Friday, January 14, 2011

RE: Discussion_Reply_To_Help_with_Lead_Source_Mix

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Discussion_Reply_To_Help_with_Lead_Source_Mix
From: "DrivingSales" <no-reply@drivingsales.com>
Date: Fri, January 14, 2011 10:25 am
To: Thomas@Ieracitano.com

Hello,

A reply to a topic you're participating in has been posted by Thomas Ieracitano:

Stephen, welcome to the car business!! And welcome to Driving Sales.
Looks like you are off to a great start. Like the rest of us in the biz sounds like you got thrown in and you are trying to figure things out as you go and doing a great job of it. As in building any department a good solid foundation and creating a funnel with the anticipated result at the end.

I agree with Bill in using a CRM or at least an ILM to create a database of leads where as you say track your progress. You will also be able to build a follow up process over time. Long Term Follow is important because some New Vehicle buyers will convert to Used Buyers and reverse.
Content is key not only on your website, but in your email follow-up.

When I started in the biz we would say follow them til the buy or die. I believe the say is true today, only the delivery methods have changed.
Be persistent, but professional !
Ask your OEM reps for help and feel free to download any of my material at http://digitalcarguy.com/Free_Files.html

Good Luck and Good Selling!
Thomas

View Topic on DrivingSales


Thomas Ieracitano
want a website or an email like this ?  go to http://123BrandMe.com

Now What AutoTrader?

Now What AutoTrader?

December 7, 2010 by John Druien

So what do you think is next on the plate for AutoTrader.com? Take over small countries in the Caribbean? Buy Dealer groups? Nothing really seems impossible for the company that has been in acquisition mode snapping up vAuto, Kelly Blue Book and HomeNet over the last 3 months. The company is truly taking over the automotive online marketing world and is far surpassing the visibility of other players that had previously worked up to 'neck and neck.'
 
The next step for AutoTrader appears to be getting in the middle of the finance business. They claim that these acquisitions are based entirely on their goal of "listening to dealers." Anyone who is in the business, and that actually listens to dealers, will tell you that staying the heck OUT of the finance side of the business is really what dealers prefer. The F&I office is one of the last bastians of profit that online companies have stayed out of, and dealers are ok with that. On the other hand, AutoTrader understands that's where a lot of money changes hands, and that's money that AutoTrader would like a piece of. We will wait to see what they come up in that area...or who they will buy. Maybe a bank.
 
What AutoTrader still cannot do, nor can most typical automotive destination sites, is determine the bottom of the sales funnel leads. At some point "quantity of leads" is going to stop being a selling point in favor of quality of leads. Dealers are not strong at keeping up with customers that contact the store and don't let on where they are in the 6-month purchase funnel process.
 
Chip Perry and AutoTrader...we await your next move.
 


Thank you,
Thomas Ieracitano
want a website or an email like this ?  go to http://123BrandMe.com