Where and When to Meet Customers
It’s long been known that the holiday season is one of the most popular for car buyers and, therefore, one of the busiest times for dealerships. However, even within the festive period window, not all days and weeks are created equal, says MarketWatch: “The best time to buy a car is from October through January 1, with December as the standout.” With such a small window of time, it’s that much more important to harness the moment and capitalize on opportunities. In other words – don’t miss the chance to connect with potential clients (or ones with whom you already have a great relationship, for that matter) during this busy time to increase sales and maximize performance at year’s end.
One of the best ways to do just that is to utilize a unified communications solution, a platform with which companies and dealerships can continue their brand methodology and identity across all types of platforms, ranging from the phone, to digital and social media, to video calls and finally in-person interactions. This is increasingly important as of late, when customers expect such cross-channel consistency. As Salesforce reports, “71% of customers prefer different channels depending on context,” meaning that customers may have different avenues to connect with your dealership depending on a variety of factors. So why miss the chance to make the most of it. No matter where they’re coming from, meet customers where they are, as they say, to bolster your chances of a successful and positive first touchpoint or experience.
Why a Unified Platform?
The benefits of a UC systems and solutions don’t end with customer-facing experiences. Indeed, says TechRepublic, “…an overwhelming 84% of organizations believe modern unified communications are vital to driving business growth and facilitating robust internal employee and external customer experiences…” So not only will using a UC program allow consumers to have a sense of reliability and consistency in working with your brand, but internally your team will excel. Employees will be empowered with the tools they need to have successful sales experiences, propelling their career—and their loyalty to your brand—exponentially.
Even further, a UC plan can help streamline other elements of the business, making for a more efficient and lower-cost work plan across all areas. “…The right UC solutions allow for flexibility, include a breadth of features and integrate well with other technology solutions such as office suites, project management and CRM solutions, making them ideally suited for a hybrid work environment,” TechRepublic elaborates.
Specific to auto sales, an article on Podium explains, UC can also help begin to provide data that, when understood, can further promote a dealership’s success. “UC collaboration tools help bring operational, customer, and inventory data together to maximize sales while decreasing the time vehicles spend on the lot. The collaborative environment results in greater productivity and revenue.”
Unified Communication Elevated Data Analytics
In fact, data analytics is a major part of the internal-facing benefits of utilizing UC solutions. According to UC Today, “The value of data in the business landscape is astronomical. The right data is the key to improving employee engagement and productivity, enhancing customer experiences, and making intelligent business decisions.”
Specifically, this article continues, there are quantifiable benefits to the learnings from data analysis. “According to McKinsey, leveraging the full power of conversations in data analytics can lead to 20-30% cost savings, 10% higher customer satisfaction scores, and better overall sales results.”
And when looking at your consumer-facing team in a holistic way, data analysis as a part of a UC plan can offer insights that would otherwise be largely overlooked. This encompasses the nuances of sales staff and how each interface with clients, on a specific and global basis alike, to empower both the individual and the brand. “The best conversation intelligence software doesn’t just offer an insight into your customer’s journey. They can also help you understand how employees interact with customers. With these insights, businesses can identify exactly what kind of training and support each team member needs, whether they’re involved in sales, marketing, or customer service. What’s more, most conversation analytics tools can even flag potential issues faced by employees in real-time, notifying supervisors when they need additional help or offering real-time coaching.”
Data Analytics is Critical to Sales Conversions
These data analytics can also be a powerful tool towards more personalized and, therefore, well-received marketing efforts, UC Today continues. “AI-powered analytics can be a significant revenue driver for businesses….the more you understand your customers, the better you can serve them, create products that appeal to them, and launch powerful sales campaigns. Secondly, conversation intelligence lets you identify which strategies lead to increased loyalty and which might cause churn…. The data gathered from conversation analytics can be fed into intelligent bots that can proactively reach out to customers on behalf of companies and deliver product recommendations.”
Of course, this applies to both new customers, and the concept of encouraging repeat business from existing or prior customers. The data and conversation analytics, in tandem with the right UC solutions, can together help increase a customer’s lifetime value, UC Today sums up, “both in the long term and in real time.” With the busy auto shopping season upon us, there’s no better time to invest in such plans than now!
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