The most trusted name in live chat brings the top ten blogs and auto news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and automotive stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition – no more Twinkies, Google Maps returns to the iPhone, and we released a new…

The most trusted name in live chat brings the top ten blogs and auto news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and automotive stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition – Einstein belongs to the world, Google visits the Grand Canyon, and the…

Find 67 auto industry resources to get info, digital publications and social networks.

The most trusted name in live chat brings the top ten blogs and auto news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and automotive stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition – a Ken doll comes to life, Newsweek announces the end of its print…

How many hours do your sales people spend at the dealership on a daily basis?  If you're like most dealers, there will be days when the staff works key to key.  Those 12 hour days can drag for some.  But, for those who have customers, it seems to speed by.

That said, how can dealers tolerate the speed merchants who call themselves…

5 Popular Aftermarket Accessories and How to Sell Them

If you are in a dealership that has an accessories profit center you already understand the revenue potential. The fact is consumers are constantly looking for ways to personalize everything from their electronic devices like…

What was your September like?  Or how do the year-to-date numbers look?  How is the sales force working out?  How many are left?  How is inventory?  Do you have enough of the right stuff?  How did you feel reading your last aged unit report?      

Those questions could have good answers or bad answers.  The future depends on what you're ready to do regardless of the answer.  This also applies to your entire operation.  How you answer the tough questions determine how you fare…

October 1, 2012 - New York, NY  Major NY Publisher Announces New Auto Sales Book - John Wiley & Son, the oldest professional publisher in the United States has announced another edition to add to it's highly successful "Dummies" franchise.  The "Dummies" books have sold millions of copies on a variety of subjects from technology to small business.  Their highly recognizable yellow and black covers are instantly recognizable and mean that the selected authors were…

Early in my retail automotive management career (back in the late 1960’s), I was fortunate to meet a renowned sales and management trainer. His name was Clint McGhee, and his training disciplines and materials provided the foundation of sales success, not only for my dealership, but for many others as well.  Following is one of Clint’s mantras, with which I may have taken a little editorial freedom:

“Avail yourself of every training opportunity.…

I don't know about you but I'm a sucker for classic westerns.  Even though about 10 minutes into the movie, you can pretty much figure it out, I always enjoy the "old west" from Hollywood's perspective.  It was a simpler time.  Or was it?      

Back then, at least in the movies, there was always a point when the good guys were surrounded.  It always looked like there was no way out.  Or, as the cliche goes, "It looks like the end of the line."  Yet, seemingly out of nowhere a…

There is a statement we've all heard over the years in the car business.  It usually comes from the dealer or a senior manager.  When I hear it, it makes me crazy.  Now, I know that some of you will say that driving me crazy is a short trip, but this one makes me glad that I'm not on a roof when I hear it.  I might jump.      

It usually happens when I'm talking to a dealer.  We may be discussing a hiring campaign, an idea for advertising, a specific sales practice or even a way to…

Part of our marketing is to monitor help wanted ads for sales people.  I've seen some that should be very effective, but far too many are less than acceptable.  The only way to describe them is pure laziness.  The only other possibility is that the dealer is still running the sales department on "The Warm Body Theory."  That's where dealers who are stuck in the 1980's still believe that if they keep hiring warm bodies, eventually they'll end up with some "natural" sales talent.…

In the automotive sales industry, we sometimes get so wrapped up with adjusting/tweaking our own approach to the sales process (internal critiques) that we often forget to look at how our customers are approaching us with each potential sale.

The cliché, “…it takes two to tango...” comes to mind.

What kind of research or tips do they look for before coming to the car lot?…

Every time they come on I'm drawn in.  I root for people in sports I either have never seen before or still don't understand.  But, my favorite part of the Olympics is when they share the journey that each athlete had to make to get there.  When they share how obstacles had to be overcome, sacrifices had to be made, and most importantly, goals that had to be set.  When one hears the stories of these special athletes, it's difficult to complain…

Fort Lauderdale, FL – July 31st, 2012 – AutoUSA Internet Sales Solutions (www.autousadealers.com) today introduced Payment Pro℠ powered by DriveItNow®, a payment-based conversion tool for auto dealer websites. Payment Pro is a service that provides online shoppers with instant, real car loan payments based on individual credit and inventory eligibility, generating pre-qualified, first-party leads from dealer websites.

With Payment…

That first day at the beach was always exciting.  It was a TOO day.  Too much food.  Too much water.  And way too much sun.  It often made the second day at the beach a depressing stay in the house day.  Everyone new you were burnt and would try to slap you on the back or grab your arm to watch you cringe.  Yet, we did it every year because we knew the effects would only be temporary.  In a couple of days the burn turned to a tan and then by vacation's end, you began to peel.  It was as if…

Flying is a part of the job.  Even dealers have to fly to auctions, meetings, conventions, etc.  Over the last 17 years I have noticed a remarkable lack of courtesy, kindness and even basic service toward passengers.  What kind of training are the employees receiving?  More importantly, what type of leadership by management are they seeing?      

I had the pleasure to need to book two trips on a major (U.S.) Air line.  My daughter was taking a trip that took her from…

by Adam Ross, Managing Director at Infinite Prospects - Online Solutions for Car Dealerships

There are almost ONE BILLION registered…

I just returned from my nephew's wedding.  He is the first of our family's next generation to marry so the pressure was on to create a standard to follow.  Being my brother's son, I was excited to go, visit with family that we don't see often enough and most importantly, to honor my nephew and his new bride.  From the rehearsal dinner to the church, and ultimately to the reception, it was perfect.      

Not just for all it had.  It was perfect for the things that were…

You've decided to go outside your dealership to get something handled.  After a lot of thought, you realized it would be better to spend money with the right experts and handle things once, than to save money on paper and take your people away from what they do best for you.  Many times that's exactly what you should do.  But how do you know you have the right company for what you really need?      

To help you see how to rate a company or service, I will be using…