Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine is the daily operations publication serving the retail automotive industry. This automotive publication serves dealer principals, officers and general managers with the latest best practices.
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By Greg Wells N A DA PRE-SHOW HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CRM Choosing your next customer relationship Choosing y sn manageme anageme e management (CRM) system is a really big sion T n decision. To be a great Internet dealer, you must frst b a great CRM dealer. But there are be sides e two sides to that coin: the behavior and usage of your emp u employees and the sofware itself. of your em you're switching CRM providers, frst o If yo k make sure it's your current sofware that's holding you back and not the users. Changing systems doesn't fx personnel issues; the system itself can only facilitate a strategy, but it's up to the users to execute. Tat, along with employee adherence and accountability, will Greg Wells is president of AllCall Automotive Contact Center. He has spent almost 25 years working in automotive retail, with specific expertise in business development centers and Internet sales. His work has been recognized nationally by the NADA, and his in-dealership sales training experience has launched many successful selling careers for his students. GWells@AutoDealerMonthly.com 30 help you maximize the value of your CRM. If you plan to shop for CRM sof ware at the 2014 NADA Convention & Expo, it's important to have a plan to make sure you get it right. Afer all, making a decision based If your mission at this year's NADA convention is to select a new CRM for your operation, start with this fve-step guide. solely on your experience there is risky. Te convention foor will be crazy. Tere will be dozens of providers on hand and they will all want to befriend you and tell you about their product. FIVE FABULOUS CRM FEATURES I f you haven't gone shopping for a customer relationship management (CRM) system in a long time, prepare to be amazed. Old features have been improved and new ones have been added. Here's a list of f ve features to look for during each presentation. 1. Mobile: Simply put, your customers are going mobile, and so should you. Your CRM provider should be equipped to handle mobile ups. But new rules under the Telephone Communications Protection Act (TCPA) went into effect this AUTO DE ALE R MONTHLY • DECEMBE R 2013 year (see the in-depth article on Page 34). Your CRM should be able to distinguish between cell phones and landlines. 2. Texting: You're still allowed to contact customers on their mobile phones if you have their consent. An opt-in texting application is one of the best tactics you can use to reach busy customers. 3. Data Cleansing: Your CRM provider must be able to scrub your contacts against the national Do Not Call registry, the National Change of Address (NCOALink) system and opt-out e-mail addresses. 4. Equity Mining: Your database is still your best lead source. There are many standalone equity-mining tools, but a program integrated in your CRM will make you more eff cient and effective. 5. Video: Do you have the ability to embed video code in your CRM-generated e-mails? They make delivery look more professional without leaving the CRM environment. Remember, if it's not in the CRM, it never happened!