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Data is the backbone of a successful customer contact strategy

Dealers are increasingly handling and processing customer data. Following the enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, dealers are capturing, on average, 80% of mobile numbers and 88% of email addresses from customers making an enquiry.

Of these, 75% of customer consents are captured for marketing emails, 62% for marketing via mobile.

Post-GDPR, dealers still have a vast amount of data at their disposal.

The key to a successful sales and aftersales strategy lies in how that data is used.

Prospective car buyers still visit a showroom in person, but dealers also need to handle enquiries from inbound phone calls and emails, website enquiry forms, third-party classified sites, brokers and car price comparison sites, and various social media platforms. This challenge isn’t exclusive to sales teams, either – it affects aftersales departments equally.

Dealers have access to automated systems giving them the ability to join up data from a range of sources, and use it to provide customers with a seamless experience.

For instance, a prospective buyer will likely look elsewhere if a dealer does not have a specific vehicle in stock. But instead of losing the sale, Marketing Delivery’s Car Alerts system lets dealers automatically alert that customer to details of relevant new stock as it arrives at the showroom, using captured data to close a sale that might otherwise have been lost.

Another example might be a new or used car buyer receiving automated reminders shortly before an MOT or scheduled service is due. Research carried out by Marketing Delivery suggests that more than 60% of customers are more likely to book scheduled aftersales work if they receive a well-timed email reminder a few weeks ahead of time.

By the same measure, customers who have just purchased a car don’t want to receive marketing for other new vehicles they now have no intention of buying.

Customers are more likely to be receptive to marketing messages if a business provides them with timely, relevant information. Contacting customers on the most appropriate channel can have a similar effect. 75% of people in the UK use email daily, and they are more likely to consent to email marketing, making it the single most important platform to share relevant offers and reminders with customers.

Furthermore, more than 50% of UK car buyers are active on a social media platform, making it ideal for lead generation. Marketing Delivery’s SocialStock system enables dealerships, groups and manufacturers to target local customers or website visitors with dynamic Facebook adverts. Tailored to a brand or showroom location, promoted social media posts can provide dealers with a valuable tool to maximise visibility and engagement.

For the motor retail sector, data should form the backbone of a successful customer contact strategy. However, customers will increasingly look unfavourably on those dealers who fail to also secure consents, and prove unable to use the data in a joined-up way to issue personalised, relevant and timely communications.

Visit: www.marketingdelivery.co.uk

Email: get.in.touch@marketingdelivery.co.uk 

Phone: 01892 599 917