Working with dealers throughout the region, we often hear similar questions regardless of the brand, the area, or the dealership structure. One of those common questions is “How many leads should my dealership be getting?” It’s a good question to ask, because you want to have the right structures in place, and without knowing the proper baseline, it’s hard to determine where you are.

In addition to working with several dealerships over the years, I have also been on the other side of things as a BDC manager. So, these stats are averaged from both experiences. Some dealerships might be slightly lower or slightly higher.

The Rule of 50%

• • On average, 50% of the leads you get on a monthly basis will be quality leads. The others will continue shopping, not engage with you, or have already chosen another dealership by the time you communicate.
  • Of those quality leads, 50% will make an appointment.
  • If you have proper follow up and confirm the appointments, 50% of those appointments should show up to your dealership.
  • Here is where the number differs the most. On average, we have found that 50% of the leads that convert to shows will close, however, this number varies from 30-60%. We will use 50% for the sake of easy math as an example.
  • So, on a monthly basis, if you follow this 50% rule:
    • 2000 leads monthly
    • 1000 quality leads
    • 500 appointments
    • 250 shows
    • 125 sales

What Should My Goal Be?

When it comes to sales goals, a good rule of thumb is to aim for half of your inventory on a monthly basis. So, if you have 500 vehicles in stock, 250 sales should be your goal. Of course, it can take time to build that inventory and that momentum.

So, you might be asking how many BDC reps it takes to achieve your goal. This question typically goes hand in hand with the number of leads. How many leads can each BDC rep handle? The average BDC rep should be able to handle at least 175 leads per month. With an experienced rep, this is more likely to climb to 200 or even 225, but 175 is the average. If you’d like to easily calculate the capacity of your BDC department, use our easy lead calculator.

If you’re going to start measuring this baseline, it’s important to first make sure that all of your leads are being properly tracked. Once you’ve done that, it’s a good idea to sit with your BDC reps and review responses and response times. Professional timely responses with a personal touch are always recommended. Many dealerships don’t review their automated responses or look into what their reps are actually sending out, and it can sometimes be a wake-up call. D2D offers BDC support for all clients to help ensure that your reps are equipped to handle the leads our automotive digital marketing programs bring in.