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The Inbound Call

There’s no denying that the inbound call is one of the most valuable opportunities in the automotive sales industry. A customer calling your dealership to inquire about a vehicle shows a lot of commitment! Before the buyer ever picked up the phone, they’ve spent approximately 15-20 hours researching to find what they liked. Then, they specifically dialed your dealership! However, since these buyers are initiating contact, you also never know what they might throw at you.

 That’s why in order to handle any call, in any situation, you need to be prepared with the right skills, techniques, insights, and tools designed to skyrocket your proficiency over the phone! With the right preparation, anyone can become an inbound call champion and set the appointment nearly every time! As a result, set more appointments, improve your show ratio, and start the deal with rapport and positivity before the first handshake ever occurs.

 When you are equipped with the processes and attitude needed to get ahead, then you will have the confidence to pick up the phone each and every time knowing that you are headed towards success! Let’s take a look at some of the hottest inbound call best practices in the automotive industry!

 

Approaching the Goal of an Inbound Call

 

 Before ever picking up the phone, it’s crucial to know your objective – to move through the steps of your process until the appointment is set! Yet, how you approach this goal will drastically affect your success rate. It’s important to remember that these are educated buyers. In today’s world, buyers have access to incredible amounts of information. So, by the time they call you, they are serious about purchasing a vehicle. In fact, they are most likely just calling your dealership just to get some extra information before coming down to your dealership.

 Therefore, you shouldn’t treat an inbound call as setting an appointment. Instead, it’s more like you are simply confirming one! These buyers already want to come into your dealership. So, you need to make everything as easy as possible for the buyer. Furthermore, have a great attitude that gets them excited to come in. There’s no need to overexplain and overcomplicate the deal or sell to a buyer who’s already sold on coming in! However, since everyone nowadays is a serious buyer, you do need to ask for the appointment every single time!

 

https://player.vimeo.com/video/420939641

 

Have and Utilize an Inbound Call Guide

 Before you ever answer the phone, the most important factor in a successful call is having your call guide in front of you. Being able to handle any situation is as simple as having your call guide in front of you every time! Just like a sales process, call guides go through a specific process that brings you step-by-step towards your goal. Remember, a call guide is a guide, not a script – you can use your own words during a call, but use the call guide to keep you on track. So, by following the steps of an inbound call guide, you will have a highly-effective way to stay on track to selling the appointment!

 

https://player.vimeo.com/video/258015195

 There are various great options for inbound call guides for dealership, but here at Webinarinc, we offer 30+ tried-and-true call guides for FREE! Click here to get your free copy and follow along the steps of the call guide:

 

Introduction:

 When the buyer calls up, it’s important to start with an infectious attitude. Start off by thanking the buyer for their call, introducing yourself, and letting them know that you can help them. Just letting the buyer know that you can help them from the start is a great way to establish rapport early on.

General Information or Ad Car/Pre-Owned Steps:

 Now, it is extremely likely that the buyer will mention a specific car they’ve seen online. However, the buyer may also just be calling in with a general idea of what they are looking for. In this instance, you can gather information on their desired equipment. Either way, don’t miss this chance to further rapport by complimenting their choice! For example, you can complement their choice of vehicle, or even the third-party website they used. Here, increase your odds by expanding your inventory and/or engaging the buyer in their trade. Doing this early gives you the ability to set the appointment on vehicles or reasons they hadn’t originally considered before calling in!

 

Name, Number, & Email:

 Asking for information too early in the deal can turn buyers off. This makes it seem like you want the information for yourself. However, by waiting until this step in the process, it will feel like you’re asking the buyer in order to help them. Consequently, it will be much easier to gather personal information at this stage. Start off by asking for the buyer’s phone number before asking for their name. Once you have the phone number, everything else comes easy. Now, utilize the hold to help reset and create anticipation.

 

Have It/Don’t Have It + Close:

 Finally, you’re ready to go for the appointment. By expanding your inventory early on, you’re more likely to have a vehicle that you can set the appointment on now. However, even if you do not have what they are looking for, try to set the appointment. Remember, never hang up the phone without asking every buyer for the appointment! Here, you can attempt to engage the buyer with various attractive benefits to coming down to your dealership. For example, a free appraisal of their current vehicle!

 In the close, increase your chance of getting the buyer in the door by making the appointment feel real. This could be done by offering step-by-step directions, telling them what to expect when they get to the dealership, and letting them now that you will have a spot waiting out front for them. By walking the buyer through the experience they will have when they get to your dealership, your show ratio will drastically increase!