So what exactly is your dealership’s outbound calling culture? Does it have that “smile and dial” feel, where the mentality is “the more outbound calls, the better?”
According to Mike Haig, Director of Automotive at Century Interactive, that’s not a terrible mindset – it’s better than nothing. Mike notes, however, that that mentality doesn’t encourage tracking the metric that matters most: executing an actual, live conversation with a prospect. In reality, 12 to 14 percent of outbound calls actually reach an intended prospect and lead to a live conversation. Because of this, Mike suggests four ways to improve your outbound calls:
- Managing to the right metric. Stop trying to fulfill outbound call quota at inconvenient times for prospects. Instead, start peppering calls throughout the day and into the early evening.
- Utilize phone technology. Mike says research, identify, and hire a phone technology company to track and actually record outbound phone calls at the agent level. This will give management insight into who is placing calls and when.
- Focus your time on identifying the right prospects to call at the right time. Great outbound dealerships focus on mining, pursuing, and nurturing leads.
- Phone excellence starts at the top. Any dealership with a strong outbound phone culture is anchored by a dealer principal, GM, and general sales manager committed to excellence.
Mike also adds that an outbound culture driven by accountability and technology is no longer “something to be considered.” It is a must for dealerships aiming to stay ahead of the competition!
To read more, check out Mike’s full article in the November issue of Car Biz Today Magazine, available here.
