When it comes to growing your business and bringing in new automobile customers, lead generation can be one of the most effective strategies. A lead, in this case, is someone who shows an interest in your product or service and becomes a candidate for your sales team to follow up with. Generating leads for an automotive dealership has never been easier thanks to the internet, but it’s essential to do it right, so you know that your leads are trustworthy and ready to buy from you now or later on. Here are six ways to generate leads that will help you sell more cars in no time!
What are the main principles of effective lead generation?
There are two main types of lead generation, inbound, and outbound. Both have their unique advantages and disadvantages. The top ways to effectively generate leads are:
- through internet marketing
- social media advertising
- direct mail
- public relations campaigns
- telemarketing (both landline and cell phone)
- email marketing (also known as direct email marketing)
- pay per click marketing.
An excellent way to stay ahead of your competition is by using a wide variety of lead generation techniques; if one type isn’t working as well as you would like it to be or may not be ideal for your business model at any given time; it doesn’t hurt anything to mix things up a bit! Many automotive dealerships also utilize a blend of these techniques simultaneously. Let’s consider this in more detail.
Main ways to generate leads for your automotive dealership
If you’re in business, you must look at marketing as more than just a one-and-done thing. You want to work on attracting new customers and building relationships with them because then they can become repeat customers and bring their friends along with them.
One excellent way to attract new customers is through lead generation, which involves figuring out how exactly you can draw in interested buyers who are already looking for what you have. Creating personalized lead lists is an easy way to grow your business. Here are some suggestions on how your dealership can begin creating effective automotive leads:
1) Segment your leads based on buying stage
Reaching your target audience is vital, but getting them ready. Create campaigns to generate leads, from awareness to research. The more interested in your product or service, the easier it will be to secure a commitment. Understanding your customer’s buying journey can make a difference in how you market yourself and the strategies you employ throughout your lead generation process.
Here are some questions auto dealers can ask themselves when developing campaigns explicitly designed for different stages:
- How do I know if my customer is aware of my dealership?
- What information would help me determine whether or not my prospect has done any research on my products/services?
- What information would help me decide whether or not my prospect is currently in need of one of our products/services?
- What information would help me decide whether or not my prospect has already made up his mind about purchasing with us?
These questions will help you design relevant content, including emails, landing pages, and website copy, which can be tied back into your marketing efforts.
2) Formulate a unique way to follow up with all leads
Calling leads is essential for generating sales, but it isn’t always enough. Only 2-5% of consumers respond to cold calls. Make sure you stand out by following up in a way that positions your dealership as a significant player in your customers’ lives. Here are some ways you can take advantage of online resources and build lasting relationships with your leads:
- Leave reviews on Yelp or Google+: As one of their favorite brands, let them know you want to hear their thoughts on how they use your products or services—and why they love them so much! You can also leave reviews about local businesses on sites like Yelp or Foursquare. This lets your customer know you’re interested in what they have to say and builds trust between both parties. Customers who see that you care about their experience will be more likely to buy from your dealership again—and tell others about it too!
- Post relevant content on social media: If you’ve ever bought something based on a friend’s recommendation, you understand how powerful word-of-mouth marketing can be. Keep customers engaged by posting photos and updates about new cars and specials every few days. If there’s something special going on at your dealership, share it! It doesn’t matter if people aren’t ready to buy right now–they’ll come back when they’re ready!
- Answer questions left on blogs or forums: Leaving comments under industry blogs helps generate interest in your brand and position yourself as an expert within your niche market.
3) Use the phone instead of email
It’s accessible to potential email customers, but there’s an art and science to effectively generating leads with cold calls. Suppose you call a lead within 24 hours of reaching out via email, and your response rate increases by 40%. If you call a lead more than 72 hours after sending an email, your response rate drops 60%. You must have a pre-planned script and goal when making cold calls so that your time isn’t wasted—your business depends on it. Here are some tips on how to best use the phone in your business:
- Don’t just read from your notes
- Be friendly
- Don’t try to sell anything during the first contact
- Explain why you’re calling
- Ask questions about their interests
- Ask what they do for work or in their free time.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that every lead is getting attention from someone who truly cares about them and wants to help them find a solution.
4) Set aside time each day for prospecting
If you wait until it’s crunch time, you might find that you’re scrambling and can’t do everything on your lead-generation list. It’s better to have a scheduled time each day when prospecting is a top priority. This way, leads will get worked on regularly, not just when there isn’t anything more pressing going on. It doesn’t have to be every day (that would be exhausting!), but every other day is fine. And if it helps to set the alarm or reminder in your calendar, then do that! Keep track of all your prospecting activities by using lead-tracking software to know precisely what needs doing and how many leads are left in each stage of your process.
5) Set SMART goals and track them
Setting SMART goals is an effective way to ensure you’re getting things done efficiently and effectively. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. The idea behind SMART goals is that if you create a destination around these five traits, it makes it easier to achieve your goal by giving yourself a clear path on how to accomplish them.
Goals should never be vague or general; you need to know precisely what you want to make any progress towards it. For example, I want to get better at writing isn’t specific enough because there are many ways of being better at writing. Instead, try something like, I will write one paragraph every day for 30 days straight. That goal is measurable (you can quickly tell whether you met your daily quota), attainable (it doesn’t require much time), relevant (writing is what you’re trying to improve), and time-bound (the deadline gives you motivation). Once you have set your SMART goals, track them daily using tools like Google Calendar or Excel spreadsheets to stay top of mind and help keep you accountable.
6) Keep tabs on activities from your team
There’s nothing worse than making a full-court press on your prospects, and then having no idea how well it’s working—or if it’s even working at all. So keep tabs on what each of your salespeople is doing, especially since they’re responsible for generating leads. You should easily see who is making calls and sending emails (and which ones are getting responses). And if you notice that one person isn’t up to snuff, make sure they know about it.
Most importantly, monitor where these leads are coming from: Is Facebook pulling its weight? What about Google? Are certain ads driving traffic? If so, keep running them! If not, change things up! To maximize your lead generation efforts, it’s essential to pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. Without that insight, you could waste valuable time and money on campaigns that aren’t paying off.
Get Creative!
Local businesses can advertise in local magazines or newsletters, look into Google Adwords, and even consider buying a billboard. Being unique and memorable can sometimes be just as effective (if not more) than conventional marketing approaches. Try your hand at some guerrilla advertising by including a small ad in your area’s newspaper or magazine. This will cost less than running an ad campaign in several publications, and it will allow you to test your audience’s reaction with minimal risk.
