CallSource Launches RADAR Report(sm) to Measure Auto Retailer Phone Management Success

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Jan. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CallSource, the industry leader in call tracking, marketing analysis and sales improvement, announced today it has launched the RADAR Report, ranking automotive retailers by their success converting prospect calls into showroom appointments. The report measures call performance for dealers across the country and provides benchmarks for how dealerships are doing against their competition.

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As more retailers are shifting their focus to various forms of online marketing, they are often overlooking one fundamental fact – more than 80 percent of customers use the phone to contact a dealership when they are ready to buy. If retailers could turn just a few more calls per week into appointments, they can improve annual profits by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"How incoming calls are handled is still an incredibly important part of automotive retailing success," said Andrew Price, President of CallSource Automotive. "The RADAR Report provides a comprehensive measurement showing how dealerships fare against competition in their geography and also against other dealers in the same brand. Providing statistical measurement of call management performance provides dealerships with a baseline to understand how they are doing and also provides a method to help them track improvements over time."

The report will highlight the top 10 performing dealerships for overall call-to-appointment ratios. Currently, the industry average is 7.8 percent, though several CallSource clients are approaching 30 percent. "We see the RADAR Report as an aspirational goal for the automotive retailing industry," Price said. "Car dealers are competitive by nature and we believe they will up their game to see their name on the RADAR Report. By focusing attention on call management performance, we believe the industry as a whole will begin to improve."    

Handling incoming phone calls continues to be one of the most important elements to auto retail sales success. According to research and a recent OEM study by CallSource, customers who pick up the phone to inquire about a vehicle typically make a purchase in 3 to 5 days.

Unfortunately, many sales personnel have not been properly trained to establish rapport, discover the needs of the prospect, or set the showroom appointment during a call. These gaps in call-handling skill cost dealers hundreds of thousands of dollars in missed sales opportunities.

By tracking and monitoring dealer calls, CallSource is able to determine which advertising sources are working best, alert dealership management when calls are mishandled, and identify appropriate training for sales personnel to close skill gaps. The company offers a range of online and in-person training opportunities to help automotive retailers improve their phone management skills and processes and add millions of dollars to their bottom lines.

The RADAR Report is part of CallSource Automotive's patented Sales Profit Management System (SPM). To see a sample report, visit CallSource Automotive at booth #5009 at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in New Orleans, Jan. 25-28.

About CallSource

CallSource has been the industry leader in call tracking and lead management solutions for more than 20 years. Based in Westlake Village, California, CallSource offers customized solutions, including call tracking, call recording, vanity numbers, and telephone performance analytics that help businesses increase sales and profits. CallSource serves multiple industries including automotive, home services, media and healthcare, as well as numerous Franchise businesses. For more information about the company, visit www.callsource.com.

SOURCE CallSource