• Stop being a LURKER - join our dealer community and get involved. Sign up and start a conversation.

Alex Snyder

President Skroob
Staff member
May 1, 2006
3,598
2,525
Awards
13
First Name
Alex
Presense if your leverage.001.png

It still happens today. Internet managers, BDC agents, and salespeople still send "your presence is your leverage" emails & texts to customers. Someone just showed me one.

A customer goes onto the dealer's website and clicks the "Get Price" call to action button to receive a slew of emails asking when they can come test drive, if they prefer to communicate over text message, or that their manager is super excited to work with them. And then the customer, in frustration, replies "I just want a price!" To be responded with "your presence is your leverage. We give the best deals to people who are in the showroom."

I shit you not.

Let's give the employee of the dealership the benefit of the doubt that he does not wish to message something so 1973. What happens to drive a perfectly good employee to send that garbage?

How many times can you ask a sales manager for a price before he starts saying "just get them in?" And how many times can you hear "just get them in" before you're tired of asking the boss for a price? You need to get back to these leads quickly. You have too many to answer already. And five more just came in. Screw it! Here's an easy answer.
 
Happened to me recently... ended-up telling them to just "give me a good reason to come in tonight and I will -- I have to pick-up my son right around the corner anyway." They didn't. Said they wanted to make sure I liked the truck before we spoke numbers.

The next afternoon found me stroking a check at a dealer down the street. Still never heard back from that other Sales Guy. I must've been a Bad Lead ;)
 
I've been doing a lot of mystery shopping lately...It's a sad state of affairs. The first response I've been getting is when can you come in. How about answer my question first? Half the time I never even get an answer. If it's infuriating for me, imagine how it feels to be someone who is actually shopping for a vehicle. If someone walked on the lot and asked a question, how would you respond? This isn't rocket science people! Shoppers want to get basic answers like price, etc BEFORE they come on the lot. Answer questions and engage in a dialogue before you ask them when can they come in. Rant over.
 
"Sir, she's in a wheelchair..."
Answer: GET HER IN

"Boss, he just filed Chapter 7, not discharged but filed"
Answer: GET HIM IN

"Boss, he's calling from Miami to buy his son in Los Angeles (here) his first car"
Answer: GET HIM IN

Reality, it's 2020 in 21 days... Let's pretend our customers realize this and serve them accordingly. Although I wouldn't be mad at running an Oldsmobile Pontiac store in 1977...

Then, once they come in, the "boss" won't talk with them! "I can't do my job if you don't do your job..." hahahahahahaha

Imagine texting back and forth with someone, establishing rapport and even a relationship by today's standards, giving them numbers, justifying those numbers and making a deal with just a few texts? THAT is the reality today. Someone is going to sell the car. We all pay the same for them.

One more, "Boss, he's 16, has no job, has no family and has no money, he's calling from anorphange"
Answer: GET HIM IN
"Boss, he's looking for a car for the parade, not a deal"
Answer: GET HIM IN