This is a pretty basic question, right? But when discussing this subject recently during 2012 annual business planning conferences with several client dealership service managers, I discovered that the answers were far more elusive than they should have been. Most of the NCM client dealers continually try to achieve 5% - 8% year-over-year improvement in Fixed Operations profitability. And those that successfully do so fully understand that it doesn’t just happen. This level of…

Most dealership fan pages on Facebook are a lot like really bad first dates, they won’t stop talking about themselves.  The words “I” and “we” tend to be the most used words when dealerships post to Facebook.  Check your last 10 posts or your last 10 tweets. Are they all about you? Are they all about your vehicles, services or whatever you are pushing?  How many are about…

People like acronyms, they always have. Acronyms are easy to understand.

I want to talk briefly about the acronym - “S.E.O. “. This has been the most common "word" found in subject lines, in every dealer’s email inbox this year. It is a very misunderstood word lately, it doesn't mean to "get customers" . It’s fun to say - and hip to talk about, but what does it mean?  

                     …

It was my belief that this site was meant to share your talents, thoughts and relevant material that makes for a community of Car "Guys and Gals" that stay sharp, get educated and have a forum for discussions to better all of our careers.  I have remained very steadfast to those cores and have never that i can remember posted a video or blog post that direct sells my…

To: All Maryland Dealers

 

From: Peter Kitzmiller

 

Re: TrueCar/Zag

 

Date: January 4, 2012

 

It is the opinion of MADA that any vehicle referral program which requires a dealer to pay a fee only upon the sale of a vehicle violates Maryland's dealer licensing law. It is MADA's understanding that this is TrueCar/Zag's pricing structure.

 

Maryland licensing law is very clear.

 

In order to be a licensed dealer you must have a physical…

Are leads from live chat really leads?

If you are the general manager of a dealership that has never used automotive live chat service or software, you’re probably…

In a recent study from retail analysis firm, RichRelevance, iPads and iPhones make up over 90% of online purchases that don't happen on a desktop device.  That means that 9 out of 10 mobile purchases come from an Apple product, a device that can't read anything in…

I read a book years ago called "How to become a great boss" it was in my earlier management days and this particular chapter stayed with and I do not think I will ever forget it.  When you have an employee that is suffering performance wise and you need to figure out why, just start with "D" words and you will probably find your problem.   what are "D" words?   Well, it has been years since I read the book so I won't completely accurate I am sure but they include.

Drugs / even…

Can outsourcing be patriotic? Let me answer my own question… God Bless America it can!

When outsourcing a specific product or service saves one red-blooded Americans job/career simultaneously creating another employment/career…

"To Train or Not To Train...."

The age old question... or FEAR....we could discuss this until the…

Industry Leaders,

    What would you think if I told you there was a “brand new” way to sell cars, and make customers happy...

It goes like this –

  When customers come on your lot you must stay hidden inside the store, lock the doors, and send no one outside. The customer will wander your lot for a bit, and sometimes they find something they want. Make sure not to interrupt this process! Do NOT attempt to give the customer(s) a reason to decide on…

Most of you are probably adding the final touches to your 2012 business plan. At NCMi, we refer to this annual planning process as budgeting. Many experts agree that automotive dealership budgeting is as much an art as a science. Because industry business cycles are not repetitious, a good budget may result as much from experience, sound instincts, and good judgment as from anything else. Nevertheless, a budget is pretty much a view into the crystal ball, attempting to…

Recently, I overheard two runners conversing about pushing beyond the “sticking point.” You know the point where your mind tells you to retreat; where your legs feel as though they will buckle beneath you. The runner being asked the question took a sip of water, thought about the question and said, “I’ve become faster from Point A to Point B, because I push…

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;…