VinSolutions, an industry-leading developer of automotive Internet- based Customer Relations Management (CRM) and Internet Lead Management (ILM) software, announced that Sean Stapleton, Chief Sales Officer and Kendall Billman, Vice President of Interactive Marketing, will be the next featured presenters in the CARFAX PowerUp webinar to be held on Friday, May…

Ultra-progressive dealer helped lead Suzuki of Wichita to #1 retailer in nation; joins DrivingSales to help other dealers achieve success

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – May 22, 2012 – DrivingSales today announced that one of the top performing dealers in the country, Tom White, Jr., has joined the rapidly growing company to head its Dealer Services division, helping…

DMEautomotive’s mobile shopping and vehicle ownership app allows Lithia dealerships to target younger service/sales customers and keep current customers ‘close-at-hand’

Daytona Beach, FL –May 22, 2012 – DMEautomotive (DMEa) today announced the roll-out of its breakthrough mobile app, Driver…

General Motors has long been a staple of the American automotive industry.  Facebook is the latest billion dollar IPO.  Why is GM pulling ten million dollars a year in advertising from Facebook?

On the surface, this looks like GM is retreating saving advertising dollars.  When you dive into the issue, many wonder if the government run company is staying away from investing in the publically traded company for other reasons.  GM states that the risk to advertise is not worth the reward…

Today could have been a rocky day.....Turns out it was a little. But in the end, because of proper protocol, following a chain of command and doing the right thing the right way, today might actually turn out to be a good day for everyone involved. The customer might wind up happy, the dealership might sell a car and the friction is disippated. What that mean is, if you have a problem, follow the steps in place at your company to properly resolve them. In the end, everyone wins. Have a great…

In fixed ops we constantly worry whether or not we are getting a return on every one of our ad dollars. Every manufacturer tracks it. Every ad vendor tracks it. And when we spend the money and don't get an immediate return, we start to fret.

Here is the rub.

Customers don't make a connection with an ad. Customers don't make a connection with an offering or a…

Check out this great blog by Jenn Mayer of Potratz, as she explores the importance of using Facebook in your dealerships Advertising.

Facebook is the second most used website in the entire world, after Google (…

KPA expands popular webinar programs with the launch of DealerWebinars.com, the leading educational resource for Internet Marketing, HR Management, and Environment & Safety.

Lafayette, CO (May 21, 2012) — KPA announced today the launch of DealerWebinars.com as the leading provider of educational webinars on Internet Marketing, HR Management, and Environment & Safety for automotive and equipment dealerships and service…

The warm smell of fresh donuts rose through the air of the ActivEngage office breakroom.  A ping-pong table lined the far wall of the room, and a sign requiring employees to moonwalk out of the office hung over the exit. Soft beanbag chairs and oblong ottomans furnished in green and orange – a…

Hi All,

I collaborated on an Edmunds’ article, Turning Service into Sales, that I think the DealerELITE membership may find very interesting, and more importantly, helpful. It is a particular dynamic that has developed into search queries on Edmunds, and the broader web, where customers who are holding on to cars much longer than in years past, are increasingly searching for service advice on their aging vehicles, many out of OEM warranty. Coming from a sales background myself, I may…

Seth Godin’s blog this past week uses the analogy of digital parking meters to explain that ‘the same but better’ isn’t always…

Today, while you read this, a 14-year old boy is lying on his bed in the cancer ward of a children’s hospital, struggling to breathe after vomiting for the umpteenth time this morning; his throat, mouth and lips burning with ulcers from the chemo.  Today he’ll be humbled a dozen times as his father and nurses change his clothes and bedding because he’s too weak to get up to…

Car Accessories Sales Best Practices

Featured Automotive Accessory: Window Tint

Window tint has always been a popular car accessory not just for the look that it adds to the car but also for vehicle value protection and health and comfort of passengers. Here is a word track to point out the benefits of adding window tint…

About AutoCon 2012

The 2012 Automotive Connections Conference & Exposition (aka AutoCon 2012) is brought to you by Automotive Media Partners, LLC. (AMP). AMP is a company led by Ralph Paglia, Chris Saraceno and Mike Myers who represent the largest online communities for Automotive Professionals.

The Automotive Digital Marketing (ADM) community website…

In April, 2012, Google began rolling out major changes to their search algorithm. The update, known as "Penguin", had dramatic effects on many of the searches that people do on a regular basis. In the automotive industry, the effects were felt by thousands of dealers. Some moved up if they had quality SEO practices being employed on their sites. As a result, others moved down.

This graphic goes into a little detail about the philosophies that dealers and their search partners should…

I love to eat and I don't miss very many meals, but just because I can halfway cook, doesn’t make me a world-class chef.

Similarly, just because someone has…

Saw this post on Smart Money and wanted to share it with my dE followers: what do you think about the article's opinion that investors should bet on Google, rather than Facebook?

And what does this mean for those of us in the automotive industry -- many automotive companies use both platforms effectively, but the debate continues over which platform has better long-term potential - in this…

There's a great article here called …

 It's just common sense that having less accidents and injuries means reductions in work comp insurance costs. Less accidents and injuries also translates to less absences and more productivity in your workplace. But beyond common sense (and KPA's 26 years of experience providing enviroment and safety sofware and services)  a new  study validates the importance of being proactive in preventing injuries and accidents.

So your automotive sales are down, and you lay awake at night praying that you make this month’s budget just so you do not have to put all of your possession in the provided cardboard box and take the walk of shame out of the dealership.  Does this sound familiar to you?

Anyone who has spent any time in automotive management has experienced this anxiety.  For that matter anyone in sales management has had this same gut wrenching stomach turning feeling at one time or another.  There…