The Best CRM For Your Used Car Dealership

What Is A Used Car Dealership CRM? 

As an independent, used car dealership, managing your sales and customer relationships can be a complex and time-consuming task. This is where using the best Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for your used car dealership can help. A CRM system is the technology used to manage interactions with customers and potential customers, typically through a combination of sales, marketing, customer service, and data analytics. 

The best CRM for your used car dealership will: 

• Streamline your sales process
• Make it easier to manage leads, follow up on potential sales, and identify missed opportunities along with the possible reasons why
• Helps you better understand customers, track interactions, foster greater engagement, and personalize their experience with your dealership
• Simply improve the overall used car shopping and customer experience at your dealership, which leads to positive feedback, referrals, and repeat buyers
• And lastly, lead to more car sales and stronger revenue growth

How Does A CRM For A Used Car Dealership Work?

The benefits of a CRM are accomplished by collecting, storing, and analyzing customer data, automating repetitive tasks, and providing a single and easily accessible source of customer information. With a powerful automotive CRM, your sales team is equipped with the resources they need to take informed actions that lead to mutually beneficial transactions between your customers and your dealership.

Sounds good, right? It is, but it can also be a bit overwhelming and challenging to determine which is the best CRM for your used car dealership. That’s why we’re here to help. We’ll take a look at what CRM features are most important to independent used car dealerships and which automotive CRMs are best at delivering those features.

The Most Important Features Of A CRM To A Used Car Dealership

You know about the positive impact a CRM system can have on your independent dealership, now let’s look at the features that make it all possible. 

• Lead Management: Automatically capture, prioritize, and manage leads from various sources, including web forms, email, and phone.
• Sales Funnel Management: Track and manage the sales process from lead to closing, including follow-up tasks, appointments, and activities.
• Customer Data Management: Store and manage customer information, including contact details, purchase history, and preferences.
• Marketing Automation and Communications: Automatically send targeted and personalized marketing messages, such as email and text campaigns, based on customer behavior and preferences.
• Reporting and Analytics: Generate reports and analyze data to gain insights into customer behavior, sales performance, and marketing effectiveness.
• Mobile Access: Access to the CRM system from mobile devices, making it easy for sales teams to work from the car lot.
• Integration with other tools: Seamlessly work with other tools, such as a DMS (Dealership Management System), Desking, Inventory Management, your website, and social media platforms, to streamline processes and provide a comprehensive view of and experience for the customer.
• Customer Service: Manage any customer support requests, including case management and resolution tracking, to improve the overall customer experience.
• User-Friendly Interface: An intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for sales teams to use the CRM system and access customer data.
• Affordability: A CRM system is sophisticated software, so making it work properly takes time, effort, and know-how, along with ongoing support and updates. Cheap is not the best, but affordable, in the sense that it should provide a positive ROI (Return On Investment), is. 

So, What Is The Best CRM For Your Used Car Dealership? 

AutoRaptor

We’d be remiss not to mention AutoRaptor as the best CRM for your used car dealerships. AutoRaptor was built for used, independent, and BHPH (buy here, pay here) auto dealerships and it currently helps numerous small and independent used car dealerships convert more leads into sales, retain more customers, and market inventory successfully. 

AutoRaptor is a cloud-based solution designed specifically for small and independent used car dealerships. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools to manage customer relationships, sales processes, and marketing efforts. 

AutoRaptor’s lead management system helps used car dealerships prioritize and manage leads from various sources, including the dealership’s website, email, and phone. The platform also includes a sales funnel management tool that helps dealerships track the sales process from lead to closing, including follow-up tasks, appointments, and activities. AutoRaptor’s marketing automation features allow dealerships to send targeted and personalized marketing messages, such as email and text campaigns, based on customer behavior and preferences. In addition, the platform provides reporting and analytics to help used car dealerships understand sales performance and customer behavior.

With a user-friendly interface and mobile accessibility, AutoRaptor is a popular choice for small and independent used car dealerships looking to streamline sales, improve customer engagement, and grow sales. AutoRaptor is the Best CRM For Your Used Car Dealership.

DealerSocket

DealerSocket helps dealerships improve their customer relationships and streamline their sales processes. It offers analytical tools that allow dealerships to analyze customer data and set up automated follow-ups and reminders. The platform is not used car dealership specific, so it integrates with OEM systems and other showroom tools. DealerSocket also allows dealerships to prioritize and manage leads. The platform also includes pricing and inventory management features. 

DealerSocket is a versatile platform that offers a range of solutions and packages for automotive dealerships that go beyond a CRM system. This can be both a strength and a weakness, as it can make it challenging for used car dealerships to find the right package that fits their specific needs. Additionally, sales teams with little technical knowledge may find it difficult to use the platform, as they will need to learn about the CRM system and how it works. While DealerSocket provides a comprehensive solution for managing customer relationships, it may require a significant amount of training and adaptation for sales teams who are new to CRM platforms.

Selly Automotive

Like AutoRaptor, Selly Automotive is a specialized dealership CRM designed specifically for independent auto dealerships. It offers internet lead management (ILM) capabilities and helps with appointments, tasks, follow-ups, and reminders. Additionally, Selly Automotive includes automated messaging features that provide a better customer experience and improve communications. The platform also provides call recording and texting management capabilities, allowing used car dealerships to keep track of all customer interactions. 

This CRM system can be complex and Selly Automotive may not integrate as well as other solutions like AutoRaptor. It is also important to assess the cost and make sure Selly Automotive is the best offering for the investment (both in time and money) being made.

VinSolutions 

VinSolutions provides a range of CRM features that help dealerships improve sales processes and customer relationships. With multichannel communication capabilities dealerships can engage with their customers in a variety of ways. VinSolutions also provides sales funnel analytics and reporting and includes marketing campaign tools. VinSolutions also offers full DMS, desking, vehicle valuation, and inventory management capabilities.

VinSolutions offers a lot of features, but it may be too many for small used car dealerships that are just looking for a CRM that can integrate with other systems they are using. Additionally, VinSolutions is not specialized for used car dealerships.

DriveCentric

DriveCentric is a CRM hub that aims to unify sales data to drive visibility and efficiency for automotive dealerships. With its pipeline management, desking and quote capabilities, dealerships can manage sales operations. Reporting and analytics tools, video and live streaming, text messaging, and Facebook Marketplace integration are also interesting features. The platform also uses artificial intelligence and data-driven automation to streamline workflows. Additionally, DriveCentric offers reputation management features to help dealerships maintain a positive image and improve customer relationships. 

DriveCentric is a quality automotive CRM, but it was not designed specifically for used car dealerships and may offer some features that sales teams will find overwhelming. 

eLeads

eLeads CRM offers business development center (BDC) tools, which help dealers to be more effective online. The platform also offers standard inventory management features, allowing dealers to manage vehicle inventory. eLeads CRM helps dealers sync all of their data among their DMS and data providers. The platform also includes an automated email marketing suite of tools and analytics. A user-friendly interface and helpful features make eLeads one of the leading automotive CRM systems.  

Like some of the other systems in this list, eLeads is also not designed specifically for a used car dealership, so some of the features may not be a suitable fit for independent and small dealerships.

Salesforce Automotive CRM

Salesforce is a well-known CRM company that has an automotive CRM solution. The platform offers full sales lifecycle management, from lead capture to conversion. It has a comprehensive dashboard that provides a virtual showroom and helps match buyers to the cars they’re interested in. Salesforce also has multichannel communication and ad management tools, including support for mobile and social media. 

Salesforce is well-rounded solution, with a strong history in the CRM space, but it has it’s roots as a general CRM and has not been built with the specific needs of small and independent car dealerships. 

How To Choose The Best CRM For Your Used Car Auto Dealership

Choosing the best CRM for your used car auto dealership is a crucial decision that can greatly impact the success of your business. Here are a few key factors to consider when making your choice:

Determine your dealership’s needs and goals

Before you start evaluating CRM options, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what your used car dealership needs and wants to accomplish. This may include specific features, like lead management and inventory management, or broader goals, like improving customer satisfaction and increasing sales. Understanding your dealership’s needs and goals will help you narrow down your list of options and choose a CRM that will meet your needs.

Consider your budget

CRMs can vary widely in terms of cost, with some options being more affordable than others. It’s important to consider your budget when evaluating CRM options, as you don’t want to overspend on a CRM that may not provide all the features you need. At the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that a more expensive CRM may provide additional benefits that could ultimately help you save money in the long run.

Evaluate customer support options

Good customer support is essential for a CRM, as it can help you quickly resolve any issues that may arise. When evaluating CRM options, it’s important to consider the quality of customer support, including the availability of phone support, online chat, and email support. You should also consider the responsiveness of the support team and whether or not they provide training and onboarding.

Consider scalability and integration with other tools

The best CRM for your used car dealership should not only meet your current needs but also have the ability to scale as your dealership grows. This means considering the scalability of the CRM and its ability to integrate with other tools, like your dealership’s DMS and other marketing and sales tools. Integration can help streamline your workflow, improve data accuracy, and ultimately, help your dealership achieve its goals.

The Best CRM For Your Used Car Dealership Can Impact The Success Of Your Dealership

In conclusion, when choosing which system is the best CRM for your used car dealership, it’s important to consider your dealership’s needs and goals, budget, customer support options, and scalability and integration with other tools. By considering these factors, you’ll be able to choose the best CRM for your used car dealership and help ensure your dealership’s success.