Have you ever blown up a balloon and then just let it go and listen to the sound it makes? If you have children or a crazy Uncle Lenny, chances are you've heard this noise before. It is so distinctive that once you've heard it, you are not likely to forget it the rest of your life.

I've heard this same noise in my head many times in the service drive right after an Advisor says something he or she shouldn't have. In our business there are many things that must happen to make sure that…

Communicating Effectively in Times of…

Why is making a profit a bad thing?  I actually have no idea as to the answer to this question.  When I first git into the car business some 21 years ago that’s the first thing that I was trained on.  These days big government is wanting to run everything and Capitalism is considered a vulgar word.  Slowly but surely big government is wanting to destroy the “American Dream.”   In the car business it started with “Cash for Clunkers.”  You know, when you traded in your junk car an Uncle Sam…

This is one of the major problems that consumers find themselves in when they purchase an automobile.   Buying a vehicle with no money down.  Believe it or not, this is the worst thing a consumer can do when they make a big ticket purchase.  Why?  You see when you buy a vehicle with no money down a consumer not only pays a higher interest rate, the’re also upside down on their new vehicle.  In order to keep this from happening you want to at least put 10 to 12% down.  That way you are not…

Marketing to Women Case Study: FIAT of Austin Lisa Copeland, General Manager



FIAT of Austin sales numbers are still steadily rising with a startling 63.7% of vehicles sold to women car buyers.



FIAT of Austin sales numbers…

If Support…

• Responded with a call instead of silence
• Gave you immediate attention instead of a support ticket number
• Answered the phone immediately instead of a queue
• Has a queue, then you know something is desperately wrong
• Responded with action instead of a timeline
• Categorically ranked your need based on how much it is their fault and handled those first.
• Wasn’t overseas
• Is handled with grace and humility instead…

LEADERS%20ARE%20BORN.doc

Like ‘natural’ food labels, has the overuse of ‘certified’ lost its power in the used car market?

Once upon a time, a label of ‘natural’ on food products… or anything else, conjured up images of health and purity and assurances that the product was pesticide and chemical-free – but today, with all things natural in vogue and not a standard or regulation in place, the label has suffered from over-exposure and it has become a far less meaningful brand…

In the February 28, 2012, issue of Up to Speed, I discussed the changing role of used vehicle managementand the overwhelming number of responsibilities that have become part of that function today. Although dealership managers must be accountable for all of the 30 regular responsibilities mentioned in that…

Last evening, as I was thumbing through my April issue of National Oil and Lube News (NOLN), I began to reflect on why and how the folks in the independent automotive repair and maintenance business managed to take such a large chunk of service business away from the franchised dealers. Well, in truth they didn’t take it away…we gave it away…years ago…based on our focus on warranty work, our prices, and our indifference to the service…

Hi All,

I collaborated on the following Edmunds’ article. I think the DealerELITE membership may find it very interesting and helpful. A dynamic has developed into search queries on Edmunds, and the broader web, where customers who are holding on to cars much longer than in years past, are increasingly searching for service advice on their aging vehicles, many…

Does your car dealership sell have more than one location?  If so, big news from Google Places.  In the past, it was difficult and cumbersome to create and manage more than one Places account.  To help their users, Google Places has created a new Bulk Listing Management Tool.

This new tool allows your dealership to edit one or more listing, search your listings (filtering by specific info or by listing with errors), and upload new listings from a data file or…

VinSolutions, an industry-leading developer of automotive Internet- based Customer Relations Management (CRM) and Internet Lead Management (ILM) software, announced that Sean Stapleton, Chief Sales Officer and Kendall Billman, Vice President of Interactive Marketing, will be the next featured presenters in the CARFAX PowerUp webinar to be held on Friday, May…

Ultra-progressive dealer helped lead Suzuki of Wichita to #1 retailer in nation; joins DrivingSales to help other dealers achieve success

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – May 22, 2012 – DrivingSales today announced that one of the top performing dealers in the country, Tom White, Jr., has joined the rapidly growing company to head its Dealer Services division, helping…

DMEautomotive’s mobile shopping and vehicle ownership app allows Lithia dealerships to target younger service/sales customers and keep current customers ‘close-at-hand’

Daytona Beach, FL –May 22, 2012 – DMEautomotive (DMEa) today announced the roll-out of its breakthrough mobile app, Driver…

General Motors has long been a staple of the American automotive industry.  Facebook is the latest billion dollar IPO.  Why is GM pulling ten million dollars a year in advertising from Facebook?

On the surface, this looks like GM is retreating saving advertising dollars.  When you dive into the issue, many wonder if the government run company is staying away from investing in the publically traded company for other reasons.  GM states that the risk to advertise is not worth the reward…

Today could have been a rocky day.....Turns out it was a little. But in the end, because of proper protocol, following a chain of command and doing the right thing the right way, today might actually turn out to be a good day for everyone involved. The customer might wind up happy, the dealership might sell a car and the friction is disippated. What that mean is, if you have a problem, follow the steps in place at your company to properly resolve them. In the end, everyone wins. Have a great…