I have always believed there is a valid reason why dealership website designers include a “Used Vehicle Specials (UVS)” page in their master plan. Because if I were a used vehicle prospect cruising dealers’ websites, when I click on “Used Vehicles” and a drop-down appears with one of the choices being “Specials” (or “Featured Vehicles”), I would certainly go there first before taking a deep dive into the overall used vehicle inventory. However, most dealership managers must not think that…

Hopefully many dealers have had their strategic planning meetings with their staff and set goals for next year.  Identified their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats...established the tactics they will use to accomplish their goals. Mind maps are helpful tools you might consider...many free or inexpensive mind mapping tools are available online or as apps for ipads and such.  I use ithoughts on the ipad.  A good friend prefers the web based …

Good Morning to all.  

           Imagine, just for a moment, you and each of your representatives were able to save one deal a day.  How much easier would each month, quarter and year be?   How much less scrambling at the end of the month might there be? Scrambling means shortcutting, less follow up and cherry picking.  So to “BDC or not to BDC” seems to be the question…

Objections should be embraced, welcomed, cherished, tolerated, tackled ,…

Not avoided, ignored, threatened, discouraged, or disgusted by…

After all an “Objection” is not at all complete “Rejection”

If I were to ask the woman of my dreams out I would much rather deal with an objection,

I’m…

   Ever notice that the one thing that every sales trainer has in common is that they all speak of the importance of attitude. Attitude is the most important asset that a person can possibly have. I have seen my own personal attitude close deals and I have seen it lose deals. Even when a deal is lost, your attitude toward the whole experience is what determines how your next transaction ends.

    Think about it. Charles Swindol, Dale Carnegie, Tom Hokins, Grant…

I am GIVING AWAY $1,000 CASH… (AGAIN!)

Take a look at http://www.automotiveinternetsales.com This is REAL... I JUST Gave Away $1,000 CASH the other day!  

I am so thankful for being a Car Salesman. I can NOT imagine what my life would have been if I never stepped foot onto that showroom floor and…

We all have one week of work before 2011 becomes a collection of files to be stored away.  Sure, we'll go back and get some things for this years taxes.  Perhaps even take a look at some trends that occurred during the year.  But what are the things that will make 2012 a better year for you?  Chances are, there will be talk of improvement, higher numbers, better grosses, and maybe even a reduction in expenses.  But, it will all fade before the Christmas decorations are taken down.

In…

10)  TRUEChair to promote fair pricing for furniture

 9)  TRUECarat to assist in jewelry purchases

 8)  TRUECrib keeping real estate on the up-n-up

 7)  TRUECat either for pet-stores or brothels

 6)  TRUECarriage fair transportation pricing in Amish communities (cost to dealers is 1 goat)

 5)  TRUECall equal phone service for all

 4)  TRUECow (do you know the "actual" cost of a gallon of milk or pound of beef?)

 3)  TRUECustomer (buyers aren't…

We all know there is a tremendous amount of money spent by the dealer body to advertise their dealership and all the services and products sold. Some of this advertisement is not accounted for because of poor tracking and other parts of it are sometimes used to "keep their name out there."

With all of my valued clients around the country, I continue to ask the decision makers in each department to look for the potential employee who can become a "farmer" more than a "hunter". With…

As the TrueCar debate rages on, one thing is certain: there is going to be increased scrutiny on auto sales practices by a number of state regulatory agencies. While TrueCar has a number of challenges to overcome and may be forced to alter their business model, the real concern is how these legal issues may affect dealers. Several state authorities have indicated that they will hold dealers responsible for any violations. It’s important that dealers are aware of these issues and protect…

Social Media Facebook Tip #104~Spread the Holiday Cheer!

The holidays are the perfect time to make contact with business friends and clients via social networking. Make sure to post a ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Happy Holidays’ note on your Facebook business page. Utilize the “use Facebook as page” feature [found under the dropdown arrow at top right where you can select 'log out'] to write under your business name on other Facebook business page walls.

If you are friends with…

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VL Automotive…

http://stansher.com/

http://dealeretraining.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/stansher83

I did not want to spam anyone and sending out messages to each and every one of you would take years because I just have something special to say to each…

Direct Response Marketing

First of all lets go over the definition of “Direct Response”:

Definition – What does Direct Response Marketing mean?

“Direct-response marketing is a type of marketing that elicits a…

Strong management in an Internet Sales Department is a must.  The internet sales staff often find themselves in a limbo situation in most aspects of the sales process.  How far do they take the sale?  Do they sell the car or the appointment? Hourly? Commission?  Is it worth it?  A dedicated Internet Manager/Director is able to find the niche of the internet department that works best for the individual dealership.  They will be able to tweak the process to best suit the needs of the market…

I've written multiple pieces on how to properly set up and maintain your Google Places listing and account, but haven't touched on the mistakes you could be making, hurting your car dealership online marketing strategy.

Here are the places where you could really screw up your listing if you aren't careful:

Don't use a post office box. Even if this is where you get mail, make sure you use the actual address of your…