A recent study reports that inbound calls to auto dealerships are rising. In fact:
- 39 percent of dealers report an increase of 10 percent.
- 49 percent of dealers report an increase of 15 percent or more.
- Only 12 percent of dealers report no increase in call volume.
This is amazing news! After all, what auto dealership doesn’t want more leads calling in? Perhaps you’re even experiencing the influx of inbound calls in your dealership today.
However, receiving more calls is potentially problematic as well. As we mentioned in our article 4 Lead Management Problems Auto Dealers Must Solve, research indicates that auto dealerships are mishandling 41.2 percent of phone calls. The inbound call handling problems include missed calls, long hold times, delayed follow-up, and not logging leads. While getting more inbound calls is good, it can only exacerbate the call handling problems that already exist in dealerships around the country.
So how do you maximize the potential of each and every call you get in your auto dealership?
Our last article explained how switching to a cloud phone system could help you clear up call handling mistakes. Like other areas of your business, sometimes technology is the best solution!
You may also wonder what you can do as a dealership owner or an employee of a dealership. So, in this article, we’ll set you on the right path by laying out five principles of successful inbound call handling
5 Principles of Successful Inbound Call Handling
From the minute the call comes in until the moment you hang up the phone, these principles of inbound call handling will help you to convert more callers to car buyers.
1. Answer the Call
We’ll start with the most basic principle, but it’s one that if you don’t get right, the rest of this list doesn’t matter. When inbound calls come in, you must answer them!
The study we mentioned above about increased inbound calls also found that only 40 percent of dealers are confident that they are handling calls effectively. In fact, 68 percent believe they are losing nearly a third (or more) of their calls to competitors.
So how do you avoid the same fate? Here are some ideas:
- Analyze call volume and ensure you are well-staffed for your busiest days and hours.
- Review your call routing procedures and find ways to simplify them.
- Avoid putting callers on hold (or at least set a goal to minimize the hold time).
- Have a system for following up quickly with missed calls.
- Review your call metrics regularly to find areas for improvement.
Check out this article for more help avoiding missed calls and other inbound call handling problems.
2. Understand the Caller’s Needs
One goal of every inbound call is to identify that caller’s specific needs. Only then can you offer solutions that meet those needs and satisfy the caller. This principle leads to two important inbound call handling lessons:
- The person handling the call must learn how to ask good questions.
- The person handling the call must know how to listen.
The caller will likely start by explaining why they called, but it’s up to the representative handling the call to probe to get more information. A couple of good questions can provide extra information that leads to a better answer and solution.
But there is no point in asking questions if you don’t thoughtfully listen to and contemplate the answers. That’s why having (and developing) good listening skills is also important to understand the caller’s needs.
3. Show Value
Once you’ve understood the caller’s needs, you can start to offer solutions related to those needs. This is where your call representative can demonstrate the value of doing business with your auto dealership.
Value can mean offering expert advice to the caller’s questions. Or sharing information about the cars that fit the caller’s needs. Or weaving in how your auto dealership differs from the competition and thus is the best place to shop for a vehicle.
If you can demonstrate value by providing specific solutions that address the caller’s needs (#2), your answers will sound genuine and helpful instead of pushy.
4. Build a Relationship
Throughout the inbound call handling strategies above, the goal is to build a relationship with the caller. Creating a connection during the call (and anytime before or after the call!) will help the caller understand and feel connected to your automotive brand while also helping them feel secure about doing business with you.
Listening to understand the caller’s needs and then sharing thoughtful solutions and ideas will help you build a relationship (#2 and #3 above), but here are some extra tips:
- Personalize the experience by getting the person’s name at the beginning of the call and using it during the conversation.
- Practice active listening skills like clarifying and summarizing.
- Show your personality (even if you’re using a script or talking track).
- Be honest about products and the information you give.
It’s also important to consider building a relationship BEYOND the phone call. Every call should be logged in your CRM, with the name, contact details, and key information about the phone call. To simplify, use a cloud phone system that integrates with your CRM system.
5. Set the Appointment
Getting the caller into your dealership is the ultimate goal of every call, especially when you’ve followed the steps above and have identified that the caller is in the market to buy. However, research has shown that appointments are set in only 20 percent of inbound sales calls. This is a major factor in losing customers to the competition.
By setting an appointment, you are asking the caller to commit to come and see you. You’ll also be able to continue building the relationship and show more value. Setting an appointment brings you closer to the sale.
So, what can you do to set more appointments?
- When training staff for inbound call handling, stress the importance of ending each call by setting up an appointment.
- Consider offering an incentive program (for example, an incentive for each appointment set or a bonus for hitting a certain call-to-appointment rate)
- Set the appointment for a specific date and time.
- When relevant, create a sense of urgency.
- Set the appointment in stone by confirming it in writing.
Inbound Call Handling
The inbound call handling principles above will guide you in more effectively managing the calls that come into your auto dealership. By answering the call, understanding the caller’s needs, showing value, building a relationship, and setting appointments, you’ll be able to convert more callers to car buyers.
Of course, in this article, we have presented a top-level overview for auto dealers. If you’re curious about how you can train your staff to follow the principles above, stay tuned for our next article!
