Nicki Allen of Classic Mazda and Classic Chrysler Dodge Jeep of Denton gives new perspective to some traditional ideas in the automotive business.  A focus on new technology defines a new attitude for these Texas dealerships. Click the image above for the full feature.

The biggest mistake salespeople, sales managers and BDC staff make is that they let notes in their CRM or on paper convince them not to call customers back. As I always say you need to get the consumer out of you before you make the call. Someone is going to be sold and the question is who. How can you expect to re-motivate customers to visit the dealership if you are not convinced when you call them. The question is are you selling them or are they selling you?…

Do you remember the ad you answered for your first sales job at a dealership?  What was the minimum education level they wanted?  PhD?  Masters?  Not likely.  Most have listed that you need a high school diploma for consideration.  And, as I recall, no one ever really checked.  If that's the minimum, what if they told you that to be really successful you'd need the equivalent of five college educations? …

I never knew porcupines were so cute as babies. 

Have you ever seen a baby porcupine?

 …

Since Google+ is so new, I asked everyone on our team at DealerOn to put together a list of resources for car dealers trying to wrap their minds around this new way of social networking (myself included).  Here’s a list of links/sites that we’ve put together.

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This post is attributed to my colleague Tim Rose at AM Magazine in the UK http://www.am-online.com. It poses some very interesting views on the future direction of retail outlets as a result of some major research carried out in the UK regarding solus vs multi-franchise outlets....

"Research from a global automotive consultancy is likely to add weight to some carmakers’ demands for solus dealerships when dealers’ current…

Create Your Own Positive Path

Your attitude influences your world and everything you do in it.

It defines the energy you send out and, in turn, takes shape and color in your circumstances.

If you…

Have you ever heard someone say …

“it’s not MY job”

Or….

Finger point at another employee,……..

thus blaming them for the shortfall??

Or better yet, make up an elaborate story to simply cover their butts??

These people suffer from “victimitis”….

They feel they are the victims in every situation. They never hold themselves accountable and everyone else is…

Looks like Facebook is getting in on the reviews game. While checking in on the DealerOn Facebook page today, I noticed a new tool that I think auto dealers may want to keep an eye on.  Expanding on the simple "like" button that seems to be everywhere, Facebook now lets users leave recommendations for business pages.

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Our recent poll, "What is the number 1 challenge most dealers have with improving profits?" shows that RECRUITING TALENT and PROCESSES are the #1 challenge to improving our profits as dealers. The question now becomes:

• Are RECRUITING TALENT and…

“What is the number one challenge most dealers have with improving profits?”  1) Employee Turnover, 2) Capital, 3) Inventory, 4) Process, and 5) Recruiting Talent.  Of those polled, 30% answered “Recruiting Talent”.

It is not rocket surgery (it is easier to build a rocket than trouble shoot and repair one) as to how talent affects the dealership’s bottom line.  What puzzles me is why…

The topic of leadership has been and continues to be one of the most vital topics in human history.

Every organization, or collection of people, from large to small, requires skilled leadership. Every group, every family, every city, every association and every nation – fulfills its purposes and potential based on that leadership.

So…..What is Leadership???

I think it is…

1. How long have you been a Dealer Elite member?

We joined Dealer Elite from the inception of IntellaCar to help us stay on top of emerging trends during our development process. We wanted to be a part of the Dealer Elite platform that integrates best in class for a variety of different processes.



2. What do you like best about Dealer Elite?

Dealer Elite members are among the most cutting edge, innovative and engaged dealers, who are…

The Penske Automotive Group is catching up to AutoNation in the total revenue department. A few years ago, AutoNation was generating about $20 billion in annual revenue, while Penske was at about $8 billion.

Penske has narrowed the gap considerably generating $10.6 billion last year to AutoNation's $12.4 billion ($12.5 if you round up). And now Penske has added about $257 million worth of revenue with today's acquisition of Crevier BMW in Santa Ana, CA. Crevier is the fifth…