How to Boost Dealership Sales Appointment Making Skills for Good

In car sales, appointment making consumes a significant portion of the week’s responsibilities, but not every effort leads to a steady commission.

It’s not always easy to succeed in the automotive industry. If you want a long lasting career as a sales manager, it’s essential to sharpen your team’s sales appointment making skills to create a continual flow of leads. With so many products and methods out there, it’s difficult to know which is most beneficial for getting higher monthly sales totals. One thing is for sure, if you’ve spent too many months out of the year struggling, then it’s time for a new approach.

6 Ways to boost your sales appointment making skills for long-term commission consistency

1. Embrace appointment culture.

It’s a given that you want your team to sell as many cars as possible, but instead of focusing only on monthly sales totals, work on creating a team that is driven by appointment culture. Pay particular attention to each team member’s ability to book appointments daily. Even with digital processes on the rise, the AutoTrader Car Buyer of the Future Study shows that 84% of shoppers still want to buy a car in person, and 73% will drive farther for a great salesperson. By cultivating a team that puts the customer experience first, it will be a lot easier to get enough completely satisfied ratings to give your overall lead consistency a push in the right direction.

2. Nurture leads.

While price is a significant factor in choosing a dealership, 54% of car buyers will pay more for an enhanced car buying experience. Encourage your team to respond to leads with efficiency and to be ready to help customers with any questions or problems they may have. According to McKinsey & Company, personalization can deliver five to eight times the ROI on marketing expenses and can increase sales by 10% or more. That’s a pretty significant increase for putting in a little extra effort when sending customer communications.

3. Depend on CRM software to increase efficiency.

Speaking of customer communications, how are you reaching out to your clients? A reliable, auto dealer-focused CRM tool can make all the difference in enhancing sales appointment making skills. Call, text and email a large group of potential leads with saved customized templates, keep detailed notes, and have access to all of it from your desktop or mobile device. Mobile access to your CRM tool makes it easier to follow up from anyplace, at any time which takes dealer efficiency to the next level.

4. Work on timing.

Work with your team to make sure that they pay extra attention to follow-up with car buyers on Monday and Tuesday. 30% of online inventory views and 37% of leads occur on those days. However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore clients the rest of the week. Quick response times always increase your chances of selling more vehicles.

5. Ask better questions.

Once you’ve formulated a routine for your team that uses effective communication methods with a focus on appointment culture, it’s time to work on asking the right questions to seal the deal. Keeping the focus on the customer’s needs is essential.

• Do they know what kind of vehicle they are looking for?
• What kind of features are most important to them?
• What do they use their vehicle for primarily? Work or personal use?
• Do they have any concerns about the car buying process?
• How can you improve the shopping process for your client?
• Is there a timeline? Do they need the car ASAP or do they have time to wait for the right fit?
• What did they like and dislike about their previous vehicle?
• What is their most preferred method of communication?
• What is the best time to reach out to them?

6. Continually improve sales appointment making skills.

Car sales processes and procedures are always evolving. It’s important to maintain accountability by monitoring your team’s ability to book appointments consistently. Give them the tools they need to stay educated and take the time to make sales meetings a place to improve on how they nurture exceptional customer service.

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