There are many ways to talk to customers and sell cars today. Text messages from car dealers are becoming more and more popular. Even though it’s not new, text messaging is a valuable way to connect with your audience and close sales.
More than half of customers would like to get text messages from companies that sell the products they want. Compared to phone calls and emails, the response rate to text messages is 209% higher for companies that use them. This means that text messages are a much better way to get people’s attention.
That can add up to a pretty hefty profit. But texting an auto dealer isn’t as easy as it sounds. Some tips and tricks can help you get the sales growth you want from your text messaging campaigns and interactions.
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Get permission first
Most people don’t like being surprised by marketing, primarily through text. Before you add someone’s number to a text messaging database for an auto dealer, give customers a chance to opt-in from the first time you talk to them.
Most likely, many of them will, and once they’ve signed up, it’s up to them to decide if they want to keep getting messages. This shows you genuinely care about their privacy and only want to reach out to them in easy ways.
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Schedule meetings and send reminders
Text messages are usually read more often than emails, so they can be an excellent way to make plans and send reminders. You can do this easily with software like AutoRaptor, so you don’t have to fumble around with phone numbers and personal information.
In some cases, you can even computerize part of the process. Utilizing auto dealer text messaging to help you stay organized, customer loyalty informed of important information, and start a conversation with them instead of sending emails that never get answered.
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Keep it brief
People like texting because it’s short. They don’t expect to read paragraphs of information in a text message. So, it’s important not to send them too much information or too many text messages. Send them information relevant to how they buy things and talk to them if they reply, but try to keep the word count low.
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Send out special offers
Text messages from car dealers can be a great way to offer discounts and other incentives. Send people deals that are relevant to them. You can even add pictures to entice them and make their experience of shopping online even better.
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Get personal
Another good thing about texting is making each message more personal. Address people by their names and maybe mention how you’ve worked with them before and what you’ve learned about their needs. People are more likely to respond if they think you’ve reached out to them personally instead of sending out a mass email.
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An alternative to a live chat
Live desktop talk is a famous way to talk to people, but people with smartphones (or people who don’t have smartphones) might not be able to use it if their internet connection is slow or if they don’t have enough data.
Instead, put a number on your website where people can text you or buy software that lets you answer desktop chat questions via text. You’ll probably find that it does a great job of getting people interested.
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Easy to follow-up
Once you have some leads, you can follow up with them using auto dealer text messaging. It can be as simple as transmitting a one-line text message asking if the customer still wants to talk about a car. Customers can respond at their convenience, and your interaction with them is likely to be less annoying than a phone call or email.
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Provide relevant updates
Auto dealers can use text messaging to let customers know about new products or services. Even if they’re not looking to buy anything new, they’ll remember you when they are, and they’ll like that they only have to send a quick text message to find out more.
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Send a receipt
Texting can be a quick and effective way to do something as simple as sending a customer a receipt instead of giving them a bunch of paper. Customers always have easy access to essential information about their purchases with order receipts or other details safely stored in a text message.
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Real-time communication
Lastly, auto dealer texting can help maintain a conversation going in real-time instead of waiting a day or more for a customer to call or email back. One tip: If you have a responsive customer, make sure you are as responsive back.
Doing so will make the customer feel appreciated and shorten the time to make the sale. Of course, text messaging isn’t the only way to talk to customers. But it’s an excellent way to keep in touch and give excellent customer service.
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