Pub. 1 2011 Issue 3

9 customers. A CRM can increase closing ratios by cultivating leads easier, while integration with the DMS gives the sales staff flexibility to work a deal without using multiple software applications-saving time and money. Implementing a CRM properly can boost vehicle and service sales and overall customer satisfaction and retention. When maintaining a dealership-wide CRM, users must be diligent about entering accurate information. A CRM is only as good as the data inside. With communication between the CRM and DMS, information doesn’t have to be rekeyed multiple times. Instead, data is sent and received in real-time. Rekeying data can cause delays in the sales process, such as pulling inven- tory from your DMS-information which could help close a sale. The biggest obstacle of implementing any CRM is whether or not your salespeople will fully utilize it. The CRM that you plan on investing in, or have implemented already, is only as good as the training received. Choosing a CRM that integrates with your DMS and is advantageous for many reasons: one, your salespeople are familiar with the product; two, your sales- people know the support staff; three, receiving thorough and proper training is the best way to encourage your staff to use the CRM day in, day out. If proper training isn’t conducted then your salespeople can become discouraged. These same feelings can reside with the presiding manager as well. Inherently, salespeople can benefit the most by having their information presented to them in an orderly fashion with constant reminders of who and when to call. Customers coming in and out of a dealership can present traffic management problems. Potential buyers can go unno- ticed and slip through the cracks. Managers can also become engaged and don’t have the time to watch over every little thing. Properly utilizing a CRM gives the sales manager more time to spend on the floor with salespeople selling vehicles. Having a CRM in place at your dealership can allow you to track everything your staff does, therefore enforcing account- ability. The program provides a comprehensive look into sales personnel activity to ensure proper follow-up deal completion and compliance to the sales process. CRMs with DMS integration have the ability to pull in web leads into one central location. Collecting those web leads in one location makes it easy to respond quickly. Thus keeping you compliant with manufacturers, avoiding costly fines and eliminating lost leads Q Charlie Prophet is COO of AutoSoft, Inc. He can be reached at charlie_ prophet@autosoft-asi.com .AutoSoft Inc., headquartered in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, has been serving the needs of auto retailers for more than 20 years. As the third-largest dealership management system vendor, AutoSoft provides world-class support and an innovative product suite, resulting in maximum ef fi ciency and pro fi tability for any size dealership. (www.autosoft-asi.com ) Our 10-step informational guide makes switching your DMS easy A Dealership Management System Designed By Car People, For Car People™ @AutoMateDMS (877) 340–2677 Visit automate.com to download our FREE eBooks to help guide you through the DMS decision making and data conversion process Think changing your DMS vendor is hard?