VinSolutions Tools to Optimize
for the Remote Shopping Environment

We Are Here for Your Dealership

As we re-think the customer experience in today’s environment, we understand that you need to watch your expenses and maximize your investment in your existing software solutions. As the industry-leading CRM provider and your partner in success, our goal is to help you do just that, and bring a world-class experience to every one of your dealership customers. We stand by our promise to enable you to make every connection count.

Take Advantage of These Solutions

VinSolutions wants to help you continue delivering a world-class customer experience. How? We’ve made the following software solutions available to you to begin utilizing immediately. Request a demo or reach out to your Performance Manager for help getting started.

In today’s increasingly virtual world, car buyers are utilizing new and innovative technology to aid them when shopping for a vehicle. To communicate effectively with customers, dealers need the ability to readily share ad hoc or previously recorded videos. Whether it’s sending a live walkaround of the vehicle to a quick “face-to-face” video greeting, dealers are looking for new ways to personalize the virtual shopping experience. By partnering with Flick Fusion, dealers can get access to a high-quality video marketing platform, and effortlessly share these with shoppers in real-time via text or email.  

  • Engage your customers quickly with new model and inventory videos from pre-loaded library 
  • Analyze performance of videos delivered via email or MMS with Flick Fusion’s robust reporting, linked directly in Connect CRM 
  • Driving accountability through reporting and integrated behavior and activity tracking in the customer records 
  • Deliver a fuller user experience with dealer-branded landing pages for your videos and related videos 

Your digital presence is now your primary storefront, so you need tools that can give you better visibility into your customers’ online shopping behaviors. Connect Automotive Intelligence can help you identify active customers as they shop online, giving you actionable insights to reach out proactively and provide a personalized experience as you help them through their buying journey.  

  • Buying Signals – Connect Automotive Intelligence aggregates and analyzes data from your CRM and across the Cox Automotive brands to connect the dots for a full view of your customer. 
  • Sentiment Analysis – With limited personal interaction, you need a tool to understand what customers are saying and how their saying it. Sentiment Analysis uses artificial intelligence to identify trends in customer messages to find coaching opportunities. 

In a time when 55% of car shoppers are less likely to visit the dealership1 and looking for shopping alternatives, a digital retailing solution can put your dealership ahead of the competition. In fact, 85% of customers are more likely to buy from a particular dealership that allows them to start or complete nearly all of the vehicle purchase online.2 Providing a digital retailing solution helps you expedite the deal-making process while still delivering the personalized shopping experience customers expect – even without the face-to-face interactions in the dealership. Customers can start their deals online for you to import directly into your CRM desking tool to quickly and efficiently work them in real-time right where they left off. 

1 2020 Cox Automotive COVID-19 Consumer Impact Study 

2 Cox Automotive Future of Digital Retail Study, November 2017 

Make every deal count. Use Connect Desking to streamline the buying process with customized deal structures, which allows you to deliver your proposals quickly via email and offer the “hands off” experience consumers are looking for during this volatile time. Rates and Residuals leverages the power of Dealertrack data in your Connect Desking tool to ensure you have access to lenders’ most aggressive rates and programs allowing you to find the best deal structures to fit customers’ needs. 

Create a Connected Experience During Social Distancing

As customers spend more time at home, they’ll spend more time shopping for vehicles online – and customers will continue to expect this personalized virtual shopping experience in the futureSet yourself up for future success by using these tools in VinSolutions Connect CRM to transition your dealership into the virtual shopping landscape. 

Dealer Forward:

Marketing Edition: Shifting Consumer Preferences

This is Dealer Forward: Marketing Edition. Wayne Pastore, VP Ops of Dealer Marketing Solutions at Cox Automotive discusses tactical approaches to embrace shifting consumer preferences with Jeff Ramsey, eCommerce & Marketing Director at Jones Junction.

Webinars

See Video From Our Top Industry Experts

Free webinars are available to help you tackle today’s obstacles, and leave you poised for success in the future.

Return Consumer and Employee Confidence Best Practices

As you prepare for customer activity to ramp back up, let’s help you make sure you and your team are ready to get back to work in your CRM.

The best practices below address CRM processes and settings that will need to be revisited as employees and customers begin returning to the dealership.

In addition, you can utilize the help feature (WalkMe) within the CRM for additional direction including how to change user, customer, and store settings.

Update Your Store Hours:

  • Navigate to Settings > Dealer Settings (hover) > Dealer Hours
  • Select "Open" next to the day(s) you want to review
  • Update the hours as needed

Update Process Rules:

  • If your store has been closed or hours have been reduced, you may have implemented new process rules for internet leads
  • To update your process back to your standard workflow, navigate to Settings > ILM/CRM Settings > Sales and Service Processes
  • Select the New Internet Sales Process and locate any process rules implemented while your dealership was closed, likely at the top of the list
  • Delete the rules you no longer need in place
  • Once complete, all future Internet leads will follow your standard process rules and Internet leads received during your closure will fall into the appropriate process at the correct timeline later that night.

Help Employees Log-In & Reset Passwords:

  • New or returning team may need to reset their password when they log-in for the first time
  • Navigate to Settings > Users > User List
  • Select “Edit” next to the name of the employees(s) who are unable to log-in
  • Enter a new password for the selected employees

Train and Re-train New and Existing Team Members:

  • Your employees may need to learn new processes or take on new roles
  • VinSoutions eAcademy is a resource that can help fill your training needs and accessible here. 
  • For no added cost, employees can enroll in daily live virtual or OnDemand training on a wide range of topics. Classes are updated weekly 
  • Within eAcademy, you can also register for new webinars including “Back to Business – Part 1 & 2” and “Off Site Buying Process and Finding your next Deal"

Forgot Your Password? No Problem.

  • As an admin, if you forgot your password, submit a password reset request to support here.
  • The support team will reach out to assist you as quickly as possible
  • Best Practices for Driving a Digital Transformation

    Update your website.

    Your website is now your primary storefront. Make sure it is accurate and updated with the correct hours of operation, contact information, and how and where to find you.

    Check your local and state regulations,

    which can affect which departments in your store can remain open.

    Use your CRM to communicate with customers

    about any changes you’re making to your dealership operations. Emphasize any new or additional communication channels and encourage them to visit your website. Make them aware that you are sensitive to the situation and willing want to work with them to help them find the vehicle they want while keeping them safe.

    However, do not overcommunicate using email campaigns

    and sending to their entire database. Dealers should not email their entire database when process adjustments, website updates, social media sharing, and targeted campaigns will serve them better.

    Take your sales team mobile

    with mobile apps for your CRM and other dealership software. To minimize disruption to your business, your salespeople need the same access to information in the CRM on their mobile device as if they were in the store.

    Update your CRM processes

    to remote selling. Be sure to account for all existing leads and ensure internet leads are assigned to users who will monitor and reply.

    Work with your customers virtually in real time

    using email, text, chat, video, over the phone or through your dealership’s social media channels.

    Encourage customers to work deals remotely

    with digital retailing and integrated dealership tools that minimize face-to-face interaction.

    Make the most of increased online vehicle shopping

    by using the browsing data to identify ready-to-buy shoppers.

    Update your social media and Google My Business page

    with latest changes to your business. Don’t blanket your entire database with needless email campaigns when you have it covered with your online presence. Keep emails targeted and personal more than ever.

    Keep Moving Forward with Tips, Insights and Tools for Your Dealership

    As your partner in success, we want you to have the resources and solutions you need in your dealership at your fingertips. Together, we will get through these rapidly changing times.

    50% Off Your April & May Subscription Fees

    A Message from Keith Jezek, our President of Retail Solutions

    For additional support, reach out to your VinSolutions Performance Manager or contact our Technical Support team at 800-980-7488.

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