Karl is one of our veteran salespeople. He has a customer that has two trades. He comes to me, lays down the ground work for his deal. Here is what I have, 08 Altima

coupe with 49865 miles on it, BIG dent on the driver’s door, cracked

windshield, broken lens in the rear light on the driver’s side, needs four

tires, other than that a nice car. The second vehicle is not here,…

Do you look at the Blacktop as your personal playground or do you call it called the yard. Did you ace the interview and get the job or did you catch a case-a mandatory sentence with no other options? Do you take care of your customers by under promising and over delivering or do you get put in lockdown-hidden away from population, for…

Google has now launched its latest venture, Google Offers, its entrance into the world of online deals. Sites like Groupon and LivingSocial have seen incredible success with offers that people buy into and then invite their friends via social media, and Google is now providing some competition. Dealers seeking fresh automotive marketing ideascan look to a tool like this to market service…

The struggle for a competitive edge requires skill enhancement.  The techniques of yesterday are no longer acceptable tools.  Knowledge of products, technology and problem solving all take on new meaning while working with today’s customer.

Customers no longer accept mediocre presentations, canned closing questions and product demonstrations that lack…

I am calling you to get the customer to commit, or guide me with this deal. My customer has bought 3 SUVs’ here, but will not commit. He is not satisfied with this last vehicle. He explained to me it cost him 5500, in repairs from the 80,000 mile to the present which is 130,000 miles. I know he is going to buy a seven passenger vehicle. He loved our seven passenger, but says he has reservations, about the product. He also has been an owner of our product for 19 years. He explained to me, the…

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http://www.dongraffautomotive.com/

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Have you ever noticed symphonic conductors are the only ones not making a sound?  During a performance, conductors manage by miming; through facial expressions and hand gesturing, they guide the musicians through a performance. Like a coach, a conductor is unable to offer instruction during a performance; he has to rely on thorough preparation and…

IIt does not happen often, but sometimes I find myself bored.  This week I find myself working remotely with my toes in the sandy.  Without the distractions of the office, I am actually finding myself completing my normal task list with time to be bored.  So how does someone who is usually as busy as a bee handle boredom?  I have learned to embrace this simple and rare luxury as a gift to take a…

As much as many of us like to talk about all we've learned in the car business, some of my best lessons have come from the strangest places and yet I have used them to help me succeed.  As a writer, I live life by paying attention and observing.  Then I see what lessons I can apply to my everyday life.  This was a big one.

When my son was 10, he was selected to the "Major" league division of his little league.  This was a big deal and I thought he'd be very excited.  He would…

One of the biggest challenges that the automotive industry has faced over the past few years has been the ebb and flow of sales. Nobody's buying, then everyone's buying, then...

Between natural disasters, recalls, lawsuits, and bailouts, the past 4 years have been a roller coaster ride of epic proportions. Still, things seem to be looking up. For many, they're looking up in a big way. Take a look at this infographic by TK Carsites for a recap of where we've been and where we are.…

As an invited guest to the NAS Pensacola National Naval Aviation Museum, I had the honor of attending the "winging" of a group of young aviators.  Rear Admiral Mark Vance was the guest speaker to address this assembly of recently graduated Navy and Marine aviators with a welcome to the fleet speech.  I found myself feeling like I too was being given a "charge to order on the tip of the spear".  The…

Dealer Specialties is excited to announce a nationwide educational summit titled Inventory Control:Drive Results to Your Showroom through Analytics and Merchandising.  This new summit is designed to help dealers accelerate their inventory management program by sharing best practices for new and used vehicles around internet marketing as well as pricing and…

(originally published 6/3/2011 on Dealer magazine)

The other day, I started thinking about all the friends I’ve made that I met because they bought a car from me. I’m not talking about acquaintance-type friends, I’m talking about people that are involved in my life, and have been for a long…

Today wasn’t any different from any other- just another day. One salesperson is on the verge of divorce; another is separated from his wife and two kids; another was late today due to a bad dialysis treatment; the other one didn’t cover his draw last month and doesn’t know how he can make ends meet; another had to be picked up while walking down the road after his car broke down; and another is shocked having made a follow up call to a customer -no answer; the customer is on the run…

May Sales Drop – A Blip or a Trend?

Just when we were beginning to feel good about the auto industry following eight months of sales growing by percentages in the double digits, sales plunged in May, down 4% from May of last year.

The question is whether the drop will be a trend the rest of the year or a “minor” disruption for a couple of months. The major challenge is lack of inventory resulting from the earthquake in Japan earlier this year. The lack of inventory has led to…