Are your customers part of the one percent? 

Studies show that only one percent of your automotive customers are satisfied with their car buying experience. That means out of the 100 cars that drove off your lot last week only a literal handful of customers will endorse your services to their friends, family, and associates. 

The probable cause of such a negative response could be the result of a hodgepodge of in-person and online processes that leave customers confused, overwhelmed, empty-handed, and, ultimately, dissatisfied.

“New selling models and the expectations of today’s digital-first customers means automakers and dealers need to collaborate more efficiently than ever before to drive sales, manage inventory, and provide better customer experiences,” said SF Automotive Cloud experts. 

To transform existing processes into a model that seamlessly integrates in-person and digital customer experiences, Simplus and Salesforce partnered to create a CRM designed with branches of the automotive industry in mind. 

Salesforce Automotive Cloud delivers relevant, tailored solutions for automakers, dealers, and auto finance groups to provide connected digital experiences for employees and customers. Automotive Cloud comes loaded with pre-built solutions that offer manufacturers industry-specific process libraries, including declarative programming frameworks, flows, omnistudio, business rules engine, and compliance elements based on common functionalities and standards in the industry. Driver 360 is the backbone of Automotive Cloud, equipped with a tailored Customer 360 platform for automotive companies.

What this means for automobile manufacturers, dealers, and maintenance teams is access to a CRM that simplifies the often complex and time-consuming process of marketing and sales management, delivering seamless services both in-person and through digital commerce, managing partner relationships, and promoting sustainability. 

Let’s talk about some of the specialized functions: 

 

Manage distributor, customer, and end-customer marketing and communications

Ninety-three percent of auto industry leaders agree that first-party data improves the customer experience during vehicle browsing, purchase, financing, or post-purchase phase. 

By channeling this data into a single source of truth, critical players in the automotive industry can create a collaborative customer experience and measure dealership performance with real-time data. Here are two strategic functionalities: 

• Automotive Lead Management uses data-based customer and vehicle history to route high-value leads to the customer’s preferred dealership location. Armed with a snapshot of the customer’s preferences and history, the sales team can ensure a personalized buying experience. 
• Dealer Performance Management simplifies analytics to measure dealership performance by region while gauging lead pipelines. 

 

Digitize the volume planning, pricing, and delivery execution process

Creating a single transparent source of truth that offers highly visible access to customer profiles, purchasing history, vehicle data, inventory, pricing, warranties, and services is essential for expediting fast, responsive services and simplifying workflow processes.

“. . . Internet of Things (IoT) technology advancements alter how global value chains and the economy function,” explained experts at Straits Research. “IoT has the revolutionary potential to boost value and improve efficiencies because of the enormous volume of information generated by these devices.” 

Capturing customer demands and details of the desired sales process, including pricing and shipping, will accelerate sales conversions. And this will in turn seamlessly manage end-to-end dealers/agents relationships with measurable performance assessments, provide details on execution support, and present data for devising action plans. 

 

Maximize ability to sell products online

This innovation deploys connected marketing, sales, and service experiences online and with your channel partners. 

• The Vehicle Console provides a holistic view of the vehicle status with features like warranty, parts, and accessories and presents subsequent best actions for customer engagement. In most cases, the vehicle itself provides valuable connected data. 
• The Driver Console offers your service teams a holistic view of a customer’s history through touchpoints and custom alerts. This can include vehicle browsing and purchase history and records service appointments. 

Both platforms are guided by standards-based data that supports global regulatory compliance, data sharing, and other interoperability relationships. This data is also instrumental in forecasting analytics. 

 

Gain insight into demand forecasts for production and delivery

Auto Cloud enhances predictability and transparency by unifying sales and operations with a complete CRM designed for the manufacturing industry. 

By implementing industry-specific AI technology, analytics, and automation, stakeholders can better manage and forecast supply chains, volatile pricing, etc. 

The Flow for Automotive tool simplifies tasks requiring fewer resources yet boosts efficiency with automated features that update vehicle order status and alert customers of shipment delays, for example. 

Analytics for Automotive provides insight from dashboards equipped with detailed sales and business overviews, revenue trends, customer buyer journeys, and overall business performance.

Salesforce Genie offers real-time data innovation that helps unify customer inquiries, service requests, and general vehicle data across all channels. 

 

Focus on the most profitable products and improve agility with data

With easy access to robust data, companies can pivot their strategies based on data-based decisions. For example, the growing drive toward electric cars and overall sustainability requires a rapid shift in supply chains, an expanded understanding of compliance and regulations, modern equipment, and specialized maintenance services. 

Whether stakeholders want to focus on product design or adjust customized services and features for a changing customer base, Automotive Cloud can provide resources to ensure innovation aligns with customers’ needs. 

The Salesforce Customer 360 platform has transformed significant industries like financial services, patient care, and education. With Driver 360, the automobile industry can steer toward accelerated change that captures innovation and delivers competitive and impactful experiences for customers, partners, and employees.