- Apr 8, 2022
- 4
- 12
- First Name
- Holly
Why You Should Outsource Your BDC
I recently read an article that referenced Mike Johnson, owner, and president of Antelope Valley Ford and Shuttle Lincoln Mercury in California. He likes to tell people he invented the BDC 20 years ago. He tells the story of a young woman that called to sell him pens, and she was so talented with her phone skills, that he brought her on board and created a department for her. In spite of her excellent phone skills, he claims it almost became an exercise in futility. “I literally put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the black hole of BDCs,” he says. “Only in the last year and a half have we started to see some results.”
Hiring the Right Talent is Key
While many dealerships treat their BDC as minimum wage employees, others have learned that the most successful phone rep is aggressive and experienced at creating opportunities. Phone skills must be developed and if your person isn't up to making 120-150 calls per day, then you have hired the wrong person. An outsourced BDC is a great solution. Creating leads and generating business is their sole purpose. Let the best in the business create the opportunity for your dealership and your sales team.
Outsourcing BDC Solves Inner-Departmental Conflict
Your BDC is not an extension of your sales department, but rather it is its own entity. Too often, the department is used as a backup to sales, but that is not what they do. The BDC has one purpose: to generate business for your sales team. Because of this, the two departments can sometimes find themselves at odds with each other. Conflict can develop when leads aren’t followed up on, or they aren’t documented correctly, or if you are paying the BDC for sales, rather than set appointments (which I don’t suggest). An outsourced BDC team will be paid to generate the calls and set the appointments. Whatever happens after that, it is on your team to close the deal.
Enjoy the Benefits of BDC Without the Expense of Creating One
The BDC concept works. It takes some time to get up and running, and you can invest thousands of dollars into it before you see the benefits. Find an established virtual BDC and hire them. Your dealership can see immediate results and you will have saved the time and money needed to create your own. Not only are you saving on the payroll, training, and cost of hiring, but you will also save on whatever the cost of the technology is to get the phones up and running. An outsourced BDC will have the capabilities to interface with your CRM, and route calls to appropriate channels without you making a huge investment. Save that money to train your sales staff to close all of the leads that are about to come their way!
