This past Monday was Whit Monday: a day off for many, but a working day for everyone who works in hospitality, for example, or at some car businesses. I think it’s a great thing that everyone can decide for themselves whether or not they want to be open. We were open, and with five cars sold it was a highly productive day! We had a few appointments and someone dropped by on the off chance and bought a car too!

The appointments, however, were the most important. After all, the people who come are, as a rule, buyers too! Not always right away, but certainly in the period ahead. It’s just that you can have days, like we did this past Monday, on which everyone also says yes right away. That’s rather nice every now and then!

Appointment

Back to the appointment. With many appointments that you make four to eight days ahead, the chance is smaller that the potential buyer will actually show up for a car that’s for sale everywhere. A unique car or a unique price usually compels people to make an appointment straight away, even if it’s in the evening or on a Sunday. Those who are low in the buying funnel and therefore want to buy quickly will also be quicker to call than someone who is a bit higher up and fills in a form. All the data at Calldrip and our own shop demonstrate this too: the caller buys more than twice as often as the online lead.

What can you ask?

How do you get the appointment to the point where someone actually comes? One of those fun things you can do is the following. Just ask what people like to drink and which pastry they enjoy. Simply: “How do you like your coffee? Cappuccino, caffè latte, or whatever exotic drink. And if you were to buy a pastry for yourself, would that be an apple pie or a cheesecake?”

And if people don’t want to answer those questions, just keep probing: “But if you had to answer, what would you say?” The customer replies: “A double espresso with an apple pastry with whipped cream.” And then you say: “Great, then I’ll have that ready for you next Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.”

And you’ll see two things: people show up more often and, if they don’t come, they at least let you know, instead of staying away without any response.

Maybe far-fetched, maybe out of the box, but it does work! In online lead follow-up, the steps in conversion are the most important. Speed of follow-up sells the dialogue, the dialogue sells the appointment. It’s just: how do you sell the appointment so well that people actually come? Because if they come, then you can sell. And if you’re selling a normal car, one that’s available everywhere, then the chance is smaller that they’ll actually come. So: how do I sell the appointment so that they really come?

Of the six appointments, one didn’t show up. Okay, that happens. Less than 40% no-show is good, but I also see that when appointments are made further ahead in time on a ‘normal’ Lynk & Co, I often lose that appointment. Then I can do two things: accept it or come up with something else. I choose the latter. What do you do?