Virtual Meeting Best Practice for Car Dealers

With many looking at a further period of remote working, the ability to connect, engage, and sell to your customers online has never been more important. Understanding public uncertainty in venturing to showrooms or service centres is going to be key to dealer success as the impact of Covid-19 continues to influence consumer behaviour.

We’ve all gotten used to talking to friends and family on our screens more often than in person. It’s the same for your customers too, which is why we’ve put together a guide covering virtual meeting best practice for car dealers.

Our first tip is a simple one: make sure you’re using tools and technologies that are accessible for all, such as SnapCell Live. If your customer is expected to download widgets, apps or otherwise, expect resistance!
The second tip is related to the first – prior to your virtual meeting, make sure you have adequately communicated any guidance your customer will need in setting up a link or connecting with you.

Apply common sense is our third piece of advice. Just as you would with making a telephone call, make sure you’re connecting from somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed. If you’re going to be looking over a specific vehicle, ensure your colleagues are aware and give you the space and time you need. Avoid banter, antics, and language that might be overheard; at best it will be a distraction, but it could also be frowned upon and cause a customer to hesitate or even walk away. And, just as you would in person, don’t be stiff and forced. Make your customer feel relaxed and welcome…by being relaxed and welcoming!

Remember, one of the side-effects of virtual meetings has been a tendency for people to see it as an opportunity to multitask. This is why a one-to-one video call has a huge advantage over simply picking up the phone – the focus is on you and the products and services you’re offering, rather than online bargains, or getting the laundry done.

Another important aspect is to understand your strengths and weaknesses in the online environment. Every moment you spend fiddling with the screen, changing focus, looking for the best angle, or walking to and from a location is lost time, and time your customer could be losing interest. Whether you’re conducting a walkaround of a vehicle, or talking them through a service, you’ll feel more confident optimising your setup in advance.

When using video to close a sale, listening to your customer and understanding their needs and concerns is vital. Decision making is an emotional process, and you need to reduce tension as much as possible. If concerns or queries are raised, it’s important to address them. One technique that is low pressure and affirmative, is to use confirming questions. Provide an alternative and ask, “would you prefer that?”, or, “is that sounding better now?”. These questions in themselves are soft closes, and can be used to progress to the next stage.

And, remember to follow up all the actions you’ve agreed (or the details of the sale, further work required etc.) in a follow-up email, as soon after your video call has ended as possible.

SnapCell Live is a revolutionary, yet simple and reliable way of delivering virtual meeting best practice for car dealers. Built with automotive sales and service professionals in mind, there are no widgets to download, and you and your customers can be connected with just two clicks. All live streams are recorded, for your own internal training and reference purposes, you can invite others to the meeting, plus you can share your desktop screen for complete ease. Contact a member of the team today for your own virtual meeting and demo.