There are a lot of local options for lunch, but I only go to the sandwich shop with the longest lines.

If you know me at all, this makes no sense. I’m the kinda guy who hates waiting! So why do I keep choosing this particular shop?

Because it’s the only one that offers a free mobile app that lets me pre-order my lunch. That’s what I demand from all kinds of service providers; I want all the important stuff available at my fingertips. This shop’s simple technology upgrade earned my loyal business — even while sandwiched (sorry) between other shops that are otherwise just as good.

Mobile is the main event these days, and it’s no different in the automotive industry. Mobile is where we’re seeing the strongest lead-gen numbers (yes, stronger in fact than traditional methods), which means it’s no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity.

Mobile is a necessity for your buyer base, too — their usage of multiple devices to shop for cars has increased 39 percent in just one year (according to the AutoTrader.com 2014 Automotive Buyer Influence Study, in partnership with IHS Automotive). And on top of that, your own team at the dealership is just as addicted. What’s the big draw? It’s not just the fun games and Facebook access. It’s that mobile devices save people time. Your shoppers, your service team and your sales force are gaining back time in their day because of what they can do in a few taps.

The world has moved on to a mobile lifestyle. And you have to move with it — no objections, questions or excuses. Today I ask you to pick up your phone and start winning with it. Getting more leads. Making stronger connections. And keeping more customers coming back. I’m going to show you how to do it (and how NOT to do it), whether you’re just starting your mobile strategy or want to sharpen your skills.

Do Text Your Way to Success

When I’m not ordering sandwiches on my phone, I’m dropping one of our family cars off for service, and I simply won’t go to a dealership that doesn’t get how text-dependent I am. When I’m ready to leave the house to drop off a vehicle, I text my car guy that I’m on my way. By the time I get there, someone’s waiting for me and they have my record pulled up.

That simple text makes my life easier and their business more efficient. No one’s waiting around, and everyone knows what they need to know. Then, when they’re wrapping up their work, I get a text in return: “Sean: Your car will be done in 10 minutes; 20 if you want a car wash. Let us know what you have time for!” Done.

If you think texting doesn’t take customer connections to the next level, you couldn’t be more wrong. Ever hear the term “voicemail hell”? It’s where most people end up when they’re busy and have a lot of connections to maintain — which is almost everyone. A text cuts through the noise, period. It takes less time and tapping to read a text than to listen to a voicemail. It’s simply more suited for more people’s lifestyles. And what better way is there to connect with customers than to consider their personal preferences?

Bottom line: Get texting, or they’ll get busy finding a new dealership.

Do Treat It Like a Desk Phone

This is big. Any functioning dealership has call tracking; it’s an age-old practice. In the age of mobile phones, we shouldn’t stop tracking correspondence unless we want to start losing customers.

So how do you apply a basic principle to new technology? Through a CRM that’s built with modern customers in mind. This critical tool was probably one of your biggest investments, and hopefully it’s central to your overall business. Make sure it’s equipped to log all mobile conversations between staff and customers.

Don’t Divide and Conquer

You want your team to call and text customers from their own phones without calling and texting from their own phone numbers. After all, sad as it is, sometimes people move on to work for other dealerships — and you don’t want your customers to move on with them. So log those conversations and keep them in-house.

Do Know the Rules

The rules and regs have evolved just as fast as mobile technology has, so make sure you’re using a call-tracking app that helps keep you compliant. You don’t want issues with opt-ins to drag you down (or worse, get you in serious trouble), so play by the rules if you want to win.

Don’t Try to Sell via Cell

I’m pushing mobile hard, I know, but it’s important to make clear that there’s a difference between lead gen and lead nurturing (where mobile is booming) and closing (where you do want to stick to face-to-face contact). The job of the dealer-to-shopper text is to keep the ties alive, to show them you’re accessible and to make their lives easier through every step of the sales and service cycle. It’s not the platform for negotiation, and it’s not where and how you should be closing.

So in closing, your most important means of communication is mobile. It’s how you catch new leads, keep long-term customers coming back and communicate in everyone’s most-preferred method. Do it right and don’t miss the major opportunity to text your way to better relationships with shoppers and customers.

Sean Stapleton is VP of sales and marketing for VinSolutions.