How to Keep Customers Coming Back with Automotive Sales Training
If you’re new to car sales, you might assume that all of the important work happens in the dealership. While the initial meet and greet, test drive, and negotiation are each important steps of the process, it’s what happens after a customer drives away that can really boost sales.
A 2018 study by Deloitte found that 59 percent of customers aren’t contacted after purchasing a car. This lack of contact may lead to missed sales in the future because existing customers are far more likely to make a repeat purchase than new customers are to make an initial purchase. Without a doubt, it pays to invest in customer relationships.
Read on to find out some of the tips and tricks that keep customers coming back!
Use Social Media to Drive Sales in Automotive Careers
Social media has changed the face of automotive careers for good. Nowadays, it’s essential for dealerships to use digital marketing to engage with new and existing customers. A good social media strategy will encourage customers to connect with the dealership before and after their purchase and leave a public review about their experience.
Additionally, new customers often thoroughly research cars, brands, and dealerships online before making a purchase in person. Positive reviews, ratings, and a strong social media presence will help to increase the number of people walking through the doors of your dealership.
An effective way to build your presence on social media is through user-generated content like photo competitions. You could encourage customers to share a picture of themselves with their new vehicle with a hashtag for a chance to win a prize, for example. This could help your dealership reach new audiences and potential customers, as well as enhance its relationship with existing customers.
Provide Personalized Service
Buying a car is a big decision. One of the joys of automotive sales training is learning how to make the purchase a memorable experience for customers by offering personalized service.
While you show customers around the dealership and help them to find their perfect car, you will probably find out a lot about them and what they’re looking for. They may have been looking for a bigger family car because they have their third child on the way. Or they may want a car that’s good for long distances because they have a road trip to the west coast planned.
Mentioning these details in a post-purchase email is a great way to strengthen the relationship with your customer after the sale. A good post-purchase email should be sent 3 to 5 days after the sale to thank the customer for their purchase, and check in that everything is okay. It should include a friendly personal note that could be as simple as ‘hope you’re looking forward to your trip out west!’
Focus on Quality Over Quantity in Follow up Correspondence
Although it’s important to stay in touch with customers following a sale, don’t overwhelm them with a ton of marketing and newsletters, as this could actually damage the relationship.
It’s better to focus on quality over quantity and share a few, occasional, helpful emails. These should feature a mix of useful advice and marketing content. Some examples of high quality follow up communication include car care tips and tricks, service reminders, and exclusive promotions. Overall, making time for all these kinds of communication will help you build a loyal customer base and lead to more sales in the future.
Are you interested in learning more at automotive schools in Canada?
Contact Automotive Training Centres to find out more!
