Roundtable Recap: Moving Online Leads to Offline Sales, OEM and Dealer Group Web Sites
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Posted
by Katie Hauck at
10/30/2009 7:50 AM CDT
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Moving Online Leads to Offline Sales
Moderator: Angie Sherrell, GS Marketing Group, Inc.
Panelists: Clayton Stanfield, eBay Motors; Todd Smith, ActivEngage, Inc.;
Jim Flint, John Eagle Dealerships; Pete Dalamaggas, Toyota of Des Moines- The dealers who will be successful in moving online leads to offline sales will have strong systems in place to manage leads and will enter into relevant conversations with shoppers.
- Setting daily priorities is critical to getting better in the lead handling process.
- Leads are an opportunity to make a great first impression, and dealers need to take every lead seriously.
- Focus energies on the customer. Jim: “If you follow the people, the dollars will follow after that.”
- “The three C’s,” connection (Google Analytics, etc.), conversation (setting up appointments, etc.), and conversion (including tracking converted sales).
- The top reasons people engage with the dealers: asking about product availability, pricing information, incentives/rebate information, customer service, and vehicle features and functionality.
- Have proactive engagement; ask shoppers if they have driven the vehicle, provide links to a virtual test drive, discuss available inventory, review rebates, and review financing.
- The goal is to get shoppers information, get it to them in a timely manner, and make sure it’s relevant.
- You still need to give the shopper a reason to come visit you at the dealership. Let them know a lot of different things about your dealership, and build a relationship so that they like you.
- In the end, it’s the people working in the dealership, whether online or in the store, that makes a dealership successful in converting leads to sales.
- Clayton: Assume that the shopper is sending leads to multiple dealerships. Then ask how to take that lead and handle it better than other dealerships.
- Todd: Chat is a way to create an incredible sales experience and dealers can create the same sales process online as in brick and mortar.
- Jim: Challenge to dealers: Build your business by completing Google AdWords training and developing one AdWords campaign.
- Pete: If you treat the shopper with respect and get them to come see you at the dealership, then you can successfully convert online leads to sales.
OEM and Dealer Group Web Sites Present and Future
Moderator: Mike DeCecco, Dealer.com
Panelists: DeLu Jackson, Subaru of America, Inc.; Jerry Winder, Larry H. Miller Management Co.; Alan Krutsch, Walser Automotive Group; Vincent Micciche, Group 1 Automotive- There are a variety of models for OEM and dealer group Web sites, ranging from strict uniformity, to other models that allow for more flexibility at the dealer level, to compliancy guidelines, as well as other template hybrids.
- There are advantages and disadvantages to be found across this spectrum.
- Manufacturers and dealerships both share a common goal: to sell more cars. However, beyond that main goal, there are other goals to consider for the Web site.
- Manufacturers would like Web sites to deliver consistent OEM branding to build the brand’s competitive advantage.
- With a uniform OEM template, consistent branding is protected, incentives carry through to the site, and all dealers are on level ground; however, dealer control is limited.
- OEMs face the challenge that some dealers are proficient in the online arena, while others want and need help. However, there are limited resources to see this though.
- Dealer groups have the challenge of building their own brand as well and building a local competitive advantage. They may also have numerous brands in multiple locations.
- Panelists expressed concern that OEM template sites don’t deliver as well as their own dealer group web sites so they create a second site to help them achieve local goals.
- Be that as it may, there is growing concern that numerous sites are creating confusion in the marketplace with shoppers who are searching for information and with dealers who have to decide which site to market.
- The OEMs and dealers both play a role in building a relationship with the customer, though it may be at different times along the funnel. Right now, it doesn’t look like there is one answer to the question of how the customer relationship is handled in the online shopping experience.
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