The document outlines strategies to improve internet department closing ratios by 5% in 90 days, emphasizing the importance of manager involvement in the sales process and prompt responses to leads. It advocates for personalized email communications and best practices for engaging potential customers, including timely follow-ups and analyzing lead behavior. The document also highlights the significance of maintaining a positive reputation to avoid spam complaints, along with effective email marketing techniques to foster customer relationships.

1. Increase your Internet Dept.
Closing Ratio by 5%
in 90 days.
Peter ‘web doc” Martin
President
Cactus Sky Communications, Inc.
peter@cactussky.com
941-756-1932
954-205-7716 cell

4. Who Should Handle the Leads
In our experience
we recommend that
the inbound leads
be handled by a
dedicated BDC.

5. The Reverse TO
Once the prospect has
arrived at the dealership
they should be directed to
the manager who will
introduce himself and then
TO to a sales person

6. Managers Must Participate
 We have seen and increase in closing ratios as
high as 60% when a manager is involved in the
sales process.
 The reverse TO, instead of waiting till the deal is
unwinding to bring him in, start the process with
the manager.

7. How to Respond to Leads
Step One: Turn off your Spam Filters
Turn off your spam filters

8. Auto Responders
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Thank you for requesting
Information from Volvo of Union
 Turn them off.
To Whom It May Concern:
 A bad idea
 Impersonal Thank you for requesting Information from
Volvo Union. Your
request has been forwarded to the
appropriate personnel, and you should
receive a reply to your request within four
(4) hours of receiving this
confirmation email during regular business
hours (Mon - Thurs 9am- 9pm,
Friday & Saturday 9am - 6pm). If you do
not receive a reply please do

9. Respond Quickly
 If you respond in the
first 5 minutes versus
30 minutes you have
100 times greater
likelihood of reaching
the prospect.

10. Call vs. eMail
 You should call first
◦ There is a good chance they are still online
 Next send them an email
◦ Make it personal

11. Call Right Away
 When a lead comes in you should call that lead
right away and start the conversation.
 You need to look at this as a race because your
competition may also have bought this lead.

12. After you have called Target
your leads with relevant Email

13. Sample eMail Template
Dear Mark:
We’d love the opportunity to make
We’d
you a lifetime customer at Conley.
Attached you will find a link to our
service department where you can
sign up for a FREE oil change!
Please take a moment to visit us.

14. Benefits of HTML
 If your message is promotional or informative, but not
one you would typically send via post on letterhead, we
recommend designing it in HTML.
 HTML offers greater control over formatting, layout,
color, fonts, graphics and branding.
 A visually pleasing design can affect your reader’s ability
to process and enjoy the information.
 HTML design also opens up a wealth of possibilities and
interactive functionality within each eMail.
 Allows you to track engagement.

15. Mobile Enabled
 30% of people are checking their email on mobile
devices.
 It is important that your emails are mobile friendly.

16. Day 3 eMail
 On the 3rd day after a lead comes into the system
have an automated email go out from the Dealer
or General Manager
 This email should be thanking them for the their
interest in the dealership and offering them
personal assistance.

17. Do a self audit
 Go to your website
and submit a request
for a quote.
 Experience what
your prospects do.
 Review the email
response time.

18. eMail is a Process
Action
Acceptance
Comprehension
Recall
I
RO
Attention
Builds Awareness Builds Intentions Builds Sales

19. Build a Relationship
 STOP Spamming them with Loud Sales offers.
 Develop a conversation.

20. Relevancy
Relevant eMails equal:
• Better opens, reads, clicks & conversion rates
• Increased retention
• Increased ROI
• Enhanced deliverability
• Easier to spot deliverability issues
• Lower spam complaints

21. Avoid Spammy Content
 Avoid overaggressive language and spammy-
looking content such as
◦ Very large fonts
◦ Using all caps
◦ Big red letters and excessive “!!!”
◦ Anything that looks unprofessional and could
be confused with a true spam eMail

22. Sales eMail on a Preset Schedule
Specific
content e-Mails
based on
1 consumer
New Profiles
Year’s 14
Special:
Valentine’s :
Free
Leasing
Detail
Offer 23
A Sales Cycle
Offering

23. Don’t over eMail
 We recommend twice a month.
◦ Beginning of the month for service
◦ Middle of the month for sales

24. How many leads are in your CRM?
The Average Dealership has over 10,000 Leads
in the Internet Department CRM Tool.
Where do these leads come from:
• Lead providers
• Manufacturer’s Site
• Your own website

25. eMail Process

26. Promote
coupons

27. Lead Generation on your website

28. Sales & Service Combined eMails

29. Online Service Coupons

30. Increase web traffic
 One of the benefits of email marketing is that it will
increase traffic to your website
 Generate more exclusive leads.
 No 3rd party lead vendor costs.

31. What happens when you hit send?
Best case, it is delivered into the inbox.

32. Worst Case
ISPs and corporate SPAM filters all handle suspected
spam messages differently:
◦ Block it and return to sender with a message explaining the
block
◦ Block it and delete it without returning or notifying the
sender (called black-holing)
◦ Route to the junk folder, often adding [SPAM] or similar
notice to the subject line (MOST COMMON)
◦ Return it to you with a request to remove the subscriber if
he or she clicked the spam button via a feedback loop

33. Authentication
Verifies sender’s identity
Accreditation
Third-party verification of sender’s good habits
Certification
Tokenized proof of sender’s good reputation

34. Reputation
is the key to
deliverability.

35. Minimize spam complaints
America Online, for example, currently recommends
keeping spam complaints below 10 per 1,000
messages.

36. Managing Complaints
Complaints are the #1 factor for deliverability
• You need to set up and manage Feedback loops
• Complaints are forwarded to sender’s abuse
address for processing
• Remove/suppress complaining addresses
immediately
• Analyze complaints for patterns
• Frequency issue?
• Relevancy issue?

37. Spam Complaints
 Complaints are the #1 cause of ISP blacklisting.
 Someone can complain or register your eMail as
spam with the click of a mouse button.
 When enough people do the same thing with
your eMail, you will be blacklisted.

38. BEST PRACTICES

39. Subject Lines
 Spend time on your subject line – first
impressions mean the world to your recipient.
 Personalize the subject line. Import the
recipients first name into the subject line when
possible.
 Example subject line: Peter we have some
specials for you.

40. Keep your dealership Top of Mind
Building Personal Relationships Requires:
• Two-way business/customer interaction
• Time and content relevant communications
Email Marketing should be:
• Automated
• Professional Creative
• Contains relevant, timely content
• Drives traffic to website
• Tracks the response rates and clicks

41. Sample eMail Campaign
eMail
•Service/Sales Message
•Personalized
•Links to Sales/Service
Click here

42. Huge opportunity for service
Most internet leads have NEVER been
prospected for service.

43. Actual Service Results
In the first 2 months marketing to Internet leads
-10000 Leads in the CRM
-175 repair orders
-Summary of first 3 on list
- $385 RO existing customer who had not
been in dealership in past year
- $1400 RO New Customer
- $400 RO New Customer

44. Consumers are holding onto cars longer
eMail is a Relationship building tool that will:
• Convert service customers to New car buyers
• Convert finance Turn Downs into service customers
• Keep local prospects engaged with your dealership
• Satisfied Service Customers eventually BUY Cars.

45. Engage with Service
LOST SALES:
Use the Service Dear Mark:
Department to obtain We’d love the opportunity to make
We’d
New customers, even you a lifetime customer at Conley.
Attached you will find a link to our
though they did not service department where you can
sign up for a FREE oil change!
purchase their vehicle
Please take a moment to visit us.
from your dealership.
Click here

46. Monthly Coupons sent Automatically
3
$9.95
Oil Oil E-mail
Change 5 Change
Coupons are
Radiator Cost-effective and
Flush
Track able
16
Tire Rotation
A Service Radiator
Flush
Cycle Offering
Free
Tire
Rotation

47. Follow up with people (leads) that have engaged with your emails
Take the “clickers” and give them to your sales
team or BDC to make follow up calls. If a person
received an email and clicked to view your
inventory they are a LEAD.

48. Best day and time for follow up calls
Best day to call back prospects is Wednesday and Thursday
Best time to call is between 4 and 6 PM

49. If you remember that 33% of your online leads
purchase after 90 days and put a follow up plan
into effect designed to build a relationship, you
will see a dramatic increase in your internet
closing ratio in 90 days.

50. For more information contact:
Peter “web doc” Martin
941.756.1932 office
954.205.7716 cell
peter@cactussky.com
www.potofgoldprogram.com