Addressing Missing Sales Over the Long Term

At PCG Digital and Pasch Group, our primary objective is to demystify marketing metrics and internet lead process strategies for our clients and their teams. We aim to steer clear of confusing wording ?enabling them to understand the significance of implementing these changes.?

Over the past six to seven months, several clients have sought our assistance to better connect their internal processes with their marketing efforts. During site visits, we've identified potential areas for improvement, which typically fall into two categories:

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1. Inconsistency in Process Execution: Teams have established processes but do not follow them consistently, leading to frustration as everyone does what they think is best.
2. Suboptimal Processes: Teams are following the processes, but these are often repetitive and not effectively engaging, focusing too narrowly on "when do you want to come in?" rather than fostering a conversational approach.

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We introduced a simple yet insightful idea to these teams: Anyone submitting their name is likely taking action within the next six weeks. This perspective is crucial, especially since some still believe that if prospects don't visit within three days, they are not serious about purchasing.

I emphasized the importance of recognizing that while some buyers are early in their purchasing journey, it's essential to cater to both immediate and long-term prospects. This approach includes deploying multiple advertisements with varied messages to engage individuals at different stages of their journey.

Our collaboration with Urban Science, utilizing their Traffic Alert and Sales Alert tools, has been enlightening and validated my recommendations to the dealerships. I love actionable data that gives me an edge for my clients. These tools enable dealers to track whether someone in their CRM purchased from their dealership or elsewhere.

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As you can see in the images above, this is information for two dealerships. The blue is their dealership, light gray is similar brand, and dark gray is a different OEM ?A notable trend is the drop-off in purchase between days four to eight, likely due to a lack of engaging follow-up, leading to repetitive emails or voicemails that fail to capture customer interest.

Particularly revealing is the data showing many customers purchase after two weeks or longer from their initial inquiry. This insight challenges the notion that interest wanes after the first few days; instead, many are just mid-journey.

What’s even more telling is how many customers ultimately buy from a different manufacturer. One possibility is that similar OEMs in the market failed to respond effectively, leading customers to abandon that brand. But I believe the more likely explanation is that dealerships typically perform well in the first few days, providing information but then leaving the responsibility on the customer to follow up if they have further questions.

?As a result, many customers who leave a dealership after day 8 are likely to start the same process at another store because they are now closer to their purchase date. I think it is time to review your current process to save defections of the customers who came to your dealership due to your marketing efforts. If you have any questions or want to discuss, feel free to reach out.

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If you found this helpful, don't forget to subscribe to this newsletter. If you have a question or need help with a future project, please reach out or click here for more information on the Internet Sales Mastery Program

I’m thrilled to be part of a case study with Urban Science and several dealerships, aimed at using this data to reduce defections to other brands or competitors

We will be sharing some early results at the Modern Retailing Conference. I will be hosting and speaking along with my brother Brian Pasch, MA and a host of top industry experts. This event is not to be missed. Get your tickets today https://bit.ly/4d4tGp7

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