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…

Most of us grew up in the industry where PUVR (or Per Used Vehicle Retail) was the key metric we were looking for to determine how successful we were on each vehicle we sold. As we all know, things have definitely changed since the Internet has become the primary way our customers begin their search for a used car.

For the last two years, I have had the privilege of teaching and coaching our NCM dealer-clients’ managers at the NCM…

Let me tell you about 7 key things you are likely doing that is costing you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. These are the real budget killers, the ones that keep you up at night. I assure you that this is an episode of …

As I am writing this post I am sitting in the customer lounge at a car dealership. I cant help but notice the continued lack of professionalism that is happening on the sales floor. I have watched 4 of the 10 sales reps on the sales floor answer the phone while they are talking to customers. You need to focus on the deal that you have as apposed to the one that might never be. The phone should only be used when you don’t have a customer at your desk. The customer in front of you is the most…

On October 3rd, 2013, Paul Potratz, founder and COO of Potratz, will be joining Grant Cardone and Mel Robbins in the 10X Your Business Seminar in Orlando, FL. The event is set to gather some of the best in social media, marketing and PR, offering…

A new benchmark report published last month by RSR Research, provides some interesting information about retailers and the shifts in focus and importance from 2012 to 2013.

According to the study, 61 percent of retailers feel customer retention has become more difficult, and…

Quite often businesses, including car dealerships, feel that the fact that a blog exists is enough to generate results, but this just isn’t the case. A good blog will drive business and produce sales, but it has to be a blog that people want to read.

But what are the essentials of a good blog? It should cover the following bases.

1. The content should be well-written

2. The blog should be updated often so that people come back frequently

3. It should have good SEO or…

 “Work harder.”

“Work more hours.”

“Put your nose to the grindstone.”

“You have to pay your dues.”

“Climb the ladder of success.”

Do all of these sayings sound familiar? These common phrases often espouse ideas that become anchored as limiting beliefs in your brain. Here’s the shocking news; these phrases often put into motion a cycle of struggle and failure. These common teachings may have kept you from having the kind of success you desire. The…

ALBANY, N.Y. – September 23rd, 2013 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) announced today that its AMPS Dealership Management System (DMS) is fully integrated with ELEAD1ONE (www.elead-crm.com), a leading provider of virtual BDC, CRM and retail solutions to auto dealerships. Auto dealers using Auto/Mate's DMS can benefit from having real time, bi-directional data update contacts in both the…

When it comes to marketing, usually making a splash is the goal. You want to run a campaign that will have such a large area of effect, people will be feeling its ripples for a long time after it lands. When you're designing a website though, making a splash is just about the last thing you want to do. And when I say splash in the context of websites, let me make this clear, I'm talking…

An effective dealer chat strategy is a key puzzle piece for increasing leads and sales from dealership websites, and dealers continue to add chat to their portfolio of services – whether they opt for an in-house staff or hosted chat vendor.

The scary truth…

Strong Truck Sales, Extended Vehicle Life Cycles Impacting Sales; Dealership Accessories Sales Revenue Increases 10% Year-over-Year*

San Francisco, CA – September 23, 2013  – AOA today released its 2013 Accessories Trend Midyear Report which demonstrates that the macro trends that impacted 2012 accessories sales, and consumer preferences in vehicle add-ons, are continuing and…

In an interesting piece posted on the Automotive News website over the weekend, Diana T. Kurylko details how manufacturers are able to make real connections with buyers through Twitter, Vine and Instagram.

She points out that even boutique brands like Land Rover and Subaru recognize…