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Anyone who thought the rise of the Internet meant the end of the inbound sales call was dead wrong. Occasionally, perhaps, an online car buyer will exchange a few emails with an Internet rep, then come into the showroom and complete the deal, all without lifting the receiver from its cradle. But virtually all online automotive sales begin online, develop over the phone, and are concluded in person.

As the success of Internet telephone services indicate, the ability to speak to another person, and not just send text-based messages, is growing in value. This is one of the reasons Dealix has introduced InstantConnect - a service that instantly transforms an online lead into a phone call. With this trend in mind, we thought we’d remind you of some of the key principles that will help you make most out of your leads, once they become a voice at the other end of the line.

1. Answer the phone.

It seems obvious, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, the reality all across the country - in metropolitan dealerships and rural dealerships, in multi-franchise dealer groups and small mom-and-pop independents – is that customers are calling because they want to buy a car, and no one answers the phone! Or - just as bad - someone does answer the phone, and they put the customer on hold.

2. Direct calls to the right people.

The phone numbers in your Internet marketing campaigns and advertisements should connect customers directly with someone who is qualified to answer their questions and follow all the procedures your dealership uses to bring leads into the store. Setting up a hunt group is one good idea: this means that, if ISM #1 is not available, the call goes to ISM #2, then ISM #3, and so on, until a live person answers. A sound alternative is forwarding calls to reps’ mobile phones. As long as your staff understands the necessity of answering these calls, this is far better than sending customers to voicemail or a receptionist.

3. Minimize your use of voicemail - but set up your system properly.

Voicemail should be reserved primarily for after-hours calls. Rarely, a call coming in during business hours may have to go to voicemail, too. The same basic rules apply in both cases: the calls needs to go to the right person’s voicemail (that of an ISM), and the caller needs to be played the right message.

There are certain standard components of the “right message.” The right message thanks the customer for calling, acknowledges their interest in a vehicle, identifies the person who will be handling their message, and invites them to leave a detailed message.

But the right message also demonstrates an understanding of when the customer is calling. If it’s during business hours, the message should explain that the ISM is momentarily unavailable but will call back within a specified (and short) period of time. If it’s after business hours, the message should explain that the store is closed, state the hours of operation, and promise a call back no more than one hour after the store next opens. And don’t forget that your voicemail is making this promise: listening to messages and returning calls should be the first thing your reps do every morning.

4. When speaking with a lead for the first time, collect all the basic information.

The first time you speak with a lead live on the telephone, collect all the information you might need to follow up with them. You need to do this even when you’re completely certain that they’ll be paying you a visit later that day. Get their main phone number, an alternate phone number, the best times to call, and an email address. Also ask them how they learned about your dealership. All this information can help you track them down if they disappear from radar - and that happens sometimes, even with the strongest leads.

5. Learn what vehicle(s) they’re interested in - and why - and gauge their interest in other possibilities.

You may wind up having a number of conversations with a prospect before they come in to test-drive a vehicle. The more you learn in that first conversation, the more you’ll be able to use further conversations to ensure that you wind up making a sale. The vehicle of interest is an obvious place to start - but don’t stop there. Is the customer interested in utility? Dependability? Gas mileage? Performance? Style? You never want to give the sense that you’re pushing the customer to another choice, but gauging their interest in other possibilities will help you save the deal if the intended car isn’t available. Obviously, this is all the more important when the call concerns a pre-owned vehicle.

6. When setting an appointment, present the customer with choices.

This is age-old sales wisdom, but even sales veterans sometimes forget. Avoid asking “yes” or “no” questions, because a “no” can leave you adrift. For example, when setting an appointment with a caller, don’t ask, “Does 5:30 work for you?” Instead, try this: “I have an opening at 5:00 or 6:00. Which one is better for you?”

7. Establish yourself as the person the customer wants to work with.

Customers who come to you via the Internet - whether they get in touch via phone or email - are fully accustomed to sales and service scenarios where there is little or no continuity from one point of contact to the next. Every time they communicate with their credit card company, or their bank, or their cell phone provider, they deal with a different rep.

And so, when you take their call, it’s important for you to make it clear to them who you are and the fact that you will be taking care of them personally from that point forward. But you want to go further than this: you want to make them glad that they’re working with you.

Think about a time when you’ve called your credit card company (or your bank, or cell phone provider) and spoken with someone who was truly personable and helpful. Very likely, you’ve gotten off the phone and wished that that person could help you every time you called. This is precisely the feeling you want to create in your customer - and you want it to begin right there, on the phone.

8. When you leave a voicemail for a prospect, speak clearly and briefly.

When it comes to leaving voicemails for prospects, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, identify yourself, explain why you’re calling, say your phone number slowly, say it again, and conclude with a proposed next step.

Identify yourself and the reason you’re calling right off the bat. A customer may have placed calls to several different dealerships, so don’t assume that they’ll immediately realize which one you represent.

Say your phone number slowly so the prospect can write it down on the first listen. Repeat it so the prospect doesn’t have to play your message a second time, even if a passing car or crying baby makes it hard to hear.

Propose a next step so the prospect knows what to do. It’s a good idea to make the customer feel free to call you back and to name a specific time that you will try them again, too.

9. Call to confirm the appointment - but also tell customer that you’ll be doing so.

When you set an appointment, tell the customer that you’ll call them the day before to confirm. Saying that you’ll call to confirm shows that your dealership is organized and professional, and it reinforces the purpose of calling to confirm is all about: making the customer take the appointment seriously and show up on time.

10. Answer the phone. When customers leave messages, call them back.

Are we repeating ourselves? Yes, but only because this piece of advice is so important. The reality is that a lot of dealerships are inconsistent about answering the phone and returning calls. Others understand that, every time the phone rings, it means a chance to talk to a customer before that customer can talk to a competitor. The best thing about this advice? Following it requires nothing more than discipline: no additional investment is required.