There are many stories of young kids or teens starting successful businesses. And there are as well the simple stories of kids mowing lawns or washing cars to earn extra money while their friends are out playing. A similar story gained…

In most markets, those seeking jobs are also those buying your goods and services.   So how should companies engage with these candidate/consumers while navigating changes in shifting age demographics, new recruiting tools and the desire for a…

"I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man."- Jay-Z

What most people don't realize is that even a living person can become a brand. This is a basic staple of advertising and sometimes it needs to be asked: what exactly is a brand? In a…

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…

Excerpts from article on  iMedia Connection:  

A recent study by NextStage sifted through input from 1,700 companies who used social marketing in 2013, The results have shown some interesting outcomes and perceptions that will impact what companies do going forward.

Just to be clear, social marketing means creating a social presence and using that social presence to drive conversions. Conversions cover everything from loyalty to…

A lot of people have the misconception that a public relations firm simply deals with the media while churning out press releases. While this may have been closer to the truth in the past, the digital age has greatly transformed the opportunities available to gain exposure for clients. Great PR firms have capitalized on these opportunities to further increase exposure for…

Most dealerships understand the importance of online reviews, in general, for their stores. Consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet to research dealerships before selecting one. This includes researching not only sales-related reviews, but also service.  Yet, most dealerships focus most of their attention on gaining reviews from the sales side and leave the…

In business, you are what you are perceived to be.  Your customers not only have their own opinions of your business, but they can also influence other potential customers. How you actually run your business is certainly important. Just as important, however, is how customers that have never stepped foot in your business perceive you. Before they ever step foot into your…

Creating a great customer experience in your business requires work. Not only does it require work, it also requires both buy-in and trust. In Gallup’s “2013 State of the American Workplace Report”, they found that a whopping 70% of employees are either not engaged or actively…

DealerELITE:

What is Women-Drivers.com?



Anne Fleming:…

Frequent travelers have many choices when choosing airlines. Some choose an airline for their frequent flier benefits; some for their convenient routes or frequent itineraries and some have airlines chosen for them by their companies. For many years, Delta Airlines has been at or near the bottom of almost every survey conducted regarding airline customer service. In fact,…

In my last article, I discussed what a Public Relations firm does. One of those tasks, which I hope you never need but is important to understand, is crisis management. Not every company is going to go off the deep end like…

Today’s world is full of review sites and social media- the epitome of information at your fingertips.  And because of this, reviews have become that much more important for customer retention and new client business. Search engines are becoming increasingly savvier by routinely displaying reviews (and review sites) very high in search results. Many dealerships are…

This is part 1 in a series about building brand ambassadors at the dealership.

It isn’t what you’re saying on social media that has the biggest effect on your business. It’s what others are saying about you that makes the true impact.

I’ve used those words in various forms since 2008. It’s…

The ripple effect, do you understand it?

Every action has a reaction, no matter how small or large. Any time we stretch the truth, tell a white lie or right out tell a whopper of a lie there is a reaction.

When a salesperson…

We've all seen them. The market is been flooded with it. "How to succeed with Social Media," Top 10 Facebook Tips and Tricks," "Best Practices on Twitter." Don't get me wrong, the information is very useful and appreciated, but there is one problem... it's all the same information over and over again.

In the spirit of something new, the exact opposite…

Recently, I was invited to tour the new facility at my favorite dealership during a service visit.  From first glance, everything appeared to be in the framework of a typical dealership, until I got to the customer lounge.  This space had drawn a crowd in front of a large bank of glass windows.  I was curious about what all the excitement was about.  Did the dealership install an animal viewing area? …

It's one of the most overlooked components of a modern automotive internet marketing strategy. Some do it naturally, expressing the way they want the dealership to be perceived by customers and potential customers by instilling a unified sense of direction amongst employees, on their website, and throughout their online interactions such as on social media or when…

This is Part 4 in a 5 part series. Please read the previous posts first or none of this will really make any sense.

• Part I: The Key to Search and Social in 2013 and Beyond…

This is Part 3 in a 5 part series. Read Part 2 here.

By now, you should have an understanding of the importance of having an individual - preferably the owner, general manager, or…