Cliff Banks over at Wards Dealer Business wrote an article with Lisa Keller of eValuation Inc. on how we, as Internet sales managers, need to be careful that our leads are not ?evaporating?. Basically saying; it?s always possible for technical problems to arise (like servers crashing) and not allowing leads from our website to make their way into your Internet lead management (ILM) software, and never knowing about it.

I?m sure this could be a possible concern, but how would someone on "our end" track this unless a server went down for hours and it became obvious? I would hope that the vendors providing dealer websites realize the importance of a dealer receiving every lead and have back up measures in place to prevent such a problem.

What I found more interesting are the statistics that Lisa is able to gather with their mystery shopping service. We all know the longer it takes a dealership to respond to a lead less chance you have of selling that customer. BUT it?s nice to see some hard numbers proving it.

The article also touched on the importance of strong email responses.

The quality of the response is an area many dealerships fail at. According to Keller, strong e-mail responses should include the following six things:

• Greeting: You want to thank the customer for the opportunity and introduce yourself and the store. Pretend the customer is in front of you.

• Provide at least one alternative vehicle ? two or three are better. Always include a certified pre-owned alternative. A pricing range also should be included. Studies show most customers have not decided on what they want when they contact the store. More information may help you set that appointment and close the sale.

• Give the customer a reason to buy from you. Keller calls it a value proposition statement. According to a Cobalt Group study last year, more than 90% of online automotive shoppers buy from a dealership other than the first one they contacted.

• Ask two qualifying questions and then provide reasons why you are asking the questions. For example, determine the trim level of the vehicle they are interested in. Why? Different trim levels can change a vehicle?s by as much as $10,000.

• Perhaps most important, be direct and ask for the appointment. ?We see many responses in which the salesperson says, ?Let me know if there is anything else I can do,? and leaves it that,? Keller says. ?Seeing that is like nails on a chalkboard.?

• Finally, the signature. Provide your name, e-mail address and phone number along with the web site address and physical address of the dealership.

My question to Lisa, does a dealer include all of this information in 1 email or do you spread this information over a few emails? I personally spread the information over a few emails. When writing email I think you have to be quick and too the point. Long winded emails will quickly loose your readers? attention. AND using a few emails to get your point across gets your name in front of the customer a few more times. It makes it easier for the customer to find YOU in their inbox.

Lisa, if you read this..contact me!