Scott Deetz couldn’t catch a free moment. With internet lead counts up nearly 400% from the group’s monthly average, the digital sales manager for Iowa’s Mason City Ford Lincoln needed to create efficiencies while maintaining quality. At the direction of his forward-thinking General Manager, Luke Schmitt, Deetz turned to the CRM’s built-in communication and automation tools.

 

Texting for immediate connection

 Using the CRM's SocketTalk texting and internal messaging tool, Deetz's BDC team can quickly address customer inquiries and update each other on critical activities.

"We know that internet shoppers are looking at 15 to 20 cars," Deetz says. "So that first communication better have a picture of the vehicle and be personalized, so we stand out from our competition.

“We use SocketTalk to communicate with each other, too,” he continues. “We have a customer coming in tomorrow to purchase a Lincoln she inquired about 30 days ago. Through SocketTalk, I was able to start a text conversation with that customer. SocketTalk then allowed me to communicate to the salesperson that the customer hadn’t purchased a vehicle yet and to reach out. Without SocketTalk, that doesn't happen."

“I think the more we can keep everything — whether it's a text or email — on one platform, the quicker and more efficient we'll become.”

Scott Deetz, Digital Sales Manager

Mason City Ford Lincoln Chrysler

Improving conversion through automation

At the height of a global pandemic, the dealership's appointment-to-show rate neared 80%, with nearly 50% of those appointments resulting in a sale. Deetz attributes the results to increased attention on the dealership’s lead-handling process and the activation of appointment confirmation texts.

“One of the features I love about SocketTalk is the ability to deliver automated appointment confirmation texts,” Deetz says.

Another tactic Deetz employs is the optimization of the dealership's email templates, which are created and delivered within the CRM and utilized across his teams.

“So, we use templates, which is another thing DealerSocket makes extremely easy. We pull up the template and then personalize the email,” Deetz says. “What I like is DealerSocket makes managing, auditing, and building templates a very simple process.”

Aside from monitoring email open rates, Deetz says the CRM's Sales Tracking Report has proved especially useful. "It allows us to go right down that list and say, 'Okay, we contacted this person. Did they contact us back?’” he says. “I can do the same in SocketTalk. If we haven't heard back, I just send them another message. That's been huge for us.”

“A lot of times, SocketTalk is the first touchpoint, and it’s helped tremendously as volume has increased. We want to stop that clock. Beyond that, we put emphasis on reading details submitted in the lead and making sure the first response is quality and brings value.”

Scott Deetz, Digital Sales Manager

Mason City Ford Lincoln Chrysler

Next on the agenda is improving data entry. At a minimum, Deetz wants an email captured on all customers entered into the CRM. However, the goal is for his team to record as much information about the customer as possible — an effort Deetz believes will result in more effective follow-up campaigns.

“That involves automation to make the process easier, but it also involves personal touches. It’s a challenge we look forward to, especially since DealerSocket always has our back,” he says. “Whether it's my Customer Success Manager or submitting a chat inquiry and having someone walk me through the process, the support we receive is top-notch.

“I remember when the team was here to set us up on the CRM. They were so easy to work with, and they seemed to adapt everything to the level of technology we knew. It was a new day the moment we were onboarded onto DealerSocket’s CRM."

Scott Deetz, Digital Sales Manager

Mason City Ford Lincoln Chrysler

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