Lead

Leads reach a dealership through multiple channels simultaneously: your dealer website (contact forms, vehicle inquiry forms, live chat), listing sites (AutoTrader, Kijiji Autos, CarGurus — buyers send messages through these platforms), Facebook Marketplace (messages in Facebook Messenger), phone calls, walk-ins, and referrals from past customers.

Each channel attracts a different type of buyer at a different stage of the purchase process. Listing site leads are often comparison shoppers. Marketplace messages are often local, price-conscious buyers. Direct website inquiry forms often indicate higher intent — the buyer has already found your specific vehicle and is reaching out.

A significant body of research on automotive lead conversion consistently shows that the first dealer to respond to a lead is far more likely to win the sale. A buyer who submits inquiries to three dealers simultaneously commits to the one who responds fastest and most helpfully.

The target is under 5 minutes for any lead received during business hours. Leads received after hours should receive an automatic acknowledgment and a committed follow-up time the next morning. Dealers who achieve consistent sub-5-minute response times during business hours convert meaningfully more leads than those who respond hours later.

Every lead should be recorded in your CRM — not just the ones that are obviously warm. A lead that seems cold today might come back in 30 days. A system record means you can follow up systematically rather than trying to remember who called when.

Tag every lead with its source (website, Marketplace, AutoTrader, walk-in, etc.) so your analytics can show which channels generate the most leads and which convert to sales most efficiently.