You’ve got everything ready for an appointment you set from an internet lead, but the day rolls around and . . . no one shows up. We’ve all been there, and frankly, it sucks.
Sure sometimes life gets in the way and someone simply can’t make it, but what about the folks who no-show because they just lost interest or forgot?
Here are a few expert tips to help maintain that interest and improve your show rates:
1. Create a custom experience for your shoppers.
We all know that the best leads aren’t bought from a third party, they come directly from our own websites. These leads should get the white glove treatment from the very beginning, before they even step foot in the dealership. When you call up a potential customer to set an appointment, tailor the conversation to their needs. Use behavioral data from your VDPs to start things off on the right foot and make them feel special. This person spent more time looking at the engine than any other feature of the vehicle? Then don’t forget to mention the exceptional combo of fuel efficiency and power on your first call with them. Another shopper spends a bunch of time looking at safety features? Be sure to talk to them about the phenomenal crash test rating!
Impel’s Lead Intelligence Reports, which make it easy for BDCs to increase set rates using proprietary behavioral data.
2. Take a consultative approach
Many shoppers already have a standoffish attitude when it comes to interacting with car salespeople. It is unfortunate that car shoppers see dealers in a less-than-positive light, but using a genuinely consultative approach will help build an added layer of trust with your shopper. A shopper who trusts you and believes that you’re aligned with what’s in their best interest is much more likely to keep their appointment than one who mistrusts you.
A simple way to get started with this is making sure you’re actually answering the questions that shoppers are asking. There’s nothing more frustrating than submitting personal info in exchange for an ‘internet price’ but not actually receiving the internet price.
3. Remind them!
Your shoppers are busy! You have to find the sweet spot between being diligent and being annoying, but a combination of a calendar invitation, a reminder call the day before, email and text reminders will make sure that your shoppers remember when they’re supposed to show up.
4. Build value in the appointment
When you discuss an appointment with someone, remember the job is to sell the appointment, not the car. Explain how valuable that appointment will be – how they’ll be setup with an award-winning salesperson, how they’ll be able to test drive 10 cars, how nice the experience will be. If you’d really like to push the envelope, try using scarcity to really push the consumer over the edge.
Impel consults with hundreds of dealers on how to improve show rates in their stores. To learn more about how we can help, schedule a no hassle consultation today.
