13 Effective Car Sales Email Templates for Your Dealership

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The car market is extremely competitive, and customers can take a long time to make a decision. That’s why you need to accompany them on each stage of their user journey.

In the world of car sales, email communication has become an essential tool for reaching out to potential and current customers. However, it might be hard to navigate as there are many types of emails you can regularly send. To make your work easier, we prepared 13 car sales email templates for you to use.

So if you want your leads to race through the marketing funnel as quickly as possible, go ahead and use some of our templates!

General tips on writing great car sales emails

Emails from automotive companies have some of the highest average open rates — almost 34% and average click-through rates of 2.54%. To get the advantage of these rates, you need to follow industry best practices. So before we dive into the templates, let’s start from the basics. Here are some key tips to write a good car sales email.

Personalize

Customers are more likely to engage with a message that feels tailored to their specific needs and preferences. In fact, they shop 3 times more from companies that do personalization well. Start with a personalized greeting, and try to use the customer’s name whenever possible.

Learn more about the person you are addressing, make them feel special — there are a lot of cars around, but you have just the one for them. You can use the customer’s name, segment customers based on the preferred car brand, send them deals on specific models they are interested in, use their past buying experience, etc.

This email directly addresses the customer’s recent dealership visit:

An example of a car test-drive review email. Source: Really Good Emails

Want to see more email personalization examples? Go ahead and check our article!

Focus on the benefits

Remember we started with how competitive the automotive industry is? Customers are looking for solutions to their problems. Focus on the benefits of your product or service, and show how you can solve the customer’s problem. When promoting a new car model, for example, don’t simply state the horse powers or engine improvements. Instead, tell customers how they would be able to speed faster on the highway, use less fuel day-to-day, etc. In short, describe how useful the vehicle would be in different life scenarios.

This email clearly shows the car model’s advantages for customers:

Сar email with benefits. Source: Pinterest

Add a clear call-to-action

A clear and compelling call-to-action is essential to the success of any car sales email. Be sure to clearly state what you want the recipient to do, and make it easy for them to take action.

Here, a call-to-action on the banner image instantly grabs the attention:

A car email with an instant call-to-action. Source: Really Good Emails

Write eye-catching subject lines

The subject line is the first thing the recipient sees, and it determines whether they open the email or not. Use a catchy subject line that entices the reader to open your email.

✅ Good subject line: Our Great Deals 🤝 Your next ride

📛 Bad subject line: Buy the car now!!!

Make your emails mobile-friendly

According to a study, 42.4% of people read their email on mobile, so it’s important that your emails are optimized for mobile viewing. All email templates in Selzy’s email builder are already optimized for mobile, so you don’t even need to design anything separately. In addition, keep your emails short and to the point, and make sure they load quickly.

A mobile-friendly car email. Source: MailCharts

Automate the process

Remember your “Thank you for registration” emails? That’s the most simple form of automation.

In a more broad sense, email automation is an email or chain of emails that are triggered by some user action. You set them up once and then a system does everything for you. You can use automation to send emails after customers visited your website, when they failed to schedule a test drive, etc.

Selzy provides great automation features — just set the scenario in a simple editor and make your emails work automatically.

Automation features in the Selzy email marketing tool

Consider other aspects

If you work in a franchise business, you can make email marketing a part of your strategy as well. Note that the approach might be different, so it’s better to deep dive into our article on franchise email marketing.

Another important point to keep in mind is product positioning. You could deal with cars of a lot of different classes (luxury, SUVs, compact, electrocars, etc,) that may require different marketing approaches. For instance, luxury products are often associated with certain personality traits. People who look to purchase high-end cars may want to show their authority, power, and achievements. You can play this up in your promotional materials. On the other end, mass-market car promotions could be playful and even provocative in their tone of voice.

Car sales email templates you will find useful

Here are some useful car sales email templates that you can use to engage with potential and current customers.

Introduction email template

When dealing with potential leads, things could look very cold at the start. So it’s definitely a good idea to start with an introductory email to warm things up.

Subject line: Introduction from Kyle at [Car dealership name]

Hi [First name],

My name is Kyle, and I’m the Sales Manager at [Car dealership name]. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and let you know that I’m here to help with any questions you may have about our inventory or the car-buying process.

If you’re in the market for a new car, I’d love to schedule a time for you to come in and take a look at our selection. We have a wide range of cars to choose from, and I’m confident that we can find something that fits your needs and budget.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if you’d like to schedule a visit.

You can pick a convenient time and book a visit via email or phone: [phone number]

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Best regards,

Kyle

[phone number]

Car sales email template responding to leads

If someone has already shown an interest in a particular car model (by sending a request, for example), map a few possible options in an email response.

Subject line: Thank you for your interest in [Car model]

Hi [First name],

Thank you for your interest in the [Car model] at [Car dealership name]. We have received your inquiry, and I wanted to follow up with you to see if you have any questions or if you’d like to schedule a test drive.

Our dealership prides itself on offering top-notch customer service, and we’re committed to helping you find the perfect car for your needs.

Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you’d like to schedule a visit. I’d be happy to help!

Best regards,

Jenna

Click follow-up template

This is usually a starting point of a user journey — a good place to make a customer comfortable before the next steps.

Subject: Liked [Car model name]?

Dear [Customer name],

Thank you for considering [Dealership name] for your car needs. We noticed that you recently visited our website and clicked on [Vehicle name]. We want to make sure that all of your questions are answered and that you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to schedule a test drive for you and help you find the perfect vehicle!

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

Trade-in email template for car sales

Send this email in response to a trade-in request. This is perfect when you have info on the current car model of your recipient — you can additionally throw in the relevant model just for them. If not, it also works well.

Subject: Time to level up!

Dear [Customer name],

At [Dealership name], we understand that getting a great trade-in value is just as important as finding the perfect vehicle. We’re committed to making the trade-in process easy and hassle-free for you.

We’d love to give you an estimate of your vehicle’s trade-in value. Just bring it to our dealership, and we’ll take care of the rest. Our expert appraisers will ensure that you get a fair price for your trade-in.

Thank you for considering us for your car needs.

Go ahead and upgrade! And we look forward to helping you on this journey.

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

Thanks for stopping by email template

You had your first touch during the personal meeting — that’s a great start! Time to follow up and build on this.

Subject: Thanks for stopping by

Dear [Customer name],

Thank you for taking the time to visit our dealership. We appreciated the opportunity to show you our inventory and answer any questions you might have had.

We hope that you found our dealership staff welcoming and informative. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to schedule a test drive for you and help you find the perfect vehicle!

Use this link to sign up for your test drive: [link]!

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

[Phone number]

Car salesman email templates for appointment confirmation

Test drive could be a great opportunity to make a perfect first impression — make sure your client feels like they are welcome and anticipated.

Subject: See you really soon 👋

Dear [Customer name],

Thank you for scheduling a test drive with [Dealership name]. We look forward to meeting you and helping you make a perfect choice.

Just a quick reminder, your appointment is scheduled for [Date] at [time]. Please let us know if you need to reschedule or have any questions before your appointment.

Thank you for choosing [Dealership name] for your car needs. We’ll see you soon!

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

After-sale follow-up email

Yay! You made this sale! This purchase could be the start of a beautiful relationship — so don’t forget it and keep in touch. Who knows, maybe there is another sale right around the corner.

Subject: Enjoying your new ride on [Car model name]

Dear [Customer name],

We hope you’re enjoying your new vehicle from [Dealership name]. We just wanted to follow up and see how everything is going.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re committed to providing you with top-notch customer service even after the sale.

Thank you for choosing [Dealership name]. We look forward to serving you in the future!

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

Car dealer email template requesting a review

Review is a great source of feedback, and it is a good idea to ask the person how they feel about their car or your service in general.

Subject: Thank you for your honest feedback

Dear [Customer name],

Thank you for choosing [Dealership name] for your car needs! We hope that you had a positive experience with us. If you have a moment, we’d love to hear about your experience.

Would you be willing to leave us a review on [Review site]? Your feedback helps us improve our services and helps other potential customers make informed decisions.

Thank you again for your trust.

You can leave your review here: [link]. This would mean the world to us!

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

Service reminder car dealership email templates

Long time, no see… This scenario is familiar to anyone who deals with a lot of emails. Chances are your recipient could skip or forget the check-up — and this does not necessarily mean that they are not interested! Send a reminder to motivate your customers to stop by.

Subject: Time to do some service ⚒️

Dear [Customer name],

It’s been [number of months] since your last service appointment at [Dealership name]. We wanted to remind you that regular maintenance is critical to keeping your vehicle running smoothly.

We’d love to schedule a service appointment for you at your convenience! Our expert technicians will ensure that your vehicle is in top condition and ready for the road ahead.

Thank you for choosing [Dealership name]. We look forward to serving you soon.

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

Newsletter subscription template

Newsletters are a great way to keep people informed. New offers could be a deal-breaker for your potential customers.

Subject: Here comes the news

Dear [Customer name],

At [Dealership name], we’re committed to providing you with the latest news and updates in the world of cars. We’d love to keep you informed with our monthly newsletter: model line updates, new services, and individual offers await.

If you’d like to subscribe, simply click on the link below and enter your email address. You’ll receive our newsletter straight to your inbox every month!

Use this link to subscribe: [link]. We look forward to keeping you informed!

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

Car sales email asking for referrals

Your existing customers could be a valuable source for some new leads — and they could benefit from it too!

Subject: Let’s make more people happy!

Dear [Customer name],

We hope you’re enjoying your new vehicle from [Dealership name]. If you know anyone who’s in the market for a new or used car, we’d love to help them out!

Would you be willing to refer us to your friends and family? We promise to provide them with the same top-notch service that you received.

All you need to do to recommend the service is to share the referral link [link]. If someone books an appointment via the referral link, you will receive a discount for your next service.

Thank you for choosing [Dealership name]. We look forward to serving you and your loved ones in the future.

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

Lease expiry reminder

In the lease scenario, you need to maintain contact with your clients and gently push them toward an action after the lease time passes. Make it a good experience for your customers with considerate emails.

Subject: Time to decide on the next steps for your lease

Dear [Customer name],

We hope you’ve enjoyed your leased vehicle from [Dealership name] over the past [number of months or years]. As your lease agreement comes to an end, we wanted to remind you that we’re here to assist you in your next steps.

If you’re considering leasing another vehicle, we would be happy to show you our latest inventory. Alternatively, if you’re interested in purchasing your current vehicle, we can guide you through the process.

Please let us know which way you want this to proceed — we are happy to assist you with any of these options. We appreciate you and look forward to continuing our partnership. You can reply to this email or call us any time: [phone number]

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

A yearly check-in email template

Time passes — but it is still a good idea to check in and have some feedback. So go ahead and reach out to your customers.

Subject: Is everything good, [Customer name]?

Dear [Customer name],

It’s been [number of months or years] since you purchased your vehicle from [Dealership name]. We wanted to check in and see how everything is going.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re committed to providing you with top-notch customer service even after the sale.

We also wanted to remind you of our service department, where we offer regular maintenance, repairs, and upgrades to your vehicle. We encourage you to schedule an appointment with us to ensure that your vehicle remains in optimal condition.

Learn more about our service programs here: [link] or contact us by replying to this email or via phone: [phone number]

Thank you for choosing [Dealership name]. We appreciate working with you and look forward to serving you in the future.

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Dealership name]

[Phone number]

Final thoughts

Email marketing is a powerful tool that can help car dealerships connect with their target audience. Plus, it can complement your automotive direct mail strategy. By using well-crafted email templates, dealerships can stay top-of-mind and encourage their customers to take action. It’s important to remember to personalize each email, provide clear value, and include a call-to-action. Remember to follow these key outtakes:

Personalize.
Focus on the benefits.
Add a clear call to action.
Write an eye-catching subject line.
Make your emails mobile-friendly.
Automate the process.

Use the above car email templates, customize them, and build stronger relationships with your customers and stand out from the competition.

Let’s drive!

15 May, 2023

#automotive #industry tips #sales #templates

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Nikita Nilov

Nikita is a marketer by calling, exploring the world of digital marketing with experience in agencies, corporations and media platforms with a journalist background. Nikita is experienced in multiple industries and markets: from automotive to telecom and from government to FMCG, and from Eastern Europe to Middle East. Outside of work, Nikita’s interest lies in music, cycling and learning languages.

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