On today’s episode of Inside Automotive, Kyle Disher, Founder and CEO of RevDojo, returned to the studio for a live test of dealership phone skills. Disher tossed a stack of money into the air, covering the anchor desk as he prepared to live mystery shop on the phone.
Disher secretly offered cash prizes to any salesperson who set an appointment. The prize started at $250 and doubled after each miss, reaching $500 and then $1,000 by the third call. Time after time, the salespeople failed the test and missed out on the free money. In a real-life sales situation, the dealership is the one missing out on the money, but Disher says RevDojo’s follow-up process and prompts could change that.
Three calls, three missed appointments
Three dealership calls ended without an appointment. Disher called as a shopper asking about a black 2022 Corolla with about 15,000 miles. Each store no longer had the car.
"Whenever you tell the customer no, I don't have something, they lock up"
The first salesperson mentioned a Camry but never asked the shopper to visit. The second asked for a callback number and offered to text information. The third checked the computer and offered to send similar vehicles by text.
Each salesperson answered the question and stopped there. Nobody invited the shopper to the store. The prize money stayed on the desk and was shared with the CBT News production staff.
How the call guide turns a “no” into a visit
A call guide walks salespeople from a missing car to a scheduled visit. It starts with a compliment on the shopper’s choice and a promise to check on the car. The salesperson then expands to similar vehicles and asks what the shopper drives now. An email address comes next, followed by the appointment, according to Disher.
Disher demonstrated the method live with a mock shopper. The shopper mentioned a 2020 Camry, and the appointment followed within seconds.
Salespeople who act as order takers tend to turn to the computer instead of the customer. A quick yes can end a call as well, because the shopper no longer needs the salesperson, Disher said.
No manager called back
No sales manager called back after any of the three calls. After the third call, Disher offered the $1,000 for a manager callback, and the phone never rang. The process RevDojo trains salespeople to follow has them finish the call guide and go straight to the sales desk. The manager then confirms the appointment or helps close a call that ended without one.
While dealers may blame marketing companies for weak lead volume, the real problem is call handling, Disher said.
Working live internet leads
The same process applies to outbound internet leads, and Disher worked two of them live. The first was a two-day-old lead for a Honda Civic that went to voicemail. Disher recorded a video message and followed up with a text.
The second was a used Wrangler lead from CarGurus. Disher called three times in about a minute, then connected with the customer. He offered to appraise the customer’s trade, and the customer agreed to a 5:45 p.m. appointment the next day.
“The hardest part is just getting him on the phone,” Disher said. You can get RevDojo’s call guide for free by reaching out to Kyle Disher at RevDojo.
