Ask most people to describe a sales person, and likely as not, you'll find yourself deluged by words like "huckster," "snake oil peddler," "fast talker," "con artist" and, of course, "untrustworthy," "arrogant" and "dishonest."

Those of us who work in sales and know ourselves to be fine, upstanding people may wonder exactly what we ever did to earn such an enviable…

As a salesperson, there are a thousand different theories on how to talk with your customers to help them find the right vehicle. Entire books have been written on the subject, but the overwhelming majority say that the most important task is to know your customer. And the best advice I’ve heard on this task–learning about people I’ve met for the first time–comes from the classic sci-fi series Babylon 5. Confused yet?…

Are you ready for another dose of the Hard Facts

In this week's episode we focus on your employees and what keeps them excited each day. Everyone needs motivation to reach success. Do you know what it takes to keep your team motivated and ready every day?

If your first thought is, "More money!" then this is one video you can't miss.

Marketing results don't change based on what you think, feel, wish, or believe. What you need are the Hard Facts.

It's tough out…

What is “Showrooming” you ask?

• The practice of visiting multiple retail stores to try products, and then checking a mobile device for the best price online

The Problem:

    1 in 3 Customers Leave and Purchase from a Competitor…

In the business world, and in public relations, it’s not uncommon for customers to vent on social media networks when they encounter problems and feel the business is not interested in assisting them with a solution. The most famous example of a disgruntled customer is the gentleman who had his guitar broken by United Airlines, then wrote a song and uploaded a…

Robert Cialdini is a social scientist who wrote the book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. In the book, Cialdini describes six different influences that get people to say “yes.” In this article, I would like to review those six influences and how that relates to selling vehicles, and add one more form of influence that will assist you in getting your customer to say “yes!”

Reciprocation — Human nature creates an urge to pay back debts. These debts can be in the…

The automobile has often been thought of as a machine full of mechanical parts and systems that all work together to propel you from one place to another. In the past we were buying more car than computer, today computers are everywhere. Cars are filled with computers controlling multiple systems at the same time…

The CPO Forum announced that, Paul Potratz, founder and COO of Potratz, headquartered in Schenectady, NY, will be speaking as part of the 2013 Used Car Week Conference when it meets November 11-12 in San Diego, California.

Paul’s topic, “13 Creative Ways To Increase CPO Sales, That No One Told You About…Till Now!” is slated for…

With all the changes to Craigslists, we are seeking a proficient tool that stays ahead of the "ghosting" and removing of posts with an automated listing tool.  Does anyone have any suggestions on a tool that works consistently?  You can reach me at 843-437-8273.  

Tommy Russell

GSM

Hudson Nissan

When was the last time you heard of someone who had worked his or her entire live for a single company? Chances are these instances involved members of an older generation, specifically people born in the earlier part of the century. So why has something that used to be fairly common in the past suddenly become far less common?

A very interesting…

NCCarSchool has become an industry member of the “Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals (AFIP) to offer their F&I program as part of NCCarSchool F&I Professionals education program. AFIP Industry Members are critical allies in AFIP’s mission to educate and advocate for the in-dealership financial services industry. The Association of Finance…

North Carolina College of Automotive Retail Sales School (NCCarSchool) has recently been licensed by the North Carolina Community College System State Board of Community Colleges. You can find the directory of licensed schools HERE. We are #54 and are officially open for classes! Welcome.

NCCarSchool is pleased to announce that we have become associate members of CIADA, Carolina Independent Automobile Dealers Association. “CIADA is the only non-profit organization in the Carolina’s that represents the independent used car dealer.” CIADA helps keep dealers informed.

The following is a true story…

I was recently told my by one of my dealers that a “consultant” informed him, “mobile apps don’t work…no one gets downloads.”

Now I’m sure he is a good consultant and that he has probably done a good job for this dealer….because the dealer “trusts” his judgment.

But my first thoughts were…how can he say that! Mobile apps are predicted to be a…

For dealers, productivity is a key element in our quest for profitability.  Dealers expend unlimited resources on vendors who guarantee increased productivity.  Whether purchasing the newest mind-boggling software application or Mr. Slamma Jamma’s ultimate sales training program, we are continuously in search of ways to incrementally increase our store’s productivity.  

A healthy workplace means much more than occupational health and safety.  A healthy workplace starts with healthy…

There’s a proverbial saying that when it comes to the car business, “There is no tomorrow,” which means your best opportunity to make a sale is the customer seated in front of you, right now. I remember my first month in the business, I literally had a notebook full of names and notes of customers who promised me they would be back-15 years later,…

April 1, 2014

Mike's Picks and Commentary

FREE Stuff!



Happy April Fools Day! No joke, but I've found a few "freebies" you'll want to take advantage of right here on DeallerELITE. Who doesn't like free stuff?…

Before you get started reading this, let me warn you that it is about twice as long as my normal posts, over 1200 words. I got started and the words just started flowing. I hope you find this useful.

I’ve been in the car business almost 30 years now and it seems like one of the topics that never goes away is customer loyalty. Every year salespeople and…

Digital Automotive Marketing Veteran Joins Rapidly Growing Company

West Palm Beach, FL – September 25, 2013 – Gubagoo Inc., a revolutionary new platform for dealership websites, today announced that Wendy Woodard, a veteran of digital automotive marketing and operations, has been named its Chief Operating Officer.  Woodard previously held leadership positions at eLead, DMEautomotive, Paradigm…

RUN! THE SEO SKY IS FALLING! ROLL UP THE SIDEWALKS! SEO'S FIND A NEW PROFESSION! DOOM! GLOOM! BLAH!

If you've been following the digital marketing blogosphere for the last week, by now you've probably concluded that SEO is dead because within 3 months there will be no more keyword data in Google Analytics. Right? Its the end of SEO. No more measuring. No more…