Selling a car is about more than just touting technical specifications – a great salesman can recommend the best model for each customer and provide a detailed explanation of its features. Figuratively speaking, car dealerships were involved in chat marketing long before this term was even invented, so it doesn’t surprise they stand to benefit in a big way from the latest advances in smart bot technology. Some of the most important reasons to adopt chat marketing include:
- Integrating online channels into the marketing plan
People spend a lot of time looking at cars online these days, so dealerships need a way to stay involved in the selection process. Live chat is the only digital channel that comes close to the interactivity of a face-to-face conversation, so it’s ideal for this purpose. Given that most automotive sales companies are already present on social networks, adding a chat bot to the page is very simple.
- Automating sales conversations that were proven to work
Chat bots can be programmed to sound just like real sales persons, and it’s possible to endow them with a unique identity. Basically, the sales scripts that are used during phone conversations or live meetings can be easily translated into instructions for the bot. If the transition is performed with care, the level of success should remain very high.
- Streamlining the information gathering phase
Instead of spending hours jumping from one car description to the next, interested buyers can simply ask the chat bot anything they would like to know. The bot has access to all the information sources that the user would be able to find on his own, but aggregates the data and delivers instant answers. By simplifying research, chat bots allow the user to make the purchasing decision sooner.
- Closing the deal faster and with less effort
With thousands of potential customers visiting the official website and social media pages of the company daily, it’s clear that automation is necessary to keep up with the demand. A well-designed auto dealership chatbot can take the customer through all the stages of consideration in a rapid succession of steps, positively affecting the conversion rate.
- Keeping a database for up-sell and cross-sell opportunities
Existing clients are the best prospects for a new sale, so a chat bot with full access to the record of previous interactions can be very effective with offering new cars to old customers. Based on demographic criteria and earlier conversations, a bot can select the right offer and send it at the right moment, generating additional revenues for the dealership.
- Providing ongoing customer support after the sale
Car purchase isn’t the end of a relationship between the new owner and the dealership – in fact it could be just the beginning. A chat bot can easily handle all incoming questions and requests from buyers and direct them towards the people responsible for the type of issue they are reporting. In the long run, this ensures that a vast majority of customers stays loyal and gets the next car from the same vendor.
