Closing deals is ultimately the most single important metric to monitor when assessing the quality of a sales agent. The ability to take a prospect from an initial interest level all the way to a closed sale is not only a testament to the skill of an agent but a reciprocation of the hard work and persistence that it sometimes takes to get a customer to sign on the dotted line.
Selling takes shape in many different forms and when it comes to online, the playing field ultimately becomes even more competitive as customers become increasingly more exposed to not only a wide variety of products, but an equally extensive selection of buying terms.
So what does it take to make more online sales? We’ve looked at our data and have provided these 5 top tips on what makes a sales agent successful online.
1. Timing
It is important to understand that timing is everything when it comes to online selling. Most customers using an online platform like AutoDeal are doing so for matters of convenience and a third of them are using AutoDeal solely to help facilitate communication with dealers.
How fast your team sales team responds and the matter in which they respond is one of the most critical factors in distinguishing if you will be successful in winning a customer. We recommend immediate inquiries to be responded to online (via AutoDeal messaging) with a phone call shortly following. Remember, not all prospects may be able to answer their phone during the initial hours following their inquiry, especially if the inquiry is during the middle of the day in the working week.
Related: AutoDeal Awards Dealers with Fast Response Times.
2. Content
What messages are your sales teams sending out to customers? Are they answering the questions of the customer? Are they providing enticing content? Initial replies are your first impressions to customers and as a result, they need to be professional and inviting. You can even use the Template in your AutoDeal accounts to quickly generate a quality response.
Related: The best and worst responses to customer inquiries.
3. Engagement
Aside from the quality of the content, you also need to make sure that you’re engaging in conversation with the customer. Make sure to ask them questions and engage them in a dialogue rather than giving flat closed responses. Remember, the majority of customers will not purchase a vehicle without seeing it in person first. Your first goal is to build rapport and schedule an appointment with the customer in the showroom.
Related: Building Rapport with your customers.
4. Effort
Remember leads are not sure things. They require work to nurture and materialize into sales. Our recent study has shown that the most common lead to sale conversion occurs within the first three weeks, but we’ve taken some leads that have took months to close. To make the most of your leads, you must create an effective regime of following up with your prospects. Remember, you already have the customer’s interest, if he’s not ready to buy in January, he might be ready to buy by March. You can use the ‘Add Notes’ button to make notes to remind you of the details of each customer. Set a schedule to periodically go back through your list of leads to revive the interest of previously inquiring customers.
5. Results
We’re making a lot of noise right now about agents using the ‘Set as Sold’ button to mark when a lead has been converted to a closed sale. By doing this, you’re not only helping AutoDeal to generate strategies to create stronger leads but you’re also providing vital information for your team that will help your dealer become more successful overall. Share the knowledge of those agents that have high lead to sale conversion ratios, investigate what makes them different to those with low closure ratios. Above all else, make sure you are tracking your results and remember, a customer who initially inquired online may become a showroom walk-in a week later.
