{"id":3062,"date":"2022-09-13T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-13T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/?p=3062"},"modified":"2022-09-13T15:59:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T20:59:53","slug":"why-one-man-dealerships-need-a-crm-as-much-as-the-big-guys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/why-one-man-dealerships-need-a-crm-as-much-as-the-big-guys\/","title":{"rendered":"Why one-man dealerships need a CRM as much as the big guys"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Independent dealers are facing tougher competition than ever before.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Franchise dealer pre-owned departments, national chains, and even ecommerce brands like Carvana are all competing for the same customers. If you don\u2019t meet a customer\u2019s needs, they will simply head to the next dealership that will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One-man shows have an especially tough road ahead. Without the manpower of larger dealerships, critical jobs fall through the cracks: marketing, lead nurturing, sales, and even compliance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why one-man shows need a CRM (Customer Relationship Management tool) as much as any other dealer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know what you\u2019re thinking: \u201cWe\u2019re too small. We don\u2019t need a CRM. Those are for the bigger guys.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right? Wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every dealership\u2014even one-man shows\u2014need a CRM in this day and age. That\u2019s because customers don\u2019t care if you\u2019re a one-man show or part of a national dealer group. They expect the best possible service, and if you can\u2019t give it to them, someone else will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CRM tools are like rocket fuel for your business. They allow you to organize and automate so that you can compete with the big guys.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And no, CRMs do not have to cost thousands of dollars a month. They don\u2019t even have to cost hundreds of dollars. With the right CRM, you can get the support you need for a fraction of the cost.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we jump into pricing, let\u2019s look at exactly why your dealership needs a CRM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"lead-management\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lead management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Leads can come from a number of sources: your website contact form, word of mouth, third-party lead sites, phone calls, texts, emails, walk-ins, etc. No matter where the lead originates, dealers need to track all of these touchpoints.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CRMs help dealerships organize all of their lead information in one place so that following up on potential customers is more efficient. All that is required is entering customer data and keeping the data current.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"lead-nurturing-and-generation\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lead nurturing and generation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Inconsistent or missed follow-ups with potential leads can mean lost sales and lost dollars.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lead nurturing can make a huge difference in your sales numbers. Inbound marketing agency, Strategic, found that lead nurturing increased sales opportunities by 20% compared to non-nurtured leads. Ask yourself: What would your business look like if you increased sales by 20%?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CRMs systemize the relationship-building activities we all know are so important, but none of us have time for. More importantly, it allows you to deliver a consistent experience for your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One especially effective feature of good CRMs is the auto-response function. Auto-responders help you quickly respond to every lead inquiry, even when you\u2019re not available to respond personally.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a Harvard Business Review study, companies that responded to a customer query within an hour were seven times more likely to qualify the lead. Companies that waited 24 hours or longer were significantly more likely to lose the sales lead. Auto-responders ensure you\u2019re the first to respond to every customer, every time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"streamlined-communication\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Streamlined communication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Much of the sales process today happens before the customer arrives at the dealership. This makes customer communication more important than ever. CRMs help you keep track of all customer conversations, whether they happen via call, text, or email. Your CRM should include these features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Texting platform.<\/strong> Texting through your CRM platform ensures all customer communication stays within the company, even if a salesperson leaves the dealership. A texting platform will also keep your business TCPA compliant.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong><strong>Call management.<\/strong> <\/strong>Phone calls are still the most effective way to connect with prospective customers. Recording calls for training and quality purposes provide a documented record should questions arise. Recorded calls are also effective training tools for new salespeople.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Email.<\/strong> CRMs keep your email box organized. Each email message is connected to a customer\u2019s profile so that you have an accurate, up-to-date thread of every conversation.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong><strong>Customer Notes.<\/strong> <\/strong>Imagine getting a phone call from a number you don\u2019t recognize. It\u2019s a customer calling you back about a car they looked at earlier that week, and they want to know if the offer is still good. Do you remember that exact customer and offer? Of course not. With customer notes, if a phone number is in your CRM, all of the customer\u2019s information pops up on your phone so you can be ready.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"track-the-roi-of-each-marketing-channel\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Track the ROI of each marketing channel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re spending money on social media ads and sponsored listings on third-party sites, it\u2019s critical to know the Return on Investment (ROI) of each channel. But it\u2019s not enough to know which channels brought in the most <em>leads<\/em>; you want to know which channels resulted in the most <em>sales<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One-man shows can\u2019t afford to spend thousands of dollars on advertising that yield little to no results. Choose a CRM that allows you to track the ROI of each marketing channel. This will help adjust your marketing dollars accordingly and optimize your spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"integration-with-your-dms\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Integration with your DMS&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, one-man shows want to choose a CRM that integrates with their dealership management system (DMS). These integrations allow dealers to streamline the sales process from start to finish. For example, some DMS-CRM integrations allow you to scan a customer\u2019s driver\u2019s license and instantly create a customer file in the DMS. There\u2019s no need for duplicate data entry and no chance for information to fall through the cracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"the-cost-of-a-good-crm\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The cost of a good CRM<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>More than ever, one-man shows need a CRM that makes it easier to juggle the many hats they wear. They need tools that help them track leads and manage customer communications, optimize ad spend, and remain TCPA compliant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most dealer CRMs on the market today cost thousands of dollars a month. At that price, you won\u2019t hear us arguing that it\u2019s worth the investment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But CRMs don\u2019t have to cost thousands of dollars. They don\u2019t even have to cost <em>hundreds<\/em> of dollars. The key to saving money is choosing a CRM that\u2019s built for independent dealers and one-man shows like yourself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a one-man show that\u2019s ready to take control of your business, it\u2019s time to invest in a CRM.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Independent dealers are facing tougher competition than ever before.&nbsp; Franchise dealer pre-owned departments, national chains, and even ecommerce&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3087,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_appearance_grid":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3062","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-relationship-development","8":"cs-entry","9":"cs-video-wrap"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3062\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}