Communication and engagement go together like biscuits and gravy, like macaroni and cheese, like bacon and eggs. Most of the time, it’s pretty hard to have one without the other. (Who wants a dry biscuit anyway?) Now that everyone is hungry, it’s time to take a look at the many ways communication is at work in your dealership and how you can use it to boost employee engagement, in turn, boosting performance, improving profitability, and increasing customer loyalty.

“All that from…

When you think of all the things that go into making your dealership a success, communication ranks at the top of the list. In fact, without good communication—both inside the dealership and with your customer base—you’ll likely suffer unnecessary losses in sales, employees, and customers. And while it’s one of the most integral pieces to your success, great communication can also be one of the most difficult things to achieve. Why? Because your dealership is a complicated machine with many…

Take Control of Your Dealership’s Communication

If you want to capture the attention of shoppers in today’s market, communication should be one of the sharpest tools in your toolbox. Remember the days of desk phones and tangled cords? The me-to-you approach of salespeople who told customers all about the cars on the lot?  The newspaper ads that detailed the “special invitations” to save?  Say good-bye to all of that, because dealership communication has come…

Words, both written and spoken, have been the primary form of communication for centuries. We use them to share news and stories, comfort loved ones and to connect with long distance friends.

Then along came social media, which almost instantly transformed society from one which was largely based on local interactions, to a more global community. The written…

Would you like to know how to control most any argument?

First and foremost, we have to understand that two of the most basic of all human needs are to be valued and understood. Virtually every one of us have these needs in common. Then we must understand what an argument actually is. An argument is simply two people trying to be valued and…

What would it mean to you if you were to pick up a skill that enabled you to quickly build rapport and credibility with your customers and help you earn more of their trust? Would it be worth a little bit of effort and time to master it? And how excited would you be if you could start using this skill with your very next customer?

Then pay close attention to this…

When I talk to dealers that are disappointed with their email and direct mail marketing results, my biggest question is this:

Why would you send out an email offer to your customers that you would not PAY to send out via direct mail or other methods?

I see it happen all the time. A dealer sends out an email for something such…

One of the largest pain points with recalls is completion percentages. In many cases, it’s not by any fault of the manufacturer or dealer that the recall repair compliance percentages are low.

Recall repairs can be hindered by parts availability, procrastinating or apathetic owners, or owners who simply aren’t aware that their vehicle needs…

In business, just as is the case for any living being, all parts need to be functioning to operate at optimal efficiency. If your right leg wanted to go forward and your left leg wanted to go backwards, you probably wouldn’t make much progress walking. The same principle applies to the health, well-being and efficiency of any business. Have you ever tried to use a coupon or…

Very few sales managers would punish a salesperson upon receiving a complaint that they are calling, e-mailing or texting a customer too much. In fact, after assuring the customer that they will have the salesperson stop, that sales manager will probably follow up by giving the salesperson a high five. And, to ensure this communication can happen, most dealerships lay down…

When I look at advertising strategies in our industry, one of the most consistently missed opportunities I see is dealerships who are trying to save money by marketing to all their customers through email, and only sending mail to customers without an email address on file.

These dealers often ask me, “Now that I can email my customers, why do I have to send…

News for the Week of 12.9

Facebook Messenger Arrives at a Website Near You 

Facebook recently introduced new Page plugins for Messages and Events, allowing users to message your business easily and check out what’s going on with your Events directly from your…

Yes.

Now let me explain.

In our industry – as well as life – we continuously talk about transparency. Let’s be brutally honest here. Sometimes honesty isn’t the best policy. Is it always that way in real life? If your wife asks you whether she looks fat, you know you’re always going to say “No.” How about those times you go to a friend’s house…

Automotive Future 

Autotrader’s recent Car Buyer of the Future study shows only 17 out of 4,002 people prefer the current car-buying process, with the rest saying they want significant changes. This means the industry needs…

How to Track Consumer Behavior and Leverage What You Learn

If your dealership is able to take advantage of the right tools, you can easily tell which consumers are in the car-buying market and what vehicles they’re searching for. This knowledge, however, means your employees’ approach is key in making sure they attract potential customers instead of scaring them off. …

Why Used is Better than New 

According to Santander Consumer USA, used cars are expected to outsell new cars nearly 2 to 1 this year, making it more important than ever for dealerships and sales professionals to understand what’s driving this trend and…

Smartphones and Tablets and Laptops, Oh My!

A Virtual Experience

A car shopping journey isn’t simple anymore, and consumers are using more devices and types of technology than ever to make their purchases. That means dealerships are striving to create the best cross-channel experiences for their consumers.

For consumers on car-buying journeys, devices and…

More than fifty percent of car shoppers are viewing dealership websites with their mobile devices, so having a mobile marketing strategy to connect with them is not only recommended, but critical for future survival. The benefits of "going mobile" are many and well documented, including the ability to make relevant offers to a specific target market, and the ability to…

The multiple ways businesses can communicate with customers are constantly expanding - from telephone, to e-mail, to text messaging. With today’s technology, communication methods continue to evolve at unprecedented speeds. As smartphones have gotten smarter, the rise in the development of apps has introduced yet another way to communicate: push messaging. In…

It Was Always Burning 

How Automotive Dealerships Can Win With Today’s Consumers

There’s not a dealership around that hasn’t noticed the changes today’s consumers have brought to the marketplace. The differences between shopping trends of the past and the way people want to do business today can be seen and felt on the showroom floor and the lot in every…