
"8 Hours To 2 Minutes" — The Response Time Fix That Sold More Cars Across 100 Dealerships | Paul de Vries, Founder DCDW
From The Dealer Playbook by Michael Cirillo
April 14, 2026 · 16 min
About this episode
Paul de Vries shares his methodology for improving lead response times and converting leads into sales.
Is your dealership struggling to convert online leads into showroom appointments? You’re not alone. Many automotive professionals focus on getting leads, but miss the critical step of engaging them effectively to drive sales. Here’s what you’ll get from this episode: Implement Paul de Vries’ 6-step lead-handling process to increase appointments.** Understand the crucial role of speed and human connection in online lead conversion.** Learn how to best integrate AI to support, not replace, human sales efforts.** Discover how to build a team that excels at lead follow-up and customer engagement.** Paul de Vries, founder of the Digital Car Dealer Workshop and BDC co-owner, shares his proven methodology for dramatically improving lead response times and, most importantly, turning those leads into sales. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 03:27 AI vs Human Connection 06:22 Six Steps to Better Calls 09:49 Speed to Contact Results 11:05 Hiring and Coaching BDC Teams 12:36 EVs and Chinese Brands in Europe 15:03 Wrap Up
People in this episode
Host: Michael Cirillo
Guest: Paul de Vries
Topics covered
- lead conversion
- customer engagement
- sales strategy
- AI integration
- automotive industry
Keywords
- lead handling
- response time
- showroom appointments
- sales techniques
- customer follow-up
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Digital Car Dealer Workshop, BDC
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