Having a reliable process for your incoming calls is essential. By having a solid process, you get a better idea of where your potential breakpoints are in the customer's experience, and what objections your teams need to tackle. Some of the other vital things to look at when reviewing incoming calls are daily volume vs. staffing, time of day, source of the call, and whether the call was logged into your CRM. Most of today's vendors offer easy CRM integration. If your calls are not hitting the CRM, you could miss out on sales and service opportunities. Keeping in mind that the goal is to use these calls to help your dealership tackle each objection!

Three Things You Can Do to Increase Your Results:

1. Consistency is Key When Handling Incoming Sales Calls. Is Your Staff Equipped to Answer Incoming Calls?

The first step in handling incoming calls is making sure your sales consultants or BD Agents are properly trained and equipped with the right word-tracking. That is, making sure they know how to approach inbound calls (this is where having a word-track is key), and make sure that all of the calls are logged into the CRM. If your teams are not logging the calls into the CRM, you could be missing sales opportunities, and coaching opportunities. As a failsafe, it's essential to have the incoming calls automatically go into the CRM. Having your sales managers or BD Manager review the incoming calls daily ensures that every opportunity is accounted for! This also outlines the coaching opportunities so they can conduct One on One's, which don't take much time, and it's time well spent! By actively monitoring coaching opportunities and reviewing calls, you could increase your monthly sales, which could make all the difference!

2. If Your Sales Consultant (or BD Agent) Doesn't Handle the Call Properly - Train them! Don't Just Take Away the Calls.

It can be easy to just take the calls away from your sales consultant or BD Agent if they don’t handle a call properly. But doing so does not fix the breakpoint or help them tackle objections. Making sure your teams have the right word-tracking, and practice will help them approach objections from all sides of the business (incoming calls, emails, texts, & dealer visits) with confidence and, more importantly, success! To help keep your team sharp, and remain consistent, it’s best to pull a few calls a week and conduct one on one training sessions. The role-playing (recreating the call) can help your team better understand how they can improve, which means better results when handling the next call in a live environment when it counts, conquering one objection at a time!

3. Too Many Calls? How to Handle Overflow Calls.

There isn't such a thing as too many calls, right? But what can happen is depending on the call volume, your team might not be able to effectively handle all the calls. For example, most of us who worked on the dealer side experienced the day when we heard "sales call line one and line two" - and we were already on the phone or working with a customer. To ensure that we can offer each customer the service they deserve, there needs to be a process in place. That’s for the overflow of phone calls. In most cases, depending on your store setup, the overflow calls could go to a Virtual BDC. This way, the customer is not left on hold with a high likelihood of hang-up and no chance of receiving a call back!  

At the end of the day, training is critical, regardless of your phone process. The more equipped your team is – having the confidence and word-tracking – the stronger their results will be! And using the calls as an opportunity to improve vs. taking the calls away from the sales consultant or BD Agent can lend itself to enhancing their performance on all sides of the business.

How often do you review your incoming calls? Do you conduct weekly one-on-one sessions for your sales consultants or BD Agents? What's one objection that gets your teams stuck?

Handling customer objections isn't always easy. Especially when the customer is calling you on the telephone; knowing what to say and how to approach the customer's objections can make or break whether or not you sell the vehicle. To handle customer objections with confidence takes training and experience. Part of training your team is regularly conducting one on one role-playing sessions. The goal and purpose of having one on one training sessions are so that your managers can create relevant scenarios that are relatable to your sales consultant or BD Agent. Especially given that everyone has their own unique challenges and hurdles to overcome. 

It's more than just listening to a call.  Use an objection that gets your team stuck! 

Here’s an example of a common objection and how you can help coach your team with a One on One: 

Don't get me wrong, recorded calls are a critical resource and tool to use for training. But before you get to tackling the recorded calls, you need to assist your sales consultant or BD Agent on what gets them stuck (topics before situations). Not only will this empower your team to handle objections confidently, but they'll start to pick up on why the call could've been better, and more importantly, how they'll handle the call differently the next time! Think about it, when the customer calls into the dealership, they're most likely doing their homework. That’s checking availability, price shopping, etc. If your team isn’t equipped with the right word tracking, they can quickly derail the conversation and not get the results they're working so hard for! 

In this one on one example, let's say one of your sales consultants gets stuck on the pricing objection. The customer calls in, and before you can confirm availability, inquire about flexibility, etc. the customer goes right to "what's the best price you can do on x vehicle?" This can go one of two ways. The first way (where your team can get stuck) is offering the "price" without confirming any of the above information. This can derail the conversation and opportunity for reasons we (those who have the experience) often don't think about. The biggest thing to note is that the vehicle the customer initially inquired on is often not what s/he ends up purchasing. Not to mention, they might not be comparing the exact same car with the various dealerships, nor may each dealership be using the correct rebates, incentives, etc. Lastly, as you know, pricing - despite being the go-to objection - might not even be the customer's hang-up! 

One of the best methods and ways to equip your team to change the conversation's path is to offer the following instead: 

"Mr. Customer, here at [dealership], we make pricing easy. I can certainly provide that information to you. Before I get ahead of myself, was this the only make and model you were inquiring about? I want to make sure I provide you with the most accurate information possible. This vehicle ranges in price depending on the trim level and package options."

Using a statement like this is not defensive, and it inquires about the customer's flexibility – to which the customer might instead reply with: 

"I’m looking for 'x' vehicle, but it needs to have the premium package, and I want it in black. I’m also considering the next model up with third-row seating. The other one I’m looking at doesn’t have the third row." 

As you can see, in this one on one scenario, the customer just offered that they have not even seen the third-row vehicle! Yet, that's what they want pricing on, a car they have not seen, and might not be their final choice depending on their thoughts on the third-row seating. At this point, in the coaching session, you can offer your sales consultant or BD Agent that by simply changing the word tracking, and inquiring about the flexibility you now have a better understanding of how to quickly and effectively handle the objection! 

Here's a way you can reply: 

"Great News. I do have that vehicle in black with the premium package, and third-row seating available. Are you available this afternoon or evening to test drive and take a look at the third row?" 

Notice how in the reply you confirm that you have the vehicle they are looking for, but instead of just offering the price you're now inquiring about flexibility, and encouraging the customer to come into the store to take a look! 

Response: "no, just price shopping - what's the price on this vehicle." 

BD Agent/Sales Consultant Response: "The price for this vehicle, depending on the third row, and other options starts at 'x,' we have excellent deals this month! I also have other options that could save you money, are you available this afternoon or evening to come in for a test drive". 

Notice in this response, instead of giving a "number" that is not comparable to their current contender, you provide a range. This allows you to be transparent to the customer and informs them that depending on the options s/he chooses, and ultimately decides on will obviously change the price. 

Response: Not available this week

At this point, in this example, you've asked the customer twice about an appointment. At this time, they are not committed to coming in. That does not mean that we give up! Instead, it is crucial to confirm the next steps. That is getting their contact information and securing a time to follow-up with the customer. This is also the hard part where a little more confidence can go a long way in making sure you get to the next steps! 

BD Agent/Sales Consultant Response: I understand, what I would like to do [customer first name] is to send you more information about this vehicle. In addition to other money-saving options. What is the best email to send this information to? 

Response: Sure, send it to [email], and my cell is the number I called on. 

Now that you've properly received the customer's email address, the last step is to secure a time to follow-up and inquire whether they have a trade-in. Something as simple as nonchalantly bringing up the trade-in could be what's deterring them from wanting to come for an appointment! You don't know what you don't ask! Sometimes the objections are not the obvious! 

BD Agent/Sales Consultant Response: Great! One last thing, did you, by chance, have a trade-in? I ask this because we're looking for quality pre-owned vehicles right now, and are offering incredible trade-in values! (always the what and the why)

Response: Yes. I have a 2014 [vehicle] with 58k miles on it. But the offer I got online was nowhere close to what I will accept for it. It is in mint condition. 

Bingo! Of course, this is an example, and not all scenarios will play out this way, (of course). But for this example, you hit the jackpot in dealing with customer's real objection by inquiring about flexibility and a trade-in. Now, you can work with the customer to complete a trade-in appraisal giving you a means of offering the next steps!

BD Agent/Sales Consultant Response: That's great! We just had a customer inquire on that [vehicle] the other day, but it sold! I'd like to send you a link for the trade-in, it only takes five minutes. Are you available tomorrow morning or afternoon to come in so we can appraise your vehicle? 

Response: I can do tomorrow afternoon 

As you can see, in this one on one role-playing session - it could have easily ended in the beginning when the customer asked for "the best price," and you gave it to them without getting any of their information. But instead, because your BD Agent/Sales Consultant effectively handled the objection - with proper word tracking - they could inquire about flexibility, trade-in, and secure the next steps. It's these sorts of scenarios in your one on one training sessions that can help you increase your sales. Not to mention, it gives your team more confidence to effectively handle these objections, which will only make your sales team and BD Agent that much better! 

*Disclosure: these are scenario examples and are situational in nature. Obviously, never lie to a customer! And never lie to your manager!

In a perfect world, the customer would answer their phone on the first call. But that’s not always the case. If the customer doesn’t answer their phone, you want to make sure you start with a voicemail that gives your customer a reason to call you back. Once you’ve left a voicemail, it's time to send the email. Here are the key items to include in both your voicemail and email.

What to Include in Your Voicemail.

When leaving a voicemail, be sure to say, "Good [morning, afternoon, evening] this is [name] with [dealership]. Great News! The [vehicle] is available. Are you available [option one] or [option two] to come in for a test drive? We are located [location - this is *KEY*, you don't want the customer to get confused as to where you're located]. I can be reached at [number] and will follow-up with an email shortly. I look forward to speaking with you [customer name].

The end-goal is to get a hold of the customer and to make that happen, you have to give the customer a reason to call you back, creating a sense of urgency. It's also just as important to include the above information. That is your name, dealership name, confirmation of the vehicle, directions, and a clear outlined follow-up. We have to remember that the customer could have inquired from a third-party lead source (or multiple stores). So, when you do call them and don’t mention your dealership name, they might not know what dealer you're calling from.

Key Elements to Include in Your Follow-up Email.

Let's face it, we all get a lot of emails daily. Having a compelling subject line, and a solid email can make or break whether the customer responds or calls you back. It’s also equally important to read the lead first. That's making sure that “if” the customer has asked a question, you address it in the reply email. By doing so, the customer can easily acknowledge that you’re assisting them!

Here's an example of an email you can send your customers

Subject Line: you want your email to stand out to the customer, and more importantly, that your email lands in their inbox and not the "promotions" folder, or worse, a spam folder. To combat this, you want to make sure your subject line is both catchy and relevant.

For example, if the customer inquiries on a pre-owned Toyota Camry your subject line could be:

[customer name], your Toyota Camry is available!

Using the customer's name + vehicle + availability makes your email stand out, and it can also pique the customers' interest.

Example Email:

[first name],

Thank you for inquiring on the [vehicle] here at [dealership]. Great News! Your [vehicle] is available! I confirmed that your [vehicle] does have CarPlay! Here is a video I created for you.

[Insert inventory link] - (you can also include one or two other options to inquire about flexibility or if you have other value options.)

What time works best for you to come in this morning? I have both a 10:15 or a 10:45 AM available.

Keep in mind, [first name] here at [dealership] it is about - YOU! We offer hassle-free appointments, a VIP Program which includes maintenance, and so much more.

We are conveniently located at [location]. In the meantime, [first name] check out what our customers are saying about us! (insert review page link).

We look forward to working with you!

Regards,

[signature line]

As you can see in the email, it answers the customer's question and lays out next steps. That’s coming into the dealership to test drive (or a home/office sanitized test drive, whichever is applicable). The email also made sure to offer where your dealership is located, value statements (how your dealer stands out from the competition), and, more importantly, a reason for them to respond!

What are some of the call-to-action's you include in your email responses?

Part of handling inbound phone calls is dealing with the customer's objections. The more equipped your sales consultants and BD agents are, the better your chances are of securing the appointment/meeting. There are many ways to handle objections, but here's an example of one of the top objections you'll come across and how to respond.

“That's Okay. I'm Just Price Shopping.”

Most of us have heard this objection before, right? The customer calls into the dealership on a specific new car, and after asking for the appointment, the customer says:

 "that's okay. I'm just price shopping…."

At this point, the conversation can go one of two ways. This is the customer’s way of ending the discussion with you. In which case, the sales consultant or BD agent might not have received their contact information to secure a time to follow-up.

When this happens, here are two ways your sales consultants or BD agents can handle the objection.

Response One: That's great! Here at [dealership], we make it easy offering the best price available. Now let me ask you, is this the only make and model you were considering? If so, I have [vehicle options] that could potentially save you money! What time works best for you to come in and meet with my manager? I have this afternoon or evening available. *

As you can see, the response is tackling the customer's objection head-on. And by doing so, it gives you the chance to inquire about the customer's flexibility. But to get to this point, you have to tackle the objections with confidence!

*for those of you who are offering "at home test drives," be sure to mention that option!

Response Two: I understand and respect that. But here at [dealership] we are fully transparent with our pricing. By the way, are you trading in a vehicle? We need pre-owned vehicles like yours, and are always offering top dollar! The appraisal process takes less than twenty minutes! What time works best for you to come in and meet with my manager? I have this afternoon or evening available.

In this response, you're not only tackling the objection head-on, but you're asking the customer more questions, which can (and in most cases) lead to more answers with the goal of getting to the appointment.

Both responses are tackling the objection. More importantly, despite the answers being different, the approach remains the same. That is getting the appointment. The point is that the more comfortable you're at handling customer objections, the easier it will be to maintain control of the conversation. And remember, remain positive on the phone! The customer can easily pick-up your tone and possibly feel that you are disinterested.

Lastly, remember the customer picked up their phone and chose to call your dealership! They called you!

There’s more to a quality phone script than just words written down for your dealership to follow. A quality phone script aims to help coach your dealership's Sales Managers, Sales Consultants, and BDC Agents on how to handle the phones effectively. If your dealership’s phone skills improve, it can turn those inbound phone calls, and Internet leads into sales. But before that can happen, you have to outline the expectations and the role your Sales Managers and GM will play in the overall process. Otherwise, you’ll continue to have the same inconsistent results. 

Consistency is Key in Sustaining Results. Phone Training is Not a One Time Thing. 

If your Sales Consultants or BDC Agents are handling the inbound phone calls and the Internet leads inconsistently (and most are), the lack of results will show. Do you ever wonder why some months - perhaps after a training session - their set-rate, show-rate, and sold-rates are higher? It’s no secret that the phone scripts and quality training make all the difference, which has a direct impact on your sales. 

The idea that the more familiar your Sales Consultants and BDC Agents are with the script, the more second-nature it becomes in how they handle the phones and Internet leads, it becomes muscle memory. Think about it for a minute. If you’re unsure of yourself when answering an Internet Lead or an Inbound call, the customer can easily wind up leading the conversation but they’re the one calling with questions. However, if your team is well trained, and the script is second nature, they’re handling the inbound calls and leads with confidence. Having confidence on the phones is what can set your dealership apart from the competition. In which case, you’ll see an increase in your set, show, and more importantly, your sold rate. And, your customers will hang up feeling satisfied with the outcome, refreshed with the experience and looking forward to doing business with you.

So How Do I Get My Sales Consultants & BDC Agents to Follow A Script If I Cannot Get My Sales Managers to Do the Same? 

This is easier said than done. Training your Sales Consultants, BDC Agents and Sales Managers should be a top priority. After all, your dealership is likely spending hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to drive traffic to your dealer's website. If those leads are not handled properly, you could be losing more sales than you realize. Not to mention, if there isn’t a clear-cut policy on how the phones and internet leads are to be handled, you’ll wind up having inconsistent results. Another issue many dealers face is a lack of accountability from their management teams. Namely, sales managers do not believe they need help or a refresher on their phone skills. If your dealership's sales managers have this feeling, it will be difficult to change the culture. One of the best ways to combat this issue is having your Sales Managers go through the phone training process first. After all, how can they coach or mentor their Sales Consultants or BDC Agents if they do not have a refined process in managing inbound calls and internet leads? Once you’ve outlined the expectations for your Sales Managers (how they will be involved), and they have completed the training, it's now time to train your sales consultants and BDC Agents. 

Keep in mind, training your Sales Consultants and BDC Agents is by no means a one-time event. In fact, to keep their results on par with your expectations, it should be an ongoing occurrence. The idea that once your Sales Consultant and BDC Agents are better equipped in handling inbound calls and Internet leads, you can work towards refining their objection handling techniques. To get this process started (as mentioned above), you have to outline your employees' expectations, giving them a purpose for why they are to complete the phone training. And more importantly, making sure that you - the dealer owner - have your Sales Managers on the same page. If your Sales Consultants and BDC Agents see the buy-in from the Sales Managers, they are more likely to partake in the efforts to refine their skills. 

One of the other critical components to making this a success is not using this training process to beat up your Sales Managers, Sales Consultants, and BDC Agents. If you use this training to negatively say "they are terrible" or "they should just not handle the phones," that will not change anything. In fact, that will easily disenfranchise them from the entire process, which is not the goal. Instead, remember to offer them encouragement and set individual goals that can and will have an impact on their results. All of which can increase their individual income depending on their pay plan! 

Once your Sales Managers, Sales Consultants, and BDC Agents have completed the training, it is also essential to have role-playing sessions or one-on-one coaching sessions to assist them with their own struggles. Remembering that each of your Sales Managers, Sales Consultants, and BDC Agents, has their own unique challenges to address. And by outlining those challenges - for them to overcome - you are providing a clear, defined road map for future training. 

When is the last time you approached phone training with your Dealer Teams? If not, today is the day to get this started! After all, who doesn't want to increase their dealership's sales while offering exceptional customer service?