CHICAGO – Cars.com will host a Webinar focused on helping dealers implement processes to ensure quick, quality responses to inquiries from in-market car buyers. The free, hour-long event, "When First In Doesn't Win: Driving Sales with a Quality Lead Response," begins at noon ET on Sept. 12. It is part of Cars.com’s monthly DealerADvantage Live Webinar series.

"The first impression that car buyers form about a dealer often determines whether they move forward with a purchase," said Ralph Ebersole, Cars.com's director of automotive consulting and dealer training. "While connecting with these shoppers before the competition is a must, if you can't be first, be the best. Answer car buyers’ questions, provide the information they need and connect with them by phone as soon as possible."

Ebersole, an automotive retail and consulting veteran with more than 30 years of industry experience, will lead the "When First In Doesn't Win" session. Among other topics, he will provide his perspective on how dealers can meet consumers' expectations with quality email and phone responses, effectively use the initial response to start a dialogue with shoppers, develop email templates and phone scripts and monitor the quality and expediency of lead responses.

Dealers can visit Cars.com’s DealerCenter to register for the Webinar and view archived recordings of past events. Dealers do not have to be Cars.com customers to join the Webinar, but they must download free WebEx software to participate. In addition to DealerADvantage Live, Cars.com also offers a comprehensive dealer training program that includes in-market and Web-based training workshops.