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RV Industry News - Leading the Way
Get more bang for your buck and turn any RV show into a cash machine with early planning before the event and quick follow-up By Bob McCann, Director of Client Education Looking at Channel Blade's dealer clients' performance over the last year, it seems that new prospects who visit the dealer booth at an RV show for the first time are not buying right then and there. RVs are discretionary income items often associated with a long-term buying process. The first visit often marks the beginning of the sales preocess rather than the sale per se. That's why implementing a well-organized follow-through process will result in more sales in the long run. Make the most of your show investment by using a sound lead management strategy designed to close sales at the show with existing prospects, and start a sustained, personal relationship with existing prospects, and start a sustained, personal relationaship with new visitors. Below is Channel Blade's recommended RV show sales and lead management strategy that has proven successful for dealer clients. DRIVE POTENTIAL BUYERS TO YOUR BOOTH WITH A PRE-SHOW E-MAIL CAMPAIGN Prior to the show, a short and to-the-point e-mail should be sent to prospect, informing them of the location, dates and new models that will be displayed. Provide the opportunity for further information on the show using hyperlinks to your Web site - not the show's Web site - to keep prospects focused on what your business has to offer. As you know, the "what's in it for me?" factor is crucial when convincing prospects to take action. Include dealership traffic builders in your e-mail. Invite prospects to come by at their convenience and pick up free or discounted tickets and/or parking passes. When they stop by, build traffic to your booth by telling them to visit and pick up a free T-shirt, hat, Koozies, etc. Wouldn't you be more inclined to buy an RV from a dealership that takes such good care of you this early in your research process? The e-mailed invitation should be sent by the assigned salesperson - a personal touch goes a long way in getting a prospect's attention. In fact, Channel Blade's research shows that when prospects receive e-mail from the salesperson with whom they have become familiar, open rates are 500 percent higher compared to e-mails sent by the dealership. This may seem like a time-consuming endeavor, but it doesn't have to be. Today's market offers affordable, proven lead management solutions that enable you to easily and quickly search and segment your database and launch a powerful e-marketing campaign in minutes. Look for a leading provider that includes templates you can use as a starting point and personalize to promote your dealership. MOTIVATE THEM EARLY. WHO SAYS NO TO REWARDS AND FREEBIES? At the show, each salesperson should use multi-copy Customer Information cards so one copy goes to the salesperson and the other to the assigned lead management associate. To encourage thorough data gathering, motivate your sales team with a daily contest. For example, the salesperson who has gathered the most Customer Information cards with one e-mail address or two phone numbers (home and cell) receives $100 (gift card or cash). At the same time, facilitate information sharing from prospects by offering a give-away. Register to win a Wii, GPS, iPod, TV, etc. Another way to encourage prospects to provide their e-mail addresses is by saying the prize winner will be notified by e-mail. RV show leads should be entered in the dealership's lead management solution - not simply kept at a salesperson's desk. The process starts at the show where all salespeople should be required to collect as much information as possible from all prospects with whom they spent meaningful time. When the prospect leaves your display, the lead management associate should immediately enter the prospect's information into your lead management solution. From this point, all follow-up activities can be automatically scheduled so salespeople can focus on their day-to-day responsibilities while prospects' needs are still satisfied throughout the buying cycle. BEGIN FOLLOW-UP AT THE SHOW A simple, thank-you e-mail should be scheduled to go out to the prospect as soon as his or her contact information has been added to the database. Wouldn't you feel special if you came home from a show and found a nice and helpful e-mail from the salesperson you met a few hours ago? Wouldn't this person stand out in your mind? This automatic template should be added to your lead management solution prior to the show. Again, a widely used lead management system will include a helpful template to facilitate this process. Branded with the dealership's logo, the e-mail should be short, simple and to the point. Thank the prospect for stopping by; invite him or her to contact the salesperson for further assistance and link to your Web site for more information on your dealership, inventory and events. You can go a step further and provide the option to save the prospect a trip back to the show by simply allowing the salesperson to take a small, fully refundable deposit. Remember that you're not asking for anything. It's a soft-sell tool that enables you to demonstrate your professionalism right away and keep your dealership at the forefront of the prospect's mind in a highly competitive environment. Go the extra mile and have the lead management associate in charge of entering leads sort them and print them by salesperson at the end of each day. The next morning, when the show is just opening and traffic is slow, have your salespeople follow up by phone. They should thank the prospect for coming by (as he or she may not have read your thank-you e-mail despite your best intentions), find out more about where they stand in terms of decision making after visiting several booths, and try again to obtain a credit card deposit. Beginning the follow-up process at the show goes a long way in making your dealership stand out in a crowd and establish that crucial personalized connection with a potential buyer. ORGANIZE A POST-SHOW OPEN HOUSE Two e-mail campaigns should be scheduled immediately following the show - one for potential buyers who stopped by your booth and one for the remaining prospects in your database. When addressing the prospects who came to the show, thank them for stopping by, mention the RV of interest discussed at the show and invite them to an open house - their last chance to benefit from special RV show prices. Ask them to call or e-mail you to schedule an appointment during the open house. Provide a link to your Web site for more information on this special event, which should take place no later than two weeks after the end of the show. The e-mail to the remaining prospects in your database should indicate that you missed them at the show and would like to invite them to the open house to give them the opportunity to benefit from special RV show prices. Include the same suggestions you make to prospects from the show. A well-organized lead management strategy combined with a prompt, personalized follow-up approach will undoubtedly enable your dealership and salespeople to stand out from the clutter. This is where small and large dealerships can leverage a powerful Web site and lead management solutions to automate portions of the sales process. They enable your dealership to maintain that cruicial, sustained relationship with prospects and accelerate the buying cycle to continuously build the pipeline for future sales. About the Author: Bob McCann, a 15-year sales education veteran, is the author of the nationally-recognized e-business sales method known as TIPS (traffic, interactive Web site, process, sales.) As the director of client education for Channel Blade, McCann has developed proven e-buesiness saels processes to support the company's growing list of clients, including more than 60 leading manufacturers and 2,000 dealer locations worldwide. Channel Blade (www.channelblade.com) provides award-winning online marketing, lead management and sales education solutions to the marine, RV and powersports industries. McCann can be reached at (866) 233-8300, bob.mccann@channelblade.com |
About Channel Blade and ARI
Channel Blade, an ARI company, provides online lead generation, lead management and sales education solutions that drive more leads and sales to manufacturers and dealers within the marine and recreational vehicle industries. Channel Blade supports its clients worldwide with its award-winning, cost-efficient solutions and hands-on education programs -- including 70 percent of Boating Industry's prestigious 2008 Top 100 Dealers.
ARI Network Services, Inc. (ARI) is a leading provider of electronic parts catalogs and marketing services to dealers, distributors and manufacturers in the manufactured equipment markets. ARI currently serves approximately 100 manufacturers and 190 distributors worldwide, as well as more than 25,000 dealers in several markets, including outdoor power; power sports; marine; recreation vehicle; appliance; agricultural equipment; floor maintenance; construction; and aftermarket auto and truck parts. Both of the companies’ products, as well as the websites designed for its customers, have received numerous industry awards, including Editor’s Choice Award for SearchEngineSmart™ in February, 2009 awarded by Powersports Business Magazine and this year’s Best Dealer Website of the Year for MarineMax.com.
For more information on Channel Blade and ARI, please visit www.channelblade.com and www.arinet.com.
Media contact: Lindsay Rapoport, (757) 222-6723; lindsay.rapoport@channelblade.
