Black Book announces it is now providing the vehicle appraisal data for AutoNation Express, the online car shopping and purchasing destination for AutoNation stores throughout the U.S. The partnership allows AutoNation to provide a more seamless car shopping experience with transparency in mind for consumers.



Under terms of the agreement, car shoppers visiting any of AutoNation’s 300+ stores around the country receive an accurate trade appraisal for their vehicle when shopping for…

I'm Going to Tell You What S.O.S. Means for Your Business

S.O.S: for dealers, it doesn't mean what you think it does! This week on Think Tank Tuesday find out how much S.O.S is costing your business and what you can do to avoid it!

Stay Connected to Your Consumers

Are you mobile?

The mobile industry is not just booming; it’s taking over completely.

• 90% of smartphone users are online via their smartphone.…

How do you communicate with your customers? Social Media must be a large part of this, as it reaches customers where they are and is becoming a regular segment of the advertising budget (and growing with each quarter).

But is it effective?…

Who wants to sell more cars?



Silly question hey! So what are the ways we can actually make it happen?

There are 2 ways…

1. Increase Our Closing Ratios

2. Increase the Amount of Customers We Speak To 



Hopefully these tips help you do number 1 better, but how can you as a salesperson increase the amount of customers you speak to this month?



Today, I am going to be talking about Maximizing Your Reach. By…

What Is Showrooming? 

Showrooming, according to businessdictionary.com, is purchasing an item online, or elsewhere, after looking at and inspecting the item in-store.

In other words, consumers will come into your dealership to look at and test out features, services,…

Albany, N.Y. – November 9th, 2015 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) announced today that it has been named a “Best Places to Work” in New York State’s Capital region by the Albany Business Review. Auto/Mate was one of nine companies honored in the medium-large category (companies with 50 to 149…

In order to be successful in today’s extremely competitive Retail Automotive Industry, Customers need to feel more than just satisfied with their experience in your Dealership; their satisfaction needs to exceed their expectations if you want to maintain and/or grow a thriving dealership. 

No matter what the business, customers will have a minimum…

There is a group of people that seems to sit in limbo when it comes to dealership marketing messages, especially when it comes to service. This group of people tend to have cars in the 2-year old range. Yes, they’re probably getting the dealer’s random e-mail messages with service coupons. But, this is also the time when these vehicle owners may have to start shelling out…

CLICK HERE to sign up: http://bit.ly/30carsamonth

I don't have down months.…and I am going to show you how not to have down months!

Mike is an award winning salesperson at the top of his game who consistently pushes out more than 30+ units a month. While his hustle, grind and work ethic are notably impressive, there’s no denying that his branding strategies and proven techniques have brought him…

Personalizing Customer Experience with Intelligent Advertising

Get to Know Your Customer

Consumers put an endless amount of information online about themselves, often daily. However, several marketing strategies don’t use that information to their advantage. If online users are taking the time to educate brands about their behavior, likes, dislikes, wants, habits, etc., it…

Stay Ahead of the Competition with Google's Latest Changes

Google has made more changes that affect how people find your dealership. The competition is getting tougher but Hard Facts is here to help. Watch now and discover why you need to step up your Google ranking to continue getting traffic.

While consumers regularly patronize independent repair facilities, dealers have always been able to rest assured that any recall repair work would remain in their hands. However, according to an article in Automotive…

Generation Z : Digital Natives

Understanding Why the Youngest Car-Buying Generation is so Important

You’ve heard quite a bit about millennials, Gen Xers, and earlier generations. Now it’s time for Generation Z to get some time in the spotlight. Gen Z is generally made up of individuals born between the years of 1995-2012, and for automotive dealerships, that means this generation is just barely starting to scrape the surface of buying. However, they are a group to watch for…

Welcome to this week's edition of Black Book Market Insights, with in-depth analysis of used car and truck valuation trends and insights straight from the auction lanes. Click here to download the full report.

 

The Black Book Market Insights report this week looks at the continued effects the price of gas is having on smaller cars and entry-level cars, which are showing some of the largest declines of the year. Interestingly, even…

The multiple ways businesses can communicate with customers are constantly expanding - from telephone, to e-mail, to text messaging. With today’s technology, communication methods continue to evolve at unprecedented speeds. As smartphones have gotten smarter, the rise in the development of apps has introduced yet another way to communicate: push messaging. In…

I have been in the automotive Management and consultant business for longer than I care to admit. Since I have had the pleasure of being a GM/GSM and consultant to dealers I feel that I have a pretty good idea of how to approach a dealer or GM/GSM if I was trying to sell them something. I have been back managing now for over 2 years and very successful as always. However I am amazed at the total lack of professionalism of vendors calling me daily trying to sell me something. My favorite…

News for the Week of November 2 

Google Play Music Introduces Podcasts

Google recently introduced a podcast portal which allows podcasters to upload their shows to Google Play Music. According to Google, contextual recommendations will be…

Search Engine Optimization has been hanging around as an industry buzzword for several years now. FordDirect websites claim to have a strong SEO base. Several vendors are out there selling their own SEO services to Ford and Lincoln dealers. Dealers often ask me how they’re doing and complain when they don’t show up at the top of the SERP. But what does SEO mean and what contributes to improving it?

MOZ recently released their…