In our dealerships, the engine that drives success isn’t the cars, It’s the PEOPLE, culture, and processes behind the scenes.

Imagine walking into a dealership where the air is full of energy, and every team member greets you with a smile that says, "Welcome, let's find your dream ride.”…

In the competitive world of automotive service, keeping customers satisfied and loyal is essential for long-term success. The cost of acquiring a new customer is significantly higher than retaining an existing one, making customer retention a top priority for any automotive service business. But have you ever wondered just how much it…

What is AI?   

Do we as auto dealers even know what that means? Or do we just want it because it’s the new HYPE!

When I think of the words AI, I think of (Jarvis) “That computer voice that I can talk to that knows the outcome of what I want to do even before I do”!  You know the computer that…

“How to Destroy your personal brand overnight”

What is a Personal Brand?

Your personal brand is how you promote yourself. It is the unique combination of skills,…

Buying a car is a big, expensive purchase that few people undertake lightly. So, of course you’re going to hear a lot of car sale objections. Don’t take “I need to think about it” personally. Your job is to be a consultant – there to answer every question with the goal of finding the perfect-fit vehicle and starting a relationship.

The…

Videos and texts go together like peanut butter and jelly. A perfect pair. Videos keep customers engaged and help build rapport. Texts deliver information fast and are hard to ignore. We’re conditioned to listen for that “ping,” so it’s no wonder…

In this latest edition of my series on modern retailing I’m taking on one of the biggest topics in our industry: the one-price store. This model has been around for nearly 20 years. Yet, few dealerships have adopted it even as this…

Today’s consumers demand, and deserve, a fast and modern (digital) way to buy cars. Our industry has taken great strides to get there, but we still have a way to go. Especially when it comes to F&I.

The F&I process sucks time. It’s unlikely that buying a car will ever be as quick as picking up a few things at Target, but it doesn’t…

I’ve read a lot of articles lately about how dealers took a digital leap forward in 2020 due to the pandemic. In the majority of cases, this means they added digital retailing tools to their websites. Did anything else change?

I’d argue, no. In most cases, dealerships…

The independent dealers I’ve talked to are killing it right now. They snapped up inventory before the chip crisis that continues to make finding quality used vehicles like finding a needle in a haystack. Consumer demand led to a record 10 percent increase in used…

It’s popular to talk about the chip shortage – and for good reason. The blows just keep coming. First, the slash in vehicle production. Dealers who typically inventoried 600 to 700 new cars now have fewer than 50. I spoke with a dealer in California last week who literally had two new vehicles on his lot. Two!

Then, the subsequent soaring cost…

Norm walks into Cheers and what do we hear? A resounding “NORM!” I think it’s true that “sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.”

I bet your customers want the same recognition. After all, we’re in the people business. And what do most people want? Recognition. The feeling that someone knows them, cares about their wants and…

For decades, the unofficial motto of the auto industry seemed to be “we’re for anything but change.” Then the pandemic threw our “normal” sales process into a tail spin. Seemingly overnight, dealership floors turned into ghost towns and the sales process moved online.

While some dealerships are in states that are now open with decent…

In today’s retail environment, why are so many dealerships still playing games with customers? Sales Managers and salespeople dodge questions and push hard for appointments. They’ll also play bait and switch with website offers. Are you among them?

Playing games ruins your reputation and costs you sales —I know this from a personal experience. On the day before Christmas, I was going to buy Dodge Charger for my daughter. I went to the website of the closest Dodge dealership…

Generation X is at peak buying power with the lucrative Millennial generation not far behind. Marketing to both of these generations is a smart, long-term play. However, another big buying group is ready to give its predecessors a run for their money: Generation Z.

Born between 1995 and the mid 2000s, Generation Z accounts for slightly over 20 percent of the US population and holds…

The New Year is shaping up to be a good one for dealers. According to a report by the Economist, new car sales will be up by 15 percent in 2021.

I think we’re all happy to have 2020 in the rearview mirror. Now it’s time to refuel, refine and ride into stellar sales numbers. Get every department in your dealership in tip-top shape and drive into profitability with the following…

Remember when industry experts were predicting that millennials weren’t interested in owing vehicles? Turns out, they were wrong. The millennial generation with close to 80 million members is expected to account for 40 percent of all new-vehicle purchases over the next ten years, according to research by Deloitte.

All of those vehicles will need service. That’s a huge opportunity for dealership service centers – but only if they…