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 report.

This week’s Market Insights Report…

New Feature in Desk/Mate™ Designed to Streamline Auto Dealerships' Sales Process & Improve Their Workflow

Albany, NY – May 14, 2018​ – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems recently released Deal Closeout, a new feature in the Desk/Mate™ Module of its dealership management system (DMS). Desk/Mate users can now work and close deals all in one module, streamlining the sales process…

In the last several years, road safety has become an alarmingly increasing issue and a public health problem. The number of fatal and disabling road accidents happening is increasing day by day all over the world resulting in transforming road accidents in the tenth-leading cause of all deaths globally.  Studies suggest that an estimated number of 1.2 million people are killed in road accidents each year, as almost 50 million people are severely injured. Developing countries are implementing…

You would never want a jerky ride. Radiators play a key role in ensuring that care runs seamlessly. It’s a key component of a car cooling system. A fully functional radiator makes sure that the hot fluid coming from it is cooled before it is recirculated back into the engine. Hence, it becomes important that the radiators are working seamlessly. But, being a mechanical part, they are prone to wear and tear, and many undergo some damage. Hence, you would need a…

I share the concepts of the fundamental attribution and conversion errors in this short video blog.

Lease Approval Ratings in April Reach Their Highest Since August of 2018, making it the strongest month of the year

Swapalease.com, the nation’s largest car lease marketplace, reports car lease credit applicants registered a 72% approval rate in April, a rise from the March rate of 70.7%.

April experienced a higher number of applicants with qualifications that led to more approvals for taking over another person’s lease contract during the month. April saw a slight…

Cars are costly assets owned and loved by people. We love and care for our cars more than any other asset. But there is one aspect that one must never undermine and that is car servicing. It ensures that the car is in good condition so that you enjoy a seamless drive. Moreover, regular servicing enhances the life of  the car’s engine. All this depends on who is doing the servicing of the car. Car mechanics don’t just check the type and repair the…

Dealerships have many reasons to work with staff and write the best repair orders possible. This helps the dealership in so many ways however to carry a special interest in today’s dealership environment. First, it is critical in maximizing submissions to receive retail pricing on warranty repairs. Second is that poorly written repair orders cost…

This week, Jeff discusses some key attributes for successful advisors. Amongst others, being able to truly master the art of selling is a skill that will never fail you! Become a product expert, master the art of selling, reading, and investing in yourself are just some of the steps to be a successful advisor.

Copyright 2019 WM Jeff Cowan

Website: automotiveservicetraining.com

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Consumer data privacy concerns are constantly in the news. Growing pressure on lawmakers to do something has resulted in a wave of new consumer privacy legislation being passed in many states.

California has passed the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). A similar law is expected to soon pass in Washington state. Alabama, Louisiana, Colorado, Nebraska, Massachusetts and Ohio have recently added new data security standards to their data breach notification laws. You can…

Here we are again with the video series, Quality of Life.

Let’s start this week by taking a look at that Five Pillars worksheet we finished. You remember where you put it, don’t you? Okay great! Go ahead and tape that up in your office - somewhere you will definitely see it every day. Choose a word for the week to practice. Be aware of how…

We have returned from our 2 staffed sales events and dealership visits. The teams did a total of 117 vehicles at 641K in gross. We are sending out a big thank you to our dealers that teamed up with us for 2 great events we greatly appreciate your trust in our company. The office is back up and running today. We had a family emergency that really shut things down. We lost our most beloved and cherished friend and family member. Oreo if love alone could have kept you alive you would have…

Compared to ancient advertising mediums like newspaper, radio, tv, and spam, associate light-emitting diode sign is, by far, the smallest amount pricey and simplest thanks to advertising and grow your business. comparison the worth of "exposures" (the variety of individuals United Nations agency read your ad) illustrates the…

Sales profit margins are getting smaller, and dealerships are looking to service as the profit-making aspect of their business. And there’s one area of service that’s particularly overlooked, especially for how much revenue it can generate:…

This week’s Market Insights Report looks at the spring market, with data showing it extending into a seventh week. The report also offers a glimpse into the latest Specialty Markets, and a spotlight on the three-year retention trends of Compact Vans, which have shown really strong performance this year. Model Year 2016 values are currently at 49% of MSRP, the strongest three-year retention seen in four years.

“Markets registered a slight uptick last week, even after car prices have…

In this video blog, I discuss whether or not car dealerships should be worried about Amazon entering the retail vehicle sales space.

https://youtu.be/1DSwn26jmCo

Despite Recent Decline, Index Is Still Higher Than Its Level A Year Ago

Black Book, a division of Hearst that provides industry-leading used vehicle valuation and residual value forecast solutions, released its Used Vehicle Retention Index for April (113.6), a -0.2% change from March (113.8). Despite the Index now falling for five straight months it is still 1.4% higher than a year ago (112.0).…

While five years ago the range of cargo vans was limited, today automobile biggies like Ford, Nissan and Benz have raised the stakes. Here, we’re comparing the best cargo van models for commercial use.

For many companies, cargo vans with commercial vehicle insurance are an integral part of their daily schedule. Whether it’s a catering company, an e-commerce website that delivers goods purchased online or a florist, these closed vans offer ease of transport combined…

One of the biggest challenges for dealers today is knowing which marketing channels deliver the best reach, frequency and ROI. For marketers everywhere, it can be difficult to reach an intended audience, and when they do, many times the audience isn't paying attention.

Take television, for example. Many dealerships still create and air…

Leverages Black Book’s Most Precise Valuation Resources for Automotive Professionals  

Black Book, known in the automotive industry for providing timely, independent and precise vehicle pricing information, announced today it has integrated General Motors’ Build Data into the company’s VIN Decode and valuations data, resulting in even higher precision of valuations of General Motors vehicles. Build Data is “as built” content in a vehicle,…