Conversion on sales calls should be at least 22% at car companies

Most know by now: the sales call is the most important lead in the automotive industry when it comes to conversion. Because more than 50% of the internet use via the smartphone, more and more people will call, WhatsApp and mail. The saying that ‘the caller is faster’ touches the essence, because someone who calls with a salesperson is in the market. It’s that simple.

Sales funnel

What does the sales funnel look like for telephone leads? In the book: “Selling cars in the digital age” a clear sales funnel has been specified. Data from Nieuweautokopen.nl and Marktplaats also show clear and comparable figures. Note, these are figures and not assumptions. The conversion call-2-sale is at least 22%. That means that from the 100 call leads, at least 22 can be turned into a sale. The steps to that sale are like this:

• 100 call leads
• 60 call leads lead to an appointment
• 36 appointments actually show up
• 22 sales, a conversion of 22%

This is in line with the 60% rule for online leads. We assume that you answer 100% of the sales calls. Research from Marktplaats tells us that 12% of calls are missed. And we are not talking about phone calls in the middle of the night, but just about an attempt at telephone contact, for example between 12.00 and 13.00.

89 calls report

If you use call tracking, which is a must today, then you have at least control over the first part of the funnel. Then you know how many calls you have received and how many callers you have had contact with. Since you can see how many records are in the CRM, with call tracking, you can further calculate the conversion to an appointment and a final sale.

The point is that you get insight. How many sales calls do you actually receive? Sellers are also frequently called for relevant matters about, for example, delivering a car. And do you really want to know who is calling for what? Then at least do one thing: invest in call tracking! You do not need any investment or adjustment in your telephone exchange, but you know how many real opportunities you get. If that is clear, you can hold your sales reps accountable for the 22% conversion result that you expect. Will you come short? Then let us, for example, check your calls for quality. Getting better and having more conversions has to do with two things: yourself and your process!

Orginal article

About Paul de Vries

Paul de Vries became a Key Automotive Spokesperson at eBay (Marketplace) after selling Nieuweautokopen.nl to eBay back in 2015. Paul is the founder and CEO of the #DCDW Academy and the presenter of the #DCDW Podcast. He is also a by dealers and importers frequently asked speaker in the online automotive industry. Paul is the winner of the prestigious Lighthouse Award 2016 in the U.S.! `Lead the Way op de digitale snelweg’ is Paul’s new book, which can be used as a guide in the online automotive industry. More information is available at: DCDW.nl.