Being a sales associate can have many challenges, especially in the automotive world where there are several sales associates in one place all with the same objective…to sell cars.  It’s not enough just to show up in the morning, you have to be on top of your game in all areas so you can really shine.  There are several things you can do on a daily basis to stand out and…

My Company Recently launched a blog, here is an article one of my partners wrote. (Link is at the bottom)

Your People are the Lynchpins of Your Dealership

Leaving the most crucial aspect of your business for last was not by accident. Your people are the lynchpins of your dealership. You can focus on product and process all day, but people make or break the success of your business.

Throughout my career I've had the fortune to observe hundreds of dealerships, large and…

It goes without saying that if a business is going to maximize sales revenues they would need to focus on three key areas of business…the people, the processes and performance.  I call these…essentials.

Having the right people with the right skills and talents is essential.…

I was thinking this morning about how rockets and Fixed Operations Customer Management are related. With all the news about the different companies striving to become the next NASA, it reminded me that we are all in a "Space Race" even though I know that the two subjects seem completely unrelated and are not even in the same Encyclopedia volume.

And I submit for your consideration that driving a rocket into space and good Customer Service…

I was thinking this morning about how rockets and Fixed Operations Customer Management are related. With all the news about the different companies striving to become the next NASA, it reminded me that we are all in a "Space Race" even though I know that the two subjects seem completely unrelated and are not even in the same Encyclopedia volume.

And I submit for your consideration that driving a rocket into space and good Customer Service…

Maybe you think you're disciplined...

The key to achieving good ROI with social media and social marketing lies in the business understanding of how to correctly use CRM as a process and not just software. The secret is in their understanding of the R in CRM as a process for establishing meaningful relationships. The challenge however, is that as businesses seek out technical solutions as a means of automating…

The knowledge that dealership professionals possess is inadequate to do the job for which they are hired. These individuals receive the bare minimum training necessary for them to interact with clients during the in-dealership sales process and in most cases, no more. This approach to professional development is wreaking havoc on all of the other processes that…

Process improvement programs from TQM, to EDGE, to EXCEL, to CEE & more…all these acronyms represent the manufacturers’ commitment to proactively impact the customer experience across their diverse distribution channels. The objective for all is the same; implement systems & processes that will equip their dealers with tools and strategies, which they will in…

In the auto industry, there are many pieces that make up the whole market -  from manufacturers to dealers to parts suppliers to distribution and transport to the financing of all these operations on many different levels. I come from the banking side of the industry. Specifically, how new car franchises and private dealers "floor plan" both new units from manufacturers or used units from auctions, dealer trades or trade ins.

One of the biggest inefficiencies in a dealerships…

Time and time again I continue to hear that dealers and other companies are having a hard time finding and keeping the right good employees.

A couple of things come to mind when they say this:

1. With turnover like the fast food business, we must be doing something wrong.

2. What is your recruiting and hiring process look like? In most cases, it…

There has been a question that has popped up over the years ever since the rise of the internet as a valid marketing venue for car dealers. Should dealerships and vendors teach automotive industry people about marketing or should they teach marketing professionals about the car business?

I've seen both concepts work and I've seen them both fail. The answer…

The importance of time is something that we must never take for granted.  As we know the time that we have here on Earth is limited and it's imperative that we don't look back over our life when we get older and say "I wish I had of."  I remember like it was yesterday a speech that Steve Jobs gave at Stanford when he said that we must live everyday like it's our…

Are you building value during your presentation/demonstration?

In Part 3 of this series I'll go over the issue of spending some time outside of work perfecting your skills.  As we know in the automotive industry when you start your career most never receive any real training or if there is…

Does your car dealership have a plan in place for marketing its service center? You need to encourage people to return to your dealership after their vehicle purchase for service, and you also need a strategy to pick up new leads just for service.

13 Tips for Automotive Service Center Marketing from…

Do You Have An SEM Strategy For Service? from Potratz on Vimeo.

Search engine marketing is an excellent tool to increase awareness and profit for your service department. Why focus only on those looking to purchase a vehicle when you can also target…

MANAGING VS. SUPERVISING (“FARMERS” VS. “RANCHERS”)

Management=Participation vs. Supervisor=Observation…

A friend of mine asked for my help in leasing a new SUV the other day, she had settled on a Toyota.  I coached her to look up a car on buyatoyota.com.  There she found the 4runner she wanted and the next day went to the dealership that had it in…

I'm a baseball man.  I could give up watching all other sports if the season went all year round.  It's a great sport to watch because on any day, someone could literally come out of nowhere and change the season.  As a Lifetime Yankee fan, being around when Bucky "Bleepin'" Dent took the Yanks past Boston to win another series was incredibly satisying.  Seeing it again with Aaron Boone two decades later brought back those same feelings.  Yet, neither one of them will ever be considered for…

The secret paths on the journey to sales success do not exist.  There are no hidden doorways that inherently lead to a pool of wealth.  The trek requires tenacity, perseverance and commitment and is no place for the weak spirited. The route is littered with mediocre, unfulfilled promise…