a key. That key is understanding shopper's needs."

 

[Lpchris]

I am brand new here, so I guess this is my introduction! If I understand the question correctly,the first question most customers ask is when they get to the dealership is a answer to my questions..... "So what brings you folks out to the lot today?" answer "we saw this car online, driving by or friend told us about it!" This especially true with the "stealth shopper". Most ups land in a row, or on the vehicle that brought them in. Top 2 questions would be something like "I read online that this car gets this", or "I read online that this car has a good whatever" something along those lines.

 

[joe.pistell]

I am brand new here... Most ups land in a row, or on the vehicle that brought them in.

Welcome aboard Chris.

Most ups land in a row, User Story: "I've been looking at/researching the Nissan Rouge online, now it's time to look at them in person".

An up lands on the vehicle that brought them in, User Story: "So this is it, this is the one I saw on line".

 

[Matthew Danskin]

Thats actually a really good idea. I like it.

 

[Manny Luna]

Doug, I'm with ya, been in the trenches for a decade. I know how reps are. I'm not after that, I am asking folks here "what are some of the most common 1st questions that comes out of a fresh up's mouth".


I'll give you a clue of where this is going:
"Building a website that sells more cars means you need to help shoppers answer their questions, but... Car shoppers are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but perhaps there is a key. That key is understanding shopper's needs."

Joe,

Most of the questions that customers are asking are in the dealers Inbox's.

Internet managers can pull the top 10 questions that customers are asking online so they can have the content on their website and blogs answering these questions. That way they become the trusted source.

Yes, a dealers website should have the content and should be answering all these questions!
This is what we do.

 

[joe.pistell]

Joe,

Most of the questions that customers are asking are in the dealers Inbox's.

Internet managers can pull the top 10 questions that customers are asking online so they can have the content on their website and blogs answering these questions. That way they become the trusted source.

Yes, a dealers website should have the content and should be answering all these questions!
This is what we do.

...wow, in all my years I never once thought of that!
/sarcasm

Sorry Manny, but you didn't think that thru before you posted it.