This powerful, three part, video series, explains why your great idea has not become the norm in your department or dealership. Retail Automotive Coaches Mark and Mike share what works and doesn't work when it comes to implementing change.

Click Here: It Doesn't Take a Genius 25…

By Bradley Orr

I started my career in the car business selling Oldsmobiles. Since then, I have managed used cars, reconditioning and sales — and I was also a wholesale dealer. I’d like to believe I know the business’s challenges.

One challenge every dealer faces is making prudent decisions — often quickly.

A…

Car dealers spend just a little bit of money on advertising.  ;) 

50% of it works and when it does, the dealership has an opportunity to provide a great sales experience.  Some dealers do everything right to get cars sold, but lose the customer for life due to poor service experiences.  Here's a true story about the time I helped my mom buy a new car.…

Dealerships are having a tough time acquiring used vehicle inventory at competitive prices right now. Due to recent OEM shutdowns, new car models are sparse. And, even with large rebates, incentives, and low interest rates, consumers are being especially careful with their finances in these tumultuous times and are shopping for used vehicles more than ever…

You may be familiar with the saying, “Never let your emotions overpower your intelligence.”  This advice is smart and logical, but how many people follow it?

When it comes to car buying, not very many. Emotions often take center stage.  

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing inherently bad about putting emotions first. Consider a…

By Jordan Jankowski, Armatus Dealer Uplift

Every year, as dealers begin to work on their annual labor rate submissions, many are quick to grab their policies and procedures manuals to get started. For most, it’s a process that may involve filling out a competitive survey, producing a certain amount of consecutive qualified repair orders, or a…

Incredibly well respected automotive industry veteran, David Kain, sat down with Quotible's co-founder Nick Kaptain in an exclusive interview to discuss Quotible, an industry-leading and dealer founded quoting and communication platform. 

We were honored to…

We sometimes wonder why the BDC is not performing like they used to be. At the same time, instead of acquiring new talent to fill a position or assist another department, we often shift them over instead. Sounds like a great idea, right? It means that we don't have to hire another position, and they have the skills needed for the job! But what we often don't consider is that it leaves an empty gap in the BDC. Or worse, if you leave the BD Agent in the BDC but have them off task, it lessens…

It is no secret that the service department tends to get the smallest part of the dealership’s marketing budget, despite bringing in the most revenue. Some dealers take this for granted with marketing dollars focused on sales. I get it – dealerships originally served as a critical, local arm of the OEM’s distribution of new models. However, due to the…

In this era of transparency, consumers can gather more information than ever before. In the past, they relied upon the dealer to provide it to them. Now, however, they can visit multiple websites in order to gain the information they need before even contacting a dealership. Once the consumer decides they are ready to buy (or close to it) and start to take…

What’s the real cost of training? What’s the real expense?

If you’re like most answering this question, the answer that rolled off your tongue instantaneously was “nothing” then you supported that answer with a statement along the lines of “we pay managers a salary, and they handle it.”

Stop for a second and think about the above statement; while it’s true, they receive a salary, how many managers, when asked to write out their job description, include “training” on…

Many people over time have gone on blind dates. Sometimes those dates were set-up by friends and scheduled for one person to meet the other with the two having no knowledge of each other. Sometimes the one being set-up by their friends has some information about who they will be meeting and sometimes both parties have some prior knowledge of each other. The…

Anyone in retail car sales learned early on that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Most everyone has at least one story in which they did and lost a sale. If you look, many of today’s millionaires don’t dress like millionaires. Just take a look at Mark Zuckerberg who sports a t-shirt and jeans daily. That being said, in today’s digital world, first…

When the pace of change in your industry exceeds that of your business, the end is near.

Find yourself desperately trying to hold on to control of the customer and the purchase experience while the world evolves all around you? Join the crowd. The traditional automobile dealer is at a crossroads. A defining moment of truth. The actions…

COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed shopping habits. Some even say they have changed forever, tossing retailers into an adapt or die scenario There is more incentive than ever to focus and invest in taking your digital retail strategy to the next level. One innovative and simple way to do that and to make your business stand out from the competition is to…

As a dealer, it was always frustrating to spend a ton of money on leads just to see sales-to-lead ratios stuck at 8-10%. Essentially, if I spent $25 per lead from third-party providers and received 100 leads, I would need to recoup over $2500 to make that service worth it. However, that doesn’t always happen. Some dealerships would say, “Hey, we sold two cars…

For anyone unfamiliar, User Experience (UX) is a term referring to the interaction that a user has with a website, application or product. The goal of UX design is to create an easy, efficient and smooth experience for the user. A happy user is a returning user and customer retention has never been more…

A great article in CBT News cites that almost half of customers who state they are loyal to the selling dealer go elsewhere to service their vehicle. Only one-third of all vehicle services are performed at automotive dealerships. And we know brand loyalty and…