All Blog Posts (12,630)

ROI in Social Media is possible - it just takes time and may should be called ROE (return of engagement)

Too often do I get the question during my seminars "VJ, what is the ROI - what can I expect to make on money and how many cars will I be selling at my dealerships, when I am "signing up" for Social media?"....here we go again. I am not complaining that I receive this question but I am foremost dazzled that question is still comparing Social Media Marketing with the "old" way to do Marketing and Advertising.…

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Added by V.J. on July 12, 2010 at 3:00am — No Comments

Creating a Presence on the Internet for Small Business

Creating and managing your internet presence is a massive undertaking with equally large opportunities and will require more than building a website…

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Added by Grant Cardone on July 11, 2010 at 11:30am — No Comments

Sales is a Tough Racket

I was working in the Aircraft industry for years. The industry pays well as aircraft parts produce large profits. Then came 9/11/2001 the industry as a whole took a major hit. I made it until 2003 before my number came up.I was laid off. I could not make the money I did outside of the aircraft industry with the skills I had.

My wife and kids were out of town when I was laid off. I decided I wanted to get into sales because I thought If I hustled I could make the type of money I needed to… Continue

Added by Stanley Esposito on July 10, 2010 at 1:00am — 1 Comment

AdAgencyOnline.Net Adds Blog Talk Radio Show - Auto Industry Insiders - For Automotive Advertising Agencies

AdAgencyOnline.Net is an automotive advertising resource/networking portal for automotive advertising agencies. The site hosts a blog talk radio station -- WAAOL, All Automotive…

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Added by Philip Zelinger on July 8, 2010 at 4:58pm — No Comments

To Contact until they Buy or Die? That is the Question..

When you first get that customer’s information and they are unable to make a commitment at that time what is a realistic timeframe to keep trying to contact that customer. Most ”experts” will say 120-180 days, but in today’s faster moving decision process for the customer do you really think they are still in the market? I would have to say “No”, please keep in mind that this is my opinion. The first 1-24 hours is the most important. If you can respond to someone as they are…

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Added by Bradley Belford on July 6, 2010 at 3:00pm — 1 Comment

AdAgencyOnline.Net Advises Automotive Advertising Agencies To Attend The 9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition

Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and host of the blog talk radio station featured on the automotive advertising resource/networking portal AdAgencyOnline.Net -- WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time, advised automotive advertising…

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Added by Philip Zelinger on July 6, 2010 at 12:47pm — No Comments

AdAgencyOnline.Net Shares Social Media Formula With Automotive Advertising Agencies; C2C + B2B = B2C SQUARED

AdAgencyOnline.Net is an automotive advertising resource / networking portal hosted by Ad Agency Online, L.L.C., (AAOL). Philip Zelinger, the President of AAOL and host of the blog talk radio station featured on AdAgencyOnline.Net -- WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The…

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Added by Philip Zelinger on July 3, 2010 at 3:13am — No Comments

Getting Customers on the Lot Without Crossing the Line

Many complaints and legal actions against auto dealers are the result of the way vehicles are advertised. According to a joint survey by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA), and North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI), the number one consumer complaint has been misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars.

Advertising violations are also a ripe target for regulators and consumer… Continue

Added by Jim Radogna on July 2, 2010 at 5:14pm — 1 Comment

Everybody is Talking About It…But Who’s Really Getting It?

I love reading blogs. They are an amazing insight to what is going on in the mind of the writer. So, after reading blog after blog I am impressed and ecstatic that everyone seems to be aboard the customer retention train!

Here’s the rub. Everyone (okay, most everyone) would agree that the key to profitability in a dealership is not based on units sold or hours per R.O…it’s based on how many of those sold are retained as customers and refers their friends and family to the dealership.…

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Added by Jessica Russell on June 29, 2010 at 12:48pm — No Comments

It's Summer: No Time For Shortcuts

For most of us, geographically speaking, the hot summer months are upon us and the daily grind out on the car lot can take its toll on our sales agents.

Looking back on some of the basics in regards to the ”road to the sale” that we all memorized and practiced when we first entered the business and still should be, I see sales agents that continue to take shortcuts and still believe that they will end up with a car deal. Yes, we all know the car deal can still happen but how…

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Added by Chris Costner on June 24, 2010 at 12:24pm — No Comments

An Effective Video Email Marketing System. Click on the link to see more......

http://apps.attainresponse.com/MailF5/message.htm?id=mark-hourany@comf5-com/1277344240323-1277351279380&t=http%3A%2F%2Fapps.attainresponse.com%2Ftmb%2Fmark-hourany%40comf5-com%2F1277344240323.jpg&notify=yes

Imagine Your Customers walking in…

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Added by Mark Hourany on June 24, 2010 at 10:30am — No Comments

Five Mystical Ways of Digital Kung Fu

1.…

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Added by Keith Shetterly on June 24, 2010 at 10:30am — 1 Comment

Recruiting For Positions In Your Dealership Has Never Been Easier!

Please watch this video and comment on it!

https://www.youtube.com/tkworldwide

I will be posting here soon, and providing insight into the world of automotive recruiting. I would like to know what you want to see regarding types of information (recruiting related) you may have questions about, or are seeking additional information on..…

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Added by Kevin "Friend Me" Bradberry on June 21, 2010 at 5:04pm — No Comments

IS YOUR LADDER MISSING A RUNG?

Imagine a ladder. On this ladder there are 5 rungs. These rungs are labeled Prime, Near Prime, Sub Prime, Below Sub Prime and BHPH. These are all the various credit categories your customers fall into. People are moving both up and down this ladder as their circumstances change and their credit improves or weakens. If you have a method in place to sell and finance all 5 categories then you can serve all of these customers. Now, imagine the bottom rung is missing. As things happen in your… Continue

Added by Al Mosher on June 19, 2010 at 11:50am — 1 Comment

My Vote For Video

What would you rather do?

A. perform at a higher level (ie: close more deals or generate more gross profit) from your current opportunities to do business.

OR

B. generate more opportunities to do business.

For me, the answer is obvious. Unfortunately, many of the dealer contacts I’ve been making don’t seem to respond as well to offers of methods for doing better with what they have as they do methods for…

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Added by Shannon Page on June 18, 2010 at 6:57pm — No Comments

Can Modern Solutions Protect Against Old School Practices?

Much has been written about Automotive Online Reputation Management and, fortunately, there are a number of companies and consultants now available to assist dealers in getting a handle on this crucial subject. Reputation and customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance to dealers and there is little doubt that many negative online postings are either questionable or do not reliably portray the true culture of the dealership.

However, I believe that a dealership’s reputation is… Continue

Added by Jim Radogna on June 17, 2010 at 2:54pm — 1 Comment

Would You Remove Safety Items from a Vehicle Because the Customer Requests It?

I know this question seems ridiculous; of course you wouldn’t. This would not only be harmful to the customer and any of their passengers, but would also affect unsuspecting future owners who will be impacted by a decision they did not make. And then there are the legal ramifications! There is legal precedence for the customer not being held responsible for making safety-related decisions; one court in California ruled that the customer is not qualified to determine what is safe and unsafe, and… Continue

Added by David L. Newman on June 15, 2010 at 3:47pm — 1 Comment

Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

When was the last time you worked with a manager and said, “that person is a great leader”? Early in my career, I can honestly say I learned more about what kind of leader I didn’t want to be rather than the kind I do want to be. Unfortunately, I found myself learning and practicing management traits of those poor leaders. It wasn’t until someone cared about me enough to tell me “you’re a prick to people at times” that I realized I needed to do something about…

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Added by Hoss Devine on June 13, 2010 at 8:30pm — No Comments

AdAgencyOnline.Net Uses Social Media To Teach Automotive Advertising Agencies About Automotive Advertising On The Internet

Automotive advertising agencies don't know what they don't know and they are turning to social networking communities like http://AdAgencyOnline.Net to listen and learn about the increasing role of social media in automotive advertising. Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad…

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Added by Philip Zelinger on June 11, 2010 at 2:26pm — No Comments

HOW TO WRITE A GOOD TV SCRIPT FOR YOUR DEALERSHIP

If you are advertising your dealership on television, you are likely more successful than the car stores in your market who are not using TV. There is no better advertising medium for selling automobiles than television. But, before you call the production crew to shoot your store and prior to…

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Added by Tom Letizia on June 11, 2010 at 12:25pm — 2 Comments