Car-Talkers Help Ford Dealer Move Cars Off the Lot

Many car buyers either don't have time to shop for a new car during regular work hours or they're uncomfortable dealing with car salespeople. Jerome-Duncan Ford in Sterling Heights, Mich., has found a solution for these shoppers: customized interactive displays that play audio messages about a vehicle and allow the listener to record a message with questions and contact information for a salesperson.The dealership is using 10 Car-Talkers, weatherproof, compact audio devices from DirectCast Network LLC, Midland, Mich., as part of a larger merchandising campaign that began last November. Each CarTalker attaches to the window of a car and plays up to two minutes of sales information about the vehicle. Two buttons on the box allow the message to be played in English or in Spanish, while a third allows the listener to record a question and provide contact information."We're located near several three-shift car plants, and Sunday traffic is phenomenal," says Tony Grimaldi, sales manager at the dealership. "There are a lot of customers who don't want to talk with a salesperson right off and this lets them get the information without seeing someone. And it makes more impact than a TV ad can. It really sinks in when the customer hears about a rebate we're offering while they're looking at the exact car they're interested in buying."The customers' messages are downloaded from the unit using a LeadManager, a handheld digital assistant that plugs into the CarTalker. The LeadManager also records the number of times a message was activated and the location of the unit, which can help the dealership position cars on the lot.Grimaldi estimates that each of the 10 units receives three to four inquiries per night, amounting to between 900 and 1,200 leads per month.The portability of the units and the flexibility to change the messages are also key benefits, Grimaldi says. "We change the cars we use them with frequently," he explains. For instance, last winter he used them on snowplow trucks during a special sale. He also used them on groups of cars to create a mini-showroom in a high-visibility area on the lot.The devices are part of a turnkey merchandising system offered by DirectCast. Each set of five CarTalkers comes with one LeadManager device plus a supporting P-O-P package that touts the dealership's "Talking Cars." It includes a large curbside sign, seven pennants, 10 plastic windshield signs, 10 plastic "How to Use" stickers to apply to car windows beside the CarTalker, five pocket brochures and a dealer manual. The program also includes 90 days of training and support, plus studio time to create five customized dealer messages.Sales messages are updated weekly by the DirectCast representative, who creates scripts based on the key points Grimaldi provides. The messages are then recorded on the spot using the representative's computer, which includes options for incorporating the dealer's theme music or other effects.This basic package costs $2,699, with larger programs available. The most popular option includes 20 devices, according to Rick Proskow, vice president of marketing and sales for DirectCast. The devices are currently being used in six other Detroit-area dealerships, with plans underway to offer the device nationally.The system meets a key need for dealerships, Proskow says, because a recent Northwood University study indicated that 91% of consumers visit car dealerships after hours while 30% are uncomfortable dealing with salespeople. "There's a market in the dealers' own backyard that they've never been able to tap," he says.

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