mercedes dealership gives it’s landline phone number a tune-up

Mike Vandenbos | Zipwhip | Director of Sales | [email protected]

Mercedes Dealership Gives it’s Landline Phone Number a Tune-up

Mike Vandenbos Carl Rempel National Director of Sales Founder Zipwhip MetroFusion

Mike Vandenbos | Zipwhip | Director of Sales | 206-856-6586 | [email protected]

Big Five Reasons

1. Branding your number: Key Identifier

2. Simplicity: No Learning Manual

3. Storage: See message history of each

customer

4. People don’t answer the phone anymore

5. Delay & Decay…you invest so much money in

getting them to contact you…send them a text!


The Automobile has evolved…So has Communication with the Customer

49% of mobile auto searchers end up making a purchase the same day of their research

71%—report using their smartphones as part of the buying process, with 63% using their phones for research while they are physically at the dealership

84% percent of automotive shoppers are on Facebook. 38% of consumers will consult social media in making their next car purchase


In this case study we will explore the unexpected benefits of Landline texting that most impressed a Mercedes dealerships staff and management. Using texting in Fixed Operations to sell more labor hours and service contracts

How to combine texting with email and phone calls to increase sales conversion

Learn the steps to integrating texting into your service and sales teams

Explain how landline texting is superior to short code texting methods

Review best practices and compliance around TCPA and DNC regulations


Sales appointment/confirmation texting in detail (Part 1 of 2) Peter, thank you for calling.

It was nice chatting with you today. Your

appointment is set for Saturday 9am.

We look forward to your visit with us.

Please ask for me. Thank you,

Maryanne 818-123-1234

Thank you, Maryanne. Not interested in the

2015.Looking for a dark grey C250 or C300 w/ tinted windows. I'd like to test

drive to see the difference btwn

8/21/14 10:43am

8/21/14 10:38am

8/21/14 10:38am

250 & 300. Also want to see how much room the

coupe has in back seats.2014 new or cert. pre-owned w/ warranty

a MUST. Hope this helps. See you

Saturday!8/21/14 10:43am

Yes! Thank you so much for letting me know! See

you Saturday!!

8/21/14 10:58am

Peter, we will see you tomorrow at 9am.

8/22/14 4:40pm

Thanks, it's going to be more like 10

8/22/14 4:52pm

Peter, thank you for visiting us over the

weekend. When are you coming back?

8/25/14 10:06am

Later this week. We've been working with

Sally. She's been very helpful.

8/25/14 10:13am

Great! Either myself or Sally will be in touch. She mentioned you may be in

Tuesday. Do you think you'll make it?

8/25/14 10:14am

Definitely no on Tuesday. Booked solid with work meetings.

Trying to schedule time for car stuff Thursday.

I'll get back witha time slot. Thanks8/25/14 4:18pm

No problem Peter. Thank you. We will be in touch.

8/25/14 4:19pm


Sales texting conversation in detail (Continued)

We are pretty serious about the steel grey

C250

We'll want to discuss this car at our next

visit.

Okay, I will definitely let Sally know. Thank you for

letting me know.

8/25/14 4:23 PM

8/25/14 4:22 PM

8/25/14 4:22 PM

Good morning Peter, hope all is well. Wanted to check in with you about coming

in today. Do you know what you can

make it in?8/27/14 9:35

AM

Still trying to work out a time for tomorrow

morning. May end up being Friday. Good

evening to you.

8/27/14 4:51 PM

Thank you for getting back to me Peter. Either way let me know what works best

for you. I will be in tomorrow at 9am.

Thank you!8/27/14 4:52

PM

No luck for coming in today. We'll be in

tomorrow morning as soon as you and Sally

are available

8/28/14 9:09 AM

Let me know the earliest

we can come by. Thanks

8/28/14 9:10 AM

Good morning Peter. Thank you for letting me know.

Tomorrow 10am works. Is that a good time for you?

8/28/14 9:21 AM

That'll work. If you can do 9:30, even better.

8/28/14 2:40 PM

Great! That works! See you tomorrow at 9:30am.

Thanks Peter.

8/28/14 2:43 PM

We're almost there. Where shall we meet?

8/29/14 9:24 AM


C#1: Sales/ BDC:

1. Christian calls store with questions for salesperson on a Thursday and sets an apptfor Saturday

2. Sales BDC sends an appt confirmation after the call wraps up.

3. Conversation continues via SMS

4. On Friday, Sales BDC sends another appt confirmation for Saturday's appt

5. Conversation continues via SMS and appt gets moved back one hour

6. Customer arrives for appt, but no sale made

7. Sales BDC follows up … customer responds that the salesperson was "veryhelpful" … BDC tries to set another appt

8. Conversation continues to unfold for days

9. Sets BDC sets a be back appt for Friday

10. Customer sends another SMS "we're almost there" and asks where specifically tomeet


C#2: Sales/ BDC: 59 Days!

1. Salesperson at store called the customer around noontime to follow up with an earlier conversation, but customer screened the call and responded with an SMS message: "Sorry, I'm busy. Call back later.“

2. Sales BDC acknowledged the message

3. A week later the salesperson called the customer again, and again, the customer screened the call and responded with a an SMS message: "I'm in a meeting“

4. The salesperson called again 2 hours later and the customer answered. Set an appt for Saturday (phone call on Thur).

5. BDC follows up with an SMS confirmation

6. Customer is a no show for the appointment

7. BDC makes a follow up phone call and customer screens the call and responded with an SMS message: "I'm in a meeting“\

8. BDC responds via SMS

9. Customer non-responsive for a few days

10. BDC follows up with another SMS and suggests an appt

11. Customer responds via text and indicates interest in a Sunday appt

12. BDC follows up with a phone call and actually talks to customer (voice-to-voice)

13. BDC confirms appt via SMS that was just set for Sunday (today is Monday)

This process continues for 59 days and customer finally shows up and makes a purchase


C#3: Fixed Ops: Customer not answering phone

1. Customer and Service Advisor were having trouble connecting on the phone(voicemail tag)

2. Advisor asked the Service BDC to help inform customer regarding some importantInformation

3. Service BDC turns to SMS to reach customer

4. Customer responds to SMS—excerpt, "Great thank you!! Love the text service soeasy!!

5. Customer later tries to call store on the weekend (service dept closed) and thenfollows up with an SMS

6. On Monday Service BDC responds to SMS

7. The conversation that started in December continued (at the customer'sconvenience) for months across a variety of topics


C#4: Fixed Operations: CSI-Style

1. Customer brought car in for service

2. Service sent "CSI-style" post visit message via SMS

3. Customer responded with "Everything was great“

4. Conversation ensues with customer suggesting that he's ready to replace his car

5. Conversation continues and the sales process gets kicked off.

6. Customer then responds via SMS: "I'm surprised how good your service is. I nevergot a text message from Mercedes all these years I have been leasing.“

7. Customer then adds, "I liked this whole idea of you guys texting“

8. Conversation wraps up


C#5 Fixed Operations: Upsell Extended Warranty

1. Customer had brought car in for Service

2. Customer had received the CSI-follow up message via SMS but hadn't yetresponded to any SMS

3. Out of the blue, the customer sends an SMS to the Service Department askingabout the arrival of a "dashboard speaker cover" — a special order part

4. The Service BDC checks with the Parts Dept and confirms that part is available, soan appt gets set to install the part

5. A week afterwards, the customer sends an SMS message asking about anExtended Warranty

6. The Service BDC gets a Finance Manager involved to assist the customer


Key Statistics

• 95% of all SMS are read within seconds of

receipt

• 90% messages are responded to within 5

minutes

• People check their emails less than 4 times a

day

• 95% of text messages are read vs. 22% of

emails

• 96% of smartphone users use SMS

• In 2012, texting surpassed voice channel 3:1

“Make Mobile First in All Directions” Mat Koenig


Combine texting with email and phone calls to increase sales conversion

As presented by Velocify: Text messaging for better sales conversion

Number of Texts After Contact


Texting provides the power of speed and “glimpse-ability”…avoid “delay and decay”


Why so many calls to make a contact?

.Because chances of making contact with a sales lead increase to 90% when you make at least 6 calls. Most reps give up on

one call. What if we combined calls, emails and text messaging?

Presented by Inside Sales “The Best Practices for Lead Response Management” as published in Harvard Business Review


Best time to make contact: What is audience doing?

.

Presented by Inside Sales “The Best Practices for Lead Response Management” as published in Harvard Business Review

The best days/best time to call are based on your target audience being in a place to answer a phone call. How would texting impact these

metrics?


Organization Key Documentation Key Message

CTIA (The Wireless Association)

http://files.ctia.org/pdf/SMS_Interoperability_Guidelines_V3-2-AsAdopted.pdf

4.1.6.1Throughput from a device or service should be limited by typical human operation and should be comparable to the throughput rates originated on wireless handsets. 4.1.6.2 Message volume from the device or application should be comparable to message volume generated by typical human operation on wireless handsets.

TCPA (Telephone Consumer Privacy Act)

http://www.kleinmoynihan.com/publication/new-tcpa-rules-effective-october-16-2013/

TCPA allows individuals to file lawsuits and collect damages for receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls, faxes, pre-recorded calls or autodialed calls. Unambiguous written consent required before telemarketing call or text message. Exception: calls that are manually dialed and do not contain a pre-recorded message are exempt from the TCPA.

DNC Registry (Do not call)

http://www.business.ftc.gov/documents/alt129-qa-telemarketers-sellers-about-dnc-provisions-tsr

The National Do Not Call Registry is a list of phone numbers from consumers who have indicated their preference to limit the telemarketing calls they receive. A company with which a consumer has an established business relationship may call for up to 18 months after the consumer’s last purchase or last delivery, or last payment, unless the consumer asks the company not to call again. If a consumer makes an inquiry or submits an application to a company, the company can call for three months.

This presentation is not be construed as legal advice for compliance issues around TCPA, CTIA or DNC regulations. Please consult with an attorney who has expertise in this area to ensure

compliance. Thank you.

Compliance Highlights: P2P vs A2P


(Courtesy of Rachel Hirsch/ Ifrah Law White Paper on TCPA)The above slide does not constitute legal advise for compliance around texting.

Please consult with an attorney who has expertise in this area to ensure compliance

White Paper on texting MOBILE PHONES: Pre-recorded and Auto-dialers

Live (non-autodialer) telemarketing calls to wireless numbers do not require consent.

Even where certain exceptions apply, marketers should continue to scrub federal/state “Do Not Call” databases, unless there is an established business relationship between the seller and

customer or consent is obtained.


Landline vs. Short Code Comparison

Dealership Landline Short Code

Key Identifier (Equity in your number) No Opt in requirements Person to Person (P2P: Conversational) Dealership does not have to originate text You can “Call or Text” Caller ID for branding No Keywords necessary Two way conversation No need to open/close a session

Generic number Compliance hoops Not intuitive to text a number that is not 10

digits You can’t call it Customer won’t make it a contact Intended for marketing campaigns Close each session

No Marketing/Mass TextingCRM requires custom integrationNo Opt in functionality

Perfect for campaign marketingCRM integrationNotifications(Some third party service providers allow two way texting)


CSI Scores & Texting


Texting amplifies Social and Video


Customers benefit in all departments

• Texting compliments Chat and extends it to mobile engagement.• Zipwhip benefits all departments, especially Service and

unlimited users to log into each number.

Sales Service Parts F & I

Spanish & Chinese Languages Supported


In Closing…The “Real” liabilities of Texting

1. Salespeople are already texting from their personal mobile phones…can you blame them?

2. Salespeople have your customers data and they are mobile to work for your competition.

3. Salespeople can go down the wrong path…and it’s too late for you to correct it.

mercedes dealership gives it’s landline phone number a tune-up

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