In my past few blogs, I discussed the various areas in a dealership that are affected by the current recall epidemic, compared the differing viewpoints about recall repairs from dealers and consumers, discussed non-compliance in recall repairs on…

The chances are pretty good that any email lead YOU receive is also sent to competing dealerships. That means the car shopper will get emails and phone calls from other salespeople looking to sell that customer a car. Unless the lead is on a unique used vehicle, your competitors have the same new vehicles in their inventory.

Therefore, reaching that customer…

PCG Research is conducting a new research project on auto dealership's utilization and experience with Google advertising. Since U.S. dealers are shifting more of their marketing dollars to online advertising strategies, the data from this survey will spark new conversations on how Google agency partners can better serve the franchise dealer community. 

PCG is collecting feedback from U.S. franchise…

Did you know subject lines framed as questions get fewer open rates and replies?

Most people assume you SHOULD ask questions in your subject line in order to get more open rates when that’s not the case.  You can also increase the success of your marketing campaign by dropping the exclamation points! 

We know it’s hard to break the mold, and…

Video content has pretty much become the preferred medium for consumers. Social media platforms increasingly give video content preferential reach and content producers have adjusted their strategies accordingly.

In retail automotive, video is used very effectively to market dealerships and their inventory, because the content successfully attracts consumers’…

This common saying is certainly one that everyone knows. And, whether it’s true or not, has endured time. Why? Because someone cooking for you is an intimate act that is satisfying and elicits fond memories. In essence, this act accomplished on a regular basis is supposed to be the recipe (pun intended) to win the love of a man, or woman. The gender of a person has little to…

There was a time when dealerships hated the internet.  I know, it’s hard to believe. What is interesting is that while most dealerships have learned to embrace the internet, many still feel it is an obstacle to overcome, a nuisance that interferes with the old adage: “Say anything you need to get them in here!” But here’s the deal- I am hearing that people are only…

Search engine marketing is valuable tool when used correctly. But it's not the be all, end all of digital marketing. You need to be able to step outside of your comfort zone if you want to achieve digital marketing success.



If you haven't already begun experimenting with other tools; now is the time. The first tool you should start with is email marketing. Tap into your current database and gather more information about your customers.

On this episode, Paul explains how you…

Are you testing your emails before you send them?

More than 80% of the population use smartphone and other mobile devices. Over 60% of people open their emails on mobile devices. So what is your business doing to adapt to these ever-growing numbers?

In this week’s Hard Facts, Samantha explains that you should not only be A/B testing subject…

Well, you know it’s inevitable.  Eventually some in your dealership will leave, either voluntarily or involuntarily, but will exit nonetheless. Instead of just allowing people to ride off into the sunset, why not invest 5 to 10 minutes with them on the off-chance that you could learn a little something? You…

In my last few blogs, I’ve discussed how to handle recall customers and why dealers should embrace them rather than be afraid of them. We’ve also reviewed new and used car recalls, along with the applicable laws and consequences for any failure to comply. The one area I haven’t yet discussed is recalls in your service drive. Sure, you have customers who know they have a…

Words, both written and spoken, have been the primary form of communication for centuries. We use them to share news and stories, comfort loved ones and to connect with long distance friends.

Then along came social media, which almost instantly transformed society from one which was largely based on local interactions, to a more global community. The written…

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…

Are you looking for fast and easy ways to speed up the success of your business? 

This week on Think Tank Tuesday, Paul will go into detail about techniques you need to use to brand your business and become successful in no time.  The first step? Ask yourself these questions.

Why are you unique?

What do you do as a business owner that is…

Still need to feel more secure about a secure cloud?

Summer is officially here and like a good oil change, your document management could probably use one last tune-up for a smooth ride into the new quarter. Our solution is a great place to start in maximizing efficiency, but most importantly, keeping paperwork more secure.

Going paperless can be an exciting…

Can you guess what the most common complaint about sales people is, from both customers and sales managers alike?

It's this; sales people simply talk too much. And since many of us do indeed talk too much, what do you think the second most frequent complaint we hear about sales people would be? It's this; we don't listen. In light of the first, this second complaint…

Comparing yourself to competitors in the same market...is it really such a good idea?

In this week’s Hard Facts, Samantha explains why it's not always ideal to compare your business to a competitor's, but how to do it properly in the right circumstances. Watch now!…

As far as defining moments go, what’s the difference between meeting someone new, interesting, and exciting and getting someone to read our work? The answer is...not a thing!



A good personal introduction will establish interest, expectations, and a direction that the initial conversation can go. Likewise, a good written introduction will establish the direction…

There’s no question – the recall crisis is eroding the confidence consumers have in vehicle safety. Every day, we hear of more vehicles being recalled for various reasons. If nothing else were to get recalled, we’d be looking at an “estimated” completion date of around 2020. That’s assuming the parts to fix the recalls aren’t themselves recalled -- as was the case when TRW…

Attention to detail can lead to fewer car accidents. In this week's Think Tank Tuesday‬, Paul explains how being dumped into an automated voicemail system can make it extremely difficult for customers to access your business.…