Three Ways to Increase Your Chances of Turning a Prospect into a Customer

by: Bob McCann

I often go mystery shopping on the web on behalf of OEMs. I get to see the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of lead management and follow-up, and I use that evidence to help dealers implement best practices and stay away from major deal breakers. Talking about the latter, I once submitted a request for a quote to 10 dealerships representing the same brand. First, I only received four responses. Second, only two of them answered my question, and, one of the two sent me a 10-paragraph e-mail of endless rambling, seven days later. Would a customer still be interested at this point?

1. You Snooze, You Loose
Over 60 percent of prospects research their purchase online, visiting as many as seven websites. In this context, your website is not just a static tool that you have in place because everyone else does, but rather a potentially powerful sales-driving tool. Dont you stop whatever you're doing when a customer walks in, or the phone rings with a prospect on the other end? Web leads should be given the same prompt, undivided attention. It's just another way of talking to customers. In this case, it is especially important to be responsive because you're competing with other dealers online, but the leverage you have is that most of them will not respond. In fact, nearly 60 percent of online leads go completely unanswered, so this is your chance to shine and stand out. When you receive an e-mail inquiry, make a point to respond promptly. I'm not talking about measuring response in terms of days or hours, but rather in minutes. I suspect you wouldn't make a customer wait in your lobby for more than a few minutes without saying hello and thanks for coming by. Why would you risk treating web leads any different? Start by setting a goal of 120 minutes, and work your way down with a plan of action to reduce the goal over time.

2. Save the e-Pitch and Get to the Point
In this day and age, it can be tempting to try and sell a camper or negotiate a deal using e-mail, but beware. Research shows that there is a 50 percent chance that the person who receives your e-mail, short or long, will misunderstand your intended message.

E-mail is an effective tool for initial information gathering, but once prospects have initiated contact, picking up the phone is the way to go to further engage and get them through the door. When you're on the phone with a prospect, he or she gets to hear your words, as well as the pitch and volume of your voice which carry attitude and tone. When you write an e-mail, you hear the latter in your head, but no matter how many exclamation points you use, your prospect doesn't hear what you're really saying. Are you helpful or pushy, subtle or bold, casual or formal? Chances are your attitude and tone are lost in translation. When all is said and written, the odds are your message didn't get across or worse - the prospect misunderstood you, or is frustrated because all he or she wanted was a simple answer to a question.

Your e-mail response should be considered an "electronic handshake." Thank the customer for inquiring, briefly and directly answer questions, and set the stage for a phone call. If the inquiry includes a phone number, mention that you will call them to answer any further questions they may have. In terms of time frame, I'd recommend specifying a time of day on the date you send the e-mail, such as "this morning, afternoon, or evening," based on their preference if they specified it in their form. If the inquiry doesn't include a phone number, indicate your interest in calling them to further assist them in their research, and offer your direct line as an alternative.

If you want to fully leverage the power of the web, always respond to inquiries, be prompt and to the point, and create the opportunity of a phone call to get prospects in the showroom for a scheduled appointment.

3. Keep Your Ears Open, Listen Effectively, and Ask Engaging Questions
Once on the phone with a prospect, you have two goals: make him or her like you, and secure an appointment at the dealership. Most people think they're good listeners, in fact, they only pay enough attention to be able to phrase their comeback remark - a sure way to annoy your prospect. Listen intently to the words as well as the pitch and volume of the voice, that way, you can read between the lines and respond to any concerns or desires. When answering prospects' questions, be direct and get to the point. When the time is right, ask open-ended questions to engage them. Get them to talk about their motivations, RV experience, family size, extra-curricular activities, likes, and dislikes about their present RV and any other makes or models they are considering. Ue these hot buttons to create the desire to take the next step and visit the showroom.

Bottom line, profitable businesses treat their webstie and resulting leads as gold, and this is even more crucial during these challenging economic conditions. Granted, there is no magic, one-size-fits-all formula, but these proven best practices, when customized to your business, will directly increase your sales and profitability. If a quick e-mail or phone call could yield a single buyer from the 60 percent of leads that go unanswered, wouldn't you invest time to put these ideas to use? Once you have prospects on your turf, impressed with your quick response and helpfulness, you have the upper hand and a much greater chance to turn them into customers.

Bob McCann is the Director of Education for Channel Blade Technologies. He developed unique eBusiness sales processes for OEMs and RV and marine dealers. For more information call at (727) 735-9592 or e-mail bob.mccann@channelblade.com.