Handling Inbound Calls

Welcome to PCS-Global's Driving Relationships newsletter! In this section, our CallCoach resident experts will provide phone-handling tips, share FAQs and spotlight best–in-class and worst-in-class examples of inbound Phone-Up sales opportunities. The CallCoaches' Corner section is most useful for call handlers, BDC and RMC reps, BDC and RMC directors and managers, sales teams and sales managers.

Imagine that you answer an inbound call from a potential customer and you hear, "Hi, I'm calling about the 2003 Nissan Maxima I saw advertised on AutoTrader.com."  Now, you know this vehicle was just delivered to another customer. How do you respond? 

More often than not, a call handler will respond, "Sorry, it was sold." Can you tell me the very next thing the call handler will hear? You already know the answer … "Click." A viable opportunity went right out the window — and statistically, there is an 80 percent probability that the caller will buy a vehicle from your competitor within three to 10 days!

In today's economy, it's critical to capitalize on EVERY lead. When you answer the inventory question right away, you typically lose the sales opportunity. PCS-Global teaches our clients the proper way to handle an inbound sales opportunity by following an eight-year, road-tested, industry-proven road map that takes a call handler through the seven steps to setting an appointment. (These seven steps are covered in drJohn's NADA 2009 Convention workshop "Keys to Driving Online & Phone Traffic: Do you have the Personality?" (See the "What's Up Doc" section in this issue of Driving Relationships for convention information and registration links.) 

Remember: On the phone, your job is to sell the APPOINTMENT, not the vehicle. It's imperative to first properly qualify a customer's needs and follow through by creating flexibility based on those needs. When you answer each question a customer asks, you let the customer maintain control of the call, which will likely end up in a lost opportunity. Remember to stay focused on the task at hand and use your inventory and product knowledge to build rapport, gather information about the customer's needs, and finish by setting an appointment for the customer to come into the showroom. 

Stay tuned for our next edition of CallCoach Corner! (Hint: Next month's tip has made hundreds — even thousands in revenue!)

About PCS-Global
PCS-Global is an auto-industry focused human engineering corporation specializing in: