Fire Your Internet Sales Manager

I know I am going to get a lot of heat on this article, but it has to be said. I have worked with thousands of dealerships over the years and there have been numerous reasons given for mediocrity, and even failure. In the beginning of automotive Internet sales in the late 1990s, it was a novelty…

I wanted to share a story with you all that happened recently. So many times when working in an industry, we forget to look at the best practices of other industries and how we can apply them to our chosen professions.

My wife recently got hooked on blenders and purchased one that, after six months, did not perform to her satisfaction. I was promptly informed that we needed to upgrade. I did not fully understand why we needed to do this and the product she selected…

“When our research tracked 20,000 new hires, 46% of them failed within 18 months. But even more surprising than the failure rate, was that when new hires failed, 89% of the time it was for attitudinal reasons and only 11% of the time for a lack of skill. The attitudinal deficits that doomed these failed hires included a lack of coachability, low levels of emotional intelligence, motivation and temperament.”  Mark Murphy, Hiring for Attitude, Forbes

In the car business , it’s all…

Do you know your customers? – Do you know what a multi-channel funnel is?
A muti-channel funnel allows you to stop spraying and praying. It allows you to track and see how customers are interacting with ads and where the conversions are taking place.

Nationally recognized trainer Rafi Hamid, the owner of Dealers Technology Inc. has acquired ownership in AutoJini, one of the leading auto dealer website design and SEO Companies in the country

Chicago, IL -- Rafi Hamid President and CEO of Dealers Technology has become a partner and the new Chief Operating Officer for AutoJini.  Rafi Hamid, an…

I just finished a meeting with one of my long term clients toady and wanted to share some details on how powerful "Accurate" information really is at a dealership.

First of all let me give you a little of the back story on this dealership and the challenges they faced before we started working with them.

This dealership had a service BDC with no process and was essentially a second switchboard handling thousands of calls with limited results.…

Nothing happens without a vision. Nothing gets created, manifested, built, or moved forward without a vision of an outcome.

Why is vision more important than strategy?

Vision and strategy are both important. But there is a priority to them. Vision always comes first… Always. If you have a clear vision, you will eventually…

The perceived difference between the top car brands and their challengers is shrinking, according to the 2012…

Whats the ROI of a great attitude? How do you measure the ROI of a culture in which #positive is a constant and not an afterthought? When focused on spreadsheets and reports, where does an enthusiastic and encouraging enviroment fit it to the analysis?

My Internet 'Direct Sales' Team accepted my challenge to "30 Days of Positivity' at the begining of April. We constistantly worked with each other…

The world is full of loft goals and unrealistic expectations.

As an automotive Salesperson, Internet Manager, Lease Manager, Sales Manager etc. I have heard most of the promises. Salespeople who set unrealistic goals, trainers who made promises that were not possible etc.

I must say this week as been very interesting for me. I have worked in the Automotive Business now for around 12 years now.My Grandfather, Uncle, Cousin,…

I do not think I can stomach reading another article or blog post of how untrustworthy the automobile business is.  Plastered on the internet and “consumer interest” magazines boast information of the  “inside secrets” of dealerships or “how to negotiate your best deal.”  What consumers do not realize is we read those articles too and I actually get quite a laugh. …

Well it is begining of the month and here in the car business or here where i love to play or what people may call work. That means it a fresh new selling month if you were a hero last month you would be a zero right now.

Since this is going to be my second full month in the car business i want to get it going this month, I dont want to be a average car salesman with 4 to 6 cars sold, I want to be in the top 20% of the business and sell 20 cars or more a month over and over…

Exciting News! I Will Be Speaking at the Online Sales Success Workshop on June 19 at the Water Club at Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Register early! Seats are limited and fill up quickly! See you there!

Best Practice Strategies for Up-Front Price Quoting and Craigslist…

Fisherman: A person who catches fish for a living or for sport. An Angler

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The biggest auto show of 2012 isn’t in Detroit or Frankfurt, but in the crowded exhibition center of the Beijing Motor Show. It is here the swelling Chinese car market continues to prove its importance to the auto world. Manufacturers unveiled over 100 new car models amid a throng of people so large that the Chinese government was forced to hold a …

Dealers United Introduces Member Deal for May: Lead Generation Services from HookLogic

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A strong focus on the customer experience has always been part of the Kelly Automotive Group's philosophy. When Kelly Auto Group first heard about the DealerRater Certified Dealer Program in 2010, they realized that they were doing very little to capitalize on their satisfied customer base and that they were rather out of touch with the advances in digital marketing - with 99%…

VinSolutions, an industry-leading developer of automotive Internet-based Customer Relations Management (CRM) and Internet Lead Management (ILM) software, is excited to announce its company-wide charity initiative, “VinGives”, allowing employees the opportunity to contribute to their favorite non-profit organization. 



Through VinGives, employees at VinSolutions may apply to receive monetary…

You've evaluated the numbers.  Met with your managers.  Decided the goals for the rest of the year.  Now the only question is, how and when should you hire additional sales people?  Is there actually a best time to put new people on your floor?  Let's look at the possibilities.

HIRING WHEN THINGS ARE SLOW

When things are slow there are two huge benefits to hiring new people.  First - You cna take your time and make sure they get their feet under them.  Let them…

One of the biggest challenges facing any Internet Sales Manager is the Low Ball Quote. Because there is no guaranteed answer to the Low-Ball. no turn-key, no magic bullet. Joe Girard, one of the great car salesmen of all time, said that the battle is not customer vs. salesman; the battle, as Mr. Girard states, is getting on the customer's side. The Low-Ball is what stands between you and a winning relationship with the customer. It is a big mountain to climb. 

Some…