With so many options available when choosing how to allocate marketing budgets, dealers are increasingly finding themselves conflicted over what to use. Every dealer wants to know whether their marketing is producing results – whether that is in sales or service. And all vendors will attempt to show ROI for their services. Furthermore, how is a dealer to know whether the…

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…

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…

Addy's Harbor Dodge in Myrtle Beach, SC has just jumped into the top 5 of all Dodge dealers in the US.  It just shows that having the right programs, the best managers and top sales people, will make great things happen.  We are pleased at this great dealer's success and even more thankful that we have been along for the entire ride.



When we first came to Addy's they had 8 sales people and were doing average numbers.  Rod Ricciardi had just become the GM and brought with him a…

Just because your store is one of the more popular brands, that doesn't mean you are guaranteed success.  Having the right sign up is no promise that customers will beat down your doors.  And the  right ads or killer Internet presence still doesn't make profitability a sure thing.  Without a key ingredient, even the best of the best will fail.

  …

As some of you may know, I served as the director of ecommerce for the Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE: ABG) a few years ago. One of the most rewarding things about working for a publicly-traded MegaDealer Group was the ability to not only negotiate from a position of strength (we had over 120 franchises back then), but also the luxury of relying on a team of experts to help us always select the best of the best providers of any product or service.

While our process was exhaustive (we…

While the majority of my time is now spent trianing new salespeople, I still get to work with experienced teams on occassion.  I enjoy this break, especially during this time of year.  It's always easy to get new people to set high goals becasue they're still excited about their new career and want to make a great impression.  Getting veterans to set goals is more like trying to get a college student to be done with a major paper BEFORE the night before!

As an expert in human personal…

After more than a few weeks on the road, I needed a haircut.  I've been blessed (or cursed) with a full head of hair that grows very fast.  I am not all that keen on having my hair cut in spas, salons, etc.  But I do admit that going to the franchise Sports Clips is fun in a manly way.  You get to watch ESPN and they give you a massage after your cut.  And, I really like the hot towel on my face.

Because it's my birthday this month, I received an email from Sports Clips reminding me…

Winter 1982.  I was the F&I manager for a Chrysler, Plymouth, Jaguar, Deloreon dealer. (One of my better career moves.)  It was also a time that was very troubling for Chrysler.  They had gotten their loan (bailout) from the government and had cut back on their field support.  We got the memo that some of each dealership staff would volunteer for the New York Auto Show.  Each of us would have to go to the city and spend two hours at the Chrysler booth. (And we still had to pay for our…

This is my first day back after a five week road trip.  I had the priviledge of working with some top dealers to help them staff their sales team with trained recruits.  But, that can also be a curse if the dealer simply sends them on to the floor, wishing them luck, adn hoping for the best.  My job and that of many of my colleagues at other companies is to help new people build a solid foundation for each of the dealers to build upon.  In other words, I am only the beginning.

When…

When you think about all that goes in to creating a professional in the auto industry, what comes to mind?  Usually things like, training, dedication, persistence, confidence and motivation come to mind.  All of these are important and valuable components essential for any professional, but they can't be effective without the one element that ties it all together.  You have to care.  Smarter people than I have…

When you are working a deal, how do you direct your sales people?  Do you insist they follow your steps to the sale?  Regardless of whether you have 8, 10 or even 12 steps, you have a specific process to increase the chances of success in selling and retaining that customer for a long time.  So, why don't you do that when…

Each week I am involved in some type of training with dealers.  The vast majority of the time it's in helping recruit and train new sales people to help round out a sales floor.  But, every now and then I get to work with "experienced" sales people.  Every session begins exactly the same.  I discuss goals.  When I do, you can almost hear the eyes rolling back into their heads.  I begin by asking the same question - "What do you want to earn this year?"

Usually I get a range…

Do you know the one thing that happens before 100% of the closes salespeople succeed at?  If you discover that secret, you'll see an increase in your own closing ratio, or in your ability to drive your sales staff to repeating successful months over and over.  The real beauty is, once you discover the secret, you have it.  It becomes yours to use any time you need it.

This powerful secret will also work to help you improve yourself, increase your skills and develop your team…

Last week I was busy leading a class of new salespeople through our 21st Century Sales Program(c) and as with all of my classes, one or two students always emerge as leaders but, not always the ones you'd think.  There are the ones who are eager to participate, but they aren't necessarily the leaders.  Others seem to know the answers to all the questions, but that may not mean leadership.

The ones that stand out are often in the background.  But, if you recognize them, you…

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…

You've just gotten comfortable at the dinner table.  The food looks great and it's one of the rare occassions where the whole family is there.  The conversation is interrupted by a ringing phone and on the other end of the line, "Good evening, my name is_______ and I hope I haven't interrupted anything but I have some fantastic news about your eligibility for  more insurance coverage..." 

How excited are you about calls like that?

Yet, if you have a family, a…