Automotive Dealerships have been amongst the companies that had to book the highest losses due to the worldwide economical crisis and it's aftermath. Since then they have managed to make a huge comeback especially during 2011; both manufacturers and dealers are expanding their businesses at a large pace and business' are recovering to pre-crisis states. The surviving dealer body has become nimble and able to respond to all new marketing demands.Among those are the increased demands of…

As it turns out, many people won’t tell a dealership directly how well salespeople at a dealership are doing – unless they’ve done a great job.  If they haven’t done well, they’re going to spread the word online and bash that dealership.

…and that’s good news for YOUR dealership.  (WHAT?)

Bad Online Reviews: Turning other…

That kills a General Manager it’s what he doesn’t know!

Those words spoken to me by one of the smartest dealers I ever worked for, Jay Marks, have stayed with me since 1996. Same principal applies in every position of the dealership but particularly in marketing.

Let’s face it Marketing is quickly becoming a…

I often get some ribbing about my efforts with Social Media and many times find myself defending my beliefs in the value of the time invested. I realize this business that I love so much is still pretty top heavy with dinosaurs so I mostly let it all roll off my back, although at times I think if I can ‘get it’ as a 40 something year old car guy with over 25 years at this why can’t my fellow managers have at least a LITTLE open mindedness to Social?  Recently I had an experience that fully…

I am going to equate the sales process to flying an airplane. Too many times we focus on the “in air” process. That’s right we put so much of our attention on the presentation and though it is important, not enough emphasis is placed on the opening and the close. This results in lower closing ratios and missed opportunities.

I think we would…

Every few months, I read articles or hear at a conference about how search engine optimization is dead. I've heard these statements for the last 5 years and they often attribute the same reasons for the demise of SEO (even years later).

Search engine optimization is still the single most important component for driving additional buyer traffic to a car dealer's website. Period. I would absolutely love to…

I was calling the other day to set up some travel and when I dialed I got a real voice versus an IVR.  The funny thing was, I checked to make sure I dialed the right number.

Now how funny is that. We are so accustomed to getting a recording (you have reached...) or a support line, (please enter your account #) that when we actually get someone it makes us feel…

Dealers United Announces First Deal for Members: SEO Services from KPA

KPA beat out more than 30 other SEO vendors to be given the opportunity to present their best offer to Dealers United members.…

Over the last ten years, anyone who has not witnessed dramatic changes in the used vehicle arena must have his head in the sand. Why is it then that so many franchised new vehicle dealers have thus far failed to effectively adjust to these changes? So that you understand what I’m talking about, I’ll just mention two of these impactful changes:  (1) the growth of the Internet as a marketing source; and, (2) the advantages available through inventory optimization technology. Even the language…

Dealers have embraced social media to sell more cars and generate more business in the service drive but most lag in using social media to hire the best employees. The very same things that drive customers to your site and "close" the deal can be used to bring in higher quality applicants for your open positions.

1) The average career page on dealer website is buried and if an applicant does manage to find it the content is less than compelling. Update that page with a video of real…

Three Must-Have Gadgets For The Automotive Professional

I am always on the lookout for technology that will enable my clients to be more efficient and effective in selling to and servicing their customers. I am excited to share with you three of my current favorites, which will seriously enhance the way you and your dealership engage,…

While not every dealership is actively involved with social media, it's a form of connecting with potential customers that doesn't seem to be going away.  If your dealership is participating in social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc), try to avoid making these common mistakes.

Replacing Your Dealership Website with Social Media Profiles: Maintain both for optimal results.  When you put your energy and assets into another platform (Facebook, Twitter, etc),…

General Motors can’t seem to get the Chevy Volt off of dealership lots – the American automaker has recently …

If you take a look at this heatmap, you'll see something very interesting. People don't scroll unless they have to. If they find what they're looking for in the first 4 or 5 results, they won't even look to see what's "below the fold". I only bring this up because we're due for one of those studies that comes out…