Whether you are teeing off on the way to a 300+ yard drive or you hit a baseball deep to center field 420 feet. It took seeing where the ball will go before even swinging, it took practice in order to hit the ball straight toward the area you wanted it to land and it takes a continued commitment toward training to become better each and every day.

In our industry a lot of sales consultants and managers rely on luck rather than perusing their wants and desirers through dedication,…

Last week I attended NCM’s semi-annual meeting of all its divisional directors, 20 Group moderators, Retail Operations consultants, and NCM Institute faculty members, who, along with our CEO set aside two and a half days to dialogue about what’s happening around the industry and within the company, and how best to address the needs of our clients.  As usual, it was a great encounter, with far too much agenda content and discussion for the overall time allotted.

One of the topics that…

As I’ve been connecting with dealers over the past six years I have noticed a trend that few people truly address.

Technology is killing the car business. Your CRM hasn’t made you more money than you made 10 years ago and neither has your current advertising.

Whew…that was harder than I thought.

Before you start ranting about all the ways that your CRM helps and all the reasons that advertisers are bleeding you dry, let me just say this: it’s not technology’s fault and…

Successful service consultants in the automobile industry do the following:

1. They plan their day the night before. They review all appointments and service histories for potential sales opportunities before the customer’s arrival.

2. They show up for work early:

a. Write up “drop off” appointments.

b. Review the day’s staff, and any issues or…

That first day at the beach was always exciting.  It was a TOO day.  Too much food.  Too much water.  And way too much sun.  It often made the second day at the beach a depressing stay in the house day.  Everyone new you were burnt and would try to slap you on the back or grab your arm to watch you cringe.  Yet, we did it every year because we knew the effects would only be temporary.  In a couple of days the burn turned to a tan and then by vacation's end, you began to peel.  It was as if…

Dear Google:

You amaze and confound us daily.  You have created an infrastructure, tools and resources for accessing and organizing information that the majority of people and businesses all over the world rely on every day.  That is truly awe-inspiring.  You are pulling search, social and reviews together in envelope-pushing ways.

Nevertheless, change and innovation are rarely universally embraced as you have experienced first hand.   As the old saying goes – you can…

The world of paid search is never boring especially when Google has been testing new paid "ad units" for the automotive industry.  

I wrote last month about the Google Advisor product (aka Google Cars) and now Google is testing an ad unit that includes LIVE CHAT powered by ActiveEngage.…

If you haven't noticed, about 14% of dealership website visitorsare coming on mobile devices with another 5% on tablets.  Your numbers may vary slightly but dealers would be remiss if they did not take mobile shoppers seriously.

Google searches done on mobile phones have a different urgency compared to searches done on mobile devices. How do I know this?…

Think your shot at living like an Olympian ended after your high school or college athletic career? Think again. Successful Olympic athletes employ a set of traits and techniques that you can still use to help market your car dealership. The elements that work together to create popular medalists, with thousands or millions of people rooting for them, can…

Facebook has had their analytics tool called, Facebook Insights, for a while now, and since its conception it has grown more and more complex. Insights are now able to show Facebook Page Admins all kinds of useful information which can be a huge help when trying to hone your…

Sounds redundant, but if you have ever worked for an automotive group, you've probably actually heard those words. Meetings after meetings. The sad thing about it is the meetings usually involve only management. Walk up to any tech and ask them how many hours they have for the week and they'll tell you up to the minute. Ask them what your gross profit objective is for the month, you'll probably get a blank stare. Usually the first tech meeting I have after coming into a store, I ask "What…

The “7 Habits” of a Strong Internet Sales Process

Why our Internet Sales Process matters more now than it ever has, and the seven key points we must execute to be successful.

By: Henry Staniecki

Advanced customer-attracting tactics like SEO and Social Media Marketing are a big focus in the retail automotive industry right now. A great many tools are being developed by every vendor imaginable to take advantage of the latest…

The “7 Habits” of a Strong Internet Sales Process

Why our Internet Sales Process matters more now than it ever has, and the seven key points we must execute to be successful.

By: Henry Staniecki

Advanced customer-attracting tactics like SEO and Social Media Marketing are a big focus in the retail automotive industry right now. A great many tools are being developed by every vendor imaginable to take advantage of the latest…

This summer has been a series of ups and downs for the hockey fan in me. On July 4th, I got to see my hometown Minnesota Wild pick up the 2 best free agents on the market, along with a few solid core players. In the weeks that have passed, I’ve gone from figuring out where the championship parade would begin, to accepting that the NHL may be cancelled this year.

That’s classic Minnesota sports luck for you: Fans get hopeful and excited about a great team, then something gums up the…

Google’s online ventures are usually anything but under the radar. Yet recently, in what may be a game-changing play, the search engine giant quietly entered the third-party lead provider business for car dealerships.

The beta version of Google Comparison Ads for Autos (which is unofficially being referred to as “Google Cars” within the industry) was launched to very little fanfare a few weeks ago in the San…

SEO is a like a clock, always shifting, and kept true by machinery fathomless to the general population. Even people who make a living learning these intricate machinations are, at best, constantly battling to stay relevant. The hidden algorithms utilized by search engines like Google keep us on our toes, demanding constant vigilance and supreme dedication to the craft.…

Check out this latest blog by Yasmine Syed of Potratz, as she talks all about the variations of technology users.

Information and communication technology users are as diverse as the range of technology available today. The Pew Research Center’s “Internet & American Life Project” divides technology users into two core groups: “Motivated by Mobility” and…

To many times the same person talks 90 % of the time . Sales reps say the meetings are to long , little training or good info , more of a bitch session , and they are negative . 

Meetings should be short and sweet . Twenty to thirty minutes most of the time . Have a planned training for the whole month that has others doing some of the training . The person doing the training should ask questions and answer questions .

 Make fun a planned part of the training . Single out the…

Bommarito Automotive Group E-Commerce Director Awarded AutoCon 2012 Scholarship Sponsored by TrueCar^®

Matt Tucker, E-Commerce Director of Bommarito Automotive Group, Missouri’s #1 Auto Group, is one of twelve professionals…

Three Simple Ideas To Help You Sell More Vehicles TODAY

No matter where you look within your dealership there are always areas of opportunity and areas where client engagement can be amplified dramatically. It is very easy to get caught up in the day to day task and never look past what you have on your to do list TODAY. Taking that approach means that you are most likely…