You’re the Internet Sales Manager at a Mazda store in Edmonton .
You’re one of those guys who needs to see what’s happening with all leads so you set up a text alert to notify you every time one arrives.
It’s very late when you here the familiar chime from your iPhone.
You glance down at your watch.
It’s one minute to midnight…
You open your email and see the lead is a best price request on a Used Dodge Ram 3500 you just picked up at Adesa.
Your iPhone lights up again. Same guy. You now have a completed credit application.
Turns out the guy, John, is a supervisor at Suncor in Fort Mac. He’s working the graveyard shift and plans to drive to Edmonton Friday afternoon to buy a used Cummins diesel. You have exactly what he’s looking for. This should be a deal.
Who on your team would call John, at midnight?
Most would argue he would not expect a call at that hour. Perhaps not. However, what do you think would happen if you called him anyway?
What would John think?
Just because few dealerships have anyone answering the phone after the key goes in the door at closing time doesn’t mean you shouldn’t respond to Internet leads after hours.
If you have someone on your staff who wants to work leads late at night, why not let them?
Most lead management systems make it easy to direct Internet leads to specific team members at different times of the day.
I’ve personally contacted prospects late at night. Nearly all of them were pleasantly surprised “the dealership was still open for business so late.”
Am I saying you should tell your sales people to work until midnight?
No.
But I bet, if you asked, you would find a few interested in speaking with all the “John’s from Suncor” they could, regardless of what time of day or night it was.
NOTHING will get the attention of a prospect quicker than a lightning fast response from a motivated salesperson who knows the objective when making such a call, at one minute to midnight.
What’s the objective?
1) Stop John from shopping.
2) Build rapport.
3) Book an appointment.
4) Get him to the store.
5) Put up a sticker
Next week I’m going to share a personal story about how back in 1986, (while selling Hyundai Pony’s in Calgary), I was literally given the “key” to working less and selling more.
Here’s a hint; To borrow a phrase from The Great One, “I learned to skate to where the puck was going to be”
If they are asking a question, they are awake. Until I get told off by a high percentage of people…that practice is effective. Who are we to judge when someone is tired, sleeping, shopping, hungry,mad…etc. If they are on our site and inquiring, they are either awake and shopping or on Meds and sleep surfing. 🙂
I could not agree more. When the phone is ringing, we pick it up. How are Internet leads any different?
David,
Great blog! I finally found Another Canadian blogging for the dealer folks
It’s actually a very valid point. I know I do a lot of shopping in the later hours online and if I received a call immediately after I expressed interest in a unit that would prove to me the positive desire of the salesperson to take care of my needs. Great article.