http://traffic.libsyn.com/sellingsuccess/AutoSuccess_228_-_Marsh_Buice.mp3 (19 minutes long)

In this week's podcast, we discuss how you can set yourself up for success on the sales floor. Sadly, selling has become a lost art-form. Many sales people approach their…

If you’ve ever worked in retail sales, electronics or otherwise, you’ve probably seen my type walk through your store doors. The type who knows what they want, and will spend as little effort and time to get that product, before abruptly leaving. When I need to get something at an electronics store (maybe an auxiliary cable or that new video game I shouldn’t be wasting my money on), I head right for the item I need, grab it, and get out of the store as soon as I can.

 For…

Dealers have embraced social media to sell more cars and generate more business in the service drive but most lag in using social media to hire the best employees. The very same things that drive customers to your site and "close" the deal can be used to bring in higher quality applicants for your open positions.

1) The average career page on dealer website is buried and if an applicant does manage to find it the content is less than compelling. Update that page with a video of real…

Whether you're looking for a management job, sales job, job training, any position in a dealership, or you're a dealer or dealer manager seeking to hire the right talent. It's imperative to work with the right recruiting entity. Use a company where the core motivation is to fill the order for the dealership. There is a difference between executive placement, and head hunter services. There is also a difference between recruiting companies, and staffing agencies. There are also…

Do yourself a favor and don't wait until you have a harassment case on your hands. Being proactive in prevention is the key to stopping harassment at your dealership. This webinar topic is always one of the favorites for HR managers, owners, principals, and general managers. (the other favorite is Wage & Hour Law).

This webinar will cover what is considered unlawful harassment, the cost of harassment in the workplace, and strategies to prevent harassment in your dealership.…

NCM Associates was on hand at NADA 2012 with the express purpose to open a dialogue with attending dealers and managers to listen to their issues, concerns, successes, and desires relative to their automotive dealership operations.  It was a great opportunity for us to connect with dealers inside and outside the NCM family and as always, the conversations were compelling in many ways.  In particular, one dealer told me about his vision for developing his future leaders, which I found to be…

Over the last ten years, anyone who has not witnessed dramatic changes in the used vehicle arena must have his head in the sand. Why is it then that so many franchised new vehicle dealers have thus far failed to effectively adjust to these changes? So that you understand what I’m talking about, I’ll just mention two of these impactful changes:  (1) the growth of the Internet as a marketing source; and, (2) the advantages available through inventory optimization technology. Even the language…

Advice From a 30-Car Guy

People often ask me what is the most amount of units I sold on the showroom floor…? 33, that is the most I ever sold in one month,…

I just got finished with a fun session at the Innovative Dealer Summit in Denver and as promised to the DE community, I'll be doing a video on the topic. We decided to do it in the form of a webinar to keep it on pace with the original presentation, so I'll post it here once it's done on March 28th.

In the meantime, there's no need for suspense. Here are the daily activities that will allow you to make a difference in your SEO. One of the participants at the session asked me…

(I wrote this article a couple of weeks ago while in the service waiting area of a franchised dealership in Eastern Washington; though in order to fully grasp my points, imagine that I wrote it from your dealership.)

The little things are all that matter.

I’m here to get my wife’s new car serviced. Just a couple of small items we noticed when we bought the car. One was placed on a “We Owe” and one was discovered during the delivery. The salesman was (of course) very…

Nearly every week someone says "What's new?" in the Fixed Ops Training world as if there is something wrong with what works.

And every week, the answer is the same. When it comes to Fixed Ops Training, Coaching and Mentoring..."Not much."

Oh to be sure, there are "new" things in Fixed Ops every day.

There are at least a zillion ways to keep in contact with the Customer. And there must be a bazillion CRM companies that can manage a "lost souls" campaign. And, yes, there…

Exactly NOT what you are thinking! Let’s look at these 10 examples of the “EX’s” we want to find in your stores!

1. Examine the processes of the daily routine operations of your dealership. From the way the phone is answered and your callers greeted…

Ladies' night at the local bar includes free drinks for the ladies.

What's the intention?

Where the women go, the men will follow – and the men will pay.

Ladies' Day at the car wash where all women receive $2 off their extreme wash.

The next day is Men's Day.

Does anyone see these efforts as "misguided"?

In a bar, the women are being used as…

If you haven’t heard, there is a bit of political campaigning going on right now.  Candidates are using every medium of communication to engage potential voters.  They are using the social mediums, but, shockingly, that isn’t all they are using.  They are out stumping.  They are shaking hands and kissing babies.  They are standing behind podiums in public.  Are you campaigning for customers in the same way?  Not sleazy, like a politician, but publicly in the community?

It is…

Post one of ten posts I will be making leading up to Digital Dealer 12.

If you are one of the best dealers in the country you are using 10% of your Secret Weapon…what is it?…

If you were afforded the opportunity to work at a dealership under the guise that you must first invest 25, 50, or even $100,000 would you pony up? If you did elect to invest such a large sum of money, would you even be the least bit curious as to what kind of return you would earn on your investment? Once you’ve finished your latest Sportscenter analysis of…

Generally when I begin with a client, I have a casual conversation with the manager of every fixed operations department to determine what they know and how I can best serve them to get to the next level. The most common training they have received is where their desk and the coffee pot are going they are released to get to work. I have met service managers with over 30 years of experience that didn’t even know what their effective labor rate was or how to improve the result. Now I…

The following is a great article from women-drivers.com, speaking to dealerships about the power of being women-friendly.

What are you and your team doing to target the female consumer?

Top 10 Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers in the US

 

The female consumer has spoken and out of 1300 dealerships in the United States receiving reviews, the Top 10 Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers are in for 2011. The Certificate…