Drive Into the Future with These Salesforce Best Practices for the Automotive Industry
The automotive industry is on the verge of one of the most significant shifts in its history. The rapid adoption of digital technologies, electrification, and autonomous vehicles are reshaping how manufacturers, suppliers, and dealers operate.
The customers are responding by rewarding the automotive industry with a steady projected growth until 2030.
In big markets, however, there is a lot of competition — everyone wants a piece of that big pie. This is where systems and software come into place.
Today, we’re talking about Salesforce best practices for the automotive industry because a CRM, no matter how powerful, can only help you if you use it right.
Let’s dig in!
Over 150,000 companies across industries use Salesforce today. The number one CRM in the world, the behemoth, the leader — call it what you will but you can’t ignore it.
Salesforce is a favorite among automotive companies as well. The industry even has a dedicated page on the Salesforce website. Are you one of the many companies in automotive using Salesforce?
Let’s make sure you use it to the fullest — we know the subscription is not exactly cheap!
Did you know that dealerships are no longer the starting point for customers who need a car? 95% of them start their journey online, looking for information before they even call a dealership.
Thus, your online presence is no longer nice to have, it’s mandatory. More importantly, a nice website means nothing if you can’t centralize the leads properly.
So this is exactly where we’ll start.
Did you know that automotive customers expect you to follow up with them quickly, ideally within less than 24 hours? They don’t call it “the era of speed” for nothing.
This is why you need your website to be integrated with Salesforce. When a potential buyer searches for a specific model on the website, Salesforce captures this data, enabling follow-up with personalized offers based on their interest.
However, this is not enough.
Powerful as Salesforce may be, it’s not enough to streamline communication with automotive leads. This is why 23.5% of leads aren’t followed up with within the 24-hour window. 37% of them vanish before they even make it into a CRM like Salesforce.
Worse yet, dealers risk losing a whopping 37% of online leads to CRM gaps and missed follow-ups!
The solution?
Go beyond integrating Salesforce forms into your website and integrate your CRM with mission-critical marketing automation platforms like Mailchimp or Constant Contact. This way, when a lead is added to Salesforce, it will automatically trigger a follow-up campaign from your email marketing platform.
The reverse is possible too — leads generated via ESP forms automatically flow into your CRM and your sales team can contact them.
All in real-time and with zero human involvement — the machines don’t miss 24-hour windows!
Want to stop missing leads? Start integrating Salesforce with your marketing automation platforms
There was a time when a car dealership was the epicenter of all auto transactions. Some people had a favorite salesman, others shopped around for the perfect offer every time they needed a new car.
The times have changed — but not as much as you’d think.
The customers still want personalized experiences (just like the ones offline salesmen offer) BUT they also want them to be seamless and omnichannel.
63% of vehicle shoppers say they will freely give you their data if you can provide personalized online experiences. Across, industries, 80% of shoppers are more likely to buy from a company that gives them a personalized experience.
In automotive, these experiences have to happen both online and offline, from the first contact (usually with your website) to the signing of the contract.
This is where Salesforce best practices come into play. You can use the CRM to automate routine processes, such as follow-ups, appointment scheduling, and inventory management, freeing up sales teams to focus on what matters most — building relationships with customers.
Our recommendation: use Salesforce Service Cloud coupled with a powerful integration solution so you can provide these personalized experiences across online and offline channels.
For example: if someone clicks on a link in an email campaign you sent via Mailchimp, your sales agents will see that information in their dashboard instantly.
Imagine your customer’s delight when they come to the dealership and they are shown the exact model they were interested in with the exact options they wanted.
Automotive manufacturers face enormous pressure to innovate, enhance production efficiency, and meet growing customer demand for custom-built vehicles
This is why the big data analytics for automotive companies industry is on a massive growth trend.
As a manufacturer, your Salesforce dashboard is very likely to have already more data than you can use. Salesforce’s robust analytics tools provide real-time insights into production cycles, supplier management, and customer feedback, enabling manufacturers to make data-driven decisions.
Salesforce’s integration with other platforms—such as ERP systems—allows manufacturers to track vehicle production from concept to delivery, enabling greater transparency and improving lead times.
SyncApps, for example, facilitates the seamless integration of Salesforce with manufacturing-specific platforms, such as NetSuite and ERP, ensuring a complete data loop.
Learn more about the Salesforce to NetSuite integration here!
For a car dealership, customer engagement doesn’t stop when the customer drives the car off the lot. Maintaining a strong post-sale relationship is critical to securing repeat business and brand loyalty.
Did you know it’s five times cheaper to sell to an existing customer than to acquire a new one?
In automotive, this matters more than in most industries since every sale is a major revenue generator.
Salesforce Marketing Cloud enables automotive businesses to stay connected with their customers through personalized marketing campaigns, service reminders, and targeted promotions.
For example, when a customer purchases a new vehicle, Salesforce can automatically trigger a series of post-sale communications — from maintenance reminders to upgrade offers.
This is how you make sure that your new customer will perform all the maintenance operations with you.
Want to take it one step further?
Integrate your Salesforce account with Mailchimp or Constant Contact and trigger those campaigns automatically, with zero human involvement. Plus, you can also set reminders for maintenance, target customers with discounts for accessories, and more.
The after-sales service experience is one of the most critical touchpoints in the customer journey.
You stand to make more money from after-sales service than from the car sale itself. To pad your revenue even more, apply Salesforce best practices for automotive.
For instance, Salesforce Service Cloud helps automotive businesses streamline their service operations by automating workflows, tracking service requests, and providing agents with a 360-degree view of the customer’s vehicle history.
By integrating Salesforce with parts inventory systems and appointment scheduling software, you can automate the scheduling process, manage parts availability, and ensure timely service, improving the overall customer experience.
Fleet management is another area where Salesforce can drive significant improvements. Whether it’s for a car rental company, a logistics provider, or a corporate fleet, managing vehicles efficiently requires seamless communication between various departments and robust data analytics.
Salesforce can help manage fleet operations by integrating vehicle tracking data, maintenance schedules, and driver communication into one platform.
For example, you can send automated emails to your drivers to remind them to bring in the cars for maintenance.
The shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) is one of the most transformative trends in the automotive industry. In 2023, global EV sales surpassed 13 million units for the first time, signaling a shift in consumer demand.
For automakers and dealerships, this shift represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Salesforce can help companies track EV sales trends, manage customer inquiries, and coordinate the delivery of new models.
Do you know how many EVs versus regular cars your dealership sold last year? Probably. But did you know that Salesforce can help you project the number of sales you’ll make next year?
For extra accuracy, integrate Salesforce and NetSuite to understand which of these sales bring you the most profit.
Predictive maintenance is another key area where Salesforce can add value to the automotive industry. Salesforce’s AI-powered tools, such as Einstein Analytics, can analyze vehicle data to predict when a part is likely to fail, allowing dealerships and manufacturers to take proactive measures.
Einstein Discovery’s statistical modeling and AI-powered analytics are a goldmine for automakers and dealers looking for accurate sales projections. Are you using it yet?
Customer feedback is invaluable for automakers and dealerships to improve their offers and customer service.
Did you know that customers tend to be more loyal if they feel like their feedback is taken into account? Not surprising, right? After all, this is what a real partnership should look like.
Salesforce offers native survey tools that enable companies to gather feedback across multiple channels — online, in person, and via email.
These surveys can be integrated into Salesforce’s customer records, allowing teams to easily track customer satisfaction over time.
Additionally, by using SyncApps, you can ensure that survey data syncs across platforms like Mailchimp, ensuring automated follow-ups based on the feedback received.
Beyond Salesforce best practices for the automotive industry, this integration allows you to respond instantly to any feedback. For instance, let’s say a customer filled in a survey and said they were expecting faster service.
You can trigger an automated email that tells them how you tackle time-sensitive requests and how you will work to make sure things move even faster. Or why things cannot move any faster (e.g.: supply chain challenges).
As digital sales channels grow, automotive companies are increasingly selling parts, accessories, and even vehicles online.
The online car selling market was valued at over $300 billion in 2023 and it was driven largely by consumer demand for a frictionless buying experience. Salesforce Commerce Cloud provides the tools automotive businesses need to create seamless e-commerce experiences, integrating product catalogs, customer data, and payment gateways into a unified platform.
Further, SyncApps enables you to integrate Salesforce Commerce Cloud with other vital platforms such as ERP, ensuring that inventory management and sales data flow smoothly between systems.
This integration helps avoid stockouts, automate order processing, and track shipping, offering customers a more satisfying e-commerce experience.
Explore the Salesforce to NetSuite Integration here!
Automotive companies often rely heavily on B2B relationships with suppliers, logistics providers, and fleet operators. Managing these relationships efficiently requires a robust CRM platform.
When it comes to Salesforce best practices in automotive, the first thing that springs to mind is using this powerful CRM to manage relationships with customers.
However, Salesforce’s B2B capabilities are very important too. They allow you to track partner interactions, manage contracts, and forecast supply needs.
Take your B2B relationships one step further and use SyncApps to integrate your CRM, Salesforce with NetSuite to get a unified view of orders, shipments, and payments. This integration improves visibility across the supply chain, allowing automotive companies to foster stronger B2B relationships by ensuring timely deliveries and consistent communication.
Vehicle financing is a critical part of the automotive sales process, particularly for dealerships. The global car finance market is on a steady growth trend, as more and more consumers prefer not to pay in full when buying a car.
Managing these financing agreements efficiently is essential for providing a smooth customer experience. Salesforce Financial Services Cloud is specifically designed to handle complex financial workflows, from loan origination to servicing.
Sustainability is becoming a key focus for the automotive industry as consumers demand greener products and governments introduce stricter emissions regulations. Nearly half of consumers (48%) stated they would pay more for a vehicle with a lower environmental impact.
Salesforce can help automotive companies track their sustainability initiatives, from sourcing eco-friendly materials to reducing emissions across their supply chains.
Salesforce’s sustainability tools allow businesses to monitor their carbon footprint, manage renewable energy projects, and track regulatory compliance.
The automotive industry is rapidly evolving, driven by digital transformation, the shift to electric vehicles, and the development of autonomous technologies. Salesforce provides the tools automotive companies need to adapt to these changes, from customer engagement to fleet management and beyond.
By leveraging Salesforce’s CRM, Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, and AI-powered tools, automotive companies can create more connected and personalized experiences for their customers while improving operational efficiency.
Integration through SyncApps ensures that Salesforce works seamlessly with other critical platforms, enabling automotive businesses to harness the power of data across their operations.
Want to dig even deeper into Salesforce best practices for the automotive industry? Get our free report and get inspired by dozens of automotive companies that leverage Salesforce to the fullest.
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