How to Rescue the Leads That Get Away

The one that got away — we've all experienced it. Going all in at the poker table with a full house and losing to a four-of-a-kind hand. Waving goodbye to your middle-school sweetheart when they move away during the summer. Having a fish spit out the hook right before it lands in the net. Coming up short is practically a fact of life.

Dealerships often feel the same way about leads that slip away. These days, every lead can make a difference, but tracking down leads lost to unanswered phones, dropped calls or even bad customer service experiences can feel like a herculean task. Is it worth the effort and resources?

The good news is that rescuing lost leads doesn't have to be a nightmare. Here are some things you need to know about lost leads and how to save them.

Recovering From Bad Customer Service

Research firm Luntz Group recently revealed that 40 percent of Americans dread the idea of buying a new car. Basically, they're already cringing when they pick up the phone to call your dealership. That means the first impression is critical to make sure your buyers feel comfortable in working with you and your reps.

However, phone conversations don't always go as planned. A new sales rep might not have much training, and a flubbed pitch could lead to a frustrated customer hanging up the phone. The poorly trained rep will probably just move on to the next lead, and management will be none the wiser. But what if you could be notified when these types of calls happen?

Consider deploying a service that listens to and reviews calls going in and out of your dealership. A team of highly trained professionals can spot mishandled calls like the one above and let you know when a call needs to be followed up on to work out the problem. This way leads aren't left frustrated and telling their friends how unhappy they were with your dealership. Instead they'll be impressed that you took time to make things right.

Returning Missed Calls

Sometimes customers simply slip through the cracks. In an ideal world,  your dealership employees answer every call — whether they're to your sales reps' direct lines or a general line that a receptionist should answer. However, for various reasons, some calls just don't get through. And since many people don't leave voicemails, how will you know who needs to be called back?

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking a customer will try to call again if they don't get through the first time, but that next call could be to a different dealership. If your employees aren't answering calls, customers might think they're not important to you. At that point it's not as simple as a call that slipped through the cracks — callers view lack of responsiveness as bad customer service.

Be sure you have a way to capture call information whether the caller leaves a message or not. It would also help if you could be notified that a call was missed and needs to be returned. You might not know exactly what the customer was calling for, but following up with a missed call can let customers know that you care and you want their business.

Letting leads slip away because you don't want to go through the trouble of following up or you don't have correct contact info is unacceptable in today's competitive market. What are some ways you've made sure your dealership's leads don't fall through the cracks?

How Mario Can Help You Save Customer Calls

The classic Mario games presented a way for people of all ages — adults included — to have some video game fun. Whether you prefer to play the games on a Nintendo 64, GameCube or Wii, you’re bound to have a good time.

You can learn a lot from these games, like how to dodge a Koopa shell, or how to strategically maneuver around other characters. Even better, you can learn how to up your game with customer interactions. Wait, what? That’s right; Mario can help your business. Let a couple of our favorite Mario games teach you how.

Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. provides endless hours of obstacles and levels. Each world and villain creates a new way to challenge your gaming skills while helping Mario rescue Princess Toadstool from the evil Bowser.

Your company may have some Princess Toadstools that need to be saved too. The challenges you face when contacting customers probably aren’t turtle shells or fire-spewing plants, but poor call etiquette could be just as hefty a barrier blocking you from business prospects. Have no fear, there's a way you can rescue some of those mishandled calls.

Monitor your sales reps’ conversations when they’re talking to customers on the phone. By sitting in on calls or reviewing call recordings, you’ll be able to pinpoint what led to a lost customer and tailor employee training to limit that risk. As an alternative, you could outsource the call monitoring and have call evaluation professionals notify you of missed sales opportunities.

Mario Kart

Similar to Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart allows you to use devices such as banana peels, ink blots and Koopa shells to deter competing carts in the race. Mario Kart also has several racetracks with various hurdles such as icy roads and sand. Your business is also competing in a race. But instead of competing in a video game race, you’re seeing who can get to a potential customer the fastest. 

In Mario Kart it’s not unheard of to distract and sabotage competitors, but if you focus on boosting your speed and enhancing your abilities, you’re more likely get to the finish line the fastest. The same idea applies to your business. Instead of focusing on how to divert competitors, focus on how to reach customers the fastest. Since you’re 21 times more likely to qualify a lead by contacting them within 5 minutes versus 30 minutes, it’s imperative to increase your response time. To do so, dedicate an employee to lead response or invest in a tool that'll notify you of online leads. By increasing your response time, you’ll better your odds of winning the race to the customer.

What's your favorite Mario Game?