Why Dealership Fleet Departments Can’t Sit in the Corner Anymore
The Traditional Dealership Model Is Still Inbound-First
Most dealerships are split into two clear functions: retail and fleet. Operationally, this makes sense. Strategically, both functions still behave the same way. They wait.
Outbound relationship development is often seen as old school coffee running, inefficient or too hard to prioritise against day to day delivery pressures. As a result activity spikes when demand arrives and slows when it doesn’t.
This creates volatility, not momentum.
The Real Constraint No One Talks About
In practice, most Fleet Managers are not short of demand. They are inundated with it.
Their days are dominated by inbound quote requests. Emails, forms, calls, referrals. Many are low quality, poorly qualified, or purely price driven. But they still require time, attention and follow-up.
On the retail floor, conversations happen naturally. Customers walk in. Salespeople read body language. Needs are explored in real time. Dialogue drives outcomes.
In fleet, the conversation often arrives already compressed into a quote request. By the time a Fleet Manager sees it, the interaction is no longer a conversation. It’s a task. This creates a structural problem.
Time is spent processing, triaging, coordinating, and chasing. Not qualifying, prioritising, or building. And that’s only half the load.
Fleet Managers are also expected to carry operational execution across the deal, including:
Chasing suppliers and accessory partners
Coordinating fit outs and vehicle preparation
Managing delivery timelines
Handling post sale issues
Supporting handovers and internal logistics
So the same person expected to build strategic relationships is also acting as a project manager, procurement officer and customer service layer.
High-volume inbound activity plus operational delivery crowds out the very relationships fleet is meant to cultivate. So while fleet appears “busy”, the most valuable work never gets the space it needs.
That’s why outbound engagement Im sure can at times feels impossible. Not because it isn’t important. But because the role is buried under the wrong kind of demand and execution.
Fleet doesn’t underperform because of capability It underperforms because of desig on the Sidelines
In many dealerships, Fleet Managers are positioned away from the front end growth engine of the business. Marketing spend is focused on retail. Sales training is prioritised for showroom teams. Fleet success is usually measured through a narrow volume-versus-gross lens.
The outcome is predictable:
Fleet Managers feel under-supported
Outbound engagement is inconsistent
Relationships depend on individual effort rather than strategy
There is little clarity on how the role should evolve
Some Fleet Managers succeed despite this. Others struggle because of it. That difference is rarely capability It’s a design moist dealerships adopt or have.
Why This Would Be Unthinkable Anywhere Else
In most businesses, relationship led roles are protected so they can stay visible, consistent and front of mind.
Imagine asking a finance lender BDM to visit dealerships, build relationships, collect applications…
then rush back to head office to personally process credit and personally manage settlements.
Or a commercial agent lining up tenant meetings, only to cancel them because they’re drafting leases.
Or a head chef responsible for growth and quality, but constantly pulled away to unload deliveries and wash dishes.
In every case, the outcome is the same.
Momentum dies.
Relationships weaken.
Growth stalls.
Not because the people aren’t capable, but because the role is overloaded.
That’s the reality many Fleet Managers operate in today.
Inbound vs Outbound: What the Patterns Are Telling Us
Across B2B industries, the data is clear. Organisations that rely solely on inbound activity consistently underperform those that invest in proactive, relationship-led engagement.
Industry research shows that businesses with structured outbound relationship management achieve 20–30 percent higher growth than inbound-only models. In complex sales environments, the majority of long-term revenue comes from existing relationships, not one-off transactions.
Automotive has traditionally leaned heavily on inbound behaviour, but the patterns we observe daily suggest the same dynamics apply here.
At Book A Test Drive the dealer partners who:
Proactively share stock lists
Regularly check in
Stay present even when no deal is on the table
Tend to be the partners with the strongest relationships, the smoothest transactions and the happiest customers.
This isn’t coincidence.
It’s intent.
Why the Fleet Manager Role Looks More Like a BDM Than a Sales Rep
Dealer Principals don’t need an explanation of what a BDM does. They see them every day.
BDMs:
Reach out constantly
Book appointments
Drop into offices
Check in even when there’s no immediate opportunity
Stay front of mind with partners, SMEs, and referrers
They’re visible.
They’re remembered.
They have the receipts.
That’s the story. Now ask a simple question.
When a broker, SME, or partner thinks about sourcing a vehicle, who comes to mind first?
Is it one of your Fleet Managers?
Or is it whoever last showed up?
Where Fleet Falls Behind (And It’s Not Their Fault)
Fleet Managers are often just as capable as BDMs. The difference isn’t talent. It’s interruption.
Fleet Managers are regularly pulled into:
Delivery coordination
Issue resolution
Pricing complications
Internal handovers
Every interruption breaks rhythm.
Outbound pauses. Check-ins stop. Presence fades.
Over time, relationships become reactive instead of cultivated.
What BDMs Get Right
BDMs don’t stop being visible because a product is being delivered. Their cadence continues because the business is structured to support it.
They are not responsible for managing every downstream issue. They are supported by teams that allow them to stay focused on what matters most: remaining front of mind.
That operating rhythm is deliberate.
And it works.
A Quick Check for Dealer Principals
This isn’t a test. It’s a mirror.
Do your Fleet Managers have protected time for outbound engagement?
Are they expected to maintain cadence regardless of delivery pressure?
Are relationships farmed consistently or only revisited when stock is available?
If your strongest Fleet Manager left tomorrow, would the system still work?
If these answers feel unclear, that’s not uncommon.
It’s also the opportunity.
Proactive Engagement in Practice
Recently, one of our dealer fleet managers took the opportunity to ask us to be introduced to our Fleet & Leasing clients and conduct some visit in person. There was no urgent transaction attached. No immediate delivery issue to resolve. Just presence.
That outreach strengthened relationships, improved alignment, and reinforced trust across the network. It reflected exactly what we see time and again. Outbound engagement builds momentum long before a deal exists.
More importantly, it showed how quickly things improve when relationships extend beyond a single dealership. What stood out wasn’t a single deal or outcome. It was the intent. Prioritising partners. Making time for face to face conversations. Strengthening relationships even when it required stepping away from the day-to-day.
These weren’t volume discussions. They were strategic ones. Conversations about alignment, cadence, and how to work together better over the long term. That kind of engagement doesn’t chase outcomes. It creates the conditions for them.
One of our dealer partners shared that the key to strong outcomes is deeply understanding partners’ priorities and direction, and building proactive support around that. They emphasised that this doesn’t happen from behind a desk, but through consistent face-to-face engagement, strategic conversations, and regular check-ins. When the focus stays on understanding first, the outcomes tend to follow naturally.
Where Book A Test Drive Fits
At Book A Test Drive, we source vehicles and manage our own customers. We also bring dealerships pre-qualified buyers through broker and partner channels.
This doesn’t compete with fleet.
It strengthens it.
When aligned properly:
We manage sourcing, qualification, and buyer confidence
Fleet Managers focus on relationship continuity and dealership execution
Dealerships gain clearer visibility over demand and timing
Customers experience faster, lower-friction outcomes
This works best when fleet is treated as a strategic partner, not a handover point.
Why This Matters Now
With more brands, more models, and more procurement pathways than ever before, dealerships cannot afford to rely solely on inbound behaviour.
Vehicle procurement sits at the intersection of finance, stock, confidence, and trust. When treated strategically, it becomes a competitive advantage.
When ignored, it becomes a bottleneck.
The Future Is Collaborative
Other industries have learned this lesson already. Finance brokers, lenders, and partners collaborate openly, share best practices, and build stronger ecosystems together.. In automotive, it’s often seen as counter intuitive.
There’s an underlying fear that collaboration leads to loss of control, loss of competitive advantage, or even loss of staff and relationships.
With increasing complexity, that approach no longer serves dealers, partners, or customers.
At Book A Test Drive, we believe the industry works best when:
Fleet Managers are supported, not sidelined
Relationships are prioritised over transactions
Love to see dealers collaborate rather than compete unnecessarily
Knowledge is shared, not hoarded
Fleet can’t sit in the corner anymore.
And the dealerships that recognise this early will help shape what comes next.
If you’re a dealership interested in collaborating as a preferred partner, or in being part of these conversations alongside other professionals and OEMs, we’d welcome a quiet introduction.
Because the future of vehicle procurement isn’t built in isolation.
It’s built together.
