We all love this industry and what it can, and has done, for our families, friends, country and our local communities. But, I fear that if we do not stop and take a serious look at where we are as far as operations and culture in our stores today, our future generations may be in jeopardy.

With the massive shift in the way businesses are being built today, it…

Today, technology must create a customer journey that allows a consumer to buy online, or start online, and pick up right where they left off in the showroom. The technology exists to accomplish this. Proof of that is right in front of our eyes in the Carvanas, Beepis, Vrooms and other such companies. They’re already leveraging technology to take sales away from dealers.…

About to really date myself with this blog but considering it was before most folks in the industry were around I hope you will find it interesting.

Let me take you back to the automotive industry in the mid 1970’s. It was the dawning of the use of technology in the dealership. Dealerships at that time were primarily single point domestic…

News for the Week of 12.30 

Google 360-Degree Storytelling on YouTube

Storytelling is BIG and YouTube doesn't plan on missing out. Google Spotlight Stories are now available for select Android users on the YouTube app, bringing an in-the-moment, virtual reality feature to users. Now,…

Earning customer loyalty in today’s society is especially tricky. As almost every retailer now has a loyalty program, it’s difficult to stand out and make your customer truly feel special and appreciated. Earning loyalty isn’t simply about giving something away. It’s about creating and nurturing a relationship that builds a brand advocate who will continue to patronize your…

Dealerships are constantly working to increase their website conversion – and for good reason. Organic conversions typically see the highest closing rates. However, I frequently encounter dealerships that wonder why they aren’t getting higher conversion rates, despite adding the latest gizmo or widget. Conversion rate optimization is tricky.…

In reflecting back on 2015, I would like to reach out and share my thoughts about how grateful I am to be in a career I love and for that career to be in an industry that I love!  Very few days go by without thoughts of how truly thankful I am to be involved with so many great companies – from the large mainstays to the tech start-ups. And I am also lucky to work with the…

It’s been a week now since the seventh installment in the Star Wars franchise hit theaters, breaking all box office records along its way. I’m sure that there is much more money in Disney’s future. That’s the ending of this story. Now for the beginning...

Think about the many months leading up to the release of the latest movie. About how much Star Wars we…

An interesting study conducted by MaritzCX and published on CustomerThink relays how dealers should care about – and invest in – the creation of a better customer experience in their stores.

While customer experience can be vague, and in the past has mostly been measured through surveys and…

I believe that, as an automotive community, we intuitively know that we need to change. The sales to consumer model is outdated – our fault for not demanding of ourselves consistent improvement in the consumer experience arena. Consumers are demanding more and Wall Street has taken notice. Backed by hundreds of millions of dollars, companies are quickly rising that threaten…

When I first started in the Automotive Industry in the 1990’s (I will not tell you how early so I don’t embarrass myself, but let’s just say it was early), I remember sitting in sales meetings and having the GM ask us over and over again “Why are they (customers) calling the dealership?” We (the sales team) would all shout out like some scene from George Orwell’s “1984” in…