In today’s automotive industry, market competition is usually very high. This has impacted the methods used to generate leads and then convert them into sales. Every car dealership must be aware of modern customer behavior to apply applicable sales strategies when a customer starts their buying journey online. Sales BDC, a Business Development Center, is a highly effective phenomenon that regulates changes in dealership operations by handling leads, improving customer relations with the sales team, and setting appointments at a convenient time.
Here comes an important question: How can a sales BDC be compared with a traditional sales team? Can conventional car showroom selling techniques be replaced with modern sales BDC models? We will address these overarching questions in this blog by drawing a comparison between the strengths and limitations of both approaches in car dealerships. By the end, we will be able to determine whether the conventional model is better or the modern sales BDC model.
Understanding Sales BDC: A Modern Solution to Auto Retail Challenges
When we say “Sales BDC,” it refers to a specialized team within a Business Development Center responsible for handling lead generation, timely follow-ups, appropriate appointment scheduling, and effective customer dialogue. These terms may not be directly involved in closing a sale, but they play a significant role in moving traffic towards the car dealership and keeping them engaged to secure maximum sales.
That’s why a car sales BDC is very important in nurturing leads into sales because they take full advantage of CRM tools, effective digital marketing skills, and professionally trained representatives. They set different prompts for each lead so that it can be mastered on time, and a successful conversion can be made. Moreover, sales BDC also separates lead management and closing deals tasks because they require different expertise to perform them better.
Core Functions of an Automotive Sales BDC:
- Managing incoming and outgoing calls
- Answering to internet leads within no time (BDC internet sales)
- Setting a schedule for test drives and showroom appointments
- Making on-time follow-ups with past customers and cold leads
- Keeping CRM updated to leverage better analytics
On the contrary, the conventional car sales model requires the team to manage all the steps of a customer’s journey at the showroom until a deal is closed or the customer chooses to think before deciding. It includes handling customers coming to the showroom, answering their queries, making test drives, and closing deals all at the same time. Although this traditional sales model has worked well in the past, now, every customer has a digital presence where they can be influenced through faster and personalized interactions.
Traditional Sales Model: Strengths and Shortcomings
In the traditional sales model, the representatives have to build their relationship with the customers in the showroom. Here, they have only one advantage in interacting with the customer one-on-one, which helps them to apply a tactile approach to answer customer inquiries and keep them intact through their communication skills. In this way, they are the ones who control the narrative, read the body language of the customer, and close sales deals on the spot.
Advantages of Traditional Sales Teams:
- Make direct and personal customer interaction
- Extremely skillful in face-to-face negotiations
- Awareness of inventory and financing options
- Build long-lasting customer relationships
Limitations:
With the evolution of Information Technology (IT), the digital landscape has taken the place of physical platforms. Now, digital-first buying is a part of modern human behavior. That’s why many businesses fall through the cracks because they lack a BDC auto sales strategy. Sometimes, the influx of customers at the showroom can be more than what can be easily handled by the salespeople, which results in poor response, and can ultimately lead to a loss of those customers.
Moreover, it is quite impossible that one person can take care of all the steps essential in nurturing a lead. Such a burden can overwhelm the salesperson and cause them to be inefficient. That’s why the sales BDC agent model is very important in making high conversions without any efficiency problems.
Sales BDC: Performance Metrics and ROI
Many dealership businesses have implemented a sales BDC model, and the results have been good for them. They have seen an improvement in appointment show rates, which ultimately leads to high conversion rates. And the sole contributors to this success are the BDC sales associates, or sales BDC representatives, who are quite proficient in engaging customers and building their confidence in the dealerships that they are speaking for.
As per industry reports, dealerships with exclusive BDCs take only 15 minutes or less to respond to leads as compared to the traditional models, which take an average of several hours to respond. The fast-paced responses of BDCs increase the chances of lead conversion. It is also reported that dealerships responding first to customers have a good chance of winning them over.
Key Benefits of Sales BDC:
- Rapid response times (important for BDC internet sales)
- Increased appointment scheduling and show-up rates
- Regular follow-up SOPs
- Highly accurate tracking and reporting
An effective automotive sales BDC not only brings more appointments but also creates more satisfied customers. Each point of contact is characterized by after-sales services of dedicated professionals who make the customer feel looked after and valued even before he or she enters the showroom.
Read More: GoodFirms Lists Virtual BDC for Auto Lead Management Services
Final Verdict: Which Model Delivers Better Results?
Again, after a careful examination of all the features such as speed, scalability, customer experience, ROI, and integration, sales BDC is by far superior to all other ways in terms of long-term outcomes and steady alignment with modern business.
But that does not imply that the classical sales teams are becoming a forgotten thing. Rather, incorporating a car sales BDC team into your model, and vice versa, is the best strategy you can use.
Essentially, what this means is that instead of having an either/or scenario with sales BDC and traditional sales, instead, it is imperative to comprehend how the two can complement each other to facilitate the customer experience. The future dealership can be characterized as a place that welcomes innovation, specialization, and a customer-centered approach, and drives its output using people and technology.
Conclusion:
The car business is rapidly changing, and the practices applied by dealerships to get and convert leads have to change. Sales BDC model provides an unparalleled speed, scalability, and consistency, so it is the perfect starting point for a dealership functioning in the context of the digital-first world. When you have appropriately inculcated a car sales BDC in your business, whether you do it in-house or outsource it, you would then place your dealership business in a position to not only survive but prosper in a competitive world. In case you are still using the traditional approach to sales only, it may be a good point to think over the investment in a BDC to sell automobiles. It will not only change the way you do operations but also re-determine the way your dealership reaches the modern consumer of cars.
