The Biggest Mistake That Happens on The Phone for Car Dealers

I want to share something that I hope will help on your future calls.  Working as a phone trainer in the industry for over eight years I can safely say I have listened to 50,000 plus sales calls at car dealerships – and let me tell you – I have heard it all.   So, I want to talk about the biggest mistake that I hear car dealers make on the phone on a regular basis: not asking for/offering an appointment.  

 What do you think the goal of every phone call should be?  We want to set an appointment!  To do this we need to ask for one, right? It is so simple, yet you would be amazed how often I hear this on sales calls.

Now I want to talk about why this is so important.  Asking for an appointment, scheduling a solid time, and getting that commitment from the customer should be made a priority!  Not only are your customers more likely to come in and purchase, but they are also less likely to pick up the phone and call another dealership if they already have an appointment scheduled. 

Lately over fifty percent of the calls I listen to, the salesperson will simply reveal availability of the vehicle or answer the customer’s question and hang up the phone, without any attempt at an appointment at all. While it may seem helpful to answer your customer’s questions right away, it is better to wait and try to save any details for when they come in and see you.  When you give your customer too much information over the phone you can demotivate them from visiting the dealership entirely.

Another common scenario I hear on calls is when we hang up with the customer to get them more information about the vehicle without any attempt at an appointment time.  Keep in mind that even if you must call them back it is best to offer a tentative appointment.  This is better than no appointment at all! 

During these crazy times and all the online/digital options available for purchasing vehicles it is easy to assume the customer does not want to come in, however this is not the case.  According to the Capgemini report, 71 percent of car buyers still want to take a test drive of the vehicle they are going to spend thousands of dollars on.

And don’t get me wrong, there are times I am hugely impressed with the sales professional’s authority and control of their call.  There are really some awesome salespeople out there who take the time to build a great rapport with their customer, find out their needs, get their information and ask for an appointment.   It is just unfortunate to hear so many missed opportunities on the phone, especially when I know everyone can do better!

So, what are you going to do on your next call?  Ask for the appointment and I guarantee you will see an increase in your sales!