Guide
Automotive BDC phonescripts for every callyour store makes
Good automotive BDC phone scripts are short, name the exact vehicle, ask one question and offer two appointment times. Sort them by the call being made: new internet lead, voicemail, confirmation, no-show, aged lead, trade-in, worried finance buyer and inbound call. Give each a note on why it works, and check that any outbound number is one you may legally call before anyone dials it.
Twenty-seven scripts, free to take. Each one says why it works, and the federal Do Not Call basics are here too, to check with counsel before you dial.
01The rules
Six rules every dealership call follows
Every script below is built on these six.
- 01
Say who and where first
Your name and the dealership go in the first sentence. Buyers hang up on callers they cannot place, and the FCC says a telemarketer calling a home must give their name and the name, phone number and address where their employer can be reached. Source: FCC robocall guide, checked 8 October 2026.
- 02
Name the vehicle
Say the year, the model and the color. "Your inquiry" sounds like a list. "The gray 2021 Accord" sounds like someone who walked out and looked at it.
- 03
One question, then stop talking
Ask the question that moves the buyer toward a visit, then let the silence work. Two questions let them answer the easy one and skip the one that matters.
- 04
Two times, not "when works for you?"
"Thursday at 6 or Saturday at 11" is a choice a buyer can make on the spot. An open question becomes homework, and homework does not get done.
- 05
Keep it under two minutes
A rule of thumb, not a statistic. The call sells the visit, not the car. Price, trade and credit each get one honest sentence and a reason to come in.
- 06
Text after every miss
When a call goes to voicemail, send a text before you dial the next lead, but only to buyers who agreed to texts. The wording is in ourcar sales text message templates.
02The scripts
Automotive BDC phone scripts, sorted by call
Twenty-four scripts across eight calls. They work as BDC phone scripts or as car sales phone scripts for a salesperson working their own leads. Replace the brackets and keep the shape: the note under each one matters more than the exact words.
01New internet lead, called within minutes
Hi [name], this is [rep] at [dealership]. The [color] [year model] you asked about is still here.
Are you looking to see it this week, or still early on?
[If this week] I can have it ready Thursday at [time] or Saturday at [time]. Which is better?
It answers the buyer's real question first, then the qualifier sorts urgency without an interrogation.
It is. I confirmed it in our inventory before I called.
I can have it pulled up front for you. Would today at [time] or tomorrow at [time] work better?
Certainty plus a small favor. Confirm the car in inventory before you dial, because driving in for a car that already sold is a fast way to lose a buyer.
The advertised price is [price].
The out-the-door number depends on your trade, tax and fees, and I'd rather give you an exact figure than a guess.
Tell me your zip code and whether you have a trade, and I'll email it. Or a few minutes here gets it in writing. Is [day] at [time] or [day] at [time] easier?
Refusing a price loses the call. A price with no context loses the deal. This gives the number now, offers the full figure by email, and still leaves an honest reason to come in.
02Voicemail, left live by the rep
Hi [name], it's [rep] at [dealership] about the [year model]. It's still here. I'm texting you the details now so you don't need to call back. If calling is easier, I'm on [number].
Name, store, car, one fact, number once. The text carries the detail, so send it before the next dial.
Hi [name], [rep] at [dealership] again. I've found two cars similar to the [model] in case it isn't quite right, and I can hold it until [day]. My number is [number]. Again, [number].
A second message needs new information, not "just following up." Say the number twice, slowly. Only offer a hold your store will honor.
Hi [name], [rep] at [dealership]. I won't keep calling about the [model]. If the timing's wrong, no problem. If you're still looking, text me at [number].
Permission to say no is easier to answer than another chase. Then keep your word and stop calling.
Aim to keep each car sales voicemail script here under 20 seconds, our rule of thumb rather than a measured figure. The second one, with the number said twice, is the hardest to fit. Under FCC rules a prerecorded telemarketing message needs prior written consent, so reps leave these live. Follow up by text only with buyers who agreed to texts. Source: FCC robocall guide, checked 8 October 2026.
03Appointment confirmation
Hi [name], [rep] at [dealership]. You're down for tomorrow at [time] to see the [model]. Does that still work, or is earlier better?
The reschedule option sits inside a yes, so a buyer who needs to move tells you now instead of not turning up.
Hi [name], it's [rep] at [dealership]. Before you head over: the [model] is washed and parked by the front door. Ask for me, [rep], when you walk in. See you at [time].
Concrete details turn a maybe into a plan, and a name to ask for removes the awkward moment at the door.
No problem. Let's not lose your spot, though. I have [day] at [time] or [day] at [time]. Which should I put you down for?
A cancel with no new time is next week's no-show. Rebook while you still have them on the line.
04No-show
Hi [name], it's [rep] at [dealership]. Looks like we missed each other today. No problem. I can hold the [model] until tomorrow evening. Would [time] or [time] be better?
A missed appointment can be a day that went sideways, not a lost buyer. Guilt ends the call. Two fresh times keep it going.
Hi [name], [rep] at [dealership]. Someone else asked about the [model] this morning. You were first, so I wanted to offer you first refusal. Still interested?
Only when it is true. A real second inquiry is a good reason to call. An invented one costs you the buyer's trust.
Hi [name], last call from me on the [model]. If you bought elsewhere, congratulations, and I'll close your file. If you're still looking, I'm here.
Either answer cleans your CRM, and you stop spending calls on a lead that is finished.
05Aged lead
Hi [name], [rep] at [dealership]. You were looking at a [model] with us in [month]. Did you end up finding something?
The easiest question to answer. A yes closes the lead honestly, and a no opens the conversation without a pitch.
Hi [name], [rep] at [dealership]. You asked about a [model] in [month]. A [similar vehicle] just came in at [price]. Want photos, or would you rather see it on [day]?
New information is the only good reason to call again. Mention a price drop on a similar car only if it happened. Nothing new, no call.
Hi [name], [rep] at [dealership]. In [month] it sounded like the timing wasn't right. People pause for all sorts of reasons: a payment, a trade, or just the calendar. Was it one of those?
It invites the real objection without making the buyer start from scratch, and the answer tells you which script comes next.
Check the date before you dial. Under the FTC's rule, the inquiry exemption lasts 3 months from the inquiry. After that, a number on the National Do Not Call Registry needs the buyer's signed written agreement naming it, or a purchase, payment or delivery in the last 18 months, before a sales call. Check the last scrub date too. Source: FTC Q&A on the Do Not Call provisions, checked 8 October 2026.
06Trade-in question
Honestly, I'd be guessing without seeing it, and a guess turns into an argument later.
Our appraisal takes about [appraisal time], and you leave with a written figure whether you buy or not. Is [day] at [time] or [day] at [time] better?
Guesses come back as objections, and "whether you buy or not" takes the pressure off. Promise a written figure only if your store gives one.
You're not the first person to tell me that, and it doesn't end anything. It changes how the deal is put together.
Roughly what do you still owe? A ballpark helps me have real options ready when you come in.
Taking the shame out of it keeps the buyer talking, and asking for the payoff promises nothing you cannot deliver.
That's fine. We look at cars even when people aren't buying today. [If your store buys outright:] We can make you a written offer, take it or leave it.
Would [day] at [time] or [day] at [time] work to bring it by?
Book the appraisal anyway. It is a visit, and a visit is where the next conversation about a car starts.
07The worried finance buyer
Thanks for telling me. That helps, and I won't promise anything I can't guarantee.
What I can do is have [finance manager] look at real options before you drive over, so the trip isn't wasted. Would that help?
Honesty first earns the next answer. Promising approval to get someone in ends in a walkout.
Anyone who tells you that over the phone is guessing.
Here's what [finance manager] will ask for: [your store's document list, for example proof of income and residence]. Bring those, and you'll get a real answer.
The buyer leaves with a task, gathering documents, which makes the visit feel worth making.
Three parts are up to you: the price, what you put down, and how long you finance for. The rate comes from the lender, so I can't quote it yet.
Tell me the monthly figure you're comfortable with, and I'll show you the total price and term that go with it, in writing, on [day] at [time] or [day] at [time].
Always give the total price and the term with any monthly figure. A payment on its own hides how long the buyer will be paying.
Never promise approval, a rate or a payment over the phone. Credit questions go to [finance manager]. If special finance is a big part of your store, read our guide tosubprime auto leads.
08Inbound call, also called a phone-up
Thanks for calling [dealership], this is [rep]. Who am I speaking with?
[After their name] And the best number for you, in case we get cut off?
Get both before you answer anything. If the call drops you can call back, and the phone-up becomes a lead in the CRM.
Let me walk out and put my hand on it. I have your number, so can I call you right back once I've seen it?
[On the callback] It's here. Want me to keep it up front for you at [time] or [time]?
Checking for real beats a fast guess. Coming back with two times turns a yes into an appointment.
Smart. Wherever you buy, get the out-the-door number in writing so you're comparing the same thing.
I'll email you ours on the [model]. What's the best address?
[After the address] If the number looks right, would [day] at [time] or [day] at [time] work to see it?
Advice that helps even if they buy elsewhere earns trust, and sending your number first gets you an email address.
The FTC's guide to the Telemarketing Sales Rule says a call the consumer places, not in response to a solicitation, is exempt from that rule. A call made in response to an ad falls under a separate exemption for general media advertising, which the guide says has some important exceptions. Calling the buyer back is outbound, so check the table below. Source: FTC guide to complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule, checked 8 October 2026.
Pair these with ourcar sales text message templatesfor buyers who agreed to texts, and ourcar sales email templatesfor everyone else, so every touch names the same car and the same two times.
03Before you dial
Who you can call, and when
A perfect script on a call you were not allowed to make is still a problem. This table is built from theFTC's Do Not Call Q&A, theFCC's robocall guide anddonotcall.gov, all checked 8 October 2026.
Every row also assumes the FCC's calling hours: no telemarketing calls to a home before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., so evening lead follow-up stops at 9 p.m. too. Every call should also open with the store's name. Prerecorded sales calls need prior written consent, AI-voice calls need the consumer's agreement unless the caller is exempt, and many states run their own do-not-call lists.
This is not legal advice. Rules change and states can be stricter than the federal baseline, so have counsel review your calling program before anyone dials.
04Cold calls
Cold calling scripts for car sales, rules first
For a dealership, a cold call should almost never mean a stranger on a bought list. It means someone the store already knows: a past buyer, an orphan owner whose salesperson has left, or a service customer. The FTC bases the 18-month window on a purchase of the seller's goods or services, so a paid service visit at your store may count, but confirm that with counsel before you build a list around it.
Strangers on a bought list are the riskiest calls a store can make, and we advise against them. Start with your own sold and service records instead. Our guide todealership customer retentionshows how.
The federal basics, by source
From the FTC's Q&A for telemarketers and sellers on the Do Not Call provisions, checked 8 October 2026:
- You may call a customer for 18 months after their last purchase, delivery or payment between them and your store, and for 3 months from the date of an inquiry or application to your store, even if the number is on the Registry. Ask counsel before counting a loan payment the buyer makes to an outside lender.
- A specific request not to call overrides that relationship.
- Sellers required to use the Registry must sync their calling lists with it at least every 31 days.
- Written permission to call a registered number must include the number and the consumer's signature, which can be an electronic signature if the agreement is reached online.
- The Registry covers purely in-state calls under the FCC's rules, so being a local dealership does not put you outside it.
From the FTC's guide to complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule, checked 8 October 2026:
- An outbound sales call must promptly disclose who the seller is and that the purpose of the call is to sell, and caller ID information must be transmitted.
- The same guide lists partial exemptions, including sales completed in a face-to-face presentation. Ask counsel which of these rules apply to your lead callbacks as well as your cold calls.
From the FCC's guide to stopping unwanted robocalls and texts, checked 8 October 2026:
- No telemarketing calls to a home before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. As a practice, go by the buyer's time zone, not yours.
- A do-not-call request made during a call must be honored immediately.
- Autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to a mobile need consent, and prerecorded telemarketing calls need prior written consent.
- AI-generated voice calls are illegal unless the consumer agreed to receive them or the caller is exempt.
- The National Registry includes landline and mobile numbers, and many states have their own do-not-call lists.
09Calls to people who already know you
Hi [name], this is [rep] at [dealership]. You bought the [model] from us in [month year]. I'll be upfront: this is a sales call.
I can get you a written value on your [model], whether or not you're thinking about the next one. Interested, or should I leave you be?
It identifies the store, says plainly that the purpose is to sell, and gives an easy out in the same breath. Check the date of the last purchase, payment or delivery before you dial.
Hi [name], this is [rep] at [dealership]. [Previous rep] has moved on, and I've taken over their customers, so I'm the person to call now.
This is a sales call, so I'll be quick: are you still happy with the [model], or starting to think about the next one?
The sales purpose is explicit, not dressed up as a courtesy check-in. A new name with a stated reason gives the owner something to decide on.
Understood. I'm taking your number off our call list now. Sorry for the bother, and have a good [morning, afternoon or evening].
Honoring the request immediately is required, so no last pitch and no "are you sure?" Then log it in the CRM where every rep and vendor sees it, which protects the next person who would have dialed.
If one customer has several records in the CRM, a stop request logged on one of them may not reach the rep working another. Our page on dealership CRM managementcovers merging duplicates into one history.
05The practice
Making the scripts sound like a person
Automotive phone scripts go wrong when they are read aloud word for word. Four habits fix that.
- 01
Drill the first ten seconds
Role-play the opener until the name, the store and the vehicle come out without thinking. The opening is where a call is won or lost, and it is the easiest part to practice.
- 02
Score one call per rep per week
Four checks: name and store, vehicle named, one question asked, two times offered. Recording rules vary by state, so check yours before you record anything.
- 03
Measure the script, not just the rep
Track contact rate, set rate and show rate by stage. When one script lags, replace it before you blame the person reading it. The metrics and the training cadence are in ourBDC best practices guide.
- 04
Swap the words, keep the shape
Reps can rephrase anything. The order does not change: who you are, which car, one question, two times. A rep who owns that shape stops sounding like a script.
If nobody at your store has the hours to call new leads within minutes, evenings and weekends included, tad. does it. We contact the lead, qualify the buyer and book the appointment into your calendar, inside the CRM you already use. See howoutsourced appointment settingworks, or read what an automotive BDCdoes if you would rather build the team yourself.
Keep reading
Where to go next
- BDC best practicesThe response times, cadence, metrics and training routine these scripts plug into.
- Car sales text message templatesThe text that follows every missed call, sorted by the same stages as these scripts.
- Car sales email templatesFor buyers who would rather read than talk, with subject lines and the CAN-SPAM basics.
- Outsourced BDC and appointment settingIf nobody at your store can call new leads within minutes, evenings and weekends included, we make those calls for you.
- What an automotive BDC doesThe team that owns these calls, from BDC rep to BDC manager, and when to outsource it.
- After hours BDCWho calls the leads that land after your store closes, and four ways to cover them.
- Lead generation for car salespeopleHow an individual salesperson builds a book of business of their own.
- The car sales processThe road to the sale, including the part before the customer arrives.
Questions
Common questions
Ask us anything else on a free call. No obligation.
Make the callback unnecessary. Give your name and the dealership, name the vehicle, say it is still there, and tell the buyer you are texting the details so they do not have to call back. Say your number once, slowly. Then send that text straight away, but only if the buyer agreed to texts. A voicemail that asks for nothing except a callback is the easiest kind to ignore.
Our rule of thumb is under 20 seconds. That is a house target, not a research finding. It leaves room for who you are, which car, one reason to reply and the number. Write the message down before you dial so you are not improvising after the beep. If it needs more than that, the extra detail belongs in a text or an email the buyer can read later.
Sometimes. The FTC's Q&A for telemarketers, linked in the Before you dial section above (checked 8 October 2026), allows calls to a registered number for 3 months after the person's inquiry or application to your store, during an established business relationship (see the next question), or with their written agreement, which must include the number and their signature. A request to stop overrides all of it. This is not legal advice, so have counsel confirm your program.
The FTC's Q&A, linked in the Before you dial section above (checked 8 October 2026), puts it at up to 18 months after the customer's last purchase, delivery or payment between the customer and your store. If the buyer financed through an outside lender, their loan payments go to that lender, not your store, so ask counsel before counting them. Keep all three dates in the CRM so any rep can check the window before dialing. The FCC's robocall guide adds that a prerecorded sales call needs prior written consent, whatever the relationship. The FTC counts a purchase of the seller's services, so ask counsel whether a paid service visit at your store restarts the window.
Yes. Give the advertised price, plainly, the moment you are asked. Refusing sends the buyer to the next store on their list. What you cannot give honestly is the out-the-door figure, because it depends on their trade, tax and fees. Say exactly that, then offer the written number in person or by email. A price with context keeps the conversation going, and a dodge ends it.
Bring something new to every attempt: a price change, a new arrival or a written trade figure. Change the time of day from the last try, and end on one easy question, such as which of two times suits them. When your follow-up cadence ends with no reply, leave the polite-out voicemail from stage 02 and stop. Chasing with nothing new teaches the buyer to ignore you.
Train on the calls you lost. Each week, pull a handful of calls that ended without an appointment, find the line where the buyer went quiet, and role-play that moment until every rep has a better answer ready. Recording rules vary by state, so confirm yours before you record anything. New reps should listen to live calls before taking their own, and read these scripts aloud until the opening stops sounding read.
Only with the right consent. The FCC's robocall guide, linked in the Before you dial section above (checked 8 October 2026), requires consent for autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to a mobile, prior written consent for prerecorded telemarketing calls, and the consumer's agreement for AI-generated voice calls unless the caller is exempt. Before you switch on a dialer or AI voice tool, check that each lead record shows which consent the buyer gave and where it is stored. This is not legal advice, so have counsel review any automated calling first.
07Next step
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