The best Salesforce plans for auto dealers! Find the right CRM solution that fits your budget, business size, and customer needs for better sales and service
Unlike industries where a one-time transaction might be enough, auto dealerships need to focus on managing relationships that span across sales, service, and maintenance.
Car purchase is a significant investment, usually infrequent, and involves major decisions, which means customers expect personalized experiences, and ongoing support. Therefore, you must continuously strive to manage relationships, optimize your operations, and offer a personalized experience to each customer.
To achieve this, you need an effective CRM solution! In this regard, Salesforce offers a range of tools that are designed specifically for the automotive industry. There are several plans available, whereby each caters to different needs and budgets.
However, given the myriad of options, it might get rather tricky to select the right Salesforce solution for your dealership. In this guide, we walk you through the process step-by-step and help you choose the best Salesforce CRM plan that fits your dealership’s size, goals, and budget.
Let’s look at how you can find the perfect CRM solution for your automotive business.
CRM in Automotive Industry- A Vital Tool for Auto Dealers
CRM software in the automotive industry helps dealerships manage customer data, streamline workflows, and improve communication. With the right CRM, auto dealers can track interactions with customers, optimize their inventory management, handle service requests, and analyze sales trends more effectively.
Be it small dealerships striving to grow or large enterprises managing a vast network of vehicles and clients, Salesforce's Automotive Cloud offers a range of plans to help you accomplish your objectives.
Let's proceed as we walk you through the steps to find the best CRM software for your auto dealership.
Step 1: Identify Your Automotive Business Type
The first step in choosing the right Salesforce plan is to identify the type of automotive business you operate. Are you a small, independent dealership, or are you part of a larger dealership network? The size and complexity of your business will determine the type of CRM tools and features you need.
Small to Mid-Sized Dealerships- For smaller businesses, a more basic CRM system that can manage customer relationships, sales, and service records should suffice.
Enterprise-Level Dealerships- Larger dealerships with multiple locations or international operations may require a more advanced CRM with customization options and AI-powered features.
Understanding your business model will enable you to determine the appropriate Salesforce plan. For instance, if you are looking for a simple solution, you may want to lean toward the Salesforce Automotive Cloud Enterprise edition. On the other hand if you are a larger dealership you may need a solution like the Automotive Cloud Unlimited for its unlimited customization and AI-powered tools.
Step 2: Define Your CRM Requirements
Before you compare the various Salesforce plans available, it is important to assess and determine your CRM requirements.
Do you need an automotive CRM tool that focuses on sales and lead management? Or are you looking for a CRM that also integrates service management, marketing, and customer support?
Determining your needs early on ensures that you select a plan with the right mix of features that will benefit your dealership. Here are the plans that may cater to your broader requirements.
Sales and Lead Management- If your primary requirement is to get more leads, track sales activities, and manage follow-ups, the Sales Cloud would be a good fit.
Service and Support- If you are looking for a solution that integrates both sales and service management, consider the Service Cloud edition. It enables you to streamline service requests, appointment scheduling, and maintenance tracking.
Advanced Features- If you want to use AI and automation to optimize customer experiences and gather detailed insights into your operations, you might want to consider plans like Automotive Cloud Unlimited or the Einstein 1 for Service and Einstein 1 for Sales packages. These offer AI-powered tools to facilitate your service and sales departments.
Step 3: Set a Budget
The next consideration which is perhaps the most important aspect of selecting the right Salesforce plan is setting your budget.
It is important to balance your business’s needs with your available budget. While advanced plans may offer more features, you should only pay for what your business will actually use. Salesforce offers various pricing options depending on the features and level of customization you require. A comparison of the features will help you make an informed choice.
Step 4: Compare Available Editions
As mentioned earlier, Salesforce offers several editions for automotive businesses, each with varying levels of functionality. In previous sections we briefly touched upon different editions available for automotive businesses.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the top plans to help you compare features:
| Enterprise Edition | Unlimited Edition | Einstein 1 for Service and Sales Edition |
|
• Best for businesses that need a core set of CRM features.
• Offers Sales Cloud and Service Cloud capabilities. • Limited customization but plenty of useful apps for managing customer data. |
• Adds unlimited customization options, which are vital for larger dealerships.
• Provides additional tools like marketing automation and advanced reporting. • Includes the full Salesforce suite, including Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Einstein AI for more personalized customer experiences. |
• Best for automotive businesses interested in leveraging artificial intelligence to improve both sales and service processes.
• Includes AI-powered insights, predictive analytics, and more. • Full access to the Data Cloud for Automotive and Slack for team collaboration. |
When comparing Salesforce CRM software for automotive industry needs, it is important to weigh the features of each plan against your business’s requirements. If you are a small dealership, you may find the Enterprise plan sufficient. However, if you have a more elaborate setup, you may benefit from the Unlimited or Einstein-powered editions.
Step 5: Review Pricing and Features
Each Salesforce edition comes with unique pricing structures based on its features. Here is a quick comparison of the key features you can expect from each edition:
| Feature/Edition | Enterprise Edition ($325/user/month) | Unlimited Edition ($500/user/month) | Einstein 1 for Service ($700/user/month) | Einstein 1 for Sales ($700/user/month) |
| Target Dealership Size | Small to mid-sized | Growing, scaling dealerships | Service-focused dealerships | Sales-focused dealerships |
| Primary Focus | Core CRM, essential automotive tools | Advanced customization, data-driven experiences | AI-driven service optimization | AI-driven sales optimization |
| Key Features | Automotive Apps & Processes, Sales Cloud & Service Cloud, Automotive Data Foundation, 12,000 org/year + 300 user/year appointments, 3x/year innovations | All Enterprise features, Data Cloud for Automotive, 12,000 org/year + 600 user/year appointments, Fleet Management, Inventory Management, OmniStudio, Business Rules Engine & Decision Tables, Action Plans | Einstein AI, Warranty Management, Service Cloud, 12,000 org/year + 600 user/year appointments, Actionable Relationship Centre | Einstein AI, Automotive Lead Management, Captive Finance, Salesforce Scheduler, Action Plans |
| Appointment Capacity | 12,000 org/year + 300 user/year | 12,000 org/year + 600 user/year | 12,000 org/year + 600 user/year | N/A (Sales Focused) |
| Customization | Moderate | Extensive | Tailored for service | Tailored for Sales |
| AI Integration | Basic CRM Functions | Enhanced Data Cloud | Core AI (Einstein) | Core AI (Einstein) |
| Ideal For | Dealerships needing essential CRM with moderate customization | Dealerships requiring extensive customization and AI-driven features | Dealerships prioritizing AI-enhanced service operations | Dealerships prioritizing AI-enhanced sales performance |
Step 6: Make an Informed Decision
Once you have evaluated your business needs, budget, and available Salesforce plans, it is time to make an informed decision.
Make sure to review the full list of features and decide whether they cater to your business needs. If you are primarily focused on improving sales processes, the Enterprise plan might suffice. But if you need AI and more advanced capabilities, the higher-tier plans could provide better value in the long term.
Selecting the right CRM software automotive industry solution requires careful consideration of the features that will ultimately prove valuable for your dealership.
Conclusion
Selecting the best Salesforce plan for your automotive dealership is certainly not an easy feat, but with the right knowledge and understanding of your business needs, you can find the perfect fit.
It is vital to carefully assess your business type, CRM requirements, budget, and desired features to make the best decision for your business.
Whether you are looking for a simple CRM solution or an advanced, AI-powered system, Salesforce offers a range of options that cater to every type of automotive business. It is also a good idea to consider Automotive CRM reviews to get insights from other users before making your final decision!
Now that you are equipped with the requisite knowledge of Salesforce CRM pricing and features, take the next step in improving your dealership’s operations with the best CRM software for the automotive industry.
