Late last year I was reading the Sunday paper and came across a story that was a collection of quotes from Nelson Mandela, who had passed away the previous week.  Reading those quotes made me very reflective both personally and professionally. One of his quotes that really struck me…

There’s one thing that all auto franchises have in common when it comes to service: battling independent auto shops. I’m fairly certain that not a day goes by when you have either a customer on the phone or in person who is price-shopping you with an independent. There are many ways to build value in dealership service versus independent service shops when talking to…

What's a better investment, a studio apartment in Midtown Manhattan or one space on your used car lot?

Over the last couple of months, I've been researching reputation management companies in and out of the automotive industry. On one hand, I found a couple of shining stars that stood out from the competition. On the other hand, they were only the best but were still missing the boat when it comes to the true potential of what reputation "management" should…

I love going out to dinner when the wait staff remembers me and greets me like a friend.  The looks on my guest’s faces are priceless!!!  Everywhere I go; it seems the red carpet is waiting on my arrival.   Even my friends are eager to join me because via association they too get special treatment.  So, how did I earn my VIP status?  It was easy.  I just started treating each person I…

The basics of down payment....

In today's marketplace, I submit that it is no longer acceptable to merely satisfy our customers and employees.  That statement is not ground-breaking, we've all heard it.  In most cases, providing what I call "Ridiculous" Service does not come naturally.  As a matter of fact, it's quite un-natural.  We create habits even when it comes to serving.  If we are going to blow…

Imagine having customers so loyal that they are willing to pay you just to do business with your dealership. Do you think a customer that makes an investment in your loyalty program would be more or less likely to remain loyal to you and your brand? Three companies have successfully managed to accomplish this and in a very big way.

Movie theater chain, AMC,…

Photo credit: Hawk Eyes

Here were the findings:

• 93 percent of viewers will talk about commercials with peers.
• One in four will likely post about Super Bowl ads on…

TTAC has learned that Google is shutting down its car shopping service, which existed only in beta form for San Francisco Bay Area shoppers. Visitors to the site have received a message stating

“The Google San Francisco…

As a marketer, I’ve got my eye on two battles at this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Of course, there’s the action on the field - Super Bowl XLVII, a gladiatorial war waged between mountainous men in an arctic Jersey winter. A clash between Seattle’s young talent and Peyton Manning’s legacy. Many Americans care about this game, and they are called “gamblers.”

But…

This years NADA was definitely one for the books. Taking place in one of the best cities in America, New Orleans, LA. The times to be had were extremely fun and the information we gathered on the auto industry was insightfully eye opening.

The convention center was like a massive maze of everything auto with our friends being scattered…

(Photo credit: One of my daughter Mackenzie's pictures hanging in my office)

Don't feel like reading? Let me read it to you here

I think there are 2 defining moments for a leader: The first one is leading through adversity and the second is …

Every year around this time, dealerships find themselves making decisions about how to move forward with their marketing. The NADA Convention is often a starting point for the decision-making process; whether you go or not, the post-NADA whirlwind is a great time to grab the latest and greatest from the various vendors around the industry.

It's not just for…

Here are a list of Dr. Bob Nelson's Top Employee Motivators and Demotivators.

The Top Ten Employee Motivators

#1 Personally thank employees for doing a good job--one on one, in writing, or both.  Do it timely, often and sincerely.

#2 Be willing to take the…

Everyone in the automotive industry is familiar with Tesla’s entry into the automotive retail business, however, not as many realize that they’re simultaneously spotlighting innovative functionalities that any manufacturer could use to make automotive service easier and more convenient for the consumer.

Tesla vehicles are all integrated with an AT&T chip…

Winning is very IMPORTANT. I've done my share of winning. Finishing First. The Gold Medal Performance etc., but putting all that aside, what's REALLY the MOST IMPORTANT aspect to living life?



• Is it Winning?

• Is it Fame and Fortune?

• Is it Finding Love and Companionship?

• Is it Merely Trying Hard?



I came across this story and short video recently that drove me to answer the question: What's REALLY the MOST (or one of the most)…

Advertising for Growth



Mike, there are many forms of advertising dealerships use to generate growth in their fixed operations. There are newspapers, mailers, open safety campaign processors, handouts, and the list goes on. There are many ways to measure the results of these using the dealership DMS program as a source of information. The DMS is an accurate source of information however there's no way to distinguish the…