With the increase in robocalls and local area phone number masking, people have learned to ignore calls from unfamiliar phone numbers and are less likely to check voicemails from those numbers. Emails often go unread, with only 22% of marketing emails opened. In today's world there is one constant - people will always have their phone by their side. A study has revealed that 98% of the texts are opened and 9 out 10 texts are opened within 3 minutes. Another study published that an average smartphone user sends about 764 text messages and places 164 phone calls per month. Sending a text is quick, convenient and unobtrusive.
When you send a text, you don't have to worry about interrupting someone's work or meeting. Texting a prospect is seen as a useful way to stay in contact and move relationships forward in the sales pipeline. You may also engage your audience through offers, discounts and photos of the car with amazing detail.
Car dealerships must focus on creating an environment that serves and anticipates customer needs. It's all about creating and balancing the energy and resources between the long term customers and new incoming leads. No tool or medium balances this better than SMS. Dealerships should focus on converting unique marketing challenges into marketing opportunities. Studies have shown that dealerships with excellent SMS strategies have seen significant increase in sales. Toeing the line between encouraging and pushing can be difficult with high value purchases like cars. Texts are just personal enough, but they deliver the value of space that customers want throughout the decision making process. You have the advantage of staying top of mind without customers feeling like you’re on top of them.
So, should a salesperson ever text a prospect? The answer is a resounding yes. When everyone wants everything instantly, a text can be even better than an email, more likely to be read and can improve the chances of meeting a potential buyer and increasing conversion rates.
For more information on using video at your dealership, please reach out to Doug Thompson at VehiclesTEST.com (954-629-2242), or set up a demo with him.
