Dog-Gone Good Deals!
The dog days of summer will soon arrive to drive your customers to vacation destinations at the beach, on the mountains, in the homes of family and friends — everywhere except to the dealership to buy a vehicle!
Don’t let the tumbleweeds be the only thing drifting through your lot this summer. Before your customers get too scarce, rev up your follow-up. People who use their vehicles to travel need maintenance agreements. Families who plan to keep their vehicles a few more years need to keep them running well. Whether it’s to travel long distance or just go the distance, customers are sure to value the peace of mind that comes with a quality vehicle service agreement you follow up to provide.
While the “f” word can make more than a few of us faint-hearted, remember that you will follow-up with friends, not strangers. Friends who chose to do business with you and your dealership; friends who saw value in your product and used hard-earned dollars to make a major purchase; friends who now need you to give them an opportunity to protect their investments.
You are going to follow-up with customers who have mostly likely seen their fair share of service bills. They have experienced the cost of labor, if only for routine maintenance. You will be able to remind them that labor costs rise rather than fall, and that service must be paid. The only question is, who will own the bill.
Do you have a page on your Website to feature the protection plans your F&I department offers? What are you doing with customer e-mail addresses you collect? Are you asking for permission to follow-up by email after vehicle delivery? Postal mail arrives in three-to-five days. Email is instant and imparts a sense of urgency. You can even request a receipt to let you know when the message is opened.
Whether you choose to follow-up offline or online, your message must transmit the same warmth extended in your handshake and smile when you first welcomed your customer to the dealership. Be sure you deliver good news. For example:
“We noticed that you did not purchase the [service agreement] [prepaid maintenance] when your vehicle was delivered. We want you to have the same peace of mind other customers tell us they enjoy, knowing their monthly finances will not be impacted by an unexpected repair. The brochure enclosure is for you to review. I will call you in a few days to discuss which plan best fits your driving pattern. Please remind me to explain our new payment option.”
Finally, don’t forget to follow-up your email or snail-mail with a telephone call. Keep it low-key and follow sound telemarketing guidelines to turn dog days into deal days all summer long.
Dealer Marketing Magazine, June 2006