Written By: Steve Hall

When we ask service managers how important technician efficiency is to profitability, they most often say that “it goes hand-in-hand” or “if they aren’t efficient, you won’t make money.” I agree with their comments, but am constantly amazed with how they quantify “efficient.”

It seems that we have become accustomed to thinking a technician is efficient if they hit our flagged-hours goal for the week. At times this is true. Everyone can have a bad day, or…

AutoNation USA, the #1 publicly-owned automotive retailer, opened its doors as a mega “one pricing” pre-owned operation in 1997. It built elaborate showrooms; county records show one was 218,000 square feet. The showrooms included a café, a playroom and an aftermarket display platform.

Kiosks with computers were placed throughout the store enabling consumers to efficiently check out in-stock inventory or to submit a loan application. Customers were greeted at these kiosks by…

An additional area of concern is within the CRM Inventory Tool. In our experience, not every store uses the Inventory Tool to its fullest capability.  The basics of having pictures, custom comments, pricing, aged inventory, hits, leads, etc etc, should excite every dealership sales manager within a store.  All of this extremely valuable information is essential to not only helping drive leads to your store, but also managing and caring for existing leads and converting them to…

Written By: Russell Grant

From speakers at NADA workshops to automotive manufacturers in trade publications to vendor product advertisements online, everyone is talking about how big data is changing the future of marketing in our industry. But most of the GMs I talk to aren’t nearly as concerned with the marketplace and the direction it’s taking, as they are with their business and where it’s going. They want to know two things—how can big data save me money and how can it sell more…

This article was written by: Russell Grant

From speakers at NADA workshops to automotive manufacturers in trade publications to vendor product advertisements online, everyone is talking about how big data is changing the future of marketing in our industry. But most of the GMs I talk to aren’t nearly as concerned with the marketplace and the direction it’s taking, as they are with their business and where it’s going. They want to know two things—how can big data save me money and how…

Many car dealerships understand and appreciate the ability to track the success of their marketing campaigns, particularly monthly specials.  The problem: they just don’t do it!  Data suggests ‘Specials’ is the most clicked on link on a dealership website.  Car Dealers simply cannot afford to ignore their specials.

Make sure your website provider offers a solution that is not only user-friendly, but also allows changes to be made very quickly, in some cases just a few seconds.  This…

A common lament in retail automotive dealerships around the country is that finding and keeping good employees is a real challenge. I will go even further to say that most employers, regardless of industry, probably aren’t satisfied with their hiring results. We’ve all heard the saying, ”If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten,” and my guess is this is the reason most employers continue to be confounded in this area. I heard…

I think we can all agree, good communication is key to healthy personal relationships.  Its no different when it comes to relationships between a dealership and their customers.  A good example, sales professionals who stay in contact and effectively communicate with their customers during and especially after the sale will always be the top performers.  By staying connected, they are building long-term relationships which will result in future benefits.  For the sales professional, those…

ALBANY, N.Y. – February 4, 2013 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) announced today it has launched a mobile service department solution for its auto dealership clients. Currently available for windows-based tablets, the mobile solution enables service advisors to view the DMS service module information and conduct the service write-up process “on the go.”…

I have the honor and privilege of traveling this great country of ours and working with all types of BHPH dealers on a consulting, training, and 20 Group basis. I am a firm believer that we learn more from our mistakes than our successes. When I first started to put this article together, I made a list of the most prominent mistakes I see BHPH dealers make. Problem was, the list was about 1,001 mistakes long. Most if not all of which I had made as a dealer myself.

After looking over…

Let's face it. Websites are becoming a commodity in the automotive world. Most quality website vendors are putting out solutions that are good enough to work well. Few are coming up with innovations that can differentiate them, and those differences are relatively small in the whole scheme of things. The…

It May Be Time To Kill Your Business Model Before Your Business Model Buries You

Think about this….How often do you readjust your business model? Unfortunately, there are some dealers that are still living off the same business model that they have had twenty years ago. Not to say this is a bad thing but tends to lead to missed opportunities.  

This raises a key leadership question: Why do leaders wait too long to modify or abandon their business models?…

Change. Change can be a scary and powerful word. A word that many of us say that we embrace yet when it comes down to the brass tax we end up putting off the decision that brings about change. You often say, “I’ll wait till after the first of the year,” or “ We will try something different in a few months.” Does this sound familiar too you? Everyone sometime or…

Whenever I ask this question, I’m usually very disappointed with the answers that I receive. This past week, when I queried a group enrolled in the NCM Institute's regional Service Management training class in Charlotte, NC, only 20% responded with a “Yes.” My disappointment continues, and…

On May 22, 2012 I wrote a blog asking the public if GM made a wise choice dropping its 10 million dollar advertising spend from Facebook.  (For the entire blog visit: http://deliverymaxx.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/did-gm-make-a-wise-decision-dropping-facebook-as-an-advertising-medium/ )  My position then as it is now is that GM and many automotive dealerships are…

The ambiguous act of sales training is responsible for the high failure rate of salespeople everywhere, in every industry. Quit kidding yourself by engaging in activities to achieve a result that you have not yet defined.

For instance, most people refuse to acknowledge that success is an illusion chased by those that fail to identify what it is that they seek. They have never taken the time to clarify what it is that they define as success, yet they keep stating that they want to be…

If everyone could walk in everyone’s shoes for a day, we would have more empathy for each other.  The world would be less cynical, and much more appreciative of what our fellow Americans do on a daily basis.

Before I talk about the car salesman, I want to give a special thanks to all of our military personnel who defend our country both near and far.  These men and women have made it possible for people like me pursue life, liberty, and happiness!  Happy 4^th of…

Today, more than ever, online reviews can make or break your month selling vehicles.  We can search for online reputation management companies and we will get hundreds if not thousands of opinions on how to manipulate the system of posting positive reviews.  Many of these companies state that they have a secret to help your dealership look like they are flawless.  This is done utilizing a lot of smoke and mirrors.

Studies by consumer behavior and search experts say that 7 out of 10…

It is a simple matter of life.  People enjoy being around other people who are having fun!  Positive experiences are contagious.

This past Father’s Day weekend, I had the pleasure of watching my 10 year old son play in the Texas State 10U baseball tournament.  It was hot, the teams were tough, and we were at the baseball fields from 8 AM until 11 PM Saturday and Sunday.  The weekend was enjoyable and will be a Father’s Day I will always remember.  Some might think that it is because…

It has already been established that the most exciting time during the sales process is the delivery.  A perfect delivery can erase a debauched meet and greet, poor finance service, and the arduous negotiation over a couple of hundred dollars.  After spending hours with your customer, how do you want them to remember your dealership?

Your customer will remember your dealership every month they have to make their payment.  They will think of your dealership each time they pay for an…