More than ever, successful dealerships are using online chat tools to engage internet shoppers. Chat offers a new way to identify prospects and start a dialogue with customers beyond the traditional email and phone lead path. This webinar will cover the road to sales success with online chat and offer practical advice you can implement immediately to drive results. For the full audiovisual presentation, visit dealers.cars.com.

1. Welcome to Today’s Webinar
We will begin promptly at noon ET
To hear the audio portion for today’s session, please turn up
your computer speakers or use a pair of headphones.

2. Win the Sale With Online Chat

3. Welcome
• Have a question? Need our attention?
• Enter your question or comment by clicking on
the question mark in the lower right corner of the
WebEx browser
• Tweeting today’s call? Use #dalive.
• Want a recording of today’s presentation?
• Visit http://dealers.cars.com/live on Monday
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4. Webinar Audio
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for today’s webinar:
• Turn up your computer
speakers
• Use a pair of headphones
• Having audio problems?
• Request a toll-free dial-in
number for the WebEx
teleconference
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5. Today’s Moderator
Kathy Kimmel
 Director of training, Cars.com
 15+ years experience in
automotive retail
 Featured speaker at industry
conferences
 Connect with Kathy:
http://dealers.cars.com/facebook
http://dealers.cars.com/twitter
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6. Today’s Panelist
Jim Flint
 Corporate director of internet
sales and marketing
 John Eagle Family of Dealerships
 Houston, Texas
 12 years automotive retail
industry experience
 Connect with Jim:
http://www.twitter.com/jimflint12
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7. Today’s Panelist
Ed Parkinson
 Vice president
 ContactAtOnce!
 Helps dealers implement online
chat with their websites and
integrate it with their internet sales
processes
 24 years in the automotive
industry
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8. Today’s Objectives
In today’s call, we’ll discuss how to:
 Incorporate chat into your internet sales process.
 Obtain the prospect’s name, phone number or email
address.
 Leverage chat alongside the phone to open your
inventory and make the sale.
 Integrate chat sessions with your CRM tool for lead
management and follow-up.
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9. Look Who’s Chatting

10. Connect With Online Buyers
Chat creates a fifth
contact channel with your
third-party listings
• Clicks to your website
• Email
• Telephone
• Walk-in visits
• Chat
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11. Reach New Buyers With Chat
Some shoppers prefer chat
• Provides quick access to the
information they want (e.g.,
availability, condition, price)
• Protects their anonymity
• One in four adults sends
more instant messages than
email1
• 90 percent of people use IM
at home; 20 percent from
work2
11 1 AP/AOL Instant Messaging Survey, 2007
2 AOL/Opinion Research, 2007

12. Build, Follow a Sales Process

13. Prepare for Chat Success
• Create steps to a sale similar to your email, phone
and in-store processes
• Identify key points to address in every conversation
• Minimize use of cut-and-paste sentences
• Buyers want to know they’re chatting with a person
• Shoppers will contact you about:
• Specific listings
• Service, parts and accessories
• Finance
• Assign, train salespeople to manage chat requests
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14. Staff for Chat Success
Have enough people
available so you can
quickly respond
• Acknowledge shoppers
within 15 seconds
• Would you:
• Ignore a ringing Car buyer chat requests are most common between noon and 4 p.m.
during the week, when shoppers are at work and can’t use the phone or
phone? company email system.
• Let shoppers roam
your store without a
greeting?
14 Source: ContactAtOnce! LLC, February 2007

15. Define the Steps to a Sale
• Greet the customer
• Conduct a needs analysis
• Open your inventory
• Demonstrate the vehicle
• Build dealership value
• Sell the appointment
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16. Greet the Customer
• Begin with an introduction
• “Hello, my name is (First) (Last). May I ask yours?”
• This approach helps you to:
• Obtain the shopper’s name;
• Offer your first and last name to encourage the
shopper to respond in kind
• Build rapport and create dialogue
• Personalize your “voice” for the shopper
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17. Conduct a Needs Analysis
• Earn shoppers’ trust by offering to answer their
questions about the vehicle
• Expand the conversation by asking about the
shoppers’ needs
• “To ensure I’m providing you with the information you
need, can you tell me how you’ll use the vehicle?”
• “Will you be the primary driver?”
• “Do you have a vehicle to trade?”
• “When do you plan to make a purchase?”
• “What do you like about your current vehicle? What
features are most important with the new one?”
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18. Open Your Inventory
• Present cars from your inventory that may better
meet the shopper’s needs (e.g., new, used, CPO)
• Ask: “Are you considering other makes/models?”
• Use this conversation as an opportunity to ask for
the shopper’s phone number
• Add value
• “Would it be easier for you if I called you?”
• Avoid old-school rush to get the shopper’s number
• Keep the chat window open to send links to your listings
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19. Demonstrate the Vehicle
• Create excitement about the vehicle by:
• Calling out features that meet the shopper’s needs
• Validating its condition
• One-owner
• Nonsmoker
• Vehicle history report
• Focus on the car and the dialogue, not a sales
pitch
• Create a reason for the shopper to take action
• Time-sensitive specials or finance and lease options
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20. Build Dealership Value
• Offer reasons for the shopper
to buy from you
• Provide links to testimonials
from satisfied customers or
dealer rating sites
• Emphasize your strengths:
• Large selection
• Convenient location
• Service after the sale
• Industry awards
• Community reputation
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21. Sell the Appointment
• Encourage the shopper to visit the store
• “When can we schedule a test drive for you?”
• “Have you had an opportunity to drive the vehicle in
your preferred color and with the features you want?”
• Schedule and confirm the appointment
• Use the appointment as an opportunity to obtain
the shopper’s phone number
• “My phone number is _____. If you’re running late or
need to reschedule, please call. If you give me your
number and anything comes up on my end, I’ll do the
same. Fair enough?”
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22. Leverage Chat Opportunities
• Share the chat transcript with the shopper
• Provides the buyer with your name, contact information
• Creates a record of the cars you discussed
• Enter customer, session information into your CRM
system for follow-up
• Review chat logs to identify:
• Sales opportunities
• Areas for improvement
• Were requests left unanswered?
• Was the sales process followed?
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23. Review
• Chat creates a new contact channel
to engage in-market buyers
• Develop a sales process for chat to
ensure consistent use
• Be prepared to respond quickly with
the properly trained staff
• Engage the shopper: Get information
by giving it
• Monitor program results to improve
performance
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24. Resources for Online Success
• Cars.com gives you the tools and resources to
drive online success and fully merchandise your
inventory: (http://dealers.cars.com/resources).
• Your local sales representative – Our knowledgeable staff is
ready to assist you as well as answer any questions you might have
• Local training – Attend one of Cars.com’s local training workshops
for a hands-on educational experience
• DealerADvantage blog– Get tips and techniques to maximize your
online investment (http://dealeradvantage.cars.com)
• DealerADvantage LIVE – Tune in to our free monthly webinars,
packed with advice from expert trainers and the best dealers in the
industry (http://dealers.cars.com/live)
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25. Questions & Answers

26. Thank You & Good Luck