Forgive me for saying this, but from where I now stand, it is quite apparent to me that there is way more opportunity for improving profitability than most dealership managers are aware of. I certainly know looking back on my career (and I thought I was very pro-active) that there was so much more opportunity to be realized than I was able to completely grasp at the time.

Most people agree that there is more upside potential left on the table, they are just not…

Basic text email absolutely stinks for many of the applications we typically use it for in the automotive industry. There, I said it! Do I have your attention now?

There’s a reason I’m saying this and I think you’ll agree after hearing me out. The fact of the matter is, text communication causes fights. When is the last time you sent your wife, girlfriend, husband, or boyfriend a text message that was completely taken out of context? For me it’s daily, sometimes, even…

Acquisition activity soaring; Berkshire Hathaway acquisition of Van Tuyl and Lithia acquisition of DCH push pricing expectations to record peaks, according to Q3 Kerrigan Quarterly Blue Sky Report;

Kerrigan Advisors announces new private equity/family office advisory to meet evolving market needs

Irvine, CA, December 2, 2014 – U.S. dealership buy/sell…

Womens-Drivers.com, the leading dealer ratings and review site for Women buyers, conducts ongoing research through our Women’s Satisfaction Index (WSI®) report to provide dealers with important insights into buying habits of women.

Women-Drivers.com asks women to complete an optional 25 question survey about their dealership experience after completing a dealer review. An amazing ninety-two percent of women complete this extensive survey primarily to share their experience with other…

Today, our Women’s Wednesday focuses on the road to ultimate business success. This is powered by a growing customer base, increasing loyalty and customer retention. Here are some innovative marketing ideas to increase your competitive edge by delivering more value to women customers.

Stop Being Reactive And Start Being Proactive



Have you ever caught yourself thinking "50% of my advertising is waste?" If you feel you're not getting the most out of your advertising budget, it may be time to start implementing some changes. We're not talking about taking the easy way out by cutting your budget, but the steps you can take that will produce more substantial results.

On this episode of…

You may still be feeling full from a big Thanksgiving meal and an overload of college and professional football but we are glad you have joined us for another Used Car Market Report from Black Book. Yes, it was a short week of market activity, but there are still some highlights to point out.



Gas prices at the pump fell another $.07 for the week to reach $2.82 per gallon, now $.47 below…

Her’s was a 7. She told me it’s what she would rate it. Now it was up to me to convince her mine was a good solid 10. I knew it shouldn’t be too difficult because she told me it was what she was wanting soon after we met.

It was a new F-150 she was after. Not just any F-150. She wanted a 4X4 Supercab with a long bed. That wasn’t impossible but it may as well be since less than 2% of production was Supercab Long…

In my last blog article, I discussed the importance of building rapport with leads through the use of “Why Buy From Me” and “Lead Response” videos personalized for each customer. Now I would like to take this one step further -- Building rapport should in fact start much earlier than simply upon the receipt of a lead.

Think about the first contact a customer…

I conduct follow up training classes for salespeople that deliver less than 8 units for the month. Out of some 130 salespeople in our organization last month we had 28 that missed the mark. In previous classes I’ve conducted training on various parts of the steps to the sale, overcoming objections, and closing techniques.

This month I decided to drill down to…

Regardless of how hard you work to ensure that your customers have an excellent experience, mistakes happen. No doubt you’ve had customers complain about something – it took too long for their vehicle to be serviced, there was a miscommunication in pricing during the sale, or a general failure to deliver on promises (big or small). Whether the…

It's very easy to get caught up in the big picture.

We're always told to look at the big picture. It's usually more easily accessible, particularly for car dealer personnel who have a thousand things they must get done every month. One could even make an argument that driving your business…

Over time technology keeps improving.  From hardware (TVs, computers, smartphones, etc) to software (games, apps and utilities) things just get faster, thinner and better.  Technology makes things more efficient and adds convenience to our lives.  The fact remains that there is no going back and it is part of all of our everyday lives.  Businesses use technology to attract new customers and retain their existing customers.  It is impossible to ignore its impact.  But with so many choices…

So I have a friend who called me up in late June and asked me for some help.  His daughter, who had graduated college the year before, was having trouble finding a job.  He knew I’m in the automotive industry and wanted to know if there might be an opportunity for his daughter. Knowing Tammy, I was thrilled to think that this bright young woman would have an interest in an industry that I love so much. 

Although her college had been paid for, Tammy, not one to be idle, worked…

http://www.googleopolybook.com ;

Pre-Order "Win The Game Of Googleopoly" Book & Unlock The Secret Strategy Of Search Engines

Just read this great blog post on Linkedin.  

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141114143018-52594-ten-stupid-rules-that-drive-great-employees-away?trk=pulse-det-nav_art

One example is 

Bell Curve Performance Reviews

Performance reviews in general are a…

WHEN THE HECK SHOULD I HIRE MORE PEOPLE AND HOW MANY?????

Let’s look at the Law of Diminishing Return as a measuring tool to use in the decision to hire more people, regardless of the department in your dealership.  I would certainly search Google and read as many examples as you possibly can on this…