Recently I had the privilege of working with Media Active Incorporated on an industrial shoot for Toshiba Corporation. Engaging in any project with MAI is always a blessing for a multitude of reasons. One aspect is the opportunity to witness on the set while being educated in the art of performance technique and the newly introduced innovation of many organizations.

I…

There’s a case against Twitter and Pinterest that is being waged by some in the automotive industry. They’ll say that there simply isn’t a good return on investment, that they aren’t worth messing with because it’s just too hard to find a benefit from them. This is true until you look at one major factor: time.

Twitter and Pinterest require very little time to maintain and keep vibrant.…

Many people really don’t know exactly what a Public Relations firm does. The common answer is “write press releases,” but I can guarantee you public relations firms do not sit around all day and just write press releases (or at least good ones). So what, exactly, do we do?

As defined by the Public…

Sometimes going behind the analytical data or numbers just is not enough! We tend to seek or want more answers! We try and find answers by trying to connect to allies , peers , friends or other dealers! We need to instead connect to Wisdom!  Seek it....and you shall find!

Mentors are those who brings wisdom into play! Their wisdom…

Initially, I was totally against Cars.com sending emails to customers showing the competition's vehicles especially on the timetable they were using.  I didn't appreciate the fact that they "sneaked" it out without discussing it with their dealers or even their field reps. I was even less thrilled that they sending inventory feeds to TrueCar, Cargurus and God know where else.  

As far as the email program, with the proper timetable, I can see how dealerships, that know how to market…

With all the competition in the Automotive World and so many websites, targeted ads and retargeting display ads vying for consumer attention it seems harder than ever to know whether or not your customer will remember you.

How do you set yourself apart from the competition and stay in the customer's mind?

USE COMMON SENSE AND THINK ABOUT USING MOBILE TO CONNECT WITH MOBILE! Niesen did a study in November about Mobile Auto Shoppers and it showed that 49% of…

Take a quick moment to laugh at this simplistic reality of most people on the road.…

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is constantly crashing cars -- and the automakers love it, in the hopes they earn a "Top Safety Pick."

We posted this article for publication this week:

     More than 250 motorists were killed in crashes that involved cars slamming into the back ends of trailers on large trucks in 2011, according…

As a sales professional, it can be an eye-opening experience when you go shopping for yourself. Weaknesses in other’s presentations can teach us lessons about how to strengthen our own. One common theme you might notice is that many people don’t seem to recognize that people don’t buy products or services. People buy from…

You may be wondering why the president of a dealership management system (DMS) company is talking about CRMs. It’s not because I want to sell you a CRM. It’s because one of the most frequently asked questions I get from customers is, “What do you think about such and such CRM?”

The first thing I always answer is, “Why do you want to switch?”

The reasons I get vary and often include: “Well, our new Internet Sales Director thinks that CRM is better,” or “Our…

Written by: Thomas Bear

Realizing the dealer/general manager’s day is full of interruptions, if you could wave a magic wand and create the perfect day, what would you do during this day?

Which activities do you wish you did every day? Which activities are the top ten for you to do every day?  Here’s an exercise we use in our 20 Group meetings from time to time that might be helpful for you to realign your daily priorities.…

Words are cheap. What matters is the true belief system behind your words and the actions you take because of those belief systems. Economies don’t improve, people improve. Waiting for something to happen is for losers. The most important economy is the one created between your ears.

During down markets you have to get creative to make things happen. Although you may not be able to push a new car market if it’s not there, you can niche market, create affiliations, utilize…

With all the noise about making the Industries more transparent you would think that the vendors that supply the those Industries and say they their purpose is to provide consumers more transparency would  reciprocate and be transparent with their client base before launching their new strategies.

When launching new programs that impacts the clients that you serve it…

DID YOU AUTHORIZE YOUR INVENTORY TO BE POSTED ON ANTI-DEALER OR HOSTILE WEBSITES?

5:00 AM and the Alpha Dawg is on the…

For years, the dog has been man’s best friend. He’s got a lot of things going for him; one of the best things is his dog nose. The dog’s nose is some 50,000 times more powerful than our human noses, and has some amazing powers.

Our dogs sniff out bombs, buried earthquake survivors, skiers buried in avalanches, drugs being smuggled. Dogs have a world of smells open to…