Simple Strategy #5: Yes, You Should Always Use an Auto Response

 

Simple Strategy #5: Yes, You Should Always Use an Auto Response

TRANSCRIPT: Simple Strategy #5 for selling more internet deals today? Simple. Yes, you should always use an auto response. Here’s the problem: some industry vendors and other experts, including your OEM, have made dealers question whether or not they should use an auto response. The reality is that your auto response is just like an Online Order Confirmation Email. It’s just a welcomed acknowledgment that my order was received. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. Let’s not over think this.

The solution? Simple. Let’s always, always, always send an auto response. “Yeah, but Steve, my OEM said we shouldn’t send an auto response during working hours because my team should be calling right away.” Yeah, they should, but, do they always? No. But, even more than that, let’s say your team is the best out there; they are diligent about making their phone calls in the first few minutes after receiving an online lead. The fact of the matter is not every lead you get comes from your own website.

There are many leads that you receive where the customer doesn’t even know your dealerships name. They don’t know who got the lead. They ‘clicked’ to send it to five dealers, or three dealers, whatever. They don’t know all five of them or all three of them. By sending the auto response, you’re saying, “We got your order.” See, you need to frame it as an order confirmation.

More than that, though, you want to frame the next steps: “We’re gonna call you in the next ten minutes”, right? “We’re gonna schedule your priority test drive” When you say these things in an auto response, people are expecting those next steps and you can lead people down the path to purchase and the auto response helps you do that.

Now, it’s important to never, ever disguise your auto response as a personal email. You are not going to fool anyone. They click “submit” and four seconds later your auto response shows up in their in-box and it’s framed like a personal email; they are not falling for it.

And, also, it’s important to remove pricing information from your auto response. I’m not saying, “Don’t give pricing information.” You have to give pricing information, but when you give your bottom line, best price in your auto response, there is no reason for the customer to take your phone call. There is no reason for them to read any future emails from you and there is no reason for them to schedule an appointment because they already have all the information.