Firstly, what is an Automotive BDC? The Business Development Center is your dealership’s brain. It manages leads, appointments, and customer follow-ups as a department. Your team’s secret weapon for higher sales, better customer relations, and sales and service support.

The BDC answers customer inquiries, schedules sales and service appointments, follows up with customers after purchases or services, manages unsold customer lists, and more. It’s like your dealership’s Swiss Army knife, ready to handle any customer issue with its extensive list of tasks.

The Importance of a Dealership’s BDC

Driving Customer Relations and Retention

Customers are your dealership’s lifeblood, regardless of size or location. Consider your BDC the heart, pumping lifeblood to the right body parts at the right time.

BDCs are your dealership’s first contact with prospects. They make customers feel valued and heard by answering questions and scheduling appointments. Building long-term relationships is the key to customer retention, not just making sales.

A Bain & Company study found that a 5% increase in customer retention can boost profits by 25% to 95%. By building customer relationships, your BDC improves customer satisfaction and profits.

Optimizing Sales and Service Operations

A BDC’s customer relations are its apparent strength, but it also supports sales and service. Your BDC handles initial customer interactions and appointments, letting your sales team focus on selling cars.

Also, the BDC is a star in the service department. The BDC keeps service bays busy and customers happy by scheduling appointments and following up. Integrating sales and service under the BDC creates a smooth, efficient workflow that improves dealership performance.

By now, it should be clear that the BDC is more than just another department in your dealership and crucial to success. The BDC performs these tasks, but how? How is BDC done? We’re going there, so rev your engines!

How AI Can Boost Sales for Dealerships

Lead Generation and Follow-ups

Who maintains a steady lead flow for a successful dealership? Of course, the BDC. The BDC collects leads from your dealership’s website, third-party sites, walk-ins, phone calls, and social media.

What you do with leads is just as important. The BDC ensures these opportunities don’t pass. Your BDC ensures consistent and personalized communication from initial contact and lead nurturing to showroom visits and service follow-ups.

Appointment Setting and Customer Communication

After capturing and nurturing leads, set appointments. Though mundane, this is crucial. A busy showroom can be quiet with proper appointment setting.

In addition to scheduling, the BDC communicates with customers. This includes reminders about service appointments, promotions, and post-purchase checks. All these tasks create a smooth, engaging customer experience.

Performance Monitoring and Analytics

Today’s data-driven world requires the BDC to monitor dealership performance and use analytics for strategic decisions. Tracking lead conversion rates, appointment show rates, and customer satisfaction scores can help the BDC understand your dealership’s operations.

These insights inform future business strategies and identify areas for improvement. Your BDC is your dealership’s analytical powerhouse, making data-driven decisions to guide your business.

The importance of a dealership’s BDC and its key processes have been covered. But how can you guarantee BDC success? How to build a strong dealership business development strategy.

Creating a Successful Business Development Strategy for Your Dealership

Understanding Your Market and Customers

Any successful business development strategy starts with market and customer knowledge. Think of your BDC as your dealership’s research team. The BDC Automotive can help you choose the best lead sources and understand customer buying habits.

CRM systems, customer surveys, and other data collection tools can help your BDC analyze customers and market trends. Not just collecting data, but turning it into actionable insights. More you know about your market and customers, the better you can serve them.

Setting Clear Goals and KPIs

After gathering your insights, define BDC success. Setting clear, measurable goals and KPIs requires this. These may be related to lead conversion, customer satisfaction, or service appointments.

Your BDC goals should be realistic but challenging and aligned with your dealership goals. Monitor your KPIs regularly to stay on track and make adjustments after setting goals. The continuous feedback loop keeps your BDC performing well.

Investing in Employee Training and Technology

Staff are your BDC’s heart. Investing in employee training is crucial for BDC success. Whether it’s CRM software, communication, or dealership operations, train your BDC team to succeed.

Support your BDC with the right technology and employee training. This includes a powerful CRM, communication, and analytics software. Your BDC can help your dealership succeed with skilled staff and cutting-edge technology.

Your dealership can develop a successful business development strategy by understanding your market, setting goals, and investing in employees and technology. Start your engines and lead your dealership to success!

Conclusion

The automotive industry is fast-paced and competitive, with winners having the best cars and the best customer service. The Business Development Center (BDC) is your dealership’s pit crew in this customer-centric race, ensuring a smooth trip to success.

From initial customer interactions to sales and service support, the BDC is vital. As your dealership’s face, it builds customer relationships and retention. By tracking key metrics, the BDC can inform your dealership’s future strategies.

However, a BDC is not enough. Understanding your market, setting goals, and investing in employee training and technology will help your BDC succeed. A well-organized and efficient BDC can boost sales, customer satisfaction, and business success for your dealership.

About Post Author

Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post Managing and Optimizing BDC Workflow: Techniques to Enhance Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction in Car Dealerships appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

Shopping for a new car isn’t cheap, especially when it comes to luxury cars like a shiny new BMW. Buying a new BMW is a great experience. You get to show off your style and personality while sitting behind the wheel of a new car you’ve always dreamt of having. If you want to get more bang for your buck when shopping for a new BMW, these tried and true tactics will do the trick.

Do Your Research

Research is one of the most important things you can do when looking for new and used cars for sale. Before you step foot on the grounds of a dealership, open up your handy dandy laptop and begin combing through the internet for different car dealerships. Doing so will allow you to see what other BMW dealerships are selling their cars for, and you can even find reviews from customers on dealerships to see how they interact with customers.

Equip Yourself with Knowledge

While you research different dealers and sellers, equip yourself with knowledge as well. Car dealers will try every trick in the book to swindle you into spending more money. Luckily, buyers like you have more power than ever, thanks to the internet. Online, you’re able to look at car rankings, pros and cons, lease incentives, and so much more when looking at cars. This allows you to show up to the dealership knowing exactly what you want and how much you’re willing to spend.

Shop at the End of the Month

Whether you’re a first-time car buyer or a seasoned veteran, it’s important to know all car dealers must meet a quota at the end of the month. It’s during this time that they will be more willing to lower the price in order to hit the right numbers. By shopping for a car at the end of the month, quarter, or year, a car dealer who hasn’t met his or her incentive or bonus will work harder to put you in one of their cars.

Get a Pre Approved Auto Loan

Aside from selling you the car, dealers will also try and sell you a financing plan, usually one with extra fees and high interest rates. Before heading to the dealer, stop by your bank or a lender to get a pre-approved auto loan. With a financing plan in place, you’ll be able to use it as leverage at the dealership. This tactic will incentivize the dealer to create a better financing plan so you choose them.

The Trade-In

You can also snag a pretty good deal when shopping for a BMW by trading your car in. Many dealerships allow you to trade in your car to put that money towards your new car payment. But, wait off until the very end before you bring this up. If a dealer knows you plan on trading in your car, they will either low-ball the amount of money they willing to give you for your car or will raise the price of the car you plan on buying. Once you negotiate a final price that you’re happy with, let them know you’d like to trade your car in to get the best value.

Know when to Walk Away

One of the strongest powers you hold as a buyer is the ability to walk away. Many consumers feel guilty after spending hours at a dealership to just get up and leave. But, if you remember that buying a car is simply just a business transaction, walking away will be much easier. The last thing a dealer wants is to lose a sale. But if you’re stuck in a bad deal, providing your phone number and leaving the dealership will entice the salesperson to call you back with a better offer.

Avoid the Extras

Once you negotiate the price of the car, you may think the process is over. Don’t assume just yet. Most dealerships make a majority of their profits through their financing office. Once it’s time to sign the paperwork, finance officers will tempt you to buy expensive add-ons that will add to the cost of your car. Before you write your name, avoid these common add-ons you most likely don’t need:

● Paint and fabric protection
● Extended warranties
● Rear seat DVD players
● Dent protection for the windshield and tires
● Roof racks
● Key protection

The Bottom Line

Now that you know the many ways dealerships will try and squeeze an extra penny out of you, it’s time to put your negotiating hat on and head to business. With these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to drive home in luxury in a brand-new BMW.

The post How to Get the Best Deal When Shopping For a BMW appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

The festive season is fast approaching and for many car dealerships, it can be the busiest time of the year. As your customer base increases, it is important to make sure you take advantage of the lead up to the holidays. Keep reading to discover 5 tips to market your BMW dealership over Christmas and the start of the New Year!

Have a prompt and responsive customer service.

You will have more interest in your dealership leading up to Christmas. For this reason, you need to put extra effort into your customer service. For instance, you could provide intensive training for your customer service team. This will help your employees cope with the busy season. If your team is prepared, you can market your company and respond effectively to an increased demand.

Create stunning marketing content specifically for the holiday periods.

If you want to appeal to more people, invest money in holiday-themed marketing content. A picture is worth a thousand words, and there are many psychology studies that back this claim. Make sure you hire an experienced graphic designer. He or she can help you create your festive marketing content. Powerful designs will help you to reach out to your customer base about new deals and products.

If you have any sales or special offers, make sure you advertise them properly.

Over the Christmas period, many businesses will offer special holiday promotions and discounts. However, many BMW dealership owners don’t advertise effectively. You can print posters, personally tell customers in store, and post on social media. Whatever you need to do to get that deal out there! There is no point having a Christmas deal if no one knows about it.

Be active on visually-focused social media platforms, like Instagram and Tumblr.

Social media is the most effective way to get your BMW dealership noticed. Many marketing studies suggest that people respond strongly to visual media. This is why many major brands and companies have a team that focuses on social media content. The holiday season is a great time to start working on your social media game! Use Instagram and Tumblr to present products and share your visual brand!

Develop a strong email marketing campaign.

If you don’t already focus on email marketing it’s time to get started! Emails are a simple and effective way to communicate with past and future customers.

People sign up to email subscriptions if they had a positive experience with a company. They also sign up if they are interested in a company, or in what it offers.

This is why it’s important to sign up every client who makes a transaction with you. This way, you can keep them engaged with your dealership. It’s also a great idea to include an email subscription form on your website. This means that any potential customer will have the option to learn about deals and more.

There are many ways to develop a strong email marketing campaign. First, make sure you have a personal and engaging subject headline. Mentioning the user’s first name in the heading can grab their attention. It’s a good way to encourage them to click through to your email content.

In your emails make sure that you offer something of value. It can be anything from a special discount, important news, or an interesting article. If your emails don’t offer anything many customers may ‘unsubscribe’.

The holiday season is a great reason to get in touch with your customer base. Whether you want to wish everyone a safe holiday season or update your customers with new products. Now is the time to do it.

Many customers will become interested in car-dealerships through word-of-mouth recommendations or advertisements. This is why it is so important to keep people engaged with your dealership. If they care about your company, there is a higher chance that they will be returning customers. Even better, they might recommend the dealership to a friend.

The Christmas season is very competitive in the retail industry. You have to be prepared to deliver exceptional customer service. This is why you should have a memorable media campaign. Through email marketing, you can develop a personal relationship with your customers. These are just some of the ways you can use the holidays to boost your sales. Give your dealership a marketing facelift!

The post The 5 best ways to market your car dealership for the holidays. appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

BMW i8 is one of the most hunted down models from the carmaker`s entire lineup, especially since we are dealing here with the company`s first plug-in hybrid with the most advanced onboard technology.

This is why we have seen hundreds of i8s being customized by worldwide tuning companies and turned into exquisite rides for different rich customers.

The same happened to this one-off Lava Red BMW i8 displayed at the BMW Abu Dhabi and recently being bought by Princess Al Hawi of Abu Dhabi. And since we are dealing here with a royalty, this gorgeous BMW i8 comes equipped with a lot of spicy goodies.

As we can depict from the pictures below, this lad here is wearing the rare and exotic Lava Red body wrap, along with the tens of body styling components from AC Schnitzer tuner.

The most noticeable parts refer to the new front splitter, side skirts fins, prominent fixed rear spoiler, as well as the new twin-five-spoke alloy wheels, finished in silver.

The BMW i8 presented here is also exclusive inside, with the cabin tweaking white and black leather on the door panels, steering wheel and dashboard. The Lava Red accents are also present on the doors and dashboard.

Under the hood, this i8 remains pretty much the same, meaning the same hybrid powertrain with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder TwinPower Turbo petrol unit, developing 231 horsepower, and backed by an electric motor with an additional 131 horsepower, at a topping of 250 km/h.

The post Princess Al Hawi of Abu Dhabi Receives One-Off BMW i8 from BMW Dealership appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

We have seen hundreds of F82 BMW M4s receiving impressive tuning projects from different aftermarket shops worldwide, complemented by BMW`s most exotic exterior colors.

But this model standing here at a BMW dealership is perhaps the most authentic and exquisite model ever seen, not because of its body style, but because of its color, the model receiving the rarest body wrap ever seen on a BMW model.

It is about the Individual Mint Green paint, so rare that you won`t found it on the USA`s BMW Configurator, the BMW dealership wrapping it just for display.

There are no mods carried out on this BMW M4, the model packing the standard design lines and the same powertrain under the hood.

We are dealing with the same 3.0-liter M TwinPower Turbo inline flat-six, with 431 horsepower and 550 Nm of torque, enough to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds, with a six-speed manual transmission, hooked to a six-speed manual transmission.

However, with a seven-speed DCT, the carmaker claims 3.9 seconds for the same distance, at a topping of an electronically limited 250 km/h.

The post Individual Mint Green F82 BMW M4 Pops-Up in BMW Dealership appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

Here we are in Manila, Philippines, where BMW has officially opened its newest dealership in Eton Centris, near North EDSA, in Quezon City.

The Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), which is the main BMW`s distributor in Phillipines has inaugurated AutoAllee BMW. This ensures the luxury car manufacturer the widest network in the country.

Graeme Gieve, Vice President of Importer Regions of the BMW Group along with Neil Fiorentinos, Managing Director of BMW Group Asia and Maricar C. Parco, ACC President were the ones to officialy inaugurate the BMW dealership.

Maricar C. Parco said: “We are proud to welcome AutoAllee BMW as the newest member of the BMW dealership network. As the 8th dealership in the country, AutoAllee BMW is a testament to BMW’s commitment to further build and strengthen the brand in the Philippines”.

The dealership incorporates a three-storey building on a huge 1,900 square meter area and comes equipped with the most complete services.

The services housed in the dealership include among others, an impressive showroom, the Isetta Bar on the second level, a New Car Delivery area, or a large-capacity garage that is equipped with the latest technology in terms of tools and other important equipment.

The post Quezon City Is Receiving the New BMW Dealership appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.