The dealership phone is ringing. It’s a potential buyer interested in a vehicle listed on your store’s website. GWC Warranty offered three recommendations so dealers can capitalize on these Internet leads that find their way to the store phone lines.

GWC Warranty also touched on three pitfalls that can turn that ringing phone into a frustrated consumer who might end up purchasing a vehicle from your competitor.

As one of the latest segments of its Accelerate series, GWC Warranty began with the tips that can help:

1. Have a process.

Without a process, you’re just guessing. Make sure you answer the phone consistently, ask for names, provide your name and treat sales calls as the golden opportunities they are. A Marchex Institute study proved how valuable they are by finding that 53 percent of answered calls were from shoppers with a clear intent to buy.

2. Set an appointment.

Don’t put the phone on the hook without putting something on the books. If you haven’t set an appointment for a customer to come look around the lot or test drive a car they saw online, you wasted your time and your customer’s. They called because something about your dealership caught their eye. Find out what it is and get them in the door to take a closer look.

3. Return calls promptly.

Surprisingly enough, this may not be as simple as it sounds. Only about 20 percent of car shoppers begin their search looking at the brand they’re going to buy. You’re not the only dealer they’re looking at, but you could be if you’re the first to respond.

Conversely, here are the three behaviors GWC Warranty suggested that dealerships should avoid:

1. Don’t try to sell a car over the phone.

Best Mark placed test calls to dealerships around the country and found that 91 percent of salespeople attempted to sell a car over the phone rather than set an appointment. Nothing sells a car better than seeing it in person. A sale over the phone is rarely effective.

2. Don’t wing it.

Best Mark’s survey also uncovered the staggering fact that 95 percent of salespeople don’t have a defined road to an appointment. Like GWC Warranty said about creating a process, guessing at what will get your customers off the phone and into their next vehicle isn’t the most practical way to approach a lead.

3. Don’t wait for an email.

Online shoppers are often searching on a cell phone or mobile device. They have easy access to a call button, plus we’ve already established that they’re three times more likely to place a phone call than type up an email. If you think all your leads will land in your inbox, you could be sadly mistaken.

More best-practice recommendations from GWC Warranty can be found here.