What should your first email to an internet lead look like?
What are you trying to accomplish?
To get and keep your customer’s attention, get him engaged and and reply back to you.
How are you going to accomplish that?
By sending a PERSONAL, ENGAGING response with RELEVANT information.
How soon should you be sending the reply?
Quality of the reply comes first but you should be sending a reply within 15-30 minutes after you receive the lead.
How should I structure a first email response to an internet lead?
SUBJECT of the email: This is where you need to get the customer’s attention. Email clients like Gmail and Yahoo Mail display subject lines and you must click on the subject line to see the body of the email. Many people do not bother to click and read the main part of the email if they don’t find the subject line interesting, personal or relevant. Yours is one of at least 6 emails from dealerships responding to a lead. Two other dealers w/ two auto responses and initial replies plus yours. That is if the customer used only one lead service. There may also be tens if not hundreds of personal or work related emails along with subscription and spam emails in a lead’s inbox. Your email is competing with all of the to get your customer’s attention so make the subject line PERSONAL, ENGAGING and RELEVANT.
Use the lead’s first name, your name and the dealership’s name, the year and make of the vehicle with a personal tone.
Examples:
Hi Bruce. Here is the information you requested about 2020 Dodge Charger from Sam at Hometown Dodge.
Jamie… Dominic at Hometown Hyundai has your price for the 2019 Kona!
Laura, Information for you about the Silver 2016 Honda Accord from Jenna at Super Honda.
Hi Thomas… Kia Telluride availability info from John at Hometown Kia.
BODY of the email: If your subject line gets your customer’s attention, your email should be able to keep it by delivering what you promised on the subject line.
PERSONALIZE your reply. Use customer’s name. If the lead includes a customer’s title or rank, use it. Use a personal tone and drop all pleasantries many of us use in the beginning section of the email. Don’t make the reply look like an auto response on do not fill the beginning of the email with useless info. If you lose their attention here, they won’t scroll down and read the rest of your email. Include a tidbit about a personal info you found inn the lead email.
- Validate the customer’s vehicle choice.
- Answer the customer’s question and provide the information. Quote pricing per your dealership’s policy.
- Give them reasons for speaking on the phone or in person.
- Always finish with a question that prompts them to reply.
- Make sure your signature block has all the correct information. Your name, title, dealership’s name and address, your phone number and email, website address.
- Include customer testimonials, vehicle photos, links or any other information below the signature block.
Your first reply should be short and any and all of the follow-up emails after that should be shorter.
Examples:
Bruce, 2020 Dodge Charger RT is a great choice and we have a great selection available. I did not receive any additional information about your color and option choices. It is hard to
give you our price until we know how exactly you’d like your new Charger equipped and rebates and incentives you qualify for. I can figure that out with just a quick phone call. What is the best number and time to reach you?
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Hi Jamie, I have the pricing information below for your new Hyundai Kona. It is an excellent choice and a very popular vehicle. We can’t seem to keep them in stock.
New 2019 Hyundai Kona SE in Chalk White exterior and Black interior available for immediate delivery.
Stock NO: 34152 Please click here to see it online.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $22,965
Your Special Hometown Hyundai Internet Price: $22,125
There are great financing and leasing options available to you. I’d be happy to go over them with you on the phone and answer any questions you may have. I also noticed that you live a few miles from us. Have you had a chance o test-drive the new Hyundai Kona yet?
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Hi Laura, great news! 2016 silver Honda Accord you found on our website is available. It is a Honda Certified Pre-owned Vehicle that went through our 182-point inspection. I’d be happy to go over the benefits of purchasing a Honda Certified Pre-owned Vehicle and answer any questions you may have on the phone. The $22,996 price listed on our website is our internet price and it is lower than the retail value of $23,785. We offer competitive, upfront, straight-forward pricing for our customers along with special financing programs. Again, I can go over our pricing and offers minutes on the phone. Is 555-1212 the best number to call you? Also are you only interested in this specific Accord or are you also considering other sedans in the same price or year range?
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