I created a video that gives a brief overview of the Google Cars program, officially called the Google Commercial Unit For Cars (CUFC). A few more details on the program are now available but dealers still have a number of questions left unanswered.

Take a minute to watch the video and see my comments at the bottom of this page.…

Before I decide to make a purchase on any big ticket item,  I search the company’s name in Google and see the rating  the business received. I also read a couple of the customer reviews. I, like most shoppers, am turned off by bad reviews. Shoppers are using the Web now, more than ever to research and review companies.

Which rating service should dealerships pay most attention to? Google and here’s why:

I googled a local dealership here in Orlando, and the first…

http://bit.ly/MS52GK

When a customer comes through the door we are implicitly asking him or her “How much for your business?” – How much trust, service, convenience?  How much VALUE does it take to earn your business?  

My friend who owns a 6-bay shop was telling me that business is great.  While he is always keeping his eye on improving the bottom line, he said that the only way they…

This isn't going to be a long rant because I do most of my ranting in the video below, but it all definitely needs to be said. Taking an image that someone else took from one of the various picture-sharing sites on the internet and then slapping your watermark on it is a very poor practice. It's dishonest. It's a potential hit to your reputation. It's a little creepy.

One thing I do not mention in the video is that it reduces the chances that someone else will share the image from…

One of the founding tenets of Dealers United is that our Member-Dealers will ALWAYS be GUARANTEED the LOWEST price, and BEST terms and conditions for every deal. We stand by that; and we demand this be written into every vendor agreement. 



Yesterday, one of our members discovered a lower price than their current deal with a signed vendor. The price was only $38 below the Dealers United Members’ Only Price and it was for a long-term contract, but it is important to us to…

Check out this blog by Tori Hoffman as she talks all about how important your actions are to customer.

Do What You Say!

Sounds simple enough right? You’d think so, but unfortunately a lot…

Mobile applications are in massive use today, and projected to overtake desktops as a preferred method of connecting to the internet in the very near future. That’s according to multiple sources, including DudaMobile’s new infographic illustrating the Top Five Industries to Go Mobile on Mashable. The same infographic shows the automotive industry to be in the top five but in last place, with…

I bet you thought Internet fame means increased sales for your business. Nope. Just ask Chuck Testa. The California taxidermist became an internet phenomenon when he released this comically…

We recently completed a regional NCMi® training workshop in Washington, D.C. titled, “How to Make the Phone Ring and the Door Swing in YOUR Used Vehicle Department.” One of the class exercises was for the attendees to complete a checklist to determine if they operated a “World Class” used vehicle department. Following are the questions that resulted in the most productive discussions: 

• Is the Daily Trade-Walk discipline being diligently followed?

• Is the…

The NCMi faculty members and the NCM Retail Operations field consultants have learned that managers who effectively manage the elements of “controllable profitability” within their respective operating departments normally produce a significant departmental net profit. This, of course, assumes that the majority of dealership expenses (limited-control and fixed) are fairly distributed to each operating department.

Many managers, however, lack the proper focus on controllable…

Industry’s most authoritative profit-building event offers complimentary rooms for meetings of up to 140 dealers, pre- and post-summit

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – June 27, 2012 – The 2012 DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES), the most authoritative profit-building event for innovative dealers, is providing private meeting space so dealer attendees can further facilitate peer-sharing,…

http://www.automotiveinternetsales.com 

Automotive Phone Sales  - Process &…

June 26th, 2012.

Today, Haystack Digital Marketing, one of the nation’s largest full-service advertising agencies and audio visual production company for the retail automotive industry announced its strategic alliance with ActivEngage,Inc., the automotive industry’s premium live chat and real-time business intelligence solution, …

  I really enjoy watching Gordon Ramsey. Almost all of his shows (Hells Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, MasterChef, etc) have a comon theme when it comes to cooking. Keep it simple, keep it fresh. It's as easy as keeping a simple menu to choose from, to the actual food you serve. I've noticed that if you…

Another prediction that I wrote about has come true.  Change is in the air again at Google.  Paid Search just took a big step forward or backwards, depending on how you think.  It's called "Google Cars"

In November 2011, I wrote about a product called "…

We made it to the next round of the Social Madness Contest, but for the first time in the Social Madness contest Vin isn't in the lead. We want to show them that the Automotive Industry has just as strong social media presence as any other industry out there!

If a software company can beat out local beer companies and banks then auto, as a whole must be doing something right. To help keep us in the…

 Yes.... it is true.  You have those things you need to do each morning to get ready for your day.  It is no different than starting your day with positive action at the automobile dealership.

Go ahead, have that cup of coffee. Sit down at your desk and write your to do!  Make sure that it includes the following:

• Review of CRM…