The automotive industry is experiencing a digital revolution. Customers are looking for the information and making comparisons between products online, including high ticket items like a new car.

The digital revolution doesn’t have to be a scary thing: car dealers can look at this as a chance to future proof the services they offer. With a comprehensive tool like WhatsApp Business, dealerships can shift from showroom and over-the-phone salesmanship to a messaging-first approach.

Send multimedia messages with photos and videos when a car needs extra work at a service appointment. Or streamline the offer process by sending PDFs in a message. These are just two of the ways WhatsApp Business provides new, more intuitive ways to engage in a more efficient and personal way with potential buyers.

Messaging makes the difference
With everything shifting from traditional means to online, car dealers no longer have the luxury of waiting for customers to call their dealerships or come into their showrooms. The first point of contact happens long before the potential buyer comes in for a test drive, it happens on the dealership’s website.

Rather than being reactive and waiting for buyers to come to you, as a dealer you can integrate WhatsApp into your website and be proactive. By initiating contact while the buyer is starting their search for information, you are more likely to keep them engaged throughout the whole customer journey.

Providing guidance to a buyer as they are familiarizing themselves with a product allows you to take stock of all their wants and needs from the get go. From there you’re just one message away from a test ride or delivering a quote, all within the same chat window. Saving your customers’ time saves you time and money while increasing customer satisfaction.

Higher open rates equal better sales
Thanks to messaging, you can collect important data about your customers like the make and model of car they are looking for. You can take it a step further and use that information to make a sale. Be proactive and send a message with a relevant and exclusive offer, like a free upgrade they weren’t sure was worth the money. Messaging has a 98% open rate which means that messages are much more efficient in making that sale than traditional e-mail marketing (30% OR).

Aftersales opportunities
Did you know that the average car owner drives a new car for 6.5 years? That’s 6.5 years of aftersales opportunities! Use messaging to remind your customers about upcoming service appointments, navigation system software upgrades, and seasonal tire changes. These seemingly small reminders lead to higher customer loyalty and aftersales revenues.

The automotive industry is one of the fastest growing digital adopters of messaging for customer service. More and more automotive brands are shifting to messaging over traditional channels. Messaging offers more efficiency and proactive communication. Additionally, it lessens the pressure on your customer contact department, reduces costs, and increases revenue. Is that enough to get you to make the switch?