Nolan Brink, who manages three stores for Jim Shorkey Auto Group, does not use a business development center (BDC) for lead handling. Instead, his managers personally get involved with every lead that salespeople don't convert.
Driving the news: "Managers touch every lead at some point in time," Brink told Daily Dealer Live hosts Sam D'Arc and Uli de' Martino. "If someone calls in and the salesperson doesn't set a phone appointment, they're doing a live T.O. [turn-over] with that customer."
The problem: Brink, who runs the top-volume Kia dealer in Pennsylvania for the past three years plus two Youngstown locations (a Chrysler store and a Mitsubishi store), needed a system to maintain BDC-level accountability without dedicated staff.
His answer: A manager bucket system with daily checklists and morning huddles.
How it works: Leads go to salespeople first. If the salesperson doesn't set an appointment or make contact, it moves to a manager.
Then, the stores use DriveCentric to organize those leads into buckets:
Uncontacted leads
Engaged leads
Showroom visits
Proposals
Sold
Every morning, managers huddle and divvy up responsibilities. One manager takes uncontacted leads from yesterday. Another handles customers who engaged but didn't set appointments. A third works all the proposals from yesterday that didn't close.
"If I have a total of 500 customers in a month at a store, I would expect a minimum of 500 follow-up attempts amongst the managers," Brink said.
Why it matters: Eliminating a BDC doesn't eliminate the need for BDC-level accountability. Every lead still needs multiple touches. And every missed opportunity still needs follow-up.
Between the lines: When Brink hires a manager, he asks two questions: Would I hire them as a BDC manager? Would I hire them as a sales manager?
"If they check both boxes, then I would hire them. And if they don't, but they have potential, you know, maybe they're really good in one area, but they have potential in another. Okay, you just have a project on your hands," he said.
A BDC manager focuses on accountability and executing tasks, while a sales manager is typically extroverted with strong leadership and communication skills, Brink explained. And that combination is meaningful.
"If I have someone who has the sales manager but has the grit and desire to execute tasks, you can hit a home run," Brink said.
The current challenge: In November, Brink noticed phone and internet closing percentages running slightly lower than normal. His stores typically lead the company in closing for both channels.
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In response: Brink initiated daily 9:30 a.m. sales meetings which include quick training touchpoints.
And every Friday at midday, the full staff runs a training session with pre-approved topics and plans.
This month's focus is phone handling and manager transitions to smooth out the many channels customers can engage with.
What’s more: The system requires constant data analysis. Brink pulls closing percentages, front-end gross and back-end gross by manager.
He feeds the hot hand and uses what he calls the "money ball approach."
Managers struggling in specific areas are sent to another store for a few days if Brink has an expert on-site there. The Kia store in Wexford is an hour and 15 minutes from the Youngstown locations.
"My goal is to surround myself with people," Brink said. He credits the team at the Kia store extensively. "I'm so grateful for the team that I have at my Kia store. We've taken some time to really build it, to build it and find the right people and coach and train and develop."
Bottom line: The difference between success and struggle comes down to leadership, said Brink. And the managers are the ones who can foster accountability and coaching their teams effectively.
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