http://fixedopsnews.blogspot.com/2011/08/exceeding-expectations.html

What would a Service Professional do?



A Professional understands their Customers Expectations.



Now this has got to be the easiest “no brainer” post you have read in years! You would think that every person who works in the Dealership has heard of Customer Service (here’s a little hint: WE ALL…

Stop the Profit Leak

ANSWER THE PHONE!!

With the next Digital Dealer Conference promising to be chock full of the latest in Digital and Social Marketing strategies, I can’t help but ponder the obvious. We are learning great new ways to drive traffic to our dealerships with the commitment that the buying experience will be extraordinary. And the good news is its working! For too many of us, the bad news is the same…..its working.

With…

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 …

I’ve been following closely, and reporting on, the recent uptick in activity being taken by the National Labor Relations Board in pursuing complaints related to employee terminations due to social media use. All of the previous articles, including the…

Dealer Elite's Exclusive Interview with "CarsDirect.com"





1.What is CarsDirect?

CarsDirect.com has been in the online automotive business for over 12 years now. We are one of the pioneers of selling cars online. As a leader in the online automotive community, we partner with dealers to give them access to our automotive network. Our network spans to nearly 100 automotive enthusiast and forum sites. We also own Autos.com, SellMyCar.com,…

If you aren't happy with the way your dealership website is performing in terms of search engine results (and you aren't violating Google's webmaster guidelines), you can ask Google to "reconsider" your site.  Essentially, you can ask Google to take a look at your site to see if it was manually marked as spam.

Over the years, Google has improved this process to make it more transparent.  After submitting a site, Google will let the webmaster know that they received the…

That's a tough question.  It can put many people on the spot and get others thinking, perhaps to reeavluate life's priorities.  Maybe, as we end the week, this is a bit to tough a topic even for those who participate.  For those of us who served in the military, the answer is as simple as we do it for our country.  Now that we're civilians, perhaps the answer changed.  At this point in my life, the list is short - My father and mother, my son and daughter, and my best friend since I was 2…

Chances are you have a Facebook page.  Chances are good, you don't think to much of it.  Chances are you have not seen the new application Social Outbreak.  Your Dealership should have it.

Would it be good if your Facebook page had links to your new inventory?  Pre-Owned as well?  How about being able to schedule service appointments?  Order parts?  This new application can do this an much…

Do the "RIGHT THING".. You can make mistakes and be forgiven,but dishonesty lingers in people's memories forever.It's much easier to keep your reputation than rebuild it. Nothing will turn people against you more than being percieved as dishonest.People forgive for making mistakes.In LINCOLN ON LEADERSHIP , Author Donald Phillips…

AOA Accessories Midyear Trend Report: Electronics Continue as Profit-leader, Protection Gains Momentum, Factory Performance Revs Up  

Auto dealers continue to generate profits from accessory sales with average gross margins of 47% and average net profit margins of 32.8%, according to izmocars report 

SAN FRANCISCO, September 15, 2011 -- izmocars (…

Google Places.  Facebook.  Twitter.  Foursquare.  Etc.  All free.  Car dealers have to love that price, right?

My caution is not about whether to use these services, as YOU MUST USE THEM.  It’s not an option any longer—it’s just a matter of when you can get to using them with the attention they deserve for the result you need.

My caution IS, however, about…

We have a responsibility to our people to set expectations not goals.

You set a goal and if they don't hit it then it's "oh well" maybe next month! or they come to you all proud and say ohhh i got so close, maybe this month!

Expectations put a little responsibilty on the shoulders of the person that is trying to make them a reality, then have consequences for those who do not meet them. As managers we sometimes want to soften the blow by saying " well he was…

Business Development Centers have always been a strange abnormality and a sticking point for me because they were created and sold to address a systemic issue that no one really wants to tackle. Slumping sales and under performing salespeople that are routinely described as order takers, because they lack the ability to be business developers, have created an opportunity for this anomaly in the sales and customer relationship management…

IIt is not my job, it is my duty to be inspired and inspire others.  Since my early twenties, I have said final farewells to nineteen brave patriots, heroes and friends.  Each paid the price for freedom before the rigors of life made them old and gray.  These are nineteen friends that I had planned to grow old with, but instead I honor their sacrifice to trade in their future as an investment in my…

UPDATE: 9/19/11 - The Digital Dealer Webinar scheduled for 9/22/11 with Phil Zelinger has been postponed until after the 11th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. Stay tuned for more details. 

Digital Dealer Webinar: How to Sell More with Less Using Technology Driven Processes Powered By Social Media

Date: 9/22/2011 at 11:30am EST -…

In (Part 1) of this blog, we talked about the experience you receive when you go to a restaurant for lunch.

In (Part 2) of this blog, we talked about the “Level of Expectation” process in your Sales Department.

In (Part 3) of this blog, we talked about the “Level of Expectation” process in your F&I/Business Manager’s…

Do you ever wonder why some people seem to “have it all” and others complain all the time? Why do people continue to choose to fail? Why do people keep Blaming others if things don't go as planned?

If you talk to people who have achieved great things in life, they will tell you that persistence is one of the key factors for their success. People who are successful believe that they are capable of success. Positive thinking and positive people are…

I get asked many of times if I am a motivational speaker and I usually smile when I hear the question because I know why they are asking. I am extremely curious so when I’m engaged in a conversation, I ask a lot of questions that usually get people thinking differently about what they have come to accept as normal. Let’s take sales training for example, did you know that just about every company and everyone on the planet…