Dealerships have more ways to reach customers than ever, but shoppers still respond to people who show real interest. On today’s edition of CBT Live, Matt Easton, Founder of Easton University, explains how stores can earn trust.
Shopping for a two-door Bronco for his 16-year-old son showed Easton how often stores skip the human touch. Most replies were short texts with numbers and no next step. One store sent only a photo of a business card. The salesperson who won the deal learned why Easton wanted the truck and let him talk about it. He then shot a video of the vehicle and showed excitement about the big wheels and tires.
Texts and videos act as a turbocharger on a sale that runs on the salesperson’s excitement. Each shopper is buying one car, even when the rep sells 60 a month. Stores with fixed pricing can tell a discount seeker the vehicle will likely sell soon. They can offer the next best option if the shopper misses out.
Service advisors can build the same trust by calling customers, even with no update. Easton waited two months in the 1980s for a mail-order skateboard. One call about the back order would have ended his daily checking. A personal update earns more patience than an automated message, especially with bad news. That human connection also drives repeat and referral business, Easton said. Customers who hear nothing often assume the store is trying to take advantage of them.
