Do you ever find yourself asking, "What happened to you on Tuesday at 2:00 pm, Bob?" Most ISMs grapple with the challenge of getting their Internet prospects to return phone calls, gather needed information, and show up for in-store appointments. If you’re finding yourself in this situation more often than you would like, the following techniques can help you strengthen the level of commitment from your Internet prospects.
With Internet prospects, the most effective method for getting a commitment is to let them know that you believe they’re the kind of individuals who do what they say! Giving a person a reputation to live up to works with people you know in your everyday life, but it especially works with Internet customers because they already have a sense that they’re a special class of customer – and they are. The key is to use phrases that invoke “the law of internal consistency.” Saying something like the following statement creates positive reinforcement:
"One of the reasons I truly enjoy working in the Internet department is the high degree of consistency we see with Internet buyers. In fact, over the last two months I have not had a single Internet customer miss a scheduled appointment and I can tell you that says a lot about Internet customers in general."
While this example is a little over the top, these types of phrases do work. People feel compelled to act in a way that is consistent with the way they see themselves and how others perceive them. In the same respect, this is why “affinity” can easily be jeopardized by using statements like “please help me out...” or “I knew you wouldn't come through,” etc. These kinds of statements refer to a person’s actions; not their identity. A person’s identity is their reality, so when you appeal to their identity, rather than focusing on negative actions, you’ll get better results.
The overall idea is to wrap the Internet prospect’s entire self-concept into a single cycle of action. Doing this successfully places your prospect in the position of having to ask the question: “What kind of person would I be if I did not honor my commitment?” Understanding the psychological structure of this tactic will aid you in finding ways to adapt readily to any situation and relate better to your customers
While in many dealerships, ISMs set their own appointments, others have dedicated appointment setters. What’s important is that everyone on the team has an understanding of these concepts. The following techniques can help you turn a tentative appointment into a firm commitment. Getting your Internet prospect to internalize their commitment is the key to getting the results you’re looking for.
1. Get Them to Verbalize Their Commitment
When you follow-up on the scheduled appointment with phrases like, "Are you sure that works for you?” you ask your customers to validate their commitment. Ending a conversation in which you’re scheduling an appointment with an Internet customer by saying, “I look forward to meeting you then, OK?” can increase your show rate by, on average, 19%.
2. Get the Time Duration of the Appointment Nailed Down
Getting agreement as to how long your Internet prospect should expect their appointment to take shows them that you are respectful of their schedule and also that you are conscious of your own commitments for the rest of the day.
3. Develop an Obligation
The general idea here is to complete a communication cycle with your prospect that clearly lets them know that you are in some way altering your day from its otherwise pre-determined path as a result of their pending appointment with you. Doing this effectively will paint the picture that if the appointment is cancelled it will in some way have a negative impact on you personally. Statistically, people keep the appointments that they feel they need to keep. Setting the appointment up as an obligation will help lock the commitment into place, so that it serves as your prospect’s emotional alarm clock.
4. Demonstrate a Sense of Dependency
At this point, you will want to communicate to your prospect that you are dependent to a degree on their follow-through to the completed cycle of action. It is important not to do this in a way that comes off as selfish. The ideal situation is to clearly demonstrate, albeit delicately, how your day might suffer consequences in the event that they do not follow through on their commitment to you. This step establishes that you have a life you value outside of your prospect’s appointment. For example, if you’re week is booked and you’re fitting an Internet appointment in a tight schedule you might say something to the effect of:
"Tuesday at 3:00 pm works perfectly for me. The rest of my week is very full and I would have otherwise had to break one of my personal engagements to meet with you, so thanks for being flexible!!"
5. Create a Mental Picture of a Completed Cycle of Action
Salespeople are taught to ask customers during the test drive whether they think the car will fit into their garage, or where they will go on their first trip. In the same way, ISMs can employ this technique to get a prospect to follow through on a commitment by helping him create mental ownership of the appointment.
To do this, take some of the sales techniques that are so successful on the lot and apply them to pre-walk-in scenarios. In this example, the idea is to get the prospect to make a mental picture of their commitment to the appointment in the same way they picture their self in the new car. If you aren’t convinced your prospect will show up, you can say something to the effect of:
"What do you think you will want to drive first, the Tahoe or the Suburban?"
Or, you can ask a question that your prospect is unprepared for:
"Is there anything that could arise that would cause you not to be able to meet with me?"
Most ISMs confirm appointments with their prospects by asking a direct yes or no question – such as “Do you plan on coming?” Prospects, however, are seldom asked specifically why they would not be able to follow through on a set commitment. The reason this tactic is so successful is that for a person to answer this question without hesitation means that they are emotionally committed to the appointment. If their intentions are genuine, they will either respond with a quick, “No, nothing,” or give you a legitimate reason why they might not be able to make it.
On the other hand, if their intentions are not sincere, they will almost always hesitate before giving their answer. When they give you their answer, it will typically be something along the lines of, “I don't know...” or “If we change our minds...,” etc. If this happens, you’ll know they are not committed. If you made an appointment to come in on your first day off in three weeks, you'll know to reschedule your appointment before it reschedules you! On the flip side, getting your prospects to commit to their appointments and to visualize their new car means you’ll improve your show and your close ratios.
Eddie Coleman is the CEO Hyperdrive Technologies, Inc., an automotive training and consulting company, and the author of Mastering the Art of Selling Cars Online. He can be reached by email at: eddie@hyperdrivetech.com or on the Web at www.masteringtheart.com.
