Every up sheet should have a source. This tells you how the lead originated, is helpful for reports, and
provides background information on your customer.
E-leads will come in with their source named, which is great because then you know this customer is an
internet shopper, and you hopefully have an email address to keep in touch with him/her. But, manually
created up sheets need to be assigned a source. Was this a walk-in, referral, friend, previous customer,
or did the customer come to you through an advertisement?
Having the source in all of your up sheets gives accurate reporting statistics that managers can use to
see where money on advertising in best spent, but can also be helpful to a salesperson. Knowing where
your most fruitful leads are coming from tells you where to use more energy when trying to close a sale.
Having the source in there is another way to filter your customers, too.
Using sources properly starts with the account administrator taking time to make sure the dealership’s
AutoRaptor account has the sources that it needs and can use in the future. This step is critical early on
to ensuring that sources get used properly. For example, just entering the source “referral” may not tell
you much. Maybe you want a category called “referral” broken down into sources specifying from whom the referral
came – customer, employee, family, friend, etc. Each dealership is different and can choose their sources based on their needs.
Do you have the sources you need in your AutoRaptor account? Are your salespeople assigning sources to all leads?
I recently read about a survey that found, "organizations that provided their sales teams with mobile access to their CRM systems realized a 14.6 percent increase in productivity."
Everyone is going mobile. In car dealerships mobility is key. Salespeople are out on the lots, talking to customers; they are not at their desks most of the day, so being able to respond to emails and check their CRM on their phone or tablet is convenient, if not necessary.
The increase in productivity could also be attributed to the addictive nature of cell phones and mobile devices. Many people check their phones all the time, but are rarely using a computer. Therefore, access via a mobile device gets the salesperson's attention immediately, whereas they may not be on their computer for hours.
AutoRaptor CRM has had a mobile version for years. As a web-based application, AutoRaptor is easy to access from anywhere that internet service is available. There are no hassles about syncing your mobile device with your desktop because you are always logged into your online account.
Is your CRM mobile? Are your salespeople using it?
One of the first things we do during trainings is to ask new AutoRaptor CRM users to fill out their signature page. Why is this feature so important?
First, it’s a time saver. If your name, company, and phone number are set up to appear on all outgoing email and letters, then you don’t have to type that information each time.
You can also think of it as a safety net. We are all human and make errors at times. Just like we sometimes forget to attach a document we planned to send, we could forget to type our phone number even as we are asking a customer to call us back. Or maybe the customer would rather call than write back. With the automatic signature, your phone number is always in the email.
What should you put in the signature box? You definitely need your name, company name, and phone number. I think you should also put the business address. If you have multiple locations, this clarifies where you are located. Also, your prospective customers could be contacting multiple places about various vehicles. If your address is right there in the email, it saves them time and effort to remember who you are and where to find you.
The one thing you should not put in your signature is your email address. With AutoRaptor CRM, the emails are sent and received in the up sheet to keep all of the information in one, accessible place. When they reply to the email you sent from the up sheet, it goes into the up sheet. If they reply to your external email address, then the information is not kept in the up sheet.
For our users who have not set up a signature yet, maybe you should do it now. When logged into AutoRaptor, just click on your name on the top where it says “Logged in as . . . “ Remember to click “save changes” after typing your signature.
In the article CRM: The 'holy grail' or a process fail? Craig Conard ponders the question of whether a CRM is always worth it. He says sometimes CRMs create extra administrative work without enough benefit to the business. But, I think he makes some of the same points that AutoRaptor CRM has been making all along.
As Conard says, "Most important, keep the database simple." AutoRaptor was built on this premise.Our CRM for auto dealers is easy to use and easy to learn because it is designed to be simple and to store your database of customers and potential customers in a simple form. Tech savvy customers learn the basics of the application on their own, while those who come to AutoRaptor CRM unable to even turn on a computer are still able to learn the application.
But, Conard makes another point that we have been saying all along - Managers need to make using the CRM mandatory, and enforce proper use of the tool. As Conard puts it, the managers and salespeople are under pressure to produce sales first and foremost, so if a salesperson makes sales without properly using the CRM, there is no push to use it. This creates a gap in the usefulness of the CRM for reporting and documentation as some information is missing from the database. Basically, it is important that management purchases a CRM that is useful for their dealership's needs, and enforces use of that CRM.
AutoRaptor feels we can meet the needs of many dealerships as our user-friendly application simplifies the CRM process, so time is not wasted on the administrative details. Get a demo to see if it will work for your dealership.
Our goal is to provide solutions to your lead management pains. This doesn’t just mean we sign you up to use our CRM application and you’re done. Take a look; do you suffer from any of these pains?
PAIN OUR SOLUTION!
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Are leads disorganized and sometimes lost because they are written on paper, which sometimes get lost in the shuffle? |
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A web-based application where gathered info stays in one place, accessible anywhere there is an internet connection. |
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Are you always wondering if all the necessary follow up was done to sell that lead? What about getting a customer to come back and buy a second car? |
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Customize your follow up plans for new leads and delivered customers. Work off a daily work plan with reminders and a schedule. And, see activities in real-time! |
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What about my internet leads? Can those directly enter the system? |
Internet leads are set up to come directly into the application, creating an up sheet. Quickly respond and assign leads. You can even work it from your Smartphone with our mobile version. |
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Using a CRM will be a big change in the way the sales team work. What if it is too hard or they don’t use it? |
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A truly simple user interface allows a person with any level of computer skills to navigate the system and see the benefit. Be a champion, to make sure it gets used! |