Communication Hacks: Tools and Templates for Follow-up - [VIDEO]

In this edition of the VAN University Best Practices Webinar Series we welcome Special Guest Tanner Johnson who swiftly moved from the of a sales associate to acquisition manager and most recently into the position of Used Car Manager.

Tanner joins VAN Founder Tom Gregg to share some tips demonstrating the use of two different communication tools and some template follow-up ideas that dealers can utilize to foster more efficient and consistent follow-up with private sellers about acquiring their used vehicles.

Both tools are available in Google Suite.

1. Google Inbox
2. Streak

The Problem with CRM

CRM is the ideal tool for organizing scheduled appointments, shows, and acquisition, but prior to this part of the process you are engaging via email, and those email addresses are not consumer-facing. Customers do not know what that email address is. For this reason, Google Inbox and Streak are both viable alternatives for the preliminary part of the follow-up process.

Templates and Tools for Follow-up

In regards to the preliminary process of scheduling appointments, about 75-80% of these communications can be accommodated by one three templates:

1. Make an Offer
2. Schedule an Appointment
3. Range and Offer

Google Inbox

With Inbox, which is a free optional interface for Gmail and G-Suite users, you have the ability to easily create custom templates for follow-up, and there are snooze options that are useful for efficiently moving opportunities forward for a later time.

Streak

With Streak, which is an optional paid add-on to G-Suite, you'll see additional features such as the ability to customize stages to design your own sales pipeline. With this capability, you can better tier the process that leads up to the actual appointment setting which would then involve your CRM.