I feel that it is up to me to make sure that my team follows these proven best practices, as well as hold them individually accountable.
In fact, I have put together an interactive "playbook" for my team, full of tips and advice that Autobytel and other industry leaders have provided.
I attend any auto industry conference I can to continually educate myself, and am a big fan of the Autobytel YouTube channel with its series on lead management as well as follow up "best practices". Given my academic background, I am very data oriented, and as such I naturally follow those who have greater experience and simply do what they recommend (in other words, learn from those who know best). What do you think makes you so successful at meeting the needs of today's Internet consumers? Please share a few of your best practices in terms of managing Internet leads. I definitely appreciate the ease of the Autobytel lead clearing house function, and how easy it is to communicate with, and offer feedback to, Autobytel.
My Autobytel team has been very helpful in the customizing and refining of our iControl settings to widen our marketing area for any given model, which allows us to get our inventory to the most responsive Zip codes this in turn has led to an increase in sales. What other company is that proactive!? They are on top of their game! For instance, it was Autobytel's suggestion to use relaxed casual photos for staff pictures both on our dealership website and email outreach this has led to a definite increase in close rates! One recent thing that particularly impressed me was when I received a call from SaleMove that they were going to be out of the office, attending an employee luncheon, just in case I noticed their absence. My reps have even given suggestions and ideas for innovation. SaleMove reps will even call during a customer engagement to ensure the most accurate answer to any inquiry. There is no "call me to get a price." Here at Newton Nissan, even if we don't hear back from the customer, we follow up not only with pricing, but we also provide several examples of what differentiates us from any other dealership.Ī great added benefit to the Autobytel program is its staff both Autobytel and SaleMove reps are extremely proactive, calling us weekly or bi-weekly to check on our progress.
We provide a price quote in every first response.
Since I became the Internet Sales Manager, I have really pushed my team to understand the program, and I think the benefits that Autobytel provides is that it connects us with customers who have yet to be presented with personalized pricing, therein lies our opportunity to present our inventory, supply relevant information, and address pricing directly. When I first started, Autobytel was simply a volume lead source, and as no one understood anything about it, the leads had a lower close ratio.
When I arrived we did not have anyone with lead generation or program-specific knowledge, which includes how to respond to leads or how to understand a 3rd party system. We have been with Autobytel since before I arrived at this dealership back in August of 2013. How long have you been an Autobytel dealer and what do you think are the primary benefits of being on the Autobytel program? We have a very healthy sales distance I have even personally sold several cars to a customer in Norway! The Nissan demographic is usually in the age range of 35 to 60. We have a mix of customers who have lived in the area for a while, and those who have moved here recently because of increases in property value and access to waterside properties, new houses, and more.
Newton Nissan serves the Nashville, Tennessee area, and we are located approximately 25 miles from the city center in a bit of a rural area. What is your official title, what brands do you sell and what are your primary markets? We recently spoke with Kyle about the importance of staying up-to-date on your dealership tools and lead sources, learning best practice tips from the experts, and building a rapport with your customers, and how these factors have led to the success of his store. The Autobytel Dealer Awards Program honors exceptional dealers from a competitive field of thousands of automotive retailers who employ the highest standards in customer service, Internet automotive retail sales and lead management processes, and mobile and emerging technologies. We'd like to congratulate Kyle Bolton, Internet Sales Manager at Newton Nissan, for being named Autobytel's Dealer of the Month for November 2015. November 2015 Autobytel Dealer of the Month Kyle Bolton, Internet Sales Manager, Newton Nissan Autobytel Dealer Spotlight: Kyle Bolton, Newton Nissan November 2015