Are we all tired of non franchised vendors offering to "save" our clients from us? The more someone tells lies about the majority of new car dealers the more we'll all suffer. Let's not do business with anyone that portrays us as cheaters...thieves.....liars......predators! :-D

     When I got into the car business some 21 years ago it was easy for a consumer to save some money by purchasing a used vehicle.  Unfortunately, that isn't the case any longer. So, what happened? The used car market began to change dramatically in July of 2009 when President Obama signed the "Cash for Clunkers" Bill.  Normally when someone trades in a vehicle that vehicle is either kept by the dealer and resold or the vehicle is…

There is an old saying carpenters use. "Measure twice, cut once."…

Ok, let’s get ominous…

True Car – is going to eat us all. Oh, they are coming alright, they look nice enough but they are already RICH with profits that dealers refused to earn  themselves. I intercepted some emails from TrueCar (*not true) and these…

Beginning Today

Beginning today I will open my mind and my heart

Beginning today I will look in the mirror and

I will see a person worthy

of my…

Check it out folks...

Just hit the newswire folks… 9:00pm PST

TrueCar Launches National Compliance Campaign and Pro-Industry Product Changes

Sweeping changes include a more balanced advertising approach, revised billing model in some states, consumer membership program, and formation of a Dealer Advisory Council

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — TrueCar, Inc., which is devoted to bringing innovation to the car buying…

In a recent blog post Jim states that the "Data Police" have arrived. I have to admit that while I had an overview type idea as to what he was talking about just by the title of the article, I must say that you have GOT to read…

Most recently there has been a bold new wave washing over the automotive dealership landscape. Beginning with TrueCar, whose CEO bragged about using data to eliminate dealerships and  lower profits below True Cost. He arrogantly taunted us with claims of "Transparency" which has become the "Buzz Word" of every vendor using our own data to virtually put us out of business, to steal our customers information, and sell it, pass it on to their affiliate companies, and otherwise resell it to…

I am a southerner.  I love the southern drawl (and not just because I have one).  Everyone knows we have our own language down here.  However, I've begun to notice a sad trend in our communication skills.  We southerners are not the only guilty ones either.  Anyone who uses poor grammar, excessive slang, inappropriate tone, etc are in danger of giving a bad first impression.  Almost everyone uses email as a form of communication also.  Capitalize!  It isn't a text message!  We give the…

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.

2. An old friend who once saved your life.

3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?

Think before you continue reading. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that…

  I have never met anyone 30 years or older that has bought every car and went back for service 100% of the time to the same dealership. Once we face the this fact we can  figure out ways to get them back the majority of the time. Do the sales reps do a service walk every time? Do the sales reps call customers on there birthday. Does everyone really roll out the red carpet like the old days? This is a start.

The great thing about LinkedIn is that there's always something more you can be doing to promote your business, find connections, and drive traffic to your profile. The LinkedIn community is diverse, intelligent, and constantly growing. Successful business professionals are working to leverage their presence in this network to learn from their peers and succeed in their own business endeavors.

In that spirit, here are three easy yet effective ways to have a voice on LinkedIn in order…

Hello I am having some of the Salesman post Craigslist ads. I am looking for some new templates for them to use. What is the best template site to use? I am looking for a free template for them as Craigslist has not been a hot bed for our market. I am aware of sites such as,

• http://dealershipinmotion.com/
• http://www.salespider.com/…

In Google's latest attempt to make Google+ the biggest social network, they've integrated it into your search results.

Of course, this hasn't been done across all Google search results.  In order to see this integration, you must be logged into Google+ (though some have seen it simply logged into Google) and be using their secure search portal at https://www.google.com.  The company is calling this search update "Search Plus Your World" and…

2011 U.S. auto sales figures are hot off the press, and the auto industry is seeing who came out on top. Among the year's clear winners is Paragon Honda & Acura (www.paragonhonda.com) of Queens, NY, which came out as the #1 selling Honda and #1 selling Acura retailer in the country. Paragon was also awarded the industry's coveted Auto Remarketing Certified PreOwned Dealer of the Year award for 2010 for its work in innovative financing and its…

Since we initiated the Up To Speed blog, I’ve received numerous emails that suggest that one of the biggest road blocks to retail automotive success is the dealership (or department) culture. Because this is our first newsletter of 2012, I decided it opportune to tackle this thorny issue. “Culture” can be defined as the shared values and practices of the company’s (or department’s) employees, and it’s important because it can make or break your dealership. Business cultures…

Mercedes, Dodge, Lexus, Lincoln and Chrysler are Top Leaders with Women Buyers

Women-Drivers.com has released its 2011 report showing the top car brands as rated by women. Each year, Women-Drivers.com tracks thousands of consumer reviews with regards to women’s…

VinSolutions unveils their ‘VinCycle’ program for the New Year as their first companywide green initiative.

Overland Park, KS – January 9, 2012 – VinSolutions, an industry-leading developer of Internet-based Customer Relations Management (CRM) and Internet Lead Management (ILM) software, has launched an internal recycling program coined “VinCycling”.  Capitalizing on the New Year, this marks the first sponsored and…