Are your appointments showing up?

You just received a text alert that your provider has sent over an Internet Finance Lead so you rush inside to see what you have. Whether someone is trying to re-establish their credit or save time, that person took the time to enter their personal information. So before you call or email that person back shouldn’t you take the time to review the application?

To start, credit should be pulled when the customer shows up for their appointment. Instead of printing the lead off and running full speed ahead to the Finance Manager’s office to have him pull credit, touch base with the prospect.  Introduce yourself and let them know you will be the one working as hard as you can to get them into a new vehicle. Here are a few things to observe before calling the prospect.

1. Take a look at your prospects Birthday. It can help you set the tone of your call. If the prospect is a Generation Y, you may need to handle that call a little differently verses a Baby Boomer. Think of yourself as a consultant instead of a salesperson and make sure your demeanor/tone matches that of your prospect.

2. Take a look at the email. A person’s email address can tell a lot about them. Things like age, where they are from and sometimes hobbies and interests. For example:
• ericfixescars @ hotmail .com
• sammy1992 @ gmail .com
• golfpro2 @ msn .com
• detroit70 @ yahoo .com

I hear a lot of Dealers say that they are setting appointments but the prospects aren’t showing up. The more personable you are the better chance the prospect will show up for the appointment. You can use the info you find through the email address as a conversation piece. Here are some examples of conversation building questions regarding the above emails:
• “So Eric, how long have you been working on cars?”
• “Sammy, I see you just turned 21, Congratulations! Did you have a big bash?”
• “Dennis, I just started playing golf myself, how do you perfect those darn Bunker Shots?”
• “Shelia, are you from Detroit originally?”

Most folks like to talk about themselves when prompted! People are going to be more prone to work with you when you show a genuine interest in them!

3. Take a look at the occupation. It gives you an idea of who you are calling. If the prospect is a Pastor or a Doctor when you call address them as “Dr. Harris” or “Pastor Smith” instead of calling them by their first name.  A prospect’s Occupation can also be used in conversation building. Again, having a great conversation with the prospect instead of just slamming an appointment betters your chances of an appointment show.

Taking anything from where the prospect lives maybe borderline racial or class profiling so I say skip that. However, it’s good to take a peek at how long they have been at their job and residence to give you an idea of stability and can also be used as conversation piece. So now you know a little about your prospect pick up the phone and give them a call!

“…..Small differences in your performance lead to large differences in your results.”
– Brian Tracy

Good Selling!
Erika Hoffler

About the author
Erika Hoffler has been in the Auto Industry for over 15 years. She currently is a Sales Manager for VOISYS where she has been for the last 6 years. She has a strong background in BDC and Appointment setting and is always willing to share her insight. She can be contacted at 800-999-1880 or ehoffler@voisys.com