RVT can help.  Here’s how …

Facebook’s one thing – but, in RV sales – what you really want is RV shoppers …

• Viewing your RVs for sale
• Spending time on your RV ads

It’s called …

“Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) Views”

and

“Time Spent on VDPs.”  

These are your key metrics, your end game.  This is truly where the money’s at for RV dealers.

But how does your Facebook Page figure into your VDP views equation?  It seems like a problem because all the “experts” advise that …

• It’s bad if you’re too commercial in your Facebook posts.
• Too much “sell” and your customers will quickly be turned off.

What to do?  What to do?

ACTION THIS (if you haven’t already):

Use these instructions and install RVT’s handy “Our Inventory” Tab onto your Facebook Page.

Now, when someone visits your Facebook Page – with 1 click – they’ll be browsing your RV inventory, viewing your VDPs and checking out the units you have for sale right now i.e. generally spending time on your VDPs.  It’s that easy.

Having an “Our Inventory” tab turns Facebook Fans into RV browsers, gets the attention of folks who actually “Like” you onto your Vehicle Detail Pages (VDPs).

Here’s a quick video explanation:

Knowing you have an “Our Inventory” button on your Facebook Page frees you up and gives you peace of mind – from a Social Media perspective – so you can do all the right things in your Facebook posts …

• Be NON-commercial.
• Be light hearted, even humorous.
• Post content that drives your Fans to your Facebook Page (where they’ll see your Our Inventory button … eventually.)
• Connect and engage.
• Interact and build community.
• Create posts that add value to the lives of RVers (and would be RVers – your prospects.)

Who says it’s hard to monetize Social Media?  Follow this simple procedure and enjoy more “VDP views” while increasing your mission-critical “time on VDP” stats.

But, what if you’re not in the office?  What if your store is closed and a bona-fide lead sends you an email inquiry?  How are you going to “act fast!”?

ENTER:  the (trusty) Autoresponder, an automatic reply email you create that  1.  acknowledges receipt of your prospect’s email and  2.  ”Primes the pump” for a sale.

But, how can an RV dealer create an Autoresponder that gives maximum effect?

Conflicting Opinions …

Heads!  You win:  The first school of thought insists that EVERY email lead MUST be acknowledged with an Autoresponder – regardless of the reason.

• Makes sense
• Strong position
• More than reasonable
• Can be done extremely well in a visually pleasing / content rich fashion that you pre-design to tactfully move the client forward in the sales process.

The Flip Side of the Coin:  Says, Autoresponders are great IF (and ONLY if) you follow up all leads either by phone and / or by email.

Here’s why …

• If you do not follow up (religiously) with ALL your leads, then, the fact that you have sent out a generic Autoresponder could “add salt the wound” of a buyer IF you have neglected to follow them up.
• The thought is that it could shed a “not so good” light on your dealership IF you have not responded at all.

Consider This Option:  Indicate the time you expect it to take for you to follow up and provide your business hours.  (Eg. “We’ll get back to you within 2 business hours.  We’re open 9 AM to 6 PM six days / week.”)

Then, KEEP your commitment – at all costs!  There is nothing worse than being promised a follow up within a specified time, and then never receiving a follow up at all.

Optimize the Effectiveness of Your Autoresponder:

Automatic replies are simple to set up.  Ask your technical staff for assistance.  It won’t take long, and if done correctly, these simple messages can help you maximize the number of …

• Appointments set - and
• Sales made.

Here are a couple of sample Autoresponders for you to view.  Use these to give you some ideas as to what you might like to say in your Autoresponder.

Subject:  Thank-you from ABC RV

[Nice branded logo at the top]

“Thank you for contacting ABC RV Center, Florida’s LARGEST RV Dealer Since 1984.

This is an automated response acknowledging the receipt of your request.  Your request has been forwarded to our Customer Care Department and a representative will contact you within 1 hour.  If your request is after regular business hours, we will be in contact with you as soon as we re-open.  Thanks for your patience.

Thanks again and we look forward to serving you!

Best regards,

ABC RV Center”

Or, how about this sample …

Subject:  thank you for your email

“Thank you for your email.  XYZ RV is family-owned and operated since 1973, and the combination of our experience and our great product line-up is what you need to make an informed purchase.  One of our friendly, knowledgeable sales people will be in touch with you to help answer your questions.  Our business hours are 9-8 Tuesday and Wednesday, 9-5 other weekdays, 9-3 Saturdays, closed Sunday by State Law.  We look forward to following up with you.  Have a great day, and Happy RV’ing!

First and last name, General Manager

XYZ RV Center

Address, City, State, ZIP

Phone:  444-555-7777;  Email:  FirstName@XYZRV.com

Visit us on the web at www.XYZRV.com”

Do NOT “Set It & Forget It”

Here’s where Autoresponders can separate the men from the boys.  Make yours do more.

Ideas:

• Announce your promotions.  Change your Autoresponder up whenever you change your specials.
• List the brands you handle.

Then,

• Link each of your brands to brand specific searches of your inventory – so all your Jayco’s for example, pop up.  Or all your Class C’s pop up.  (Lots of options.  Let me know if you’re interested in this.  Here to help.)
• Profile pics and bios of sales staff.  People buy people, right?  (Stat:  71% of car buyers surveyed said they bought because they “like” their sales rep.  Source:  Joe Verde, Earn Over $100,000 Selling Cars – Every Year)
• Since you sell more RVs when consumers spend more time on your Vehicle Detail Pages (VDPs), show a couple of thumbnails of RVs in your Autoresponders – link the thumbnails to VDPs = more VDP views, more time on VDPs = a huge win for your dealership.

Quick Take Summary

Autoresponders are an important part of excellent lead follow up programs.

But …

Rule # 1:  The speed of your follow up is critical, especially in this age of online classifieds.  Your prospects are likely inquiring on several RVs at a time.  Beat your competition to the punch!

Rule # 2:  Follow up ALL leads  - then follow them up again!  Manage your prospect relationships over the entire buying cycle.

NOTE:  If you know you suck at Rule # 2, don’t use Autoresponders as this could cause a “double offense.”  One offense when your Autoresponder tells folks how important they are to you and a 2nd offense when you never get back to them.

A Bonus For Taking Action!

Now it’s your turn:  Post your freshly updated or newly implemented Autoresponder in the comments below and RVT will give you a worthwhile surprise!  We’ll feature (more of) your RVs in rotation at the top of our coveted Search Results Pages (SRPs) – FREE – for 30 days.  Just post your Autoresponder in the comments below!

Here’s why.

When an RV dealer improves their ads by making them …

• More appealing to the consumer
• More likely to get clicked on a Search Results Page (SRP)
• More capable of COMPELLING the reader to respond (and become a lead),

… what also happens – at the same time – your SEO improves.

So, not only are you producing stronger pulling RV classified ads, but also, you are getting FOUND – a lot more frequently.

Ad Improvements = SEO Gains

Here are a couple of wins you’ll start to enjoy when you decide to improve your ads:

1.  Properly Categorizing All Your Units and Giving Complete Information

It’s surprising how many dealers either enter the wrong category for a unit or skip the category altogether.

This is a significant issue because our research suggests that a majority of the searches done for RVs on RVT INCLUDE the category i.e. the type of RV.

Consumers generally know if they’re looking for a Class A Diesel or a Toy Hauler.  They know what they want, and that’s what they search for.  If you incorrectly categorize one or more of your units, you simply will not be found.  Simple error.  Big loss.

ACTION THIS:  Clearly reiterate the importance of compete information with your Internet department.

2.  The Length of Your Description – More is Better

Consumers respond best to a …

• Truthful
• Well written
• Clear
• Original and
• Complete explanation of what the unit is.

Too little information in your description and the buyer has too little information to stimulate response.  No response, no lead, no sale.

We advise roughly 200 words of copy – and not words you repeat in every ad.  Takes work?  Yes.  But the side benefit is that Search Engines are big on “original content.”  When your content is “thin” your rankings go down.  But, with great ads, the more shares / saves / likes / bookmarks etc. your ads get, the higher they’ll rank.

3.  Quality Pics and Videos

You sell RVs when people spend time on your ads.  Great pics and videos hold people on your ads.  Awesome, you win!  But that’s not all …

Regarding quality photos:  RVT automatically puts what Search Engines call an “alt tag” to your first image.  This “alt tag” is picked up by Google for image results and can improve your rankings.

Alt tags look like this:  <img alt=”2006 Trail-Lite Trail Cruiser 19RDB” width=”400″ src=”photos2/1310/5281310/5281310_1.jpg”>

That’s machine language for “rank me higher!”

Regarding videos:  Let me ask you this:  Who owns YouTube? … wait for it … Google!  So, not only will videos get you 46% more leads instantly, but also, you’ll get more “share” of the much coveted results pages.  And, when you have more share, this potentially pushes others lower and lower down the list.

It’s like an exponential benefit to you … Doing a great job on your RV ads really gets you noticed – not only by purchasers – but also in search as well!

—————-

RV Sales Supercharger Trial Package – FREE for 30 days*

• 50,000 targeted banners
• 2 Search Results Page (SRP) Featured Ads
• 1 Homepage JUMBO Spotlight Ad
• 1 Homepage Featured Ad
• Free Live Chat
• And, ALL your RV inventory exposed to ~ 500,000 unique RV shoppers / month.

Why not give it a try right now!?!

*  New customers only – thank you.

Quite possibly it applies to the RV sector as well.  Let us know what you think …

Cobalt did an exhaustive, in-depth analysis of the specific actions car buyers take before they purchase i.e. every action step before they buy.  Online and offline.  And, it looks crystal clear (from this study anyways) that …

“The more car shoppers engage with your Vehicle Detail Pages (VDPs),

the quicker your cars will move off your lot – and that’s a fact.”

Check out this graph -

Click to view larger image.
Source: Cobalt Business Intelligence VIN Study, 2012.

Stands to reason somewhat, doesn’t it?

Notice that “Average Days in Inventory” appears on the vertical axis (the more days in inventory [i.e. the taller the vertical bar], the worse, of course.)  As you can see however, moving along the graph towards the right on the horizontal axis, the more Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) views a unit gets, the less time that unit sits on the lot.

And, less time in inventory is a very good thing!

Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) Views Appear to be King.

Is this something you always knew, deep down in your gut?  Have you always thought, “Yes, the number of VDP views I get (and the amount of time consumers spend on my VDPs) – is truly where the rubber meets the road?”  Or … not so much?

This big auto industry study actually comes as a bit of a relief.  It’s good to have some fresh, scientific evidence in hand – like this Cobalt study - to help RV dealers evaluate / assess / think about the ramifications for the RV biz.

If it is really true that the more time a customer clocks looking at your Vehicle Detail Page, the faster that unit is gone, what does that imply about the quality of the information required on your Vehicle Detail Pages?  

• How now will you photograph your units?
• How hard will you push to get a 3-minute video onto each one of your ads?
• Is this study a game-changer for the way you merchandise RVs?

If you knew – that you knew – that you knew – VDP views and time spent on VDPs are the most important metrics in RV, what would you do differently?  From now on?

“He who gets the most RV shoppers to hang around on his VDPs … the longest … WINS!”

If you really think VDPs are “it,” here are some things you can try …

• Win the clicks on Search Results Pages (SRPs).
• Push links to VDPs in all of your other online and offline advertising (more info to follow).
• And, build better classified ads – ads people WANT to hang out on, have a serious look at, read, examine, enjoy, share, dream about and respond to.

And, you might want to consider some of these ideas as well …

• More photos
• Better quality photos
• Video gets you leads
• Stronger descriptions

What are your thoughts?  Do you think this big auto study applies in the RV biz as well?

Will this cause you to make any modifications to your systems?  Let’s discuss.

• “How can I get MORE leads out of my RV ads?”

And …

• “What are some smart things I can do to my ad listings to get MORE buyers calling, emailing and visiting my store?”

The thought is, if you’re going to put RV classified advertisements online, you might as well use ads that “pull” as opposed to ads that don’t.

We’ve talked about 5 Smart Ideas for Killer RV Ads here.  Guaranteed to improve ad performance.

Here are your next 5.  

Description Do’s – If You’re Not Allergic to Leads! 

The # 1 killer idea …

No. 1.  Use the Top 3 Lines of Your Description to WIN the “CLICK” on a Search Results Page (SRP).

Here’s what happens … over 1.1 million times / month … an RV consumer conducts a search on RVT.com.  Let’s say one of YOUR RVs pops up in the middle of the Search Results Page.

Key Question:  What does it take to WIN the click on an SRP?  How are YOU going to get that click (and not someone else)?

• Yes, a decent price.
• Yes, a gorgeous first photo!

But, what about the first 3 lines of your description?  These key words show up on the SRP as well.

• Is it possible that the words you use could be good enough to win your unit the click?

Absolutely!  Pictures tell, words sell.

Critical Error:

When creating your descriptions, it’s WRONG to NOT think about winning clicks on an SRP.  Get those first 3 lines in your description right because …

• No SRP click, no Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) view.
• No VDP view, no lead.
• No lead, no sale.

Every item is interconnected.  Tweaking and improving every component of your ads can drive sales for you.  So, yes, the first 3 lines of your description can make a great deal of difference.

A REALISTIC EXAMPLE:  Ask yourself if this description below is really going to cut it?  Would these words – showing up on an SRP – entice YOU to click?:

REAR ENTERTAINMENT CENTER WITH A LCD TV, AM/FM/CD/DVD STEREO, ELECTRIC FIREPLACE, AND STORAGE CABINETS. THE MAIN PART OF COACH HAS TWO CATHEDRAL SUPER SLIDES, DOOR SIDE SUPER SLIDE HAS A FREE STANDING DINETTE WITH FOUR CHAIRS, AND A GUNSLINGER LEATHER AIR MATTRESS HIDE A BED. THE OPOSING …

Meh.  Zzzzz.

So, let’s change it up.  Why don’t you be the one who does something different?

Job # 1 for your classified ads:  To WIN the click on an SRP.  (And subsequently, to stimulate inquiry from your VDP – more about that in future posts.)

Killer ideas continued  …

No. 2.  Keep It Relevant To Buyer – Phrases like: “This just in …” or “Newly arrived …” or “Just received in on trade …” – are really more about you, the dealer, than they are about the consumer who is online shopping for his/her next RV.  Remember, every buyer listens to WII FM – What’s In It For Me?  Keeping your descriptions more about the buyer (than about you) is like singing your buyer’s favorite tune.

No. 3.  And, speaking of the buyer, how about Describing the Buyer within your description?  So they know the unit’s perfect for them.  Something like:

• “You’re an active family.  You enjoy the great outdoors – together.  And, you’re looking for an RV you can tow with your SUV or Crossover.”
• “You’ve got the toys, now you’re looking for a toyhauler!”
• “You’ve worked hard all your life and you’ve been dreaming about enjoying the open road for as long as you can remember …”

Phrases like these describe the buyer, they draw buyers in, they establish that you know the ideal buyer’s characteristics and that this just might be the unit for them.

No. 4.  Avoid Repetition – We once saw 150+ ads by a single dealer and every ad started with the words, “This unit …”.  Every ad!

No. 5.  Use a Branded Tone.  What’s the image you convey with your dealership’s brand?  Does the “tone” of the language in your descriptions match your branding?  Are you trying to attract the toyhauler-buying, dune-buggy racing, weekend-warrior crowd or do you cater more to the exclusive, opulent, luxury motor coach purchaser?  Reflect and embellish your brand with the language used in your descriptions.

Some Welcome Good News:

The good news for you is that most of your competitors’ descriptions (including the top 3 lines that show up on SRPs) are clunky, long, block lists of endless, meaningless features.  Perfect for you!

Imagine when your descriptions are different?  Imagine when they …

• Are relevant to the buyer.
• Describe the perfect buyer you’re looking for.
• Have a tone and manner that firmly established your winning brand.
• Stand out, make you remarkable, grab attention and
• Where the top 3 lines of your descriptions are capable of winning the click on an SRP?

In your relentless quest to increase RV sales, you can gain significant ground by tuning up the descriptions on your classified ads.  You’ll win more SRP clicks, more VDP views, more leads and more sales!

Feel like testing out your inventory on RVT.com – why not give it a shot free for 14 days?  And, let me know how many units you sell!  Thank you, Chris.

But, still somehow … just like John D. Rockefeller when he was asked, “How much is enough, John?” you often find yourself answering the very same way Rockefeller did … “Just a little bit more.”

So, here are a couple of simple “tweaks” you might want to consider.  These could help you sell … just a little bit more …

The Way You “Describe” Your RVs  

Question:  Are the verbal descriptions on your RV ads helping you – or – could they actually be hurting you?

Let’s have a look.  Put yourself in the RV shopper’s shoes and go have a look at the descriptions on your ads.

Go.  Look now.  At how your descriptions appear on your ads.

Do They Look Like This?

“DESCRIPTION: 2013 FOREST RIVER CEDAR CREEK SILVERBACK 29RE, THREE SLIDES, REAR ENTERTAINMENT CENTER WITH A LCD TV, AM/FM/CD/DVD STEREO, ELECTRIC FIREPLACE, AND STORAGE CABINETS. THE MAIN PART OF COACH HAS TWO CATHEDRAL SUPER SLIDES, DOOR SIDE SUPER SLIDE HAS A FREE STANDING DINETTE WITH FOUR CHAIRS, AND A GUNSLINGER LEATHER AIR MATTRESS HIDE A BED. THE OPOSING SLIDE HAS TWO GUNSLINGER LEATHER LA Z BOY RECLINERS, OVERHEAD CABINETS, AND PART OF THE KITCHEN. LIVING AREA ALSO HAS ARCHED CEILINGS, CENTRAL DUCTED 15K BTU A/C, CEILING FAN, THREE SPEED ATTIC FAN, AND FLOOR DUCTED FURNACE. THE KITCHEN  COUNTER HAS SINK WITH COVERS, HIGH RISE FAUCET, PULL OUT SPRAYER …”

… and, it keeps rolling for another 22 lines!

6 column inches wide x 7 inches tall.

Completely illegible.  Get the point?  Who can read a description like that?

Or Are Your Descriptions Like This:

“Length:  30 FT.” (Virtually no description.)

Or This:

”          ” (No description at all.)

 So, Herein Lies The Rub for The RV Dealer … errr … The RV Merchandiser

Merchandising is of course, a process.  It’s a defined series of steps, steps you take consistently, like a formula, so you get optimized / predictable results.  (I.e. sales.)  But descriptions like those above will not “optimize” much – especially sales.

Preliminary Ideas to Try …

The greatest RV descriptions leave shoppers anxious to come and see.  It’s not a long walk for you to get there, but it will require some change.

1.  Avoid ALL BLOCK CAPS as the human eye just cannot read ALL BLOCK CAPS as easily as upper / lower case.  Plus, in the digital world, all caps is often interpreted as yelling.

2.  Make your list of features more vertical by adding returns.  Avoid long run-on sentences.

3.  And, what about all that sales training you give your people?  Shouldn’t your descriptions contain benefits along with every feature?  Plus a story perhaps?

Your RV Classified Ad Is Your Online Salesman.

4.  Limit features to those key, distinguishing features you know are highly valued in the marketplace.

5.  If your description is well laid out, easy to read, informative and compelling, don’t be afraid to ask your ad viewers / readers to be in touch with you.

• Request they call you.
• Ask them to email you or drop by and see the unit.
• Mention your dealership’s promotions.
• Make the buyer an offer.
• Great RV Classified ads incorporate a clear and professional Call-To-Action (CTA) directly inside their well crafted descriptions.

A Powerful Force Improving the Pull of Your Ads

Descriptions have power to persuade, the ability to incite action, to compel prospects to move ahead.

You want GREAT descriptions.  Move your good descriptions to great.  (I’d love to work with you on this.  Set benchmarks now, make necessary improvements, track the increased leads you get, and do the math at the end of the year.  Let me know.  Here to help.)

All you have to do is systematize the creation of great descriptions.  Start by incorporating Steps 1 to 5 above into your merchandising procedure.  Train it.  Delegate it.  These small changes alone will convert ad-lookers to ad-responders and mean more leads for your team.

Fair Warning:

Several additional mission-critical, lead generation imperatives regarding the descriptions on your ads will be discussed in future RVAdvertiser posts.  Stay tuned.  (Make sure your entire team is subscribed so you do not miss out!)

NOTE:  If you absolutely cannot wait to learn more, remember, “descriptions” is one item we go over in depth in RVT’s RV Sales Maximizer Sessions.  These no-cost professional consultations are available to any RV dealer – or manufacturer – whether you are a customer or not.  So, keep an eye out for future posts or … call and schedule a convenient time to discuss.

The way you describe your RVs will help you sell … just a little bit more.

The photos you display on your RV classified ads matter.  Your pix can make – or break – your prospect’s “experience.”

Your Photos ARE Your Store …

Online, your store IS open all day, every day.

Sometimes, just for fun, I go into our Google Analytics and zoom in to see – real time – exactly how many people are on RVT.com shopping for RVs at any given time.  The number always surprises.

Would you believe – at times – we can have 350 to 500+ RV consumers cruising our “store,” shopping for RVs?  Wow!  That’s why we insist … your photos ARE your store, what the customer sees when “they come in,” shopping online.

Great Pix Can Get You …

Great pix keep folks “on” viewing your RV.  They hold buyers’ attention on your Vehicle Detail Pages (VDPs).  This is huge.  (Watch for more about how crucial time-on-VDPs is in later posts.)

You already know that having lot of photos (i.e. 16 to 30) will get you 15% MORE leads.  The longer folks look at your unit, the less time they look at other units and the more likely they are to inquire.  And, for even longer visits, add video.

Your Assignment For Today …

Just go look at your ads.

Put yourself in a consumer’s shoes … how do your ads look?  Be honest.

Do the photos of that RV do it justice?  Do the pix inspire inquiry?  Do they help justify your price?  Or conversely, are the photos you have published actually detracting from the value of the unit you’re trying to sell?

Photo Faux Pas To Avoid: 

• Fuzz or blur
• Too dark
• Too bright
• Patchy – dark or bright spots
• Poor photo composition – remember the “Rule of Thirds”.  It works.
• Lack of flow from photo to photo.  This occurs when the pix do not show well how everything in the unit connects.  The sequence of shots is off and the shopper cannot visualize the unit’s layout by looking at the photos.  Causes spatial confusion and prospects stop looking.

For Better Quality Photos (And More Leads) Do This:

•  Give your photographer a fighting chance.  Equip them with a decent camera.
• Sit down with your photographer.  Explain the mission-critical nature of the photos they shoot.  Be extra clear that you expect 30 premium quality photos for each unit.
• Follow up and check your photo quality.

A wise man once said, “You cannot expect what you’re not willing to inspect.”

• Training – give your picture shooter some training.  Send them on a course or bring in a local, professional photographer to train your people and provide the tips & tricks your dealership’s photographer requires.
  
• Or, at the very least, review these helpful RV photography guideline articles with staff.  Article # 1.  Article # 2.
• Touch-ups.  One dealership photographer (who was well known for his excellent photos) told me, “I use Photoshop to touch up 85% to 90% of all the photos I publish.”  Wow!

More time on your ads  –>  More inquiry  –>  More sales.

IMPORTANT – Your No. 1 Photo-Related Tip:

Think how your customer thinks.  And, for the RV consumer, it’s all about “search.”  They search manufacturers, search brands, search models, search prices.  Every conceivable combination of search gets tried.

So … what pops up after a consumer searches?  A Search Results Page (a.k.a. an SRP.)

If your unit shows up on an SRP – with a long list of other similar units – you want your unit to stand out and present well on that SRP.  Because … he who gets the click on an SRP, wins!

Winning SRP clicks can have much to do with exactly which thumbnail photo you show for each RV?  To win that click, to get that shopper looking at your unit, you have to show your very best shot as your thumbnail picture.  (Often a standardized view i.e. a right front corner shot.)

To put your best foot forward, so-to-speak, make sure you load your very best photo first because typically, it’s the first photo loaded that gets selected as that unit’s thumbnail.

And, isn’t it great how doing the right thing and improving the shopping experience for your customer will invariably result in you increasing your sales?

What photo tips have you found bring you the best results?

The discussion can get a little heated!

Some dealers faithfully price every unit.  Always have, always will.  Some dealers price none.  And, some dealers switch strategies back and forth.

So, who’s right?

Who’s got the upper hand?  Basically, what you’re asking is —> who gets MORE leads?

Let’s look at this data extracted at random from RVT.com RV classified ads:

    100 ads WITH price                                    VS.         100 ads WITHOUT price:

*  1.49 times or approx. 50% MORE clicks                 *  50% LESS people view your ad

*  2.13 times or approx. 115% MORE leads               *   115% LESS leads

The data don’t lie.  No price = LESS leads.

Our findings here have been corroborated by a number of additional 3rd party industry experts as well.  (For more details, please feel free to be in touch.)

Interesting to NOTE:

With 50% more people looking at your ad detail pages (that’s 50% more clicks), you would think that would translate into generating 50% more leads.  Stands to reason, right?

But … as we see in the data, showing the price on your ads actually inspires a disproportionate number of RV shoppers to inquire with you.

You don’t get 50% more leads – as you’d expect.  No.  You get 115% more leads.  More than double the number of leads because you DID show your pricing.

The theory here is, if you’re willing to show your price up front …

• You’re providing the information shoppers are looking for.
• A peace-of-mind factor kicks in.
• You’re setting shoppers more at ease, removing a huge unknown.

Fortunately, this makes RV consumers more than twice as likely to contact you, to become an all-important lead.

More leads is a good, good thing!

As a part of our RV Sales Maximizer Planning Sessions, we have the privilege of carefully analyzing large numbers of RV classified ads together with our dealer customers.  This research proves that several key components of classified ads seem to continually “rise to the surface” as vitally important to the number of leads YOU are going to generate.  For example …

“How Many PHOTOS Should I Have on my RV Classified Ads?”

Great question!  Let’s look at this recent RVT.com data:  

Zero Photos:             Produces the lowest number of leads (by far)

          VS.

1 to 15 Photos:          Produces 188% MORE leads than Zero Photos

          VS.

16 to 30 Photos:       Produces 230% MORE leads than Zero Photos

     Produces 15% MORE leads than 1 to 15 Photos

Key Take-Aways for RV Dealers:

The data above from RVT.com shows that more photos get you more leads but, you might ask … “Why look at ads with Zero Photos?  No dealer would ever publish an RV classified with NO photos.”

On the contrary.  Unfortunately, we do see it.  Here are a couple of scenarios:

1. Some dealers order several new RVs, and then immediately advertise them online BEFORE the units have been received at the dealership.  Hence, no photos.
2. Also, no-photo ads showing up online can have a lot to do with the dealer’s “merchandising process.”  How fast are you at merchandising your inventory?  For various reasons, dealers can take units in on trade, advertise them online immediately (without photos) and then, unfortunately, it can take some time before they get the pictures onto their ads.

Not great.  Here’s how Dennis Galbraith of DrivingSales.com puts it in his book:  Online Vehicle Merchandising

“Listings with photos convert from the SRP (Search Results Page) to the VDP (Vehicle Detail Page) at least 3 X more than vehicles without photos. … The longer vehicles wait for photos, the slower inventory will turn.  It’s just that simple.”

In fact, Galbraith asserts:

“It can be said with little exaggeration that
a vehicle without photos is virtually not for sale.”

Now notice, in the statistical data above, how having 16 to 30 photos gets you 15% more leads than having 1 to 15 photos.

Is 15% more leads really a big deal?  Is 15% really worth a lot of fuss and bother?

Perspective on Photos – # of Leads You Receive Over a Given Amount of Time

For perspective let’s look at, say, 100 leads.

Some large dealerships in strong retail locations can receive 100 leads extremely quickly.  For smaller dealers, it takes more time.  So, whatever the timeframe, if you simply start adding more photos to your RV classified ads, where you used to get 100 leads, you’re now getting 115 leads.

• Same inventory
• Same market
• Same amount of time
• Same cost of advertising.  But, now suddenly – because you’re adding more photos -
• You’re enjoying 15 more leads

What would you do with 15 extra leads?  How many sales do you think you’d make?  Are those extra leads going to mean one (1) additional sale?  Two (2) sales?  More?  (Use this formula to calculate the cold-hard-cash value of “extra” leads.)

Every extra sale helps, right?  And, the data shows every extra PHOTO helps get you there.

Like a wake up call, like the way it’s supposed to be, their email was world-class Lead Management – Lead Management done right.  (IMHO)

Let’s take a look at this so-called “killer” Lead Management together, right now.  And, let’s see if there are any important “take-aways” for the savvy RV dealer – especially the RV dealer who’s BIG on the importance of effective sales lead follow up.

Here’s the scenario:

1. First, I went to Leads360.com and downloaded a White Paper.  (It’s about how FAST you need to follow up a Web lead.  Check it out.  Beyond Qualification: The Impact of Speed On Lead Conversion.)
2. Next, I received their “killer” follow up email that really got my attention.

Here’s what their e-mail said …

“It is our policy to contact everyone who completes a

contact form on our Website … One of our sales executives

will try to contact you.”

What I’m Thinking:  ”Sharp.  They’re paying attention to my actions on their Website.  Happy dance!  Customers matter to these guys!  Hmm … I wonder if it’s really going to happen though.”

RV Dealer “To Do”:  Do you have an email that goes out automatically to ALL your web leads?  (An Autoresponder.)  They’re not difficult to set up.  (Ask your technical people.)

Your Autoresponder is the first thing an RV consumer sees after they inquire with you.  It’s your opportunity to shine!

• Build the VALUE of dealing with your dealership
• Describe your process, people, open hours and
• Set the stage for the phone call(s) and lot visit(s) that are coming.

Now, go.  Implement.  Your leads will love it!

Their “killer” lead follow up email continued …

“We won’t be pushy; we just want to introduce ourselves.”

What I’m Thinking:  “Perfect.  Believable.  Reduces resistance.  Walls are coming down.  A great way to establish a friendly, helpful tone.”

RV Dealer “To Do”:  Make resistance reduction statements a part of ALL your communications – How about in your …

• Classified ad descriptions
• Videos
• Website and
• Follow up emails as well.

Then the email said:

“We use our own software to track inbound leads, so one of our sales executives has already received an email alert regarding your inquiry and as you read this, a notification has popped up on their screen.”

What I’m Thinking:  ”YIKES!  Obviously these guys sell Lead Management software.  And, right here – in their follow up email – they’re actually explaining how it works.  You just don’t see follow up like this very often!”

RV Dealer “To Do”:  You sell RVs.  You would never say the same things a Lead Management company would say, as above.  But, you definitely do have a process.  I.e. when a prospect emails you about a specific RV, a certain sequence of events happens.  Explain what’s going to happen to the prospect in your follow up email.  So they know.  Set the scene, turn down the pressure, turn on the professionalism.

And, here’s the part – when reading this “killer” follow up email – that really got my attention:

“If for some reason the salesperson doesn’t contact you promptly a notification will be sent to their Manager.”

And …

“If they haven’t called you within 90 minutes, your information may be sent to another member of the sales team (during office hours).  

And …

This affects their productivity metrics that are monitored by their sales manager on a daily basis.  

What I’m Thinking:  “Beautiful!  This is how you can truly take Lead Management to an entirely new level!”

RV Dealer “To Do”:  Stop.  Breathe.  It’s OK.  But, take this to the bank:  No matter what your lead follow up situation is today, there’s no time like the present to stand back and assess how to take better care of your leads.  Be encouraged.  Have a look now.

What are the most obvious Lead Management holes you know you need to fix?  Schedule your fixes.  By when?  By when will you have those items taken care of?

Word to the Wise:

Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Yes, leads have great value.  Yes, leads convert directly to cash.  But, think BABY STEPS.  What SIMPLE fixes can you implement RIGHT NOW in your lead follow up systems that will move you one-step closer to “great” Lead Management?”  Even small gains in the effectiveness of your follow up will land cash on your bottom line.

Ways RVT.com Can Help:

1.  If you have Lead Management or CRM software in place, did you know you can have your RVT email leads funneled directly into your CRM?  Say good-bye to data entry.  No more lost inquiries.  Please advise if you would like us to help you set this up.
2. DP’s and SM’s often use their RVT.com Leads Report as a handy tool, a way of bringing accountability to their Sales Reps and lead follow up processes.

Where do you see leads falling through the cracks in your dealership?  What can you do to fix this challenge?  When can you commit to having this done?