This time to me it’s hard to split the passionate Giorgio from the Automotive Professional One, but I know most of you will understand me.
The configuration of a vehicle is a moment that can be so emotional as rational.
And it’s more than this, the configuration is like a driver to incline the customer towards the contract signing (the ‘lucky winner’ among brand-dealer-seller will increase its proceeds).
In the past on the table of the Prospect Buyer there were the coated paper brochures, the historic magazine with the short-list of optional written very small; today you have internet and the car configurator of the brand which allows you to see concretized in detail the object of your own desire.
During the modern configuration it’s easy that the ‘deeper playful part’ of the potential buyer runs wild: colour, endless options for a fee, engines and technical equipment, leading to a scaring ‘last line’ (the bill).
But at a later time the configuration can leave the purely emotional-passionate area and transiting to a more rational one, removing the superfluous, cutting something that would be really been a fancy and nothing more, in some cases the ‘last line’ will be significantly lightened by it.
The counterbalance of this is the encounter-clash with the dealer, for one thing:
- What we have for the prompt delivery is XY, otherwise you have to wait months (giving up something very interesting, or even worse, increasing the budget for something a little/not at all interesting)
- The unsolved problem of the second-hand vehicle
- The by now emerged -poor us- financial problem (but that is a different story)
So the dream, or the dream influenced by reality, leads the potential buyer, through a short half-sleep, to an awakening without emotion, which imposes constraints both to reason and the emotion (when not even to the wallet).
So, the opportunity becomes a problem and the loss of desire is evident. very bad.
Photo by jean louis mazieres
I say: if it is possible for a modest computer user to synchronize smartphones, tablets, PC and keep in hand the personal agenda and work one, as it cannot be equally simple the connection between configurator (so potential Customer), company and local dealer?
There are selected options, the home region is easily traceable, the production program is easy to plan.
What is missing?
The idea of ‘cuddle’ the customer, go to ‘flush him out’, finally to use the CRM (which has cost so much and after have studied it for long time)
An email, or some emails, or maybe:
- An alert (perhaps you’ve entered so many options, do you know that removing this or that you can resize the price by X%?)
- EUREKA! The vehicle you configured is available immediately at ‘this dealer’ , at X Km from you
- An expected delivery date for the vehicle so configured (and/or meaningful alternatives available in the area)
- An invitation to get in touch
- The proposal for an appointment
- A rough assessment of a second-hand car;
- May I help you?
- When you think you can perfect your purchase?
- You are important to us (in the case of the tranche are you at all undecided between us and our fiercest competitor?)
Otherwise internet loses its value as a tool competitor to business, becoming only the representation electronic-competitive of the ‘dear old brochure’… a stuff that lies there on the table and that to make it a sold car is one more time, as always, the potential customer who has to get going.
Translated by Federica Izzo
