Here we are, in the midst of end-of-year festivities, working away to finish the year strong! It can take us a minute to stop and think; not only is it almost a new year, but we’re running toward a new decade! 

We may be turning the corners in this century, but some long-standing processes still ring true today. Remember the age-old saying, “Point of Sale is the Point of Resale”? How many times do we stop and think about what this actually means?

When building relationships with your customers it can take time, patience and understanding, but ultimately you will be rewarded with a return in customers and referrals to your advantage. With personal video you have this covered at your fingertips. 

So, are you thinking about implementing or have implemented personal videos? We all know the customer appetite for it is there, but how can you make this work for you and be strict in its process to see the best return?

Here are a few recommendations to help you succeed if you implement a process and keep these consistent in each area of your store. 

Personal Videos in the Sales Department

With new AI technology comes a smart way to help make your initial touch with a new lead proactive and it is a great way to introduce your store in a timely manner, creating wider brand awareness.

The Walkaround. Introduce your BDC rep or salesperson with a walkaround of the vehicle your potential customer is/may be interested in, taking time to answer any particular requests and finishing with a call to action. If you have a BDC and the customer is coming in for that all-important test drive, then a handover to the salesperson is crucial.

The Appointment. Make the customer feel comfortable by sending a video confirming their appointment, showing them where they need to go, finishing with your face again and a smile. Visually being in your customer’s device has proven to reduce the amount of no-shows that dealerships experience.

The Thank You. Thank the customer for their visit. This polite communication increases a customer’s trust and builds your relationship.

Sold. Send a congratulations video, asking your happy customer to leave a review. This cements the full customer experience and increases the chances of a customer leaving a positive review of you and your store.

Personal Videos in the Service Department

Customers often fear being taken advantage of in the service department. Visually explaining puts all work into context. 

Explain the Work. Record a simple video explaining the work, use all the service tools (colored reference gauges, service sheet, etc.) available to you to highlight and demonstrate, not only urgent work but the advisories proving to a customer how close they are to potential risk, thus providing you with the upsell in hours we all want on the day.

Process. Using a video tool can install a process that enables technicians and service advisors to get to their customers in the timely manner needed, and gaining that crucial upsell because the customer can visually see what sometimes is hard for an advisor to replicate in words. 

Thank You for Your Business. This video finishes the process with review opportunities.

Service Renewal. A reminder video can later be sent to the customer for the process to start again.

Personal Videos in Finance

Finance renewals are very important in any dealership. One of the most valuable videos in this department is to remind a customer who is approaching a finance end. Sending a friendly visual reminder is not only an opportunity but in some ways a responsibility to keep binding the customer into the trade cycle. This offers reassurance and increases the chances of customers coming back to you for a renewal.

One thing to bear in mind: after watching a video they enjoyed, 83% of consumers would consider sharing it with their friends. Using video in every area in your store means more recommendations and referrals for a more profitable business.

So start 2020, a new year, a new decade off right and let video accelerate your customer engagement!

Click here to view more solutions from Max Farrell and SnapCell.