A lot of you hate doing follow-up and the reason why is because you suck at doing it.  You don’t get the results you want or need, so in the end, it’s just a long and frustrating process that gets you nowhere.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at what makes you suck at follow-up and how you can fix it to connect more often and ultimately, sell more cars.

01 | You’re Using the Wrong Tool

Since the beginning of time managers have been absolutely screaming at salespeople to, “pickup the phones” and up until recently, they were right.

Not too long ago, the phone was the best tool to contact customers.  It was the quickest way to get in touch, and the best way to set an appointment…but it isn’t anymore.

These days, if you’re trying to get in touch using the phone, the odds are dramatically stacked against you.  Here are some stats:

  • 90% of texts are read within the first 3 minutes of being sent
  • 99% of texts are read within 20 minutes of being sent
  • 19% of people will answer an incoming call from a number that they do not have in their phone

As you can see, sending a text is the best way to reach out, and gives you the best possible chance at getting in touch with that customer.  Once you’ve started the conversation, you can move them to a call, but your initial contact absolutely needs to be using a text.

Pro Tip: Send a video text to your customers when you’re reaching out.  Show them the car you’re calling about or their pre-order that just arrived on the lot.

02 | You’re Not Doing It Often Enough

Once a day is not enough for your follow-up.  You need to be reaching out two to three times, each and every single day.

It might sound like a lot, but it really isn’t.

People are busy and the chances of them seeing your message and not actually opening it, are pretty good. Before you know it, your message is buried under 12 other incoming texts and you’ve been forgotten.

By following up more than once a day, at different times, you increase your chances of connecting with that person when they have time to talk with you.

If you’re someone who worries about bothering your customers, don’t. Once in a while, someone will ask you to stop reaching out so much, and if they do, just apologize and move on. More often than not, people are going to be grateful that you kept putting in the effort to connect.

If you let the fear of bothering someone hold you back, you run the risk that someone who isn’t afraid of bothering that customer will end up connecting with them instead.

In the end, if you want to suck less at follow-up, make sure you’re reaching out 2-3 times a day, at different times to try and connect with your customer.

Remember, once a day is NEVER enough.

03 | You’re Doing it With the Wrong People

You absolutely should be following up with the people who came into the dealership and didn’t buy a car.  As long as you listened to understand, you likely know what they’re looking for, so you should absolutely be reaching out to follow-up, check in and let the know if something they’re looking becomes available.

Following up with people who didn’t buy is a given, but it’s the follow-up after a purchase can be much more valuable in helping to build your business and your bottom line.

An estimated 75% of customers who purchase a vehicle are never followed up with.

No one checks in to make sure that they like their car, that they know how to use its features, or even just to see how they’re doing with it.

That’s one of the biggest mistakes that you’re making.

Why?

An estimated 64% of households do no buy just one vehicle in a calendar year. That means that if you aren’t following up with a customer after their purchase, that you’re missing an entire second sale.

Even if you set the second sale aside, you want your customers to learn your name and remember who you are.  You want to become “their salesperson” so that when someone asks where they bought their new car, your name is on the tip of their tongue.

Check in around every holiday, check in when they pop into your mind.  Check in whenever you can, because when you think your job is done, you’ve only just begun.