Start building now for the end of lockdown

Much like the UK Government, every dealer needs a strategy of how they will exit lockdown. There is no doubt that the current situation is hugely challenging for dealers of all sizes. However, it is the dealers who are proactive in managing their sales pipeline now that will reap the rewards when lockdown ends.

After the initial shock of the lockdown and resulting furloughing of staff, many dealers are now, albeit in a limited way, starting to open service departments and using remote workers to manage sales enquiries.

The technology is available to respond to initial enquiries quickly and efficiently from a mobile or tablet device. The lead can then be nurtured through cloud-based management platforms to keep the buyer warm and interested until the dealership opens again. At Dealerweb we have invested to create a robust platform that can be used anywhere and at any time.

It will be dealers who act now to keep enquiries warm that will be well placed to hit the ground running when buyers return to forecourts.

While we are in lockdown a failure to actively control your lead management system will mean that when sales teams return to work their lead management system will be full of overdue enquiries that need to be followed up. Unless work is done now to reschedule these follow-ups it will be hard to see the wood for the trees, and when the pent-up demand is released opportunities could easily be missed.

Unsurprisingly our data shows that overall enquiry numbers have fallen significantly from expected levels at this time of year.  Even so, a large number of buyers are reaching out with genuine enquiries for a new or used car, using this lockdown time to research their next purchase. Crucially these buyers are often leaving a digital enquiry which needs to be nurtured until you re-open. It is vital that these leads are kept warm over the next few weeks.

The tone of any contact throughout the lockdown should be kept respectful and free of hard sales messages, but there is the opportunity to build rapport with the customer, optimising your chance of selling a car as soon as the rules allow.

Trust is more important now than ever before. Customers are deciding between similar vehicles at similar dealerships; the purchase can often come down to which dealership they find most trustworthy.

An effective way to establish trust is by showcasing customer reviews of the dealership and the vehicle they are interested in. Sharing useful information will help move the customer down the sales pipeline.

Despite the lockdown, the customer will expect a prompt response to an enquiry. Technology now means that dealers don’t have to sit behind a desk 24/7 to do it. In normal times according to Autotrader research, 86% of car buyers research their next purchase online after 6 pm, in these unprecedented times it may well be 24/7.  The use of an effective lead response tool, such as Dealerweb’s React platform, can ensure the enquiry receives a speedy and professional response.

After your initial response to the enquiry, on-going nurturing can then be managed using your lead management system until that day comes when we can return to our more traditional sales approach and hopefully appoint the customer, carry out a test drive and sell a car. A fully integrated solution like Dealerweb React and Showroom is vital here to avoid any leads falling through the cracks between lead response and management.

Technology isn’t there to replace good old-fashioned customer service, but it can provide a useful tool to help dealers adapt to these challenging times.

Dealers are an integral part of their communities. They keep families on the road. From people working in essential services to those with jobs, they can’t do from home. It’s crucial now to understand and fulfil that need in a way that keeps staff and customers safe.

One thing is sure – the automotive industry will emerge from this challenging time, and its hard-working and entrepreneurial teams will do all they can to grow again. There is light at the end of the tunnel and now is the time to start putting in place the building blocks for a successful return to trading and hitting the ground running!

Martin Hill is the CEO of Dealerweb