Does The Web Make Salespeople Redundant?
If you’re a regular reader of this publication, you’ll hear a whole lot about online auto marketing. You’ll hear about email campaigns and blogs and social media. You’ll hear about website design and website functions. You’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about selling cars online.
With all this online selling, where does that leave the salesperson? Does the person selling the car even matter anymore? Does the customer even care?
Yes, yes, and yes.
It’s easy to forget about the role the salesperson plays in the sales process, especially in an age when it seems like every possible transaction is secured online. But the role of the salesperson has never been more important than it is today, and that won’t be changing any time soon.
In “the old days”, the role of the salesperson was broader. They informed the customer about their choices, they educated them, and they held their hand throughout the entire process. The salesperson told the customer what they needed to know.
Nowadays, the salesperson no longer holds a position of power. They are not the only member of the relationship with a knowledge of the inner workings of their cars. Customers have access to online forums, OEM websites, the dealer’s own websites, and more. They can read blogs and media publications about your cars and your dealerships. They know as much or more than the salesperson about the specs of the vehicle.
So what is the salesperson’s role in the process now?
The modern car salesperson has a great responsibility. They are directly and intimately involved with the most important part of any sales process. They have the sole power to make or break the deal.
The salesperson is responsible for the close, and for that they can never be replaced. Find good salespeople and keep them, or it doesn’t matter how pretty your website is — nobody will buy.
