Revving Up Your sales Engine: Phone Traffic

It is vital to turn as much traffic as you can into appointments, since more appointments means more sales. How effective are you and your team at handling inbound phone traffic?

Inbound call volume, appointments set, and appointment tracking are all important factors to consider when it comes to your phone traffic. More important, though, is the actually call process. Do you have a dedicated inbound line? Are the calls tracked and who owns the quality control of these inbound calls? How effective are your staff at gathering customer information and setting appointments over the phone? Here are some tips to improve your process: 
 
Speak with level energy and be inviting and positive. 
Some studies show that if you are smiling on the call you will portray much greater energy on the phone.

Know your ads, promotions, and inventory. 
Before preparing to take inbound calls, be sure you have done your lot walk, have an inventory list or website handy, and know the current promotions and specials.

Acknowledge and answer the prospect's questions and do a little prospecting of your own. 
"Great, let me check on that for you. While I am doing that may I ask if you are driving something similar? Is fuel economy important to you? How many adults do you need to fit?" Begin finding the reason behind the inquiry as you are checking on it.

Make deposits before you ask for withdrawals. 
Get the customer what they asked for as best you can, set the appointment, and give them a reason to get a follow-up number and full name. "So I can best prep for our meeting today at 6pm, Jim may I ask your full name so I can mark you in my calendar? I like to be able to confirm all of my appointments to be sure we are both on time - may I ask the best way to do that with you via phone, text or email?"

Set the stage. 
Begin the process of setting up the expectations for the appointment. Let the customer know what to expect when they come to see you and be sure to follow that process. This creates trust among you and your prospect.Set up an appointment board (if you haven't already) with the following columns: Date, Customer, Salesperson, Vehicle, Confirmed by, Showed, and Sold. The goal of the sales team should be to set as many appointments as possible to fill up the board daily.