Summary
Two dealerships, guided by actionable insights from Maritz’s Internet Sales Coach training, completed 90-day pilot training programs that resulted in higher lead conversion rates, better Internet sales processes, and an improved customer service model.
Dealer A
Internet Close Rate Points Improved:
3%
Appointment Sold Rate Improved:
5%
Dealer B
Internet Close Rate Points Improved:
2%
Improved Response Time:
9 Minutes
Growing OEM Sales Volume by Increasing Internet Conversions
A global OEM recognized an opportunity for dealers to increase Internet close rates and sell more vehicles by improving its lead handling and customer experience.
It partnered with Maritz to implement a virtual Internet Sales Coach pilot program, which explores each dealer’s CRM to provide specific and actionable guidance on Internet lead handling, workflow optimization, CRM utilization, sales processes and phone skills.
Strategy for Success
Two dealerships were chosen for a 90-day pilot – Dealer A and Dealer B.
The Maritz Performance Coach began by exploring each store’s CRM to identify the challenges limiting their Internet performance. The Performance Coach then met with store team members to review those identified challenges, provide best practice solutions, present the Internet Sales Coach philosophy, and secure the staff’s commitment to improvement.
Video-Based Coaching Drives Results
The Performance Coach produced digestible weekly Insights videos covering issues pulled directly from the dealers’ CRMs. These examples represented recent customer interactions, specific to each dealer, and included personalized feedback on past efforts taken to address the issue, as well as guidance for continuing follow-up.
The combination of frequency, specific training topics and suggested solutions allowed management and staff to quickly recognize areas of opportunity and implement the recommended changes.
In addition to Insights videos, Performance Coach, in full partnership with dealership staff, took on an active role in updating CRM workflows and templates. The Performance Coach created workflow examples for the stores to implement, with the assistance of their CRM company, as well as custom email templates to save time and provide consistent, professional dealer messaging in a variety of customer situations.
Measuring Growth
Improvements were measured by Internet KPIs and a monthly Lead Response Analysis, Maritz’s omni-channel digital assessment. The analysis recorded the dealers’ email, text and phone responses to a unique website form lead. Each dealer’s Performance Coach then assessed the data to develop a strategy that dealers could utilize to improve Internet close rates, appointment set rates, appointment show rates and response times.
The Results
Maritz’s focus on providing specific and actionable weekly guidance helped these dealerships rapidly improve their customer engagement to drive appointments and sales.
By diagnosing and helping solve the real issues happening in the stores’ CRMs, Performance Coaches were able to show substantial improvement to those dealerships’ monthly averages. The stores’ staff also adapted to the new expectations by improving their response times and quality, increasing appointment set and show rates, and closing more overall Internet sales. Our internal assessments showed significant traction and improvement.
Result Highlights: Dealer A
Close Rate Improved 3%
Lead Response Analysis Score Increased 12%
Appointments Shown Increased 2% and Appointments Sold Increased 5%
Result Highlights: Dealer B
Close Rate Improved 2%
Response Time Improved an Average of 9 Minutes
A high level of staff engagement, along with changes to the CRM, helped this dealer quickly reach its highest close rate in over a year, while also garnering more leads than it had seen in all but two of the preceding 12 months.
Dealer B’s team took advantage of Maritz’s templates and enhanced its processes to improve its response time by more than 50%
Helping Dealers Sell More Cars
Results outlined in this case study are even more impressive when considering the compressed 90-day timeframe. With continuous training from our Performance Coaches, the ceiling grows even higher.
The automotive retail landscape is changing rapidly, as are customers’ expectations. This case study shows the critical role Internet process training plays in dealership success. Maritz prides itself on swiftly bringing meaningful change to our clients, and these dealers are shining examples of how quickly our approach can lead to improvements in performance, Internet leads and, ultimately, the bottom line.
Every dealership could use someone who’s looking for opportunities in its CRM every day. Why not recruit your own dedicated Performance Coach to help your staff become difference makers for your company?
Check out Internet Sales Coach to learn how we can help take your dealerships to the next level.
