I was surprised by a post that I saw on AutoNews today.

Apparently Toyota has a commercial out with Kyle Busch singing "Everyone needs a second chance" as a pun. "Experts" suggest that Toyota is pulling a subliminal messaging act, trying to get…

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…

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…

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…

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:…

The drive inside us is what sets our tone for success. What we want to accomplish in life and our career, paired with our inner drive is what leads us to our accomplishments.

Decide What You Want

When you decide what you really want in life it makes it easier to go get it. When you have a goal and a mind set, it makes it much easier to accomplish what you really want. That is the beauty of car sales, and sales in general you are not set to a certain wage or…

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…

For the past eight years I have been very fortunate to provide email marketing solutions for an elite list of automotive dealers, vendors and trainers. If you did not already know, email marketing is the most cost effective vehicle for engaging conquest buyers and staying connected with current customers. It also has the highest Return On Investment compared to all other advertising mediums. If your dealership does not currently have an in-house email program (one that is measurable and…

Community members are reminded that October 31st is the last day that you can take advantage of the Early Bird Discount for the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference.  

DMSC is being held just prior to NADA in Las Vegas, so you…

What does it take to succeed in today’s automotive environment?

It takes a strong leader that combines experience, knowledge, determination and a positive attitude to make a huge difference!

It requires the ability to hold everyone in the dealership accountable. Employees need to understand that it is EVERYONES RESPONSILBILITY for the success of the business!

It takes the understanding of technology and how to utilize it to maximize growth and…

We have a web portal for connecting Lenders and insurance Carriers to payoff total loss loans and get titles to auction faster.

We are considering offering this same service to Dealers so that using a single “connection” you can get accurate payoff amounts for trade-ins from multiple Lenders, using a keyboard instead of a telephone.

A second level of service allows Dealer management to payoff trade-ins using ACH transfers.  The title comes directly to Dealer, likely faster than…

I recently read a book called The Go-Giver, authored by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It was an excellent read, but if I was to pick one excerpt to share with you, in hopes that it would inspire you to read it as well; it would've been this one (Taken from page 66 and 67 of The Go-Giver):

    Sam's eyes twinkled with warmth.  "The Old Man was right again, as usual. He…

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24 

This is…

The difference between a good dealership and a great one

I just worked with a dealer that really gets it ! He understands that there are more customers outside the dealership ready to buy, than will ever be there during their biggest sale. He is going after them, instead of waiting for them to come to his dealership!                           

 Within two days he had his sales reps in several…

When you think about all that goes in to creating a professional in the auto industry, what comes to mind?  Usually things like, training, dedication, persistence, confidence and motivation come to mind.  All of these are important and valuable components essential for any professional, but they can't be effective without the one element that ties it all together.  You have to care.  Smarter people than I have…

Last October, I gave the keynote presentation at the AICPA conference in Phoenix (going on today and tomorrow in Orlando). In it, I mentioned the OEMs' continued insistence on of "forcing" expensive facility upgrades on their dealers.

A luxury dealer mentioned after the presentation that his OEM was forcing another expensive and profit draining…

I just wanted to say hello to all the dE members. I look forward to great discussions and all the information this wealth of members can provide. If anyone has questions about my company SMA Alliance, Please feel free to drop me an email.

Thanks and God Bless,

JC

GO CARDS!!!