By Rohan Armstrong, Vice President Business Development, Flick Fusion
Due to COVID-19, dealers have seen a sharp drop-off in their showroom traffic. Nobody is out buying cars, but that doesn’t mean the demand has dried up. Although consumers are stuck at home, they’re still looking at cars, doing research, reading reviews and dreaming about their next road trip.
As a dealership, what are you doing to stay on their radar? Hoping that someone comes in to buy a car is not an option right now. You have to engage consumers from where they sit, at home on the couch. You have to stay top of mind, because when business gets back to normal, there will be a lot of pent-up demand and you want your dealership to be the first place they think of.
Down times are never fun, but they are a great time to be proactive. Now is the time to try new technologies that help your sales and service staff connect with your consumers in a personal, direct way. I’m talking about video, of course.
You’re probably familiar with inventory videos, and may even have them posted on your website’s Vehicle Display Pages (VDPs). But unless someone happens across your website, looking for inventory, those inventory videos might not get seen.
To engage car shoppers and attract more website visitors, use the latest video communications technologies to proactively reach out to customers. Here are a few recommendations.
Video Email
Video email is a great way to let your customers know about sales and service specials, including any OEM incentives that may currently be running. Whatever marketing messages you would normally send out, make them more personal with video.
But don’t just try to sell, especially during hard times. Instead, use video to raise awareness, educate, entertain, communicate and build trust. Let your customers know that you care about them. If your dealership is making donations to local food banks or otherwise involved in the community, share these stories with your customers. Share stories about your employees. Video has the unique ability to create an instant, emotional connection so capitalize on that with videos designed to appeal to emotions.
Lead Response Videos
If you’re still getting leads through your website, upgrade your responses with lead response videos. Using newly developed technology, it’s simple to embed a salesperson’s face right into an inventory video that features a car, then send that video to the lead via email or text.
A best practice is for the salesperson to introduce themselves, and answer all the prospect’s questions. It only takes a few minutes to create a personalized, lead response video and the response rates are off the charts compared to written email lead responses.
Live Streaming
Have you tried a live-streaming video call? This is ideal if the customer wants to see a particular vehicle and has questions about it. The salesperson can suggest initiating a live video call and do a live vehicle walkaround using their smartphone or other mobile device. This allows the salesperson to answer all customer questions real-time, zoom in on certain features and do a complete product presentation, without ever having to interact with the customer in person!
In the service department, advisors or techs can use live streaming video calls to show customers worn-down parts that need to be replaced or repaired, while answering customer questions real-time in order to get the approvals they need. Dealers should know that all these video communication technologies can be integrated with your dealership’s CRM, so you can keep track of communications going back and forth between employees and customers.
Communicating with friends and family via video is the new normal. If you’re not yet using video to communicate with your customers, now is the time to be proactive and make the necessary changes to your sales and service processes. It’s never been more important to personally connect with your customers, and video is hands down the best medium for making these connections last.
advantage during economic hardships.
About the Author
As VP of Business Development at Flick Fusion, Rohan helps car dealerships develop and implement successful video and digital marketing strategies. Rohan began his career working in sales and F&I at car dealerships, then moved into advertising and marketing where his creative vision won accolades and Presidents’ Awards. With more than 25 years of experience in automotive, Rohan’s marketing expertise helps dealers raise brand awareness and develop loyal customers using the power of video.
