I got in the car business in 1999. One of the ways we got people into the dealership. Was to put balloons on the antennas of the vehicles we had on our lot. Why balloons? It got peoples attention. They noticed us from a block away and across two lanes of traffic. It made them look over at us it piqued their curiosity. And they would pull in and look at our inventory.

The internet has changed the way people buy vehicles. Nowadays your website will get 10x more impressions a month then…

Few would debate the fact that there is a technician shortage for automotive dealerships in today's market and the problem is going to get worse in the future. There are many reasons for this shortage that will be reviewed in this article as well as the ways dealerships need to deal with this crisis. I believe that dealerships will be placed into two categories the have and…

Receta for a Relationship: 5 Special Ingredients to Help You Connect With Hispanic Consumers

As marketers, we are often guilty of planning, thinking, structuring—and then planning some more.  After all, it’s part of our jobs to analyze the consumer market and deliver targeted messaging in a way that will effectively resonate with a specific…

There are basic human motivators that encourage us to perform all tasks, every single day. Humans either want to feel smart, successful, and socially valued, or want to be the best at what they do and change the world. The most successful products are developed with these common motivators in mind. A company’s management team should constantly research to understand what could improve their engagement (their relationship with community and staff.) Unless a company…

I am seeing a lot of social media activity from automotive professionals being concerned about what to expect from the Driving Sales Executive Summit in Las Vegas next month. This post is a little bit different coming from since usually when I write about conferences I write from experiences. I have been to most automotive industry conferences and…

Companies have been applying game-like elements to achieve business objectives for decades. Just look at the Solitaire application that Microsoft included in its release of Windows 3.0 to familiarize users with the innovative “click-and-drag” functions of the mouse. Because many businesses are uninformed about…

We sat down recently with our Social Media Manager, Tori, to find out exactly how she spends her day. Does she spend it on her phone surfing Instagram and Pinterest? Or, is she busy helping to build a brand, researching trends and changes?

            When asked what she finds to be a best practice and procedure for her job she informed us that ensuring the…

(Quick Note: This is an excerpt from the 2015 Automotive Dealer Mystery Shop Study we released this year; and the best practices shared below relate to the email and voicemail messages that car dealers should be using when responding to an internet sales lead.)

VOICEMAIL & EMAIL RESPONSES – BEST PRACTICES

It’s important to remember the goal of this process: That is, to drive a reconnection;…

Today’s cars continue to become smarter as they “learn” and adapt to the behaviors of drivers. Cars “listen and learn” about the driver to provide the optimal driving experience.

How can your sales advisors learn to engage, optimize and convert women shoppers into buyers and provide the optimal sales experience? What changes can your…

Despite some recent negative press about security concerns, it’s safe to say that as the kinks are worked out Connected Cars will be the way of the automotive future. Connected Cars began as simply vehicles with in-car Wi-Fi and capabilities similar to a smart phone. Now, they’ve taken on much more in depth characteristics.…

Talk More, Sell More, Win More.

Are you a salesperson looking to make more money? I have the answers. On this week's Think Tank Tuesday, learn how to make a gigantic difference in your sales every month. It's time for your end-of-month numbers to get better.…

I get asked a lot what makes a successful internet department and I realize I am only being asked my opinion since there are more ways then one to do it.

I do have a preference but for those looking to set one up here are some choices you have.

The Business Development Center - (B.D.C.)

You can have different types of…

Six months ago I watched a service manager struggle with the amount of customer complaints he had to deal with on a daily basis. Most of the complaints were just silly, and almost all of them should have been solved at the advisor level.

Unfortunately for this manager, he was really, really good at solving customer issues. So good, in fact, that his team seemed…

I almost titled this post “Perfect Data Matters,” but because it is one of the MOST IMPORTANT blog posts I’ve made this year, and because that title is so stinking boring to you and your managers, it would guarantee the least amount of interaction.

And that is sad. Perfect Data matters.

As boring as that sounds, not only does Perfect Data matter, it matters more than the Up getting out of their car right now. In fact, compared to Perfect Data in your CRM, that Up is…

Are you incorporating the auto service department into your sales presentation? 

If not, you should start so immediately! There is a reason why most successful car salespeople make the service department the last stop on their way to the closing table.  Car buyers today keep their cars…

Here’s the problem at many dealerships: In our heads, we know what we want our people to be doing on a daily basis, but our actions and processes (or lack thereof) contradict what our heads are thinking, and we end up sending our staff conflicting messages. What do many of you see as you walk through your showroom? You might see five salespeople standing out…

Dealers struggle all of the time trying to find value in social media marketing - Facebook in particular, and hesitate when deciding whether Facebook (or social media marketing in general) is worth their time, effort or money.

Perhaps it’s because they don’t see direct results? They may be looking for a straight line…

We've been studying the car buying habits of Millennial Women and are surprised with the differences they exhibit. This really changes the game.

• Their expectations are different.
• Their desires are different.
• Their values are different.

So if you try to sell them the usual way, it won't work as well. But when you change your selling style to align with these differences, EVERYTHING becomes easier.…

What do I have to do to develop a great sales team?

An ideal sales team of veteran salespeople would allow each dealership to maximize revenue.  In reality, sales departments experience a high level of turnover.  As a result, there is no easy answer to this question.

Focusing on what we can’t control while ignoring what we can is a pathway to frustration and declining success.  Fearing turnover is no excuse for not investing in training your sales staff.  A…

5 Steps to Get Your Customers to Fill Out Your Surveys

Do you get a dismal response whenever you send out customer surveys? Samantha recently helped a client solve this issue and she  can help you too. This week on Hard Facts, learn the five steps to make your surveys irresistible.