Setting up a car dealership BDC is a big step into the future of the business, but there’s still plenty of work to be done. BDCs are incredible revenue generators, but your people will need ongoing training to keep their skills sharp. Industry trends are also a moving target, and that means editing phone scripts and improving strategies to maximize its value. 

That being said, your BDC should be designed to operate with minimal oversight. You’ve got a lot going on just keeping the dealership running, and developing your team is the work of dedicated training specialists. Is this an investment? Of course, but a great partner can deliver an incredible ROI.

Ideally, the team doing the training should be able to coordinate with your manager to take care of everything so all you have to do is green-light the funds and read the good news in the reports they send. Here’s everything you need to know to keep your BDC ahead of the game. 

HOW IS A BDC DIFFERENT FROM MY OTHER DEPARTMENTS?

Unlike the sales department, your car dealership BDC doesn’t really do a lot of negotiating or outright selling. That’s the work of your sales team, but these frontline customer service representatives are responsible for setting everyone else up for success by managing appointments, routing calls, generating leads, and delivering key messaging about the services you offer. 

While they’ll wear a lot of hats depending on the nature of the call, a BDC’s work can be broken down into three broad categories.

• Greeting customers and channeling inbound calls to the appropriate contact.
• Working with sales scripts.
• Scheduling appointments

While these things can definitely be improved by your training partner, BDC reps have to have a natural flair for the work. That’s why picking the right person to do the managing and hiring is key to building a better department. 

GREETING CUSTOMERS AND CHANNELING INBOUND CALLS

These skills are drawn directly from the skill set your receptionists utilize on a daily basis. Your car dealership BDC will not be replacing them since you always need a dedicated team to meet and greet customers in person, but your BDC reps will definitely be handling most of the inbound calls.

And just like your receptionists, BDC staff are often the initial point of contact customers have with your dealership, and first impressions are everything. Here are a few excellent free training videos led by Nicole Marcellino from Phone Ninjas that will be extremely useful for developing your new team members:

• Receptionist training
• Inbound calls: 1. The Greeting
• Inbound calls: 2. Qualifying a Generic Vehicle
• Inbound calls: 3. Qualifying a Specific Vehicle

SALES SCRIPTS

The key to consistent, high-quality customer service and brand messaging is well-crafted phone scripts. If you are not using these, you are undoubtedly leaving revenue opportunities on the table left and right.   

Now, we know scripts can sometimes have a bad reputation in the industry. We’ve all had this experience: bored customer service agents robotically mumbling their way through a terrible script without ever giving you the information you need. And yes, if bad scripts are executed poorly they can hurt your business. That’s why it’s so important to work with a dedicated training partner. 

When scripts are well-written and delivered confidently, they can have explosive results for your dealership’s bottom line. Here’s what your team needs to keep improving:

• Effective scripts written and updated by qualified industry professionals (here’s a great source of free, high-quality scripts).
• Regular coaching for delivery and memorization.
• Developing the language of the scripts to suit individual styles (with your BDC manager’s supervision).

This ongoing training can be a lot of work for time-strapped owners and GMs. The good news is that there are excellent companies out there that can handle this active coaching process, and because they’re dedicated experts, they can deliver excellent results in 15- to 20-minute weekly or monthly sessions. 

SETTING APPOINTMENTS

Most dealerships struggle to convert 20% of their internet and phone traffic to in-person, live appointments. In reality, the average needs to be much higher, especially with inbound customer contacts. Well-run BDCs are averaging at least 50%, and the top training partners can deliver even bigger numbers with the right strategy and focus. 

Once again, Phone Ninjas instructor Nicole Marcellino covers everything you need to know with the second half of her series on the secrets of leveraging inbound calls:

• Inbound call 4. Obtain Contact Information 
• Inbound call 5. Ask for the Appointment
• Inbound call 6. Drive to Closure
• Inbound call 7. Giving Proper Directions (to your car dealership)

With these simple techniques and some positive coaching, your car dealership BDC will make sure your showroom is flooded with interested customers so your salespeople can capitalize. 

A GREAT TRAINING PARTNER MAKES IT EASY 

Establishing your BDC is a major hurdle to clear, but with the right training partner, it’s easy to keep getting better. This is where Phone Ninjas can deliver incredible value for busy GMs and managers who don’t have the time or expertise to handle the upkeep. We’re an automotive phone training and consulting company founded by industry professionals with decades of sales and coaching experience, and we’ve been working with BDCs around the country to keep them ahead of the competition.

Our best clients are achieving appointment rates up to 80%, quadrupling the industry average, and backing those numbers up with the skills they need to unlock every revenue opportunity. But don’t take our word for it—hear what Christine at Wesley Chapel Toyota has to say about her Phone Ninjas coaching experience.

Contact us today for a free demo and two mystery shops to find out what Phone Ninjas can do for your car dealership BDC! 

It’s a busy Saturday afternoon at your dealership, and the phones are ringing off the hook. In the middle of the flood of incoming calls, there’s Steve, your star service advisor. He’s juggling conversations, developing sales opportunities, and keeping customers happy. What makes Steve cool as a cucumber on the week’s busiest day? He receives phone training for automotive service advisors, memorizes excellent scripts, and spends regular sessions with a hands-on coach.

A service advisor’s phone skills are crucial to your sales engine, driving new leads and cementing relationships. However, not every advisor is a natural-born salesperson. They’re much less likely than your primary sales team to have spent time sharpening their selling chops, which is why solid training can make all the difference.

We’ve curated a list of must-have phone training techniques to help your advisors master proven sales techniques, delivering quality service while drawing in more business for your dealership.

PERSONALIZED TRAINING FOR MORE EFFECTIVE UPSKILLING

Let’s get back to what makes Steve such a great salesperson. It’s not innate charm (though he has that in spades); instead, it’s training that focuses on his unique strengths and growth areas. The “secret sauce” of individualized training lies in its ability to identify and amplify positive developments while dealing with challenges on a one-to-one level. 

Personalized learning means coaching sessions can focus solely on an individual advisor’s progress. These aren’t just standard performance reviews. Instead, they’re interactive, feedback-oriented, and filled with constructive tips drawn from precision insights. Feedback should also be adapted for ongoing skill development. The goal shouldn’t be a one-time boost but a long-term path to mastery.

The final key component of personalized training is individualized roleplaying. Exercises that reflect real-world interactions are a fantastic way to get closer to the boots-on-the-ground experience, providing more tangible learning opportunities. Meanwhile, as the marketplace changes, so will your roleplay methods. New customer expectations should be incorporated into your program, and real scenarios from the service floor can be integrated as they arise.

MASTERING SCRIPTS FOR LASTING RELATIONSHIPS

Remember those scripts Steve committed to memory? They’re vital for building lasting relationships that turn into future sales. These connections aren’t about a quick conversion, though. They’re focused on building a foundation of trust and loyalty that keeps customers coming back. 

Scripts also provide the perfect blend of professionalism and personal touch. They equip advisors with the correct language to address complex issues, provide accurate information, and reassure customers. But it’s not just about the words—it’s how they’re delivered. Advisors should be trained like actors for a play, memorizing their lines and injecting warmth into scripted responses. This helps each interaction feel more organic and part of a meaningful conversation.

It may surprise you that exceptional communication skills can be developed using scripts. Good phone training for automotive service advisors emphasizes active listening, empathy, and the ability to answer questions confidently. All these components can be reinforced by good scripting. For example, solutions to objections are already in front of the advisor, and follow-up questions are presented with clear flows based on customer statements. As they continuously weave scripts to suit each unique customer, they’ll attain a more consistent foundation—one built on your brand’s voice rather than a different approach for each interaction.

ACTIVE COACHING FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Imagine if every call Steve gets could turn into a learning opportunity and was a step toward mastery. For your dealership, this isn’t wishful thinking. It’s the core tenet of active coaching. Unlike traditional, one-off training sessions, active coaching is a dynamic, ongoing process that evolves with your team’s needs and the constantly shifting automotive marketplace.

One of the main pillars of active coaching is real-time implementation. As we discussed in the first section, the best training isn’t focused on hypothetical scenarios but on real-world exercises. Live call coaching takes this one step further by having coaches listen in, provide immediate feedback, and help advisors refine their approach on the spot. 

Active coaching also incorporates incentives and motivational targets to keep advisors engaged. Recognizing and rewarding milestones achieved through active coaching can significantly boost morale and productivity. Whether it’s through internal recognition programs, competitions like Phone Ninjas’ Perfect Score Contest, or even more growth opportunities, these incentives encourage advisors to embrace the learning process and strive for excellence week after week.

START YOUR PHONE TRAINING TRANSFORMATION WITH A MYSTERY SHOP

Active coaching begins with a mystery shop—a third-party phone or online audit where the coaching team scores your performance. It’s a great way to get an outside view of your customer experience, pinpointing weak spots and kickstarting the road to improvement. At Phone Ninjas, we provide 2 free mystery shops to get you started: one for your digital channel, and one by phone.

Our mystery shopping service objectively assesses your sales team’s effectiveness. We’ll build a customized report that highlights your strongest areas, potential improvements, and untapped potential. By monitoring response times and analyzing the chronological flow of your interactions, we offer insightful feedback to enhance your team’s communication strategy.

Ready to see how Phone Ninjas can elevate your phone training for automotive service advisors? Contact us now to schedule a free demo!