Measuring Engagement - Metrics that Go Deeper

Than UPS, Demos and Writeups

As dealers evaluate their digital presence they quickly learn that metrics like page views per visitor or used vehicle detail pages viewed or videos viewed are indications of an engaging web presence. Being more engaging is important. If a web site, a dealership or a salesperson can hold a visitor’s attention long enough to begin a relationship, or make an impression favorable enough that sharing needs, wants and personal information becomes comfortable, success will follow.

Engaging - an adjective meaning: attractive or pleasing in a way that holds your attention or interest; or: tending to draw favorable attention or interest.

Being “engaging” without being off-putting is a real skill. It comes naturally to some, but there are techniques all salespeople can learn that will improve this ability. Engaging salespeople draw the highest percentages of UPS farthest into the selling process and capture more data from prospective customers than less engaging salespeople.

How do you measure engagement with your most critical visitors, those that actually come to your dealership? All dealers track UPS, Demos, Writeups, Closes and Gross. Most scrutinize these, salesperson by salesperson, daily on a DOC. These metrics certainly reflect engagement. But today, many dealers drill even deeper. They also keep salesperson-by-salesperson metrics on the capture of names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, trade descriptions, types of vehicles desired and so on.

Getting a wealth of information from every visitor who demos a vehicle is relatively easy. But how much data do you capture from visitors who do not get to the demo stage? When you start tracking this data, you might be surprised by what you learn. The data of prospective customers can be (in time) as valuable as the data of customers, and a salesperson’s ability to capture it is a solid measure of engagement.

Today, the Opportunity Cost of a single visitor to a dealership showroom varies, but it yours is likely to be hundreds of dollars. To see a visitor come and go and not even have any data to show for it is painful. So take steps today to maximize your capture of prospective customer data. Whether capturing data online or in the showroom, it helps to give the visitor (and even the salesperson) a little incentive. A monthly drawing for a big screen TV or signed sports memorabilia worked for me in the past, but I think it is important for each dealership to create a unique incentive in keeping with the dealership’s brand.

If you are not meeting with success capturing data, I can help your web presence, your dealership and your salesmen can become more engaging. Give me a call at 206-617-6487. Visit my web site at http://www.premierperformancegroups.com