[USER=7732]@Tallcool1[/USER]
Last year, I think I shared on this forum how we implemented a “Moneyball” approach with our sales teams. We broke down lead performance (Internet, Phone, Walk-In) into stages from Lead to Sold. At a quarterly planning event, I had managers map their salespeople on an X-Y matrix showing lead volume vs. conversion rates for phone and internet. The result? The following month was our best ever for phone and internet, as managers started directing leads to top converters and away from underperformers. However, this success was short-lived—lasting about 45 days.
The Challenge:
Redirecting leads to top performers eventually overloaded them, causing their pipelines to degrade. In cradle-to-grave sales setups without a BDC, the more deals reps close, the less time they have to nurture new leads. I’ve seen this firsthand—after a 30-car month, my pipeline would stagnate, leading to an 18-22 car month afterward. The key is understanding each rep’s capacity to prevent overload. An “on one week, off the next” strategy might help balance the workload.
Our Current Strategy:
I now run weekly calls with individual store managers focusing on salespeople’s performance at every stage:
• Lead to Engaged
• Engaged to Appt Set
• Appt Set to Show
• Show to Sold
Each stage presents a unique coaching opportunity. Instead of just looking at Lead to Sold, we pinpoint weak spots in the sales funnel and coach accordingly, ensuring reps can re-enter the rotation (hopefully the next week) without overloading others.
Key Metrics & Tools:
• Lead Caps: We’ve identified that some reps perform best with 20 leads/month, while others excel with 70. For cradle-to-grave reps, 45 leads/month is a typical cap.
• Distribution Rules: Using DriveCentric, we manage lead distribution rules based on schedules and even differentiate between new and used leads. For phone calls, we prioritize appointment setters in the hunt/queue ring order.
• Ongoing Review: Weekly and 30-day trend reviews are essential. This helps spot patterns and address downturns before they affect performance.
Results:
Last month, our group averaged:
• 13.8% Internet close rate (5 stores exceeded 15%; two struggled due to new management).
• 30%+ Phone close rate with reliable phone tracking.
• 5% Bad Lead Rate.
This approach requires intense management—reviewing 60+ salespeople weekly and addressing performance issues. While not all store-level managers lean into this level of detail, those who do see a significant impact on their store’s success.
I'd love to offer you any help you need [USER=7732]@Tallcool1[/USER]. You can always hit me up. Thanks.
