CRM, ILM, Chat, Desking, Emails, Phone, SMS

• Poll

# Summary The thread debates whether salespeople should leave voicemails when calling internet leads, with trainer Elise Kephart recommending hang-ups on second calls versus David Kain's approach of always leaving messages. The consensus that emerged strongly favors leaving voicemails, but only when they follow a strategic approach that gives customers a compelling reason to call back, rather than using generic phrases like "I have great news." The broader takeaway is that consistent follow-up itself matters more than the specific tactic, and most dealers fail by not calling enough in the first place.

A new dealer employee asks for guidance on learning eLead CRM after switching from ReyRey. Community members provide training resources, reassurance that the system is easy to learn, and a direct offer of personalized help, with the original poster ultimately finding success with the tool and expressing appreciation for the supportive response.

# Summary Internet sales professionals debate whether a 20%+ closing ratio on internet leads is consistently achievable, with key contributors pointing out that raw statistics are misleading without context—factors like market saturation, lead quality, lead distribution per salesperson, contact ratios, and whether bad leads are included all significantly impact the numbers. The consensus emphasizes that comparing closing percentages across dealerships provides little insight; instead, dealers should focus on lead management processes (contact ratios of 60%, appropriate lead distribution of 50-60 per rep, follow-up systems) and strong leadership as the real drivers of performance. The thread suggests that while high teens to low 20s closing ratios are achievable, they're heavily dependent on individual market conditions, operational systems, and how metrics are actually measured rather than representing a universally attainable benchmark.

# Summary This thread consolidates dealer complaints and troubleshooting around GM's 24/7 internet lead response time requirements, with particular focus on technical issues with OneSource's lead management tool failing to properly "stop the clock" on smartphone responses. The key insight is that dealers are experiencing system failures beyond their control—specifically OneSource's smartphone integration not registering responses—forcing them to seek alternative certified GM vendors like AutoRaptor or iMagic, and to manually document their response times to prove their actual performance metrics are better than what GM's system reports.

# Summary BillH expresses frustration that AVV's email templates cannot embed videos even in HTML, despite OEMs now incentivizing video in customer contacts. The thread clarifies that embedded video has minimal email client support (primarily Apple Mail only), making the practical workaround a clickable video thumbnail image that links to a landing page—which actually offers the added benefit of driving traffic to the dealership website where customers may browse inventory.

# Summary A new BDC manager asks whether eLead1's email system supports embedded video functionality for customer engagement. After learning that email clients have poor support for embedded video, the community consensus recommends using a static image with a prominent play button linked to a hosted video on the dealership's website, which also captures additional lead data through landing page forms and tracking via Google Analytics.

A dealer consultant (ddavis) was asked to review a friend's dealership internet operation and discovered systemic failures: non-functional CRM features, poor closing ratios, no call monitoring, and misguided attempts to convert internet leads through outdated retail methods. The core issue identified by respondents is poor leadership—specifically a confrontational GSM unwilling to accept suggestions—making it impossible to implement necessary improvements despite the dealership's strong underlying potential. The thread concludes that while the situation is challenging, the consultant has an opportunity to help his friend implement incremental improvements without directly confronting the resistant management.

A dealer is seeking advice on breaking a Dealer Socket CRM contract after three years, frustrated that the vendor auto-renewed them for another two years and is now holding them to the full term. While one responder suggests the poster provide more details to get community help, a Dealer Socket representative (Hunter Swift) offers direct assistance via phone, indicating the issue may be resolvable through direct vendor negotiation rather than forum discussion.

# Summary Dealers and vendors criticize iMagicLab for restricting third-party API access under the guise of security, drawing comparisons to similar practices by Reynolds that force integrations through paid channels. While the original poster's specific issue was resolved, the broader debate reveals frustration with the company's restrictive stance toward vendor partnerships, with participants arguing that proper security measures don't require blocking integrations and that companies should prioritize dealer convenience over forced monetization of vendor relationships.

# Summary Joe Pistell shares free email-to-SMS gateway addresses for major US carriers that allow dealers to receive CRM lead notifications via text on basic cell phones without smartphone email capability. While replies confirm the tip's usefulness, Matt Watson cautions that carrier-based email-to-SMS delivery is unreliable and can result in message blocking if overused, and Gary McClure initially raises (then retracts) concerns about spam compliance, clarifying the method is acceptable for internal rep notifications rather than customer communications.

A dealer manager presents a proposal to implement managed chat services after improving the internet department's closing ratio from 3-6% to 15%, seeking to drive further improvements. Joe Pistell, an experienced chat strategist, provides critical feedback arguing that chat prospects are earlier in the sales funnel than phone-ups and should be viewed primarily as a bridge to phone conversations rather than direct sales channels, while also emphasizing the importance of using hosted rather than self-managed chat solutions and maintaining visibility into complete chat metrics including abandonment rates. The key insight is that chat effectiveness depends on proper expectation-setting about its role in the sales process and dealership culture, not just lead volume metrics.

A Chevyland Internet Sales Manager seeks affordable custom HTML email stationery with sidebars for testimonials and value propositions, rejecting his CRM's $1,000 quote as overpriced. Respondents debate the merits of formatted emails versus simple signatures, with a strong consensus emerging that mobile-first design is critical—one dealer reports a dramatic response rate increase after implementing a "5 Inch Rule" requiring emails to be readable on smartphone screens without scrolling. Practical solutions offered include using free responsive email templates, learning HTML/CSS directly, leveraging tools like Mailchimp to build templates and port them to VinSolutions, or simply maintaining clean, minimal signatures to avoid appearing like junk mail.

Daniel Mondello initiates a discussion asking dealers to share and critique their first-response email templates for internet leads, noting that his dealership prioritizes addressing pricing and specification inquiries through a customized template. The thread appears designed to crowdsource best practices for initial lead responses and allow dealers to evaluate different approaches to early customer engagement. The key insight is identifying which first-contact strategies most effectively convert internet leads by balancing responsiveness with relevance to customer questions.

Matthew Danskin seeks a systematic approach to nurture wholesale buyer relationships by automating vehicle-specific emails to regular and prospective dealers based on their inventory preferences, and asks whether his existing retail CRM (DealerCRM) can be adapted for this B2B wholesale use case. The thread explores whether standard retail CRM tools designed for consumer follow-up can be repurposed for high-volume wholesale dealer outreach across multiple sales channels (Manheim, OVE, direct). The key question centers on CRM functionality and workflow optimization rather than vendor recommendations.

# Summary Rob seeks a reliable, modern CRM with solid inventory integration after experiencing frequent crashes with VinSolutions, emphasizing that he wants vendor recommendations based on customer satisfaction rather than sales pitches or demos. The thread reveals widespread frustration across the industry—while some CRMs are stable, they often have poor data migration or support; others are feature-rich but unstable—and hints at an unreleased Dealer.com CRM that some hope will eventually address these gaps. The core insight is that no CRM currently delivers the combination of bulletproof reliability, modern features, and seamless integration that dealers want, leaving the market ripe for a truly dependable solution.

# Summary Automotive dealers discuss CAR-Research's new XRM platform and whether its marketed features (Real-Time Integration Network, ServiceVision/iCRM applications, and lead management tools) represent genuine innovation or repackaged existing CRM functionality. User feedback is largely positive, with one dealer praising CAR-Research's ease of use and bulk email capabilities over competitors like Autobase and Reynolds, while another dealer strongly advocates for eleads as the superior alternative.

Jerry Thibeau, founder of Phone-up Ninjas, offered free phone skills coaching to two dealership salespeople to demonstrate how quickly improvement is possible, recruiting Carl from Sun Auto Warehouse (a 25-year veteran struggling with appointment-setting) and Chad Whitmore from Checkered Flag (an internet department appointment-setter) as volunteers. The thread shows strong community support for the initiative, with fellow professionals validating Jerry's expertise and expressing interest in the program. The key insight is that phone skills training is a recognized gap in dealership performance, with participants viewing the phone as a critical bridge between digital customer interactions and face-to-face sales.

# Summary The thread discusses whether e-commerce departments are making sufficient phone calls to leads and compares the effectiveness of using dedicated coordinators versus floor sales staff for outbound calling. A key insight highlighted is that connection rates are typically very low—less than 20% of daily calls actually reach a prospect—making call volume a critical metric for internet sales success.

A dealer criticizes Dealer E Process for poor service quality, outdated content, and alleged deletion of their YouTube account after switching vendors, while the vendor's owner responds with their own account of the relationship and defends their work. Community members debate the importance of data ownership and control when working with vendors, with most advising dealers to secure contracts that protect their assets before engaging with any service provider. The thread ultimately illustrates a cautionary tale about vendor relationships in the auto industry and highlights the need for dealers to maintain control of their digital assets regardless of who manages them.

A GM dealer facing a DTAP certification deadline for their ILM seeks recommendations on which compliant CRM system to choose, with initial interest in Web Control for DMS integration with their ACS system. One respondent shares positive experience switching to DealerTrack for DMS and DealerSocket for CRM, which recently added GM Customer Search Integration. The thread confirms that DealerSocket is a viable DTAP-certified alternative that offers improved functionality for GM dealers.

A dealer seeks recommendations for a simple, web-based traffic logging tool to replace their outdated Windows 95-era system, wanting something focused on basic showroom and internet traffic tracking with straightforward reporting rather than a full CRM. Alex Snyder suggests The Next Up as a solution used by respected dealers, though it may require adjusting their current upping process. The thread offers a practical resource recommendation but lacks additional discussion or comparative analysis.