Anyone who’s spent time at a dealership knows the usual suspects. There’s the finance team, the managers, and of course, the service guys, and they all have their areas. But without fail, every time you look up, you wonder, “What is a sales consultant at a car dealership doing?” It seems like everything at once, and they can be staring into an engine block in the bay one minute and selling a hybrid on the other end of the lot the next. 

At auto dealerships, the term “sales consultant” is usually synonymous with “sales representative.” Most of what they do is well understood: dealing directly with customers, explaining the features of different products, and serving as the front line of the dealership. But in reality, they have to be a jack-of-all-trades as well as a master of many, and it takes a talented person to put it all together and get those numbers soaring. 

Fortunately, a winning sales consultant doesn’t have to be born. With an excellent training program to develop their business savvy and phone skills, an associate with a little talent can become a world-champion salesperson. So let’s look at what makes a great automotive sales consultant—and find out if a coaching program can help your team excel.

AN EXPLANATION OF BENEFITS

So, what is a sales consultant at a car dealership? Simply put, they’re the in-person face, voice, and gentle hand that guides customers to a satisfying purchase after making contact. That means they’re responsible for both the bottom line and the top-down strategy for representing your brand with consistency, empathy, and professional charm. 

However, a sales consultant’s role goes beyond simple transactions. They’re your diplomats out in the field building strong relationships and cementing customer loyalty. They’re psychologists and financial consultants prepared to offer solutions that cater to individual needs while closing profitable deals. While customers might initially think of them as an opponent who wants to squeeze as much money out of them as possible, they’ll quickly discover a great sales consultant is a valuable ally who can guide them to a better outcome with respect and expertise.

The game is also in a constant state of evolution, so sales consultants always have to be updating their skills. The reality of the modern industry is that customers often arrive with an idea of what they want based on online research. That said, they’re often open to professional guidance from an informed expert, and knowing how and when to deviate from a sales script can be an art form.

By proving their proficiency through disciplined brand messaging and nuanced interactions, a salesperson can nurture the customer along with answers to common objections and concerns, considerate financing and product options, and do so while making them feel cared for and respected. 

SALES CONSULTANTS ARE IN THE PIPELINE, NOT THE FUNNEL

In past decades, a sales consultant was the first point of contact with a dealership’s brand. However, in the internet age, that’s simply not the case. Most customers have been interacting with a dealer’s website long before they walk on the lot, and that means they’ve already forged a few digital relationships and expectations with your business.  

That might seem minor, but it’s actually crucial to understanding how to train a sales consultant. They are no longer the initial point of contact making a first impression for your company. They are a continuation of a customer’s experience with your brand that started long before anyone picked up a phone. 

It has its romance, but the days of the slick-talking sales maverick are over. Like the dating and social media experiences of Millennials and Gen Zers, the transition from online to face-to-face is a carefully choreographed dance. The 21st-century salesperson needs to be prepared to take over where their company’s digital avatar left off, and it’s not an experience you can fake with raw talent alone. 

This is where scripts are revolutionizing modern sales. The best of the best on the floor tend to think sales scripts are for improving lesser associates—and with the right agency they absolutely will give your team and your sales a boost. But a truly great script and coaching strategy helps your people create a seamless and comfortable transition for the customer from the first online interaction to the in-person meetup. 

It’s one of the most important dynamics in modern sales, and navigating the transition from online to in-person can be the difference between falling flat and falling in love with the sales consultant on the other end of the line. 

COACHING PHONE SKILLS TO BOOST SALES CONSULTANT PERFORMANCE

So, what is a sales consultant at a car dealership? They’re some of your most valuable and dynamic employees who might need a little guidance with sales, and can always use new techniques and strategies to make the most of their leads. That’s where a great phone sales coach can help.

With so much of the sales process shifting to remote interaction, most customer communication happens over the phone. That means your phone strategy has to be rock solid from the get-go, and aligned with the messaging they’ve been interacting with online. 

So, ask yourself this question instead: “How are my sales consultants doing on the phone?” If you’re not sure, it might be time to consider a free mystery shop from Phone Ninjas, which will give you an unbiased picture of the phone and online customer experience.

Because we recognize the pivotal role phone sales play in modern auto dealerships, Phone Ninjas designed an active coaching program tailored to each sales consultant. After initial certification, our non-disruptive and bite-sized coaching sessions drill down into each salesperson’s individual strengths and growth areas.

Instead of a “shock and awe” approach with big conferences and endless classroom roleplay, we focus on real-world calls and practical results. At Phone Ninjas, our results speak for themselves: the most engaged dealerships with our program see appointment set rates at 80% or higher. 

Give your sales consultants a boost on phone sales with our expert coaching team, and connect with Phone Ninjas today!

Auto dealership managers and leaders, you know this scene well: a lively sales floor with phones ringing nonstop, yet the sinking feeling that your sales numbers won’t reflect the bustling atmosphere. You’re seeing plenty of web traffic and inbound calls, but the number of closed deals struggles to hit monthly goals. 

This is where an auto dealer consultant steps in. They’ll devise hands-on strategies to maximize your opportunities, minimize operational hiccups, and shape up your sales team. At least, that’s what it says on the back of the tin. But what do they really do? And, if you hire a consultant, what should you expect? 

If you’ve been on the fence about hiring a consultant due to uncertainty about what they offer, now is the perfect time to get those answers. By the end of this read, you’ll have a clear picture of what to expect from a consultant and be able to gauge whether their services mesh with your dealership’s needs.

#1: ENHANCE SALES STRATEGIES

A solid auto dealer consultant will dissect your sales funnel from the top all the way to the bottom. They’ll compose tailored strategies based on their observations, identifying both the strengths and weaknesses of your dealership’s sales engine. It’s a meticulous, detail-oriented process that uncovers everything your monthly numbers or CRM reports can’t.

Unfortunately, some consulting firms just collect data, package it neatly, and regurgite a few old sales tactics that any Joe or Jane can dig up online. The internet is oozing with fake sales gurus and advisors who get all their tricks from the latest “Business Secrets” bestsellers, which means everybody else will be doing it too. If a consultant is offering a one-size-fits-all sales strategy as “made just for you,” you’ll know to dodge that bullet.

A true expert in the field will look closely at your business and customize a plan for your specific business environment and dealership needs. They’ll unearth the hidden pain points blocking you from closing deals and handcraft a remedy made just for you. 

#2: IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY

The ebb and flow of a busy dealership can sometimes mask the inefficiencies lurking just beneath the surface. Whether it’s poor technology implementation, underutilized processes, or simple disorganization, a great auto dealer consultant will single out the underperforming cogs in your machine and streamline them.

Of course, some of the bottlenecks will be obvious to various members of your team already, which is why a smart consultant will start with simple questions like, “What are your biggest day-to-day operational concerns?” But just because these all-too-frequent hiccups are obvious to your staff, that doesn’t mean the solutions will be. That’s where a consultant will devise a plan for smoothing out these out-of-tune processes.

Beware of consultants who merely echo generic operational advice or try to overhaul your existing processes with a silver bullet solution. Those who lean heavily on quick fixes are likely to be satisfied with some short-term improvements, but not truly invested in your continuous improvement. 

#3: REFINE YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY

In an increasingly competitive landscape where dealers jockey for the spotlight, a consultant can help you increase your visibility with a refined marketing strategy. They’ll advise you on the best tactics for capturing customer info, nurturing leads, and honing your messaging. For a smart consultant, this isn’t about splashing cash on more ads or offering a boatload of new limited-time offers—this is a long-term strategic course correction that you’ll continue executing for years to come.

Crafting the right approach for your target audience requires data, time, and expertise. A consultant digs into the metrics over the last several months or years, pulling back the layers of your current marketing campaigns to see what is (and isn’t) working. There may be a “kill your darlings” moment for a pet project or two, but ultimately, your consultant will help you make effective, data-driven decisions.

#4: COACHING AND DEVELOP YOUR SALES TEAM 

Your sales team represents the core revenue generator for your dealership, and keeping them at their full potential can mean the difference between stagnation and success. An experienced auto dealer consultant will coach your team members individually, providing a regular cadence of evaluations and advice to guide them toward growth. 

Also, rather than relying on dull classrooms and printed literature, a top-notch consultant will engage in active coaching. In this approach to sales team development, coaches begin with an initial certification which scores each agent. They can use this data to create a unique progression plan for each associate that acknowledges their individual strengths and growth opportunities.

Less promising consulting methods revolve around a classroom, or they might schedule lengthy conferences that don’t maximize your investment. While these are great in theory, they don’t prepare your sales team for the real-world challenges they’ll face on the phones. Unlike an artificial environment, tackling auto dealership phone sales is all about flexibility, engagement, and consistency. A sales seminar might teach your team to read the script with confidence, but it won’t reinforce them when they do well or gently guide them when they make a misstep.

#5: GIVE YOU AN UNBIASED PICTURE OF YOUR DEALERSHIP

One of the greatest services an auto dealer consultant can provide is a clearer understanding of your dealership’s performance. Audits and mystery shops can also deliver valuable experiences and more reliable sources of data than CRMs, which often fail to attribute properly. A great consultant will leverage analytical tools that provide meaningful, actionable data—not just a mountain of numbers that amount to little or no real insight. 

FIND AN AUTO DEALER CONSULTANT THAT MAKES AN IMPACT

The right auto dealer consultant can be the best investment you’ve ever made, and Phone Ninjas is committed to giving your team the personalized strategies and one-on-one help they need to connect with customers and get to the finish line.

With our phone sales coaching, your team will get one-on-one, hands-on training tailored to their individual progress. Our bite-sized coaching sessions, which last just 20 minutes, include detailed reviews, roleplay scenarios, and progress tracking. No whirlwind conferences that push a script but lack follow through, and no synthetic classroom scenarios that feel nothing like a real call. We’re about real-world coaching for authentic sales growth, and that’s why we include two free dealership mystery shops to make sure our results are backed by unbiased insights into the experience your customers are having. 

At the end of the day, every dealership is unique, and gimmicks and generic strategies just aren’t going to get the job done. Phone Ninjas is about delivering results for results for all our clients, every time.

Ready to see active coaching in action? Schedule a demo today!

We’ve all been there—trapped on the receiving end of a sales call that’s so rigidly scripted it’s practically robotic. “Hello [Customer Name], I am calling from [Company Name]...” It’s enough to make anyone hang up before they can finish their painful introduction. But let’s change our perspective for a moment. What if, instead of being a dull and practical exchange to wade through, the script (and the way it was used) set the stage for an informative and personalized sales interaction?

Phone scripts for car sales can close deals. In fact, if you’re not using scripts, you should be. However, addressing the weak points of a bad script takes more than a savvy salesperson to shore up the gaps. And the key to getting the most out of a phone script lies in not just having a great team and stellar writing, but how you develop and deploy them.

It’s time to pull back the curtain on phone scripts and dispel their bad reputation. A poor script can kill your bottom line, but when they’re crafted and utilized effectively, they can be your dealership’s ultimate weapon for driving sales and bringing your customers back again and again.

The Hidden Benefits of Phone Scripts for Car Sales

Phone scripts have long been thought of as a “fallback” or a way to jumpstart new recruits. They’re often perceived as too impersonal, rigid, and something that a seasoned veteran doesn’t need. But the truth is, even the best salesperson in the world gets tired, flustered, and encounters unfamiliar situations in which a little guidance would go a long way. 

Scripts empower your team with the support and structure they need to guide any scenario towards a sale, as well as give your customers the familiarity and confidence they need to feel comfortable making a deal. An excellent script should deliver the following:

Consistency

No matter how many espressos or high-fives your sales agents get, a well-constructed script ensures that every customer receives a consistent conversation. That means each call reflects the brand voice and values you’ve cultivated by helping your salespeople stay within a reliable framework that guides the call toward conversion. 

In a blog breaking down sales scripts, Zendesk writes that focusing on a specific objective helps your team stay on target. “Sales scripts need to be specific,” they note. “Chances are that if this is your first interaction, you probably aren’t even looking to make a sale.” In car sales, that first call might instead be about getting contact info or setting an appointment. A script helps your team remember what the goals are for each conversation. 

Objection Handling

Next, scripts ensure sales agents have the ability to confidently answer objections. Pushback can be stressful, and that’s precisely when your team needs some structure to ease the tension. By empowering salespeople with strong, ready-made responses to common customer objections, you give them the adaptability to navigate resistant callers and keep the conversation on track. 

Comprehensiveness

A script’s comprehensiveness means the ability to ensure every key point is addressed. With a script at their disposal, salespeople know which topics to highlight, and they won’t forget to mention ongoing promotions, unique features, or to ask for contact information. But more importantly, a script reminds your sales agents to present the customer with all the relevant details, giving them a better understanding of their choices. It’s better for your employees and your customers alike, and that’s a win-win. 

Customer Experience

As we mentioned previously, a script doesn’t cancel out an associate’s personality. In fact, it can help enhance it. By taking a structured approach, salespeople can weave in personalized elements while ensuring the customer feels heard, valued, and respected throughout the interaction.

Phone scripts for car sales help you strike the balance between a checklist of talking points and a casual, friendly chat between new acquaintances. It’s the combination of these two elements that lets a script live up to its full potential.

Better Data and Course Correction

Finally, scripts give us an understanding of data. The feedback you get from scripts is far easier to analyze than a freeform approach. You’ll know which points are faltering, which areas are tough sells, and whether customers are responding to your overall message. When sales teams do their own thing, it’s much harder to gauge where the breakdown comes from and implement effective changes.

Scripts are a Stepping Stone, Not a Solution

In a 2022 Forbes Council article, the guest writer likens a sales script to a Rolling Stones performance, noting that “improvising is for amateurs.” They explain that the Stones hit every mark, play the same songs in the same ways, and even add impromptu riffs at specific points. And yet, the audience experience of the performance is far from rigid and mechanical. The Stones deliver all the things their listeners expect from a show, while finding opportunities to inject the vibrancy and energy a live concert needs.

The same is true for phone scripts for car sales. When you’ve nailed down an exceptional script (and your team executes it well), you’re empowering them to deliver the essentials every time so they can refine the personal and individual moments that make for a warm and inviting sales interaction. And the best part is, you won’t have to sell to them during long, boring meetings—the numbers will speak for themselves. 

Phone Ninjas provides bite-sized active coaching to take your phone sales game to the next level. Instead of handing out blanket scripts and making generic corrections to the entire team, our coaches provide tailored, one-on-one training sessions that focus on individual sales agents’ strengths and growth areas. We hone in on script confusion and missed opportunities, and we even provide winning scripts of our own design.

Check out some of Phone Ninjas’ free sales-driving scripts now, or reach out to our team to schedule two free mystery shops for phone and web leads. Our coaches are ready to help your team get the most out of their scripts!

As a savvy customer, nothing is more infuriating than being ignored or receiving a response that dodges all your questions. Pre-Covid, dealerships used to pride themselves on their promptness in addressing leads. Even the OEMs had standards in place to ensure that all inquiries were answered within a specific timeframe. However, during the peak of the pandemic, when demand outstripped supply, some dealerships conveniently chose to overlook their leads. And if they did bother to respond, it certainly wasn't within the respectable ten to fifteen-minute window. A study even highlighted the dismal decline in 2021 - 2022, where dealerships dropped the ball on response time and failed to answer customer inquiries altogether.

Now, let's delve into what went wrong. While we can't change the past, we can certainly revamp our lead response strategy for the future. First off, it's high time you give your CRM workflows a makeover. When was the last time they were given a once-over? If you're struggling to recall, it's a sign you need to dive in. Once you've thoroughly inspected your CRM workflows, spare a moment to scrutinize your automated emails. Are the signature lines up to date? Do these automated messages still make sense? And for goodness' sake, do all those social media links actually work? It may sound like a walk in the park, but believe it or not, some dealerships are still sending automated responses from employees who don’t even work there anymore. 

Once you've conquered the CRM basics, it's time to gather your BD agents and Sales Consultants for a pep talk. A quick refresher never hurts, right? After discussing the best practices for responding to leads, holding your team accountable is crucial. By leveraging CRM reporting, you can easily track response times. But don't stop there – evaluate the actual content of their responses. We can all stop the clock, but not everyone is sending out top-notch replies to leads. Let's make sure we answer customers' questions and provide clear next steps. After all, the ultimate goal is to build rapport with customers and boost our chances of securing their business. And that's impossible if we ignore leads or respond with flimsy replies that fail to address their needs.

If your team is still struggling with word-tracking or crafting compelling responses to customers' questions and objections, fret not! We've got your back. Knowing what to say and when to say it can mean the difference between winning or losing a customer. we have the expertise to help you master this crucial skill.

If you're still on the fence, take a moment and request a Dealership Mystery Shop! Once we've completed the test, we'll be in touch. Here's to getting back to the basics and being proactive rather than reactive. 

One of the most glaring issues affecting dealerships today is the dismal state of their phone skills. It’s alarming to witness how poorly some sales consultants handle inbound calls. Often, they fail even to say a simple "thanks for calling ABC Motors," instead opting for a generic introduction like "sales, Chris…" This lack of professionalism right at the outset leaves a negative impression on potential customers and set the tone for the entire interaction.

Another detrimental mindset that has seeped into the industry from the Covid-19 days is the belief that customers will naturally gravitate toward Sales Consultants without any proactive effort. This complacent attitude will wreak havoc on your dealership and overlooks the importance of effectively engaging with customers. Dealerships must recognize the value of every call that comes through their various ad campaigns and ensure that no potential customers slip through the cracks due to a lack of interest or effort.

When customers inquire about a vehicle, it’s vital for sales consultants to gather their information. Unfortunately, this step is often overlooked, leading to missed opportunities. By neglecting to collect essential details about customers' needs and preferences, dealerships risk failing to match them with the right vehicle. Especially given that most customers don’t end up purchasing what they inquired about! But we can’t know that if we’re not asking the right questions. A thorough understanding of customers' requirements enables sales consultants to tailor their recommendations effectively and increase the likelihood of booking an appointment. An appointment that leads to a sale!

Some sales consultants have even adopted a combative stance during phone conversations instead of taking a helpful approach. A call I recently listened to was regarding a vehicle that was sold. The Sales Consultant literally said, “It’s sold.” Didn’t bother to mention the similar vehicles they had available. Just that the vehicle was sold, and had zero interest in continuing the conversation. And no, this isn’t about beating up Sales Consultants. But it is about understanding the importance of effectively handling inbound calls. If your Sales Consultants are neglecting to engage in professional discussions with customers, they miss the chance to understand their exact needs. Understanding the customer's wants, budget, and specific requirements is crucial to guiding them toward a suitable vehicle.

It is undeniable that customers prefer setting appointments when visiting dealerships. Nobody wants to spend an entire day or hours on end at the dealership when purchasing a car. By encouraging customers to schedule appointments in advance, dealerships can provide a more streamlined experience, allowing both parties to be adequately prepared. This approach saves time and increases the likelihood of closing a sale, as the dealership can focus on catering to the customer's specific needs during the visit.

Bottom line: it is imperative that dealerships recognize and rectify the shortcomings in their phone skills. Answering every call with professionalism and a courteous greeting is the first step toward improving customer service. Sales consultants must effectively engage with customers, collect their information, and employ effective fact-finding techniques. Additionally, setting up appointments and proactively discussing the next steps can enhance the customer experience and boost sales. By prioritizing these aspects, dealerships can create a positive impression, capture valuable leads, and ultimately achieve their goal of selling more vehicles.

Don’t believe your Sales Consultants are missing opportunities? No worries, sign up for two free mystery shops to see how they’re handling inbound phone and web opportunities! 

We have all had days where we walk around with what feels like electricity pulsing through our veins; we’re hitting all of the green lights, and we feel GOOD! But what about the days when we don’t feel that hot? In the automotive industry, one day, you are on top of the world, and for some reason, the next day, you feel like you went through a meat grinder. It’s part of the ebbs and flows with a commission job, of course, but how do the great salespeople seem to be on fire ALL THE TIME? 

The trick that all of those great salespeople don’t ever tell you about, or maybe they do, is that their discipline – no matter how challenging the day – is always there. With sales, there is always a process to follow step by step. When we are on our A-Game, and the words flow seamlessly while we are working a deal, everything just seems to fall into place, and the next thing you know, you have a referral or two from your customer because they cannot get enough of you.  Other days you just want to pack it up and go home because you’re afraid that at the rate you are going, you may just hurt yourself just trying to walk through the parking lot. 

So, what does this have to do with discipline? Those GREAT salespeople, who - from the outside - seem to have no bad days, do have BAD days just like the rest of us. The difference between a good salesperson and a great salesperson is that on the bad days, the great salesperson is still completing the process. They don’t deviate from the tried and true; if anything, they strip everything down to the basics and make sure they aren’t missing any steps with… you guessed it, straight discipline. 

Even if the words aren’t flowing smoothly and your smile is forced, you can still complete the steps necessary to sell a car, set an appointment, or complete a follow-up. On the hard days, great salespeople make sure that their t’s are crossed, and i’s are dotted in an almost mechanical fashion. Breaking the process down step by step and making sure that each step is completed is literally the best and only thing that you can do. At the end of the day, even if it didn’t feel good, you executed, and that means you’ve won. Confidence will come knowing you did your job correctly. Winning the day means that you have positive momentum in the right direction. The old saying rings true as well that “the best time to sell a car is … right after selling a car!” Get some momentum with that small win, secure that confidence boost you needed, and keep the ball rolling! 

Bad days happen to all of us; it’s how we handle ourselves that determines whether we will continue having a “bad day” or whether we get back up and win. Continuing to execute our tasks and processes with discipline will create the momentum that we need to get back up and move in the right direction. Momentum in the right direction builds that confidence that we all need quickly, and then we’re back in business. Confidence will come from knowing that you have followed the steps necessary to complete your task and that they are done correctly. Even if you do not see the fruit of your labor instantly in many of these incidences, when the seeds are germinated properly, you will prosper and feel great about it. Discipline will always breed confidence over fear, which is extremely valuable to ANY salesperson.

Why you need Quality Assurance Training…

When you want to improve the quality of your phone calls, it can be challenging to know where to start. Even if you have standardized procedures and phone scripts, every phone agent operates a little differently. To improve outcomes, you need to know how to use quality assurance training and what some of the outcomes you should be looking for are.

What is Quality Assurance Training?

Quality assurance training focuses on making sure that your phone agents are having successful phone calls with customers and potential customers. Depending on the type of phone call they are conducting, this means that they should be able to resolve any concerns, answer questions, and set appointments with the people to whom they are talking. It can also focus on phone skills, conflict resolution, or any other important metrics to you and your dealership. Quality assurance training is most effective when the employees are not aware that the phone call they are currently on will be used to evaluate them and provide the basis for training. This can give you a clearer picture of what their usual phone calls contain.

How to Conduct the Training

To conduct quality assurance training, you need to start by establishing benchmarks and metrics that employees need to hit to be considered successful. The more clearly defined you can make these metrics, the better because these provide the basis for evaluation and training. Once you know what you are looking for, you should select random phone calls to record and evaluate each phone agent. These phone calls should be evaluated against the established criteria, and feedback should be noted immediately. This immediate feedback can serve as the basis for training if the phone agent doesn’t pass the evaluation, or it can be used to provide feedback and praise to phone agents that do pass. Once you have gathered the data about your phone agents, it can be used in two different ways for training. First, this information should be used to evaluate the success of each phone agent individually and provide them with steps they can take to improve their performance. It can identify areas of weakness before they cause too many problems. Second, this data, in aggregate, can help you see how your dealership is performing and what patterns are emerging. This should inform your overall training and where you should focus your efforts for improvement.

Increased Appointments

Appointments are one of the best ways to bring in new sales. People who show up to look at vehicles without an appointment can be converted into a sale, but if you know someone is showing up intending to buy a car during their appointment, you have a greater chance of success. And with so many dealerships competing for a limited pool of customers, you need everything you can get on your side. This is why ensuring your phone agents are successfully setting appointments is crucial. If you are effectively using your quality assurance evaluations and training to focus on this, you should see an increase in both appointments set and appointments that show up. 

Decreased Escalation

One of the biggest things that lead to conflict over the phone and phone calls that need to be escalated is ineffective phone agents. Customers often get frustrated when they feel like they aren’t being listened to, when no one can answer their questions, or if they are left on hold for longer periods. These issues can be reduced if phone agents are trained properly in more than setting appointments. Quality assurance evaluation and training can help you pinpoint what is frustrating customers and require phone agents to escalate a call to the next level. While you won’t be able to avoid all need for escalation, reducing the number of calls with frustrated customers is important for your reputation and overall customer satisfaction.

When used effectively, quality assurance training is one of the best tools that you have to help your phone agents be successful at their jobs and to keep your dealership running smoothly. Setting clear metrics and understanding what success looks like is key to getting the results you want.

Do you need some extra assistance with your training? Check out how our active coaching can help!

Have you ever noticed when the sales floor goes out for good third-party training that they come back with a pep in their step? That’s because whatever speaker they had got them fired up and ready to go all out for your product. There is nothing better than rekindling that spark and feeling some extra motivation to get back into the sales game full steam ahead. But what would make that even better? Someone to come back to the dealership and discuss it with, not even just that day, but days later.

Continuing education in sales is a massive part of keeping sales associates on top of their game with product knowledge and the current market conditions and popular techniques. But what about their other skills? Their people skills and ability to discuss that product are also crucial to the equation. When associates go for training, they get a day jam-packed with information, which is terrific. However, if the details of that day are not reviewed at LEAST two or three times after the fact, that associate may forget most of the details they learned that day. This is why continuous training is much more beneficial than one day every six months or so.

If those details are discussed more than once (and applied), we are on track for more of that training being retained. So why aren’t we taking more time to discuss other skills as well in terms of training customer service and phone skills? Kids go to school for 12 years to be generally educated, and they discuss principles and subjects hundreds of times throughout the course of their school career before graduating with proficiency in the topics discussed. It would only make sense that great associates are fine-tuning and studying their craft daily.

With that being said, this question is for my managers, what training are your associates getting, and are YOU making sure that they are doing their homework? We all know the law of averages. The more cars your sales staff sells, the more money rolls through the dealership. The more money coming through sales is more money in your pocket as well. Having your staff succeed ultimately leads to your success. So as a manager, are you making sure that your associates are putting their best foot forward every day, or are you hoping that they retain the information that they are given and leaving your paycheck up to chance? Even if you are the best closer, your sales associate will set the tone. Having them on their A-game from the jump, educated in their product, and professional with their delivery is crucial to your survival and theirs.

If your sales floor isn’t on top of its game, what can you do to assist them in fixing it? If they are going to training or get regular in-house training, are you engaging with them after the fact to clarify points and encourage their newfound knowledge and growth? These secondary actions will drive home your desire for their success, which may be the key to turning performance in your dealership around. It is an “extra” step, but the outcome of that step could change lives if done correctly, and of course, that addition to the dollars in your paycheck doesn’t hurt either. 

Many dealerships have started using a Business Development Center or BDC to bring in new business and to increase the effectiveness of the appointments that their sales agents have. If you have never used a BDC before, you may not see why it is important or if you have worked with an ineffective one, it might be frustrating to think about dealing with that. Luckily there are some things you can do with training to make your BDC a profit center for your dealership.

What is An Automotive BDC?

Your BDC is the center of all of your phone business operations. Your agents who work in the BDC have two primary responsibilities. They are responsible for making outbound phone calls to bring in new opportunities. They also manage the inbound calls from these opportunities to set appointments for the sales agents that work the front of the store. Because these sales agents specialize in phone conversations, they are better equipped to deal with the challenges that come up on phone calls, and you can always be sure that there is someone to take the phone calls that come in. Specialized customer service that starts from the first call is important for setting your opportunities up to eventually become a sale.

How to Set Up Your BDC

Because the agents who work in the BDC are in charge of setting appointments and finding opportunities, rather than selling cars, you want to focus on hiring different people than you would for car sales. Car sales agents are great at what they do, but that doesn’t always translate well to the BDC. You want to focus on finding people who are skilled communicators on the phone and who specialize in setting appointments. You should also make sure that the compensation is properly set to incentivize your BDC employees. This will need to be different from the compensation you use for your sales agents because the outcomes are different. The focus is on setting appointments and creating successful early touches, so the metrics for your BDC agents need to match this.

How to Train Your Agents

Once you have the BDC agents hired and you are ready to start running, you need to make sure that your agents have been empowered to be successful in the work that you are giving them. Over 60% of service advisors fail to ask the customer for an appointment, so phone training via active coaching is crucial. If your agents haven’t been properly trained, your BDC could actually end up costing you more than it brings in. The point of a BDC is to develop your business even further and to bring in more business than your current lead generation methods. In order to do this, the first thing you should do is make sure that you focus on standardizing your procedures and training each BDC agent in these procedures in an ongoing manner. Phone Ninjas specializes in certifying and coaching phone agents to set more appointments and to be more effective when interacting with prospects to get them to actually show up to the appointments. This ongoing training is invaluable for seeing success grow with your dealership.

Following Up on Training

Once you have finished the initial certification and your BDC agents are starting to successfully bring in new leads, you need to make sure you follow up on the training that you have been providing to make sure it is effective. Your BDC agents should be regularly evaluated against the key metrics that you set, both in terms of the quality of their phone conversations and the success they have in setting appointments. One of the best ways to follow up on the training that you have provided them with is to give them the resources they need to properly apply this training. Tools like phone scripts are useful for keeping BDC agents on track and making sure they aren’t missing the important steps that make their appointment setting more effective. Not only should you be looking at how many appointments they are setting, but you also need to see what percentage of those appointments actually show up. Regular evaluations give you an opportunity to provide feedback and catch problems early on.

In order to make sure that your BDC is a profit center, it is important to make sure that your BDC is properly set up and that you have provided the agents with the proper training. These first touches are crucial to setting expectations and bringing in leads that you would otherwise miss.

Are you trying to help your phone agents improve the quality of their calls? Click here to see some of our great resources!

We can do many things to stand out against the competition. Quality phone skills, streamlined processes, and even an up-to-date website. Yet many of us struggle to achieve any of the above tasks. Have we ever stepped back and asked ourselves why we cannot accomplish any (or all) of the above? Sure, there's the age-old excuse of "not enough time in the day" or "we don't need that to sell cars.” Another favorite is “we've been selling cars before all that was a thing and are doing just fine." Just fine? Being just fine is just that "fine" - "average," but what about when "fine" or "just average" no longer cuts it? 

It's like we understand what the core challenges are, but we just won't tackle them until they're punching us in the face. And even then, as we're getting punched with one thing after the other, we're making knee-jerk reactions instead of focusing on the root cause of the problem. That is ensuring our teams are adequately trained, have streamlined processes, or working with an updated website that offers prospective customers a good experience. It's that word, though, "experience," that often throws us for a loop. A loop that has been on repeat for the last ten-plus years. The auto loop of having the conversations on what we could do to only half-ass those changes. 

Hiring a trainer for a one-day session filled with buzzwords is not training, sorry. Just like "grabbing your GSM for an all of a sudden brain dump meeting" isn't going to work. Have we ever thought that perhaps randomly grabbing a GSM - in the middle of their work - is a good idea? Beating them over the head with an ill-explained problem that isn't even thought out? Where their responses - being on the spot - are often bum-rushed word vomit that isn't going to solve the problem? Much less the damage it does to the morale when they go back and word vomit what their teams are or aren’t doing? And to make it worse, let's say you go back to the GSM two days later to ask what the updates are, and they give you a deer-in-the-headlights look because it is entirely out of their minds. To which, heck, you might go to a random sales consultant’s desk or BD agent and "quiz" them – the same thing happens, though. They give you a deer-in-the-headlights look. To make it worse, the GM might even stand over the Sales Consultant or BD Agent while they're on the phone to wait for an answer. There's nothing like being on the phone while trying to concentrate with someone breathing down your neck. 

So, what is that? Well, it's not good. And no, this isn't about beating up the GM, either. But it is an all-too-common problem. Not to mention, almost everyone wants to do better. It's just that to do better, you need resources. Those resources are clear expectations, training, and processes in our case. Without those, it is a free for all war zone full of chaos and uneasiness. No one wants to sit there looking like the class clown, but it's inevitable when the dunce runs the show. It's time we put the dunce cap down and focus on what can and will impact the dealer level. Take a minute and get with your GSM. Let them get with their teams to ensure that the website is up to date, ensure there is a refresher on the processes, and, most importantly, make sure there is a process in place for ongoing training. Try being proactive vs. reactive because when it hits the fan, and it will, chance favors the prepared mind. 

Taking a minute to invest in your managers - as a GM - will not just build trust within your dealership, but it will create a positive environment where your teams will be more proactive about training. All too often, training or even asking for changes is seen as being negative or "questioning the status quo," as in, if it's not broke, don't fix it. Well, are we so far past being broke that we just don't know how to fix it? Perhaps, but the good news is that there's nothing wrong with wanting to "fix" the root cause. Tackling the problems that can and will set us back as we learn to navigate the ever-changing new normal. If you're serious about fixing the problem's root cause, take a minute to complete a free stealth test.