Andrew MartinAccording to recent data, the average car buyer only visits two dealerships when looking for a new vehicle. In fact, many shoppers are taking their search online.
What does this mean for you as an auto dealer? You must do what it takes to capture every lead from varying sources, including in-person or online. A CRM for auto dealers can help you do just that.
The best automobile CRM software platforms allow you to run omnichannel marketing campaigns and deliver a personalized buying experience to every lead. In this guide, we’ll help you pinpoint the right CRM to fit your dealership.
Key Takeaways:
- Maintaining customer relationships is key to repeat business for auto dealers. But as the customer base grows, relationship management becomes overwhelming. A CRM can help.
- CRM platforms for auto dealers help generate and nurture leads throughout the funnel, from lead to sale and beyond.
- Automobile CRM software streamlines relationship management by centralizing leads from multiple sources, such as website forms and online ads.
- The best CRM platforms include a wide range of features, configuration options, and integrations. They’re also easy to use with robust customer support.
- Some of the top auto dealer CRM platforms on the market today include Teamgate, DealerSocket, Dominion Dealer Solutions, ProMax, Selly Automotive, VinSolutions, Datacar CRM, and AutoRaptor.
Contents:
- What is Auto Dealer CRM Software?
- How to Evaluate Auto Dealer CRM Software
- 8 Best CRM For Auto Dealers in 2024
- Maximizing CRM Benefits for Auto Dealerships
- FAQs: Auto Dealer CRM Software
What is Auto Dealer CRM Software?
Automobile Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a specialized system designed to support auto dealerships in capturing and nurturing leads, enhancing customer interactions, and streamlining operations. To build or customize such systems efficiently, many companies choose to hire dedicated React developers who can create responsive, user-friendly interfaces tailored to dealership needs. This technology provides essential tools that assist in developing effective automotive marketing campaigns, tracking sales progress, maintaining communication with customers, and managing leads through an organized pipeline.
Example of Auto Dealer CRM Software in Action
To illustrate, consider a scenario where a customer experiences a drop in fuel efficiency after receiving service from your dealership.
- Initial Contact: The customer contacts your service center to report the issue.
- CRM Ticketing System: Your representative logs the complaint in the CRM system, which automatically creates a service ticket.
- Team Notification: The servicing team is immediately notified through the CRM, ensuring prompt attention to the customer’s issue.
- Customer Communication: Simultaneously, if your CRM has an autoresponder feature, it sends an email to the customer confirming the ticket and detailing the appointment schedule.
This integrated approach ensures that all relevant information is efficiently shared among teams and with the customer, providing a seamless experience. Without such a system, these steps would require manual coordination, which could delay response times and diminish customer satisfaction.
Benefits of Using CRM in Auto Dealerships
Using CRM software helps auto dealerships manage their customer interactions more effectively, ensuring that clients receive timely and personalized service. This not only improves the customer experience but also enhances operational efficiencies, leading to higher customer retention and increased sales.
As more car buyers begin their search online, a dealership’s website serves as a critical first point of contact for potential buyers. By integrating a dealership website builder with your CRM, you can optimize lead capture, automate follow-ups, and keep inventory data up to date in real time—creating a seamless transition from online research to in-person visits.x
How to Evaluate Auto Dealer CRM Software
Selecting the right CRM software for your auto dealership is crucial to enhancing your sales and customer service efficiency. As you compare various CRM platforms, consider these essential factors to find the best fit for your business needs.
Essential Features of Auto Dealer CRM Software
Look for CRMs that offer a robust set of features tailored to auto dealerships. Essential capabilities should include:
- Lead Management: Tools to track and nurture leads throughout the sales process.
- Contact Management: Efficient systems to organize customer information.
- Analytics and Reporting: Insights to measure performance and make data-driven decisions.
- Sales and Marketing Automation: Automation of routine tasks to increase efficiency and consistency.
- Task Management: Features that help organize daily tasks and workflows.
- Communication Tools: Integrated communication features to engage with customers seamlessly.
Configuration Flexibility
The best CRMs offer flexible configuration options that allow auto dealers to tailor the software to their specific operational needs without the need for extensive custom development.
Integration Capabilities
Ensure the CRM can integrate seamlessly with existing systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Dealer Management Systems (DMS). These integrations are vital for automating processes and improving the accuracy and usefulness of CRM data. More about CRM integrations can be found in this guide.
Reliable Customer Support
Strong customer support is crucial for any CRM system. Evaluate the support services provided, including:
- Accessibility of Support: Availability of support via multiple channels such as phone, email, and live chat.
- Responsiveness: Quick response times and effective problem resolution are essential.
- Resource Availability: Access to a comprehensive online knowledge base or resource center that helps with self-service troubleshooting and best practices.
By considering these aspects, you can ensure that the CRM software you choose will effectively support your auto dealership’s unique needs and help streamline your operations.
8 Best CRM For Auto Dealers in 2024
1. Teamgate CRM
Teamgate CRM Ratings
Teamgate CRM Key Features
- Easy to use and configure CRM with a simple interface
- Dashboards for visualizing sales at a glance
- Drag-and-drop sales pipeline
- Built-in analytics with robust reports
- Integrations with business apps like Xero, Slack, and Mailchimp
- Ability to track KPIs like conversion rates to see how effectively you’re converting leads into customers
- Native call management feature called SmartDialer
- LinkedIn integrations for engaging with customers on social media
Teamgate CRM is a complete CRM platform perfect for dealerships of all sizes. It offers various features like lead management and comprehensive reporting to streamline and improve an auto dealership’s processes.
Recently awarded leader in Capterra’s 2024 Value-for-Money CRM list, the smart, easy-to-use CRM has a sales dashboard, native call management (SmartDialer), and contact management features to build and nurture relationships with customers. These features can help personalize the customer experience from the moment you receive a test drive request to the time customers schedule their first service.
2. ProMax
ProMax Ratings
ProMax Key Features
- Customizable lead management tools
- Certified OEM lead manager
- Email marketing features like customizable templates, analytics, and A/B testing
- Inventory management
ProMax is an award-winning CRM. A notable feature is its lead management tool, which is customizable to fit your specific sales processes. Plus, it offers customizable lead activity monitoring, reports, and notifications, so you can easily track sales performance.
The CRM is available for virtually all devices, including desktop and mobile devices. This is great for using the platform from anywhere, whether you’re in the office, the shop, or the lot.
3. DealerSocket
DealerSocket Ratings
- 3.8/5 (G2)
DealerSocket Key Features
- Built-in integrations with OEM systems
- Service appointment scheduling via phone, text, or email
- Marketing automation tools
- Equity mining
DealerSocket is tailor-made for auto dealerships. It can help you manage marketing campaigns, streamline sales processes, and improve customer satisfaction.
The platform offers robust sales tools, including lead management, mobile sales capabilities, call management, and credit qualification. Other key features revolve around service management, which enables you to create a self-service portal for your customers, balance appointment capacity, and more.
The platform also offers automated marketing templates, vehicle lifecycle tracking, and web-based inventory management designed for independent and BHPH (Buy Here, Pay Here) dealerships.
4. Dominion Dealer Solutions
Dominion Dealer Solutions Ratings
- 2.5/5 (G2)
Dominion Dealer Solutions Key Features
- Inventory management for car dealerships
- Built-in sales dashboards, closing deal alerts, and other useful features
- Dealership lot management features, including pictures and video tours
Dominion Dealer Solutions is a dealer management system (DMS) with CRM features. For example, it helps pull sales and service leads from multiple sources, including the shop floor, phone, and internet, into the platform.
The web-based platform offers a range of tools for inventory management, lead generation, and customer retention. With DMS and CRM tools, it’s a solid choice for both franchised and independent dealerships.
5. Selly Automotive
Selly Automotive Ratings
- 4.7/5 (Capterra)
Selly Automotive Key Features
- Excellent support
- Automated workflows, responses, and reminders
- Built-in texting interface
- Lead capturing via Facebook and Messenger
Selly Automotive has created a beginner-friendly solution specifically for independent auto dealers. The platform includes robust lead management tools, workflow automation, lead source tracking, text blast tools, and built-in call recording.
Selly Automotive’s best selling point is its customer support. The onboarding team helps set up the system and supports you in training your employees. All users get access to phone support and the resources in Selly Automotive’s Help Center.
6. VinSolutions
VinSolutions Ratings
VinSolutions Key Features
- Dedicated performance manager
- Detailed sales reports for all leads
- Ability to monitor and record conversations between team members and clients
- Integrations with tools like Dealerstack DMS, Accelerate My Deal, Dealer.com, IntellaCar, and Xtime
VinSolutions is a CRM built specifically for auto dealers. One standout feature is the support you receive from a dedicated performance manager who will partner with you to improve your sales processes.
Beyond this key feature, VinSolutions offers other critical features of a robust CRM, including built-in reports, marketing campaign development, and customizable workflows.
The CRM integrates with various automotive platforms, including Dealerstack DMS, Kelly Blue Book, and Dealer.com. This allows the VinSolutions Connect CRM to pull data from these apps and offer deep insights for your automobile dealership business.
7. DriveCentric
DriveCentric Ratings
- No rating available.
DriveCentric Key Features
- Communication tools for tracking customer interactions
- Inventory management tools for streamlining the vehicle acquisition process
- Lead generation module for capturing, tracking, and nurturing leads
- Advanced analytics for deep insights into customer behavior
DriveCentric offers a simple and intuitive CRM platform. The software features simplified sales pipelines built to focus on the most important data, enabling your sales team to get more work done. Plus, you’ll benefit from its incredible inventory management tools that ensure the inventory your customers see online is what’s shown in your CRM.
The platform’s extensive analytics enable you to make data-driven decisions, while the customer communication tools allow frictionless interactions with customers across their preferred channels.
8. AutoRaptor
AutoRaptor Ratings
- 4.6/5 (Capterra)
AutoRaptor Key Features
- Customizable sales processes and daily work plans
- License and VIN scanning
- SMS, email, and phone communication tools
- Email and SMS campaign automation
AutoRaptor helps independent dealers manage leads and customer relationships. The CRM displays leads and customers, their activities, and their position in the pipeline. This allows sales teams to improve conversion rates and manage customer relationships more effectively. The CRM also includes the option to create no-code round-robin rules for effective lead distribution.
AutoRaptor also features automated and customizable sales process features, enabling you to customize your processes to fit your needs. You can also automate follow-up emails and texts so your dealership stays top of mind for your customers.
Maximizing CRM Benefits for Auto Dealerships
In the highly competitive auto dealership industry, the quality of customer service can distinguish your business from the rest. Implementing the right CRM software is crucial for managing customer interactions effectively and enhancing overall service quality.
Leverage Teamgate CRM for Enhanced Customer Engagement
Teamgate CRM offers a comprehensive solution tailored for auto dealerships, designed to enrich client interactions and streamline operational processes. With its user-friendly interface and robust features, Teamgate enables dealerships to:
- Organize Customer Data: Keep all customer information organized and accessible to ensure a personalized service approach.
- Gain Valuable Insights: Utilize advanced analytics to understand customer needs and preferences better, helping you make informed decisions.
- Track Interactions: Monitor every customer interaction to provide timely responses and follow-ups, ensuring no opportunity is missed.
Experience Teamgate CRM for FREE Today
Discover how Teamgate can transform your auto dealership’s customer relationship management. Sign up for a 14-day free trial today and start exploring the possibilities of a more organized, insightful, and efficient CRM system.
FAQs: Auto Dealer CRM Software
What is CRM software and why is it important for auto dealerships?
CRM software is a tool that helps auto dealerships manage interactions with current and potential customers. It is vital for organizing customer information, automating sales processes, and improving service delivery, ultimately leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
What features should I look for in auto dealer CRM software?
When selecting CRM software for an auto dealership, important features to consider include lead and contact management, sales and marketing automation such as digital catalogs, analytics and reporting, task management, and integrated communication tools.
How does CRM software improve customer relationships?
CRM software helps auto dealerships provide a more personalized service by maintaining detailed records of customer interactions, preferences, and history. This information can be used to tailor communications and offers, thereby enhancing the customer experience and fostering loyalty.
Can CRM software integrate with other systems used by auto dealerships?
Many CRM systems are designed to integrate seamlessly with a wide range of business management tools, including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and DMS (Dealer Management Systems). These integrations allow companies to streamline operations, automate workflows, and ensure real-time data synchronization across departments. Leveraging interconnected business management tools ultimately boosts efficiency and reduces manual errors.
What should I consider when choosing a CRM system for my auto dealership?
When choosing a CRM for your auto dealership, consider factors such as the system’s feature set, ease of use, configurability, integration capabilities, and the quality of customer support offered by the provider.
How can I start using CRM software at my auto dealership?
To start using CRM software, first identify your dealership’s specific needs. Then, evaluate various CRM solutions that meet these needs and choose one that fits your requirements and budget. Many CRM providers offer free trials, which can help you test the software before committing.
What support options are available for CRM software?
Most CRM providers offer a range of support options including phone support, email assistance, live chat, and access to an online knowledge base or help center. Ensure the chosen CRM offers the level of support you need for effective use and troubleshooting.
