About a month ago I was asked when speaking before a group about what I thought the biggest mistake was that businesses were making on Facebook. I replied, “lack of coherent strategy” and went on about how too many business pages seemed like they were posting for the sake of posting, that they didn’t appear to moving in any particular…

In a classic case of "he said, she said" Mercedes-Benz U.S.A. president Steve Canon boasts that R.L. Polk registration data shows they outsold BMW in the luxury vehicle segment by more than 5k units in 2012. Regardless of which German rival truly wins the crown, it will be the second time that Lexus misses the top spot, after leading the pack for 11…

2013 is off to a busy start.  The automotive industry is coming off of the best year in five years and there is certainly a feeling of promise that 2013 may be an even better year for retail automotive than 2012.  Innovation, technology and connectivity continue to advance at lightning speed.  Consumers are online, on smart phones, on social networks, on review sites, on tablets and devices, sharing information with one another and trusting advertising less and less.  Businesses, including…

Those who have been in internet marketing for a while realize that search engines are constantly changing. It’s part of the game of staying ahead of the competition to understand these changes and move with them appropriately. Despite this constant state, it’s nothing compared to the changes that happen on Facebook. From a business perspective,…

http://www.internetsales20group.com

What you need to know to developing and evolving the Internet Department at your dealership.

We are going to review 4 different Internet Departments that went from 20-30 units online to over 100,…

Is your managed live chat solution everything you were promised? Maybe you were sold on the lofty ideal of unprecedented customer service (not mention the huge boost in leads). You loved the idea of making contact with your customers when they are first researching their next vehicle. But after a few months, you’ve noticed that you’re just not happy with the conversations that your outsourced chatters are having on your behalf. Not to mention the leads aren’t exactly flowing in,…

This article was written by David Ciamballa, partner with the Rawls Group.

You may recall an accident a couple of years ago  where a pilot encountered inclement weather while attempting to land in Buffalo. Following the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a statement from which we learned that the pilots apparently lost focus as they were engaged in idle conversation while descending below 10,000 feet. By the time the pilots recognized they were in trouble…

If you ever want a crash course on the latest social media studies but don’t want to spend the money to do them yourself, just watch the Super Bowl. You have to assume that if companies are spending millions to produce and distribute 30 second spots for the big game, they’re going to research what’s working today.

This year’s…

Hello Fellow Dealer Elite members and friends.

It has been a while since I have had the time to put together a blog post of Dealer Elite because it has been a very busy year so far and to be honest I have not had the time. I took a look at the Auto News program today and to be honest was very surprised to see that companies from Chrysler Dodge Jeep Fiat customers are reaching the CEO of the company.

I must say I was also very happy that…

Attention Nissan Dealers

Nissan is rolling out a digital signage package for it's dealerships and the articles insinuate that it is mandatory for stores at a certain level of production. The cost of the system is $6500 for the first year on a three year agreement. For this price, you get a TV and a digital menu board that simply shows a menu and not much else. 

If you want additional systems, you can add more -- at the same price -- with the additional systems…

You keep hearing that dealers are making good profits in Buy Here Pay Here. You have decided that you would like to pursue the business. What is your next step? After all you may have been in the car business for years. You understand buying and selling cars. You know how to run a compliant Finance Department and a profitable shop. Isn’t BHPH or LHPH just other ways of financing cars?

The answer is not as simple as it might seem. A BHPH or LHPH operation takes…

A common lament in retail automotive dealerships around the country is that finding and keeping good employees is a real challenge. I will go even further to say that most employers, regardless of industry, probably aren’t satisfied with their hiring results. We’ve all heard the saying, ”If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten,” and my guess is this is the reason most employers continue to be confounded in this area. I heard…

http://bit.ly/XPEc7v

So, the fact that you are reading this proves ( well, maybe ) an advestigate fact.  That the "creative" and headlines of an advertisement could still be a factor even in the newspaper. Fact is, we all know that digital is very much alive and will be for years.  But what is happening in the traditional media world?  Is it a fact that newspaper is a dead medium?  You will find…