Auto Dealers Say Live Chat Helps Them Sell Cars
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) July 26, 2013 -- The majority of automotive sales professionals participating in the annual Contact At Once! Dealer Survey said live chat helps them sell cars—sometimes significantly more. Sixty percent of those with Contact At Once! chat on their websites reported they sell at least five cars a month to shoppers who chat, while 1 in 4 said they sell 10 cars or more a month.
Survey participants also gave chat high scores for helping them build relationships with online shoppers, who certainly seem to favor the real-time communications medium. In an Accenture Automotive study last year, almost 7 in 10 said they would welcome the chance to chat with auto dealers. Plus, the use of chat in the Contact At Once! network—dealership websites, online ad listings, OEM sites, social media, etc.—is expanding rapidly, from under 2 million chats generated by consumers just three years ago to a projected 7 million in 2013.
Not surprisingly, survey participants say younger shoppers prefer texting and chatting, but they also reported that 40 percent of the 35-and-over crowd would rather chat or text too.
Even with such compelling numbers, some dealers question whether chatting shoppers turn into showroom visitors. Based on the survey, though, Contact At Once! dealers almost unanimously agree that chat helps bring online shoppers into their dealership.
“Shoppers who chat are often giving strong intent-to-buy signals, so it’s vitally important that auto manufacturers and dealerships are ready and waiting to answer questions online,” says Ed Parkinson, Contact At Once! Vice President of Automotive Solutions. “They could be hours or even minutes away from making a purchase decision, and dealerships who have salespeople immediately available to chat or text with them can have the inside advantage.”
Dealer Survey participants agreed. More than 9 in 10 said being able to chat with online shoppers gives them a competitive advantage.
The Contact At Once! Dealer Survey was conducted over a two-week period in June. The results are based on answers from over 1,100 professionals, including general managers, sales managers and Internet sales people. Participants were split almost equally between franchised and independent dealerships. Details of the Contact At Once! survey findings are available for download now.
ABOUT CONTACT AT ONCE!
Contact At Once! software boosts engagement by making it easy for consumers to connect with auto dealers and ask questions at the moment their interest is piqued. More engagement can translate into more sales, and that’s why 12,000 dealers, the world’s busiest automotive classified sites and many automotive manufacturers rely on Contact At Once! to build relationships with online shoppers. For more information, visit http://www.autodealerchat.com.
Aaron Hassen, Contact At Once!, http://www.contactatonce.com, 678-341-5505, [email protected]
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