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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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TUSTIN, California (February 3, 2003) Car dealers spend huge amounts of money every week on advertising. From weekend newspaper ads, to radio, to co-op advertising to outdoor and television, money is spent to get people to visit their car lots. For most dealers, selling a car to twenty percent of the people who show up is outstanding. But what about the eighty percent who walk away? Dealers recognize that ad money is going to waste, but until now they had to rely on salespeople calling on the phone – if they managed to get a phone number from their visitors. It has been a recurring topic of conversation amongst industry executives that money was being left on the table. That is why the LEADKeeper system was developed. Instead of intimidating people by asking for their phone number, it would be much more fun for the visitors to sign up for an exclusive “Internet Club” where they could get updates on car deals and financing packages and have opportunities to win prizes. Using this approach, dealers can build a database of prospects from the sales floor, the parts department, the service department, as well as call-ins from ads and the Internet. Depending on where the leads come from, a series of rich emails is sent to the prospect. If they have come from the sales department, they receive four letters over a period of five days encouraging them to return to the lot. Two are from the salesperson they met with, one from the sales manager and the last one from the owner of the dealership. A large percentage of people visiting car lots will be making a purchase decision over the next week, so these are hot leads that need the most attention. After the fourth sales letter, the prospects are dropped into a long-term communications program. Parts, service, Internet and call-in leads receive one courtesy e-mail immediately, and then are dropped into the same long-term program as the sales leads. This is the bi-weekly rich e-mail newsletter program that is customized for the dealership. The newsletters are designed to do several things. First of all, they reward the readers by naming winners to various promotions and incentives the dealer chooses to offer. Second, they inform readers as to special promotions and incentives available only through the newsletter. Third, special offers are made in the parts and service areas to newsletter readers, driving more buyers to those revenue centers. Fourth, the newsletter features articles on secondary revenue drivers, such as extended warranties, security protection, financing packages, etc. Fifth, the newsletter keeps the dealer at the top of their prospects’ minds, positioning them for a visit when they are serious about buying a car. This program is an excellent addition to any programs a dealer may already have in place. For a tiny fraction of a dealer’s ad budget, they can now continuously promote their products and services to the best prospects they have – people who know them and want the information. LEADKeeper has only just become available, and articles are about to be published in almost every major market industry trade publication around the country. Ad agencies, sales organizations, and industry representatives are all making the LEADKeeper system a part of their service offerings. As dealerships begin utilizing the efficiency and power of the Internet, consumers will benefit by being able to access information from dealers that they want to hear from – instead of the other way around.
Contact: Jay Goth
jgoth@leadkeeper.com ### |
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LEADKeeper Automotive Systems |
