Pub. 11 2012-2013 Issue 3

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S 17 new jersey auto retailer W W W . N J C A R . O R G O ne of the major benefits of the industry’s shift to e-tailing is that we have more data to analyze than ever before. Some companies, such as Cars- Direct, survey all customers who submit leads, whether they ultimately purchase a vehicle or not. Our approach to looking at data is simple: use it to take action to improve the businesses of our dealer partners, as well as our own. Take a look at the survey excerpts from customers who submitted leads, but ended upNOT purchasing a vehicle: Looking at the chart (left), a full 41% of con- sumers said they either weren’t contacted by a dealer or were not sure if they were contacted. It may be shocking, but it’s true! In today’s world, there’s almost always a way to reach a potential customer, but almost half of leads are passing by unconverted due to something as simple as making initial contact with the customer. To avoidmissing these opportunities, focus on what customers perceive as making contact, and on the current process at your store. While your process might consist of sending an e-mail shortly after receiving a lead, it could be that the customer is expecting a more personal phone call. Experiment with different ways of mak- ing initial contact with customers to see which one garners the best response. As illustrated above, there are plenty of opportunities that you can seize on. Why Aren’t You Selling More Cars? Ask The Data. BY TODD DEARBORN, CARSDIRECT.COM In today’s world of the Internet, smart phones, and apps for everything, communication is supposed to be easier and more efficient than ever before. But when it comes to car dealers communicating with potential customers, plenty of opportunities are still slipping through the cracks. Were you contacted by a dealer? Yes 56% No 26% Not Sure 15% Email Only 4% SELLING MORE CARS  continued on page 18