Have y'all seen this article in Automotive News?

The $1.5 BILLION valuation just astounds me. Would TrueCar going public bring more transparency to their business model and/or validate their "change of heart"?

"TrueCar said to consider IPO for next year"

"NEW YORK…

What kryptonite is to Superman is what “I’m not buying today,” is to a salesperson, debilitating.  If you want to decapitate the high hopes of a salesperson, just whisper those four words and watch him fall faster than Michael Spinks did when he fought “Iron” Mike Tyson (91 seconds by the way).

A customer may be shouting that they aren’t buying today,…

There are those who have been spreading (indefinitely, it seems) the thought that SEO is dead. It never ends, the thought (hope?) that search engine optimization has reached its conclusion. The main reason for these calls is, of course, when “experts” in search marketing start to find that their…

So once again I ask the question at the heart of the matter.... Mr./MRS…

NCMInstitute.com

Using Contests and Games in Your Marketing

Marketing your products in today’s world is tough. With so many competing messages on every media channel, simply putting an ad out just isn’t enough anymore. As a marketer, you’re constantly looking for new ways to get your customers interested and invested in your products, but that’s easier said than done.

You are probably using many forms of marketing that do a great job at increasing your brand…

In my last post, Advertising That is Priced Less and Priceless, I talked about the best form of advertising there is, word of mouth. You can read that HERE.

Word of mouth advertising can also be the worst advertising in the world if you don’t handle your customers properly.…

Most dealerships understand the importance of online reviews, in general, for their stores. Consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet to research dealerships before selecting one. This includes researching not only sales-related reviews, but also service.  Yet, most dealerships focus most of their attention on gaining reviews from the sales side and leave the…

AutoNetTV debuted collision center-specific content for its digital display platforms at the 2013 NACE show. 

This content is viewed by consumers as they wait for their estimate to be completed or on the collision center’s website and is designed to address the question “What should your potential customer know when you return to discuss their estimate?”…

Winter can be a challenging time for salespeople in the automotive industry. It’s easy to get swept up in the holiday season and lose focus on selling. Instead of losing productivity to lighter floor traffic and more distractions, it’s time to play Season Defense. The best sales teams use this time to circle their wagons, refocus on the basics, and keep improving.



Sharpen the saw

Take extra down time to educate yourself on new products, competition, and…

Due to the Huge Success of Tuesday's Webinar, we are pleased to announce an ENCORE Webinar Presentation of "5 Steps to Ensure You Are a TOP Manager" Hosted LIVE by Jeff Cowan! Register Today for this Free Training Opportunity on Thursday, December 12th at 8:00 am Pacific Standard Time | 11:00 am Eastern Time. Seats are Limited. Register Here: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/350828351

Car commercials are unlikely to leave people indifferent. Although when they provoke a reaction, it’s not always the kind of reaction the brands had hoped for. Many car manufacturers mess up and some of them never learn from their mistakes. Honda, on the other hand, very rarely (if ever) make the top lists of worst car adverts. There’s just something endearing in how they’re building their brand awareness. Let’s have a closer look into how Honda achieves success.

Riding One Can be…

Swapalease.com, the nation’s largest car lease marketplace, reports credit approvals were relatively unchanged in October compared with the previous month. The year-to-date approvals for customer credit finished October at 72.8%, compared with September levels of 72.7%.



The current rate shows a marked improvement over last year’s percentage, when 64.4% of approvals were processed through the end of…

Hello, 



I am in the market for a cup of coffee. If you are receiving this message, it is because your coffee shop has been selected for the bidding process. If you wish to be considered as the vendor for my next purchase, read the instructions below carefully. Only fully complete bids will be considered. Please note that I am soliciting bids from many coffee shops in and around VA, DC, and MD.…

The holidays are quickly approaching. Do you have plans in place to make your dealership a stop on customer's shopping lists? Learn how to take your Black Friday and Cyber Monday strategies further. That's this week on Think Tank Tuesday.

What a gift you are…

You’ve invested hundreds of hours on staying up-to-date with your product; you’re an expert at demonstrating the advantages your product has over your competitors’. You’re not like most salespeople who have to have a 48-hour notice on the product they will have to present to their peers-you’re always ready. You know what…

Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.   –  John Wanamaker 

You all know how expensive advertising can be. Dealerships spend thousands of dollars every month on newspaper, radio, TV, billboards, SEM & SEO, web based ads, signage, etc. All of this is designed…

Helpful…or Professional…which of these sound better?

If you are like a lot of Dealers and General Managers hiring “helpful” people always seems to be the right call. The belief is that you can develop someone into becoming a Professional. While I don’t disagree with this practice, what I find all across the country is the opposite of helpful or Professional.

Because we train all across the country, we have exposure to every make and model of vehicle in every kind of Dealership,…

Gas Prices Impacting Certain Segments

Cars & Trucks

One of the most often mentioned topics to the Black Book editors during the week was related to the coming increasing supplies of used vehicles and ultimately an adjustment in value retention. Currently the level of adjustment in the market values is a result of the beginning of a few more choices in the market,…

There’s a fundamental psychology behind visualizations that make them work. Reading is fine. Audio and video are often the best. When data must be seen and engulfed in order to make an impact, this is where infographics have their niche in our attentions.

In this very simple infographic from…