All sales people will know how elusive customers can be, and sometimes, they’ll need a little nudge to help them come to a decision. If a customer is on the fence about a purchase, a phone call could be the difference between a sale and a lost lead.
However, it’s not as simple as picking up the phone. Many customers will find constant calls annoying and this could put them off buying from you altogether, so you need to make sales calls purposeful and persuasive. For some, this will come naturally, but more often than not, it takes practice. There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re making calls.
1. Use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
When a customer moves from one stage of the car purchase process to another, this should be recorded in a CRM system along with notes from any interaction that you or your colleagues have with them.
Before any call with a customer, I’d recommend that you familiarise yourself with the notes on the CRM system so that you are on the same page as them. This can save time and frustration.
2. Identify Your End Goal Before You Make The Call
When you pick up the phone to talk to a customer, you need to have a reason for calling in the first place. This sounds obvious but too many sales calls have no structure. If you have a clear goal in mind, you will be able to direct the conversation effectively.
This goal could be the arrangement of an appointment or even just establishing whether or not the customer is still interested in making a purchase, with a clear purpose, you will get what you want out of the call and the customer will not feel like their time has been wasted.
3. Make Progress
Whichever way the call goes, at the end of it, summarise any conclusions that you and the customer have come to and let them know what they can expect to happen next. Even if you leave the conversation with the customer saying that they need more time to consider their options, try to agree on a set time and date that you will check in again.
This will help encourage customers to move ahead to the next stage of the purchase process and it will help you stay on top of leads. This approach could be considered pushy, but as long as the caller uses a friendly and professional tone, the customer should just see it as you being organised and efficient.
4. Review Your Performance
It is important to review your performance after each phone call, even just briefly, noting any techniques you used that worked well or not so well. If you have lost a lot of sales recently, you may want to shadow a colleague who has been more successful with calls to see what they do differently.
If you are the dealership owner, your staff are representing your company with every call they make, so if you notice a member of your sales team struggling with calls, observe them to see if you can offer any guidance and ensure that they are aware of the above tips!
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