Living during COVID-19 has challenged us all in many different ways. At OfferUp, we’re acutely aware that in an age of widespread shutdowns and economic uncertainty, we have a responsibility to our automotive dealer customers to maximize the value we can bring to them by providing innovative tools and an active marketplace. Our marketplace thrives on connecting shoppers with sellers, and today, more than ever, it’s critical that we help our car dealers make the most out of those connections.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, many people have delayed purchasing a vehicle, and those that are buying are more likely to consider buying one that’s used. That’s great news for sellers in the OfferUp Verified Dealer Program. OfferUp’s mobile-first vehicle marketplace is healthier and growing faster than ever, making OfferUp an incredible value and a critically important source of leads. We’ve got millions of local shoppers, and that means more connections and more opportunities for the dealers that promote their vehicles on OfferUp.
The real value in those connections, however, can’t be realized until a dealer engages with those shoppers. On the OfferUp marketplace, our chat function is the main communication channel that dealers use to engage with consumers shopping their inventory. Many dealers already have a chat tool or service that helps them manage their customer engagements, so we built a connector to allow those tools to be directly integrated into the OfferUp platform. This means that the same chat program they are using on their website or in their BDC can be used on OfferUp as well! Dealership staff doesn’t have to learn another tool, lead handling processes stay the same, and chat info flows seamlessly into their CRM system.
Today we’re announcing that we’re partnering with ActivEngage, a chat integration company that, like OfferUp, is passionate about creating connections. “Our mission at ActivEngage, is to enable conversations that create powerful first impressions and lasting relationships,” said Eric Schlesinger, Vice President of Sales at ActiveEngage. “Making this possible for our customers that also use OfferUp was a great fit.”
How can dealers on OfferUp and ActivEngage get the most from these chat integration options and the Verified Dealer Program?
Respond to chats right away: The longer you wait, the more likely a shopper has moved on. Best-in-class response times occur within 2-minutes and research has shown that you are three times more likely to convert that chat engagement into a qualified lead.
Be informative: Answer customer questions and provide the specific information that the shopper has asked for before you start asking questions of your own. You should also understand that not all shoppers are ready to provide you with their contact information in the first exchange that they have with you.
Build a direct connection with your customer: Being helpful and answering customer questions can lead to a more meaningful conversation with the shopper, and there’s a direct correlation between positive engagement and the sale of a vehicle on OfferUp. In fact, the probability of a sale increases with each incremental chat exchange between dealer and consumer. Vehicles on OfferUp that have a chat thread with five or more exchanges between a dealer and consumer are 35% more likely to sell than if there’s only one exchange.
For dealerships that don’t have the resources to manage customer engagements on their own, managed chat services can be a great way to deliver best-in-class communication without the need to staff and train an in-house team. There are many companies that offer managed chat, but if you are a car dealer, you want one like ActivEngage that has automotive expertise. “The ActivEngage team is trained to uncover an automotive shopper’s unique needs, then guide them down the road to purchase. Our agents are extremely skilled at providing insight into the unique value of the dealership, answering shopper questions and motivating buyers to take the next step,” said Schlesinger.
Whether you outsource your chat conversations or manage them yourself, be sure to give these customer connections all the attention that they deserve, and you won’t be disappointed with the business that they generate in return!
For more information about ActivEngage and the engagement solutions that they offer, visit activengage.com/engagement.
For more information about OfferUp and the Verified Dealer Program, visit offerup.com/autos.