EP 9:29 Why Treating Every Lead Equally Could Be Costing You Sales

Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast

In this episode, Sean V. Bradley sits down with industry expert Jenna Blankenbiller to tackle a topic that can make or break a dealership’s success: CRM management and lead handling. 💻✨ They dive into key strategies dealerships often overlook, shedding light on how to maximize conversions, streamline operations, and avoid common pitfalls that could be costing you big profits!

Sean and Jenna share actionable tips on how to clean up your CRM, avoid information overload, and focus on active leads within a 90-day window to boost productivity and profitability. From managing third-party leads like TrueCar and CarsDirect to setting up proper automation and specialization within your BDC team, this episode is packed with valuable insights for automotive professionals!

Don’t miss this game-changing conversation—tune in now to learn how to take your dealership's CRM strategy and lead handling to the next level! 🎧📈

Key Takeaways

• Lead Management Strategy: Focus on active leads that are 90 days or less, eliminating clutter and improving operational efficiency.

• CRM Setup and Automation: Proper CRM configurations and automated processes are essential to maximize lead engagement and conversion rates.

• BDC Specialization: Segregating tasks and specializing BDC representatives in specific lead types can greatly enhance dealership productivity.

• Third-Party Lead Utilization: Dealers should carefully select and optimize leads from reputable third-party providers rather than relying heavily on online classifieds.

• Avoiding Overload: Prevent BDC and sales teams from being overwhelmed by ensuring effective lead distribution and management practices.

About Jenna Blankenbiller

Jenna Blankenbiller is an accomplished automotive industry expert, having spent 12 years honing her skills with significant experiences at independent dealerships and Bob Ruth Ford, where she played a pivotal role in expanding their Internet department from selling 75 units a month to 356 units. Recently, she has joined Dealer Synergy as the Director of Dealer Relations, bringing her extensive expertise and innovative strategies to the executive team. Jenna’s background includes roles as an Internet Director and General Sales Training Director, and she has been featured prominently in automotive industry publications and events.

Resources:

Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership’s sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!

NCC: Credit-Driven Retailing - NCC delivers industry-best credit-driven retailing for auto dealerships, combining a powerful credit and compliance engine and fully-integrated CRM/Desking platform for maximum profitability.

ProMax: Stop losing leads and start desking more deals with one easy-to-use system! ProMax automotive CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more.

Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry’s #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.

The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!

Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.

The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By:

Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast.

NCC: Powered by proprietary solutions such as Intelligent Credit Engine™ and LenderSelect™, NCC transforms the car-buying experience for dealers and their customers. From compliance and lender selection, to CRM and desking, to marketing and data mining—NCC integrates them all in a single, seamless platform to deliver better customer experiences, maximum efficiency and maximum profit.

ProMax: ProMax automotive CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. As a leader in the industry for the last 24 years, ProMax provides car dealers streamlined and simplified software that does everything you need for lead tracking and follow up, desking, F&I, and cost-effective marketing. Increase your sales and grosses, reduce your expenses with one easy-to-use system.

Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.

Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry’s top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!

Optimizing Automotive CRM: Maximize Your Lead Management for Sales Success

The ways in which automotive dealerships handle their customer relationship management (CRM) systems can make or break their sales potential. In a fast-evolving digital landscape, dealers must confront the realities of lead management head-on. In a riveting discussion featuring Sean V. Bradley and Jenna Blankenbiller, the conversation traverses the intricacies of CRM systems, lead optimization, and strategies for converting potential into success. Sean, a seasoned leader in the field and president of Dealer Synergy, alongside Jenna, the adept director of dealer relations, dive into the nuances of CRM challenges, offering dealers a navigable roadmap to enhanced performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Present-day vehicle dealerships must understand the importance of maintaining a clean and up-to-date CRM, limiting active leads to those of the past 90 days with current engagement.

• Dealership success hinges on precise and strategic lead handling, ensuring that sales, especially BDC reps, are not overwhelmed with non-productive lead management tasks.

• True partnerships with lead source providers and a robust structured process can significantly boost the productivity and profitability of lead management in car sales.

Mastering Lead Management in Dealerships

Dealerships constantly strive to balance a trending avalanche of leads with effective lead management practices. Sean V. Bradley emphasizes that if automotive dealers are struggling to extract value from leads sourced from players like Direct True Car or Autoweb, the issue may lie within the CRM configuration itself. As highlighted by Sean, “It’s most likely your CRM is not set up correctly.”

Leads should be filtered for relevance and timeliness. According to Sean, the CRM should prioritize active leads within the past 90 days while ensuring there is an accessible phone number. He challenges the dealer community to abandon the notion that "buy or die" is an effective mantra for leads—it's an outdated strategy that no longer serves the dealership’s best interests. Sean pointedly notes: “There's no need for hoarding leads beyond 90 days unless they’ve engaged within the last month.”

Jenna illustrates another point: the importance of assigning specific roles within the lead management process to ensure leads with potential are not being buried under a mountain of irrelevant or outdated contacts. She adds, “Keep focus on your fresh stuff where your biggest opportunity lies, and this involves adequate segmentation and specialization within the BDC.”

Optimizing CRM Setup and Lead Routing

A dealership's ability to manage leads systematically often begins with a robust CRM setup. Sean cautions against getting overwhelmed by the sheer volume of leads, which is often exacerbated by the mixing of sales leads with service, parts, and other non-revenue generating communications. He articulates, “If your leads aren't properly routed or are congested with non-priority interactions, you're wasting time and valuable resources.”

To optimize, dealerships must ensure that CRM processes are correctly configured, including archiving old leads and ensuring active ones are accurately marked. "It’s about getting to people with the highest probability of engagement and conversion," Sean states. Jenna corroborates the sentiment: “Having an automatic system to sort and respond, especially for leads that don't hold immediate promise, will streamline the process.”

Moreover, an intelligent routing system—that segments sales leads from non-sales traffic—allows for specialization among team members, provides clarity, and increases conversion rates. This level of organization within CRM systems prevents scenarios where dealerships either underestimate their leads or falter under the weight of mismanaged data.

Lead Source Providers: Strategic Use and Misconceptions

The perception of lead source providers is another contentious area explored by Sean and Jenna. There exists a misconception in the automotive realm that certain lead sources do more harm than good. Sean dispels this notion by underscoring the strategic uptake and management of these lead sources. He argues, “If you have cars direct, TrueCar, or AutoWeb and aren’t getting value, it’s often due to mismanagement rather than the provider.”

It is crucial for dealers to discern between third-party lead sources such as Cars Direct, TrueCar, and AutoWeb, and online classifieds like AutoTrader or Cars.com, which often operate on a different paradigm. Sean advocates for a keen understanding of how these sources work and notes the importance of aligning them with dealership goals. “Third-party leads aren’t about exclusivity but making the most of every opportunity laid before us,” he concludes.

To implement a successful strategy, seamless processes, targeted employee roles, and strategic partnerships with lead sources drive success. Effective CRM management coupled with insightful use of lead source providers fosters a rich environment for transforming potential leads into lucrative sales.

The Path to CRM Mastery in Car Dealerships

Throughout the extensive discussion between Sean and Jenna, a clear picture emerges of the recipe for dealership success in this digital age. A clean, effectively segmented CRM—aligned with realistic and strategic handling of leads—is vital. The relief from non-productive tasks frees staff to follow higher-level sales activities like direct communication and personalized engagement.

Dealer success lies in distinguishing viable prospects and working smart with automation tools, thus enhancing the capacity for optimal lead conversion. The tempo set by these CRM adjustments holds the potential to transform the operational rhythm of automotive dealerships, ensuring that time and energy are focused on true, revenue-generating activities.