David Bailey, Senior Sales Effectiveness Manager

The use of video conferencing has exploded in the past few months. Businesses are tapping into tools such as Google Meet, Zoom, and Teams to conduct meetings with both internal and external customers. Dealerships are also starting to see the power of virtual face-to-face meetings to connect to customers and advance the sale. Virtual meetings are a great way to engage with a customer and show you care about their safety and automotive needs.

While these tools offer a substitute for live meetings, virtual meetings can be tricky to set up and conducting them is very different from meeting someone face to face. Training your sales team to use these tools is important so they represent your dealer well. Along with the technical pitfalls, the qualitative aspects can take some time getting used to as well. Your team needs to be ready to connect with a customer at a moment's notice, and the experience needs to be seamless for the customer.

Virtual meetings are the new normal in today’s market environment. Virtual face-to-face meetings are the bridge between a customer contacting a store and making a buying decision. Dealerships that have the tools and training to conduct them will make stronger connections with customers and win their business. Try to keep the experience as simple and easy for the customer when you connect with them virtually. They’ll know that you have their interests and safety in mind when they can see your smiling face, because at that point you are no longer a dealer: you are a friend.

We're here to help you succeed: please reach out to your rep or dealersupport@edmunds.com if you would like to learn more.