CRM, ILM, Chat, Desking, Emails, Phone, SMS

A new BDC representative at a Florida dealership seeks advice on building an effective business development operation from scratch. Responses recommend a multi-channel outreach strategy emphasizing personalized video messages over email alone, leveraging the dealership's CRM (VinSolutions) reporting tools, and establishing clear expectations with management while learning from other successful small BDCs. The consensus key insight is that no single communication method works universally—testing different approaches and keeping outreach concise and personalized drives better engagement than volume-based tactics.

# Summary An Internet Director at a Chevrolet dealership seeks advice on improving appointment ratios (currently 11-26%) despite strong closing rates once customers arrive, identifying the core challenge as initial customer contact and engagement. Respondents unanimously recommend analyzing lead quality and sources rather than simply increasing contact attempts, with several noting that 800 leads per month likely includes significant garbage leads that skew metrics and waste resources. The key insight is that success depends less on phone persistence and more on optimizing landing page forms, lead source strategy, content quality, and long-term follow-up processes—suggesting the dealer should segment leads by source, improve form conversion, and develop a 30-120 day nurture plan rather than focus solely on immediate appointment-setting.

# Summary Dealers implementing a BDC (Business Development Center) to handle internet leads seek strategies for smoothly transitioning customers to salespeople. Responses emphasize the importance of team communication, proper reporting structures to track credit across multiple touchpoints, video introductions of salespeople, and compensation alignment—with one dealer suggesting appointing department managers as the initial appointment contact to add perceived value and simplify follow-up logistics.

A dealer asks about the differences between AutoLoop and AutoAlert, two vendor solutions in the automotive space. The responses clarify that AutoAlert specializes in data and equity mining, while AutoLoop offers a broader range of products and services (including equity mining solutions). A key insight is that AutoAlert has expanded its capabilities beyond equity mining through its acquisition of MotoFuze.

# Summary Steve Roessler challenges dealers to measure engagement with internet leads beyond just appointment-setting rates, proposing that tracking how many leads actually respond (via email, text, phone, or conversation) provides a more meaningful coaching metric than raw appointment percentages. Multiple vendors and dealers share strategies for tracking engagement—including visitor website activity, campaign automation with DealerSocket, AI-powered follow-up tools, and multi-channel communication (email, text, chat)—with reported improvements ranging from 5-23% in closing rates when implemented effectively. The consensus is that granular engagement metrics allow managers to coach reps on response rates and messaging effectiveness, ultimately improving the quality of appointments scheduled rather than just the quantity.

# Summary A dealer struggled to embed videos directly into ADP CRM autoresponse templates, prompting community members to suggest workaround solutions since native video embedding in ADP emails has limitations. The consensus solution was to use a clickable JPG image linked to a video hosted on the dealer's website or a third-party platform (like YouTube), rather than attempting true video embedding, though some vendors like Vidmail and Authntk Walkaround Videos were mentioned as alternative products that handle video delivery more effectively.

A CDK DMS/CRM user seeks recommendations for a third-party vendor that can integrate outgoing call data and/or recorded call links directly into their CDK CRM customer records. The inquiry addresses a specific technical integration need within their existing dealer management system stack. No conclusion is provided in the content shared, as this appears to be an opening question awaiting vendor suggestions and peer recommendations.

Steve Roessler initiates a discussion on best practices for using personalized videos in dealership operations, seeking input on key elements that should be monitored and coached. Alexander Lau responds by referencing existing walk-around video technology solutions (QK Video, Autos on Video, Flick Fusion, and The Dealer Geek) already available in the market, suggesting the topic may need clarification on what specific personalized video application is being discussed. The thread appears to be in its early stages with limited consensus on best practices established.

# Summary This thread debates how dealerships should define and compensate BDC (Business Development Center) representatives for appointments, particularly when customers initiate contact or arrive without a formal scheduled time. The consensus that emerges strongly favors paying only for appointments that result in confirmed showups within a strict time window (45 minutes either side), as soft or unconfirmed appointments lead to poor show rates and prevent sales teams from being properly prepared.

Jason Oswald seeks creative follow-up workflow examples for both unsold and sold customers after switching CRMs at his Honda dealership, but the thread derails into a tangential discussion about website usability of a competitor forum before a vendor representative asks clarifying questions about the workflow requirements. No concrete workflow solutions or best practices are provided in the thread.

A BDC implementation manager expresses frustration with CDK One-Eighty CRM, finding it unintuitive and clunky for BDC operations despite its appeal to sales associates and managers, and asks for advice on making it more serviceable. The thread is brief with no substantive responses to the original question—only a clarification that One-Eighty is CDK's Canadian CRM product and a redirect to another CRM discussion thread. No solutions or insights are provided about improving One-Eighty's usability.

Scottymax13 requests feedback from automotive professionals about their experiences with third-party scanning software, asking specifically about features they found valuable and areas needing improvement. The thread appears designed to gather comparative insights on scanning tools available to dealers. No conclusion is evident from the original post alone, as it's an open solicitation for community responses.

Rob inquires about experiences with DriveCentric CRM and shares that a recent demo seemed promising but he remains cautious about switching systems. Adam suggests requesting a trial account with dummy data to test real-world scenarios and recommends contacting existing customers via their Facebook page, noting that the scarcity of online reviews is actually a positive indicator for CRM software. The thread concludes with practical next steps for evaluating the platform before making a commitment.

Rob seeks advice on transitioning from a dedicated Business Development Center (BDC) to a cradle-to-grave sales model where salespeople handle customers from first contact through delivery. The consensus from experienced contributors is that success hinges entirely on having the right team, strong management buy-in, and continuous training—with warnings about potential pitfalls like lead fatigue when salespeople lose faith in lead sources. The thread suggests this can be a viable move, but requires careful planning and readiness to abandon the approach if it isn't working.

# Summary A dealer seeks advice on maximizing DealerSocket's Revenue Radar equity mining tool after struggling with implementation despite having it installed for months. Community responses emphasize that successful adoption depends primarily on dedicated time allocation and resources from the dealer's staff, with the tool offering powerful capabilities (like its built-in desking functionality) but suffering from a complex interface that requires significant training and commitment to master. A secondary concern emerges regarding DealerSocket's new "Blackbird" interface update, which users report is incomplete and actually less functional than the original Revenue Radar platform for managers trying to monitor team-level performance.

A Chevrolet/Chrysler dealership internet manager seeks advice on optimizing their understaffed BDC process (3 reps handling 800-1,000 leads monthly) since management won't approve hiring. Responses focus on process efficiency rather than headcount: automate non-critical emails to keep reps on phones, implement auto-dialers to reduce call overhead, align pay plans to make BDC a profit center rather than cost center, and eliminate time-wasting administrative tasks. The key insight is that with proper structure and tools, a lean BDC can maintain strong metrics, but management must view it as revenue-generating rather than purely as cost.

A user shares negative initial experiences with Higher Gear CRM, citing poor customer support responsiveness, a confusing user interface, and inadequate training, but later revises their assessment after finally receiving proper phone support, acknowledging the system works well once configured. Other users debate the credibility of the product, with one citing a departure of a family member to a competitor and another defending the software while providing a direct contact for better support. The thread illustrates that Higher Gear's main weakness is support accessibility rather than core functionality.

# Summary Rick Buffkin seeks a method to identify cross-shopping patterns in Google Analytics—which vehicle models visitors view in sequence—to inform targeted marketing strategy. The thread develops a technical solution using Google Tag Manager and custom JavaScript to fire events whenever visitors view vehicle detail pages, allowing dealers to analyze shopping behavior through GA's Events Flow reports. The key insight is that dealers can now replace gut-feel assumptions about competitor vehicles with actual website data, though implementation varies in complexity depending on their website provider (particularly easier for Dealer.com sites).

# Summary A DealerSocket user reports receiving a 50% fee increase notification for DMS integration and asks for workarounds, prompting discussion about widespread cost hikes across major DMS providers (CDK, Reynolds, etc.). Multiple respondents suggest that vendors are trapped by these providers' data monopolies, with some recommending alternative DMS platforms like AutoSoft and AutoMate that offer open APIs and no integration fees as a potential escape route.

A dealer using multiple disconnected systems (ELeads CRM, CDK DMS, VAuto, Route 1, and DealerTrack) seeks recommendations for a unified platform that integrates CRM, desking, inventory management, appraisal, and F&I functionality to reduce integration complexity. The post identifies CDK as a potential all-in-one solution but doesn't indicate whether other dealers shared their experiences or alternatives in responses.

# Summary A dealer asks for benchmarks on BDC daily call volume and receives advice on tracking and incentivizing performance. The consensus suggests measuring calls per hour (targeting 8-12 per hour) rather than daily totals, with pay plans tied to hourly performance and appointment shows, plus tracking through real-time hourly charts. Activity levels vary significantly by lead source, ranging from 50+ calls for internet leads to 200-300 for common lists using an outbound dialer.