At the risk of being lambasted by my more distinguished and experienced colleagues, I'm posting one of my responses to an internet lead.  My goal is, first and foremost to get a response; and secondly, to see if the possibility exists to make a sale.  While it's unconventional, I feel that it stands out from the bland, scripted responses that consumers usually get from other salespeople.  Because I want to learn from others in this business, I welcome your comments and constructive criticism.

Dear XXXXX,

Thank you for your inquiry on the 2014 Fusion.  I sincerely appreciate your interest in our products and our dealership.

I believe God holds a special place in Heaven for those who show kindness and courtesy toward car salesmen.  Maybe it's just me.  I also believe God is a Ford guy, but I digress.

The bottom line is, if you've decided you want a Fusion, please let me know how you'd like to move forward.  I promise I'll make your experience fun, enjoyable and hassle- free.

If you're still looking/ shopping/ thinking about it, that's OK, too.  It really is.  However, I'd like to know that as well.  That way, I can keep the sweet but aggressive folks at the call center from interrupting your life with endless phone calls and e- mails. 

In either event, I wish you all the best, and look forward to hearing from you soon.  Feel free to respond by e- mail or just give me a call.

Sincerely,

Al

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Comment by steven chessin on August 25, 2014 at 7:45pm

Its pure internet.

You do a presentation for 1 customer today  ---  apply it to all customers tomorrow.

It isn't 'marketing' because it is a sales response for one - that becomes a presentation for others when they find the vehicle page. That makes it lead management and lead generation. A hybrid.  

Comment by Sharon Hill on August 25, 2014 at 7:38pm

Steven, honestly, at this point, I have to defer the discussion to others. I'm beyond my area of expertise, quite frankly. I know theory and I know products, and I know sales and marketing in general, but I don't know the specifics of showroom sales. 

Comment by steven chessin on August 25, 2014 at 4:05pm

Sharon - As you know, I am not a vendor. I do my process at one store, one salesman, one car, one sale at a time. You get that. No vendor anywhere has a process that so increases chances of a sale from the initial lead plus a contingency plan to increase lead generation on that car for that salesman if "Plan-B" becomes necessary  - as it will 80-90% of the time. Whether 'merely' increasing lead management results or for increasing leads it works. No magic wand solution for the entire inventory and entire sales team   --- just this car and this salesman. That's my magic. It doesn't matter who likes it or me. My process works. 

Comment by Sharon Hill on August 25, 2014 at 10:45am

I'm not clear why a car dealership phone room is something to devalue, however. And generally I believe the phone rooms are actually live chat and email response rooms as well. That's really very much the dealership marketing of tomorrow (and really of today) . I've written extensively about the success that dealers have realized from vendors such as ActivEngage and ContactAtOnce, including managed chat or that conducted by the dealer staff itself. To devalue that, and the phone staff, is to devalue some of the very best of sales and marketing tools. In this age of online car shopping, and even now online car buying, those who "put down" the folks who sell vehicles by other than the show-the-walk-ins-around method of old, are anachronistic. And if that thinking makes me a liberal - well, hallelujah to liberalism.

And frankly, that's the last time I'm going to engage you, you pompous, inappropriate boor. You go ahead and rant and rave some more if you wish and call me whatever you wish. You matter not and I will respond not.

I'm sorry for whatever some liberal did to you to cause you to be so angry, but it wasn't me nor I'm thinking was it Steve Chessin or anyone else you've verbally abused on this community. The very sad thing is you put yourself out there as head of a firm that teaches dealers to market themselves and then haven't the sense to see how you're demonstrating your totally boorish behavior in front of the very people to which you wish to market. That's just really stupid. Really, really stupid. Contrast that with people like Phil Zelinger whose motto and behavior sets it all - 'What are friends for." In comparison you don't come out ahead.

Sorry, everyone else, for my personal off-topic comments. But I've simply had enough of this arrogant fool's crap. No, I'm not out of here. But hopefully he will be soon. 

Comment by Sharon Hill on August 25, 2014 at 10:29am

whatever. :) 

Comment by William Phillips on August 25, 2014 at 10:24am

You liberals, Chessin or Hill are always just throwing it out there.  

You focus on spelling, and things that mean NOTHING to the point, like sailors on the sea, ect ect ect 

Neither of of you have EVER run a store and have any idea how to, and it's clear in your thoughts.   

Get back to your phone in the phone room you belong in, and get to work. 

You both have NO value past that in the car business 

Comment by Sharon Hill on August 25, 2014 at 8:07am

 Steven Chessin, (not Cessin)  your thinking outside the box does you proud, as does your restraint.  But to your point about reactive or proactive, is it as simple as creating buy-in in your staff so they WANT to be proactive for more than a paycheck? Is that what it's generally missing? Don't know. Just throwing that out there. 

Comment by steven chessin on August 24, 2014 at 9:44pm

I appreciate your perspective. Have a nice day.

Comment by William Phillips on August 24, 2014 at 8:17pm

Steven Cessin

You have no idea what you are talking about  

Doldrums????  Sailing days??   are you nuts ??   what planet are you on ???   

you obviously have a mental disorder

seek another forum where you and a few others on this can live out your days in liberal fantasies  

this is the car business learn it, run a store 

Comment by steven chessin on August 23, 2014 at 3:42pm

William - You wrote that "sales staff can not handle more than 100 leads max, per person with out doing it wrong."  The reason stores and their salesmen do not "get" enough leads is because the sales teams only know how to be reactive not proactive. The sales team needs to generate fresh leads from every lead they get. s. Without this stores WILL suffer from "the doldrums".

1.a spell of listlessness or despondency 2 part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms 3 a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or slump
In the days of sailing ships sailors got depressed when there was nothing to do but wait for the wind to blow. In the showroom salesmen can either wait for leads - or - do something about it. But this never happens voluntarily. Managers must demand it - and they won't - because they have a stake in every sale regardless of who makes it and when. Only salesmen can choose to wait for fate or make their fate. Maybe it requires managers managers to want it. --- I was just pointing out that there is a fix but I don't know who wants more sales enough to do it. 
Here's an example of what I mean : A simple response done by a salesmen for a lead. Fortunately in this case it was successful - but if it had not been - this video would have become attached to the vehicle presentations on every website to increase FUTURE leads. 

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