Thinking About Buying a New CRM? Read This Reality Check First!

You may be wondering why the president of a dealership management system (DMS) company is talking about CRMs. It’s not because I want to sell you a CRM. It’s because one of the most frequently asked questions I get from customers is, “What do you think about such and such CRM?”

The first thing I always answer is, “Why do you want to switch?”

The reasons I get vary and often include: “Well, our new Internet Sales Director thinks that CRM is better,” or “Our guys just aren’t using the current CRM, they don’t really like it,” or “I hear this CRM is amazing and we could increase our revenue by 30%!” (Really?) Sometimes, dealers and managers can’t even give a good reason why they want to switch CRMs.

Besides your DMS, a CRM is potentially the largest technology expense your dealership has. So why switch if you don’t need to? And if you do switch, do you know which system you should switch to? The system that works for your fellow dealer in a 20 Group or the dealership down the street may not be best for you.

Here are the top three reasons NOT to buy a new CRM:

1) The newly hired Sales Director/ Internet Director prefers Vendor X’s CRM over your current CRM and insists on changing.

2) The GM/ Sales Manager is good buddies and plays golf with so-and-so over at Vendor X.

3) Just went to a trade show and saw a sales pitch for a really cool CRM.

If your current CRM has a low utilization rate, take some time to figure out why. Even the most basic CRMs have the ability to log ups, track performance from various ad sources, and send out letters and e-mails. If your employees aren’t using the CRM for these tasks, find out if the problem lies with the system or in the management of processes and employee accountability.

Because here’s the bottom line: if your salespeople aren’t using your current CRM the way they’re supposed to, they’re not going to use a brand new CRM the way they’re supposed to. So promises of increased revenue (based on features that won’t be used) will fall flatter than a tire with a leaky valve stem.

If you’re still thinking about switching CRMs, try a proven 10-step process that will help guide you to the right decision—without regrets and without wasting unnecessary money. Visit www.automate.com and download our FREE, unbiased ebook, “The Auto Dealer’s 10-Step Guide to Choosing the Right CRM for Your Dealership.”

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Comment by Mr. Natural on May 15, 2013 at 1:01pm

I too am on board with those wondering if the current CRM is being used. Used properly, or even used at all. Our CRM is so click intensive, I'm really surprised that I use it myself. Forget about all this new fangled stuff you can buy to go along with your current CRM as well. Unless you have 100% proper use of the CRM you do have, you certainly don't need: SEO, Social Meda, equity mining, or anything else. Before you buy or change anything, you need to make sure of the following...Sales people and managers need to be able to:

Respond to any incoming lead fast.
Enter a showroom visitor in the CRM
Record notes for a call
Send an email from the CRM:
Schedule the next activity for that customer
Run your day out of the CRM

Ain't no rocket science or SEO here, but if the above isn't getting done IN SPADES, it matters not what you buy. It's only as good as the person using it.

Comment by Richard Robbins on May 9, 2013 at 10:31am

MasterCall, from DMEautomotive, is a complete set of inbound and outbound customer contact management solutions. From outbound CSI, unsold follow-up and first appointment call campaigns to complete inbound service appointment setting and backstop/overflow support. MasterCall features a flexible, scalable and affordable set of solutions that provides dealers with as much, or as little, service as they need to succeed.

Set more appointments. Drive more sales!

Inbound appointment setting.
Inbound overflow/backstop call handling.
Outbound sales & service calls.
Timely and accurate web-based reporting.
Innovative voice logging technology with real time call recordings.
Recorded calls available in real time for review.
Set more appointments and establish more hot leads.
…and so much more!

Using the most current technologies, our flexible inbound live answer process ensures that all incoming calls are answered 24/7. We drive business with outbound call campaigns using the best in class processes and technology to maximize contact rates.

All calls utilize interactive and reciprocal conversations, not impersonal scripts. Plus our continuous quality control management and voice logging technology means dealers can rest assured that all calls will be professional and courteous. We guarantee DNC call compliance and give access to real time reports and dashboard metrics via our Red Rocket Technologies Platform.

With over 15 years of experience and 100% of our call center’s business being automotive, we know how to talk to your customers.

Find the solution that works best for you! Call me to schedule your 20 minute presentation today!

http://www.dmeautomotive.com/mastercall_solutions

Richard L. Robbins Jr.

Inside Sales Consultant-MasterCall

DMEautomotive

8505 BayCenter Road

Jacksonville, Florida 32256

p: 904.416.1981 | c: 443.460.8744 | f: 904.416.1038

Comment by Allan Ledford on May 9, 2013 at 6:29am: Concern with our incoming phone call training. Anyone have ideas or a company that would answer calls and set apptts

Comment by Allan Ledford on May 9, 2013 at 6:28am: Great advice

Comment by David Krier on May 8, 2013 at 9:43pm: Great points... The most interesting one I hear is that their people were not using their current CRM... The fact is that they probably won't use the new one either. Most of the time it all comes down to enforcing the usage of the CRM and it starts at the top.

There are a lot of CRM solutions out there. If you are new to CRM find a vendor that has been around for a while and ask for a few of their clients in your area. If you ask who you should call for a reference you will probably not get the real answer from that person.

The best way to get a real answer is to drop in on the Dealership, identify yourself, be complimentary and ask how their CRM is working.

If you already have a CRM solution and you are not having success, ask that vendor for the names of a few of their Clients in your area and use the same drop in approach. If you hear from them the things that concern you about your system then you know you may have a problem.