Simplicity Without Sacrifice: Success Using DriveCentric CRM

Every CRM provider claims their system is easy to use [once you get the hang of it]. But do these claims pass the eye test? One way to determine a CRM’s ease of use is to watch your salespeople at work. Are they using the CRM? Are they using the Mobile App? Do they even know there is a Mobile App?

If you run a usage report, what would you expect to see? How many hours a day is your sales staff active in the CRM? Considering that salespeople are supposed to use the CRM to respond to new leads, interact with existing leads and manage their pipeline, your team should be working in the CRM all day, every day, right?

Unfortunately, CRM usage often falls far short of expectations in many dealerships. But don’t put all the blame on your people or processes. The fact is, most legacy automotive CRMs in use today were made for business over twenty years ago! When CRMs were created to simply store customer information, and the user interface was built for desktop usage only - not mobile. Also, twenty years ago, most of us communicated by only phone and email. Now, everything is focused on instant information and accessibility. Texting is the preferred communication channel. And don’t forget the increasing demand for video and immersive experiences during the sales process.

Although legacy CRMs have tried to evolve and keep up with the times, most systems are a mish-mash of add-ons, patches and integrated third-party solutions. This makes it difficult to scale CRM processes and workflows. So, dig deeper. If the system doesn’t fit the way your salespeople want to work or provide seamless, digital experiences, then it might be time to re-evaluate your investment.

You want to know the simple truth? If your dealership CRM were simple to use, your salespeople would be using it. All the time.

DriveCentric is a modern automotive CRM built organically to power dealerships’ Digital Showrooms. It’s definitely not your average storage bin. Instead, it’s made for virtual selling, built for a digital-first world, built with behind-the-scenes automation that focuses on engagement above all and so effective that work gets done almost magically!

Here are just some ways DriveCentric gives its users simplicity without sacrifice. 

Throw Out Outdated Workplans

In our recent article, Help Your Sales Team Do More with Less, we discussed why it’s time to think differently! Throw out the never-ending workplan -- your sales team isn’t using it effectively anyway. Now is the time to focus on a better way -- a solution that puts all the fish that are biting right in front of you each and every day.

FACT: When a car shopper submits a lead, 70 percent of the time, that person will buy a car within four to five days. So, what’s the point of a workplan that does not help move the customer along your sales pipeline quickly?

A deal-focused pipeline approach gives you quick visibility of sales activities and essential details such as how each opportunity wants to communicate. It identifies where they are in the sales cycle and what actions are needed to move along the car buying process – all in one central screen, so you don’t have to dig elsewhere.

With pipeline data, you’re able to keep your entire sales team organized, on the same page and working from the same sheet of music instead of having your sales team try to figure out and prioritize tasks on their own. 

A modern CRM is built for easy visibility, responsiveness and engagement. It should never be a gauntlet of ineffective tasks that may or may not get completed. Instead, it should be a natural, active response. A person has a question; you have an answer. No tasks involved.

Fewer Clicks

In most legacy CRMs, the user interface (UI) is outdated and not intuitive. As a result, many users require training to know how to do a simple task. For example, to send an email - click, click, click. It takes several clicks just to start writing the email.

Did you have to learn how to use Facebook, Google or Messenger? No. These apps are successful because anyone can figure out how to use them without training. It takes just one or two clicks to accomplish what you want to do.

A modern CRM should feel like Facebook, Google or Messenger. Just open, click and start doing what you need to do. 

Productive Conversations

We live in a world where people love to watch videos and prefer to text. So, why are your salespeople still calling and emailing customers? Although these channels do have an appropriate place in the sales process, it’s not at the beginning. 

To engage today’s customers, you need a dealership CRM that makes it easy for salespeople to reach out to customers via text using their mobile phones. Customers expect to engage with you using the same communication channels they use to connect with friends and family.

Video communications are also required. A vehicle is a large, expensive purchase. Car shoppers want to see it. They don’t want to look at photos; they want a personalized, visual walkaround. This process must be easy for your salespeople – no logging into separate platforms or using special apps. Just log into the CRM on a smartphone, shoot and send a video or live stream. 

Why is video necessary? If a car shopper reaches out to two dealerships, the dealership that responds the fastest and gives them the best experience will win the business. Video is the best car-shopping experience you can provide a customer.

One Screen for Every Conversation

Today’s consumers crisscross different channels and devices when communicating. If you have to hunt and dig in several locations to keep up, it’s easy for opportunities to fall through the cracks.  

An easier approach is to bring together all customer replies into one central screen. Combining video, texts, emails and calls into a multi-channel sequence boosts visibility, response rates and accountability. Your entire team can access every active conversation, tag managers when help is needed or take over a conversation if a salesperson is off work. 

Mobile Go-Go

Every CRM has a mobile app. But the question is, does every salesperson use it? Most CRM mobile apps are not user-friendly or effective for virtual selling. The CRM interface on the mobile app should be the same as the interface on the desktop. 

FACT: DriveCentric has a 91% usage rate on its mobile app!

Mobile CRM usage is critically important in a world where customer experience is a priority -- and DriveCentric was built for it! We live in a digital-first world and today’s consumers expect digital showroom experiences. Our mobile app is incredibly intuitive and doesn’t slow performance. Going mobile allows your salespeople to communicate on the go and to spend more face-to-face time with onsite customers.

Conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The future is NOW! A world where you can have a hard-working, human-like digital workforce 24/7 to streamline sales efficiency and production is here. Hiring an army of sales reps for routine tasks no longer scales. So if you haven’t already adopted digital capabilities like Conversational AI, then you’re behind already. 

Automating tasks like lead response, lead nurturing, collecting data and setting appointments help guide customers down the sales funnel faster – and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks. 

Higher engagement, shorter wait times and efficient support means happier customers – all without the expense of adding more staff. Your Genius AI is built right inside the DriveCentric platform to help your team get back to what matters most: ready-to-buy shoppers.

Switching CRMs, Painlessly

We understand the onboarding process can make or break your CRM success. So, our team is with you every step of the way. We created an easy, step-by-step onboarding process to ensure your transition is seamless – and yes, it’s done 100% remotely. 

The system is so easy to learn and navigate that implementation and training are virtual.

• Customer success team works closely to gather requirements, answer questions and give you exceptional support

• Data and launch consultants ensure data and integration integrity, so our software is set to your processes

• Online support - from onboarding to ongoing performance management - means you always get the most from your investment

We keep everyone in the loop. So, in the end, your team will use the software like pros! 

Noticing a pattern? A friendly, simply designed UI saves time and ensures all your important sales data and communications are together on one screen to boost visibility, responsiveness and accountability.

Simplicity without sacrifice. Did you ever think it was possible? DriveCentric is built for simplicity, but we made sure our CRM still does everything you need it to. We just do it… simpler.