TrueCar has certainly stirred up a hornet’s nest with “Know the REAL Price”. To be fair they are not the only online lead generator that uses dealership transactional data in an effort to get between the customer and the dealership and get a piece of the car sale either through a pay for lead or pay for sale pricing model.

Both KBB and Edmunds use transactional data also, the difference… their billing model doesn’t require them to dial into your system so it doesn’t appear that they…

1.Do or do not. There is no try.

2.Do the right thing when no one is looking

3.Treat every client, co-worker, and vendor as if it was your grandmother

4.Increase your 10 foot rule by 10 feet. Acknowledge and accomodate everyone in that space

5.Coffee isn't for closers. Its for clients

I get that 2% is a nice market share and that True Car will grow this year.   But I read an article yesterday that also states that they only accounted for 2% of the market share.   I own a direct mail company and I bet if we did some numbers we would find out that direct mail accounted for 5% plus of the market sales last year. (I wish we could get that kind of publicity)  True Car is Advertising and we are giving them a ton of publicity and a lot of our time and energy for a 2% share and a…

As a certified sports nut, I love big-time game-changing plays – the “Hail Mary” pass to win the game as the last seconds tick off, and the three-pointers from 'Downtown' at the buzzer, those remarkably bold plays that lift fans out of their seats...

We can learn much about sales success strategies from those who have and continue to lead their teams to championships in the sports arenas and on the fields across this great nation.

Consider the discipline,…

Many old parts have core values on them. I read policy and procedure manual finding this idea not mentioned. The core value on many items was equal to the inventory value on convertors, ignition modules, and such. This allows you to return a core using the new number and get credit for the part! Check your aged inventory for cores checking to see how this may help your dealership.

Dallas, TX – January 3, 2012 – Auto dealer inventory management systems on the market today have not kept up with the advances in Internet and mobile technology. Inventory Management pioneer Bruce Thompson, former CEO and founder of American Auto Exchange (AAX), will sponsor a workshop with Digital Dealer on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 11:30 am EST, to reveal the latest tools from his new company RedBumper;…

I read an article today on the "Slow Death" of Best Buy despite the fact that they sell 1/3 of the electronics in the USA and the lack of large competitors.

I must say I was a little shocked due to the recent demise of one of their largest competitors last year. You may remember Circuit City went out of business last year. In addition in the Canadian market they own their largest rival Future shop. This is interesting because the business or sales model at…

According to Experian: car loan delinquencies fell in the first quarter of 2011, for the first time in three years.  Default rates have dropped by 28% from the previous year; meaning that banks are feeling more confident in lending to more sub-prime customers.  The banks also have more money to lend so they are more willing to take risks and lend to people with less than perfect credit.

This is good news for Independent Dealers…

Hello everyone, my name is Troy Spring, my friends call me Turbo, and I am AWESOME at what I do.  What is it that I do?  Consult dealerships, motivate people and sell them the best value in direct mail you can find.  There, I said it. You know what, it is a crazy world out there where being confident in what you do is sometimes frowned upon.   I think there is a huge difference between Cocky and Confident as well as Arrogance and Confidence.  

I would…

First I would like to wish everybody a happy and healthy new year.

Yesterday was 50 degrees in northeast PA and was to nice to be inside. After doing a few things around the house my 10 year old son wanted to go play some baseball. While I was pitching to him he was fouling off some pitches and was getting frustrated. To make a long story short, he was stepping toward third base and all I told him was to step toward me. Yes, he still fouled some off, but he was hitting more fair and…

About 10 years ago Fixed Performance Consulting began with the hope of providing me reasonable income and help dealerships grow in profits and customer care. I recall so many times advisors or managers that said it could not be done only to watch them develop into top performers increasing their personal income and gaining advancement. What a thrill for me to hear time after time thank you for teaching me how it all works together.…

We've all seen the Truecar commercial blitz by now and yesterday, I saw a Vehix commercial that appeared to be an attempt to piggyback on Truecar's message https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoEfU73YbOM.  Well come to find out, Vehix is now a Truecar affiliate / subsidiary.  There is a clear attempt underway to transform the way that cars are sold in the U.S.  A quick trip to Yahoo today showed that Truecar has indeed taken over the…

Why Best Buy is Going out of Business...Gradually

Electronics retailer Best Buy is headed for the exits.  I can’t say when exactly, but my guess is that it’s only a matter of time, maybe a few more years.…

Do you realize you say more nonverbally than you do verbally? In sales, we think we have to learn 9000 different word tracts in order to overcome every possible objection, but the truth is you may be losing the potential to make a sale based on your…

First of all I would like to wish all my automotive friends, clients, associates, and future clients and associates Happy New Year !



Grant Cardone and other like to spend time exposing the problems in Dealerships, and other retailers and I hate to tell them that TV reporters have been pointing out the problems in retail for years. It is easy to take shots at retailers and film them as they try to respond to the "problems". The question isn't what the problems are it's how that…

Hey guys....over the last few years to prove a point and stay real sharp for my own "personal growth"...I have been taking a 10-12 day gig at a Dealership (where ever I may be at) We have all "Mystery Shopped" our competition...or dealers over the phone before we go ahead and sell them some training...I "Mystery Worked" the dealership!!! Last year it was in December...This year it was in October. I go through the whole interview and screening process...I am not totally…

Going back to school...often a "resolution" for the New Year.  Several free sites exist, all well know and well respected exist where we can all go to improve our knowledge.  While you won't get a degree from these sites, you can get a certificate of completion.  I for one am not necessarily a "Certificate collector" and value the information much more.

Here are three site I am aware of:

MIT online: …

As the required "facelifts" or upgrades to storefronts are competed, make sure that all available tax deductions are taken.  A Cost Segregation study can increase cash flow by saving tens of thousands of dollars in federal taxes.  Cost Segregation is the process of identifying parts of real property that can be depreciated over much shorter periods of time than the normal rate, thereby creating larger tax deductions and significant cash flow in the form of tax savings.…

As 2012 approaches, we face the usual uncertainty about what will happen to a slate of federal income tax breaks that are scheduled to expire on December 31. If you pay attention to tax issues, you know this has become an annual ritual.

What could happen to all these tax breaks?

• In some cases, Congress may extend them -- but they just haven't gotten around to it or they can't agree on what should be included in a proposed law. So on some tax breaks, there is a good…

Social Media Tip #105~ FACEBOOK TIMELINE



This week's social media tip is specifically for personal profiles: Facebook's new Timeline feature was just recently rolled out to the public, and it has a lot to offer, both for personal use and for professionals looking to increase awareness of their business.



To get Timeline for your Facebook profile, visit the Timeline Facebook page and follow the…