Every year it seems that "hot topics" emerge in the automotive retail industry; this year much of the focus is on fixed ops and customer retention. Dealers spend a small fortune on websites and Internet marketing in order to capture customers; now they are realizing that an equal amount of resources and energy should be spent on servicing and keeping those customers.

If customer retention is the goal, keep in mind that true customer loyalty is achieved not by a product but by…

ALBANY, N.Y. – May 5th, 2014 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (www.automate.com) announced today that results from its Spring survey reveal that more than half of auto dealers have customer loyalty or rewards programs in their dealerships, and another 20 percent have plans to implement one soon or are "thinking about it." Additionally the dealers weighed in on what they believe are the top factors that contribute towards building a loyal customer…

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/franklin-coveys-the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people-tickets-11494689927

Sean V. Bradley & Karen Bradley Will Be Training The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - June 17th…

Written by Steve Hall. Originally published on the NCM Institute Up to Speed blog.

People are interesting and they never cease to amaze me.  At the NCM Institute, one of the classes I teach is …

Written by Paul Stowe. Originally published on the Up to Speed blog.

The rapid growth of both new and used vehicle sales over the past three years is stunning. Because of this, you need more salespeople. Recruiting, training, and retaining new sales talent into our business is difficult and challenging. But you simply have two choices: Accept this fact and take action……

Both automotive management and…

Written by Robin Cunningham of the NCM Institute Center for Automotive Retail Excellence. Originally published on the Up to Speed blog. 

In order to write this blog article I am compelled to admit that…

From the Up to Speed blog:

In any industry, top-performing management measures, tracks and makes decisions based on key performance indicators and metrics. In the auto industry we tend to focus on market share, unit volume, gross per unit, net profit as a…

Let's Play Ball!!!

Wikipedia defines "Teamwork [as] the capability to comprehend and recognize the diverse strengths and abilities in a group setting and then applying them to one final solution The concept has spread from the world of sports where it is well known and accepted, to business, so much so that it is in danger of being considered by some as an empty buzzword, or a…

It’s been 60 days.

Like many, you went to the NADA Convention determined to find the one thing that was going to make a difference in your Dealership this year. You had every intention of making changes and doing something different. You gathered information and then cataloged it. You even made a list of your Dealerships Managers and their responsibilities and revised their Goals based on the new information and training you were about to provide them.

You were ready for…

An interesting article on the Forbes website shared the results of a recent study by Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends. The study was the result of an extensive survey of over 2,500 companies in 90 countries. Based on the survey results,…

Data security is becoming an increasingly public concern as databases from large retailers continue to be breached and consumer information exposed. Congress is holding hearings this week with top data security professionals to discuss how best to prevent future breaches. The concern is so high that Congress is considering implementing…

Auto/Mate Dealership Systems is conducting a survey and is inviting auto dealer personnel to participate. Where do you get your news and information about the auto industry? We appreciate your input! Participants who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing to win a $300 Visa gift card. In the time it takes to finish your cup of coffee, you could be entered to win!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AMDealerElite

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"You don't get paid for the hour.  You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” 

~ Jim Rohn

Recently, I had a day in which the time seemed to sit still.  I glanced at the clock for the tenth time and it was only 1:30pm.  How could this be?  I felt like…

Automotive management tasked with the job of recruiting car sales people in addition to their other duties, often find themselves underachieving in terms of production. …

Part of my life was spent in Southeastern Oklahoma.  I remember teenage boys coming to the ranch dressed in their "good jeans" with a tucked-in "nice shirt" and driving their daddy's "dress truck".  The purpose was to show my aunties and uncles, that they were gentlemen and worthy of the responsibility of the social company of the young…

ALBANY, N.Y. – March 3rd, 2014 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) announced today that DealerSocket, a leading provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to auto retailers, has completed integration with Auto/Mate's dealership management system (DMS). Dealers using both Auto/Mate and DealerSocket solutions will benefit from improved sales efficiency with real-time, bi-directional updates of customer, vehicle…

A Consultant’s Approach to Developing Sound Compensation Strategies for Dealership Managers and Sales People

There are today, and there probably always will be, as many different compensation plans as there are dealerships. That is the nature of our business: to be individualistic; to have a unique dealership culture reflected in the way we treat our customers and our employees. And management and sales pay plans are certainly a part of that unique…

ALBANY, N.Y. – February 18th, 2014 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) announced today that TimeHighway has completed integration of its service scheduling solution with Auto/mate's Automotive Management Productivity Suite (AMPS) dealership management system. Auto dealers using both Auto/Mate's DMS and TimeHighway's service scheduling solution will benefit from real-time data exchange between the two…

2013 GMC 2500 Denali. $45,000. Below Blue Book!!!! Why you ask? This truck may be more loaded than an Irishman in a whiskey-drinking contest, but it is no Sunday driver. It is a ¾ ton, 4-wheel drive, luxury work horse and it was cast from smelted bullet casings and stealth fighters by God’s own iron fist to be rode hard and put away wet. It may have a couple of scratches on…