In the world of sales, a general rule of thumb has always existed, that big ticket items take longer to sell. But does this theory continue to stand in the wake of a global pandemic?
Today the rule of thumb, that big tickets have a longer sales cycle, is being tested as more consumers are preferring the convenience of buying from home.
Take Auto Sales, It is not uncommon to encounter buyers who are well informed on the product they are buying; they’ve done their homework.
Today’s modern buyer has the power of the world wide web at their fingertips and as a result, often knows what they want by the time they reach the showroom.
The Policy changes we are seeing as a result of our country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic are quickening the demand for more virtual purchases options.
As of the date of this article, consumers continue practicing some level of discipline to avoid going outdoors and big ticket sales have too had to adapt.
Adapting to changing consumer behavior, dealerships are looking for ways to virtualize their sales process.
RingPlan customers for example, have moved their operations to the cloud where they can better engage with their virtual audience on multiple fronts.
A Southern California auto group, one of the largest, has upped their game by unifying their communications. They have added video conferencing with integrated outgoing call functionality to their sales floor tools.
Sales teams are now conducting scheduled video tours using their mobile devices, taking potential consumers with them to view a vehicle selection, based on a pre-defined set of needs.
Multiple people can join the video tour at the same time and new attendees can be added with a clickable link, or by adding them with an integrated outbound phone call.
Integrated outgoing calls allow sales floor staff to make phone calls from any active video conference, something not available in most video meeting platforms.
While most other platforms require attendees to proactively join a meeting on their own, RingPlan allows users a way to reach out when a user cannot make a meeting.
Making outgoing calls from video conferences has been useful for sales staff when meeting is forgotten, or when a third party needs to be included in a conversation such as a co-signer or significant other.
Making an outgoing call alongside the customer to a third party ensures a smooth process without disconnecting from an active sale.
The successful combination of video and phone is possible because RingPlan is a professional business suite with a hosted phone at its center. RingPlan networks therefore prioritize voice packets over video to ensure a clear audio signal.
Users with limited internet speeds or those with large offices understand the value of prioritizing voice packets.
When broadband issues affect a video call, the inability to hear someone renders a call useless.
While an occasional drop in video will allow a conversation to continue, a drop in audio will completely end a conversation.
The longer sales cycle is being challenged as consumers become increasingly educated on the products they are buying and as the seller provides better options for making purchases.
A process that typically took a lot of hand-holding and multiple handshakes is now being conducted virtually, often in one meeting, using the RingPlan suite of business tools to close the deal.
In the case of our example, if a purchase is successful, vehicles are then delivered to the buyer along with final paperwork for the buyer to sign upon delivery.
This helps to promote a socially distant purchase with minimal contact. The buyer never even steps on the sales floor
RingPlan helps businesses reduce operating costs and improve efficiencies.
Gone are the days when you needed multiple providers for your communication needs.
Today, businesses who ‘get it’ are choosing to centralize their communication with one provider and are saving a lot of money in the process.
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