New lead service provider gets high marks

Vendor touts program to help buyers be smarter about their vehicle purchases

A new lead provider is getting positive reviews from dealers who are using the service to close more deals with Hispanic buyers.

“The grosses are good,” says GM Sam Klein of Nissan of Garden Grove, Calif. “These customers are more of a referral-type customer.”

“They’re definitely buyers,” says Joe Morillo, a salesperson at Miller Toyota, Culver City, Calif. He estimates he closes an additional 10 sales a week from leads generated by Spanish Lead Services.

Seth Schiller, president of Spanish Lead Services, says he launched the service after working in a mortgage business that used telemarketing calls to prospect Hispanic home buyers. Prior to that, Schiller worked in an ad agency specializing in marketing programs for dealers.

To launch the service, Schiller created the Hispanic Fair Credit Association, using industry materials that offer guidance to Hispanic buyers about the purchase process. Spanish-speaking callers will dial Hispanic households and inquire about their interest in a vehicle purchase and the availability of working with dealers who participate in the association. Participating dealers receive in-store display materials to tout their HFCA affiliation. “That lends credibility to the customer,” Klein says.

Potential buyers who express interest are then asked about the type of vehicle they want, their credit and employment standing and whether they have active driver’s licenses and social security numbers. Schiller says the screening questions are essential to helping dealers work with customers to find the right vehicle and deal.

The service then forwards leads to dealers using e-mail, fax or a direct live transfer over the phone. Program costs: $30 per lead for e-mail or fax delivery; $40 per lead, plus a $500 fee to make 5,000 monthly calls, for dealers who want live phone transfers. A cautionary point: Dealers who use this service say it’s only valuable if you have the resources to actively take the calls to avoid hang-ups due to long delays.

Dealers say they see about a 10 percent to 15 percent close ratio on leads they receive. So far, they note that Schiller has refunded their money without question when a lead has incorrect information or a buyer who’s really not interested in a deal. “They’re good about that,” says Marvin King, a salesman who used the service at Berge Ford, Mesa, Ariz.

Here are two tips dealers offer for working with Hispanic customers:

LOS ANGELES. CA, June 6, 2005. U.S. Hispanic live mortgage lead provider, Spanish Lead Services announced today they have officially launched their automotive Spanish leads product to provide auto dealers with telephone transferred local Hispanic auto buyers. This service is perfect for dealerships that are looking for a new and cost effective way to build more sales to Hispanics.
Spanish Lead Services offer car dealers a live direct telephone connection to local Hispanics who want to buy a car, according to Seth Schiller, President. “Hispanic’s represent the next big sales opportunity for hundreds of car dealers, Seth continues. Some dealers are still under serving this community. We would visit dealerships where the surrounding population was 25%-50% or more Hispanic, yet they would only have one Spanish speaker on staff, if any at all. Our service gives dealers the opportunity to grow their Hispanic business without having to make a big investment in traditional Spanish advertising venues. In essence, we become their Spanish, business to consumer call center and the best part is, they only pay for delivered, and qualified local leads.”
Spanish Lead Services ensures dealers will not have to waste time and money on non-performing leads. With the knowledge of a large ad agency and the technological expertise of a top tech firm, Spanish Lead Services helps the dealer build their Hispanic business. Dealers give Spanish Lead Services the zip codes of Hispanic communities within their marketing area. Hispanic Consumer phone lists are acquired and scrubbed for DNC (Do Not Call) numbers and the service begins calling for auto leads. Once the
call center gets a qualified lead on the phone, basic intake information is taken before the lead is transferred live directly to a Spanish speaking salesperson at the dealership who then attempts to schedule an appointment and sell a car. Lead information is e-mailed at the same time the call is transferred so the salesperson can follow up until they buy a car.
The company has already begun delivering their live local Hispanic leads to dealers in several western states and the results have been striking, according to clients,
“It really is a great service,” exclaims Marvin King at a Ford dealer in Phoenix. “I like receiving live in bound telephone Spanish sales leads. It gives me more opportunities to sell more cars.” Sam Klein, a California Nissan dealer says, “I like the fact that we only pay for delivered leads at a fixed cost per lead. “We’re definitely selling cars off the program.”
“We try to deliver between 50 and 60 leads a month to each dealer,” says Mitchell
Davis, Vice President. We’ve found that delivering two (2) to three (3) leads per day Monday- Saturday is just right to keep their Spanish speaking sales staff busy and still give them time to work the walk in traffic.” Spanish Lead Service is the next piece in the Hispanic sales puzzle. According to Mr. Davis. “Delivering Hispanic auto purchase leads was the next logical step after our mortgage products success”, He exclaimed. “We use technology to pre-screen our generated leads and can deliver high quality Hispanic auto leads to dealers for a very small per lead fee compared to other methods they’re currently using. Now car dealers have a better more predictable, affordable way to generate local
Spanish auto purchase leads.”

For more information you can visit their website at www.spanishleadservices.com or call Seth Schiller at 1-800-752-1852, ext 1.




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