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TAKE POLL How Many Leads Per BDC Rep Each Month?

The average (based on research) suggests 75 per person. However, with a group effort in following up (being that they all work different times, and we run a hybrid model) they handle roughly 100 or so per person. The problem with handling to many leads is that the rep can lack a personalized touch; or, worse not follow up in enough time before the customer has already purchased a vehicle.
 
@derrickwoolfson I actually thought I was on the low side. With respect, I'd love to know where you've found that research.

I agree with the personal touch point however I've always thought that starts to go out the window at 200.

Perhaps you're dealing with a different structure than Jerry asked. What does hybrid mean to you?:
I am talking about appointment setters who hand the lead to a salesperson.
 
Hold up here.

@Jerry Thibeau according to your choice of words, you're asking how many leads should a BDC rep "handle" as in "manage" as in "the total (accumulated) number of leads a rep is actively working" ?

Another important question: how long do you plan to follow up with each lead...buy or die?

I believe most of people read this and assume you mean "how many NEW leads should be assigned to a BDC Rep per month in ADDITION to their bucket of active leads from previous months?"

It's important to clarify this. If you're assigning a BDC rep 200 leads a month, they sell 15% for 30 sales. Another 15% bought elsewhere. Another 10% are bad leads. You're left with 120 active leads.

Same senero for the next month - 200 leads with a final 120 active leads.

Same senero for the next month - 200 leads with a final 120 active leads.

You now have a BDC rep potentially working 360 leads.

Now by the time you're on month 4, let's agree that most of the leads from the first month have dwindled down. Hopefully increasing your closing ratio due to your long term buy or die follow-up. Right?
 
I believe most of people read this and assume you mean "how many NEW leads should be assigned to a BDC Rep per month in ADDITION to their bucket of active leads from previous months?"

Yes, I am talking about fresh leads each month and still working leads from previous months.


The average (based on research) suggests 75 per person. However, with a group effort in following up (being that they all work different times, and we run a hybrid model) they handle roughly 100 or so per person. The problem with handling to many leads is that the rep can lack a personalized touch; or, worse not follow up in enough time before the customer has already purchased a vehicle.

You seem to be talking about salespeople who work the lead cradle to grave. I am talking BDC reps who are only required to set appointments.
 
@Mitch Gallant - we are dealing with a different structure then of what Jerry asked. And, sure, I will dig up the article. It is always neat to see different perspectives on best practices. The hybrid model we run works as such: the BDC rep will answer the lead when it hits the CRM. Their goal, of course, is to book an appointment. After the BDC rep has answered the lead it gets transferred (on a round robin) to a sales rep. The BDC then continues to answer new leads, and assists the sales consultants in managing their work-flows answering the customers questions. With that being said, the BDC reps (I have 2) each manage approximately 100+ a person.
@Jerry Thibeau I see. The BDC handles the leads with the sales consultants working them to the grave. In essence, the BDC is responsible for booking appointments. But also managing the sales consultants correspondence with the customers, too.
 
It started to get really tough when I was handling 225 leads by myself (internet, phone, and chat) and that's when I hired another person. Together we handled about 180 leads a person, and that left us with enough time to also do some videos and social media marketing. It appears that store still hums around those same numbers and does quite well
 
I think the type of leads also make a difference. Plus how long of a work day? If your mostly receiving Third Party leads and 6-8 other dealers are trying to contact the person, not to mention if they inquired somewhere else. People these days never answer phone calls, text, or emails. So the person can handle much more if no one ever returns contact. With a good CRM and a great Internet/BDC person I think 300-400. Keep in mind that after 90 days of receiving a lead the dealer is supposed to stop contact.
 
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Between 2004 and 2010 my team averaged around 200 new leads per person per month. I think that number has been maintained under @Christine Knowles from 2010 onward. From 2004 to 2015 the Checkered Flag BDC's role has been to move a non-present customer to showing up in the store. Paid mostly on the appointment that bought a car.

The term "BDC" is defined vastly different from one dealership to another. I define it more along the lines of the original Traver definition: a group of individuals working as a team to answer and follow-up with any customer who is not physically present in the dealership.

1 person is not a team and cradle-to-grave people are typically not incentivized to work together. As an industry, there still is not a single standard definition of any role that has evolved out of the Internet. Nor is there a standard in metrics to hold these roles accountable; each dealer is his own scientist here.

I don't see how any definitive answer can be gained on such a broad question, where everyone is coming at this with different definitions. My team handled different things in the 6 years I managed it, and we defined what they were paid (held accountable to) very differently than any dealer I have ever spoken to this about. This rings true even more today because, in my current position, I talk to a lot more dealers than I ever did at Checkered Flag. And of all the dealers I speak to I still have yet to find two who share definitions around Internet-evolved things.

As my buddy @JoePistell says "all dealers are snowflakes; no two are the same."

With all that said, Jerry, don't take this as me trying to fight your question down. I think the opinions voiced here are of HUGE value. The intent of my post is to point out the scientific value for anyone who may look at this definitively. We have a lot of lurkers who buy things on DealerRefresh at face value, and those things have a tendency to impact the people who support those dealers, OEMs, and others.
 
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