For dealers, productivity is a key element in our quest for profitability.  Dealers expend unlimited resources on vendors who guarantee increased productivity.  Whether purchasing the newest mind-boggling software application or Mr. Slamma Jamma’s ultimate sales training program, we are continuously in search of ways to incrementally increase our store’s productivity.  

A healthy workplace means much more than occupational health and safety.  A healthy workplace starts with healthy…

There’s a proverbial saying that when it comes to the car business, “There is no tomorrow,” which means your best opportunity to make a sale is the customer seated in front of you, right now. I remember my first month in the business, I literally had a notebook full of names and notes of customers who promised me they would be back-15 years later,…

Hiring the Right People is Imperative to Reaching Your Goals!

Over the years I have had the opportunity to be a part of many interviews.  As an outside consultant I have found it interesting to watch managers focus on many important attributes yet…

April 1, 2014

Mike's Picks and Commentary

FREE Stuff!



Happy April Fools Day! No joke, but I've found a few "freebies" you'll want to take advantage of right here on DeallerELITE. Who doesn't like free stuff?…

Before you get started reading this, let me warn you that it is about twice as long as my normal posts, over 1200 words. I got started and the words just started flowing. I hope you find this useful.

I’ve been in the car business almost 30 years now and it seems like one of the topics that never goes away is customer loyalty. Every year salespeople and…

Quite often businesses, including car dealerships, feel that the fact that a blog exists is enough to generate results, but this just isn’t the case. A good blog will drive business and produce sales, but it has to be a blog that people want to read.

But what are the essentials of a good blog? It should cover the following bases.

1. The content should be well-written

2. The blog should be updated often so that people come back frequently

3. It should have good SEO or…

A new benchmark report published last month by RSR Research, provides some interesting information about retailers and the shifts in focus and importance from 2012 to 2013.

According to the study, 61 percent of retailers feel customer retention has become more difficult, and…

Your customer doesn't care how busy you are. It’s not their problem someone’s transmission went out, or that another will be there in 5 minutes despite that fact that you haven’t even gotten the car washed yet, nor the fact that yesterday’s “lick” (a.k.a. a customer that paid you a healthy commission) now wants to return the car. Customers aren't ignorant to…

As I am writing this post I am sitting in the customer lounge at a car dealership. I cant help but notice the continued lack of professionalism that is happening on the sales floor. I have watched 4 of the 10 sales reps on the sales floor answer the phone while they are talking to customers. You need to focus on the deal that you have as apposed to the one that might never be. The phone should only be used when you don’t have a customer at your desk. The customer in front of you is the most…

When it comes to marketing, usually making a splash is the goal. You want to run a campaign that will have such a large area of effect, people will be feeling its ripples for a long time after it lands. When you're designing a website though, making a splash is just about the last thing you want to do. And when I say splash in the context of websites, let me make this clear, I'm talking…

I was on an online chat with several friends and fellow trainers from the United Kingdom the other night. We were discussing Time Management, a subject that most of us provided training on. As we were chatting, the subject got around to the biggest time wasters we had each seen with ourselves and our clients. We decided to compile a list. I have included that list below.…

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Apple will start selling their new iPhones tomorrow. The buzz leading up to the announcement was typical with speculation running wild, leaked photos and chatter just about everywhere. After the announcement however, the buzz shifted away from excitement towards disappointment. People got so excited in the pre-announcement frenzy that they felt let…

 “Work harder.”

“Work more hours.”

“Put your nose to the grindstone.”

“You have to pay your dues.”

“Climb the ladder of success.”

Do all of these sayings sound familiar? These common phrases often espouse ideas that become anchored as limiting beliefs in your brain. Here’s the shocking news; these phrases often put into motion a cycle of struggle and failure. These common teachings may have kept you from having the kind of success you desire. The…

Whether you're selling paper clips or cars, the most successful salespeople share the same qualities. Here are some of the things that separate the best from the rest:

Believe In Yourself

Unstoppable salespeople filter out negative thoughts and the advice of those who dwell on why it can't be done. They rely on their own inner voice and belief systems to carry them through any obstacles. They truly believe there's nothing…

One challenge all businesses face is creating loyal customers. As business owners, we try to analyze our customers to figure out what methods we can use to build that base of customers which is so important to future growth. Without loyal customers, your efforts at customer acquisition quickly go from growing your business to replacing defecting customers.

 …

Some things in life don’t seem to make sense. If you’re caught in the ocean’s under-toe, don’t resist, but instead save yourself by swimming horizontally to the shore with the ocean’s pull. If you want to effectively snow ski down the side of a mountain, you must lean forward or if you ever find yourself in a skid, driving…

              Although I could certainly give more than just one more thing, this report is based upon specifically on one thing and this is prospecting.  Top sales performers know that lead generation equals dollar creation. Top performers look to create more leads from more sources and to have higher productivity from each source.

               First of all, I would invite you to create a marketing web. Take a piece of paper and put a dot in the middle.…

“While everyone ran in panic, Roselle remained totally focused on her job.”

Sometimes life gets hectic. We try to focus on and accomplish too many things at the same time. We have deadlines to meet, customers vying for our attention, fires to put out and countless voicemails and e-mails to respond to. In a world where employers consider…

     Many people in the auto industry have been talking about evidence of a softening market. Lately, I have seen fear in the eyes of several salespeople, managers, and dealers. Good times and overabundance tends to spoil all of us and leads us to bad habits and a reduced sense of urgency that kills our business when things get tougher. What are you doing at your dealership right now to cushion for an economic downturn?

     The time to prepare for bad times is not when they hit, but…

Dealerships need good reviews to sell cars, or do they? Are you confused about the discussions surrounding the importance of reviews? When you read reviews are you reading about the product or about where you are buying the product? Be Honest (I won't tell).



This week on Think Tank Tuesday, learn the truth behind all the effort you've given to working on your dealership's…