There are a lot of ways to generate leads for your car dealership. You can have your sales people make cold calls, working lists purchased from cloaked lead generation Web sites. You can send sales letters out to all your old customers, offering to take the last vehicle they bought from you in trade for a new one. You can even entice every motorist who passes by with the promise of free hot dogs and hamburgers, hoping one of them will be interested in something on your lot.

The difference between leads and quality referrals

Why spend all afternoon on the phone or sweating next to a hot grill when the majority of these leads will not pan out? How many so-called leads walk out of your dealership without the keys to a new vehicle because they don't qualify for financing or they aren't serious about buying?

The key to getting more qualified buyers is not generating more leads, but finding quality referrals, like those generated from an online auto finance center. You might ask, what's the difference? The difference is quality referrals are real names and phone numbers of real people who are really ready to buy and have the financial means to do so.

Sell more cars and improve your dealership's reputation

Imagine how your profits would increase if every customer you saw on the lot was deep in the buying cycle, looking for financing and was determined to buy a car before you ever shook their hand. It would certainly make your job easier. They want a car, they can afford a car and you have a lot full of great cars. It's that simple.

That's what quality referrals do for your dealership. They take the pressure off you so you can stop pressuring the buyer. Customers who buy in this environment drive away smiling, not feeling swindled. They drive home and tell their families, neighbors and friends, who in turn seek out your dealership when they want a new car.

Using the Internet to generate quality referrals

More and more people are using online tools to shop for a vehicle. Doing most of their research and applying for financing in the comfort of their own home relaxes and empowers customers. You can tap into this trend by partnering with Web sites that offer auto financing tools and car shopping resources to potential customers.

Don't confuse this with purchasing information from disguised lead generation sites. The right online resource will offer valuable services to auto buyers as well as quality referrals to auto dealers. The goal of a good Web-based auto buying center should be to introduce actively engaged, interested customers to reputable, friendly dealerships like yours.

Get quality referrals today

Getting connected with serious, pre-financed buyers is the key to increasing sales at your dealership. Take advantage of the latest in consumer technology and start benefiting from online sales. Visit myAutoLoan.com today to learn more about the Preferred Dealer Program and start getting quality referrals instead of leads.