Skip to main content

Growing Wholesale Parts with CRM Technology

By May 18, 2019August 26th, 2019Parts Counter

In today’s competitive market, a dealership’s Parts Department must discover how to set themselves apart in a crowded marketplace. Why will customers buy from you and not from your competitors? It comes down to great products, excellent service and the deep relationships that you build with customers – that’s why having a powerful, wholesale parts CRM system is vital to driving parts sales.

Here are seven key ways an automotive-specific CRM system can help your Parts Department deliver better customer service, improve sales rep performance and grow parts sales.

1. Centralized customer information

When your field sales reps are out on the road, are they centrally logging critical customer feedback and updating customer information? If they are, where is this information stored? Is it available in a reliable and secure location? Or stored on personal laptops and handwritten in notebooks? Most importantly, do you and the rest of the dealership have access to all this vital information and is it accessible in real-time?

A centralized CRM system in the cloud is the safest, most accessible location to store information and should be the main source of all critical customer details, insights and interactions. Everything you need to know about each wholesale customer in one central location that can be shared easily throughout the dealership.

Additionally, this allows for better succession planning for your parts team. If staff are unavailable or sales reps move on, no customer information is lost. Your new parts sales reps will have all the available information they need to start selling immediately and continue building on the relationship between the dealership and your customers from day one.

2. See all your opportunities

Your dealership has a multitude of wholesale customers, so how do your sales reps know which to contact? Do they know which customers present the biggest opportunities? Do they know who the key decision makers are?

A dedicated wholesale parts CRM system can give your team a complete and holistic view of all leads, prospects and customers. It will help your reps segment your wholesale customers, find the biggest opportunities, prioritize sales leads and guide your reps to see the right customers that are more likely to buy.

3. Drive parts sales

A CRM system is more than a customer relationship tool – it’s also a revenue generator. Actively managing customer relationships can lead to increased parts sales. A Forbes article found that businesses can achieve a compound annual growth rate of over 15% by implementing CRM technology.

One of the best ways to drive parts sales is to use accurate sales insights. A CRM with true business intelligence, can help identify opportunities and threats across your entire wholesale customer base. It helps sales reps set sales targets, view sales forecasts and observe parts purchasing trends.

 

4. Personalized customer service

The key to good customer service is building a close relationship and providing a personalized service. Listen to your customers, learn everything you can about them and record the valuable information in your CRM system.

With a cloud-based CRM, your reps can look up customer information prior to each visit and have all the information they need to pick up exactly where they left off. They’ll also be able to recommend the right parts and access relevant resources, such as offers and promotions, news and bulletins – even when out on the road.

5. Efficiency and cost savings

Want to connect with your wholesale customers in a quicker, more efficient manner? Wish your reps could see more customers in a day? Our research shows that a CRM helps a dealership improve daily call rates by 50% and helps solve customer issues 63% faster.

A good CRM system can create task reminders, raise issues, add notes, place parts orders and take phone calls – so that your reps can respond to your wholesale customers quickly. Internally, a CRM system connects everyone in the parts sales funnel. From your field reps to your phone room, from the parts warehouse to management, everyone in the dealership is connected. Your entire workflow is streamlined, saving time and driving operational efficiency.

6. Productivity gains

A CRM system in your Parts Department may sound like extra work for your reps, but the right system frees your reps from administrative and process-heavy tasks. Our research shows that a parts sales rep saves ten hours per week across scheduling, administration and workflow tasks.

Additionally, Parts Managers save five hours per week across tracking, data analysis, rep and customer management. Sales reports are no longer a slow and arduous task. A CRM can automatically generate sales reports and analytics, measure your sales team’s performance and productivity, and evaluate their performance against set KPIs.

7. Better sales rep management

Field sales reps are the frontline of your dealership’s Parts Department and can make or break your parts business. It’s vital that you get the best out of your team.

A CRM provides transparency and visibility over your sales reps, with tools such as real-time user tracking and time stamping. It instantly provides you with insights such as their sales opportunities and totals, calls and interactions, and territory management. Keep your team accountable and productive – know what your sales reps are doing and encourage them to work to the best of their abilities.

You need a CRM for your Parts Department.

Here’s the bottom line. If you’re serious about growing wholesale parts sales, building strong customer relationships and boosting efficiency, you need a Wholesale Parts focused CRM in your Department. Get in touch with us today to find out how you can implement an effective CRM strategy.

andrew-selim

Andrew Selim
Vice President, CRM, Sales

Andrew Selim is a strategy & technology expert, specialising in automotive aftersales. With over 15 years’ experience in the Automotive and related industries, Andrew is the founder of the Microcat CRM technology which was acquired by Infomedia.

Microcat CRMA Powerful Wholesale Parts CRM

Microcat CRM helps Automotive Dealers and OEMs sell more genuine parts by bringing everything you need into one holistic solution