Last week, a UK based travel company received an interesting Facebook post – a user posted a screenshot of a travel itinerary that listed a layover of 413,786 hours (or roughly 47 years). This, of course, was a technical glitch, as the itinerary did not show the traveler arriving at their destination 47 years later and I’m fairly certain the post was simply to inform the travel company about this technical glitch. The social media team – or one person on that team in particular – chose to…

This Week in Social Media

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Welcome to this week's edition of Black Book Market Insights, with in-depth analysis of used car and truck valuation trends and insights straight from the auction lanes. Click here to download…

Creating a truly successful, profit-generating, and reputable dealership in your community requires more than selling one vehicle at a time.  While having your sales team consistently hit (and surpass) their quotas each month is certainly an integral component to longevity in the marketplace, it’s critical your dealership builds long-term relationships with each and every customer ~ transforming 1^st time buyers at your dealership into loyal, referring car buyers.  This…

As a car owner, it’s your responsibility to have a good automotive insurance coverage that will protect you from injury and your car from damage. However, having this kind of insurance coverage does not come cheap. Paying for your car and your insurance premiums at the same time can really cause a financial strain on your part, which is why you need to know how you…

Many businesses, including the automotive industry, have a strong focus on creating a better customer experience through technology. In fact, technology has transformed the customer experience across all industries. Consumers can buy a multitude of products online and have them delivered, in some cases, in an hour. Technology has even advanced to the point that consumers can…

Labor Day, one of the last major car holidays of the year. During this holiday, dealerships can expect to have a treasure trove of customers, new and returning, whom are looking to take advantage of the ongoing deals featured at the dealership. There's a few reasons for this onslaught of customers, all happening on the last weekend of summer. The three-day weekend allows shoppers ample time to shop, and with new…

Tips%20and%20Strategies%20for%20a%20Dealer%20Principal.pdf

Have you ever gotten an email from a retail store saying the sale is one day only? This creates a sense of urgency for your customers, making sure they come to your business to make a purchase before time runs out.

Customers who feel a sense of urgency convert at a higher rate and are more likely to buy immediately. By watching this week's Hard Facts, you'll quickly realize that creating urgency is easier than it seems. Samantha discusses three…

Just about every consumer today is connected to friends, acquaintances, and businesses via social platforms.  In fact, it’s nearly impossible to find someone who is completely removed from online resources.  With that said, it’s important for businesses, and your dealership specifically, to focus on online feedback from consumers and…

Is your dealership convenient for consumers to conduct business with? Industry wide, the answer is a resounding "no". Service customers wouldn't defect at a rate of 70% plus if your dealership made the consumer experience convenient.

Listed below are numerous customer comments (unedited) from franchise dealers that provide Customer Pick-up & Delivery for service customers (CP/Warranty/Recalls). The highlighted quotes demonstrate how Pick-up & Delivery Service can have a…

Picture yourself walking on a crowded New York City street.  Everyone blends in…except for those who don’t.  Those who stand out have one or more characteristics that usually get them noticed—no matter how many people are around.

Now think about all the automotive dealerships out there and about all the vehicles sold.  In 2015,…

When I consult with dealers about service mailers, I often find that their approach contradicts what they’re looking to achieve.

On one hand, dealers know how incredibly competitive the market is, so they send out service coupons to ensure customers don’t defect due to a competitor’s offer. But on the other hand, they don’t want to send service offers too often.…

In every industry, there is endless data to collect and apply to sales and marketing, all in the hopes of converting consumers to customers. Marketing strategies and campaigns, again, in any industry, can tailor this data to help drive its users down the correct path. Through all of its uses however, marketing strategies have the most in common with the goals attributed to the automotive industry. Let’s explain…

Change is necessary for businesses to grow.  That’s true for the salon down the street, for the local grocery store, and for your dealership.  In order to keep up with consumer wants and needs in the marketplace, it’s important to keep your eyes open and focus on trends that are inspiring shoppers to buy.  Although change is necessary, most people…

All too often, a company gets intrigued with content marketing and decides to give it a try. But then, after just a couple of blogs, executives decide that there just isn’t any tangible return on their investment, or that it’s not measurable, and so lessen their content output, or abandon the initiative altogether.

In most cases this is due to poor planning…

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about Amazon’s entry into the automotive world… something I predicted quite a while ago and covered in previous blogs.

For the moment, Amazon is functioning as simply a new research portal where consumers can find information and…

Mercedes Benz is all praised for its individual in-car features. Don’t miss the bigger picture. Consider this new E-class, which revives its technologies with whole lot of cryptic phrases such as Distance Pilot Distronic, Pre-Safe Impulse, Air Body Control, and the likes. But combined together and packed into a single theme, the E’s safety,…

Portable Battery chargers are comprised of a particular battery in a specific case with a distinct circuit to manage electricity flow. They let you to store electrical power (deposit it in the portable charger) and later utilize it to charfe a mobile unit (withdraw it from the portable charger). Power Banks have grown to be more popular than ever since the battery life of the precious cell phones, computer tablets and compact…