How to increase dealership sales by retaining walk-in customers

Car dealerships face the challenge of converting walk-in customers into loyal, returning customers. According to a recent study by Cox Automotive, "walking in" remains the most common initial point of contact with dealerships, and more than half of car buyers don't contact the dealership before their first visit. Out of those who do visit, just 25% end up making a purchase. So what can dealerships do to encourage the other 75% of walk-in customers to return and make a purchase?

DealDriver addresses this challenge by making it easy for salespeople to connect with customers visiting their dealership during or outside of business hours. We offer a suite of tools that help dealerships to collect genuine contact details of walk-ins, measure dealership activity, and encourage leads to return. Here’s how it works.

1. Offer information in exchange for details

It’s not uncommon to see most car dealerships display ‘silent salesmen’ in the windows of vehicles advertised for sale in their yards. While these documents are useful for both salespeople and customers alike - they encourage window shopping by freely providing vehicle information to customers whilst failing to collect any meaningful information in return.

DealDriver’s QR code ‘silent salesman’ window stickers offer a contactless browsing experience and make it easy to collect the customer’s genuine contact details without the confrontational experience of being ushered into an office. When a customer scans a QR code for the first time, they are prompted to provide their name and contact number which is then verified before re-directing the customer to the online vehicle listing on the dealer’s website. What’s more, QR codes are a great way of collecting the contact information of after-hours buyers.

Traditional Handwritten Vehicle Display Notice

QR Code Vehicle Display Notice

2. Automate your follow-ups

It's crucial for dealerships to collect leads during and outside of business hours because they represent a significant portion of potential customers who may not have made a purchase during their initial visit. DealDriver's QR codes make it easy to collect the contact information of after-hours walk-ins, which accounts for approximately 20% of all leads. However, dealerships should also consider that 80% of all leads are from customers visiting during business hours. In a scenario where a dealership had 1000 walk-ins, only 250 customers would make a purchase, leaving 750 potential customers who did not make a purchase. Therefore, if a dealership only collected after-hours leads, they could miss out on up to 600 potential leads, making it essential to collect leads during and outside of business hours.

By using DealDriver's QR codes to collect genuine contact details, dealerships can reach out to potential customers directly, thus increasing the likelihood of converting them into returning customers. Salespeople can follow up with leads manually or leverage automated SMS to notify them about upcoming promotions, inform them of price reductions on specific vehicles, or invite them to request a valuation of their trade-in vehicle. SMS is a powerful communication channel that allows dealerships to provide timely and relevant information to leads, building trust and rapport with potential customers. With high open rates and response rates, SMS is also non-intrusive and can significantly improve a dealership's lead conversion rate.

3. Manage your leads in one location

To help dealerships manage their valuable walk-in leads, it's crucial to have a Lead Management System (LMS) in place. However, most LMS solutions are geared towards managing online leads, which can make it challenging for dealerships to effectively follow up with walk-ins. DealDriver's integrated solution is specifically designed to help dealerships manage and reconnect with their walk-in leads. With DealDriver, sales teams can easily track when a customer visited, which vehicles they looked at, which other dealerships they've visited, log calls, set reminders, and more. This valuable information can help sales teams engage with potential customers and increase the chances of converting them into loyal, returning customers.

4. Measure sales performance

Until now, car dealerships had no way to measure their sales team's performance accurately concerning walk-ins versus vehicles sold. However, with DealDriver's analytics dashboard, this capability is now available. By analyzing the number of walk-ins versus vehicles sold in any given timeframe, the dashboard provides dealerships with valuable insights into their team's efficiency and productivity. This previously unattainable data can be used to identify areas for improvement, assess the effectiveness of sales strategies, and make informed decisions about future marketing efforts.

The dashboard also provides a comprehensive view of the entire sales process, from lead capture to closing the sale, a capability that was not previously available. By tracking the entire process, dealerships can identify bottlenecks and streamline their approach, resulting in increased sales and revenue. In addition, the dashboard allows dealerships to monitor individual sales team member's performance, enabling them to provide targeted support and training where needed. This previously unattainable level of insight into sales team performance can drive business growth and create loyal, returning customers. With DealDriver's analytics dashboard, car dealerships now have access to an unprecedented level of data-driven decision-making, empowering them to optimize their sales processes and achieve business success.

Conclusion

If you're running a dealership, it's essential to consider how you're managing your walk-in leads. Without a solid plan in place, you may miss out on potential returning customers. Walk-in customers make up a significant portion of dealership customers, and it's crucial to ensure a positive experience for every customer. This can be achieved by utilizing current CRM capabilities, collecting relevant information from potential customers, and tailoring your lead management system toward managing walk-ins. DealDriver offers a suite of tools that can assist you in capturing walk-in leads, including QR code 'silent salesman' window stickers and a Lead Management System. Remember, collecting after-hours walk-in details is also essential, as it accounts for approximately 20% of all leads. By analyzing customer behavior and encouraging them to take action, you can increase sales and create loyal, returning customers.