I recently had the chance to fly to Dallas Texas and witness the nuptials for two industry friends who were getting married (Veronica Dunford and Gary May). Along with the beautiful ceremony and reception, as wedding couples tend to do, they offer their friends and family to give their wedding wishes in the form of advice on a cute little card.
Let’s just say, I am upset that I didn’t take a picture of the words of wisdom I left on the wedding wishes card, as I think I absolutely nailed it. With that said, this simple format lends itself to being able to dispense quick, valuable advice, and for that reason, I am turning “Wedding Wishes and…” into a new little blog series here at DealerKnows.
To begin, let’s talk about my wedding wishes for you and your CRM utilization.
- Always spend more time customizing your templates and processes after launch than you spent time choosing the CRM in the first place. (CRMs cannot be a “set it and forget it” – or “out of the box” software. You need to rework your own methodology, customize the messaging messaging, and add in your dealership’s material before you deploy it. If you didn’t, it’s time to refresh it.)
- Never leave a customer waiting for a response. (This doesn’t just mean ‘response time’, but your time to get back to them after every reply. No one likes being left on read and nothing makes deals fall apart faster than a customer not getting answers, or feel as if they aren’t your team’s priority.)
- Sometimes, you need to retrain your team on the CRM even if they’ve been using it for a while. (I don’t care how much they use it every day. There are features in your CRM that can help every salesperson and manager find more car deals. Run them through at least quarterly refresher trainings to get the most out of your CRM.
- Remember that no memory is better than that of a CRM. This is why detailed notes are important for salespeople and managers alike. (Just a little more time being loquacious in the details you enter in the CRM can both set you up for success when quickly recapping customer history, as well as cover your butt.)
- Don’t forget to hold your team accountable to their tasks, which includes making sure all task lists are finished by the end of the day. (If your team’s task lists are loaded with overdue activity, you know they’re leaving chances to connect with potential buyers.)
- I wish you both took as much time reviewing your salespeople and BDC’s communication with customers as you do ordering lunch. (What makes the dealership money is sold vehicles and without a manager’s keen insight, salespeople often overlook deals sitting in plain sight. I can find car sales missed in every CRM we review of the dealerships we train. It just takes the time to look.)
These are my wedding wishes for you and a few tips to improve CRM utilization in your store.
With Love,
Joe Webb
Your CRM Fix-It Guy
