We all know there is a tremendous amount of money spent by the dealer body to advertise their dealership and all the services and products sold. Some of this advertisement is not accounted for because of poor tracking and other parts of it are sometimes used to "keep their name out there."

With all of my valued clients around the country, I continue to ask the decision makers in each department to look for the potential employee who can become a "farmer" more than a "hunter". With…

As the TrueCar debate rages on, one thing is certain: there is going to be increased scrutiny on auto sales practices by a number of state regulatory agencies. While TrueCar has a number of challenges to overcome and may be forced to alter their business model, the real concern is how these legal issues may affect dealers. Several state authorities have indicated that they will hold dealers responsible for any violations. It’s important that dealers are aware of these issues and protect…

Social Media Facebook Tip #104~Spread the Holiday Cheer!

The holidays are the perfect time to make contact with business friends and clients via social networking. Make sure to post a ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Happy Holidays’ note on your Facebook business page. Utilize the “use Facebook as page” feature [found under the dropdown arrow at top right where you can select 'log out'] to write under your business name on other Facebook business page walls.

If you are friends with…

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VL Automotive…

http://stansher.com/

http://dealeretraining.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/stansher83

I did not want to spam anyone and sending out messages to each and every one of you would take years because I just have something special to say to each…

Direct Response Marketing

First of all lets go over the definition of “Direct Response”:

Definition – What does Direct Response Marketing mean?

“Direct-response marketing is a type of marketing that elicits a…

Strong management in an Internet Sales Department is a must.  The internet sales staff often find themselves in a limbo situation in most aspects of the sales process.  How far do they take the sale?  Do they sell the car or the appointment? Hourly? Commission?  Is it worth it?  A dedicated Internet Manager/Director is able to find the niche of the internet department that works best for the individual dealership.  They will be able to tweak the process to best suit the needs of the market…

I've written multiple pieces on how to properly set up and maintain your Google Places listing and account, but haven't touched on the mistakes you could be making, hurting your car dealership online marketing strategy.

Here are the places where you could really screw up your listing if you aren't careful:

Don't use a post office box. Even if this is where you get mail, make sure you use the actual address of your…

“What’s done in the darkness will always come to light.” Many fallen political figures, celebrities, and athletes have had this adage stamped on their careers…as well as yours. It’s what you are doing in the darkness that is hindering your sales career. The difference between meeting your draw and exceeding your wildest expectations is what you are doing in the…

Proactive Dealer Solutions has worked with thousands of dealers all over North America for over 20 years now.  We get asked all the time what is the secret to your success with automotive dealers?  The answer is simple we bring processes that work, and dedicated staff that works with dealers to create, rehabilitate, or expand a team of experts who work with management to grow automotive dealerships all over North America.

The bigger question is why have dealers waited…

At the Sonic Dealer Academy we used an article titled, “Simple Techniques to Grow Your Business,” as a teaching tool. This article was authored by Duane “D.J.” Sprague who, at the time, was the president of Dunning Sprague Marketing & Advertising, a full service agency specializing in generating and retaining customers for the retail automotive dealer. All of us that were exposed to D.J.’s metrics took them at face value. I think many of them, particularly those listed below, still apply…

Have you been able to quantify how much Autotrader, Cars.com, or other third party classified websites contribute to your dealership's ability to sell more cars?  

Have you questioned the importance of alternative classified websites like Craigslist or Ebay?…

My Christmas Wish to You

If I could wish a wish for you,

it would be for peace and

happiness not only now,

but for the whole year through!…

My update:

Mac Man,

I am going as scheduled as far as my getting up to speed with my training. The most significant thing I have found out is what you stressed and emphasized is, the WELCOME. When it is nailed, it is…

Today we’ll talk about shameless self-promotion.

That’s right, I said it! Shameless! After all we are talking about Lessons I learned from Hollywood "Stars" 

After all, we are learning from people we for some reason put on pedestals simply because they work in Hollywood.

It’s all about self-promotion! Self-promotion comes in many forms and you can use different…

by Kathryn Carlson, SPHR & KPA Director of HotlinkHR Product Marketing…

by Kathryn Carlson, SPHR & KPA Director of HotlinkHR Product Marketing

Holiday parties are a long standing tradition in the workplace. The challenge is to balance the making merry with the keeping safe.   Use these tips to keep employees safe, limit company liability and make sure everyone has…