There’s an app, shortcut, tool, and faster way for everything these days, and it seems like the pressure to automate is on. In auto sales especially, automation is touted as the solution to keep up in the "race to be more like Amazon." But automation in sales shouldn’t just save time. It should improve every customer touchpoint, providing a better sales experience for the customer and salesperson, and contribute to a better bottom line.
To improve your sales process without sacrificing the personal side of sales, here are some ways to layer in automation.
Save Time
Sales automation should take the monotonous, manual tasks salespeople repeatedly have to do and automate them. Done well, automation will save time, create efficiencies, and allow you to focus on more important tasks. Done poorly, it saves time at the expense of creating an impersonal sales experience. When and where automation is used to save time should be carefully considered before implementing.
Use smart sales tools that improve the sales process and complement the work you do everyday as a salesperson.
Done well, automation will save time, create efficiencies, and allow you to focus on more important tasks. Done poorly, it saves time at the expense of creating an impersonal sales experience.
Chat
Chat bots can be a great way to save time and provide a better customer experience through automation. Most chat systems work seamlessly so customers don’t feel like they’re chatting with a bot. Especially after-hours when customers are browsing your website, chat systems can provide a positive customer experience and tee up prospects who are primed for salesperson follow-up the next morning.
Answering the same questions and directing prospects to the same resources time and time again? Create email templates that can be used and reused. Just be sure you personalize the important details that need to be updated for each prospect, so it still feels personal.
CRM
Your CRM should have workflows, reminders, and other features to help automate and make lead management easy. Take advantage of elements in the CRM that are there to make your day-to-day easier. And, as much as possible, keep your CRM at the center of your sales process. Look for other sales automation tools that integrate with your CRM so you don’t have to dig for information in two places or spend time logging in to multiple tools.
Add Value
Consider automation not just for the tasks that can be replaced, but tasks that can be done for the first time. Sales automation is at its best when it automates what you could never achieve manually.
As an example, you know you need to follow up with every prospect who visits your lot within 24 hours of their visit. Ideally, you want to be able to do the same thing for every prospect who visits your website, by sending them a personalized follow-up email within 24 hours of their site visit.
The good news? This is totally possible when you use sales tools that add value through automation.
Consider automation not just for the tasks that can be replaced, but tasks that can be done for the first time. Sales automation is at its best when it automates what you could never achieve manually.
Dynamic Email
Go a step beyond templates and standard marketing messages with inventory-based, dynamic email follow-up. Instead of a ‘Hey, Just following up’, get that price drop or fresh inventory in front of your hot leads. Personalized emails that feel 1:1 but are sent at scale are a game changer for sales follow-up. With dynamic email software, you can send valuable inventory updates to your leads without wasting hours prepping and personalizing content. This opens up your schedule to take more appointments and spend more time closing.
Lead Prioritization
Have you ever started your day not sure which lead to call? With better sales intelligence, you can come in each morning to a lead list that’s prioritized by level of interest and last activity on your website. Delivered automatically each morning, you’ll have the roadmap you need to spend your day focused on your highest-quality leads.
Lead Insights
Say it with me: reporting can and should be automated. There’s no need for salespeople to spend their time digging through CRM notes when they can have lead insights on their phones and in their inbox, allowing them to engage leads and have better conversations when it matters.
Avoid Over-Automating
While I fully support sales automation where it saves time and adds value, I also firmly believe there are some things that should not be automated. Sales automation tools are successful when they personalize the sales process and provide a positive experience for each customer. They’re not successful when they stretch too far into trying to replace the relationship aspect of sales and diminish the value of a salesperson.
For the majority of your customers, buying a car is a big deal. One that can be emotional and stressful. When considering buying versus leasing, monthly payment options, down payments, trade-in values, safety ratings, model comparisons, and more, it’s important that customers have their questions answered and their concerns heard. Managing emotions and overcoming obstacles is essential to the role of a salesperson and in the crucial moments leading to the sale, there should be no automation involved.
As a salesperson you know how to connect with each customer and read between the lines when it comes to the nuts and bolts of buying a car. Sales tools will help get you closer to the finish line, but when complex problem solving and empathy is required, don’t expect automation to replace the value of a salesperson.
Master Automation in Auto Sales
My advice? Automate where it makes sense and when it empowers salespeople. Big wins happen when salespeople have the tools to offload tedious tasks and focus on person-to-person interactions.
To start, make sure you're getting the most from your email marketing. Download our free guide and learn the types of email auto dealerships should be using for better sales results.
