Why Most BDC Training Fails—and How to Finally Fix It
The automotive industry has a training problem. Actually, it has a training investment problem. Every year, car dealerships across the United States spend over one billion dollars on training. That’s billion with a “B,” more than the GDP of some small countries, more than most industries spend on research and development, and more than what many dealers invest annually in advertising. And here’s the hard truth: only about 25% of that training produces measurable improvement, which means roughly $750 million is wasted every single year. And it gets worse. A significant portion of that training spend is focused on sales, yet the industry continues to experience an average 67% turnover rate in sales roles. We’re investing heavily in people who, statistically, won’t be around long enough to deliver a return. It’s like buying a brand-new car, driving it for a few months, and abandoning it on the side of the road. Meanwhile, at the management level—where turnover hovers closer to 16%—the story changes. Why? Because managers receive ongoing development, coaching, and accountability, not just one-time training events. This isn’t just an automotive issue; it’s a business issue. But in automotive retail, where every interaction can represent thousands of dollars in lifetime value, the cost of getting this wrong is brutal.
Training Isn’t the Problem. What Happens After Training is.
I’ve spent more than three decades building and working with dealerships across the country, and I’ve seen the same pattern repeat itself:
•A dealership gets excited about a new training program
•A dynamic speaker comes in
•The team gets fired up
•Momentum lasts a few weeks
And then nothing… Old habits return, energy fades, and results stall. The training wasn’t bad; the system around it was missing. Training is only the beginning. It’s like buying a gym membership and expecting results without ever showing up. Knowledge transfer happens in training, but transformation happens in practice, coaching, and reinforcement. That’s where most BDC operations break down.
Why Most BDC Operations Fail to Deliver ROI
Ask dealership leaders about their BDC and you’ll usually hear one of three responses:
1.“We have a BDC, but we’re not sure it’s really working.”
2.“We tried a BDC, but it didn’t move the needle.”
3.“What’s a BDC?”
(The third one is fading, but the first two are still everywhere.) The BDC was supposed to be the silver bullet—the engine that managed leads, protected the customer experience, and drove revenue. In some dealerships, it works brilliantly, and the training makes it from the training room to the phone. In most cases, it becomes a cost center questioned every budget cycle. After analyzing hundreds of BDC operations, the issues are clear, and they have nothing to do with technology, scripts, or even hiring better people.
Problem #1: The Appointment-Setter Mentality
Most BDC agents are hired and trained with one goal: to set appointments, not to build relationships, represent the brand, or create lifetime value. When you hire appointment-setters, you get appointment-setters. The best BDC professionals don’t see themselves that way; they see themselves as brand ambassadors, customer advocates, and relationship builders who happen to schedule appointments as part of delivering value.
Problem #2: The “Training and Hope” Strategy
Many dealerships rely on what I call training and hope. Train once and hope it sticks, but we know how learning really works:
•40% is forgotten within 20 minutes
•64% is gone within 9 hours
Without structured practice, coaching, and reinforcement, training becomes expensive entertainment.
Problem #3: The Activity Trap
Calls are made, emails are sent, and appointments are logged, but activity is easy to measure and a terrible proxy for effectiveness. I’ve seen BDCs making 200 calls per agent per day with a 3% appointment rate, while others make fewer than half that and convert at 15%. The difference isn’t effort. It’s quality conversations and intentional development.
Problem #4: The Brand Disconnect
Marketing promises a premium experience. Websites talk about care and professionalism. Then the phone rings—and the experience falls apart. In a digital-first world, the phone is no longer transactional—it’s differentiating. When your BDC doesn’t match your brand promise, credibility is lost instantly.
Problem #5: No System for Developing People
Most BDCs lack:
•Practice schedules
•Coaching frameworks
•Mentorship
•Skill progression
No athlete improves without practice, and no team wins without a system. Yet we expect BDC teams to perform at a high level with none of the structure that performance requires.
The Real Solution: A System, Not an Event
The answer isn’t more training.
It’s a complete, connected system. One that turns training into behavior, behavior into mastery, and mastery into measurable results, and it’s exactly what we implement every day at eliteBDC.
Ready to Turn a Billion-Dollar Problem into a Revenue Engine?
If your BDC feels busy but not effective…
If training hasn’t delivered ROI…
If turnover, inconsistency, or brand disconnect are holding you back…
You don’t need another seminar. You need a system.
Let’s build it together.
Reach out to me directly at eliteBDC and let’s talk about how to:
•Turn training into performance
•Turn agents into brand ambassadors
•Turn your BDC into a true revenue engine
Because when your BDC works the way it should, everything else gets easier.
— Greg Wells
COO, eliteBDC | Extension of Your Team
