The Masters Series

When we set out to discover the most important principles to success in transforming one’s dealership to maximize the Internet opportunity we were struck by the importance a dealerships organizational structure played into success. Equally as amazing is how most dealers still ignore this foundational piece to successful transformation.
In the research and documentary project we witnessed 5 org structures being used in varying degree of success to attack the Internet opportunity.
1. Single ISM: Most stores simply designate one sales person as the ISM. They get the leads, work them and usually are required to work the deal through the desk.
2. Team ISM: This structure is almost identical to the single ISM, except here the dealer has realized that by adding more ISMs the department can scale better. Again in this structure the ISMs work the deal from “cradle to grave” but are often required to use the desk.
3. BDC: Business Development Centers go by many names, but the concept is similar: leads get processed by a separate team who is trained to specifically handle connecting with the customer and setting the appointment. Once the appointment is set, the customer is passed to a sales person to actually “sell the car.”
4. Reverse BDC: In this case the ISM handles the lead up front but after a certain amount of days if the lead is not sold, it goes to the BDC for long term follow up. When the BDC makes an appointment the customer is passed back the ISM for closing. This way the ISM stays focused on the immediate deals and the BDC with its trained phone skills can focus on executing a long term follow up process.
5. The Internet Store: This in many ways is the pinnacle for a dealerships Internet efforts. In this case there is no separation between the retail floor and the Internet Department. In this environment everyone from the GSM on down is trained to focus on handling Internet deals.
Having seen each of these structures in place, and after interviewing dozens of professionals nationwide about their particular structure a few things were very clear:
a) The market is moving toward there being no differentiation between the retail customer and the internet customer, thus why have a separate department to handle each type of customer?
b) Despite the Internet store being the ultimate goal, it is not always wise to jump right into it. This is an evolution and it takes time. Its important for General Managers to look at the his/her particular store and make the determination as to where they are at and make the changes needed to move them to the next step.
c) Those stores that learn to evolve and adapt faster will be those that come out on top.

Technorati Tags: Evolve, Organizational Structure, Structure

In traveling the country and meeting with the best and most knowledgeable people in the world of automotive internet marketing, Matt was a treat to visit with. Matt Muilenburg is an executive with the Cobalt group and one of the most knowledgeable search experts in the country. I actually came into contact from Matt thanks to a strong and persistent recommendation from Adrian at Google inc. (Yes, if an exec at Google recommends you talk to someone about search… better listen.)

In this video Matt explains the balance between SEM and SEO, something lots of dealers are struggling with. Do I wait for the “free listing” and take the time to get my site optimized? Or is it best to get start with SEM because I can see results tomorrow? … Matt truly is an expert (I agree with Adrian at google) and he gives some very thoughtful advise in this segment. Its a great excerpt directly from the documentary set, I highly advise you take these comments to heart.

The Masters Series is a three disc documentary series exploring and learning e commerce initiatives from the most successful people in the industry. It was completely dealer inspired and dealer produced. To learn more or to purchase The Masters Series, Documentary set visit www.AccelerateAutomotive.com.

Technorati Tags: search, SEM, SEO, Video Tips

Mark Boyd, President of Carfolks talks about how long it takes a dealers’ marketing at the top of the internet food chain to positively affect their store.

The Masters Series Automotive eCommerce, and this video tip were produced by: Accelerate Automotive inc. For more information, or to purchase the documentary set visit www.accelerateautomotive.com.

Technorati Tags: Mark Boyd, SEO, The Masters Series

Ralph Paglia of ADP talks about how the use of micro sites is a great solid cost effective way to build lead volume, at your store. Micro sites tend to convert at a rate much better than a traditional site would, because its content is targeted exactly to its audience rather than having something for everyone. This philosophy increases lead volumes and lowers costs, something dealers really need in todays market.

The Masters Series Automotive eCommerce, and this video tip were produced by: Accelerate Automotive inc. For more information, or to purchase the documentary set visit www.accelerateautomotive.com.

Technorati Tags: build lead volume, microsites, Ralph Paglia

Many people at the dealership level dont know who Tej Soni is, but almost everyone knows what he does. He is not the trainer, go to the convention and speak, type. He has enough going on as the head of IzmoCars, one of the leading web companies serving dealers with everything from websites, to SEO to CRM. They have multiple offices around the united States and even have a huge international development operation.

While filming the documentary, Dennis Colome (one of the best and well know industry trainers and a personal friend of mine who is VP at Izmo) told me I need to spend some time with Tej– we did, and all I have to say is “WOW!” This guy is so incredibly smart! We basically sat down, and before we could even get the mic on him he started talking… For over an hour I just sat there in awe and took it in. ( didnt really even ask any interview questions, he just ran with it.) I felt like I was sitting at the feet of the Yoda of web marketing, definitely one of the highlights of the documentary.

There will certainly be more of Tej to come in the video tips, as he is prominantly featured in the documentary series. For now here is an analogy of what google’s goal is with their algorithm.

The Masters Series Automotive eCommerce, and this video tip were produced by: Accelerate Automotive inc. For more information, or to purchase the documentary set visit www.accelerateautomotive.com.

Technorati Tags: SEO, Tej Soni, web marketing

This is Curtis Kroeker of Ebay Motors talking about the different options that a dealer has to leverage the more than 13m shoppers visiting eBay. Check it out:

This clip was taken from “The Masters Series, Automotive eCommerce.” an Accelerate Automotive production. For more information visit http://www.accelerateautomotive.com.

Technorati Tags: Curtis Kroeker, eBay motors, eBay shoppers

Lets face it, user generated content is all the rage and it isnt going anywhere. Why is it not just a fad? Simple, because it is extremly useful. Ratings, for example, can help us make better decisions about where we spend our money. The fact that consumers are rating dealers, sales people and their experiences and sharing those experiences online has many dealers fearful…. and it should. However, for those dealers who understand the process and are willing to live in this transparent world, it is a HUGE advantage. Listen to Kevin Root of Dealix explain:

After watching this a couple things come to mind. 1. If your not getting involved in your online ratings and managing your reputation… well you need to be. You’vegot a huge opportunity to make a tremendous impact and increase your customer loyaly and attract new business. 2. If you havnt already, take a few minutes and rate the vendors you have experience with in the DrivingSales Vendor Rating system.

This clip was taken from “The Masters Series, Automotive eCommerce.” an Accelerate Automotive production. For more information visit http://www.accelerateautomotive.com.

Technorati Tags: dealer ratings, online ratings, online transparency

This Video Tip answers the question, “are all leads created equal?” The answer is obviously “No, they are not.” However, what do you look for in a lead, or more importantly, what can you look for in a lead to better understand it so that you can handle it in a more effective manner? What are the characteristics of leads that come from the manufacturer compared to the 3rd party sites? Dennis Colome has some great thoughts here in this clip from the documentary series, “The Masters Series, Automotive eCommerce.” For more on The Masters Series, Automotive eCommerce, visit the page to the right.

The Masters Series Automotive eCommerce, and this video tip were produced by: www.AccelerateAutomotive.com

Technorati Tags: lead characteristics, lead follow ups, The Masters Series

Phones are the life blood of the show room. Both inbound and outbound calls can generate SO much business if we learn to handle the call right and set the appointment. Here is a fun tip from Mr. “Call Coach” himself, Dr. John. (For those who dont know him he really is a Dr. His psychology background gives him incredible insight into handling calls, hiring people and much more) He was one of the most unique and insightful of all the interviews that took place in our over 60 hours of interviewing for the documentary, “The Masters Series, Automotive eCommerce.”

The Masters Series, Automotive eCommerce, and this video tip, were produced by Accelerate Automotive, for more information visit www.accelerateautomotive.com

Technorati Tags: Call Coach, handle the call, The Masters Series