When will the Internet Manager be just that?
I think that it is time that the Internet Manager position be defined...there are two the Internet Content Manager and the Internet Sales Manager....I am a Content Manager which assists the dealerships sales through generating and monitoring sales leads. Individuals that work on websites, inventory and social networking sites are not the same people as the Internet Sales Managers who sell and deliver the vehicles. Many Auto dealers confuse the two and try to combine them into one position, this does not work 90% of the time. It all comes down to pay, if you sell cars from the Internet it can be tracked, it you generate hits, and leads it is harder to track and understand, making it in the automotive world an unthinkable position to pay for....what are your thoughts?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tom Gorham on
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Hi Tina,
I use these guidelines for responsibilities. Some might disagree, since every dealership is different, but it works for me. Those who sell and deliver vehicles to Internet customers are called Internet Sales Representatives or ISRs. Those who manage ISRs are called Internet Sales Managers (ISMs) and have responsibility for the entire department. Those who manage Internet departments in several stores are called Internet Directors and have Internet Managers at each store.
I like your idea of "Content" Manager. Many today are spending much or most of their time doing this which I call "marketing". So my title at our one rooftop dealership is "Internet Sales & Marketing Manager". I have two "Assistant Managers" who help manage the sales staff.
As far as compensation, I consider the "content" or "marketing" part of my job to be the most time-consuming and challenging part of my job. Therefore, it should be compensated differently if you separate sales and content. Hope this info is useful to you.
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Permalink Reply by Glenn Mangold on
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The problem Dealers have is quantifying the expense. The issue is you can not count and account for LOST money - missed opportunities.
The Internet is replacing brick and mortar for basically free compared to hugh monuments to a franchise.
You have to create, keep, close and track ALL leads - the Best in my humbles opinion is the Internet and Phone Ups....they are afraid of the storied franchise so they call and surf the web for 6 hours versus spend 6 hours at dealerships.
in fact just launched a new product that will take dealerships to the NEXT level and that is doing a LIVE demo with an internet customer with LIVE interaction. Not a flip phone, not crap but true LIVE UPS on the internet....WOW!
Every dealership uses pan, tilt and zoom thinking it is live, hold a photo at arms length and bring it closer, that is not video it is a powerpoint.
The follow up and generation team should be separate from the Floor Sales Team and from the Internet Sales Team, ALL LEADS need to be tracked from where, when and what to the point of sale. Then if nothing is there determine if they have a product you sell and put them into service rotation for mailers and emails.
WHAT made them contact you is extremely valuable. The Newspapers are dying and should, dealerships should reposition their liabilies, spend less and invest in people, training, and INTERNET.
Just a thought,
Glenn Mangold
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650.468.8302
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Permalink Reply by Craig Strobeck on
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In my humble opinion, a Content Manager should be just that. I have met very few qualified web-content, and website development individuals that were truly qualified to take ups and sell retail. I'm not saying they don't exist, just that they are rare. I doubt that we would expect a Title Clerk to take phone ups, and while there probably are some that can and maybe do, it's not what we expect or pay them for.
A sales position should be limited to the actual sales process, and a content manager (or whatever label you place on it) should be the best at what they do. Ideally, the two work hand in hand as part of the overall BDC and sales process. Payment of a "content manager" has to be accounted for as part of the marketing or support expense. I would generally support some sort of bonus on performance based on the number of qualified customers presented to the sales force by the sales lead generating position.
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Permalink Reply by A. J. Maida on
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Hey Tina,
I agree. This should be two different jobs. While I came from the Sales Desk and floor in a past life many years ago I am not a "sales manager". I could be but I don't want to be. I am, as I always tell people (especially when they ask me to fix their computer ;) ) a content manager. Hence my title "Director of Digital Marketing". I have two sales associates under me who are called "Internet Sales Managers". The go from lead to delivery. They get all pricing from the desk managers. I instruct them on how to answer and follow up on leads. I run all three of our websites. Manually post inventory onto eBay, handle all our co-op paperwork, supervise the employee who post the cars into our inventory management tool (we do this 90% of the time within 24 hours. I write all the comments, to ensure that they are Google ready and not classifieds. I generate all the window stickers. If there is a vendor trying to sell us a program I handle the phone call (the last time I suggested we buy one it became my responsibility, so now everyone gets turned down unless I reach out to them). I track all the traffic to all the websites, all the third party sites, and all email campaigns. I handle an online service scheduler. The problem is that I can't get the managers to do anything to help. Just asked one today if he could review the carfax's and slip a summery into the comments. I guess my problem is that I only have this many hours and they want me to fit 3 jobs into it!!! I guess part of my problem is I am the person Craig can't find. I have made myself a better "content manger" then i was a salesman but at that i am still one of the best at working a deal. I guess I shouldn't expect any help, it might interfere with their online backgammon games. OK so maybe I didn't answer the question but thanks for letting me vent a little.
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I think in a Perfect World, each aspect of each deparment should have a Person designated to that need/event. However, Dealerships can only justify spending so much money in each area compared to a return. This is why some dealers have Content and Sales seperated within their E-Teams. Alot of Dealers cannot justify paying out the "extra" money and instead will "squeeze" the Internet Sales Manager for more production in alot of different areas without the extra compensation. Content Manager's impact can be tradked by Lead counting, aging of leads at sold date, quality of websites (social networks included), etc. Those are pretty tedious things to track and accurately pay on since there is room for manipulation. It is defintely an important position that can positively and/or negatively impact the actuall sales results. Like I said, "In a perfect world......".
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