Pinewood’s top tips when recording videos in the dealership
Whether buying a car or booking a workshop visit, consumers expect a personalised experience online and in-store. An invaluable part of this experience is video.
Videos give Technicians and Salespeople the chance to connect directly with their customers. Staff can give expert advice and build a personal connection, leading to increased sales, loyalty, and retention. By making use of the built-in video tools in Pinewood’s apps, dealers can expect to see:
More clicks and enquiries from online listings. Video ads help to stand out from competitors.
Higher conversion rates. Customers know what to expect before they set foot in-store, accelerating the purchase decision.
An increased uptake of recommended work, boosting service revenue.
More trust is built with customers, so they’re more likely to return and share their experience with friends and family.
Increased protection for the team. Service advisors can capture a quick walkaround of vehicles, noting any prior damage or issues on arrival.
To be effective, it’s important that dealers get their videos right. This involves training staff on the basics – such as speaking clearly, addressing customers personally, and taking pauses. It might sound simple, but mistakes are easily made if these guidelines aren’t followed, leaving customers struggling to make sense of the videos they are sent. With the right guidance, great video content is an easy way to boost profit. Here are Pinewood’s top tips…
Advice for Sales Teams
Motor retailers take thousands of videos daily when showcasing vehicle stock online and responding to enquiries. Mark Davis, Dealer Principal at Worthing Suzuki explains why it’s so effective –
“The sales team can do a personalised used car video with the touch of a button. It really has brought us into the 21st century with what people now expect with their online experience.”
To maximise the value of video, dealers should ensure that all team members are confident in their skills and understand how to capture great content. When briefing the sales team on how to improve response rates, managers should cover the following:
Take pride and prep the area: You wouldn’t expect to win customers over if the showroom looked a mess – this applies to videos too. Before taking out your smartphone and hitting record, the forecourt should be clean and free from distractions. Whether recording a personalised video or clips for the website, avoid capturing other team members, customers, or clutter lying around on the forecourt.
Be sure the car is looking its best: Check that the vehicle has been valeted and make sure it’s in a spacious area for the digital demo. Allow plenty of space to capture the car at every angle.
Check the spec: If the car has unique features or a customer asks for any specific requirements, highlight them as early as you can in the video. This increases the likelihood of a viewing, or better yet a purchase. It can also be an opportunity to upsell accessories.
Provide a seamless experience, on or offline: For a video to be effective, it needs to be personal and informative – like the experience a customer would expect in-store. If responding to an enquiry, the video should be sent no longer than 48 hours after it’s received. Introduce yourself and greet the customer by name, taking time to show the vehicle in full view inside and out. Mark Lambird, Managing Director at Eastbourne Motoring Centre explains the value –
“We definitely sell more cars by sending videos out, people interact and buy a lot quicker if they can physically see the car in a video. We can talk over the features and benefits. It’s been a real positive.”
Finally, check footage is good to go: Always watch the video back before publishing or sending. It’s key to check that it’s easy to hear. If it’s a windy day or passing traffic can be heard, this will affect the quality and results. Dealers using Pinewood DMS can quickly clean up videos with audio enhancement in the apps, helping to remove background noise.
Leadership teams could set monthly targets for staff to improve their video skills and ultimately improve customer satisfaction, drive sales, and boost revenue.
Tips for Service Teams
Workshops and service centres also rely on video to record the condition of customers’ cars on arrival and explain or upsell recommended work –
“Pinewood’s Tech+ app makes it very easy to communicate with the customer and shows them exactly what’s wrong with the vehicle, particularly with video VHCs. You can show them the state of their tyres or exhaust, etc. It makes it very believable and trustworthy.” – explains Davis at Worthing Suzuki.
Workshop Managers should ensure Technicians and Service Advisors are aware of the dos and don’ts for capturing effective VHC and arrival videos. This includes:
Noisy workshop? No problem: The quality of VHC videos can often suffer when loud machinery or radios are playing in the background. If the customer can’t hear you, it’s pointless recording the video in the first place. Audio enhancement in Pinewood DMS adjusts the volume levels and clarity of recordings in Tech+ for you. This makes a huge difference to response rates and saves time re-recording.
Good lighting is key: To build trust with customers, it’s important to show them the damage identified first-hand. When doing so, you should ensure the vehicle is well-lit and any damage is clear to see. Move slowly when recording the video and use a lamp to highlight key points if needed.
Speak clearly and avoid jargon: Take your time when commentating on a video VHC. When explaining recommended work, it’s key to avoid technical language. Customers will be more likely to listen and agree to amber work if your explanation is clear.
Use visual aids: Some issues are trickier to show on a video, such as worn tyres or brake pads. Use a tread depth gauge and point to any hard-to-reach areas using a laser. This provides assurance as the customer can see it for themselves.
“It adds value to the health check. They can see exactly what we’re talking about – rather than just saying ‘your near tyre is worn’, you can see the wear on the tyre, you can see the oil leak, etc. So, it saves time and is more efficient and helpful to the customer” – explains Dave Joyce, Service Advisor at Porsche Wolverhampton.Get it sent out: You can add a branded intro and outro using Pinewood’s drag-and-drop editor, giving a professional finish. Make sure that you send the VHC videos out promptly, so the customer has time to review it and respond. If videos are sent too late in the day (or worse, not at all), the customer will be less inclined to proceed – especially if they need to bring the car back another day to complete the work.
In Summary
To maximise the value of video communications, dealers need to take the time to properly train team members upfront. This ensures they are briefed on the best ways to engage customers and improve results. Video targets are a great way to incentivise team members, however, the quality of videos is equally as important to keep on top of. Once mastered, effective video content is a great way for dealers to improve the omnichannel experience and boost revenue for both sales and service.