This document discusses strategies for improving business development centers (BDCs) at car dealerships. It identifies some common issues that can cause BDCs to struggle, such as a one-size-fits-all approach, untrained managers, and underpaid employees. It also notes that leads given to BDC agents are not all equal and require different scripts and goals. The document provides recommendations for BDC management, including allowing managers autonomy, focusing on key performance indicators, and incentivizing success through compensation plans aligned with dealership goals. It emphasizes the importance of the BDC being the first contact customers have with the dealership and stresses paying staff well, trusting them, hiring sales professionals, monitoring performance, and utilizing vendor training resources

1. Rethinking BDC
Bob Harwood
Vice President
InterActive Financial Marketing Group
bob@interactivefmg.com
Title Sponsor

2. Rethinking BDC

3. Why a BDC can struggle
• One Size Fits All Mentality
• Untrained Manager
• Underpaid, unmotivated employees

4. Types of leads BDC agents are asked to call
Not all leads are created equal
Service Reminders
Equity Customers
New Car
Used Car/Vehicle Specific
Finance
Others
Different scripts, different client types, different call goals.

5. BDC
Management Security &
Third Parties
KPI
Control &
Status
Dealership
Success
Pay Plans &
Goals
Let them run their show
Clear understanding of KPI,
with process to drive toward
maximizing them
Should be a sales manager,
not admin. Pay plan should
reflect store goals, not KPI
Needs to feel secure in role,
to avoid feeling threatened
by outside parties employed
to help dealership succeed

6. BDC is often the first and only
contact a customer has with a
dealership.

7. Pay –
Pay plan needs to reflect quality of the staff,
and incentivize good people to stay
Trust –
Hard scripts don’t work, trust your people to
insert their personality & knowledge into the
conversation-people connect with people,
not companies or products.
Finding creative ways to connect with
customers and hit on their hot buttons is an
important skill
People –
Hire inside sales professionals,
not min wage call center people
Verify –
Monitor, Review & Coach

8. VENDOR
Vendor isn’t a 4-letter wordGood vendors want to help dealers succeedMany have training materials/staff designed
specifically to help dealers

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Contact Info:
Bob Harwood
Vice President
InterActive Financial Marketing Group
bob@interactivefmg.com
Title Sponsor