The talk these days is all about “transparency”.  Since consumers are doing tremendous amounts of research BEFORE visiting a dealership, since they are so well-informed, since they know what they want, dealers need to be transparent about everything.  One cannot argue with the data.  According to studies by R.L.Polk/AutoTrader and Google/Shopper Sciences:

• The average car shopper starts the process online, spends
• 19 hours doing research, and
• References 18…

What boxer would step into the ring without having studied his opponent? What coach would take his team onto the field without have watched game films of their competitor? One of the key differences between being a champion or an “also-ran” is knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your rival. The same is true in business. The ability to scout your opponent and then use this information to design and implement a solid game plan is critical to your dealership’s success. As a professional,…

If you listen to the SEO experts, then you know that the industry is ALWAYS about to experience a significant shift. Usually this is just an algorithm update from Google, but sometimes it’s bigger than that. Sometimes, people predict changes that will truly alter the fundamental…

I know it's the heart of football season and the beginning of basketball season, but baseball is the sport that truly helps to illustrate this particular post. On social media, not all times are created equal. It's important to know where and when to place your pitches to let your fans and followers hit home runs for you.

There have been…

Some people have a misunderstanding about what is seen and heard through social media. It's happening on two major fronts: personal communications and business communications. Both are completely separate, but the fact that the same basic premise popped up from both angles made picking out this blog topic a no-brainer.

I was talking…

Some people seem to have all of the luck, don’t they?  We read and hear stories of those lucky people who caught their big break because they happened to be in the right place at the right time. Seemingly overnight, “mis” no longer preceded their…

#1 Korean singing sensation Psy has unseated pop idol Justin Bieber on the YouTube charts.

“Gangnam Style” officially became the most-viewed video in YouTube history Saturday, beating out previous record-holder, the Biebs’ “Baby.”

Clocking in at 805 million views, the video that spawned invisible horse dancing bests “…

Things HAVE changed!  Customer buying habits have changed.  The entire world has changed the way we do business and buy just about everything.  

ONE of the most significant things I've reinforced that's made a dramatic impact on sales is to discuss a customer's budget, NOT PRICE ON THE LOT, but MORE emphasis discussing budget during fact finding.  Some dealers are very emphatic NOT to discuss it (just show the customer a car…

I like to shop at Nordstrom. They have nice clothes and great customer service. I will go through periods where I am there fairly often. I definately don't have a negative view of the clothing business. People don't buy cars every month, every couple of months or every year. They don't like car dealerships and car people. They tolerate us. Their only concern is that you have a vehicle and what you are willing to sell it for.

I want someone to show me the ROI. Not for a few cars a…

There was a time not too long ago when it was hard to get dealers to post enough. The mythical beast known as EdgeRank (which Facebook technically hasn't used in a long time, but that's not important now) compels people to want to maximize the exposure of their posts by keeping a constant flow of positive engagement going towards their Facebook…

Five Important Benefits for Car Dealerships with High Performance Business Development Centers (BDC)

1. Accountability:

First and foremost and good, functional BDC center should be able to provide your dealership with accountability. Being able to accurately track numbers and statistics though not the primary role, is an…

There is a rise in niche-level outsourced social media that is refreshing on one hand and discouraging on the other. It's encouraging because when agencies take the stance of focusing on a single niche such as automotive or entertainment, they are able to build up several resources to make their jobs easier…

In recent months,I have done maintenance calls on numerous dealers with whom I implemented "Red Flag" compliance training over the past 2-3 years. I have found an alarming number of stores WERE diligent in addressing the safeguarding of customer information when the law was implemented in 2009,but relatively FEW have continued the necessary practices they implemented when the law went into effect.This is a ticking time bomb for dealers who are not taking the identity theft of their customers…

Smile, Then Tell Your Face. It's contagious.

It's takes twice as much energy to have a bad day as it does a good day.  Smiling causes others to do the same and, think about it, those who smile and who are in a good mood all day usually produce the best results and highest sales!…

Photo sharing has been around a long time now and though the modes of capturing and sharing a photograph may have changed, the idea behind photo sharing still holds true. Photos spark an emotional connection in a way that text cannot. How many of you remember your family’s old photo album? It either lived on your living room table or resided on a shelf next to some other…

Every year that I have been in the business, I find that both those with and without the experience justifying their relaxed way about them. They make the excuse that all the business is elsewhere. How untrue is that statement. The best month I ever had was a December followed by a runover into January. That was my first year in the business, and probably because I didn't know that's the way everyone thought. Every year since then, I have tried to reinforce the idea that these next two…

Nowhere in history have auto dealers had more options, channels and media to promote their business to the public.  And while these choices are great they can also be confusing, frustrating, and at times expensive.

Technology has brought us the Internet, mobile smart phones, portable tablet pc’s and ultra-fast wi-fi networks.  Most of us couldn’t live without these items, but over the past…

Google recently got into the credit card business and they expanded the program recently.

A WebmasterWorld thread…

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.



The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and…

Well it's that time of year again ladies and gentleman, another beautiful day of eating far too much and watching football is upon us! That's right it's Thanksgiving day and there is much to be thankful for. Whether you plan to spend your day with family or friends or just by yourself laying out your battle plan for Black Friday try to make this thanksgiving a special…