The Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” has become a cultural phenomenon in our country. Sharks are relatively mysterious and most people don’t know much about them. Cars are very similar in nature. We know that we need them and which ones are cool, but most people don’t really know how they work. And not only that, as one in six vehicles on the road has open recalls…

Albany, N.Y. – August 15th, 2016 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems today announced the integration of its dealership management system (DMS) with Unotifi, a pioneer in mobile relationship marketing and customer retention for auto dealers.

Benefits to dealers using both Auto/Mate's DMS and Unotifi solutions include increased data gathering and intelligence about a dealership's…

Women purchase over 50% of the cars bought and play a major role in over 85% of car purchases. 

Women are not only coming in more armed with researched information, but they are practical, savvy, and open to change. They want to develop a relationship of trust with a dealer and it’s up to us to rise to their…

Consumers increasingly use their smartphones to research which businesses they should patronize. These days, online reviews are a big part of that decision process. If managed incorrectly, these reviews can easily flip your prospective customer away from your dealership and into the lap of your competition. And it’s not just a bad review, it’s how you respond to them and…

In the classic movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, we received a filmmaker’s glimpse into what humanity would experience in the event of a U.F.O encounter and actual physical contact with an alien. To many dealers, Millennials are very similar. They’re very different from past generations, are far more technologically advanced, and we really don’t know much about them…

Women are where it’s at when it comes to buying cars! They are also more generous with car dealer review scores!

We are so excited to share with you the Women-Drivers.com slick new mobile site, now with emojis.

With the increased participation of dealers and reviewers alike, its paramount that we continue to deliver a website and mobile platform that are more…

If you’ve ever worked in automotive retail, you know that there are constant internal struggles going on between employees and their departments. The structure of most dealerships actually encourage this – similar to how a salesperson’s pay plan incents them to sell cars.

The most obvious friction oftentimes occurs between sales and service. While in theory,…

With all of the recent epiphanies that thought leaders in ours and other industries that businesses should be spending time and effort cultivating relationships, spending money and basically treating customers right, I thought it time to re-visit this whole “customer loyalty” phenomenon. Customers don’t really care about car dealers, do they? I mean, dealers are ranked below…

Do you remember the days when your mailers were based on actual sales events? Let’s go back in time: back to the days when the sale ran for eight hours only or was valid for just two days—not five. The idea was to crowd the showroom and create a buying atmosphere with a real sense of urgency, as opposed to a trickle of customers over the course of a week.  Sales days…

Why Dealerships Should be Using Facebook to Target Auto Shoppers

Shopping for cars on Facebook happens more often that you may realize. Did you know that nearly a quarter of prospective car buyers use Facebook for researching their next car purchase? According to Turning…

Hi,

It's me again. Me who you ask? Stan Sher, founder and President of Dealer eTraining. Yes, I know it has been a while since you have heard from me. But I am still here. I never left and I never will. I just enjoyed my peace and quiet for 2 years while working and doing my thing. But guess what...

I am here to tell you that there is a…

Customer expectations are continuously evolving, and for businesses, it’s a matter of keeping up or getting passed by as shoppers look for opportunities that meet their needs in the most efficient and affordable ways.  Dealerships are seeing the changes that have been brought on by technology as they see less foot traffic in their dealerships, yet still sell vehicles to consumers who are more educated about what they’re buying.  Now, more than ever, it’s essential to meet shoppers’…

Quality video content can manipulate emotions and convey meaning far beyond the capability of written words or any still images. But videos aren’t effective simply because customers can see you or view the vehicle, they also work well because another sense is stimulated – sound. In a personalized video email, your voice and message is conveyed without ambiguity. Customers…

Auto Shoppers Are In Market Longer Than Ever – 5 Ways to Target and Convert New Customers

Today’s auto consumers are in-market longer than ever, with the majority of shoppers in market for 2 months or longer. These longer purchase…

Consumers are constantly flooded with messages everywhere they go, from billboards to direct mail, to websites, banner ads and email. Most of these messages are disregarded, ignored or, even worse, never seen, because, for the most part, the message itself is not relevant.

So, along came retargeting, which can continue to follow the customer around the…

Company culture is a hot topic recently, and with good reason. Companies with a great workplace culture enjoy increased employee and customer retention rates, as well as higher profits.

But how do you know if your dealership's…

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…

Unprecedented, Yet Simple Tracking Worksheet Helps Build Your Business

There remains an untapped opportunity in your sales plan now to implement. This will make a huge impact just by tracking and measuring a few new metrics.

Follow this: While half of car buyers are women, and that percentage increases to 53% for millennial women. 1 in 3 women out earn their husbands.

But how successful is your dealership in converting…