Are Auto Dealers Leaving Money on the Table

For over 15 years, Op2ma has been running a Sales Recovery Program (SRP) that focuses on re-engaging dead sales leads from vehicle sales departments. By targeting prospects that sales teams have labeled as “lost,” we’ve been able to gather extensive data on why deals fall through and how to turn those situations around.

In analyzing data from hundreds of thousands of re-engaged prospects, one thing has become clear: many leads that sales teams consider dead are still very much alive. The real challenge lies in why these leads were written off.

Common issues that lead to this misclassification:

  1. Poor Customer Rapport and Qualification: Salespeople often fail to build strong connections with potential buyers, which leads to missed opportunities.
  2. Lack of Discipline in Collecting Customer Details: Inadequate follow-up because of insufficient data capture is a persistent issue.
  3. Unstructured Follow-Up Processes: Many follow-up efforts lack clear objectives, reducing their effectiveness.
  4. Underutilization of Dealer CRM Systems: Despite having powerful tools at their disposal, many dealerships fail to fully leverage their CRM systems.
  5. Inconsistent Sales Management Oversight: Sales follow-up isn’t always closely monitored, leading to missed opportunities.
  6. Delayed F&I Engagement: Failing to involve Finance and Insurance (F&I) early in the sales process is becoming an increasingly significant problem

With inventory conditions in constant flux, addressing these issues is more critical than ever. However, restructuring processes to improve sales performance is no small feat.

Dealers need to alleviate their sales managers and F&I business managers from time-consuming administrative tasks. By doing so, they can focus more on customer engagement and closing deals. Technology can be a crucial ally in this effort.

When we first launched our Sales Recovery Program, we aimed to find a more statistically relevant method of measuring sales performance than traditional Mystery Shopping and Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) surveys. Today, many of our clients have moved away from Mystery Shopping, recognizing the greater value in our data-driven approach that involves real auto buyers.

Our extensive data consistently reveals one undeniable truth: no matter the state of the market, dealerships are leaving significant revenue on the table. Whether they continue to do so is a decision only they can make. We’re here to support those who are ready to turn things around.

CALL TO ACTION: To find out how you can stop leaving money on the table, call us for a no-obligation discussion today!