I recently spoke at a conference in Orlando. After my presentation, I noticed a workshop on the schedule: “How to recruit and keep your technicians.” I ran down the hall to a room packed like sardines. The conference-goers were anxious to attend because someone was finally going to share the magic bullet! A woman approached the podium. We awaited her message with anxious…

According to Black Book® data, the average price of a used vehicle for model years 2012-2016 depreciated in value by -0.7%. Cars overall dropped -1.1% and trucks decreased -0.3% in value during September. All vehicles are averaging a 12-month depreciation of -14.5%, assisted by heightened vehicle replacement activity following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Four vehicle segments increased in value in…

An open letter to all US market, dealership management:

We are offering to deliver 45 - 200+ highly-qualified buyers to your showroom, in the next 30 days, for $100 or less per Up; buyers that have already entered your market to buy, delivered to your dealership after seeing your offer." 

"No gimmicks, no BS, just verified buyers, actively looking to PURCHASE a vehicle in your market now...You get a bare minimum of 45 highly qualified…

I have watched countless presentations from dealers who want a change from their employees. Generally, these discussions don’t go well and the tone of the dealer is one of superiority that controls the conversation and doesn’t ask for input. Their authority is never in question and I am confident all of…

How do you find the car that will exactly suit your needs for years to come? It just takes a little research and planning. When you know the kind of car you want, you can then decide whether you want to buy a new car, lease a new car or buy a used car.

If you have any questions along the way, please reach out to the Edmunds Shopper Advice team for free assistance. We can also pair you with an Edmunds car-shopping advisor who can help you wherever you are in the shopping…

We often forget that the only reason the manufacturer is paying for a repair is because they did something wrong in the manufacturing of the vehicle that caused the breakdown.

Sometimes the advisor forgets this because he is just trying to please the customer and get a good survey. The customer just wants his car fixed 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. …

Timonium, MD –­ October 10, 2017 –­ Helion Automotive Technologies, the retail automotive industry's leading Information Technology (IT) managed services provider (MSP), today announced that its President and CEO, Erik Nachbahr, will co-present with Kai Nielsen, Director of Strategy and Business Ops with Dealertrack DMS, at the upcoming DrivingSales Executive Summit. Nachbahr's and Nielsen's session is titled "…

Chicago, IL—October 9, 2017— Affinitiv, a leading provider of marketing and technology services to automotive manufacturers and dealerships, today announced it has been selected by Maserati North America as the exclusive aftersales marketing provider for its LUX owner retention program. The program is designed to bring customers back to Maserati dealerships for service after purchase of a vehicle, continue customer communications with…

When social media marketing burst on the scene nearly a decade ago, just about every dealership immediately piled onto the bandwagon. We didn't all know exactly what we were doing; we just knew we had to do it because everyone else was doing it.

At the time I was with AutoNation and we spent a lot of money and time trying to figure out how to market our dealer…

Sure, you’ll still see female models next to this year’s new vehicles at the car show, and I really think that’s because most dealers are used to it. On the showroom floor, though, males still make up a larger percentage of salespeople.  Working with clients is now very much a business transaction, and engaging and respectfulness are absolute musts no matter who you’re…

Protective Asset Protection, which operates dealer-owned warranty programs / F&I products (DOWC) for auto dealers, recently conducted an online survey presented to 1,500 auto dealer professionals in the U.S. Here are highlights of the results, which you may be interested in for a story:

When asked about the biggest challenge with their current F&I products, 29% of dealer…

Reshaping The Industry’s Economy

The millennial. Individuals born between 1980 and 2000 comprise ‘one of the largest generations in history’. In a recent article “Millennials Coming of Age”, by Goldman Sachs, millennials are not only poised to reshape the economy, but are about to move into prime spending years. Millennials overtook Baby Boomers, ages 51 to 69, as the largest generation according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Women of all age groups are…

Today I spent some time reflecting after the tragedy in Vegas where hundreds were injured and many lost their life. They went to a concert to have a good time and their lives changed instantly affecting not only them but their families and friends. I live my life in a manner that isn’t focused on money or what’s in it for me…

The 3 C's. They have always been required, so why do we keep messing them up?

All my administrators have asked me to PLEASE write about the 3 C’s.

Since this could be a lengthy TIP, I have decided to break it up into 3 posts.

Today we will do “Customer Concern” The first C. ( I feel like Count Dracula- one C-haha- two C’s haha- 3 C’s)

A great customer concern is important for several reasons:

• It shows the customer that you are listening and care about…

Black Book, a division of Hearst Business Media that provides industry-leading used vehicle valuation and residual value forecast solutions, released its Used Vehicle Retention Index for September, with the Index increasing from 112.6 to 113.9, its largest month-over-month gain since March 2012. Click here to obtain a copy of the latest index data.…