by Terry MacCauley - Posted 24 minutes ago
Speed to lead is not a suggestion. It is the difference between being first in line and being forgotten. Yet most dealers treat it like a flexible idea rather than an operational standard.
Mystery shops reveal the problem instantly. Calls are missed and never returned. Web leads wait hours for replies. Facebook leads die in the inbox. The customer does not wait. The customer is already in contact with the following dealership, which responded more quickly and with greater enthusiasm.
To achieve better results, establish a rule and hold the team accountable for it every single day.
Five minutes or less for the first response during business hours.
Two contact attempts within the first thirty minutes.
There is no scenario where slow follow-up is acceptable. The customer does not care about how busy the store is. The customer does not care that it is shift change or lunch break. The dealership either responds quickly or loses.
Dealers who consistently master speed outperform their competitors, even when they have smaller budgets and fewer leads. Discipline beats volume.
If lead handling were a race, most dealerships would sprint the first one hundred yards and then walk off the track. The drop off after Day Two is dramatic.
Here is the pattern:
This is not a market issue. This is a performance issue.
Many customers purchase on Day Three through Day Ten. They buy once they have evaluated the options. They purchase after external events influence their decision. They purchase when they feel ready. They purchase when the dealership continues to show interest.
A complete follow-up cadence is not aggressive. It is necessary.
Most dealers pay for leads that never receive enough attention to have a chance. Better advertising will not overcome weak internal consistency.
Texting is the preferred communication channel for most customers. Unfortunately, many dealerships text in a way that turns customers away. Long messages, overly formal language, and copy that feels automated all signal to the customer that the conversation is not personal and not genuine.
A powerful first text is simple, conversational, and built for engagement.
“Hello, John. This is Alex from ABC Motors. I received your request for the 2020 Silverado. Is text the best way to communicate, or do you prefer a quick phone call”
Short. Direct. Friendly. Human.
The goal is not to force an appointment in the first message. The goal is to establish momentum through an easy response. Customers respond when they feel they are speaking with a real person, not a template.
Artificial intelligence has become a valuable tool in the dealership environment. AI can help draft messages, suggest phrasing, and maintain consistency. However, there is a significant and growing danger when sales staff rely entirely on AI responses without adding the human element.
Customers are becoming extremely skilled at identifying automated text. They can feel when a message is overly polished, too generic, or lacking personality. Once the customer realizes the communication is automated, trust evaporates. Engagement collapses. The conversation loses authenticity.
AI should support the salesperson, not replace the salesperson. If a dealership allows the team to copy and paste AI responses without customization, tone adjustment, or personal input, then the dealership creates a sterile experience that pushes customers away.
A strong salesperson uses AI to speed up the process, but ALWAYS adds personal details such as:
A reference to the specific vehicle the customer viewed
A comment based on the customer’s previous message
A personal greeting
Warmth, clarity, and rhythm that AI alone cannot deliver
AI without the human touch is a shortcut that damages conversion rather than improving it.
Dealers must set clear expectations. AI is a tool. It is not a substitute for connection, empathy, or honest salesmanship. Customers buy from people who feel authentic, confident, and present. The team must be trained to use AI as an enhancement and not as an excuse to stop thinking.
Buy Here Pay Here and subprime customers operate with different pressures than traditional retail buyers. They have more questions, more stress, and more uncertainty. They fear rejection. They fear embarrassment. They often carry emotional weight from past dealership experiences or financial setbacks.
These customers require patience, persistence, and compassion.
When a BHPH customer misses an appointment, it is often not a sign of disinterest. It may be a family emergency, a work shift change, or simple intimidation about the approval process.
A sincere and understanding message can revive the relationship:
“Hello Sarah. I know life gets busy. I would be glad to help you schedule a time that works better. You are always welcome here.”
Dealers who take follow-up seriously in this segment often outperform competitors significantly. Customers in these environments value respect, understanding, and communication. Those three elements are worth more than any promotion or advertising campaign when it comes to long-term portfolio performance.
Dealers who focus solely on form dramatically undervalue their traffic. Customers today move between platforms and channels without following a predictable path. Some call directly. Some walk in after watching an ad for weeks. Some browse silently and later show up without ever submitting a lead.
If you only track what appears in the CRM, you are missing a significant portion of your actual influence.
Ask every customer one question: “Where did you first see us or hear about us?”
This single question often reveals that marketing channels are performing far better than the CRM suggests. Reality does not always show up in a report. Smart dealers measure influence, not just submissions. This entire small section deserves significantly more input and thought, perhaps a future blog.
Dealers often shut off campaigns because the leads feel weak. The feeling is understandable. However, feelings are not facts. Before making decisions that impact sales volume, profit, and long-term strategy, evaluate what is happening inside the dealership.
- Pull a sample of calls.
- Review text chains.
- Ask tough questions with no emotional filter.
- Did the salesperson sound engaged
- How long did it take to respond
- Was there effort, or was there apathy
- Was the cadence followed or ignored
- Was the communication confident or lazy
Better marketing cannot fix poor follow-up. Poor follow-up will always make good marketing look ineffective. Dealers who want the truth must confront what is happening inside their four walls. Additionally, this approach will transform your culture into one that consistently strives for more, achieving high-quality productivity with a never-say-die attitude.
If you want to create measurable improvement without increasing your budget, here is where to start:
Success in lead handling is built through clarity and repetition. There is no shortcut.
Dealers often believe they need more leads, more traffic, and larger budgets to grow. The truth is that most dealerships need stronger systems, better communication, stronger accountability, and a deeper human connection.
Better follow-up multiplies the impact of every advertising dollar. Stronger communication creates trust, momentum, and appointments. A disciplined process turns leads into revenue.
Those who master these fundamentals will win regardless of market pressure or economic conditions. Those who ignore them will continue to chase the following shiny product without fixing the real problem.
This is the work.
This is the responsibility.
This is where growth begins.
This is real talk for dealers who want to lead, perform, and improve every single day.
- by Terry MacCauley, Founder & CEO
