DealerKnows
Where Do I Start?
  • Services
    • Training
    • Consulting
    • Creative Video
    • 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
  • DealerKnows Summer Camp
  • Services
    • Training
    • Consulting
    • Creative Video
    • 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
  • DealerKnows Summer Camp
Where Do I Start?

Ask the Experts – The One Person BDC

Share With:

Hello DealerKnows,

I am the ONLY person who handles our car dealership business development center (BDC) efforts in my store and it seems almost impossible for me to answer leads, do outbound calls and follow ups, and take ups by myself. This is harder for me because I was taken from the receptionist position and thrown into the BDC position because of my great personality and communication skills, however, I know NOTHING about cars and now I am the BDC Manager. It becomes extremely difficult to answer phone calls because I cannot provide accurate information to the potential customer. I often become overwhelmed and wake up everyday nervous that I will get fired for not being the BEST BDC rep. My questions are, how many people on average should be doing BDC for one dealership and should I be nervous about my job knowing I didn’t ask for the promotion they just gave to me because of my bubbly personality?

Thanks for your time.
Nicole R.
BDC Representative
__________________________________

First off, Nicole… we feel your pain. You are not the first person thrust into an automotive BDC because of your personality and communication skills. You certainly won’t be the last. As a matter of fact, an upbeat personality coupled with a no-quit customer service attitude usually far outweighs any amount of product knowledge. Understanding of your dealership’s product line will come with time. The desire to please people and help them with their search cannot be taught. If you have that, everything else will come together.

Now let’s talk about how your department is structured first because it sounds as if you are a one person BDC. An army of one. The amount of people needed for a BDC is predicated upon how many total opportunities the store has for their sales team. Generally, strong BDC reps can handle between 175-225 total opportunities. We define opportunities as inbound leads and inbound sales calls. If you’re being asked to follow up on behalf of the sales team’s unsold showroom traffic, then count each salesperson as 20 leads. If you’re handling live chat, count that as 20 more leads.  If you’re still handling receptionist duties as well, you need to get that off your plate. Eventually you’ll need to know how much effort and time is needed per scheduled appointment for the sales team. On top of this, you can’t be in-store from bell-to-bell 6-7 days a week handling inbound and outbound calls. So, some assistance to back you up in the department should be requested.

Second, we must address the process. Get on the phone with your CRM provider and evaluate the process that is set-up for you. Don’t bite off more than you can chew if you have to be the One Person BDC. Try to automate several of your ongoing emails as manually sending emails is a time-suck.  You’ll need to send a manual first personal response with pricing, maybe a couple of other manual emails, respond back to email responses, and make phone calls. Try to schedule a minimum of 6 phone calls per lead. Minimum – and that’s only because you’re all alone, otherwise I’d add more calls. Calculate your total amount of calls and try to give yourself a daily quota of calls to make.
200 opportunities x 6 calls per = 1,200 total outbound calls divided by 25 working days is 48 calls a day minimum. Add in the manual emails you’ll be handling and that is a relatively full day.

Lastly, you need to very succinctly coordinate your daily duties. We create a Daily Workout Plan for each dealer client that lets them tackle their priorities for the day. Here is just an example as to how to best structure your day’s activities.

In the end, product knowledge will come with time and experience. And eventually, it may open up opportunities for further discussions about BDC manager salary as well. I didn’t know anything about cars before I began selling them. In instances where you don’t have a product answer, simply state that you are fairly certain you know the answer, but want to check on it to be 100%. I’d rather have an actual answer 5 minutes after I asked the question rather than a wrong answer right away. Customers will appreciate your desire to help them find the truth.

So long as you understand the customer’s journey to get to that point, how to control the conversation, and how to follow a process that leads them closer to their goal of buying, you’ll do just fine.  The biggest area that concerns me about your questions is where you stated you have to take ups. A BDC rep traditionally doesn’t have to take ups beyond answering the phones. Don’t be worried that you were promoted into the position due to a great personality. That’s what it takes to succeed. You just can’t do everything for the sales floor – including taking ups. At one point, they’ll need to start doing a modicum of work themselves.

If you get overloaded, do some calculations based on the formulas above and don’t be afraid to ask management for help.  It often takes a village to run a well-constructed BDC. One person can do a lot, but not everything.

Nonetheless, keep at it. Hold your head up high. Don’t get frantic. Ask for help.

Joe Webb • September 15, 2014 • Ask the Expert,Internet Strategy,Sales Training

Tell Me About It

Click here to cancel reply.

Got A Question?
  • Best Of
  • Most Read
  • Three Questions That Need to Be Answered For 2023: Why Does It Matter Now?
    By Bill Playford
    December 29, 2022
  • 3 Important Questions That Need Answering for 2023
    By Bill Playford
    December 19, 2022
  • 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
  • 3 Important Questions That Need Answering for 2023
    By Bill Playford
    December 19, 2022
  • 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

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

Webinar: How to Recruit, Hire, and Train New Salespeopleby 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.

© 2023 DealerKnows | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Powered by Launch Digital Marketing.

2023 DealerKnows Summer Camp

The Only Automotive Conference You’d Ever Regret Missing

Location: Camp Blue Ridge | Clayton, GA

Date: May 23-25, 2023

Register Today!