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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for BDC Representative

💰 $30,000 - $55,000 (Base + Commission/Bonus)

SalesCustomer ServiceAutomotiveCall CenterLead Management

🎯 Role Definition

The BDC Representative (Business Development Center Representative) is the front-line contact for inbound and outbound customer engagement across phone, email, text, and live chat channels. This role focuses on qualifying and nurturing sales and service leads, setting and confirming appointments, maintaining CRM accuracy, and collaborating closely with Sales and Service departments to maximize lead conversion, customer satisfaction, and showroom/service throughput. Success is measured by KPIs such as lead response time, appointment show rate, lead-to-sale conversion, and customer follow-up frequency.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Customer Service Representative
  • Receptionist / Front Desk
  • Call Center Agent or Telemarketer
  • Service Advisor Trainee

Advancement To:

  • BDC Supervisor / Team Lead
  • BDC Manager / Internet Sales Manager
  • Sales Manager / Fixed Operations Manager
  • Retail Sales Consultant / Internet Sales Specialist

Lateral Moves:

  • Inside Sales Representative
  • Service Advisor
  • Appointment Coordinator
  • Marketing or CRM Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Answer high-volume inbound phone calls, internet leads, and live chat inquiries promptly and professionally, following defined scripts and brand voice to maximize lead engagement and conversion.
  • Conduct outbound calling campaigns to follow up on internet leads, trade-in inquiries, and previous customers to schedule sales appointments, service visits, and vehicle walkarounds.
  • Qualify new leads by asking probing questions about needs, timeline, budget, financing preferences, and vehicle interest to determine lead quality and urgency.
  • Schedule and confirm showroom and service appointments using the dealership’s CRM (e.g., DealerSocket, VinSolutions, Elead, Reynolds & Reynolds), ensuring accurate date/time, sales or service contact, and required documentation.
  • Respond to internet leads, third-party leads, and social media inquiries within company SLA (e.g., under 5–15 minutes) to optimize lead response time and improve conversion rates.
  • Maintain accurate, timely, and detailed lead notes in the CRM for every customer interaction, including follow-up actions, appointment confirmations, and disposition updates.
  • Distribute qualified leads to the appropriate sales or service advisors and ensure warm transfers or detailed handoffs so the customer experience is seamless.
  • Execute multi-channel follow-up strategies (phone calls, SMS/text messaging, email and chat) to nurture prospects through the buying process and reduce no-shows.
  • Manage and improve appointment show-rates by sending confirmations, reminders, and checklist messages, and by rescheduling or reengaging no-show leads.
  • Track and meet monthly and weekly KPIs such as total dials, contacts, appointments set, appointment show rate, lead-to-appointment conversion, and lead-to-sale conversion.
  • Work closely with Sales Managers and Service Managers to prioritize high-value customers and escalate hot leads or special requests for immediate attention.
  • Conduct outbound prospecting for trade-in leads, financing pre-approvals, loyalty campaigns, and seasonal promotions to generate additional showroom traffic.
  • Educate customers on available incentives, specials, warranty options, service specials, and dealership value propositions to aid in conversion and retention.
  • Identify and flag lead quality issues, duplicate records, or incorrect contact information and execute CRM hygiene tasks to keep the pipeline clean and accurate.
  • Use CRM reporting tools to generate daily and weekly lead, appointment, and conversion reports; present findings and improvement recommendations to management.
  • Follow compliance and privacy policies when collecting and storing customer data; adhere to state and federal regulations regarding consumer contact and finance.
  • Coordinate with marketing on lead source performance, campaign follow-up, and lead attribution to help optimize advertising spend and lead quality.
  • Handle payment arrangements, service recalls, warranty scheduling, and courtesy follow-ups for existing customers to support a high level of retention.
  • Resolve routine customer issues and escalate complex complaints to managers, ensuring prompt and courteous resolution and documented outcomes.
  • Deliver professional, brand-aligned communication in all written correspondence (emails, texts, chat) and phone interactions to strengthen dealership reputation and trust.
  • Participate in daily huddles and weekly pipeline reviews to align with Sales and Service teams on goals, inventory changes, and urgent customer needs.
  • Train and mentor junior BDC staff on best practices for lead handling, CRM use, and phone/email/chat etiquette to lift overall team performance.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc reporting requests and perform basic analysis of lead funnel metrics to surface trends and optimization opportunities.
  • Collaborate with marketing to test and refine email drip campaigns, SMS workflows, and chat scripts based on conversion data and customer feedback.
  • Assist in seasonal campaign execution and follow-up to maximize promotional ROI and showroom traffic during peak selling periods.
  • Help maintain vehicle availability lists, demo allocation, and showroom scheduling to ensure accurate information is presented to prospective customers.
  • Participate in role-playing and ongoing training sessions to improve objection handling, negotiation, and product knowledge.
  • Contribute to process improvement initiatives aimed at reducing lead response time and increasing appointment-to-sale conversion.
  • Coordinate with F&I and sales teams on pre-approvals, credit verification follow-ups, and documentation scheduling to streamline the closing process.
  • Monitor and triage voicemail and email queues, ensuring timely responses and escalation when necessary.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proven experience using dealership CRM platforms such as DealerSocket, VinSolutions, Elead, CDK, Reynolds & Reynolds, or similar systems for lead management and reporting.
  • Proficient with phone systems/softphones, call recording tools, and VOIP platforms for high-volume calling environments.
  • Strong skills in SMS and email outreach tools, including automated workflows and templates (e.g., texting platforms, email campaign tools).
  • Comfortable with live chat software and conversational chat bots used for initial lead capture and qualification.
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office (Excel for basic reporting, Outlook for professional email) and ability to learn new sales/marketing software quickly.
  • Familiarity with lead scoring, lead routing, and KPI dashboards to prioritize follow-up and measure performance.
  • Basic data entry accuracy and CRM hygiene practices to maintain lead quality and minimize duplicates.
  • Understanding of automotive inventory systems, basic VIN decoding, and model trim/packages enough to accurately document customer interest.
  • Experience producing and interpreting daily/weekly lead and appointment reports to inform operational decisions.
  • Knowledge of compliance practices related to customer data privacy (e.g., TCPA awareness for SMS/phone outreach).

Soft Skills

  • Excellent phone and written communication skills with a professional, friendly demeanor suitable for high-touch customer engagement.
  • Strong active listening and questioning skills to uncover customer needs and qualify leads effectively.
  • High level of organization and time management—ability to manage multiple leads and follow-ups while meeting strict SLAs.
  • Resilient and persistent with a positive attitude when handling rejection and difficult conversations.
  • Problem-solving mindset with the ability to escalate appropriately and propose practical next steps.
  • Persuasive negotiation and objection-handling skills to secure appointments and move prospects closer to purchase.
  • Team-oriented collaborator who works well with Sales, Service, and Marketing to meet dealership objectives.
  • Detail-oriented with strong accuracy in documentation and follow-up scheduling.
  • Adaptable and coachable—open to feedback, role-playing, and continuous improvement.
  • Customer-focused with a strong commitment to delivering a high-quality ownership and buying experience.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED required.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or related field preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Marketing or Digital Marketing
  • Communications
  • Automotive Technology or Automotive Business

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–3 years of BDC, inside sales, call center, or customer service experience; dealership or automotive industry experience preferred.

Preferred:

  • 2–5 years of dedicated BDC or internet sales experience with demonstrable success hitting KPIs (appointments set, show rate, conversion), strong CRM usage history, and prior experience working with high-volume lead flows.
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