Dealer enquiries dip in July
The latest data from iTrackLEADS shows enquiries for new and used vehicles declined 0.9% in July against 12 months ago.
However, despite the number of enquiries dealers responded to increasing by 4.6%, overall sales fell by 15%. Test drives also fell by 1.9% in the month.
Adrian Favill, director of iTrackLEADS, said: “While consumer interest remains high, with only a small fall in the overall number of enquiries, it’s clear that concerns about the economy are starting to bite. A decline of 15% in the number of sales is the largest drop this year. It’s essential that dealers maximise the value of every enquiry and plan for an extended sales process that will require greater management.”
He added that digital solutions can help dealers become more efficient at responding to enquiries, enabling better access to data and improved customer service.
He said: “Sales teams become more effective when data is shared and analysed. Monitoring key metrics, from the time it takes to complete a sale to conversion rates, optimises every opportunity. Our data shows it’s essential to respond to a lead quickly, with up to 78% of sales going to the dealer that responds to an enquiry first.”
