Some believe the sales rep should still make the bulk of the phone calls; many have a BDC, while others even think outsourcing is the way to go. But there's even more disagreement regarding what their call focus should be: pricing, check inventory, set only appointments, be a super receptionist, etc.
So what should the agents be focused on?
BDC agent's act as the front line to your marketing efforts... Think of them as the glove in baseball - you have nice bats, snazzy uniforms, nice stadium, but if your team can't catch the baseball, what's the point???!! If you can't "haul-in" the lead... you get the point.
Our BDC agents focus on one thing - converting leads into appointments. They "sell" the appointments as opposed to the lot sales person that sells the vehicle. Different skills, different objective.
Each lead source will obviously require different call tactics: new Internet leads may require agent's to answer more questions about a vehicle, while unsold and sold leads do not; special finance leads may require a finessed answer about credit challenges, loan details, etc.
In most cases however and if at all possible, our agents don't mention or even talk about a vehicle - their focus is on selling the appointment. Think of it as an owner of a steak house - do you sell the steak in the window (raw meat), or do you open the doors and sell the sizzle (the aroma of the steak cooking).
Example of what I mean:
Customer: I'm interested in a used Ford Mustang...
Agent: Those are great cars, as a premier dealership, we get them in all the time! Is that the only vehicle your interested in? Do you need financing? Super, the good news is that vehicle and many others are on our managers special list, availability is strictly on a first-come first-serve basis, so if your interested in getting your best deal, you'll want to come in right away! I can set you up on a VIP appointment where you'll talk directly with my manager, is today or tomorrow better for you?
The agent's focus is simple:
- Create excitement for the offer
- Create a sense of urgency
- Create a sense of exclusivity
- Ask for the appointment
- Stay away from selling the car over the phone
- Clearly define goals, performance expectations
- Measure results
- Train to sell benefits, the VIP experience
- Reward top performers
I think you'll find keeping your agent's focus on selling the appointment will help improve your lead-to-buyer conversion rate, fill your showroom with more traffic and keep management (and their buy-in) happy with the increased number of deliveries without having to spend a dime more in marketing and advertising.
Happy Selling!
