Working in automotive sales for roughly 11 years I began in sales and quickly moved to Internet Manager and upward into other various manager roles. Something always seems to bring me back to Internet Sales though. Even though I’m currently a Sales Manager it’s been crucial that we’ve seen growth in our internet sales department.
Internet Sales is the one department that can keep you busy even when sales are slow. This is a department that requires you to stay on top of many things if you want to be the best in your area. Unfortunately many dealers overlook the necessary steps to ensure this department runs efficiently.
If you are looking for ways to increase your Internet sales, make sure you’re up to speed in these areas of your Internet Sales department:
The Process
- Website is current with all manufacturer incentives.
- Ensure that your New and Used Car Specials are up to date: It’s very frustrating for a customer to come to your website, click on the Specials Page and get a notice saying, “Specials Coming Soon”. They’re much more likely to leave your site and find a competitor that takes the time to stay on top of it.
- Be proactive about timely response time to email inquiries: Customers shop on the Internet because they are looking for immediate responses to their questions. Don’t be the dealer that sends a fifty question response email template to a customer that simply wants a price. If they emailed about a car on your website sending them the information they’re asking for will likely open up an opportunity to sell. Too many dealers complicate the process. Shop your competition and see what they are doing. You might find that it in most cases it will not be that hard for you to raise the bar.
- Maintain an up-to-date employee directory page: Making sure your employee page is filled out with ways for your customers to contact the department they need is a simple way to ensure sales growth. Be sure to take a glimpse at your google analytics report. You will likely be amazed at how many people are looking at this page on your site.
These are just a few simple things you can do to get your Internet or BDC Department into shape and generating leads.
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