Selling a car is a challenge, especially because vehicles often come with high price tags. This means the buying process is often lengthier and requires more touchpoints.
That’s where text messaging for car dealerships comes into play. It can help your business differentiate itself in a saturated market, build relationships, and ultimately boost sales.
In this article, we’ll share 35 car sales text message templates and show you how SMS can speed up the car-buying process.
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<h2 id="Why">Why use SMS for car sales?</h2>
A car can be a significant investment, which makes the buying process longer. Buyers spend time researching, test driving, and visiting dealerships to ensure they buy the best vehicle for their needs.
Texting can be useful for car dealerships because it helps them:
- Stay in touch with potential buyers. Texting helps dealerships build relationships with customers throughout the buying process. They can check in with leads about their needs, new deals, and more via text. Plus, texts have a 45 percent response rate, making it an effective two-way channel for dealerships.
- Reply to inquiries quickly. Texting allows car salespeople to reply to inbound inquiries quickly. Research shows that a fast reply to an initial inquiry can help close deals. For example, up to 50 percent of leads go with the business that contacted them first.
- Streamline scheduling and cut no-shows. From scheduling test drives to final meetings, there’s a lot of coordination necessary in the car sales process. SMS helps streamline scheduling because of its speed and direct access to leads’ mobile phones. With SMS, you can quickly send appointment reminders and schedule meetings.
- Drive action. Texting can be used to nurture leads throughout the sales process. Dealerships can use a mix of photos, videos, and links to drive action or further conversations with potential buyers. SMS links have eight times higher click-through rates than email.
<h2 id="Templates">35 car sales text message templates</h2>
There are many texting use cases throughout the car sales cycle. Here are 35 car sales text message examples to help your business enhance customer experience and boost car sales.
Pre-sale text message templates
Texting helps dealerships keep leads warm and greatly improves communication with them. Whether your dealership is quickly following up with website leads, promoting a new vehicle, or scheduling test drives, texting pre-sale can help keep the conversation flowing. Here are some pre-sale SMS templates that work.
1. Follow up with an online lead
Hey [name], it’s [sales representative] from [dealership]. I saw you’re looking for a new vehicle. Would you be free for a quick call to discuss your needs further?
2. Follow up after a phone call
Thanks for the call, [name]! You can text me here if you have any additional questions or need assistance with anything!
3. Follow up after an in-store visit
It was nice meeting you today, [name]! You can text me here when you want to come look at the [car model]. Remember to ask for [sales representative].
4. Follow up with a referral
Hi [name]. I’m [sales representative] from [dealership] and [referrer name] told me you were looking to buy a car. What are you specifically looking for?
5. Replying to an inquiry about available inventory
Hi [name], Thanks for inquiring about [dealership’s] available cars! Would you be free for a quick call to discuss what you’re looking for?
6. Replying to an inquiry about pricing
Hi [name]. Thanks for inquiring about the price of [car model]. Are you free for a quick call?
7. Replying to an inquiry about a car’s features
Hi [name]. Thanks for inquiring about the [car model]’s features. Are you free for a quick call?
8. Share a photo of a car with a potential buyer
Hey [name]! Here’s a photo of the [car model] you’re interested in. Let me know if you need more information. Thanks!
9. Send an SMS link to a potential buyer
Hey [name]! Here’s a link where you can find more information about [car model]. Let me know if you have any questions!
10. Schedule a test drive
Hi [name]. This is [sales representative] from [dealership]. Thanks for your interest in [car model]. Are you available on [date] for a test drive? Let me know what time works best for you.
11. Test drive confirmation text
Hi [name]. You’re scheduled for a test drive today at [time]. To confirm, reply C.
12. Test drive reminder text
Hi [name]! This is a reminder that your test drive of [vehicle name] is at [time] today at our [dealership]. Let me know if you need to reschedule.
13. Promote a new car
Hi [name]. The wait is over! The new [car model] is here. Can I get you scheduled for a test drive this week?
14. Promote a new inventory of cars
Hi [name]. [Dealership] just received a huge influx of new cars, including a few models I think you’d like. Would you like to learn more?
15. Ask if a customer is interested in a different choice
Hi [name]. This is [sales representative] from [dealership]. I know you were looking for [specific car model]. Would you be interested in a different [choice]?
16. Promote a car sales event
Hi [name]. [Dealership] would like to invite you to our [event name] on [date] for [list of offers].
17. Promote a seasonal sale
Hi [name]! Join us at [dealership] for our [seasonal] sales event to score cars at the best price. Stop by between [date] and [date] to find your new car.
18. Promote a holiday sale
Hi [name]! Join us at [Dealership] for our [seasonal] sales event where we offer some of our best deals.
19. Promote a lease offer
For a limited time, [dealership] is offering the [car model] for just [X amount] per month. Ready to drive in style?
20. Trade-in offer
Hi [name]! I have an updated quote for your trade-in. Do you have a few minutes for a phone call to walk through that information?
21. Helpful insurance reminder
Hi [name]! This is a reminder to bring proof of insurance when you come pick up your car today. I look forward to serving you.
22. Pointing customers to an auto loan bank
Hi [name]. This is [salesperson] from [dealership]. I know you’re looking for an auto loan. Here are a few local banks: [link]
23. Auto loan status updates
Hi [name]. It looks like [bank] approved your auto loan! Let me know if you have any questions.
24. Helpful closing reminder
Hi [name]. This is a reminder that we will meet at [time] today to finalize your purchase! See you then!
Post-sale templates
To improve customers' overall car-buying experience, you’ll want to keep in touch after they pay. You can use text messaging to request reviews, share important updates, and promote maintenance services. Here are several post-sale SMS templates for car dealerships.
25. Share a PDF
Hi [customer name]. I’ve attached a PDF of [document] for your records. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks!
26. Check-in with a customer post-purchase
Hi [name]! We hope you love your new [car model]. How is everything going so far?
27. Ask a customer for a review
Thank you for trusting [dealership] to help you purchase your new car. We appreciate any feedback you may have. You can leave a review here: [link]
28. Ask customers to take a survey
Hi [name]. This is [sales representative] from [dealership]. Would you be willing to take a 2-question survey about your car-buying experience?
29. Remind customers their lease is ending
Hi [name]. The lease for your [car model] ends on [date]. Please call us or visit [dealership] to discuss your options for renewal, trade-in, or purchase.
30. Let a customer know their warranty is expiring
Hi [name]. This is [salesperson name] from [dealership]. This is just a reminder that your car’s warranty is expiring soon.
31. Promote a trade-in offer
Hi [name]. We’re offering a special offer for trade-ins from [date] until [date]. Text us to schedule an appointment or drop by your local [dealership]. We hope to see you soon!
32. Remind customers about mechanical services
[Name], your [car model] is due for [service]. Please call us to schedule a service or visit your local [dealership].
33. Remind customers to get an oil change
Hi [name]! When was your last oil change? You can call [dealership] to schedule a service or visit your local [business name].
34. Confirm costs with a customer before continuing a service
Hi [name]. It looks like your [item] is going to cost you [total]. Does that price work for you?
35. Request referrals
Hi [name]. If you have a friend or family member looking for a new car, send them my way! You’ll even receive a referral bonus 👀
<h2 id="Tips">7 car sales text messaging tips</h2>
To get the most out of your car sales SMS strategy, keep these tips in mind.
- Get text opt-ins. Cold texting leads or customers is illegal. To comply with key SMS regulations, you must get consent to text your contacts. You can gain SMS opt-ins in several ways, including verbally, online in lead capture forms, or via email.
- Keep it simple. Texting is built for short back-and-forth messages. To ensure your message is read and understood, keep it concise and stick to sharing the most important details.
- Personalize. The best sales text messages are personalized. One of the easiest ways to personalize texts is to include a contact’s first name. Ultimately, you want to ensure the content contained in your text messages is relevant to your customer.
- Get the timing right. The timing of your text messages matters in sales. The best time will differ based on several factors, including the contents of your text, customer preferences, and where a lead is in the buyer journey.
- Ensure you follow up. In sales, follow-up communication is crucial to moving leads along the buyer journey. You want to use that same follow-up strategy in text outreach. Here are some great follow-up text message examples.
- Reply quickly. Texting is a tool built for quick back-and-forth conversations. As a result, you want to reply to your leads quickly, even if that means setting up an automation letting them know you’ll reply soon.
- Integrate SMS with your sales tools. One of the best ways to ensure an up-to-date communication record is to integrate texting with your sales tools. For example, you could integrate SMS with your CRM, like HubSpot or Salesforce, to ensure you log communication with each contact.
Use Textline to close car sales efficiently
Whether you’re contacting a customer for the first time or just following up, business SMS can help your car dealership boost sales, modernize communication, and outperform competitors.
If you’re looking for an easy way to manage car sales text outreach, choose Textline. Textline is a top-rated SMS platform that’s built for two-way conversations with leads. You can easily manage all texts from your computer in one centralized inbox. Make texting a standout channel for your dealership with Textline.
Try the Textline platform free for 14 days. Sign up today.
