December 2018 Blog Posts (46)

New Year’s Special It’s time to get your Warranty Reimbursement Increase!

We have built Margin Plus from the ground up with only one purpose in mind. That purpose is to file Warranty Reimbursement Increases for new car dealerships! Start the year off right with more gross in your pocket!

 

New Year’s…

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Added by Rob Gehring on December 31, 2018 at 3:40pm — No Comments

Why Advisors Don't Advise

-by Sally Whitesell for Dealer Service Magazine

Every time I do a seminar I am reminded about how confused advisors, and even managers, can be about the true responsibilities of a service advisor’s position. We simply need look at the title “Service Advisor” to get a clear understanding that this job is…

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Added by Sally Whitesell on December 28, 2018 at 4:30pm — 5 Comments

Can Dealers Compete with Online Used Vehicle Retailers?

Read the headlines and you see it everywhere: online used vehicle sales are booming.

 

Carvana is expanding into dozens of new markets and although it has yet to turn a profit, its vehicle unit sales more than doubled and gross profit nearly tripled in Q3 2018. The retailer just announced $2 billion in financing from Ally…

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Added by Scot Eisenfelder on December 28, 2018 at 10:27am — No Comments

Your Greatest Risk

As the current year is winding down it’s a common practice for people to set goals for the upcoming Year. Everyone calls these goals New Year’s resolutions. It’s the time of year people evaluate what they desire to accomplish and write them down as a New Year’s resolution to tackle on January 1st. Although I love…

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Added by Rob Gehring on December 28, 2018 at 9:22am — No Comments

Scripts Are for Actors, not your Websites

Have you ever eagerly awaited the release of a great new movie? Anticipation mounts as release day approaches. Then you go and see it, only to leave disappointed. I’m sure I can name plenty of box office bombs which were initially hyped up and expected to be box office blockbusters. If you look at the factors involved in what makes a “bomb” versus a…

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Added by Brett Sutherlin on December 27, 2018 at 10:26am — No Comments

Can’t we all just get along?

In my experience, one of the top frustrations dealers have when choosing the best solutions from multiple vendors is how to get them to work well together. The problem is, whether it’s a DMS; CRM; service lane tool; or any other significant technology available; not all work together in harmony. And that is what dealers want.

 

I’m not suggesting…

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Added by Veronica Dunford on December 27, 2018 at 10:18am — No Comments

Will Video Bring You New Customers?

While many dealerships agree that video is important and worthwhile, at the same time some think it’s time-consuming and lack the resources to put a video marketing strategy in place.

 

What if I told you that acquiring and scaling a well-planned video marketing strategy which leverages video content for shoppers throughout the entire buying…

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Added by Timmy D. James on December 27, 2018 at 10:04am — No Comments

The Growing Used Vehicle Market May Be Great for Consumers

According to a recent article in Automotive News, investors and car dealers have shifted their focus to the used-car space because dealers have more pricing and profit controls; something the digital retailing space is forced to focus on.…

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Added by Chris Miller on December 26, 2018 at 9:58am — 1 Comment

Auto Dealership Buy/Sell Transactions Increase 20% YOY: 2018 Trending to be Most Active Buy/Sell Market on Record

 

2018 will be fifth consecutive year of over 200 buy/sells, according to The Blue Sky Report® released by Kerrigan Advisors; strong economy fuels robust market - sellers motivated by high valuations that may not last; increased consolidation, generational transfers and growing pool of investors also heat up market; concerns remain about tariffs’ impact on valuations

Irvine, CA – December 21, 2018 – Automobile buy/sell…

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Added by Crystal Hartwell on December 21, 2018 at 3:35pm — No Comments

What Can Dealers Expect When They Restructure Their Business From an NCFC to a DOWC?

As car dealer principals look to transition away from operating a non-controlled foreign corporation (NCFC) due to the unknown outcome of the new tax law, many have set their sights on becoming a dealer-owned warranty company (DOWC). As part of this, dealers have been asking about the specifics behind the DOWC structure, and what a transition would look like.

The Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was signed into law by President Trump in December 2017 and is effective for the 2018…

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Added by John Sternal on December 20, 2018 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Stop Stopping

Most people initially struggle in sales because they’ve been taking orders their whole life. When you were young, you did what your parents told you to do. Sure, you may have bucked up a time or hundred, but immediately you’d back down from rebelling once they slapped you back with one of those, “When you have your own damn place and pay your own damn bills, then you can do whatever the hell you want to do…but until then, you better do what the hell I tell…

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Added by Marsh Buice on December 20, 2018 at 12:07pm — No Comments

Write Service Podcast: Episode 53- Make 2019 Your Best Year Yet (Part 2)

This week, Jeff walks you through Part 2 of how to make 2019 your best year yet! You must evaluate where you are, how many customers you see per day, and if the things holding you back are reasons or excuses. Stay tuned to hear the simple tips to service drive success! Copyright 2018 Wm Jeff Cowan

Website: automotiveservicetraining.com

Click HERE to watch!…

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Added by Jeff Cowan on December 20, 2018 at 12:00pm — No Comments

fusionZONE Releases Mobile Text Coupons for Sales & Service

Auto Dealers Increase Service Leads Over 200% With Mobile Text Coupons

 

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calf., December 20, 2018 -- In response to the rapidly growing number of consumers currently using the internet via mobile devices, fusionZONE Automotive, LLC., today announced a new tool for auto dealers, Mobile Text Coupons. With Mobile Text Coupons, customers no longer have to use their desktop…

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Added by Brett Sutherlin on December 20, 2018 at 10:21am — No Comments

LEASE CREDIT APPROVALS DROP SLIGHTLY TO 68.9% IN NOVEMBER

Lease Approval Ratings Drop Slightly in November Following Slight Increase in October

Swapalease.com, the nation’s largest car lease marketplace, reports car lease credit applicants registered a 68.9% approval rate in November, a slight drop from the October rate of 70.9%.

The number of lease approvals is slightly higher than last year for the month of November, as 67.5% of lease applicants were approved in 2017, and 64.7% were approved in November of 2016.

The…

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Added by John Sternal on December 19, 2018 at 9:12pm — No Comments

Podcast: Defining Success With The Theory of 5

Added by DealerELITE on December 19, 2018 at 6:26pm — No Comments

Making the Difference in 2019

This has been an incredible year in many ways for our family. It has also been one of the most challenging as I nearly drowned in Lake Erie. I haven’t shared that experience with many folks however, today sharing some lessons learned might be valuable.

My first lesson was the importance of wearing a life…

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Added by Rob Gehring on December 19, 2018 at 3:46pm — No Comments

Why Shop Here? Your Culture Matters.

Why Shop Here? Your Culture Matters.

When thinking about business operations, it’s common to examine sales strategies, customer service procedures, and customer experience. Less common is a review of dealership culture, which is the cornerstone that drives your operations and provides consistency. Business culture is the collection of beliefs, values, and practices that are more esoteric and usually…

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Added by Anne Fleming on December 19, 2018 at 1:17pm — 1 Comment

Secrets to a Successful Follow Up Call

When a customer leaves the lot without purchasing a vehicle, there's a good chance he or she will never be back. A few may return, but most won't. Does that mean you should never follow up with customers? Obviously not!

 

The follow-up call is critical and can absolutely save a deal. Even if only one out of ten customers comes back to the store and buys from you, it's worth your time.…

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Added by Bill Wittenmyer on December 19, 2018 at 10:35am — No Comments

Car Segment Decline Continues

Welcome to this week's edition of Black Book Market Insights, with in-depth analysis of used car and truck valuation trends and insights straight from the auction lanes. Click here to download the full…

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Added by Black Book on December 18, 2018 at 1:59pm — No Comments

If People Buy From People They Like, How Do You Get Them to Like You?

It’s a well-known fact that people buy from people (or companies) they like. There are certainly many different ways to get customers to like your dealership, from providing a great customer experience to being active in your local community.

 

However, consumers are increasingly finicky when choosing where to buy or service their vehicle. In…

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Added by sara callahan on December 18, 2018 at 10:18am — No Comments

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