I Need To...

Manage My Leads

Well we are now discussing what is considered the most important aspect of the Internet Department. The dealership has put time and money to generate leads, so what is happening to them? What is your closing ratio? And what are you using to help make your closing ratio as high as possible?

Managing leads starts with a process. This process must be unified across whatever Internet department model you have chosen for your dealership. The same sales process that you have known on the floor should be followed in your Internet department because the way you sell a car will never change, just the way you communicate with the customer. Each lead, no matter where they originated, must go through the same process.

Once the process is determined, your dealership will need to answer a few questions. When your leads come in, where are they going? What tool are you using to manage the leads? Does that tool fit your process? An Internet lead manager is essential to the success of the department. This lead manager will need to be an easy to use, comprehensive tool that will automate, streamline, and manage the internet sales process. Let's work some numbers to give you an idea of the importance of your lead manager. If you are an average Internet sales manager, you receive 100 leads per month. If on average it is taking 94 days for a new car lead to close, you are looking at 3 months worth of leads.

• Month 1: 100 leads
• Month 2: 190 leads
• Month 3: 271 leads

^{*calculations based on a 10% closing ratio}

If not for a lead manager, most of those leads would be lost opportunities. The key is to work more efficiently, not more hours!