by John Spader and the NCM Associates Team
RVBusiness November/December 2025
In today’s RV market, the first impression rarely happens on the lot; it happens online. Yet while dealers meticulously count every door swing, many still treat digital leads as an afterthought.
The reality is simple: your digital showroom is your first showroom. Ignoring an internet lead is no different than ignoring a prospect who just stepped onto the lot.
The biggest leadership mistake we see today is the failure to view digital as an integral part of the consumer shopping process. Too often, dealers assume that online leads are the domain of extreme price shoppers, not real customers.
But nearly every buyer starts online. The data is undeniable – the average RV consumer spends more than seven hours researching before ever filling out a form, and 78% of them purchase from the first person who contacts them. When you start to internalize those numbers, it becomes clear that digital is not a sideline; it’s the game.
1. Drive Engagement, Not Just Responses.
A fast reply is good. An engaging one is better. Engagement is about connection – using authentic, empathetic language that keeps the customer moving forward in their decision-making process. The internet doesn’t erase the need for relationship-building, it magnifies it. A templated auto-response might check a box, but it won’t start a conversation. In digital sales, there are no second chances. If another dealer connects first, you’re likely out of the game.
2. Manage Speed to Response Relentlessly
High-performing dealers act with the same urgency online as they do in person. They want to be first to respond, first to send a video, and first to establish real contact. Speed is the new currency of trust. The benchmark is under 10 minutes – and best-in-class dealers consistently hit it. Leadership must treat this metric as a daily KPI, not a monthly review topic. What gets measured gets managed, and nowhere is that truer than in digital responsiveness.
3. Appointments Are the Goal
The purpose of every digital conversation is to get the customer into the store. Quotes don’t sell RVs, appointments do. Dealers should monitor lead-to-appointment, appointment-to-show, and lead-to-sale ratios with the same rigor used to track gross margins or closing ratios. Every digital touchpoint should be designed to move the customer from screen to showroom.
4. Leadership Ownership of the Digital Process
Many dealers still view digital as the responsibility of their internet department. That mindset limits growth. Digital leads are a dealership-wide opportunity that demands leadership oversight. Dealer principals and general managers should personally inspect lead follow-up processes, review engagement rates, and make digital accountability part of their weekly rhythm. Execution at this level turns online activity into a managed, measurable sales process, not a mystery.
Measure What Matters
Dealers who win in digital treat performance data as gospel. Below are a few of the most important metrics to track daily:
| Metric | Definition | Best Practice |
| Lead Response Time | Time from lead arrival to first response | < 10 minutes |
| Lead Engagement Rate | % of leads with at least one two-way conversation | > 60% |
| Appointment Set Rate | % of leads converted to appointments | 35% to 45%+ |
| Appointment Show Rate | % of appointments that arrive | 60% to 70%+ |
| Lead-to-Sale Conversion | % of total leads resulting in a sale | 8% to 12%+ |
| Unattended Leads | % of leads with no documented contact attempt | 0% |
The Digital Discipline
Digital lead management isn’t a marketing function, it’s a leadership discipline. The dealers who approach it with the same focus and intensity as their in-store operations are the ones who will thrive. After all, you’d never ignore a customer who walked through your physical door. It’s time to make sure you never ignore the ones walking through your digital door either. The dealer who best engages and inspires their guests will win the digital game.