Working with car dealerships that advertise on websites, Autobytel is automating lead generation, targeting prospective customers as they look for information online.

Seconds after a consumer requests a price quote on a website operated by Autobytel, dealers are notified via an automated phone call. The prospect's name, identity of the website generating the lead and other inquiry details are supplied to the dealer, writes Direct Magazine (via MediaBuyerPlanner). The sales rep at the dealership can press "1" to call the prospect, whose phone numbers, contact history and other data are tracked and can be used to generate telemarketing reports.

The program gets dealers on the phone with customers while the customer is still sitting at the computer, which in the future will allow sales reps to give customers tours of online showrooms. For now, they answer questions that the potential customer may have.

During beta tests with 165 dealerships, telemarketing contact rates increased 50 percent, and one dealer reported that it converted 15 online inquiries to sales, per month, during the test.