employee retention
Getting to Know Your Customer | Part 2
Actively listening can change the landscape of your dealership by making relationships that will make customers for life.
Actively listening can change the landscape of your dealership by making relationships that will make customers for life.
How people buy cars has changed a lot. Car dealerships must adapt to these changes to grow. Carsales found that in 2023, people spent 5.7 months on research. In contrast, they spent 2.7 months on research in 2017.
These changing customer behaviors call for a better automotive customer engagement strategy.
Some of the best strategies for success in customer engagement are active listening and creating strong relationships with customers.
Let’s learn more about them here.
Key Takeaways
- Active listening helps with automotive customer engagement. It allows you to create strong relationships and customer loyalty.
- Active listening includes giving your full attention and offering feedback.
- Empowering staff with Quantum5 can improve customer engagement.
Grow Your Dealerships' Automotive Customer Engagement With Active Listening
Active listening is important in an automotive customer engagement strategy. Give full attention to customers’ needs. You can practice active listening by:
- Giving you full attention
- Providing feedback
- Addressing misunderstandings
Active listening allows us identify issues early and improves a dealership’s customer loyalty. It is key to a good customer experience, which extends to the car delivery experience.
You may have forgotten a client’s name shortly after introducing yourself. How about when you pull up a car for a client, and you cannot remember why they came in?
I don’t know about you, but this was the usual situation when working with customers. My focus was on what I had to say and going through my process. It never occurred to me to listen to my customers at all.
How can we get to know our customers when we don’t even remember their names?
Long-term relationships require more than surface-level interactions. At that point, all we are is a transaction, like when a customer purchases groceries.
We are so used to this transactional “get as many opportunities as possible” model. In our rush, we never stop to think if there is a better way.
People desire relationships. We must work on areas that show promise. Relationships are not limited to people we meet or friends and family. We can create meaningful relationships at work.
In our line of work, we must build these relationships. Otherwise, we will have to rely on new businesses for success.
Those who are the “best” must still practice their craft; natural talent is often wasted. The same goes for those who want to do their best but need more effort. I usually had the best intentions with my customers. The problem was that it did not translate into excellent listening skills.
I did not know who my customers were, what car they wanted, and how they would pay for it.
We need to practice active listening skills. If we ask the right questions and listen, we can learn all we need to know and more. Learning about the customer can help us sell the car. It can also help us build genuine relationships that lead to customer lifetime value.
Increase Dealership Sales With Automotive Customer Engagement
When our clients know we understand their needs, they are more likely to buy from us. When we develop a relationship, they will be much less likely to buy a car from anyone else.
Active listening can involve many different methods. They are different depending on whether you are on the phone or in person. In-person, we can take notes or focus on making eye contact.
Do you have trouble remembering names or why they want to look at a specific vehicle? Methods like note-taking and a verbal recap will help you confirm and keep better records. It also shows the customer you listened to them.
Taking notes is again our best friend when we are on the phone. I cannot tell you how many times I took a phone call with a prospective client and didn’t take notes. Afterward, I only remembered what car they wanted to look at.
There is a better way. Ask yourself if you are listening to this customer or focusing on accomplishing your goals. What would I rather experience if I were the customer?
Facing The Challenges In Automotive Customer Engagement
Some of the challenges you will need to address are:
Evolving Customer Needs
The modern car buyer no longer views their car as transport. They crave to have an impactful brand connection. Dealerships must create a meaningful brand experience to meet customers’ needs before purchasing.
Empowering Customers
Changing customer needs call for more customer empowerment. One way to achieve this is to find a means to assess and understand customer needs. Quantum5 is a great option that can help you upgrade your staff’s skills. That lets them have meaningful connections with buyers.
It’s also essential to know what not to do as well. Jake Brief, Director of Preferred Ownership at Empire Automotive Group, says to avoid:
“blasting of automated emails and generalized mailers sent out by the dealer. Over-aggression in the sales process, and lack of attention to detail .”
Enhancing The Customer Experience
Platforms such as Quantum5 provide the tools to boost your customers’ experience. It lets your workforce connect with customers in the digital landscape. That can boost brand loyalty and the customer experience.
Positive Customer Experiences For Increase Sales
Creating positive customer experiences can be a growth opportunity. It allows you to differentiate yourself from competitors. Quantum5 will enable you to nurture meaningful customer relationships that last for years.
