Things HAVE changed!  Customer buying habits have changed.  The entire world has changed the way we do business and buy just about everything.  

ONE of the most significant things I've reinforced that's made a dramatic impact on sales is to discuss a customer's budget, NOT PRICE ON THE LOT, but MORE emphasis discussing budget during fact finding.  Some dealers are very emphatic NOT to discuss it (just show the customer a car…

I like to shop at Nordstrom. They have nice clothes and great customer service. I will go through periods where I am there fairly often. I definately don't have a negative view of the clothing business. People don't buy cars every month, every couple of months or every year. They don't like car dealerships and car people. They tolerate us. Their only concern is that you have a vehicle and what you are willing to sell it for.

I want someone to show me the ROI. Not for a few cars a…

There was a time not too long ago when it was hard to get dealers to post enough. The mythical beast known as EdgeRank (which Facebook technically hasn't used in a long time, but that's not important now) compels people to want to maximize the exposure of their posts by keeping a constant flow of positive engagement going towards their Facebook…

Five Important Benefits for Car Dealerships with High Performance Business Development Centers (BDC)

1. Accountability:

First and foremost and good, functional BDC center should be able to provide your dealership with accountability. Being able to accurately track numbers and statistics though not the primary role, is an…

There is a rise in niche-level outsourced social media that is refreshing on one hand and discouraging on the other. It's encouraging because when agencies take the stance of focusing on a single niche such as automotive or entertainment, they are able to build up several resources to make their jobs easier…

In recent months,I have done maintenance calls on numerous dealers with whom I implemented "Red Flag" compliance training over the past 2-3 years. I have found an alarming number of stores WERE diligent in addressing the safeguarding of customer information when the law was implemented in 2009,but relatively FEW have continued the necessary practices they implemented when the law went into effect.This is a ticking time bomb for dealers who are not taking the identity theft of their customers…

Smile, Then Tell Your Face. It's contagious.

It's takes twice as much energy to have a bad day as it does a good day.  Smiling causes others to do the same and, think about it, those who smile and who are in a good mood all day usually produce the best results and highest sales!…

Photo sharing has been around a long time now and though the modes of capturing and sharing a photograph may have changed, the idea behind photo sharing still holds true. Photos spark an emotional connection in a way that text cannot. How many of you remember your family’s old photo album? It either lived on your living room table or resided on a shelf next to some other…

Every year that I have been in the business, I find that both those with and without the experience justifying their relaxed way about them. They make the excuse that all the business is elsewhere. How untrue is that statement. The best month I ever had was a December followed by a runover into January. That was my first year in the business, and probably because I didn't know that's the way everyone thought. Every year since then, I have tried to reinforce the idea that these next two…

Nowhere in history have auto dealers had more options, channels and media to promote their business to the public.  And while these choices are great they can also be confusing, frustrating, and at times expensive.

Technology has brought us the Internet, mobile smart phones, portable tablet pc’s and ultra-fast wi-fi networks.  Most of us couldn’t live without these items, but over the past…

Google recently got into the credit card business and they expanded the program recently.

A WebmasterWorld thread…

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.



The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and…

Well it's that time of year again ladies and gentleman, another beautiful day of eating far too much and watching football is upon us! That's right it's Thanksgiving day and there is much to be thankful for. Whether you plan to spend your day with family or friends or just by yourself laying out your battle plan for Black Friday try to make this thanksgiving a special…

How to Setup Your Dealerships Pinterest Business Page

I think its safe to say that in the past couple of months Pinterest has been working diligently to increase their status as a powerhouse contributor to the social media community, with the release of the verification of Pinterest accounts, the…

Today we’ve decided to feature a great blog by Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite, about why you should pay your employees to use social media on company time. Sounds crazy? Maybe. But according to Holmes, social media is not a…

Sexiest Super Bowl 2012 Ads...

 Is Front Gross $PVR Still a Relevant Metric?

One of our “poster” clients—with super market penetration, great customer retention, strong gross profit production, and excellent net-to-gross retention—doesn’t believe in focusing on front $PVR, at least in his new vehicle department. In fact, his business model is based on $-0- new vehicle “total front gross profit.” But please also understand the following:

• The New…

Over the last couple of days, a major controversy has been brewing regarding a specific Facebook post made by a woman by the name of Lindsey Stone, and the online reputation management  of the company that employs her. If you haven’t heard this story yet, no doubt you will soon find it hard to ignore. The controversy surrounding Lindsey started when she posted a picture of…

Upgrades to award-winning site include industry-first dScore to measure relevant user activity

Salt Lake City, UT – December 20, 2012 – DrivingSales today announced the launch of its redesigned website DrivingSales.com, the world’s largest automotive social network. The…