How many times have you been driving to someplace new in your vehicle – say to a concert – and, as you get closer, you end up following the large group of cars, as you assume they are going to the concert too, and that they know where they’re going?

This phenomenon is called the “herd mentality” and is very common in the animal world. Think of the behavior of…

Let me start this post by stating unequivocally that I am big fan of online service scheduling applications for car dealers. When set up correctly, these little tools can save you and your customers the headaches and hassles of numerous service phone calls.

When set up correctly.

Without getting into the weeds, suffice it to say that online service scheduling is a great way to balance the load and maximize the labor in your shop without having to employ a service receptionist…

Recently, Larry Bruce provided us with a wonderful article called "The American Car Salesman". In it he talked about the characteristics of those who make their living by proving themselves every single day. And for us in the business for some time, it touched us and gave us pride for the independent spirit of those of us who have never drawn a paycheck just for showing up. But no wistfulness here; I think this spirit still lives today.



The Internet revolution, being followed by…

An undeniable shift is happening in our industry. One that will change how we operate forever. It’s all about delivering on the customer experience with a true online buying process. AutoNation saw it. And, Carvana, Beepi and other start-ups are gaining traction. In addition, other vendors within our industry have built platforms that allow dealers to facilitate this type of…

It’s one thing to try to view the auto industry through the eyes of a consumer when you work for a dealership.  It’s quite another to attempt to view it as a vendor.…

Make These Changes to Stay on Top of the Google Search Page

On Feb. 19, Google changed the look of their search page, decreasing the number of available advertising spots.

This week on Hard Facts, learn which ad spots are completely removed, which positions have changed, and the algorithm Google will now use to determine your ad’s position. See how this change can actually help you sell more cars for less money instead of running your…

In the world of the automotive industry, we are always being evaluated. Whether it’s through customer or manufacturer surveys, this feedback is incredibly valuable and, in some cases, affects dealership revenue.

Just like everyone, I patronize dealerships for my vehicle service. I was concerned because my new vehicle with 16000 miles on it had some noises…

So, you’ve decided that you want to send video responses to internet leads, but you don’t quite know where to begin. Well, first, congratulations! You have made an excellent decision that will engage more of your customers, build rapport faster and elicit increased responses. Now to the nuts and bolts of how best to do this:

Technology – The simplest…

News for the Week of 2.25 

Facebook Reactions Are Here!

Facebook has been telling us about this enhancement, and now it’s finally here. Rather than simply clicking the little thumbs-up to like a post, users have 6 emoji options to help them express their…

In business, just as is the case for any living being, all parts need to be functioning to operate at optimal efficiency. If your right leg wanted to go forward and your left leg wanted to go backwards, you probably wouldn’t make much progress walking. The same principle applies to the health, well-being and efficiency of any business. Have you ever tried to use a coupon or…

We all know the term “declined service repair.” Increasingly, I hear service departments are having a hard time keeping customers in the service lane to get those declined services done.

Imagine if financing didn’t exist for vehicle purchases. Chances are that very few would ever be able to own one, despite the desire to do so. The same situation applies to service repairs. I bet that a good number of your customers are declining service repairs not because they don’t want them, or…

Everyone wants to have their fixed operations making great profits, retaining customers, and having incredible customer experiences. So why doesn’t it happen? What can we change to improve our service for our customers? Click the link below for a short video from me. This video will provide the culture required to maximize your dealerships fixed operations. Have a fantastic day and enjoy the clip!…

"The have time..."

By: Alan Ram

I speak at a lot of dealer 20 Group meetings and one of the questions I ask of the Dealers at every meeting is, “do your managers listen to every sales call on call monitoring?” A reasonable question, right? The overwhelming majority of the time, here’s what I get:

“I wish my managers listened to sales calls, we probably listen to 20% of them or some other lame answer along…

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…

J.R. Batchelor 
(913) 439-9947

Automotive Dealership Internet Phone Sales Training-Outbound Sales Calls-J.R. Batchelor

Training automotive dealership on the effective use of incoming and outgoing sales calls and the importance of follow up with incoming automotive dealership Internet leads.

This week we are having a look at relationships with women customers. Traditionally, after women buy their car, they come into your store for mandatory service visits or for a recall. It's a bit like a Yo-Yo effect. What do more meaningful and ongoing interactions with women look like? A dealership might offer free car washes or birthday oil changes? What about a “happy anniversary this-is-the-day-you-bought-your-car-here-and-we-appreciate-you” tire rotation? These are opportunities to build…

Is there gold here to be mined, or is it just worthless rock?  Are we mining something of value or should we blow up the minefield?

Automotive News April 13, 2015 article…

Promoting an exciting and informative environment for your Service Customers is a must for modern customers. Today’s service customers have high expectations when they come to your dealership.  Besides the quality of care they anticipate and demand, the service area itself must be clean, up-to-date and inviting from the moment customers…

Very few sales managers would punish a salesperson upon receiving a complaint that they are calling, e-mailing or texting a customer too much. In fact, after assuring the customer that they will have the salesperson stop, that sales manager will probably follow up by giving the salesperson a high five. And, to ensure this communication can happen, most dealerships lay down…

There is genius in simplicity!  So why do we complicate this Customer Experience Economy we live in today.  Each of us are consumers.  We have needs (rational behavior).  We have wants (emotional behavior). Pretty simple! 

Business is an entity.  Business has Personal Brands of Business representing the Business to consumers and customers, and Business…