Imagine the number of touchpoints the average consumer has with your dealership, from the first Google search, online credit application, and test-drive, all the way through the follow-up call, more web browsing, and signing the contract paperwork. It’s usually a higher number of interactions than you first predict. And the path to that sale has become increasingly curvy, as buyers in today’s mobile shopping culture zigzag between steps in any order they wish.
You know your website must be on point, just like your showroom. But car shoppers are no longer segmented into online versus in-store, and a connected sales process should include both. The fact is, if you’re not integrating your software products to seamlessly share information, the understanding you have of each prospect is flawed. That means your sales approach is likely off the mark.
Website or CRM – Can’t Pick Just One
Nowhere is the disparity between data sources more evident than your website and CRM products. Gone are the days when consumers visit your store right out of the gate and limit all interactions to in-person visits or over the phone.
Today’s consumer loves anonymity without pressure. So, website browsing both before and after an in-store appointment gives research-hungry buyers the information they crave. The problem is, if you are tracking web visitors through your website and in-store visitors through your CRM, how will you know when the two cross paths?
Consider this scenario … Customer Eddie finds your dealership through Google and submits a web lead after pinpointing his dream truck on your gorgeous website. He’s impressed. After a few email and text exchanges, Eddie sets an appointment with one of your salespeople. At the in-store visit, Eddie test drives the 2014 Dodge Ram truck he loves, and says he’ll go home to think about it. Later that night, Eddie’s wife shares the surprise news that she’s pregnant with their fifth child. Eddie is over the moon. He forgets about the truck and starts planning for the baby with his family. He and his wife have several discussions over the next week about getting a Chevy Suburban for their growing family. Eddie thought he wanted a truck, but with the news of a fifth child on the way, it makes more sense to start looking at other options. So, he opens a new search on your website, this time in search of a Suburban. Eddie’s on a new mission to provide for his family, and he’s ready to buy.
Think about it. Do you want your salesperson following up with Eddie about the 2016 Dodge Ram truck that just came in – a decision based entirely on the in-store appointment? Or would you rather your team know about all of Eddie’s actual behavior, including his post-appointment browsing of the larger SUVs on your site? Eddie’s search has started all over, and he’s likely to head to another dealership quickly if your team isn’t set up to easily provide what he needs in the moment.
At DealerSocket, we know that offering relevant value, in the moment, is the prerequisite for every sale. But you can’t know what’s relevant unless you gain visibility into the complete picture of your car shopper’s history. It’s as unique as their fingerprint. The prospects in your system are real, complex people – with many more shades of gray than one visit to your store could reveal.
Doesn’t it make more sense to build your strategies on a customer’s real-life behavior – both in and out of your dealership? Wouldn’t you gain more revenue by connecting all the “dots,” or individual interactions with your dealership across their unique sales journey, into a single cohesive picture attributed to one buyer?
Two Systems, One Customer
The desire for a holistic profile of the customer is what inspired DealerSocket to develop our revolutionary Crossfire integration. Simply put, this integration enhances Blackbird CRM’s capabilities with DealerFire website data, offering unprecedented detail about your web visitors who submit a lead, click an email sent from your CRM, or visit your store in person. You get the entire customer history on one page, in Blackbird CRM.
Dealers know immediately – in real time – when one of their prospects visits their website again, which vehicle detail pages they view, and how long they stay. You can even automate customized marketing tailored to each consumer’s online behavior.
Crossfire’s entire mission is to help dealers deliver relevant, targeted content that nurtures consumers through – and even back into – the sales process. By equipping dealers with detailed intelligence and a 10,000-foot view of their customer, you can craft truly relevant marketing designed to match exactly what your buyers are looking for.
Want to see more? Here’s how you can reap the benefits of connecting your website and CRM.