How to Generate Leads for Car Sales: 12 Best Practices
As someone who is well-aware of the ins and outs of the automotive industry, you know that attracting new car sales leads is essential for meeting your quotas and keeping your sales numbers up.
But how to get more customers as a car salesman and turn potential interest into actual sales? That's where effective lead generation comes into play.
Generating car sales leads involves reaching the right people with the right message at the right time.
There are numerous ways to attract prospects to your dealership, whether through engaging online content, targeted social media campaigns, or community events.
In this blog, we'll discuss car sales lead generation tips and show you how to use each one effectively to meet and exceed your goals.
The 5 Stages of Every Car Buyer’s Journey
Before we move to the car lead generation tips, know about the different stages of the buyer’s journey during a sale:
- Awareness
In this initial stage, potential customers realize they need a new car. You can raise awareness and engage these customers by providing educational content like blogs, social media posts, and targeted ads.
- Consideration
In the consideration stage, the potential auto sales leads are now seriously comparing models, features, and prices and narrowing down their choices. Provide detailed comparisons, feature explanations, and customer testimonials to aid in their decision-making process.
- Decision
In the decision stage, potential automotive leads are ready to purchase—they visit dealerships, take test drives, and evaluate financing options. To make the decisions easier and more appealing, provide clear and comprehensive financing options.
- Purchase
At this point, buyers have finalized their decision and are ready to complete the necessary paperwork and take delivery of their new car. You can streamline the purchasing process for customers to make it quick and hassle-free.
- Post-Purchase
After the purchase, the focus shifts to providing ongoing support, maintenance visits, and fostering loyalty for future purchases. Offer excellent after-sales support, schedule regular maintenance reminders, and engage them with loyalty programs.
How to Generate Leads for Car Sales: Best Practices?
Here are some of the most effective car dealership lead-generation strategies and best practices:
- Encourage Customer Reviews
Imagine the last time you bought something because a friend recommended it. That’s the power of word-of-mouth nowadays. Reviews can spread far and wide.
When a satisfied customer leaves a glowing review, it’s seen by anyone searching for a reliable car dealership. This boosts your visibility and attracts more potential car dealership leads.
Moreover, reviews give you a direct line to what’s working and what’s not. They build your reputation and make you stand out from the competition. If customers consistently mention something they love, you can highlight it more.
But how do you get more reviews?
First, just ask! After closing a sale, encourage your customers to share their experiences online. You can also follow up with an email or a text thanking them for their purchase and inviting them to write a review.
Some dealerships even offer a small incentive, like a discount on future services, as a thank you for posting a review.
- Engage on Social Media
You're scrolling through your social media feed, and you see a post from a car dealership showing off the newest cars, sharing stories from happy customers, or talking about a special sale.
It catches your eye, right?
That's exactly the kind of attention you want for your dealership on social media.
This interaction boosts your visibility and directly engages potential buyers, drawing them closer to making a purchase.
Every like, share, and comment increases your reach - multiplying the chances of attracting new car dealership leads. Keep your posts fun and engaging; you'll see more people interested in your cars.
- Create Walk-through Videos
You love to check out what you're about to buy when you're shopping, right? It’s the same with cars.
People can start picturing themselves in the car when they watch your video. They get a real feel for what it's like, making them really want to buy it.
You can take a video of yourself walking around the car, pointing out all the cool features. Open the doors, show off the interior, and maybe even start the engine so they can hear how it sounds.
The best part? A video can reach several automotive sales leads at once—way more than you could meet in a day at your dealership.
If someone likes your video, they might share it with their friends or family who are looking for a car, too—thus spreading the word about your cars even further.
- Run PPC and Retarget Ads
While inbound marketing can bring results to a certain extent, you need to run PPC campaigns and retarget ads to enhance your online presence and reach.
PPC campaigns place your ads in front of people actively searching for vehicles. This ensures that your dealership gets noticed at the crucial moment when the automotive sales leads are ready to make their decisions.
On the other hand, retargeting ads help you stay connected with individuals who have visited your website but left without making a purchase. By displaying your ads on other sites they visit later, you remind them of what they viewed, encouraging them to return and reconsider.
This combination boosts your visibility and maximizes the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, leading to more traffic and, ultimately, more sales.
- Update Google My Business Profile
If you're trying to attract more customers to your car dealership, updating your Google My Business profile is one simple and powerful way to do that.
When people search for car dealerships near them, they often check Google first. If your profile has up-to-date information like your latest contact details, business hours, and photos of your new inventory - you're making it easy for potential customers to contact you.
What’s so good about it? Your Google My Business profile also lets you post updates, keeping your profile fresh and giving customers reasons to keep coming back to check what’s new.
- Optimize Site for Mobile
Think about how often you use your smartphone to search for things—your customers do the same when looking for cars.
If your website isn't mobile-friendly and takes forever to load, they might not wait around. A mobile-optimized website lets visitors smoothly browse your inventory, view car details, and contact you easily.
In fact, search engines like Google also favor mobile-friendly sites, increasing your chances of appearing at the top of search results.
You can also use features like click-to-call buttons and easy-to-fill contact forms. These make it super simple for potential customers to get in touch with you directly from their phones.
The easier you make it for them, the more likely they will contact you.
- Boost Visibility With Local SEO
Imagine someone just around the corner is searching for a new car. What if your dealership popped up first in their search results?
That would increase your chances of them swinging by, right?
Targeted visibility connects you with locals ready to buy, making your marketing effective.
With local SEO, you can also make this happen for your dealership.
However, while you are at it, make sure your dealership's name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online platforms, as it builds trust with search engines, improving your rankings in local searches.
- Enable Chat & Push Notifications
Suppose a potential customer is browsing your website and they have certain questions about a model. With web chat notifications enabled, they can ask their questions and get replies right then and there.
Instead of calling or waiting for an email response, they can get instant answers from you or any team members. You can also set up automated replies to certain frequently asked questions if no one is available to assist.
Immediate interaction keeps potential leads engaged and shows that your dealership is attentive and ready to help. At the same time, if they have enabled push notifications, you can keep them updated on the latest deals and inventory.
Consistent, timely updates about offers and sales can also remind them to revisit your site and potentially lead to a sale.
- Use Opt-in Forms
Have you ever wished you had a direct line to people already considering buying a car from you—that's what opt-in forms give you. Using opt-in forms can significantly boost your lead generation numbers in car sales.
When potential customers visit your website, an opt-in form allows them to easily provide their contact information, signaling their interest in what you offer.
But there's a bump—you must be very strategic regarding the form placements.
Think about where your potential customers are most likely to engage. Place these forms on landing pages for specific car models, special promotions, or even informative blog posts about car buying tips.
Once someone fills out the form, you instantly get their contact information. This is a huge advantage as you can follow up with them through personalized emails, phone calls, or targeted ads - ensuring your dealership stays on their radar.
- Email & SMS Marketing
Even in 2024, email and SMS are among the best car sales marketing ideas—and they are quite effective at conveying your brand message.
They give you a direct line of communication to connect with your audience through their inbox.
This direct access allows for highly personalized interactions, where you can send tailored updates about new car models, maintenance tips, or exclusive promotions.
By analyzing your audience's preferences and behaviors, you can craft messages that resonate more effectively, ensuring your dealership remains at the forefront of their minds.
For instance, sending a quick SMS about a limited-time sale or an email outlining the benefits of upgrading to a newer model can effectively target the right audience at the optimal time, boosting your chances to generate leads and close more sales.
- Follow Up with Lost Leads
Following up on lost leads is more than a routine task—it's vital to understanding what might have gone wrong.
Did they find a better price elsewhere? Was it something about the financing that didn't work for them?
Each time you contact someone who didn't make a purchase, you can gather valuable insights and understand how to generate more car sales leads for your dealership.
This automotive lead generation helps you tweak your sales approach and shows that you care about each customer's experience.
Plus, even if they don't buy right away, a good experience with your follow-up can lead them to recommend your dealership to friends or family.
It’s about creating a scope that could open doors to more opportunities - both with the original lead and potential new customers they might send your way.
- Develop a Referral Program
Imagine one of your satisfied customers sharing their positive experience with a friend or family member.
This personal endorsement naturally carries more weight than traditional advertising and will surely make the potential buyer more receptive to checking out your dealership - that’s how a good referral program works.
And here's where it gets even better: for every happy customer, there's a network of others considering a car purchase.
By offering incentives for every successful referral - you can motivate your auto leads for car salesmen and promote your business.
This is one of the best automotive lead generation ideas, and it can create a ripple effect and bring in more leads who are already interested and inclined to buy.
Car Dealership Marketing Ideas to Generate More Leads
Here are some the best dealership advertising ideas to help you generate more leads:
- Host a Giveaway on Your Social Channels: Engage your audience by running a contest or giveaway on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
- Partner with YouTube Creators for More Presence: Collaborate with popular automotive YouTubers who can showcase your vehicles and services. Their reviews and feature videos can reach a vast audience interested in cars.
- Organize Events for Potential/Past Customers: Host special events like new model launches, customer appreciation days, or educational workshops about car maintenance. Events create a community feel and keep your dealership in mind for both current and future needs.
- Give Incentives During the Holiday Season: Capitalize on the festive spirit by offering special holiday promotions or discounts. This can attract potential dealership leads looking for the perfect gift or those wanting to start the new year with a new car.
- Use Attention-Grabbing Billboards: Invest in high-impact billboards around your area. Ensure they feature eye-catching designs and clear calls to action to grab passersby's attention and direct them to your dealership.
Elevate Your Car Sales with ATN’s Expert Training!
Regular methods might not be enough to meet and exceed your car sales targets. You must explore innovative sales strategies and invest in advanced training programs to differentiate your dealership and optimize your team's performance.
That’s where the Automotive Training Network comes into play. We bring the experience and industry expertise of over four decades to your dealership - providing a blend of virtual training, sales, BDC boot camps, and live in-dealership training programs - all tailored to your team's specific needs.
Are you ready to drive your dealership forward? Discover how our training can pave the way to an increased lead generation.