Just a few years ago, we likely never dreamed we\u2019d be using text messaging as part of the sales process. But more and more dealers are using text messaging to facilitate communication between sales staff and customers.<\/p>\n
SMS texting allows quick, direct communication that works on most mobile phones today. In addition, US adults are more than twice as likely to have adopted SMS as any other form of mobile messaging, such as email, MMS, or instant messaging. It\u2019s no wonder that more sales managers are looking for CRM applications with integrated texting capabilities, like AutoRaptor.<\/p>\n
Of course, having the ability to send and receive texts through your CRM is only one piece of the puzzle. We recommend first evaluating proper uses and the responsibility that comes with messaging to your customers\u2019 mobile devices, and having guidelines in place for your sales staff to follow.<\/p>\n
Here are six rules for text messaging that you should consider for your dealership.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Times are changing. Years ago, we would probably have said never when asked when it was okay to send a text message to your prospects or customers. But today we know that texting is appropriate\u2014but with some restrictions.<\/p>\n Text messaging an existing customer is always okay when you know that they are comfortable with it. It\u2019s a simple–and courteous–question to ask, and should be done at the time when you are gathering their contact info. You may be surprised at the number of people who are more than happy to take their communication with you to text: they know it\u2019s easy, they\u2019re already doing it, so to your customers it just makes sense. When you have direct permission to use texting with your customers, there\u2019s no reason not to.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019ve followed rule number one, then this shouldn\u2019t be an issue at all. Keep in mind that many individuals only use text for personal communication among family and friends. The last thing you want to achieve is annoyance\u2014if your customer has told you they don\u2019t welcome text messages from you or anyone else at the dealership, then don\u2019t do it!<\/p>\n When initiating a text message conversation with a customer, be sure to state who you are\u2014first and last name\u2014as well as the name of your dealership. The person you are sending to may not recognize who you are, so be sure to state that at the start of your very first message. This is not only common courtesy, but also helps to avoid awkward miscommunication. Or even worse\u2014that your message is ignored completely!<\/p>\n Business communication in any form must adhere to some standards that keep your dealership’s image professional and consistent. The use of abbreviations and text slang is widespread and second-nature to many. But it\u2019s always better to err on the side of conservative when texting your customers. In other words, this isn\u2019t the time for abbreviations, letter\/number combinations, slang, or other common forms of text speak. Your customers will appreciate the effort you\u2019ve made to come across courteously and professionally, and you ensure that whatever you are saying is being understood clearly and with little room for misinterpretation.<\/p>\n Small talk is something you are probably great at and it serves you well to warm up to your customers on the lot. But when texting, less is more. If your message is a call to action\u2014whether a request for information, setting up an appointment time, or any other question you wish to have answered, be careful not to let the point of your communication to get lost in a lengthy string of messages. Aim to keep you text messages short and concise.<\/p>\n The immediacy of text messaging is undoubtedly the biggest appeal of this form of communication. So when your customers send you a text, they expect an immediate response. If you\u2019ve been engaging in back and forth text exchange with a customer or prospect, be sure that you are doing them the courtesy of responding to their messages in a timely manner. \u00a0But in an effort to be timely, be careful not to rush! When distracted or busy with other tasks, it\u2019s easy to send a response message too quickly, without taking the time to think through fully what you want to say.<\/p>\n These tips, along with an integrated text messaging application that allows for complete transparency and accountability, will make communicating with your prospects and customers so much simpler.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Just a few years ago, we likely never dreamed we\u2019d be using text messaging as part of the sales process. But more and more dealers are using text messaging to facilitate communication between sales staff and customers. SMS texting allows quick, direct communication that works on most mobile phones today. In addition, US adults are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","rank_math_title":"","_aioseo_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-auto-dealer-compliance","category-auto-dealer-marketing"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Rule #1: Ask permission.<\/h2>\n
Rule #2: Never send text messages to any customers who don’t want to receive them.<\/h2>\n
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Rule #3: Identify yourself.<\/h2>\n
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Rule #4: Don’t get too casual.<\/h2>\n
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Rule #5: Keep it simple.<\/h2>\n
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Rule #6: Respond quickly<\/h2>\n