Craig Darling's Blog (36)

You Can Do This, and Start Today!

There is no longer any doubt about the need for a digital presence.  If you want to improve your market share here are a few things a dealer can do today.

 

Require each department head to write a blog once a month.  (This should include the GM or Dealer.)

Require each employee that interacts with the public to maintain a page on some social media platform.

Make sure the Dealership maintains a Facebook page and a twitter page.  (updates are important.)

Each…

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Added by Craig Darling on January 14, 2011 at 11:33am — No Comments

New Year Goals, Step One!

I posted that one of my goals was to help 12 dealers increase their marketshare and decrease their marketing expences.  I am happy to say that one dealer so far is well on their way towards market share improvement.

We developed an agressive campaign.  One that includes facebook, twitter, first page on Google and other search engines.  There are key-word ads as well as intuitive placement on hundreds of popular web sites.  We will also send the information on this dealer out through…

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Added by Craig Darling on January 11, 2011 at 3:13pm — No Comments

Lucky and Enlightened!

 

At my first dealership, in the mid 70's, we used cards and a file for everything. From the system for ordering parts to reconditioning costs on used cars.  And here I am, dawn of 2011, blogging my aspirations for the future. A digital web, open to the world, will hold my words long after I am gone.  But for now this blog is another tool used towards achieving my goals for the coming year.

Why lucky?  Timing I suppose.  Moving from hand written inventory controls to…

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Added by Craig Darling on December 31, 2010 at 11:46am — No Comments

Sales Managers?

Back in the day when a sales person brought an incomplete offer to the desk, I would just get up, and sit down with the prospect and finish getting the complete offer. Teaching and Training at the same time.

When confronted with a difficult deal, instead of going back and forth, again I would sit with the prospect and work on closing the deal.

In addition to setting records, this method of management caused my sales people to be very loyal. When I retired from…

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Added by Craig Darling on November 29, 2010 at 2:55pm — No Comments

Save Tens of Thousands, Start Today!

As we all get ready for the Holiday season, some of us are already starting to put together our goals for new year. I know, but it is just around the corner.

I just wanted to share with Dealers and others today, how you can increase business and start saving tens of thousands of dollars. In the new age of marketing your business, all the rules have changed. The question you need to ask, looking at your efforts, is this: Do our efforts expose, acquire or engage our…

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Added by Craig Darling on November 26, 2010 at 9:26am — No Comments

Another Thanksgiving Story.

We really do have much to be thankful for this year. I am truly thankful for my family and friends, my health and my business opportunities. But that is not the point of this post this morning. As we all get ready for our Holiday celebrations, take just a moment to reflect on what social media and the web have done for our businesses this last year. Sites like this one, DealerElite and others have made conncting with our peers around the country easy and make picking up great ideas easy as…

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Added by Craig Darling on November 23, 2010 at 11:42am — 2 Comments

New Month: November

All around the country people are making plans for their holiday celebration. Seems at times that our sales people are distracted, many think they can not compete with the man in the red suit. Not True! In over thirty years in the automobile business, I was once one of those who relaxed in the holiday season. In 1994 while trying to work this new tool called "the internet" I discovered there was business out there. I just had to place my…

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Added by Craig Darling on November 1, 2010 at 12:17pm — No Comments

Sales Managers Needed!

Back in June, one of my partners and I launched a site, intended to recruit sales people and managers across the country. 90 in 90 was my goal. Find 90 people who need to work and need to make generational wealth. With hard work our people will be able to chart their own course in life. True Freedom, isn't that what we all want?



Well, we are nowhere near our goals. We are looking high and low and still need Sales Directors in 30+ states and they are going to need hundreds of sales… Continue

Added by Craig Darling on October 23, 2010 at 12:37am — No Comments

Is It Tough Out There?

It's a good bet, your answer is yes. You have a web site, are advertising on Television, Radio or Newspaper and your opportunities for new business just seem to get harder and harder to find.

In the old way of marketing, yes it is tough out there. So you continue your quest. You hire an SEO company, or get involved in an adwords campaign. One is expensive, the other requires you spend too much time learning and turning on and off.…

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Added by Craig Darling on October 17, 2010 at 1:32pm — No Comments

Internet Production

As this months topic fits right in with what I do... I am delivering a paragraph or two.

If you really want your internet to provide you with outstanding opportunities to do business, lets think a little bit about our approach. Do you have a BDC or are you still using an internet department? If your using a BDC you are certainly headed in the right direction. A seperate internet department, not so much.

An internet…

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Added by Craig Darling on October 12, 2010 at 2:44pm — No Comments

Are you ready yet?

You have all the tools. A good web site, a contact management system, lots of inventory new and used. You have invested in people of all stripes. Lot attendants, sales people and managers. Everyone seems ready to go. But you are not selling like the old days. Your cost per up is through the roof, perhaps you wonder how long you can hold on.

The truth is, you may be ready to answer yes to the title question. If your team is in place, why not tweek your process just a…

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Added by Craig Darling on September 28, 2010 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Viral Prospecting

Hi

Some of you on these pages know me and my company. Viral Marketplace features different ways that a salesperson or dealer can manipulate the Web and their digital footprint to lower marketing costs and improve your effectiveness.

Of course our AdzZoo marketing program is changing the way that Dealerships are marketing, the reason for this message today is…

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Added by Craig Darling on September 19, 2010 at 4:27pm — No Comments

The More Things Change...

When I started on the sales floor in 1975, things were a little different. No window stickers on trucks, closing rooms, smoking in the offices, drinking in the GSM's office, Demos, draws. The list goes on and on of course.

I really do not want to get labled as an old guy, I am on the cutting edge of Internet and text marketing, and quite a number of my clients have me maintain their CRM's, Web sites or Facebook pages, but now I have seen this business go full circle.

I…

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Added by Craig Darling on September 5, 2010 at 9:01pm — 1 Comment

Affordable Marketing That Really Works.

As a veteran of the Automobile business I understand the pressure on Managers to deliver on every up that visits the property. Some Dealers say each up or opportunity has a cost of about $350 in marketing expense. I certainly remember some of those opportunities, desking the loss leader first thing Saturday morning.

I also understand, from 10 + years of Internet marketing, dealers I have worked for are spending as much as 15K monthly to pay for leads. Those leads are also…

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Added by Craig Darling on August 4, 2010 at 4:32pm — No Comments

Ready To Rock

Selling Automobiles for over 30 years has given me some insight. I have seen several cycles in the economy, and four distinct evolutions of how to sell and market automobiles. And as this economic situation drags on and on, It has evolved again.

Very low cost marketing campaigns that brand your business and engage your prospects. I am talking about Adzzoo marketing. With Adzzoo marketing all of us can be on the first page of google, ask, and other search engines in our chosen…

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Added by Craig Darling on July 31, 2010 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Set Up For Viral Prospecting!

I have a small business that offers Merchant Services for Auto Dealers, Marketing campaigns for all small businesses, and Marketing systems for Salespeople.

I just wanted to say a few words about Prosepecting and how it has changed, perhaps even give some solid advice.

For 30+ years I sold…

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Added by Craig Darling on July 19, 2010 at 5:42pm — No Comments

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