RESEARCH from automotive digital marketing business, Marketing Delivery, has revealed that nearly two-thirds of potential car buyers are more likely to remain in contact with a dealer that emails them with details of stock that matches their initial enquiry.
The findings underline the value of keeping prospective customers within the sales pipeline, and of using automated tools to facilitate outbound communications tailored to each recipient.
The survey questioned car owners across the UK to uncover preferences relating to their contact with local dealers. The study highlighted that 18- to 30-year-olds were even more likely (65%) to stay in touch with dealers who contacted them about their search. Location also seems to be a factor, with those in London being more likely (73%) to re-engage with their dealer as a result of an email about relevant stock, compared to half (49%) of those living in the East Midlands.
The same study also found that 33% are now seriously considering purchasing a car due to increased disposable income as a result of the pandemic. Again, this figure was highest among Londoners, with 54% saying they were giving the purchase of a car more consideration now than previously.
Marketing Delivery Managing Director, Jeremy Evans said: “This research highlights the value of taking proactive steps to keep potential customers within the sales funnel. It can be a challenge to keep on top of daily stock churn and send personalised updates to hundreds of prospects, especially if a business has been impacted by reduced headcount. Our programmatic digital tools now simplify this large-scale yet personalised digital communication process.”
He added: “Our research also revealed that customers expect a faster response to enquiries now that they can’t visit the dealership in person. This poses a problem for many dealers who are coping with fewer staff coupled with increased demand. Our automated Car Alerts system takes much of the human involvement out of the matching process, emailing potential customers to make them aware of vehicles meeting their search criteria.”
Marketing Delivery’s Car Alert system provides a ready-made solution to the problem of leads that are often logged by sales staff as ‘lost’, even though in truth are still in the market for a car.
Following the initial enquiry, the dealer will input customer details and vehicle preference into the system. When a vehicle comes into stock that matches their requirements, the system will automatically send an email, making the customer aware. And in case it was the price that didn’t convert them on the first visit, the Car Alert system can also tell customers about changes in price on existing stock.
The system also notifies the dealer immediately when a customer views an advert or clicks on an email from the system. That enables the dealer to proactively approach the customer and keep them engaged throughout their search for the right vehicle.
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