? Subscribe on Apple: https://dpb.fm/apple? Subscribe on Spotify: https://dpb.fm/spotify? All our links: https://dpb.fm/playPaul de Vries is the founder of DCDW (Digital Car Dealer Network), ambassador for Marktplaats (Holland), and a brand new owner of a Ligier franchise dealership in Holland. He is an expert at lead handling and works with several OEMs in Europe to improve their lead handling and appointment show percentages. In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, Paul breaks down his 6 steps to lead handling that can help any dealership increase their car sales opportunities.Key Takeaways From This Episode:03:39 - It's very easy to analyze lead responses in a PowerPoint or spreadsheet, but when the reality of the day sets in it can be very difficult to manage. Dealers need to be practical in understanding why leads are important and that no matter how they arrive, they represent another human being who is expressing interest in the dealership's vehicles, parts, or services.05:05 - The goal is to remove the 100% dependency on BDCs and outsourced agents and train salespeople to be better at working with leads on their own. If we can move the need so that only 10% of car salespeople are better at lead handling, we will make a bigger impact than we make our BDC agents. We can't get away with not knowing the product we sell. It's imperative to know the product so that we can quickly answer all the questions that customers have.07:15 - The dynamic of the car shopper is changing rapidly which means that we need to continue training to keep up with their ways of doing business. Today if we don't answer the lead within one minute, customers get angry. In Europe, WhatsApp is typically the preferred method of communication because other systems are seen as outdated. In contrast, to the USA or Canada where SMS messaging is the holy grail (outside of the phone).12:46 - Paul shares his experience being a car dealer again and opening a Ligier franchise experience store in Holland.26:55 - Paul breaks down the six steps to successful lead handling. When put into motion, car dealers can see an increase in leads to appointments and appointments to demos by training car salespeople to properly handle leads.Listen to the full episode for even more insights and context from Paul de Vries!Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally!Thanks, Paul de Vries!If you enjoyed this episode featuring Paul de Vries, support us by clicking the links!Connect with Paul de Vries on LinkedInConnect with Michael on LinkedIn More Dealers Are Choosing To Partner with FlexDealerLooking for a reliable, high-performance dealership marketing partner? Visit https://www.flexdealer.com to discover why more and more dealers are choosing them over big-box providers.