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Automotive Sales & Service BDC Course​ - B02

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  1. LESSON 1: AUTOMOTIVE SALES & SERVICE BDC - BDM COURSE INTRODUCTION

    Automotive Sales & Service BDC - BDM Course Introduction
  2. LESSON 2: ESSENTIAL BDC AND BDM STEPS TO TAKE PROPER CARE OF AUTOMOTIVE SALES LEADS
    Essential BDC and BDM Steps To Take Proper Care Of Automotive Sales Leads
    7 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  3. LESSON 3 BDC: EVERYTHING A BDC REPRESENTATIVE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE REPAIR ORDERS
    Everything A BDC Representative Needs To Know About Automotive Service Repair Orders
    7 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  4. LESSON 4: FEATURES, BENEFITS, AND SELLING POINTS OF EACH SERVICE MAINTENANCE ITEM FOR BDC REPRESENTATIVES
    Features, Benefits, And Selling Points Of Each Service Maintenance Item For BDC Representatives
    8 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  5. LESSON 5: BREAKING DOWN FACTORY WARRANTY FOR BDC REPRESENTATIVES
    Breaking Down The New Car Factory Warranty For BDC Representatives
    10 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  6. LESSON 6: UNDERSTANDING AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE CUSTOMER AND PERSONALIZING THE SALES EXPERIENCE BDC REPRESENTATIVES
    Understanding Automotive Service Customer And Personalizing The Sales Experience BDC Representatives
    2 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  7. LESSON 7: GROWING A BDC REPRESENTATIVES SOFT SKILLS AND SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS
    Growing A BDC Representatives Soft Skills And Scheduling Appointments
    7 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  8. LESSON 8: HOW TO TACKLE CHALLENGES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY AS AN AUTOMOTIVE BDC OR BDM
    How To Tackle Challenges In The Automotive Industry As An Automotive BDC Or BDM
    4 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  9. LESSON 9: MEASURING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT KPI'S & FORECASTING AS AN AUTOMOTIVE BDM
    Measuring Business Development KPI's & Forecasting Metrics As A Automotive BDM
    2 Topics
  10. LESSON 10: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SCRIPTS & TEMPLATES FOR AUTOMOTIVE BDC REPRESENTATIVES
    Business Development Scripts & Templates For Automotive BDC Representatives
    16 Topics
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Taking Care Of Inbound Sales Leads

The internet has become a regular part of a customer’s purchasing experience. More people start their relationships with dealers online with a vehicle quote or availability request before walking into the showroom. Automotive dealers are constantly striving to keep up with internet shoppers. This is where BDC representatives step in to fill that gap.

Shoppers originating from the internet are frequently funneled to the Business Development Center (BDC). In theory, the BDC department has two fundamental goals within a dealership: In the sales department, the goal is to connect people to cars, and for service, the focus is to schedule appointments for repairs.

In this lesson, we will focus on how to take care of sales leads.

 

Inbound Leads Versus Outbound Leads

First, what is the difference between inbound and outbound leads? The term “Inbound lead” refers to someone making an inquiry of their own accord, whether it’s from the dealership’s website or pay-per-click marketing. They most likely contacted multiple dealers, so a BDC representative needs to respond to their questions quickly.

In comparison, a person who is already a customer at the dealership is viewed as an “Outbound lead” because it’s the dealership that will regularly reach out to the consumer to ensure customer satisfaction remains high for the duration of their vehicle ownership. Contacting them is just as important, but not as time-sensitive as inbound leads.

The usual sources of inbound leads are the internet, phone-in, showroom visits, and service customers. However, internet leads make up the largest percentage of inbound leads, and they can originate from various sources.

Here are further examples of inbound and outbound sales leads.

Inbound lead sources:

  • Phone-in
  • Showroom traffic (walk-ins)
  • Dealership website
  • Social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
  • Third-party classified media (i.e., AutoTrader, CarGurus, Autolist)
  • Third-party websites (i.e., automotive review sites)
  • Third-party portals
  • Manufacturer site
  • Automotive forums
  • Pay-per-click advertisement
  • Service department customers

 

Outbound Sales Leads:

  • Sold vehicle follow-up
  • Unsold vehicle follow-up
  • Lease renewals
  • High mileage service customers
  • Lost customers

 

Knowing where the inbound sales lead originated can also tell you if the customer requested information from multiple dealers. When a lead sends email requests to multiple dealers, you need to act quickly to be the first response the customer receives and beat out the other stores. You can request more information to help fine-tune the vehicle they are looking for and send links with images of a couple of cars in your inventory that matches the lead’s request along with the car’s details and include the low-end and high-end payment options as teasers. The idea is to respond quickly and get the customer to start a conversation with you.

Knowing where an inbound lead originated from is essential because some dealers may use a unique script for quality reasons or use higher-costing sources to target during marketing campaigns. But don’t worry; most software systems are intelligent enough to tell you where the inbound sales lead originated.

 

New Inbound Lead Response Time

As mentioned earlier, inbound response time counts with today’s customers. The correct answer is to respond within 5-minutes or less to increase your chance to connect with the lead.

A 5-minute response rate means your chance to connect is 20% on average and can have a closing rate of around 15%. Lead response rates drop to approximately 12% connection and 6% close after 20-minutes. However, always aim to include value before responding to customers to see better results from sales leads.

Now you understand the urgency to response times, regardless of the source of the lead (email, text, or phone), the goal is to contact leads within or less than 5-minutes.

Faster lead follow-up makes an excellent customer service impression and yields better results for the dealer.

When customers include their phone number in the email, call them approximately ten minutes after sending out your email response.

 

Nurturing Leads

It’s only natural to believe that leads don’t want to hear from you, but that’s not true. Customers know what they want and expect the dealer to wow them when they finally reach out to win them over. BDC staff need to provide value with every customer interaction, especially during the car buying process.

If you are sitting face to face with your lead, ask them if they mind you taking notes during the conversation. Let them know that it’s crucial to write down their wish list accurately. Writing down a customer’s wish list on a notepad is more personable and respectful than sitting behind a computer screen and typing while the customer speaks to you. You can enter the customer’s information into the dealer’s database after discussing all the facts with the customer, and let them know you need a few minutes to do that.

Regardless of whether you are on the phone or face to face, always recap what the customer said to show you have been listening and caring. After repeating their wish list, ask them if you understand everything correctly and if you missed anything.

 

The Customer’s Needs

Customers want to be heard and understood. They have spent countless hours researching the perfect vehicle in the privacy of their own home, and have finally decided to make the purchase. Make sure to listen and answer the customer’s questions first before selling them on a product. BDC representatives need to understand that customers have decided on the perfect car and are now researching where to buy it.

Invest the time to answer a customer’s questions, be empathetic, and have a genuine conversation with them because showing a customer respect turns more leads into sales.

Meeting the customer’s expectations will be explained in the “active listening and open-ended question” lesson.

 

Inbound Customer Questions

Don’t jump into discussing the cars your dealership has on the lot or price. Instead, spend time, and get to know the customer’s needs first. Understanding the customers’ current needs such as their likes, dislikes, and wishes provides you with a better perception and opportunity to build value first.

Principles questions asked to prospective car buyers.

  1. What are they driving currently?
  2. What do they like about their car?
  3. What don’t they like about their car?
  4. What new features would they like to have?
  5. What safety features are they interested in?
  6. Do they use it for business or personal?
  7. What do they do for a living? Or what business are they in?
  8. What is their commute like?
  9. Do their family and friends commute with them?
  10. What type of vehicle are they interested in?
  11. How soon are they looking to purchase another car?
  12. When does their current lease/finance end?
  13. Will they finance or lease?
  14. What’s the payment?

If you communicate with leads through email, and it’s the first contact with them, then select two or three of these questions. Don’t overwhelm them with questions all at once. You can save the rest of the questions for follow-up emails.

However, these questions over the phone should take less than five minutes and leave the impression that you care about the customer without sounding like an old-school salesperson.

“Mr. Customer, I want to ensure I match you with the perfect vehicle at the best price. For us to establish what the best match for you would be, I would love to ask you a few questions first.”

That is all it takes to go ahead and ask the customer these questions.

 

Answer Every Question The Lead Asks

Whether they complete an online email form, text, call, or in the dealership’s showroom, make the most of the opportunity when a lead first reaches out. When replying to a lead that recently reached out, respond promptly and thoroughly, taking care to answer all their questions. Do this daily, ensure there are no prospects left waiting for an email or call back at the end of the day.

Answer every question the customer has on the very first attempt. If numerous questions are included in the email, make sure you’re providing thorough answers in your response. Common questions customers have are about the price, payments, and rebates. Answering these questions shows you are transparent and honest, helping to score points and build customer trust. Respond with examples pulled from your inventory, along with payment options and terms. So, address each one.

Include follow-up questions of your own to encourage customer engagement. Emails with two to three questions are 50% likelier to get replies than emails without any.

It’s tempting to overload customers with questions on the first contact, but don’t overwhelm them initially. Save them for follow-up emails. You’re anxious to make the sale, but keep the process focused on their personal needs and wishes. It’s true that you need to ask countless fill-in-the-blank lines; however, be cautious not to ask too much of the customer. Prioritize must-haves versus nice-to-haves, so you don’t accidentally intrude on their personal space. Use one conversation to lead another by asking follow-up questions and planning the next steps (revisit inbound lead section for follow-up questions).

Include a call-to-action and have the customer come in to see and touch the car. Persuade customers to schedule appointments; “[Customer name]; I want to give you the best option and price we have available. May I go ahead and set up a time for you to come in and take a look at the vehicle to make sure it’s the right fit for you?”

 

Customer Wish List Questionnaire

Keep a list of customer preferences or wish list that prevented you from closing a sale with leads. Create a checklist of specific items customers were looking for to help dealership sales managers shop smarter and increase showroom appointments. Follow-up with management to ensure they let you know when they get a vehicle matching your lead’s wish list.

  1. Accessory Features
  2. Vehicle Model Line
  3. Model Year
  4. Vehicle Color
  5. Price Point

 

Pricing Request

Today price means everything to customers, and it’s easy for them to log on to the manufacturer’s portal.

Transparency is key to building trust because it helps eliminate any doubts or apprehensions your customers might have about the value of what you’re selling. Being transparent also means answering the customer’s request for a price.

You are not expected to provide the exact monthly payment or terms since that is the salesperson’s responsibility. The answer to “How much for a new Toyota Corolla?” is the base price or “starting from” to the high end or “fully loaded” price.

Always be prepared to answer a customer’s questions before returning their calls. The most common question will be how much for the car they are interested in. Be prepared to give them a price range. Start with the price for a pre-owned model and the price of the highest trim level model.

“Mr. Customer, we have demos and one year old Toyota Corolla’s starting at $16,000.00 to $45,000.00 for a brand new fully loaded Corolla. To help us narrow it down and find out which one will be the option for you, most people like to come in to touch and see them before they decide. Mr. Customer, I have an opening at 10:15 or 12:15 today. Which one of these times works best for you to come in and review your choices?”

Research the new model line’s low-end and high-end costs. Plus, access to the used car inventory to ensure the dealer has a low mileage model on the lot before offering customers a price range. This method works with all forms of contact (phone, email, and text). Include a vehicle brochure and vehicle stock numbers as an example.

Note: Due to legal regulations, you will be required to include the car’s stock number every time price is discussed on email and text messages, so please check your local regulations.

 

Progressive Ways To Keep Intouch With Sales Leads

Following up with sales leads too often with no value or exciting information will train leads to ignore you. Instead, reach out when you have additional information to share that applies to what each lead is looking for. Remember, the connection should be about them, not you.

Consider the following reasons to reach out to prospects:

Price Drops. Let your leads know when the price lowers on a vehicle they’ve looked at or a vehicle that previously wasn’t in their price range!

Incentives. When seasonal incentives or offers roll out, make sure interested prospects are the first to know.

New Inventory. New inventory, latest technology, must-have accessories are excellent reasons to reach out. Invite customers to be the first to test-drive new model lines they showed interest with before.

Sold Inventory: Don’t lose hope if a salesperson sells the car your lead showed interest in. Use this opportunity to let your customer know that other customers see value in your dealership and place their trust with the sales staff. Have two similar options ready before sending out an email informing them the car they were interested in has sold. Use this as an opportunity to build excitement by letting them know inventory moves quickly at your store. The aim is to keep customers engaged by recommending similar cars on the lot that are a good fit for them.