7 Ways to Attract Used Car Sales Leads Over the Phone

Using the phone to bring in more car sales leads has enjoyed a resurgence in the virtual world left behind by the pandemic. Here are seven tips on how to get the most out of telephone lead generation.

There was a time when selling cars was pretty straightforward. Someone would walk onto the lot; you’d show them around, go for a test drive, sign some papers, and off they’d go with a new ride. Then came the internet, and your entire approach to attracting car sales leads changed.

You got pretty good at that, then along came a global pandemic that made it challenging to meet people in person. We began to miss interacting with other humans. People grew tired of staring at computer screens all day long. And that’s exactly why developing car sales leads over the phone has taken on a new life.

With so many people holed up in their homes, we want to talk with each other. Selling cars over the phone has regained some of the traction that it lost over the years.

Still, finding and nurturing car sales leads via the telephone can be tricky. After all, it’s a significant investment for the customer, not to mention that many people have come to prefer online interactions since they reduce a salesperson’s ability to apply pressure or other sales techniques.

If you or your business have been struggling to attract used car sales leads on voice calls, give some of these telephone lead generation strategies a test-drive. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

7 Tips to turn your car sales leads into happy customers

1. Focus on relationship development

Forging strong relationships with customers is an integral part of any sales business. When it comes to phone sales, relationships themselves should be the goal. Even in today’s crazy world, few people will invest in a used car without giving it a test drive, and many will still want some in-person interaction to make them feel comfortable with the amount of money they’re about to spend.

So when you get on the phone with used car sales leads, don’t worry about making a sale. In fact, try to avoid mentioning it at all until you have to. Instead, focus on getting to know the customer and finding out about what they need. Keep things as casual as possible, but don’t waste anyone’s time or sound too mysterious. Yes, you’re a car salesperson, but the purpose of the call is to learn more about your audience. A successful first car sales call will result in getting a future meeting set, not closing a deal.

2. Ask questions and listen

Phone salespeople understand the importance of brevity, so it can be tempting to launch your pitch and move on to the next person. A more effective approach is to ask your lead questions and actively listen to the answers. This is part of the getting-to-know-them process. Ask about their interests, needs, and concerns, and instead of having responses prepared, listen carefully and respond according to their answers. This way, your car sales leads will understand that you’re just as interested in providing them solutions as you are in making a sale.

3. Offer incentives

Everybody likes a deal. If you’re developing car sales leads over the phone, be prepared with some exciting and unique incentives. Know ahead of time what kind of incentives you can offer and whether you’ve got any wiggle room so you can keep the conversation focused and be able to meet someone’s needs, even if it means tweaking an offer a bit. (Incentives work exceptionally well for re-engaging existing customers.)

4. Personalization goes a long way

Personalizing your sales calls is part of the relationship-building process. Know the customer’s name before the call and make sure to use it at least once in the beginning. Have a sense of what their needs are and be prepared to offer solutions. If you don’t know something, ask! Even if they don’t admit it, people generally like to talk about themselves, and they’d much prefer you ask good questions to get to know them than to deliver a generic pitch that probably won’t land.

5. Less is more

While being succinct shouldn’t come at the cost of rushing, it is, nonetheless, a key to successful lead generation, especially over the phone. Go in with a purpose, don’t let yourself ramble or get off-topic, and do what you can to get off the phone before your car sales leads realize how much time has passed.

6. Use call scripts

While not always the most natural-feeling, call scripts are an incredibly effective way to stay on task and ensure you don’t forget any important points that could make or break the dialogue you’re trying to open. Auto dealer CRMs like AutoRaptor can help you write, store, and customize scripts for any occasion, so we also recommend taking advantage of the available technology to support your lead generation practices, especially on the phone.

7. Provide value immediately

Finally, one of the best ways to generate interest with car sales leads over the phone is to provide immediate value. Besides being prepared to show how your offering will benefit the lead and what makes your offer better than someone else’s, sharing something like a white paper or other industry information that a lead might find interesting and useful can help get them in the mood to buy.

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