Google announced yesterday via its blog, that it had instituted a feature in Google search and GMail ad transparency. This change will give consumers the ability to see why ads are being delivered (ie. what previous searches triggered the ads) as well as the ability to block ads from a particular company/advertiser. This option is available for all…

Hello DealerElite Community,

I am kind of new here. I consider myself more of an observer than an engager. With that said from my time observing, I know that this community has some of the most forward thinking, progressive minds that serve the auto industry.

I have been on google + since early July and have been following it closely. Most dealerships are thinking G+ is just another Facebook or Twitter and once they open it up to brands that they will need to…

A friend of mine asked for my help in leasing a new SUV the other day, she had settled on a Toyota.  I coached her to look up a car on buyatoyota.com.  There she found the 4runner she wanted and the next day went to the dealership that had it in…

The amount of "best practices" and "tips" involved with social media marketing can be overwhelming to say the least (and yes, I'm guilty of sharing my own).  In the spirit of KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid), here is a short list of Must-Do's for dealerships using social media as a part of their online marketing efforts:

Have a Plan: Before starting any…

Industry stats show that 80% of your ups will walk without buying. Yet if you can re-contact them within 48 hours and address their real reasons for not buying, the evidence shows you’ll get 33% of them back into the store and convert approximately 67% of them into sales.

For many dealers, this extra effort to pursue shoppers who left, and convert them into be backs, can net you up to 50 or more additional units per month. In any economy, that’s great incremental…

Customer satisfaction and customer retention are paramount for a dealerships long term success!

So…..how can you make sure that your entire team understands this and performs at its highest level??

You HAVE to build a culture!

Here is a link to a blog that I wrote about building a culture:

Are you just training them…

In my days with HomeNet Automotive, a new feature was released that allowed our customers to upload live video into their inventory for distribution to the third-party websites that would allow it.

Being in sales, I wanted to have a real video in which I could show potential clients the possibilities and an actual example of what one would look like so I enlisted help from a friend of mine who's a GM at a nearby dealer group to…

A question every salesperson should ask of oneself…

At some point in time even the best and brightest… sharpest and most straightforward of sales professionals have to make a purchase of some…

Pay-per-Click (PPC) maps well to what we’ve done for years on our lots, but we don’t realize it:  We spend a lot of money getting visits and calls to a dealership, and we train our salespeople to land a customer on a car before starting the negotiation process in the store.  Get'em "lickin' the paint" as my first GSM told me.  And, once landed, do NOT lift them from the…

To people with the gift of true humility, it’s always a mystery as to what arrogant individuals hope to gain by their attitude.

Webster defines arrogance as “a sense or affectation of superiority.” Undoubtedly the “superior” being is trying to impress his importance upon others. But if they could know the secret ridicule and resentment they arouse in those they seek to impress, they would dump the superior attitude.

Rather than winning respect, such an attitude stamps it’s…



Word of mouth advertising – it’s not almost a cliché, it IS a cliché. But it’s one we must be mindful of, because it’s the one thing in advertising that not only hasn’t changed, but is even more important today than ever.

With the Internet and digital advertising, Social Media and Dealer Reviews, word of mouth advertising rules. Everything we say and do can…

Orchestration is a fine science that builds the art of a symphonic performance. It’s the composer’s understanding of blending or contrasting the various voices of the instruments of the orchestra that bring the written notes on a sheet of music to our ears. Often what we hear moves our emotions and evokes strong feelings, memories and sometimes…

Proactive customer support and service identifies and resolves issues before they become problems. Proactive communication and proactive selling can help you drive business with higher customer loyalty.

Differentiate through superior customer service, exceeding customer expectations with personalized and unique touches and give your customers the power of choice. Being customer ready drives superior customer care and improves client retention.

Start by…

Having videos on your auto dealer website has been shown to increase website leads, and when done with video search engine optimization (VSEO), helping your site climb the search engine result pages.  If your dealership has videos on your website, you should have those videos uploaded to your own dealership YouTube channel.

Here's why:…

Our world is moving quicker, monthly goals seems to be an overpowering daily burden, and our stress levels have us running for a smoke, coffee, Red Bull, fresh air or all of the above.

This video while a bit humorous portrays an inpatient driver waiting for an elderly women to cross the street.  Does this driver remind you of a Sales Manager you know?

 …