In my many discussions with dealers, the one question that invariably comes up is “What is online retailing, really?” They’ll then begin to tell me how consumers can already buy a car online from them. They have a widget with which a consumer can get their trade value. They have an online payment calculator. Customers can submit a lead, get a quote online and even correspond…

The automotive industry pretty much resets at the beginning for each month. I’m sure you’ve all heard the term, “hero to zero.” Well, that’s rather how it is – you are judged on your sales for the previous month.

So, what do managers do when they get nervous in the middle of the month – perhaps sales volumes aren’t on track, or inventory is making them…

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about Amazon’s entry into the automotive world… something I predicted quite a while ago and covered in previous blogs.

For the moment, Amazon is functioning as simply a new research portal where consumers can find information and…

In the popular science fiction movie, The Matrix, the hero Neo is presented with two options by the mysterious Morpheus – the red pill or the blue pill. By taking the red pill, Neo would be enlightened into the real world. Whereas, if he chose the blue pill, he would remain peacefully ignorant of reality and continue to live in the fantasy world. If you’ve seen the movie,…

Consumers are constantly flooded with messages everywhere they go, from billboards to direct mail, to websites, banner ads and email. Most of these messages are disregarded, ignored or, even worse, never seen, because, for the most part, the message itself is not relevant.

So, along came retargeting, which can continue to follow the customer around the…

I frequently talk about the current industry disrupters taking sales from dealers – the Beepis, Vrooms and Carvanas, amongst others. These companies snuck up on dealers and, with little warning, jumped into the spotlight and sucked investors into a future Nirvana of car buying bliss. They are currently blasting feel good messages to consumers portraying car dealerships as inconvenient -- pushing a message of an easy buying experiences which, unsurprisingly, consumers (and investors) have…

Today I want to talk to you about a potential future I believe is rolling towards our industry at an alarming speed. You see, what I do, is I peek around corners looking for trends that have potential teeth and which could impact the automotive industry. 

Recently I have become very concerned, as there is one particular trend that could be with us in the very…

The market is calling Beepi, Vroom and the Carvanna’s of the world ‘Disruptors.’ I simply call them evolutionary companies that will assist in gaining consumer trust and confidence with the car buying experience -- and ultimately with dealerships.  

Today’s technology has made it a snap to buy most goods online and this has conditioned consumers to expect…

Implementing Corporate Benefits Programs (CBP) to employees of small/large corporations is nothing new. Manufacturers have been doing it for some time -- Ford’s X-Plan pricing, for example. But, typically, these corporate discount programs are isolated to large national corporations with which the OEMs have successfully partnered. What if you could increase your market share…

I left a 35 year career in automobile retail management eight months ago. I worked as a GM at Dick Hannah, one of the greatest dealer groups in the country, and I loved every moment of it.

I have had many mentors in my life, (grateful every moment for all of them) but I was told by a specific mentor to constantly look in the mirror. To take a look at our…

I’m sure that every management team sits down on occasion to discuss ways to improve dealership operations. Whether that improvement has to do with sales goals, employee satisfaction, or simply lot appearance, typically what happens is that everyone is gung-ho about it and it kicks off great. Then, slowly that momentum dies and all of a sudden nobody is making an effort…

I’ve talked plenty of times about disrupters entering our industry in an attempt to take sales and market share away from dealers. The Carvanas, Beepis and Vrooms dangle carrots of lower prices and better buying experiences and tempt consumers to try a new way of purchasing their next vehicle. Now, it appears, at least one manufacturer has taken notice.

A…

We all love this industry and what it can, and has done, for our families, friends, country and our local communities. But, I fear that if we do not stop and take a serious look at where we are as far as operations and culture in our stores today, our future generations may be in jeopardy.

With the massive shift in the way businesses are being built today, it…

I believe that, as an automotive community, we intuitively know that we need to change. The sales to consumer model is outdated – our fault for not demanding of ourselves consistent improvement in the consumer experience arena. Consumers are demanding more and Wall Street has taken notice. Backed by hundreds of millions of dollars, companies are quickly rising that threaten…

There’s little doubt that the experience provided by auto dealerships in the past has jaded consumers into a stereotype and perception that isn’t necessarily accurate any longer, yet continues to persist. Because of this perception, companies such as Beepi, Carvana and more are creeping into the automotive space and threatening to snatch sales away from dealerships. (how? by…

As a dealership manager it can be difficult to get participation and buy-in from your team. During my many years as a general manager, I found that one of the simplest and most effective ways to get a team to work towards a common goal is through accountability. Accountability (when managed lightly) can create consistency, successful habits and pride in performance. I say…

An aspiring actress was planning a cross country move from New York to California to pursue her acting career and wanted to work as an Uber driver between auditions. This, of course, necessitated a reliable vehicle - something that she did not need in New York. She had heard of an online used car buying platform, Beepi, but wasn’t exactly sure if she should…

An article published on Wards Auto shared some interesting views from a recent session at the Automotive Customer Centricity Summit. The article stated that John Finkel, director-client experience and training for Nissan’s luxury unit, Infiniti, does not believe that a 1-hour car…

How can it be possible that I would leave a job I LOVE after 25 years?

The fact is that I have always liked to be ahead of the curve and today’s customers are rewarding evolving dealerships that offer true Online Deal Creation with real perfect payment – where all that is left is the test drive. Don’t believe this can be done? Well, I am convinced that it can…