I have found that training, or lack thereof, makes a huge impact on the success of a fixed operations department.  Manufacturers spend a great deal of money developing curriculum to enhance dealership personel performance.  They entice the dealership to utilize this training in the way of money allocation for car sales and parts ordering.  I am amazed at the number of employees who simply cannot stand to be forced to increase their knowledge.

From the very beginning of my career, I…

Leadership, There are so may ways to define it  , however narrowing them down to the most important aspects  strarts  with   Having A Concrete Vision...Be direct- People must understand what your vision is and that they are being asked to be a huge part of it. Change is coming, and they will either be on the bus or at the  Bus Stop.  Get people…

In (Part 1) of this blog, we talked about the experience you receive when you go to a restaurant for lunch.

In (Part 2) of this blog, we talked about the “Level of Expectation” process in your Sales Department.

Now….lets talk about setting the “Level of Expectation” in your Dealership’s F&I/Business Manager…

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…

Statistics reveal the average golfer has a 1 in 12,000 chance of hitting a h*** in one; the statistics can’t be much better for a salesperson looking for a lay down. You know the customer who comes in with the Sealy Mattress strapped to their back looking for an anything goes kind of deal. If you are hoping to win a brand new Chevy Silverado, take a gamble and…

Guidance comes to us in all forms of inspiring moments. We can be inspired by a loss that produces an epiphany and clarity.  Sometimes that inspiration comes under the auspices of adversity. These select snippets in time are what define us as individuals and professionals. 

Elite professionals…

One of the most overlooked and biggest issues revolving around warranty infraction is lack of communication between the Warranty Administrator and the Service Manager.  Many times, the Warranty Administrator gets so self-involved with repair order review/correction that they forget that it is the Service Manager that is ultimately responsible for the fiscal well being of the service department.  Don't get me wrong, when I wore the hat of Fixed Operations Manager the last thing I really…

In (part 1) of this blog, we talked about the experience you receive when you go to a restaurant for lunch.

Now….lets talk about setting the “Level of Expectation” in your Dealership’s showroom.

Today’s customers demand a process that is both professional and transparent!

Today’s customers also want the process to go as…

To me, we’ve all clearly moved past the Reputation Management phase:  Now, it’s “Reputation MARKETING”.  Before I explain that, let’s talk about where we have been so far with Reputation Management.

Reputation Management is the ability to monitor and defend your online reputation.  And, although folks gaming the system have been rightly and roundly…

I try to spend at least a little time each day reading forums and blogs from outside the auto industry because I think there is a lot to learn from other business communities.  Today, I found an interesting question up for discussion, and would like to pose the same to you.

What would it take for you to leave the auto industry?

 …

I started some advice for Nancy Simmons in another section and it grew into a story I think some of you might find interesting.

Nancy is developing tailored CRM software for a client. I had the opportunity to do the same thing for my own dealership twenty years ago. Here's my advice and story to her:

At the point at which a prospect is willing to identify themselves to a dealership as a prospect they become HOT prospects, all of them. They may be saying I'm not currently in the…

Wow, it’s a new year for the car business ! Our industry has been dormant for five years and this is our year of return. How fortunate are you to be in an industry where you have no where to look but up. You are fortunate my friend, and capitalize on this opportunity for yourself, your family and your business. Remember your employer’s business is an extension of your business and you need to make this flourish. I want you to be aware the car industry is due for a 20% increase this…

Scholarship Provides Further Opportunities to Empower Women in the Automotive Industry. 

PCG Digital Marketing’s ‘Pit Stop’ tours are bringing cutting edge digital marketing training to car dealers in the US and Canada. The Pit Stop tours provide marketing tune-ups in social media, lead management, Google maps, microsites, mobile websites, CRM processes, Google Adwords, automotive SEO, fixed operations and integrated advertising…

We have all had the experience of going out to a restaurant for lunch.

The process is nearly the same in every restaurant.

• First we are greeted at the door
• We are then guided to an open table
• We are then given a menu to choose from different options
• We are asked if we would like anything to drink while we look…

     Got your attention didn’t I?  Some of you are offended, some are intrigued and others are just wondering what nonsense is being spewed by this dork.  In any case, you’re reading.  It was recently brought to my attention that one of the greatest sales books ever was penned by none other than “Dr. Seuss”.  I’m talking about “Green Eggs and Ham”.  It’s brilliant in its simplicity and the entire focus is on the tenacity of one “Sam-I-Am”.  To start,…