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Selling Cars? Sell Fast With Digital Sales Tracking (A Case Study)

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Published:
September 18, 2023
Reading Time:
6 minutes
Back in the day, when Henry Ford launched his Model T, automobile companies didn’t have any fancy websites, PPC campaigns, social media strategies, or digital sales analytics. They had to rely on silver-tongued, good-looking salespeople to close the deal. Of course, it worked in those days because there weren’t many options and customers didn’t have the privilege to be picky.

Fast forward to today, sales processes and technology have advanced by leaps and bounds. In fact, if you’re running a business in which you have to deal with lots of leads, prospects, and customers, you must use digital platforms to stay ahead of the competition.

In this article, we’ll shed some light on digital sales tracking first. Then, we’ll discuss how a consultant helped an automobile company create a robust digital sales strategy through powerful sales tracking tools. So, let’s dive into it.

What Is Digital Sales Tracking?

customer journey map for automotive customers infographic

Let’s start with the word ‘tracking’ first. Tracking refers to following a customer’s or would-be customer’s engagement and communications with your company. Now, you can try doing it with a pen and paper or spreadsheets, but you may have to see a pharmacist later to buy medication for a headache.

Enter digital sales tracking, which involves using state-of-the-art CRM platforms to check who's visiting your website, what they're looking at, how long they're staying, and whether they're just browsing or ready to make a purchase. See it as a digital compass guiding you to the direction of treasure.

With the help of digital sales tracking, you can get your hands on important sales-related data like customer demographics, online behavior, and even their preferences. This valuable data enables you to tailor your sales and marketing strategies precisely to your audience, making every interaction count.

So, if you’re a car retailer, let digital sales tracking be your modern-day crystal ball. Use it to predict, analyze, and conquer the ever-evolving digital marketplace.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • In today's competitive automotive market, companies must leverage digital platforms to stay ahead.
  • Digital sales tracking involves using software to monitor customer interactions on websites, track online behavior, and gather valuable data such as customer demographics and preferences.
  • Digital sales tracking can help reduce overstocking and understocking by optimizing inventory management.
  • Digital sales tools can also empower salespeople to track leads, monitor deals in real time, and focus on closing hot leads.
  • A digital transformation consultant can create a digital strategy that can help companies reduce errors, identify trends, improve customer satisfaction, and increase sales efficiency.

5 Benefits of Digital Sales Tracking

Now that you know what digital sales tracking is, let’s explore the many advantages it brings to the table for automobile retailers today.

1. Lead management

What would you do if a bunch of potential car buyers showed interest in your company? Are you just going to be happy with all the attention or are you going to turn them into paying customers? Well, with digital sales tracking tools, keeping tabs on these leads is mostly an automated task.

You can analyze their moves, from the moment they visit your website to when they show interest in a specific car. And if you play your cards right, you can swoop in at the right moment with a friendly message or a tempting offer, ensuring they're well taken care of throughout their buying journey.

2. Personalized marketing

With almost everybody getting bombarded with dozens of marketing messages daily, precision is the name of the game. Think about it this way: if you talk to everybody, nobody would want to listen. However, if your message resonates with a particular niche of people, they surely will pay some attention. For example, instead of using a generic marketing campaign that says “buy my car”, you could narrow it down to a specific target audience.

Let’s suppose that the car that your company manufactures is compact and fuel-efficient. If that’s the case, you could target commuters who live in urban areas and struggle with fuel costs. You can use digital tools to learn people’s frustrations and sell them a solution—not just a car

3. Smarter inventory management

With a reliable digital sales tracking tool, managing your car inventory can be seamless. Through a comprehensive data analysis, you can gain insights into the demand for specific car models. This will enable you to fine-tune your stock levels with surgical precision. No more overstocking and understocking—only stock the right number of cars at the right time.

For example, during summer, convertibles and sporty cars are more likely to sell. However, SUVs and trucks may sell well all the time
(source). You should know what cars people want to buy, why they want to buy them, and when they’re planning to buy them. All this can be super easy with digital sales tracking.

4. Competitive advantage

As mentioned earlier in this article, people didn’t have much of a choice back in the day when it came to cars. However, in this day and age, even 16-year-old kids are very choosy and will carefully consider their options. Competition in the automobile sector is tough, so you must use all the tools you can to stay one step ahead.

Whether it's identifying emerging trends, responding to changing consumer preferences or optimizing sales processes, companies that are well-versed in using these tools are better positioned to succeed.

5. Improved sales performance

Remember those silver-tongued car salespeople? Well, despite all the progress in technology, car retailers still need them. However, with digital sales tools, even salespeople can become much more efficient. These tools empower sales teams to track leads with precision and ensure that no potential buyer slips through the cracks. They can easily monitor the status of deals, identify any hurdles in the sales pipeline, and swiftly clear them.

Imagine a salesperson identifying a hot lead that's ready to make a purchase—thanks to real-time data through CRM platforms. In this case, they can dedicate their time and energy to closing that deal instead of chasing unresponsive leads. You see, that’s how technology makes salespeople far more efficient.

Case Study: Digital Sales Transformation for an Automotive Retailer

If you’re keen to read the entire case study, you can read it here. And if you’re short on time, here’s a quick gist. Discover how Consultport, the world's leading online consulting platform, ignited a transformation journey for a prominent Swiss automotive retailer.

Link to Case Study | Digital Sales Transformation for Automotive Retailer

The beginning

Our client, a renowned automotive retailer in Switzerland, faced a critical challenge. For years, they had relied on traditional sales methods which resulted in a broken customer journey, a lack of data-driven insights, and operational issues. The Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) recognized the need for a transformative solution to maintain the company’s competitive edge in the automotive market.

Enter Consultport

When the client got in touch with Consultport, we swiftly got to work and offered a list of experienced consultants within 72 hours.

After careful evaluation, the client chose a former senior consultant from BCG who happened to be well-known for expertise in digital transformation. Our consultant began collaborating closely with the client's team in just one week of the initial request—yes, we do it swiftly here at Consultport.

How our consultant worked their magic

Drumroll please, it’s time to unveil the blueprint of this winning strategy. After conducting in-depth assessments, the consultant masterminded a comprehensive digital sales strategy that left no stone unturned. It featured the seamless integration of an advanced CRM system and the infusion of data analytics for a better understanding of customers’ preferences. But wait, there’s more. The consultant went the extra mile by crafting a cutting-edge digital sales tracking tool.

The result

The experienced freelance consultant’s holistic approach resulted in a robust digital sales strategy, integrating an advanced CRM system and data analytics. They also introduced an efficient digital sales tracking tool that enabled the client to streamline processes. The benefits of this transformation include reduced errors, superior trend identification, and improved customer satisfaction.

Ultimately, our client experienced increased sales efficiency and a stronger competitive position. Everything an automotive retailer needs to drive substantial growth and profitability.


You could be next!

If you’re looking for a digital transformation consultant who can leverage the power of digital and take your company to new heights, talk to us today. We have over 10,000 highly experienced consultants in our talent pool. You don’t have to spend one more day being frustrated about inefficient operations, outdated technology, decreased revenue, or frustrating processes.

Get in touch with us now, and we’ll help you find an experienced consultant who can fix your problems.