DealerKnows
Where Do I Start?
  • Services
    • Training
    • Consulting
    • Creative
    • Performance Monitoring
    • CRM Analysis
    • Professional Speaking
    • Bundles
  • Products
    • TaskTeacher
    • PriceMatrix
    • Dealer Forensics
  • Clients
    • Results
    • Reviews
  • About
    • Joe Webb
    • Bill Playford
    • DK Team
    • Ask the Experts
  • Blog
  • Videos
    • Funny Videos
    • Educational Videos
    • Dealership Videos
    • Conference Videos
    • Make Me A Star
  • Contact Us
  • Services
    • Training
    • Consulting
    • Creative
    • Performance Monitoring
    • CRM Analysis
    • Professional Speaking
    • Bundles
  • Products
    • TaskTeacher
    • PriceMatrix
    • Dealer Forensics
  • Clients
    • Results
    • Reviews
  • About
    • Joe Webb
    • Bill Playford
    • DK Team
    • Ask the Experts
  • Blog
  • Videos
    • Funny Videos
    • Educational Videos
    • Dealership Videos
    • Conference Videos
    • Make Me A Star
  • Contact Us
Where Do I Start?

Ask the Experts – From Salesperson to BDC Director

Share With:

Good Morning,
I’ve read a few articles you’ve written about BDC’s and wanted to ask for a bit of insight. I’ve been in auto sales for 4 years, a year of which I spent as an Internet Manager. Our dealership moved to a BDC and obviously that position evaporated into traditional sales. The initial BDC Director recently was let go, and there is a current opening for the position. I am very interested and want to approach upper management about the opportunity. I’m a younger guy, but have an aptitude for sales, specifically e-commerce. Any key words or references I can approach the bosses with to help my cause?

Thanks for your time,
Zack R.
__________________________________

Bill Playford’s Response:
First, hats off for wanting to step up to the plate. From salesperson to BDC Director is a big jump, but a fulfilling one. One of the strongest components to a good BDC is a winning attitude. This spirit is something that cannot be trained, so having a willingness to take on a challenge is a good start!

Before you approach management about the position, take some time to gather intelligence. Start by finding out where the previous BDC Director failed. Sometimes it’s a lack of skill. Other times, it’s a personality clash. Either way, you want to make sure you are a proper fit for what the management is looking for.

The best BDC Directors live and die by the metrics. You need to have deep knowledge of your store’s CRM, the reports it generates, how to interpret those reports, and how those reports compare to other internal reporting tools. You also need to understand how to track and account for inbound call activity, whether it’s through a vendor or the store’s own system. As a Director, you’ll have to be able to take a deeper dive into the metrics to understand how the contributing actions effect the overall metrics (contact rate, appointments set, appointments shown, and overall closing ratio), as well as the return on investment (ROI). This is where the battles are lost and won.

The last thing to consider is your tolerance for stress. The BDC can be a pressure cooker at times. The best BDC Directors understand how to balance consumer desires, the needs of the staff, managerial commands, and manufacturer curve-balls. Simply being good with numbers or people isn’t enough. Every day brings a new set of hurtles. If you are not a person who handles stress well, this may not be the right position for you. But, I do believe that the best BDC Directors are the General Managers of the future. If you can take the heat, you will be rewarded.

Your time for due diligence is now. Good luck, and get to work!

Bill Playford

Joe Webb • July 21, 2015 • Ask the Expert

Tell Me About It

Click here to cancel reply.

Got A Question?
  • Best Of
  • Most Read
  • improv comedyHow Improv Comedy Builds Companies
    By Joe Webb
    July 2, 2019
  • NYE PartyWhat My Crazy NYE Party Can Teach Us About Marketing in 2019
    By Joe Webb
    January 3, 2019
  • What Shaun White’s Gold Medal Made Me Realize About Being Happy at Work
    By Joe Webb
    February 16, 2018
  • sales managers10 Ways Sales Managers Fail
    By Joe Webb
    March 3, 2017
  • sales managementThe Manager Who Doesn’t: A Guide to Better Sales Management
    By Joe Webb
    June 2, 2016
  • sacred cowCan you Kill a Sacred Cow?
    By Joe Webb
    January 12, 2016
  • The LeftoversWhat Happens When They Disappear?
    By Bill Playford
    August 29, 2015
  • DealerKnows CurmudgeonsFamous Last Words: The Way We Have Always Done It
    By Bill Playford
    July 26, 2014

Categories

  • All About BDCs
  • Ask the Expert
  • Comic Strips
  • Competitive Edge
  • DealerKnows Data
  • DealerKnows Press
  • DealerKnows Testimonials
  • Digital Marketing
  • Digital Marketing Conferences
  • Gotta’ Share
  • Internet Strategy
  • Lead Management and Process
  • Leadership and Sales Management
  • Quotables
  • Sales Training
  • Small Business Consulting
  • Social Media and Reputation Management
  • Technology
  • Vendor Relations
  • Websites and Online Search

Search Posts

Sign Up for DealerKnews

There are craptastic newsletters, then there is DealerKnews. Get all of our posts without having to set up a RSS feed. Start getting a monthly megadose of geniusness. Its like steroids for your brain.

Latest from the Blog

2021 Super Bowl Commercial Reviewsby Joe WebbRead blog post

Contact us

We really, really, really want to talk to you.

Get In Touch with Us

Sign Up for DealerKnews

There are craptastic newsletters, then there is DealerKnews. Get all of our posts without having to set up a RSS feed. Start getting a monthly megadose of geniusness. It’s like steroids for your brain.

© 2021 DealerKnows | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Powered by Launch Digital Marketing.