CallSource^® Aim Higher

AutoSuccess Magazine - How Many sales Opportunities Will You Lose Toay?

by Pogo Parr - Vice President Sales - CallSource Auto Division, May 1 2011

How Many Sales Opportunities Will You Lose Today?

Even in our digital age, 75% of all auto purchases still begin with a good, old-fashioned phone call.

Unfortunately, the average dealer converts fewer than 20% of their phone-ups into appointments, and most can’t tell you the reason why! Mishandled phone leads are a problem for even the most successful dealerships and every lost phone lead is a lost potential sale.

Here are some of the most common reasons those leads are lost. You may recognize some of these:

• Caller is placed on hold too long and hangs up.
• Caller gets disconnected and does not call back.
• Salesperson says a car has been sold without suggesting an alternate vehicle.
• Call handler does not attempt to ask for an appointment.
• Salespeople are in a meeting and receptionist takes a message.
• Caller is transferred to a salesperson’s voicemail.
• Call handler lacks specific knowledge about product or inventory.
• Salesperson is busy and asks the caller to call back.
• Calls with rude or unprofessional exchanges.
• Salesperson is unable to answer questions about incentives, rebates, financing, etc.
• Salesperson does not ask about customer needs and makes no attempt to start a deal.

How do you save those opportunities? First, train your staff in call-handling skills. Second, get management involved in prompt follow-up to lost opportunities.

Most customers purchase a vehicle 2-7 days after calling the dealer. If the lead isn’t handled correctly and promptly, another dealership is likely to win the sale. When a manager quickly gets involved, the conversion rate can run as high as 75%.

It isn’t possible for a sales manager or general manager to review and follow up on every phone call to the dealership. Fortunately, today several companies provide deal-saver services that review calls for the dealership and notify management when they discover a mishandled sales opportunity.

Dealers Should Make Phone Inquiries Their #1 Priority

The most successful dealerships subscribe to services that identify marketing effectiveness, capture caller information, analyze telephone skills, and notify management when their intervention is needed to save a deal.

Saving the Sale

A call tracking and call recording system is critical to saving deals that would otherwise be lost. Surprisingly affordable, it can give dealers a second chance at a potential sale. You should compare call tracking services and subscribe to one that identifies not only the source of each call, but also the content and result. Your call tracking system should identify training needs and notify you of missed opportunities in time for you to save those sales.

Some key features to look for in a call tracking and call recording system:

• Not only record and report, but also review and analyze calls.
• Separate prospects from non-prospects.
• Review the content of the sales/service call recordings to determine why the call did not end in an appointment or sale.
• Alert the sales manager at the dealership providing the caller’s name, location, telephone number, specific inquiry, and the reason why the call is a sales prospect.
• Provide a daily report of all phone calls with a brief summary of each call, including the name of the sales person and the ad source associated with it.
• Report in real time.

By utilizing an up-to-date call tracking and call recording system at your dealership, you can be sure you’ll never miss another call again.

Pogo Parr is the vice president of sales for CallSource®. 

He can be contacted at (888)884-0699, or by e-mail at pparr@callsource.com.com