The new way that you need to qualify customers

Mark Fennelly, ASE’s head of global consulting, says that customers’ online experiences over the last two years means that sales teams need to adapt their early qualifying questions.

“Our sales process was previously was based around physicality – a call or an email to get them into a managed process. You would get them in, test drive and move to a close,” he says.

“There is currently a lot of talk about omni-channel marketing, where the customer chooses the touchpoint. Putting the customer in charge challenges the managed process.

“If the customer knows everything and wants to just complete physically then a salesman doing the robotic process and going through every phase in person will lose that engagement.

“The other customer that has done the research but wants the physical process needs to be adapted to.”

It is as simple as being up front and asking what stage of the process that a customer thinks they are in, says Mark.

“If they say they have done all the research, sold their car and decided what they want, you don’t need to start again,” he says. “Ask why they have reached that conclusion and be confident and flexible enough to adapt.

“In a used car process the quickest adopters were the new car supermarkets. They have changed the dynamic so customers are more comfortable doing more online. How far and how much is down to what the customer is happy about.

“Travel is the closest comparison – the evolution of the process is comparable. It has allowed customers to choose what works for them, and how. There are still agents as some want that touch point but lots can be done online.”