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Phone skills
Getting the most out of a Business Development Center PDF Print E-mail

Business Development Center
The cost involved in having a business development center is significant! I’m sure most dealers start to ask themselves the question “Would I have this business without the expense” If all your business development center is doing is answering the phones while your salesmen read the newspaper and surf the web then yes, you probably would!

 

Here are 5 things your BDC should be doing that will make them invaluable:

 

 

Provide accountability
Tracking numbers and statistics is a vital role of a BDC. They should be able to tell you the advertising source of every sale. How many total ups were on the lot, how many each of your salesmen talked to, how many they sold. Total phone calls, total internet leads, how many each rep talked to, appointments set, appointments showed etc. A quality CRM will provide most of the data but the BDC is the gate keepers. They should be guarding the sanctity and accuracy of all the data.

 

Provide sold and unsold customer feedback
Getting the feedback as to why customers did or didn’t buy is crucial and valuable information. It can help to identify problems in your processes and staff. 


Create a consistent message, provide extensive follow up, and collect accurate information.
Your reps should all have a standardized pitch. Not to the point that it is robotic but there should be a specific set of points to touch on. There should be solid follow up structure in place and include multiple points of contact I.E. phone, email, letter, text message etc. The data collected should be as detailed as possible including at least two numbers, address and most importantly email.

 

Maximize opportunity
Your BDC should be squeezing every last drop of potential out of the business you have already cultivated. That includes, consistently calling paid off and positive equity customers, prospecting for referrals, revisiting older leads that never showed, and calling unsold to try and “save-a-deal”. 

 

Develop Business!
So often in a dealer BDC this is the area that is overlooked! Your BDC should never be sitting around waiting for you to make the phone ring. It is the job of the BDC to brainstorm and see through new ideas that draw in customers. If your Business development manager is not coming to you often with fresh “hey we should do this?” ideas, it might be time to let them know your expectations! 

 

 

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To sum up phone success in one word PDF Print E-mail

Understanding the customer

If I had to sum up the root of my success on the phone with customers in one word it would be empathy. Not to be confused with sympathy feeling bad for the customer, I’m talking about empathy; feeling with the customer and understanding their plight. 90% of us have all been in a difficult financial situation at one point or another in our lives. We have all purchased a car from a dealership and know how frustrating that can be as well. You put the two together and it’s really not a good time! Especially to the customer that has been to several dealerships already and sat there all day just to get turned down.

 

You can typically tell the most frustrated customers right away on the phone. They are very short almost to the point of being rude to you. They have their guard up from hello and are surely not interested in hearing your pitch. A dead give away is their first question is something obscure like “Do you accept people who are behind on their mortgage?” These are my favorite customers, not only do you get a chance here to help someone who has been kicked around, but you also get a chance to affect their day and possible whole view on car shopping.

 

The trick? Keep your cool and kill them with kindness and empathy! Let them know you have been buying cars far longer then you have been working for a dealership.  Make it clear you understand how frustrating car shopping can be. Ask them if they have been shopping around, most times that will get them spilling their guts to you about the horrible experience they had at 5 other dealerships. Once you’ve isolated the objection, play the hero! Explain to them how your dealership is different and how you can help them. Be as honest and upfront as possible with your limitations and what they can expect. If they are frustrated because they can’t find a 3rd row seat SUV for $150 a month, nicely let them know what they are looking for isn’t realistic. They will appreciate the honesty and you will earn some trust. Once they know you’re on their side, make a point to make them laugh!

 

 

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Taking control at hello PDF Print E-mail

Customer on phoneI struggled for a long time on the phone with price and mileage objections, until I finally figured it out. One slight change in the pitch eliminated 95% of my issues with overcoming those objections. The solution was so simple, don’t let them ask!

 

 

Typically when a customer calls you, the first thing they say is “Hello, I am calling about so and so vehicle…” or “I saw your ad for so and so vehicle ….” Pause “…what is the price / mileage on that?” 99% of people make that slight pause before carrying on to the second half of their question, that’s your que! “Oh that is a great vehicle we have been getting a ton of calls on it. Were you looking to do our buy here pay here program to rebuild your credit (or “is credit an issue with you” if your dealership doesn’t report)?”. By interjecting the moment they make that pause you take them right off their train of thought and back to what matters the fact that you can help them with their credit situation.

 

 

80% of people will answer you and give you that control, 10% will say no I just want to pay cash, and the remaining 10% will say I just want to know the price.

 

 

 

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