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Total Posts: 48    

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

May 5, 2024

WHAT IS MYSTERY SHOPPING FOR DEALERSHIP SALES TEAMS?

One major component of any automotive Owner’s or GM’s due diligence is a constant and ongoing evaluation of your sales team members’ skills, growth, consistency, and quality of delivery. If you don’t invest in training upkeep, their skills slowly become outdated and develop holes, and that means one thing for your dealership: lost revenue opportunities.


But you’re already slammed in a dozen different ways. Twenty-four hours simply isn’t enough time to do regular deep dives into each employee’s performance. What’s the answer, then? Internet surveys? Nope, only 44% of those are returned. Receipt surveys? Much worse, with just a 1% return rate. And all of these rely on customer memories being recalled days, even weeks later. 


Mystery shopping, on the other hand, is a precise and accurate tool that will reliably give you an ongoing X-ray of your team’s skill sets. By incorporating mystery shops into your training program, you’ll save time and give your employees actionable advice from real-world experiences they can take to the phones today. If you’re new to this and asking, “What is mystery shopping?”, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know to deploy this fast and powerful technique. 


HOW PHONE INTERACTIONS LEAD TO REVENUE

All business boils down to one simple question: “Is my customer satisfied?” In customer service-heavy industries like car sales, that means spending a lot of time on the phone listening carefully, answering specific questions, and supporting a purchase process with all your options and service packages. There are a TON of opportunities to generate revenue in that narrative—and many more to lose it. 


This is why a lot of dealerships have moved to using dedicated business development centers (BCSs) and phone scripts. The specialists in a BDC save time for your sales team by engaging with customers on a range of topics and directing traffic. That frees up the salespeople to focus on giving the customers exactly what they’re looking for and pairing it with financing and service plans that make sense. 


How well they manage those interactions on the phone translates directly to dollar signs. Mystery shops look at what’s really going on during those calls and provide instant feedback on a range of important areas. 

These evaluations will:

  • Measure your sales team’s performance and productivity.
  • Gauge how well your sales team supports your brand message.
  • Evaluate every aspect of your sales plan, from lead generation to follow-up calls.
  • Identify revenue opportunities that are being left on the table.
  • Make sure those appointments are asked for—and set!
  • Provide real-world examples of what to change and how to change it.


HOW DOES MYSTERY SHOPPING WORK?

Mystery shopping involves trained consultants going undercover posing as customers so they can experience your sales team’s skills and delivery. This eliminates the observer bias that gives you a false picture of what’s actually going on. After all, if your team knows the boss is in the room they’re going to behave much differently, and you need to know how they perform on an average call. 


Is mystery shopping the best way to evaluate your talent? The data doesn’t lie: while any method of data collection has its flaws, mystery shoppers consistently deliver higher quality data that is more accurate than any collected through other channel metrics, such as receipt surveys. 


More importantly, it is conducted with a professional and exacting approach that has more in common with a science lab than a random collection of individual opinions.


These calls:

  • Use trained professionals.—these people know how to blend in and not tip off your sales team.
  • Test specific sales tactics. Mystery shoppers find out what’s costing you money, and can explain what to change afterwards. 
  • Explore aspects of service. Because mystery shops are live experiences, they allow for digging deeper into interactions that may be costing opportunities. 


After the call, your training partner breaks down their results and creates a report covering everything that went well and highlights key areas that can be improved. These are often shared with the entire time, and it’s not meant to shame! In many cases, these lessons apply to everyone, so it’s good to make them teachable moments. 


WHAT IS MYSTERY SHOPPING GOING TO BRING TO MY BUSINESS?

With the best companies bringing you super-accurate data, you can begin to pinpoint existing systemic issues, emerging problems, skill and presentation drift, and consistency. Only once you know why your KPIs aren’t where they need to be can you begin actually moving the needle on them. 


Here are some areas you can expect to improve through mystery shops:

  • Higher appointment and conversion rates
  • More efficient communications and customer service
  • Optimized lead generation
  • Increased referral rates 
  • Higher engagement with service agreements and in-house service departments
  • Durable customer relationships and loyalty


These are all key areas for building your business, and all of them lead to higher commissions and more job satisfaction for your employees. Even if they’re a little hesitant to participate, once your team starts seeing the results on monthly sales goals and in their paychecks, they’ll definitely be on board.


CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNER

Of course, mystery shopping by itself is not going to deliver you the results you need. It is a measurement tool that allows you to make sure your training, policies, strategic vision, and dozens of other variables are impacting your business.


That means finding an expert training partner who knows how to use mystery shops as part of an overall dealership strategy—and that’s why you need Phone Ninjas


At Phone Ninjas, we’ve turned training your sales teams and BDCs to generate revenue into an art form. We work one-on-one with each staff member to develop their skills over time to make sure everyone is learning as thoroughly and quickly as possible. 


And once our mystery shoppers evaluate your team’s hard work, we again meet with them individually to work on any lingering issues and celebrate the successes they’ve already achieved.


If you‘re still wondering, “What is mystery shopping going to do for my dealership sales teams?”, drop us a line! We’re so sure you’ll love us, we start out with a complimentary demonstration and two free mystery shops.

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

16

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Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

Dec 12, 2023

HOW TO WRITE COLD-CALLING SCRIPTS FOR CAR SALES

Cold calls are one of the toughest sales pitches in any business. They are fraught with unknowns, and employees have to be prepared to answer sharp questions and navigate interactions on the fly.


They’re also a solid part of any sales plan, and if your team is close to a monthly goal, they can be the difference between clearing the bar and falling short. But how can you make the most of these unpredictable opportunities?


It turns out the best answer is also a little counterintuitive: scripts! Even though you’re going in blind, all the sales fundamentals and best practices still apply. Armed with well-thought-out cold calling scripts for car sales, your employees will have a solid roadmap that keeps them moving efficiently toward closing and maximizes potential revenue opportunities.


WHAT DO I NEED TO INCLUDE?

Whether you’re leaving a message or answering impromptu questions about the most minute details of your inventory, the basic structure will follow predictable patterns that any associate can learn to follow. Every business is a little different, but all cold-calling scripts for car sales should use a branching outline that covers the basic scenarios your associates are likely to encounter. These include things like greetings, common questions, and guidance for turning pushback into productive conversations. 


And remember: anything can happen, and a cold call can end immediately or result in a same-day sale. Your team will need to be on top of their scripts and on their toes to convert these conversations to sales. 


MAKE AN INTRODUCTION

This may seem obvious, but it’s very easy to get off on the wrong foot—especially on a cold call. How your team handles these important details can impact the later phases of the experience, and getting it right can be the difference between a hot sale and an icy fail:


The Greeting: Salespeople should politely and concisely introduce themselves, the business, and (if applicable) their department.

Establish a Relationship: A great script will guide employees through making a connection, as well as support using the customer’s preferred title throughout the call. 

Hook your Lead: When you make your initial pitch, keep it short, informative, attractive, and benefit-based.

Listen and Take Notes: Even though you’ve never met, this call is all about the customer! You’re going to need to find out exactly what you can help them with, and that means careful listening and taking notes. 

Cold calling scripts for car sales give your sales team a clear, repeatable, and professional outline to deliver consistent messaging every time. Whether they’re leaving a voicemail or speaking to a live customer, they’ll hit everything essential without any distractions. 


TRANSITIONING TO CUSTOMER NEEDS

Once they get past this tricky initial phase, a sales associate can move on to the heart and soul of the call. They’ll need to find out what value they can offer as quickly and efficiently as possible. After all, time is money, and that goes double for the customer holding the credit card. 


Qualifying Questions

Once introductions are made, a great script will start guiding a sales associate through the discovery process. Because you called them, these questions are critical to contextualizing the call and presenting a customer with exciting opportunities they don’t know about. 


Crucially, make sure you don’t leave questions open-ended! Customers will need clear choices they can respond to with definite answers to feel comfortable, less pressured, and in control. 


Appointment Requests

When you’ve established they’re interested, it’s time to invite them into the showroom to explore. Cold calling scripts for car sales should offer prompts for firm times, dates, and contact information that are followed up with polite confirmation. 


Vague language that prompts responses like “maybe next week” or “if have time after work tomorrow” should be avoided, and if customers are non-committal it may mean they need time to think. A script should be prepared to support that choice, but it shouldn’t be shy about specifics. 80% of customers feel more comfortable with a business if they can schedule an appointment. 


Confirm and Close the Call

“Thanks for your time, and we’re really looking forward to seeing you!” may sound like a decent enough way to end the call, but without a few core features this friendly closing has the potential to evaporate your lead! 


Be sure your scripts touch on the following important details:


Let them know you’re about to confirm and invite them to get a pen and paper. A missed appointment can make them feel awkward, and it’s always worth making the appointment easier for them to keep.

Make sure they know the name of the salesperson they’ll be meeting at their visit—especially if it’s you!

Provide the address and customer-relevant directions to your dealership.

Confirm the appointment time, date, and location.

Promise a follow-up call to further confirm the appointment.

Thank the customer for their time.

Including these points in the closing of your cold calling scripts for car sales will give the customer everything they need. Attention to detail lets them know you care about their business and value their time. 


COACH YOUR EMPLOYEES

To make sure your cold calling scripts for car sales work as intended, your team will need training, feedback, and lots of practice. Ideally, this will include mystery shops, active coaching from dedicated auto phone sales professionals, and repeated contact over time. 


One excellent method professional phone sales trainers use to get a team comfortable is called the “Leapfrog Technique.” It builds familiarity with your script and gives them a dynamic understanding of how to use it. It’s ideal for cold-calling scenarios that can require pivoting at a moment’s notice. 


First, number every sentence. Then, have your employees practice it in the following ways:


Read each sentence in order.

Read just the even numbers…

…then the odd numbers…

…then in reverse order…

…then evens and odds in reverse order.

Now, they can make the script work in any order circumstances may require.


ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT

As you can see, writing and coaching cold calling scripts for car sales is involved and time-intensive. Sometimes it makes sense to bring in outside help from professionals who write these scripts for a living. 


At Phone Ninjas, writing phone scripts and training employees to use them is our bread and butter. We deliver hand-tailored scripts for your business (not recycled sales jargon by big-box sales generalists) from our team of automotive sales champs who bring over five decades of combined experience to the table.


Even better, we take care of all training, actively coach your people over time with weekly sessions, and use mystery shops to evaluate their skills in real-world scenarios.

Let us turbocharge the performance of your dealership with our cold-calling scripts for car sales. We’d love to chat and demonstrate how to set your cold-calling game on fire.

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

42

No Comments

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

Dec 12, 2023

HOW AUTOMOTIVE PHONE TRAINING IS IMPACTING CAR SALES

Let’s face it: automotive sales are becoming increasingly competitive and impersonal with the growth of the online industry. Customers are savvier than ever about getting the best deal, and traditional dealerships are looking to offer greater value through personalized service and better customer experiences. 


Between COVID and pressure from digital brokers, dealerships are keeping 33% fewer cars on the lot than they did a decade ago. 1 in 3 customers know exactly what they want by the time they make contact, and they are willing to wait for the car they want to be ordered. However, for purchases this important, they still want to talk to a human being. Phone leads generate 10-15 times more revenue than web leads, and having an excellent phone game is vital to maximizing your opportunities.  


Automotive phone training is a key part of any plan to ensure your sales team presents a unified, deep, and high-quality experience for customers no matter which employee picks up the phone. We’ll take you through some of the most important ways phone training can boost your sales goals and the advantages it can deliver for your business. 


PHONE CONTACTS OFFER BETTER COMMUNICATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Dealership walk-in rates in the internet age are steadily declining. It used to be that 70% of leads came from walk-ins. Today, 70-80% of leads come from phone calls and the internet. If you want to develop better personal relationships with your clients to close sales and generate referrals, the statistics show that you can’t wait for them to show up at your doorstep. Times are changing, and a solid phone game is a vital part of creating a winning sales equation. 


Unfortunately, there’s a lot of evidence to show employee phone skills have not kept pace with evolving trends. This represents a huge competitive opportunity for dealerships and one that cannot be ignored as shopping habits continue to shift. High-quality automotive phone training can be a critical differentiator that maximizes revenue in this modern, remote-communication economy.


DEEP, ADAPTIVE SCRIPTS UNIFY BRAND MESSAGE AND IMPROVE LEAD CONVERSION

When customers pick up the phone, they are looking for answers to specific questions and help with important concerns. This can be challenging for a sales team, especially when it comes to delivering clear, consistent messaging no matter who takes the call. 


Phone scripts are the best way to take advantage of modern sales dynamics in the industry. They keep everyone on brand, provide support for challenging interactions, and guide your team through every path to revenue. When scripts are written properly and supported with one-on-one automotive phone training, they offer a number of valuable advantages:


Customers get the same experience regardless of which employee they connect with.

They provide your team with branching, adaptive scripts that use proven techniques to overcome common objections and answer complicated questions. 

Scripts keep associates on message and moving efficiently toward closing while minimizing the chances they’ll inadvertently kill a potential sale. 

ACTIVE COACHING ALLOWS YOUR TEAM TO INTERACT NATURALLY AND EFFICIENTLY

Once you’ve got a great script, employees must be coached to deliver it organically. Everyone knows how off-putting it can be to listen to a customer service agent robotically delivering a pre-written script. But the very best, most helpful calls you’ve ever had were probably also supported by a script—you just didn’t know it because they were so professionally presented!


Employees who are coached to deliver scripts over time with effective automotive phone training are able to integrate their individual sales skills with optimized sales content. Coaching agencies who understand the industry and deliver active coaching can:


Ensure your team sounds natural and engaged. 

Deliver scripts tailored to individual sales styles.

Empower associates to improvise as they get comfortable so they can personalize customer experiences. 

Identify effective phrases and techniques and share them with the team. 

Finally, active coaching is all about growing and developing over time—especially as the industry continues evolving. A great automotive phone training agency gives you the flexibility to update your scripts and make your entire sales floor aware of changing trends. Your team will just keep getting better and better, and they’ll be ahead of the curve when change rolls around. 


GET THE BEST TRAINING FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS.

Car sales strategies and tactics are constantly adapting to keep up with changing customer dynamics. The dealerships that will stand out tomorrow are the ones that embrace effective automotive phone training today. 


Unfortunately, increased competition online has made developing a competitive phone game chess, not checkers, and most dealers don’t have the time or expertise to create effective scripts or train their people to use them well. It takes a dedicated industry expert to get your phone game on point, and Phone Ninjas is the best in the business. 


We’re a world-class automotive phone training coaching agency founded and staffed by legendary industry professionals with over five decades of combined automotive selling experience. We personally craft scripts for your dealership and provide ongoing active coaching to get your employees comfortable and confident.


And unlike some programs, we make sure they’re working while learning. After a 90-minute introductory session, we keep individual training short and constructive so your people can get right back on the phone to meet their sales goals. We also follow up with mystery shops (we’ll throw in two for free!) to give them real-world tips that can make a difference in their numbers today. 


If you think Phone Ninjas can help perfect and streamline your phone service so your team can take revenues to new heights, contact us today to schedule a free demo!

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

10

No Comments

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

Nov 11, 2023

PROVEN STRATEGIES AUTO DEALER GENERAL MANAGERS USE TO INCREASE SALES

As an auto dealer general manager, you’re responsible for everything from bringing the newest inventory onto the lot to making sure the employee bathroom gets cleaned. No matter what you’re dealing with today, somehow, some way, all of it contributes to the one overarching goal of the business: making sales. And when it comes to the bottom line, one of the biggest parts of your mission is training and coaching your team into world-class closing machines.


Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in the day, and a lot of your attention is divided up managing nitty-gritty details like reports, forecasts, inventory, HR, marketing, budgets, and an endless stream of new developments and issues. Everyone wants a piece of your time, and sometimes it feels like the last thing you can do is actually help your team sell cars!


As a result, nearly any auto dealer general manager will need to bring in an experienced coaching agency to help deliver the consistent and effective sales training their employees need. These companies write scripts and work with your people over time to ensure they deliver high-quality, uniform, and consistent customer service that converts leads into sales. However, while getting the right coaching agency with the perfect strategy can completely revolutionize the success of your dealership, the wrong plan will waste your investment, frustrate your people, and tank your monthly goals. 


Here are some of the top strategies GMs should look for from a coaching agency to reliably increase sales and take their team to the next level. 


FINDING A COACHING AGENCY THAT WORKS

In the automotive industry, the ability of a salesperson to connect and serve your customers remains the fundamental driver for profitability and return business. As you well know, sales in the automotive industry are highly nuanced; you may be the general manager, but a generalist coaching agency simply won’t have the depth of knowledge it takes to make a real impact on your monthly targets. Make sure you partner with a team that’s got a proven track record in the industry that’s backed by broad expertise in auto sales. 


In addition to solid credentials, references, and results, you should expect to see a portfolio of strategies that are effective and reliable in supporting their work. When selecting a company, an auto dealer general manager should keep an eye out for the following elements in their game plan:


  • Active one-on-one coaching over time for your team.
  • Detailed phone and sales scripts tailored to your dealership’s needs.
  • Follow-up reports and coaching based on real-world practice and mystery shops. 


ACTIVE COACHING IS KING

Harvard Business School recommends taking several months to perfect a new skill. They also note the importance of learning from an experienced teacher who’s mastered the techniques they’re teaching and note that many people learn best when not being taught by someone responsible for evaluating them at their workplace (like the auto dealer general manager!)


So, if real growth of a skill takes time, effort, and a lot of personal attention from a coach, what’s the smart play? 


Easy: bring in a company that works interactively with your staff in a one-on-one capacity over a span of time sufficient to truly master the skills they need. And before you start worrying about lost productivity, you should know that effective teaching doesn’t mean hours and hours of training. The most elite coaching agencies can make measurable improvements to a sales associate’s game in as little as 20 minutes a month. They’ll give your team real tactics they can deploy right away without interfering with their time on the phone pursuing sales goals. 


DETAILED AND CUSTOM-MADE SCRIPTS

Some dealerships are hesitant to use phone scripts because they view them as limiting to their most talented salespeople. That may have been true 25 years ago, but the industry has changed a lot since then. Customers experience branding, messaging, and content online long before they come into contact with a live person, and it’s extremely difficult to maintain the continuity and consistency of their experience without guidance and structure. 


Deep, branching scripts written for your dealership by experienced automotive sales professionals can give your team a consistent on-brand message. They keep salespeople on track and eliminate random language that’s not moving a customer toward conversion (or actively hurting the chances of closing!).


And in difficult moments, these scripts help your agents effectively handle challenges with grace and kindness. After all, these moments are those rare opportunities to convert an angry person into a lifelong customer with great customer service. 


MYSTERY SHOPS WITH FOLLOW-UP SUPPORT

Without a real-world evaluation of your team’s skills, all the coaching in the world doesn’t mean a thing. It’s critical to test staff knowledge with an initial baseline survey and follow-up evaluations in the workplace. Traditionally this has been done with receipt surveys, email questionnaires, and customer comment cards, but these single-point methods of data collection often lack actionable data and limit the opportunity to ask meaningful follow-up questions.


Mystery shops, however, are extremely effective strategies for analyzing performance quickly and highlighting specific teaching points. By posing as a customer, a mystery shopper will experience exactly what your customers do, and then evaluate the success of the training and the overall customer experience. Multiple data vectors can be collected, and spontaneous follow-up questions on important areas of improvement can be engaged in as needed.


Of course, the very best mystery shopping companies don’t just leave the training at a single point of contact. These moments serve as the basis of ongoing training to solidify new techniques, and will repeatedly confirm performance in real-world situations. 


PICK THE RIGHT PARTNER

An auto dealer general manager must be a master delegator as well as an administrator. If you bring in the wrong coaching agency and strategies to your business you’re wasting time and money, and that will ultimately show up in dropping sales. 


Phone Ninjas is a highly experienced active coaching agency with a proven track record of improving an automotive dealership’s overall sales and customer service skills. Our customized scripts unify your team’s sales approach and ensure that all your employees are confidently and consistently driving your leads toward conversion. 


Our active coaching takes place over months of short, highly individual sessions that leave an auto dealer sales manager in a largely hands-off capacity, free to focus on your other responsibilities. Our coaches have extensive automotive industry experience, so they’ve seen and heard it all. We know the strategies and techniques that can help any auto dealership general manager develop their sales team, and we even offer two free mystery shops to lay the foundation for how we can help them improve. 


If you think Phone Ninjas can help your dealership team excel, call us today to schedule your free demo!

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

35

1 Comment

Paul Rushing

Stateline Sales LLC

Nov 11, 2023  

LOL nothing actionable and a sales pitch.. Not really the front of social networking.. Then again you paid for the right to pitch away..

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

Nov 11, 2023

CAR DEALER SALES TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT WORK

You’ve hired some wonderful people to help your dealership sell vehicles, but the numbers just aren’t where they should be. Why are the KPIs not spiking? The first place to look is training. Talent is important, but if it’s not supported by disciplined on-brand messaging even the best team is going to struggle. 


Every dealership needs training programs that are reliable, data-driven, and based on real-world feedback, but a lot of programs are just well-packaged videos, dull slideshows, or impersonal seminars in a crowded hotel ballroom that only vaguely relate to your business. These expensive one-and-done strategies are generic and will never get to the bottom of the challenges you need to address to help your team improve. 


Programs that build a real mentor-mentee relationship with your staff are the gold standard. Bringing in caring professionals who will not just teach your employees, but also test, evaluate, coach, and teach them to troubleshoot scenarios from their actual daily work is the key to making real gains in the automotive industry. Here are the elements you should look for in a car dealer sales training program. 


IN-DEPTH SCRIPTS

Having a trainer deliver an hour-long lecture about overcoming objections and closing strategies may boost morale, but it won’t give employees practical guidance to navigate the moment-to-moment nuances of a real sales call. Even if your team remembers the bullet points, they still have to come up with all the details on the fly. That’s no way to keep everyone efficiently on point and on brand.


This is where high-quality, customized sales scripts can streamline and unify your entire customer service experience. These scripts should be created under the guidance of industry professionals who have decades of experience handling customer relations and sales, and be tailored to meet your specific business needs. Good scripts are solid tools that keep customer interactions focused on the big picture and assure a consistent experience no matter which employee picks up the phone.


As a conversation with a customer develops, these deep scripts branch into situationally-appropriate responses that are proven to boost lead generation and provide uniform, consistent service. And when difficult situations arise, these scripts give your employees a solid playbook to help them capitalize on challenging customer interactions and pushback that would cost even the most talented salesperson a commission. 


To succeed in car dealer sales, training programs that work are critical, and good scripts are tools that will serve your employees for the rest of their careers.


ACTIVE COACHING AND TRAINING

Professional sports teams don’t just toss their athletes a playbook and set them loose. Interactive coaching is the key to developing player skills and team cohesion. Regardless of your industry, hands-on, repeat coaching experiences beat isolated training sessions every time, and in interaction-heavy sectors like car sales it can be the difference between meeting your goals and shuttering your windows. 


Look for training companies that offer multiple one-on-one training sessions with your associates over time. Real growth takes repetition and effort, and single-point training modules and seminars simply won’t provide the repetition it takes to develop winning habits. After all, each one of your employees has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, so you want individualized, personal training to leverage what they do well and improve the rest along the way. 


Finally, car dealer sales training programs need to be industry-focused experts. Beware of inexperienced generalists! Unless trainers have decades of experience selling cars, there’s no way they can provide you with insider guidance you’re going to need to make a real impact on your bottom line. 


EXPERIENCE-BASED FEEDBACK AND COACHING

This is where so many training programs fall short: they might give wonderful information… but they don’t rely on analysis and data to generate feedback to make sure it sticks. Unless coaches actively evaluate how well your employees are using the training every day in your business and then coaching them on the results, there’s no guarantee any of it has sunk in.


A great way to get this feedback is to look for companies that offer mystery shops. Customer comment cards and surveys are informative up to a point, but they strip out a lot of vital information. By posing as a customer, mystery shoppers provide detailed feedback on the customer experience so trainers can further work with your staff to hone their skills to ever-higher levels in car dealer sales.


Training programs that work often include at least some of these mystery shops at no charge so you can evaluate how the business relationship is developing.


INBOUND AND OUTBOUND CALL COACHING

Whether you’re following up fresh leads, checking in on existing customers, or contacting a referral, almost nothing beats the warmth and validation of a human being on the other end of the phone. Every employee needs a solid skill bank that allows them to handle any situation with professionalism, care, and grace. 


The training company you select needs to deliver scripts and active coaching on a variety of possible sales scenarios so your team is ready to handle all the situations they will encounter—not just the most common ones that are easy to convert. Make sure the car dealer sales training company you choose delivers a comprehensive program that matches the real-world needs of your team. 


PICK THE RIGHT PARTNER

As a successful business owner, you know how you run your business is only part of the puzzle. Another huge piece is the quality of businesses with whom you partner.


Phone Ninjas is an automotive sales and phone training company founded and staffed by industry professionals with decades of experience selling cars and trucks. Our experience means we’ve built car dealer sales training programs that reliably produce results, and are based on practical training tips that can help any sales team improve. 


Our scripts are hand tailored to fit your business, and our trainers work to develop your team’s skills over months of personalized one-on-one training and coaching. We’ll provide feedback to help your employees grow, and show you how the quality of your dealership’s customer consistency improves before and after extensive coaching. We even throw in two mystery shops for free so you can gauge how the training and coaching are improving your sales team without breaking the bank.


If you’d like to see if Phone Ninjas can turbocharge your sales game and boost your revenues, contact us today and schedule your free demo. 

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

43

No Comments

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

Nov 11, 2023

CAR SALES QUESTIONS TO ASK CUSTOMERS ON THE PHONE

Natural salesmanship can take an associate a long way in any business, but there is always a breaking point where the intuitive drive to sell has to give way to disciplined messaging centered on customer concerns. However, the automotive world is not just one of many examples where this is true—it’s a gold-standard space for conscious branding, active training, and carefully scripted phone interactions to maximize sales. 


The fact is, cars are one of the last true sales environments out there, and they represent a pure opportunity for a team’s talent and technique to come together to move products and drive profits. Today’s environment is no longer the solo show it was 20 years ago. It’s a team sport, and the sales process is one long, integrated chain of experiences. From a customer’s initial interactions with the website to finally sliding the keys across the table, it’s all about finding the right car sales questions to ask customers—and in the right way—to identify exactly what you need to deliver for them.


An associate who’s armed with a well-crafted script will outperform any sales virtuoso who’s going it alone, and like anything, there’s an art to asking the right questions. Here are some of the very best car sales questions to ask in a variety of scenarios to help guide their leads to the car they’re going to fall in love with. 


1. QUESTIONS IN FOLLOW UP CALLS

This is a phone call that’s either following up with a potential customer who you met with already, or returning a phone call from a customer who wanted to initiate a conversation. In these cases, you’re hoping to move a customer down your sales pipeline, and will likely be providing information either proactively or in response to a particular query. 


In both cases, the most important question you’re going to ask will look something like this:


“Hello [Customer Name], this is [Your Name] with [Your Dealership] and I wanted to answer the questions you had about [X Issue]. [Provide answers]. I know [These Concerns] are important for you—would you like to go over some of the options and details?” 


This interaction does two things: first, it provides the information they requested, but second, it’s phrased in a way that lets them know your pitch is secondary (and related) to their needs. Every customer understands you care about making the sale and the size of your commission—that’s a given—but no one should ever feel like that’s more important than making sure they are well served. After all, a car is one of the biggest investments most people ever make, and your first priority for earning your keep is making sure their needs are taken care of completely and compassionately. 


2. NURTURING TRUSTWORTHY REFERRALS

Part of creating happy customers and building a strong reputation is managing referrals from your customers. Buying a car often involves making huge financial decisions with people you just met. The initial interactions sales associates have with referrals over the phone can be make-or-break for establishing a sense of continuity and trust.


When you’re contacting a referral, your script should follow this structure:


“Hello [Customer Name], this is [Your Name] with [Your Dealership] and I was given your name by [Referrer’s Name] . We were able to find them a great car. They mentioned that you might be interested and [These Concerns] are important to you and your family. Would you like to talk about some of our options?”


When we consider the structure of the best car sales questions to ask customers, this format is key. First, it communicates that you have a good relationship with someone they know and trust. More importantly, it relays that the discussion you had with their friend about them was centered on their needs, not your wallet. Again, the phrasing is structured so that their needs are first and your sales pitch is a response. 


It may seem a bit cynical, but the reality of sales is that most people are inexperienced with negotiating and naturally view car sales associates as slick operators who aren’t to be trusted. An excellent script should always be proactively reinforcing the idea that transaction is about people first and money second. 


3. CONNECTING WITH EXISTING CUSTOMERS


It can always be awkward calling a friend when you want something, even if you know them well. When you’re calling out of the blue from a business, it’s extremely important to get the initial interactions right so it doesn’t feel blatantly transactional. 

If you’ve got some great deals you want to share with old customers, your script should be centered around this question:


Hello [Customer], this is [Your Name] at [Your Dealership]—I hope you are doing well. How are you liking your [Current Car]? Is there anything we can help you with? I’m reaching out because this year’s models have arrived…


It might seem a bit odd that this script doesn’t get right to the point, but once again, the most important thing to communicate to a potential customer is that what they’re feeling and what they need matters first and foremost. If they’re happy—great! And if they’re having trouble, you’ll definitely want to address it before you try to sell them something else. 


The key here is, whether they’re completely happy or looking to make a change, you still have the same opportunity to invite them to look. Was your old car great? Guess what? The new models are even better! And if your old car is on its last legs, now’s a great time to get an excellent deal. 


PERFECTING YOUR SALES CALLS WITH PHONE NINJAS


Sales scripts are all about delivering consistency and empathy for your customers, support and guidance for your sales team, and as a result, hitting your goals and driving profits with better service. But if you don’t ask the right questions—and in the right way—you will quickly find yourself getting sent to voicemail while your numbers slump and revenues dip. 


That’s where Phone Ninjas can give you the boost you need. We’re experts at training sales teams to optimize their interactions with detailed, customized scripts, individual coaching sessions, and consulting services for dealerships and sales teams on any sales communication issues you may be facing. We don’t deal in vague or generic advice either; we offer two free mystery shops to give you real-world feedback and insights to find instant teaching points you can use to start boosting your numbers today. 


Visit Phone Ninjas to learn the right car sales questions to ask customers that will get them in the door quickly and driving away happy.  

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

13

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Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

Nov 11, 2023

MUST-HAVE PHONE TRAINING FOR AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE ADVISORS

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!

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

11

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Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

Nov 11, 2023

Dealership Training: Handling Phone Leads That Convert to a Sale

Picture this: it’s the end of the quarter, and your dealership is so close to hitting your targets, and you can almost taste the victory champagne. You’ve been burning the midnight oil, the team’s been cranking out calls—but you’re still a hair’s breadth away from the goal line. Then, you discover all the near-misses your team has swung while handling phone leads. It’s an instant red flag, and you know something needs to change.


Let’s talk brass tacks. In the dealership game, a phone lead is often the first domino in a chain that ends with a closed deal. But what happens when that first domino doesn’t want to topple? You’re left scrambling to hit quotas at the end of the sales period, struck by a frustrating sense of “what if?” If this sounds familiar, this is the perfect time to brush up on training your team for results-driven phone skills.


This blog is a playbook for booking appointments, building relationships, and landing sales that make everyone grin from ear to ear. Let’s pull back the curtain on turning a call into a sale—no fluff, just the proven tactics that reliably close deals. The first resource you should consider is a free mystery shop to uncover where missed leads occur.


MYSTERY SHOPPING FOR SUCCESS

Your team has the passion, drive, and hustle—but they’re still missing opportunities on the phones. Missed leads can be nearly undetectable until you start digging into the details from the outside. Even if you can point to where the ball was dropped, figuring out a clear growth path is challenging. This is where the real game-changer comes in: mystery shopping.


Think of this as a scrimmage between two pro teams. On one side of the field, there’s your sales crew. On the other side, you’ve got phone sales experts like the coaches at Phone Ninjas. These mystery shoppers aren’t here to take off your watch and tell you the time; they’re drawing real insights from a call that goes beneath the surface. 


They’ve worked with hundreds of businesses like yours, and they’ve instilled high-converting tactics every time. By pinpointing the weak spots and shoring up your strategy, they can provide a concrete, honest score that ties into a precise plan for improvement. 


But mystery shops show their full potential when the organization handling them can dig into your CRMs, the scripts, and processes that should make scoring phone conversions a layup. Ironing out your procedures opens the door for better visibility, but it also keeps sales consultants and BD agents focused on their calls… instead of fiddling with an unreliable CRM. 


The next resource worth your investment is a business development center (BDC), which continually refines how your team is handling phone leads.


BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER (BDC)

business development center, or BDC, is a lead-producing unit that can transform calls into a steady stream of conversions, serving as a direct pipeline to ongoing revenue. If you’ve already created a BDC but it isn’t churning out leads, it’s time for a serious tune-up—so, here’s your chance to remind yourself what makes a robust BDC thrive!


Dedicating people to specific tasks within the BDC is ideal for handling phone leads. The reps you choose should be your most skilled and knowledgeable, and know your brand and offerings like the back of their hand. You’ll split your BDC members into two main groups: inbound and outbound. 


BDC for Inbound Calls

Inbound calls aim to provide immediate, informed, and smartly scripted responses to customer inquiries. BDC reps should be well-versed in product knowledge and customer service to comprehensively capture and convert interest into engagement.

BDC for Outbound Calls


Outbound efforts should be equally tactical, but these conversations aim to nurture leads by reaching out to previous customers or other warm leads. This proactive side of the BDC takes a more methodical approach to attract and convert potential customers.


After you’ve organized the teams into their respective focuses, it’s time to think about ongoing training. This is an essential part of what makes a solid BDC work: long-term, repeated, results-driven coaching. 


ACTIVE COACHING AND SUPPORT

BDC training can include everything from studying deeper product terminology and feature sets to mastering phone scripts and adapting to customer objections. Ultimately, the goal is to deliver on-message calls for constant conversions—a goal you can’t achieve without repetition. That means executing this precision training requires a steady cadence, with weekly check-ins to monitor progress.



At Phone Ninjas, our Active Coaching methodology combines bite-sized training sessions with a customized rhythm for performance tracking. Each part of our process is tailored to an individual salesperson’s strengths and growth opportunities, blending real-world scenario reviews with personal goal-setting. 


BDC PHONE SCRIPTS FOR MAXIMIZING CONVERSIONS

Effective phone scripts are not restrictive—they provide a framework for clarity and consistency. BDC scripts should be comprehensive, allowing the sales team member to make simple judgment calls within a specific set of parameters. The mission here is to sound organic while hitting every relevant point in the script. 


High-performing scripts are designed with a natural flow in mind. Here’s an example of what a strong BDC script will look like for an inbound call:

  • A greeting and introduction that sets a positive tone and guides the conversation toward the customer’s needs.
  • Questions that qualify the customer’s interest and preferences.
  • Descriptions of products or services tailored to the customer’s responses.
  • Objection handling cues, questions, and flows.
  • Calls to action that guide the customer toward the next steps, like setting up an appointment to visit the dealership.


However, without proper coaching, phone scripts are only as good as the paper they’re printed on. They are not a one-size-fits-all solution because every salesperson is different, and each one needs a purpose-built approach to succeed. Similarly, scripts should be living documents that reflect your evolving message and the sales landscape. 


Regularly review calls to understand where scripts are working and where they’re causing missed leads. Feeling stuck while revising your old scripts? The Phone Ninjas team are experts at handling phone leads, and we can provide custom scripts for your dealership that cater to your specific sales goals.


THE PHONE NINJAS METHOD FOR HANDLING PHONE LEADS

As we round out this guide, we want to emphasize that mastering phone lead conversion takes more than an excellent script or comprehensive product knowledge. It’s a balanced blend of continuous improvement, transparent progress tracking, and expert accountability. You cannot bottle and serve that at a one-shot conference, sales class, or webinar. And it’s certainly not something you can learn in simulations—it takes real-world reviews to get actionable strategies for improvement with handling phone leads.


Phone Ninjas’ Active Coaching programs are laser-focused on equipping your team with the tactics and tools to steer phone leads to better outcomes. Our method is built on the insights we’ve gained coaching hundreds of businesses like yours to sales success. The key to Phone Ninjas’ approach is simple: no one stops learning with us. We stick with your sales team week after week, giving them a right-sized dose of corrective feedback and encouragement to focus on growth potential and minimize distractions.


Ready to ramp up your phone sales engine and recapture those missed leads? Get a free mystery shop from Phone Ninjas today!

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

10

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Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

Nov 11, 2023

CAR SALESMAN TRAINING TIPS TO REACH YOUR MONTHLY GOALS

Cracking the sales code: it’s an enigma that keeps sales leaders, general managers, and dealership owners puzzling over tactics month after month. When sales numbers dip, you know it’s time to rethink your strategy. But the story of missed monthly targets is more than just the numbers.



Every dealership leader knows that training is the key to effective sales. For every missed target, there’s a diligent sales team member who can learn from it. If you’re grappling with how to help your team succeed, these car salesman training tips will equip you with proven strategies that can be put into practice in any sales department, any time. 



We’re breaking down two crucial training pillars: masterful communication and smart goal-setting. This duo not only teaches your sales team how to sell, but gives them valuable insight into the role they play in your overall sales strategy. 



MASTERING THE ART OF COMMUNICATION

Whether your team is talking with customers via phone, email, or in person, they must be communication experts. Great salespeople engage every customer at the same level with the right script for the occasion. They’re not winging it; they’re like stage actors who have learned their lines. And while any good script allows for some improvisation through an associate’s natural sales skill, they’re never left without an effective answer for a customer’s needs. 



However, even the best scripts require solid coaching to land. Here are some of the nuances that make the difference when you’re training salespeople for communication success:


  • Active Listening: As any good salesperson knows, a script can be helpful but you can’t simply recite your lines and expect results. Encourage your team to listen more and talk less, and focus on what the customer says and how the script aligns with it. As the old saying goes, humans have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
  • Personalize, Don’t Ad Lib: Each customer has unique needs and preferences, but you’ll rarely find someone whose objections are brand new. Even so, it’s vital to ensure prospects feel like the salesman is speaking to them, and responding to their concerns in the moment. Highlight key opportunities to personalize content, and provide guidance for crafting an individual experience. 
  • Effective Questioning: A strong script will include plenty of open-ended questions encouraging customers to share their interests, preferences, and needs. The answers give your sales team plenty of information to understand what they want—but it also builds stronger rapport.
  • Intelligent Scripts for Sales: At Phone Ninjas, we advocate using tailored scripts because they ensure clarity, consistency, and structure. Well-crafted scripts always keep the conversation moving toward a sale. By encouraging fewer awkward pauses and a more professional tone, scripts make your sales team sound and feel confident.


These car salesman training tips can boost the communication skills of your team, laying a firm foundation for hitting monthly targets. By focusing training on key content and messaging, providing guidance for a conversational and personalized approach, and making interactions more consistent, scripts empower sales associates with the tools they need to deliver consistent results. 



GOAL-SETTING TO MOTIVATE SUCCESS

Sales goals are often the driving force behind a team member’s motivation. They make a sale to earn commission and salary. But while earning money is an incentive, it doesn’t necessarily instill pride in your team. Clear, actionable goals are a guiding light for your salespeople, giving them concrete milestones to tackle and tangible achievements they can feel good about.



Here’s how thoughtfully structuring your crew’s goals can keep everyone engaged and confident they can meet expectations:


  • Regular Milestones: Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly milestones tell you and your employees how they’re doing. Did you hit that waypoint this week, and if not, what can we change to get you there? Milestones help your team envision their progress incrementally rather than as a never-ending loop.
  • Audits & Mystery Shops: Nothing beats an outside view of your business. At Phone Ninjas, we offer free mystery shops to gauge performance and help you set achievable goals. Instead of basing extreme milestones on the ideal scenario, an external reviewer will show you the path to continuous improvement.
  • Regular Reviews: Coaching your staff toward improvement is a constant process, and giving them bite-sized reviews each week will urge them toward the next goalpost. It’s about fostering a culture of accountability and a growth mindset.
  • Personalized Goals: Seasoned sales leaders know that goals should fit the individual. This way, salespeople at all levels can focus on skilling up just a little more each time you raise the bar. If you set targets too high, it can make your team feel inadequate or frustrated.
  • Reward Achievements: Recognize and reward accomplishments by offering incentives, like Phone Ninjas’ Perfect Score Contest. When salespeople earn a perfect score, we enter them into a drawing to win a six-day vacation (plus $1,000 spending money) to Hawaii! But the incentive isn’t just about the grand prize; it also showcases individual salespeople who’ve worked hard to earn their spot.



COACHING TO HIT MONTHLY SALES TARGETS

These car salesman training tips will launch your team toward success, but only regular coaching can affirm their goals and urge them toward communication mastery. Phone Ninjas provides a tailored coaching program to help your team perfect their phone sales game. 



From bespoke scripts to regular reviews, our comprehensive approach to sales training boosts revenue and maximizes consistency. Phone Ninjas’ unique Active Coaching system isn’t a fire-and-forget affair. Instead, we use weekly, bite-sized coaching sessions that keep your sales team’s heads in the game. Schedule a demo now to learn how we can drive better monthly sales for your dealership! 

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

51

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Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

Oct 10, 2023

Best Voicemails to Leave for Sales

Outbound calls are a frequent activity at any dealership, but your teams are often met with a voicemail greeting rather than a customer. This can happen for many reasons and during any part of the sales cycle, but leaving a confusing or enthusiastic message is a surefire way to lose business. Like they would with other phone interactions, your sales team needs to come prepared using tight scripts that tell them what to say and how to say it.


We want to help your associates tackle tricky voicemail scenarios, so we’re sharing 3 of the best voicemails to leave for sales success. You can tailor these templates to suit your unique branding and style, using them as inspiration for your own messages.


Before we dive in, let’s talk about what these voicemails have in common. These traits are essential for ensuring any script is built to sell, but they’re especially crucial to consider in a voicemail.



5 ELEMENTS EVERY SALES VOICEMAIL SHOULD HAVE

Countless variables affect the quality of your team’s phone communication—their cadence, tone, and sense of urgency, for example—but these aren’t the stars of your voicemail. The following five factors separate “meh” messages from those that get quick callbacks:

  1. Concision: When leaving a voicemail, sales agents should respect the listener’s time. They should also be mindful that customers are more likely to hang up on a recording than a human—unless the message grabs their attention right away. Your team should know what they will say before they say it. Rule of thumb: the best messages can be consistently delivered in just a few breaths.
  2. Urgency: This doesn’t mean sounding like you’re running up a flight of stairs. It’s demonstrating time-bound value that requires the prospect to take action. “Please call me back” is a polite and useful closer, but a CTA like “Lock in your price now” before your signoff drives action.
  3. Relevance: Your team is not calling for their own benefit. The customer showed interest or made an inquiry, and you’re here to help them simplify their experience. As sales guides, they are reaching out to respond to a customer’s needs. This makes the customer feel like they’re valued rather than being pressured into a sale.
  4. Details: Sales agents should communicate who they are, who they work for, why they’re calling, and what they want the customer to do next. Every voicemail should contain this information. If you leave out any of these details, you’re giving the prospect reasons to not continue because they didn’t write your number down, or they’re unsure what the next step is.
  5. Confidence: Confidence isn’t just how you sound on the phone, although a steady and relaxed voice doesn’t hurt. Showing your confidence through word choice is equally important, which is why scripts can help eliminate inconsistencies in vocal presentation.


These traits are shared by all the voicemails we’ll be reviewing, so look for them in the following section. The first voicemail we’ll examine should be a familiar one: The Introduction Voicemail.



THE INTRODUCTION VOICEMAIL

No matter what your product or service is, the first touch with a new customer is crucial. You’re setting the stage for every interaction you’ll have. In this scenario, we’re responding to an inbound lead, but we might not have all the customer details. Focus on what you do know, like the action the customer took to initiate your call, and stay consistent even when you don’t. Here’s a simple yet strong introduction voicemail that exudes professionalism and helpfulness:


Hello, [Customer Name], this is [Your First Name] from ABC Motors. I’m calling in response to your [contact form/phone call that expressed interest in a product], and I would love to schedule a convenient time for a visit so I can hear more about what you’re looking for. Please [Call/Text] me back at [Phone Number]. 


This is a tight voicemail that achieves three specific goals. First, we acknowledge the customer’s interest or connection with the brand: “I’m calling in response…” tells someone that you’re not just “calling for the fun of it.” Next, we immediately bring up scheduling an appointment. We keep it simple here; all we want to do is learn about the customer’s preferences, so it’s not a commitment to buy. Finally, we remind the customer of our contact information and let them know we’re here when they’re ready. 



THE LIMITED-TIME OFFER VOICEMAIL

The best voicemails to leave for sales often specialize in one of our five principles. This one aims to create a sense of urgency that goes beyond responding to a customer’s previous interest. It’s honest but time-bound, and it shows a genuine desire to help the customer out:


Hello, [Customer Name], this is [Your First Name] at ABC Motors. I have some exciting news about [the product the customer was interested in]. There’s currently a promotional discount, but it’s only available until [the end date of the offer]. I would love to schedule a visit to provide more details and lock in this offer before it’s gone. Please call me back at [Phone Number].


Just like the last voicemail, we’re tackling three key objectives: we say why we’re calling, why they should move fast, and what to do next. You don’t need to spill all the offer details; that might overwhelm them (and make for a long voicemail). Instead, you keep things vague so they’re curious about what’s in it for them.



THE CHECK-IN VOICEMAIL

The Check-In is your team’s chance to re-engage with customers who have interacted with your dealership in the past whether they made a purchase or not. These could even be customers who shopped for parts at your business but didn’t purchase a vehicle. Here’s a simple yet super-effective check-in voicemail script:

Hello, [Customer Name], this is [Your First Name] from ABC Motors. I’m reaching out to hear how the [part/vehicle/search for a vehicle] is treating you. We recently [launched promotional discounts/got a new model in stock/began a new maintenance program], so I’d love to schedule a convenient visit to [check up on your vehicle/part/learn about your search]. Feel free to call me back anytime at [Phone Number].


Once again, we’re cultivating urgency, providing clear next steps, and stating the reason for our call. All five features we discussed are here, ensuring customers feel cared for but not pressured into calling us back.



PHONE COACHING FOR VOICEMAILS

Even equipped with three of the best voicemails to leave for sales success, your team will consistently run into situations they don’t feel prepared for. That’s why Phone Ninjas’ active coaching methodology combines engaging, focused scripts with real-world scenarios. We don’t constrain learning to classrooms or conferences; instead, we tailor individual growth plans for each of your sales agents in bite-sized sessions week after week.


Don’t drive business away with inconsistent messages. Start leaving voicemails that sell with Phone Ninjas. Reach out now to learn how to receive two free mystery shops for your online and phone sales channels.

Chris Vitale

Phone Ninjas | Talk Options

COO | Partner

Retailer-Focused Executive Technology Partner

32

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