Anatomy of a Lost Sale
I was driving home from work last week when I received a call from an unknown number. Upon answering it I was greeted by a woman who introduced herself as representing the auto dealership where I have purchased several cars and get them regularly serviced. She went on to tell me that there is a demand for cars like mine right now and a shortage of availability. Combined with significant incentives on new vehicles for the next 10 days, there could be a terrific deal available to me. Would I be interested in learning more?
Now, I had not at all been thinking about trading in my car at this time, but I thought that if the offer was advantageous and made sense, I would like to at least hear the details. This involved setting up a 30 minute meeting at the dealership. I agreed to do so and scheduled the appointment. In the interim, I received 2 emails confirming the appointment along with a call of introduction from the salesperson I would be meeting with.
All going according to plan, right? Lead generation. Appointment. Multiple confirmations.
Then it was time for the appointment itself. I showed up at the scheduled time (ok, a few minutes late) and walked in. The receptionist was not all that friendly in greeting me, but called out over the speakers for the salesperson to come to the front desk. Some time went by. No sign of the salesperson. I approached the receptionist who said that maybe he was out on the lot and suggested I grab a complimentary coffee or bottle of water. I’m not all that pleased at this point, but I did. Still nothing. After 20 minutes I figured it was time to bail. Remember, this whole thing started with them approaching me a full week earlier. I informed the receptionist that I was leaving and would need to reschedule. That led her to go “out back” and return with someone who said that someone with a different name than whom I had the appointment with would be out shortly. He asked what brought me in at this time. Seriously? I explained to him and he became very apologetic. “Why don’t we appraise your car and you can look around the showroom while you wait”. I told him that I did not have time for that, having already invested almost 30 minutes, and to have the original salesperson call me to reschedule. But, I have now lost interest.
This scenario plays itself out all the time. Advertising or marketing works. Securing the appointment works. Being late for and/or unprepared for the actual meeting does not. If you spend the time and money to get prospects to the door or on the phone, be certain that the system does not break down at that stage in the process or there is virtually no chance for a sale.
If you would like to talk about how we can help you ensure you’re getting the return on investment for your marketing, contact us at info@mmltv.net today.
