Systems such as LEF, Websolve and Automanager provide clarity for those who want it!

There are now a number of good Internet Lead Management Systems (ILMS) available for car dealers and car companies, like LEF, Automanager and Websolve. These are systems other than so-called lead hubs, which are no more than structured inboxes of leads. The systems mentioned will help you to sell more cars with the available leads. In addition, management can see what is going on and which salesmen are active with the system.

LEF

LEF has an interesting feature that makes it clear how many hours the salesmen have been working with the system. Normally, the sales managers would have to work with such a system for most hours. After all, they also have the salesmen to manage. They will have to be an example of how the system should be used. Unfortunately, the practice is often different. At the dealers where we do a so-called Process Performance Review (PPR), this is the first thing I check. If the sales manager is at the bottom of the statistics – and that is usually the case – then I know that the processes to monitor leads are not checked. And so it is all about ‘coincidence’. Good to know: ‘coincidence’ only sells cars from leads that want to buy themselves, not to those you have to sell to…

Everything in the ILMS

I recently did a PPR at a dealer of a French brand and went deep into the ILMS, including an analysis of the closed leads. These were leads that were put on ‘unsold’ by the seller. Leads for which marketing has paid an average of € 25, which have been called and qualified by their own CCC… These are leads in which a lot of energy has been invested and a lot of money has been spent. The salesmen only had to confirm the appointments from the CCC. More than 80% of the leads that I checked were not properly closed. They were often leads with only 1 call attempt and a voicemail message. Then the lead was closed and put on ‘unsold’. When I see that, I wonder – with all respect – what we are doing. And not just the salesman, but also the sales manager. If the sales manager does not check and excludes the BS, you will NEVER sell more cars. It cannot be that you have a process, but you do not follow it consistently. It is simple, all leads must apply same yardstick. Always.

Practice example

Those who think it is all bad, I challenge to do the following. At the next sales meeting, open the ILMS and ask the sales people, 1 by 1, to explain the status of 5 leads to their colleagues. Ask them for an explanation of the statuses of current leads and unsold leads. Is everything in the ILMS as discussed? Has the lead been called, mailed or otherwise long enough? Do you get the conversions you have to achieve? And do you earn the opportunity to receive and handle leads? I’m afraid of the answers…

As far as earning leads is concerned; we work in our BDC like this. Example: you do a campaign on MOT and the normal conversion is 25%. The first ten conversations lead to nothing, are you allowed to do the eleventh conversation or does the team manager have to intervene to see what it takes to achieve the desired conversion? We all know the answer, but we don’t do it, unfortunately.
Frustrations, at least with me, because often we just don’t do the basics, we do not look in the mirror, but mainly look for the reasons to make it clear that the cause of the failure doesn’t lie with them. Let one thing be clear: you can do more sales yourself, by adapting yourself and by familiarizing yourself with the processes that suit you, in order to keep repeating those processes over and over again. Then you sell more, then you become successful, because you do not sell more on the basis of chance, or with the right product. More sales is understanding where your opportunities lie. A CRM, ILMS or whatever, is your tool to sell more and not the tool to justify to yourself and your boss that you did or did not do something…

About Paul de Vries

Paul de Vries became a Key Automotive Spokesperson at eBay (Marktplaats) 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.