4 questions to ask about your dealership’s CRM

From our experience, most auto dealership business owners and executives don’t spend a lot of time thinking about their customer relationship management (CRM) software. It’s something that’s just there. That only changes when a problem arises, a competitor is seen taking a bold step, or awareness of a newer and better system comes into play.

That means there’s a good chance, if you’re reading this article, that you are worried about precisely those same things. Maybe it seems like you’re missing out on sales that you could win or are concerned because a competitor is moving ahead of you with their technology. If that’s the case, you might be asking yourself whether your current CRM is doing enough to help you close deals and stay ahead of your competitors. Here are four more specific questions that can help you find the answer…

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1. Are we really in control of our customer data?

You and your team do the hard work of marketing your business and meeting with potential buyers. It only makes sense that you would have full access to all the records that relate to those customers – including past sales, service histories, and notes on interactions. If you aren’t in control of that data, then it might be time to find a solution that gives you more power over your own bottom line.

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2. Can we share details between employees or departments?

We are often surprised to learn that some auto dealers use separate systems to manage sales, service, or even different locations. That’s not an efficient way to work with customers. Even worse, it can lead to miscommunications and missed opportunities. You want a platform that allows employees from different parts of your business to see notes and previous interactions updated in real time.

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3. Does the software make It easy to do our jobs?

Although new clients always worry about the difficulty of getting started with a new software platform, the reality is that a good CRM makes life easier for you and your team very quickly. That’s because it should include lots of streamlined functions and automated tools that schedule things like follow-up calls, service appointments, finance meetings, and so much more.

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4. Is our CRM costing us revenue opportunities?

Really, this is the one question that matters most. If your CRM is stopping you from making sales that are there to be won – or if you have the feeling that you could close more deals with better information and organization – then you should never put off making a switch. In the end, using something like Salesforce is all about maximizing sales opportunities first.

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Not sure whether you need to upgrade your CRM? Or, if Salesforce could be the right platform for your auto dealership? We're here to answer your questions. Contact sales to learn more and see a demo of the Salesforce solutions we've built for your industry.