Business Development Manager at Scranton Auto Group in Vernon, CT

Job description

• Scranton Motors is seeking an experienced, motivated Business Development Manager (BDM) to lead our Business Development team in Vernon, Connecticut, beginning in October 2026.
• This is a true management position for someone who knows how to lead people, create accountability, improve processes, and turn customer engagement into measurable dealership results.
• The Business Development Manager will oversee the day-to-day performance of our Business Development Representatives while working closely with dealership Sales Management to ensure every lead and customer opportunity receives timely, professional, and consistent follow-up.
• Your team starts the conversation. You make sure the process works.
• The Business Development Manager will take ownership of the people and processes responsible for converting customer inquiries and follow-up opportunities into dealership appointments.
• You'll lead the BDC team, monitor performance, coach employees, manage workflow, maintain CRM accountability, and work directly with Sales Management to continuously improve results.
• This position requires someone who is comfortable being both a leader and a hands-on manager.
• You'll be expected to understand what's happening in the department every day—not simply review the numbers at the end of the month.
• We're not looking for someone who simply distributes leads, checks reports, and creates schedules.
• We're looking for a people leader.
• Someone who knows when an employee needs coaching.
• Someone who can listen to a customer interaction and immediately recognize an opportunity to improve it.
• Someone who can look at yesterday's numbers, understand why the team missed a goal, and have a plan for today.
• Someone who sets expectations clearly and then follows through.
• Someone who can celebrate a win without becoming complacent and address a problem without creating unnecessary drama.
• And someone who understands that accountability and a positive workplace culture can—and should—exist together.
• This role provides an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on dealership performance.
• People. Process. Performance. Customer Experience.
• And you'll work directly with dealership leadership to continually improve each one.
• For a high-performing BDM, this position can also provide valuable exposure to broader dealership sales operations and future leadership opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Development
• Lead, motivate, and develop the Business Development team
• Establish clear daily, weekly, and monthly expectations
• Provide ongoing coaching and performance feedback
• Conduct regular individual and team performance reviews
• Train new Business Development Representatives
• Provide continued training for existing team members
• Develop communication, appointment-setting, and customer follow-up skills
• Recognize strong performance and address performance concerns quickly
• Help create a positive, accountable, and team-oriented culture
• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and employee development
• This is a working manager position.
• We want a leader who is present, engaged, approachable, and willing to coach in real time.
• Responds to incoming internet leads
• Handles customer phone inquiries
• Communicates with customers by phone, text, and email
• Schedules showroom appointments
• Confirms upcoming appointments
• Follows up on missed appointments
• Re-engages unsold customers
• Maintains appropriate long-term customer follow-up
• Contacts customers approaching lease maturity
• Reconnects with previous and unassigned customer opportunities
• Maintains accurate customer records and notes
• Provides professional and consistent communication throughout the customer journey
• Your responsibility isn't simply making sure the activity happens.
• It's making sure it happens well.
• The BDM will establish and maintain a results-driven environment without losing sight of the customer experience.
• Lead response time
• Customer contact rate
• Appointment-setting rate
• Appointment confirmation
• Appointment show rate
• Lead follow-up completion
• Unsold customer follow-up
• Lead aging
• CRM activity
• Individual representative performance
• Department performance and trends
• You'll use this information to identify opportunities, coach the team, and improve results.
• We don't believe in managing people solely from a spreadsheet.
• Numbers tell you where to look.
• Great leadership determines what you do next.
• The Business Development Manager will be responsible for maintaining strong CRM discipline throughout the department.
• Monitor daily CRM activity
• Review lead status and aging
• Ensure customer notes are accurate and complete
• Maintain consistent follow-up processes
• Review overdue and untouched opportunities
• Monitor appointment activity and outcomes
• Ensure representatives follow established processes
• Identify gaps in workflow
• Develop and implement improvements
• Maintain accurate reporting for dealership leadership
• No legitimate customer opportunity should be lost because of poor follow-up or an inconsistent process.
• Business Development doesn't operate independently from the showroom.
• Coordinate customer appointments
• Improve the transition from initial contact to showroom visit
• Review appointment results
• Identify opportunities requiring management involvement
• Improve communication between Business Development and Sales
• Analyze customer and lead trends
• Support dealership sales objectives
• Develop strategies to improve appointment volume and show rates
• Ensure customers receive a consistent Scranton Motors experience from first contact through their dealership visit
• This partnership is an important part of the position.
• The strongest candidate will understand that BDC success and showroom success are connected.
• The BDM will take an active role in developing the Business Development team.
• Customer communication
• Phone skills
• Text and email communication
• Appointment setting
• Objection handling
• CRM usage
• Follow-up techniques
• Product knowledge
• Customer experience
• Time management
• Lead prioritization
• Professional communication
• We want our representatives to understand not only what they're expected to do, but why they're doing it.

Requirements

• We're looking for an experienced leader who can build accountability without creating unnecessary complexity.
• Previous management, supervisory, or team-lead experience
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop employees
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational and follow-up abilities
• Comfortable managing performance through measurable goals and KPIs
• Strong computer and technology skills
• Experience working with CRM or customer-management systems
• Ability to identify performance issues and coach toward improvement
• Strong customer-service mindset
• Professional leadership presence
• Ability to work effectively with dealership management
• Dependable, accountable, and results-oriented
• Automotive BDC management experience
• Automotive dealership management or supervisory experience
• Previous experience managing internet leads and customer follow-up
• Experience with automotive CRM platforms
• Experience recruiting, onboarding, training, and developing employees
• Familiarity with dealership sales processes and performance metrics
• Experience managing appointment-setting and customer-engagement teams
• Automotive experience is strongly preferred for this management position, but exceptional leaders with relevant customer engagement, inside sales, or business development management experience will also be considered.

Skills

Required

• Strong computer and technology skills
• Strong customer-service mindset
• Professional leadership presence

Preferred

• Automotive BDC management experience
• Experience with automotive CRM platforms

Benefits

• Competitive management compensation
• Performance-based earning opportunities
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid time off
• Employee discounts
• Leadership development
• Ongoing professional training
• Established dealership technology and CRM resources
• Supportive dealership leadership
• Opportunity to build and develop your own team
• Career advancement opportunities
• Long-term stability with an established family-owned organization