1. Manage your stores Online Reputation. In todays market more than ever customers decide if they want to come to your store before you even know it. Get in front of your reviews not behind them. Ask for reviews.

2. Inventory display. Change up the layout of your lot moving new and used vehicles around. Make it clean and organized. Sales people need a routine. Twice a month make this part of their job to display your profit maker…

Over the years I've seen so many friends start a new project, then do it half-assed and bail on it, only to say "that just didn't work for us".

Sometimes the products they bought were crap, but sometimes, (many times), they didn't really commit. 

This is why I was so pleased to see the good folks at Don Seelye Ford Kia in Kalamazoo going BALLS OUT WITH THEIR SMS CAMPAIGN! 

They have their info on their online overlays on Cars.com, Autotrader & their Website but…

Pre-Roll Video Ads Still Hated, Here to Stay

In all the internet, is there a less innovative ad type than the pre-roll?

It's pretty much just the classic 30-second spot, lifted from broadcast TV and occasionally shortened to 15 seconds.

Yet when it comes to online video, in the end, that's where the action is. The ad unit has been maligned, foresworn, abused and dismissed. But like a cockroach, it…

Back when I first started desking deals, the “seasoned” salespeople would tell me, “Let’s do this deal; we’ll make up the gross on the next one. It’s easier to get iron than customers.” I believe there was a change in that attitude in 2008. Four years later, Buy-Here-Pay-Here (BHPH) dealers are still facing the challenge of finding enough choice inventory for their business model while maintaining portfolio performance.

In my last BHPH operation we operated a little different than…

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http://www.internetsales20group.com

Karen Bradley & Sean V. Bradley Discuss The Internet Sales 20 Group In Dallas, Texas March 19th -…

Do you remember faxing in credit apps, doing deals on a hand shake and scheduled deliveries 5 days later when the customer got his check from the bank?  Maybe even remember this business before the internet and dealer track?

Then you are an old dog.....

As I reach the 45 year old milestone this year, I have never felt younger in so many ways.  Why would you as a car guy read any further along in this post when I am talking about feeling young?   Because for me…

It's one of the most overlooked components of a modern automotive internet marketing strategy. Some do it naturally, expressing the way they want the dealership to be perceived by customers and potential customers by instilling a unified sense of direction amongst employees, on their website, and throughout their online interactions such as on social media or when…

Failure to properly disclose a vehicle’s history is one of the most common legal claims against dealerships. Dealers are frequently held liable for misrepresenting or failing to disclose what they knew or reasonably should have known about vehicles in their inventory. Courts have long held auto dealers to a higher standard than their customers when it comes to…

Hello Dealer Elite Members and friends,

Proactive dealer solutions has just expanded our marketing efforts with the launch of our all new 2013 iPhone app. We also have an version available for Android phones as well. 

Download the Apple iphone one here:

https://itunes.apple.com/app/x/id589627140?mt=8

I will have a link for the Android one soon......

Happy…

In business, compounding interest is often referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” In business, and especially sales, I compare the compounding effect of interest to the compounding effect that occurs with current customers who can become repeat customers and referral machines.

You may have seen examples of how someone can start an Individual Retirement Account when they are 25, invest $2,000 a year and by retirement age they will have a significant seven-figure…

Best-selling author and change agent Seth Godin keynotes; exclusive event focuses on helping dealership principals adapt to, lead, and be profitable in a constantly changing retail market; emphasizes strengthening Capital, Brand and People

Salt Lake City, Utah – January 9, 2013 – DrivingSales today announced that its inaugural Presidents Club event for dealership…

Is your business on Instagram yet? We aren’t going to say it’s a must, but it’s a pretty simple thing that can add some value to your businesses efforts when Marketing Using Facebook or Twitter. The artsy little photos are still really popular, especially…

A new year represents beginnings. It is a time to reflect on what was missed and make plans for improvement. This year is going to be a crucial one for many businesses with uncertainty in the economy, fluctuation in the social media sphere, and an awakening that is happening for many that social media is here to stay and is something that they…

Starting today…

Appreciate what you have. –

If we counted our blessings instead of our money, we would all be a lot richer.

Happiness is there if you want it to be.…

Everyone wants to sell more cars but when sales are down, we're not as quick to spend money to try out those other products that we're interested in.

In an effort to help you "take a chance" I'm going to make an offer that is ONLY GOOD UNTIL FRIDAY for any interested dealer to try AutoCapture at your dealership for just $99. We realize that trying something new is scary so we're reducing the risk to ridiculous so that it's a no-brainer for you. Best of all, you'll get that $99 rate for…

What are the benefits that you receive from having a Facebook business page?

Can you even answer this question?

It can be a difficult question to answer if you have not been using Facebook effectively.

The way you should look at it is as "building a pipeline" of future customers.  If you don't take advantage of Facebook than you will simply not have this pipeline in the future and the sooner you start using it effectively then the sooner you will have new customers.…

Now that 2013 is upon us it is time to get the lead out and start pushing early and often. Do not let your success or failures of 2012 determine how hard you are going to work this year. Time flies and it is easy to sit back and let the time slip away, but the real pro's in the business take care of their business NOW.  Don't wait for something to happen...DOMINATE

Good Luck

Be Safe

Kick Butt!

Wayne 

Rob Bennett, General Manager, and Charlie Brown, Internet Director at Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Eugene, unlock the secret to success with in their store’s Internet sales strategy.

The two of these men have driven up Internet sales 61 percent in the last year!

And Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Eugene is the number one Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealership in sales volume in Oregon, beating out 29 other Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealerships in that state. They sold more than 2000 vehicles…

One of the questions on the NCM Institute post-class surveys is, “Which of the trainings presentations or topics were the most useful to you?” One of the most prevalent answers we see is “Time Management.” This is interesting because the subject seems to be of a lot greater importance to dealership managers than those of us involved in retail automotive thought leadership have always believed. The quandary I’m…

At the 2013 New Media Expo in Las Vegas, Scott Monty shared Ford’s storytelling lessons. From Ford’s ups and downs Monty has solid advice, so I will get straight into them:

• Let fans tell your story. Ford initially created a website called “The Ford Story” to help communicate with the public during the auto bailout crisis and…