Who Would You Nominate for a "Green Jacket?"

As the best golfers in the world compete for the Green Jacket at Augusta, I can't help but think of the largest similarity that Major tournament golf champions have with the champions of the Automotive Internet Sales world - Consistent Excellence.

Great golfers lead The Masters for a day or two and often fade. Only the best of the best are still in contention late on Sunday. These are the professionals that have paid their dues - made mistakes and learned from them, pushed themselves, sacrificed, maintained focus in the face of adversity and persevered.

The most successful BDC Directors and Automotive Internet Salespeople did not get that way overnight. They fight for respect, advertising budget and credit for sales in an industry that's looked down upon the BDC or Internet Sales Department as "those guys in the back that play on computers", compared the salespeople who work the floor exclusively. They share best practices on websites like AutomotiveDigitalMarketing.com, DrivingSales.com, DealerRefresh.com, dealerElite.net and others. They attend conferences like Digital Dealer, Internet Battle Plan, NADA, JD Power Roundtable, and DrivingSales Executive Summit - sometimes at their own expense and at their management's protest, but they press on. Most don't last very long and are soon seeking greener pastures, as the dealership maybe didn't live up to their commitment of ad budget - or personnel - or focus of the dealership toward technology - or pay plan originally agreed upon.

The leaders who can achieve longevity through turnover, tumultuous times, new technologies, and old-school mentality resistance, while producing consistent and steady, measurable growth for themselves and their department are truly the Champions of the Automotive Internet Sales world. Here's wishing there were a Green Jacket for them - and, not to get political, but women would be included in this club... Who would you nominate for the Green Jacket?

Adam Ross is the Managing Director of Infinite Prospects, Inc. Adam is a seasoned veteran of the car sales industry who has over 11 years of Automotive Internet Sales experience on both the dealer and vendor side, and continues to learn all he can about maximizing sales through technology for car dealerships. With hands on experience from the sales desk to management and high-level executive communication, Adam has thousands of connections in the automotive industry. From solutions providers, to lead generation websites, to implementing best practices for following up with prospects and closing appointments that lead to sales, Adam is the person you want to lead you through the technology landscape. He'll help you select the best sales technology for your car dealership, get your team running at top efficiency using the tools necessary for success, and maximize the capabilities of the solutions you already have in place.