Turn Your Service Drive into Your #1 Lead Generating Source

We all know the inventory situation we’ve been in and why it’s vital to utilize different ways to source new inventory. Your service drive is a great place for it, but unfortunately, sales opportunities on the drive are missed daily. Many of those misses are due to staff not knowing when to deliver the right message to the right customer.

Successful dealers leverage their customer data and the power of their Service and Sales departments to provide the best customer experience and avoid “leaving money on the table.”

Service appointments are one of the most controllable business transactions dealerships have. The challenge in realizing the service drive’s sales potential is knowing which customers to reach, when to reach them, and what the right message is at that time. Opportunities for profit-generating sales and increased consumer loyalty exist for dealers with the tools to recognize and convert service customers.

Reaching buyers in a position to upgrade to a new vehicle in your service department not only takes having the right data but also having the correct processes in place to identify the right person to start the conversation and who will continue it beyond the service visit.

Modern tools can help identify when a customer is in a good position to buy and provide personalized offers and conversation starters tailored to that individual customer.

Service customers are at the dealership for a specific need and are not likely to have a new car purchase in mind. Still, they could be receptive to upgrading a more recent vehicle at a similar or lower payment. This makes the buying process easier for the customer and increases customer loyalty because the offers are relevant to only their specific situation.

Data mining is essential to the service-to-sales process, but it is only useful when it’s made actionable. Internal communication tools are necessary to alert dealership staff when customers arrive in service.

With a smooth process in place, the assigned dealership representative is notified immediately. The team member reviews the customer’s profile and compares what current incentives could be applied to allow for an easy upgrade opportunity. These opportunities could include the following:

• Vehicle Equity
• Lease Renewal
• Lower Payment
• Recalls
• Warranty Expiration
• High Repair Costs
• First Service Customers
• Defecting Customers

Customers who enter your dealership should feel that the Sales and Service teams are working together as a customer success team. Communication, collaboration, and accountability are all key to the success of any initiative. AutoAlert’s platform gives managers a clear view of everything happening in the service drive and holds their teams accountable for each opportunity.

If you want to drive a growth development plan, make sure your team is on board and make sure they see their successes. And as always, consistency is key; it is a daily practice that needs checks and balances and follow-through.

Retained customers are the genesis of the bulk of your sales. Your previous sold customers are where your focus should be. You already have the relationship and all their information collected about where they are in their ownership lifecycle, which leads to an easier sale. They are known customers and, more importantly, people who said yes.

A great way to enhance your relationship with your customer is by educating them about what is going on in the market. The more they understand where you are coming from and the power they have in realizing where they can leverage the market in their favor, the more trust and loyalty you instill equals more future sales.

The time is now to ensure your Service Drive is living up to all its potential.

If you would like more best practices for Selling on the Service Drive, download this free guide.