Ahh, the phone. Invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell, if only he could see it now! While it has changed drastically over the years, the phone call is still 100% relevant today - yes even with texting! What most people don't realize is that personal connection is best created via the phone. Text is easily misinterpreted, while your voice on the phone paints a clear picture for your potential customer. You have so many more techniques available to you when you are on a call with a customer also. For example, since the customer is not physically in front of you, you cannot gauge them by their body language and instead have to rely on their voice tone. You cannot judge voice tone via text. While many customer psychology techniques will work via text, they are easier to execute via phone. So, let's get into it, how can we make more money using the phone? PICK IT UP AND MAKE CALLS!

The Phone Is Not Your Enemy: I know it feels scary making sales calls, especially if you are a people person, which most salespeople tend to be. You can sell things easily in person, but over the phone, you freeze. Don't panic. That's step 1. Oftentimes the easiest way to accomplish your goal is to take a step back and look at the big picture. Let's say you have a fresh internet lead that comes in at 10 am. The first thing you should do is look over the lead, see what type of vehicle they are looking at, do we have it in stock, what do you know about the vehicle, what questions did they ask, do you have the answers, and has this customer ever shopped here before (if so, did they purchase?). Then think about your goal, to get them in. How do we get them in? By calling them. This brings us to step 2.

Step 2 is to pick up the phone and call them. Literally connect with them. If they answer, this is your time to shine. Let your personality come through, but work to stay in control of the conversation. Do not start by answering every single question they asked in their online submission. Try to figure out exactly what it is they are looking for, confirm their vehicle of interest and ask if they are open to alternates also, you never know when something could go wrong with their initial vehicle of interest, so it's best to be prepared. I suggest verbiage like "Now Claire, it looks like you were checking out our 2018 Impala, is that right?" and let the customer answer. This confirms with them you know exactly what they want and you can follow it up with "ok, now if I have anything similar, are you open to looking at that as well?". Always try to end on a question keeping it open, do not revert back to "or does it have to be just this one" which locks you back into the initial vehicle, and again - you never know when something could go wrong with it. The idea here is to open the possibility of a plan B vehicle, not redirect back to the initial one. If they are open, awesome, narrow down what that alternate vehicle looks like. Do they want brand new or is preowned an option. Cloth vs leather or you can even ask if they are more interested in a base model or fully loaded. You can control the questions as long as you keep them choice-based. Once you ask openly "so what are you looking for" expect them to reply with "a unicorn!" which is nonexistent. If they are not open to alternates, that's fine - move to offer them an appointment.

Ask for an Appointment: In the majority of sample calls we hear when a potential client is interested in training with my company, we do not hear the rep offer an appointment. A typical call is around 90 seconds, they answer all of their questions and hang up. Often no contact information is obtained and no appointment is offered. Regardless of whether you have an inbound or outbound call, you want to focus your attention on building rapport with the customer over the phone and offering them an appointment to come see it. The easiest way to manage your day and ensure your customer doesn't have to wait around is to set an appointment with them. By the time the customer has submitted a lead or picked up the phone to call in, they have obviously thought about purchasing the vehicle. Assume they want to come to see it and offer an appointment.

Again, control this portion of the conversation by using choices such as today or tomorrow and then time A or time B. It's impossible to say how many customers just show up without an appointment when so many of our sales calls end without obtaining any contact information. Unless you log every call that comes in on your caller ID into your CRM, you will never know. As a general rule, set yourself the goal of always building rapport, obtaining info, and offering appointments at least twice, in every call.

Training CAN Help: Remember that practice does help. Roleplay with co-workers or someone at home so that you can get a good flow down. Try to keep your call structure organized and practice different techniques so you can find the right path for yourself. If a call bounces all over the place you will miss stuff and the customer will feel the disorganized flow. You do not want them to hang up and think "what was that" instead you want them to be excited about the appointment with you. Using the phone to create urgency and excitement is key and remember to give them your information over the phone as well. Build as much of a relationship as you can over the phone to help ensure the customer shows for their appointment. Rapport building via text is not as easy, you have no voice inflection or small talk, and it's very hard to show your personality. The fact is, the more connected the customer feels with you, the more likely they are to show up and purchase.

Think of the phone as your friend, make phone calls, connect with people and invite them in!

Just remember, that if you hate the phone and treat it like a negative experience, it absolutely will be. Think positive and believe in your abilities. Good luck!

Call Training & Scripts: Where's the love???

As a trainer and scriptwriter, I am constantly in an environment where people think of call training and scripts as "the enemy", "old school" or "robotic". There are several problems with those beliefs. First off, if you have no training at all, you are simply expected to produce fantastic results with little or no process in place, which is certainly not fair. How crazy would it be if your dentist didn't learn how to properly fill a cavity before you opened wide? While the dentist's goal is to fix your cavity and your goal is to have a successful phone call where you obtain contact info, provide good customer service, and hopefully set an appointment, you both still have goals. You both still need to learn how to do your job properly and successfully. One might be more serious than the other, but the simple fact is that training should be done for all occupations. Putting a process in place doesn't have to be painful (like going to the dentist). The fact remains that if there is no organization to your phone call, it will likely not result in you accomplishing your goals. You cannot just hand someone a phone and say "here you go, now be successful!" it doesn't work that way. Training does not have to be hard, frustrating, or annoying. It can be fun and when you accomplish your goals, you will likely see a revenue increase too! It's a win-win situation. When you have a team member that doesn't believe in training, you should be very concerned. We all learn new things every day and there is more than one way to do something. If you have someone on your team that doesn't believe in constantly learning and evolving, don't expect results from them. One of my favorite quotes is "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." - Albert Einstein

How about the ever-popular "if I follow a script, I will sound like a robot" which is 100% true, if you do not practice or know your material. However it's not the fault of the script if that is how we come across, it is ours for not learning the material. Think about your favorite movie, does your actor seem or sound robotic? No, because they practice and practice and practice until you believe they are actually in that scenario and it feels real. Learning a word track is honestly, not any different. It doesn't have to be stale or feel like it was written in 1985, but you should still have some sort of word track you follow as a guideline. It helps you control the call, obtain necessary information, provide great customer service and results are almost always positive. 

Another situation I want to draw attention to is the common "my customers are different" or "every call is different". This is actually the very same reason you SHOULD train your team. If you think about the actual statement "every call/customer is different" as a reason to train people instead of a reason to NOT train people, it will make so much more sense and benefit you in the long run. Helping your team prepare for literally anything is exactly what training does. It puts a uniform process in place so no matter what objection is thrown at them or what type of customer they have on the phone, they will have a process they can use to help get them through the phone call and still accomplish their goals.  I tend to think of this as just an excuse team members use to not be held accountable for properly handling phone calls. That might seem a little harsh, but the statement itself is very contradicting. If calls are tough and vary in circumstances, why wouldn't you want help learning how to navigate all types of calls? 

So, how does call training positively impact your business? It gives your team a path for literally any type of call they may experience. It helps them learn proper voice inflection, customer psychology and teaches them phrasing to use that is positive and keeps the conversation moving instead of allowing it to get stuck on specific questions. What happens when a customer calls up and has questions on a specific vehicle, and the rep isn't familiar with it. We likely take a message and have someone call that customer back. What are the odds that customers will actually answer when we try to call them back? Slim. People want answers now. So, instead of getting super-specific and answering every single question upfront, build rapport with the customer. Get to know exactly what they are looking for and obtain their information and invite them in. When the customer is in the store they can look at the vehicle, ask as many questions as they want all the while building rapport with their salesperson. 

Training doesn't have to be cookie-cutter and neither do your word tracks. You can find a company that will customize your training for you or you can do research and create your own tracks. But simply not training your team is not the answer. I have listened to and coached hundreds of thousands of calls over the last decade and the ones with no process are always the least successful, and almost painful to hear. If you want to succeed, train train train!!

P.S. RECORD YOUR CALLS TOO!!

The big debate, do we text first or call first? Technology has certainly changed the entire car buying experience, with more customers shopping online and using social media before choosing a dealership. If most customers are shopping online first and submitting leads for more information, how you respond to that lead is going to be vital in their decision-making process. 

The Phone Call: Why so much hate?

Nothing will ever take the place of an actual phone call to your lead, especially when its a fresh lead. In a recent round of mystery shops completed by my company, we submitted nearly 100 leads to dealerships all across the country. Almost half of the dealerships never contacted their internet lead via phone. To be more specific, 43% of the stores we mystery shopped did not call within the first 5 days of lead submission. This is a common problem because those answering your leads prefer to use alternate methods such as text or even email instead of picking up the phone to call the lead.  

The problem with these methods is SPAM folders and even cell phones nowadays are starting to come with them for texts. Newer cell phones can filter text messages from unknown sources directly into SPAM folders, just like an email server. So if they do not check these folders, for all your customer knows you haven't tried to contact them at all.  That being said, the quicker you call the customer, the more likely they are to be available to take your call. Try to shoot for calling them within 5 minutes, but no longer than 15 minutes from lead receipt. This increases the chances they will answer.  

Getting the customer on the phone as soon as possible can be the reason they choose to purchase from you. Your overall call quality factors into whom they choose, so we suggest having a good process in place, train your team! As our recent round of mystery shops demonstrated, dealers are missing out on countless opportunities to grow because they simply are not picking up the phone.

Once you do have the customer on the phone, be sure your call quality is top notch. Of course its great to call the customer quickly, but if your call quality isn't on point and effective, then really there is no point in calling at all. Be sure you focus on building rapport with the customer, be friendly and upbeat and encourage a visit to your store. 

Text: It's faster and easier, right?

This may shock you, but text is not always the number 1 preferred method of communication.  However, I still believe you have to factor in your own customer base. While communication statistics are helpful in designing marketing strategies, you still have your own local demographics to consider. Many stores market specifically to a younger generation and that age group does prefer to text. Even if the younger crowd is your market base, as I stated before, nothing replaces the personal phone call. I suggest calling first and if the customer does not answer, you should send them a text. Be sure you send an “opt-in” text to get the customer’s permission to text with them. You can visit the FCC’s website for the proper guidelines, rules and regulations. Most CRM’s offer texting and allow you to send the “opt-in” text automatically. I do not suggest letting staff use their personal cell phones for texting. Always use a system that you can monitor and that follows the FCC’s guidelines.

Handling a text is not much different than a phone call, we use all the same techniques. Build rapport with the customer, keep it engaging and of course, invite them into the store. Keep in mind that you want to keep texts short and simple so that the customer does not receive too many texts at once. Its a good idea to create text templates so that you are not retyping the same phrases all day long. While you want to handle each customer with customized content, but there are typical phrases you will always text everyone, such as your contact information and address.

Another option if the customer is texting with you, would be to ask them when is a good time to speak. If you can use text to get them to speak via phone, you have a much better shot at getting the relationship established. It’s very hard to be personable via text and customers do base their decision somewhat on the person that they will be working with.

In Summary: They don't have to compete!

You have multiple ways to communicate with your potential customer, you do not have to pick calling versus texting. If you call and they don’t answer, leave a message and then send a text. Many people we train insist it has to be one or the other, and that is just ridiculous. Unless the customer specifically requests you only communicate with them a specific way, I would always try to call them first. If you are not at least attempting to call them, you are probably missing out on opportunities to drive more traffic in the door. 

Remember to test different communication methods, not every customer is the same! Treat each customer as an individual and communicate with them based on what they prefer. It's not a text vs call competition, they can work together so you can accomplish your goals!

Sales Call Opportunities: When the Vehicle is Unavailable!

This happens all the time! The vehicle is sold, didn't pass inspection or is still in-transit/RECON...what do you do?! Believe it or not, there is a way to properly handle this scenario and I will take you through the best practices! 

STAY OUT OF THE TRAP

Many calls follow this path:

Customer: "do you have XYZ?"

Rep: "nah, we sold it, you open to anything else?"

Customer: "no, thanks anyway."

What do you think happens when you hang up with the customer? They never look at another vehicle again? Do you think they just come to a screeching halt and choose to not purchase a vehicle? Of course not, they go back online and look for another vehicle. If that's the case, then why didn't they tell you they were open to anything else? Because you told them too much, too soon. When calls are handled this way, not only do we not obtain an appointment, but we do not get any of the customers information which leaves follow up an impossible task.

TIMING IS KEY

One of the most important parts of all sales calls is timing! When to ask for contact info, when to ask for the appointment, when to give out your information and of course, when to tell the customer the vehicle is not available or ready yet. You see, customers tend to get incredibly attached to vehicles, even before they drive them. Buying a car is a big deal and many buyers often put a lot of effort into searching for that perfect car. When they call you and are interested in something specific, it is very easy to "break their heart", so do not rush into providing too much information. Wait until you have rapport built!

BUILDING RAPPORT

Once you understand that timing is the key to not losing the potential buyer, you need to figure out where to start. Start by building rapport with the customer. Obtain the stock number first, this way you know exactly what they are talking about. Compliment their choice. There is no better way to start the call off than to compliment the vehicle they have chosen. Who doesn't love compliments?! Create urgency by mentioning the popularity of the vehicle. This is important for a few reasons. You are planting the seed to create excitement and also paving the way to obtain contact information so you can check your inventory. You are also saying "hey this vehicle may already be sold" which is a gentle way to begin gearing the customer towards alternate vehicles.

PLAN B

After you obtain the customers contact info, using your inventory as leverage, ask the customer about alternate options so you have a "Plan B". For example: "While I am checking on this Focus for you, are you open to any other vehicles?"". Note: we have not told the customer the status of the initial vehicle yet! Remember, timing is key! When you ask about alternate vehicles PRIOR to letting the customer know that the vehicle is unavailable, you have a much better shot at getting them open to something similar. This is because of the attachment issue we talked about earlier. They are immediately disappointed when they find out their dream vehicle is no longer available, which makes it incredibly difficult to flip them to an alternate vehicle. Always ask if they are open to something similar first so you can increase the chances of them saying yes!

It is also very important you walk the lot and surf your website. Be sure you know your inventory and know what vehicles are similar in different makes and models. This simple task of knowing what you have can save your sales call over and over again. If your customer is open to something similar or the same vehicle in perhaps another color, then I recommend asking a few choice-based questions to help you narrow down the search (cloth or leather, brand new or preowned, with or without a sunroof). Sticking to choices helps you stay in control, while asking the questions helps to build the customers confidence in your ability to understand exactly what they want ! This is how we prevent the question "tell me, what else do you have". You can view my previous post on Building Rapport Over the Phone for more specifics on this important step. 

GO FOR THE APPOINTMENT

After you have built rapport, obtained the customers info and asked about "Plan B" vehicles, its time to bring them in the store! I train on a variety of techniques, but I prefer honesty always, especially if the customer is traveling a distance. If your store prefers you tell the customer you always have the vehicle so they can be offered something else when they arrive, then you should follow that process. As long as you have something similar to offer and a well trained sales staff, you may be able to earn their business. If your store is open to being honest, I always suggest starting off with the bad news first and then transition your voice inflection to a positive, upbeat tone and deliver the great news that you have plenty of similar options available. For example: "Mr. Jones, I apologize, but that Focus you were interested in is no longer available, however, I do have some EXCELLENT NEWS! I checked our inventory and we have several other similar options available for you! I would love for you to come check them out, I have time right now or later today - which is best?".  Always offer the appointment right away, they may ask some questions, but if you did a good job building rapport earlier, they will trust you and take an appointment. 

Handling Challenged Credit Calls

EMPATHY: You are not human if you or someone you know hasn't gotten themselves into a situation where they over-spent on credit cards,  got ill and couldn't pay bills or maybe even went through a life changing situation like divorce. The fact is, we have all been there before, a place where we just needed a little extra help to get back on track. Challenged credit customers do not want to be put down and made to feel as though they aren't deserving of our attention, but the fact is they are treated poorly sometimes. It's important that while you speak to these customers, you remember challenges you've faced and think about how others treated you.

Always be respectful to the customer and even if we may not be able to help them, they still deserve a friendly voice on the phone and not to be treated like they are a waste of time. Things change, and when that customers situation does improve, you want them to remember the kindness your dealership showed them. Trust me.

WHAT TO SAY: If your customer brings credit issues up first thing in the call, it's a great spot to try to put them at ease. Always remember unless the customer is actively going through a bankruptcy, you don't really know if you can assist them or not until they show up in person and we take the proper steps to run credit. Many stores suggest the customer goes online and completes a credit application. I typically advise you reserve that option only for customers who are not local. If a customer does truly need a vehicle, we should try to work with them in person to explore all options for them, and online does not provide that personal touch.

Start with explaining that your store helps all types of customers, folks with good and challenged credit. Let them know your goal is to do everything you can to help get them into a vehicle. Also take a moment to explain that the best way to figure out how we can help, is for them to be at the store in person. Remember to use your voice inflection to remain empathetic to the customers situation. If they tell you a story along with it, be mindful of your response. I once heard a salesperson, just out of habit, say to a customer going through a divorce "that's great! I'd be happy to help". He didn't even realize what he had said. After you explain we help all types of customers in various situations, take control of the call and move into Building Rapport with the customer. Determine if they are calling in on a specific vehicle or vehicles in general and move to obtain their information and offer an appointment. 

If you have already established a bit of rapport with the customer, have their info and are trying to sell an appointment when the customer brings up this information, you should still explain you help all types of credit. The key to handling this situation is making the customer comfortable enough to set an appointment. I suggest something such ask "I understand completely, let me explain that we help customers with all types of credit - good credit and challenged credit. Our goal is to help every customer get into a vehicle! In order for us to see exactly how we can help you, we would need to have you come in and we'll sit down together to see what we can do. When are you available to do that, today or tomorrow?" this explains to the customer you want to help, but they must be there in person to see exactly how that can happen. If you circle towards an appointment, you should have some momentum built and be able to secure the appointment. Again, having the customer in store is best, as opposed to sending them to your website if they are local.

JUST REMEMBER: Keep in mind that the goal is to see how we can help. Perspective is very important on these types of calls. I have worked with BDC's that call me upset because they offered appointments to challenged credit customers, and the sales team was upset with them for wasting their time. While I completely understand that time is money when it comes to sales, no customer should be treated this way. If you simply treat them with compassion and show them you are trying to help, you have no idea how many referrals that customer may give you or if they will return to you when their situation is improved.  Having the customer in store does give you the best grip on the situation and allows you to explore all opportunities. Don't think of customers as credit scores, think of them as the people they are and remember that credit challenges can happen to anyone. How do you want to be treated it if happens to you?

The Voicemail

So you receive an internet lead and you call and they don't answer...now what? We leave a message right? Let's say the customer inquired on a 2016 Camaro. Do you call and say "Hi Kristin, this is Maggie calling from ABC Motors and guess what! The Camaro is available! Call me back if you want to come check it out, we're open till 7."? 

Stop and think about that for a second. Will leaving this type of voicemail encourage a customer to call back? If the customer is only shopping Camaro's, what have we done to build rapport to ensure she calls us back, instead of the 2-3 other stores she may be shopping? 

This is the most popular type of voicemail we hear in the phone training biz. A voicemail full of information that leaves the customer no reason to call the salesperson back. The first tip I have is to be mindful of how quickly you are calling those internet leads if you tend to leave a lot of messages. We know that the sooner we call the customer, the more likely they are to answer. If you make a point to call each lead within 5 minutes, you should find you leave a lot less messages and get more customers on the phone. 

What Should I Say Instead?

Remember the key to a good voicemail is not saying too much. Instead, give the customer a reason to call you back. Keep it simple and use your voice inflection as a tool! Smile!

Start with an opening, then state who the message is for and introduce yourself. Make sure that you give your reason for calling and indicate they should return your call. After providing your contact details, mention when you plan to follow up if they do not return your call. This helps to encourage the customer to call you back. I typically suggest you briefly repeat your information. This is for the customers benefit, and it only takes seconds. End the call by mentioning you hope to earn their business and wish them a great day. 

Example:

"Good afternoon Kristin! This is Maggie calling from ABC Motors. I have some great news for you regarding the Camaro! Please give me a call back at 877-900-9461 as soon as you can. Now, if I don't hear from you this evening, I will try you again tomorrow. Once again this is Maggie from ABC Motors and my number is 877-900-9461. We hope to earn your business Kristin, and have a great day!"

Not only is this an awesome example of great customer service skills, but if you have an upbeat and friendly voice tone, your customer will be excited to call you back. They will want to know what the good news is!

Give it a shot! 

RELATED DISCUSSION: What Is Your Best Voicemail to Get a Customer to Return Your Call?

How many times have you heard someone say this "I am going to run outside, put my hands on the vehicle, and call you right back"? Seems like a great idea at the time! The customer will know we actually have the vehicle, I'll just ring them right back, they will answer and I will offer them a test drive....ahh if only it were that simple.

Here are some reasons why you should avoid this during your phone calls.

       1. You run the risk of never speaking to that customer again

The customer does not sit by their phone and wait for you to call back. The success rate on follow up calls is incredibly low. Most times the customer sends your return call right to their voicemail. This leaves you calling them for days, just hoping to get them back on the phone. Some salespeople even leave a message saying "we have the car!" which leaves them no reason to call you back. Instead, if you must leave a message, keep it vague and simply ask them to call you back as soon as possible. 

       2. The customer will continue their search with another store

It is no secret that customers want answers immediately. When you hang up without obtaining some sort of commitment from them, they just look elsewhere. A better option is to offer them a tentative appointment if you are unsure of the vehicle's status. This way if the vehicle is sold, you can at least call the customer back and offer an alternate vehicle. 

       3. The customer is most excited during the initial call

​​​​​​​A customer can put a lot of time and research into their quest for the perfect vehicle. When they call your store, chances are they are really excited to talk about the car of their dreams. This means that you are more likely to set an appointment during your initial call, while excitement is high. Placing the customer on a very brief hold so you can check your inventory, allows you to offer them an appointment during the initial call. When offering an appointment, stick to choices and use authoritative phrasing. 

Recap: I know it is so tempting to use this as a reason to obtain the customer's information, but it is not necessary. If you establish a good relationship right away with the customer and build rapport, you can use your inventory as a reason to need their contact information. Offer them an appointment during the initial call and you will see how drastically your appointment-set ratio increases. 

Call First

When we receive an internet lead, the very first thing we should do is call the customer. If you attempt to contact the customer asap (5-15 minutes), the likelihood of you actually reaching them is increased. Be sure you are fully prepared before you call the customer. Know which vehicle they were interested in, and if it’s available. It’s also a good idea to have a backup vehicle as well.

Introduce Yourself

Once you get the customer on the phone, you should be able to set an appointment by handling the call effectively. Always introduce yourself first. Next state your reason for calling, and thank them for the opportunity to earn their business.

Rapport Build

In this step we should confirm the vehicle of interest but also inquire on something similar. If the customer was just looking at XYZ vehicles in general, then I would suggest starting with a few choice-based questions to help you figure out what they are looking for.

Sell The Appointment

Once the customer feels confident you understand what they are looking for, and they feel as though you have a vehicle available, you should move into offering an appointment. Remember to stick to choices and narrow it down gradually. For example: Today or tomorrow, then AM or PM, and finally with 2 time options.

Closure

Since this is your first time speaking with them, be sure you give them your contact information. It’s also a good idea to confirm their email address. Everyone makes typos and we want to be sure we can reach them via email if necessary. Also repeat the appointment time and review directions.

Recap

Just before you hang up, it’s a good idea to recap the appointment details. Be sure to state the day and time they have scheduled for, along with who to ask for when they arrive. You want to be sure the customer has all the details they need to feel comfortable about their appointment.

After the Call

After you hang up, I always suggest sending the customer an appointment confirmation via email. Be sure you personalize it and mention your conversation. Thank them for taking time out of their day to speak with you. Be sure you include the appointment date and time, who to ask for and include a link back to the vehicle they inquired on. Remember that the phone call and the email are about providing great customer service, and helping the customer find the right vehicle.

Good luck!

So, your customer came in, test drove but did not purchase a vehicle. Why? Well, let’s talk about a good process to follow up with them via telephone. Following up with a previous customer is really important if you want to still try to earn their business.

What you say matters

Once you have the customer on the phone, thank them for their previous visit. It’s important to start the call off on the right foot and provide great customer service.

Mention your reason for calling and give the details about when the customer was in last. For example “The reason I am calling is because you visited the dealership last Friday and I wanted to know if you are still in the market for a 2016 XYZ”.

This gives you a chance to uncover why they didn’t purchase without asking a direct question of “why did you buy from us”. Give them a chance to reply with either a yes, no or reason as to why they chose to not buy at the time of their visit. Typically if they are no longer in the market, they will tell you why right away.

If they are still in the market and their vehicle of interest is currently available, offer them a second chance to come check it out. Say something like "awesome news, the vehicle is still available! I have openings today or tomorrow for you to come in, which works best". If it’s been sold, ask some Rapport Building questions to see what else is available within their specifications. Stick to choices, for example: cloth or leather. 

Handling objections

These types of follow up calls typically produce objections, more often than an inbound call. Let’s say for example the customer states they chose to go elsewhere because they saw something similar advertised for less. Often the customer does not do their homework and the vehicles are not 100% identical. This gives you an opportunity to invite them back in and show them what makes your vehicle superior.

Perhaps they just felt now isn't the time to buy. If that is the case, bring up any sales or special promotions that you have going on. This can help the customer understand if they purchase now, they can get a great deal!

Maybe we didn't offer them enough money for their trade in. Sometimes this happens. Depending on your policies, you could always offer a second appraisal. Perhaps something was overlooked or the appraisal wasn't explained properly to the customer.  

Another tip I personally love is to build value in your dealership. Tell the customer what makes you the best place to purchase from, without putting your competition down. Do not come out and say “well we are so much better than them”. Instead say something like “did you know that we offer a powertrain warranty on all of our pre-owned vehicles? There is no extra cost, it's included with the price and we will cover the powertrain for as long as you own the vehicle!”. Truly think about what makes you the best place to purchase from and write out a value statement. 

To recap

Regardless of why the customer didn’t purchase that day, your goal is to figure out the reason and circle back towards an appointment. Work to offer a solution to their problem (if there was one) in hopes of earning their business. Mention the value your dealership offers customers and invite them back for another test drive! Good luck!

Customers will call before visiting!

It always surprises me when I work with a new client and they not have call recording established. In my opinion, this is an essential component of any successful BDC or sales team. The bulk of your customers will call before visiting the dealership, and if the first contact they have is poor, they likely will not visit in person.

Why it's important to record calls

One of the best ways to ensure your team is practicing good phone etiquette is to record their calls. This is also a great tool to have if you receive customer complaints, as it allows you to validate their concerns and address them if necessary. The most important reason to track calls however, is so that you can use them for training purposes to help your team improve. If you record their calls, you can hold them accountable to providing great customer service.

Some of the most successful dealerships I have trained, sit and listen to calls with their staff. The Sales Manager or BDC Manager will pull each team member aside once a week and simply review a call they took with them. You can stop the call and make corrections or praise your rep if they really rocked the call. Doing this is good for a few reasons.

1. It gets your team in the mindset of providing awesome customer service. If they know you are going to listen to their calls, they are going to want to be sure they are quality calls.
2. Tracking calls allows you to hear exactly what your team says to customers over the phone, and evaluate if they need additional training.

You can’t be everywhere all the time and you can’t listen to every call on a daily basis, but choosing a few random calls and reviewing them with your team, will help them improve and show that you care about the customer service they provide.

To recap:

You always have the option of hiring a call monitoring provider like myself, to listen to calls and grade and coach them. Yet I still stand by reviewing them with your team on a consistent basis. Accountability is key and if you can provide them with tips on how to improve for future calls, you will hear them improve with each phone call they take.