One of the beauties of working with those businesses that want to move forward is just that: the move forward. One of the drawbacks is the distractions that can stop clients in their tracks. Even the most excited dealer, on any given day, may end up with a list of fire drills that can stop a freight train. Downhill. When you start your move in the digital direction, it must be a complete commitment. More and more principals and senior management at the dealer level are getting their hands, minds and ambitions set around their online presence, brand reach, consumer interaction and spending real time in understanding what is out there. By educating dealers rather than just taking over the whole ball of wax, change is visible. By involving them rather than avoiding them, cooperation is established. By partnering, accountability becomes easier. Even with the greatest level of engagement, however, retail is still retail and some habits die hard. Dealers can't ignore their fixed operat...

They're there. Every day. New ones. Old ones, Slim ones. Fat ones. Some are red and some are green, many are boring and some obscene. What are they? Well, they're not from Dr. Seuss. Invites, followers, request for follows, join my growing community and more. And most are just plain crap. As the pandemic of automotive social media, that didn't exist until Q2 or Q3 of last year, bangs on our in boxes and cell phones, it seems that most are happy to take it all in. That is until you actually look at the content, the platforms, the lack of connection and the rampant automation. It's been said before but needs to be said again: There is nothing social about automation, unneeded irrelevant retweets, inventory, prices and more that doesn't promote brand, opportunity, connection, community, events or gosh-I-needed-to-know-that-stuff kind of stuff. Also, in a world that is supposed to be conscience of terms of use/terms of service, why are dealers still setting up friend pages? Every so-...

If education, reinforcement, results and transparency are the benchmarks of success why are we all not more successful than we are right now? More often than not, in our beloved industry, what has been around for a long time is considered as accepted or the norm and what is new is rejected with rare exception. At the end of the day we're branders and communicators entirely and inextricably linked to the success or failure of process. Well, we need a wake up call. Recently there has been a barrage of articles on everything from social media must do's for car dealers to self-indulgent bantering among dealership consultants, from incessantly republishing authoritative sources to fill pages and drive traffic to kicking dead horses and old ghosts. And who are we kidding? The whole industry has to wake up to new ways of doing business, engaging consumers that control content, delivering more value than flash to dealerships, learning more than preaching and finally...wait for it...stop tal...

The factory, the product, the media coverage, the recalls, the blitz of lacking and half-cooked information. When does the dealer get the coverage? When they're closing, exposed as corrupt or so-called environmentalists torch their lots. Welcome to the square peg and the round hole in the automotive industry, if not the perfect storm. And who's to blame for the lopsided ego-train? Yes, the factory is guilty: plain as day. More than not, they treat the dealer like a flea on the 800-pound gorilla. But so is the dealer base. For the last couple decades, the dealers have waited for the new models, created mediocre-at-best, self-indulgent print and radio ads, greeted fearful (or at least resentful) customers in less-than-desirable locations and then wondered why they have the (earned) reputations they do. With exception to the leaders in the industry, dealers have not done much to truly brand and distinguish themselves. Don't get 'yer panties in a wad yet: We're not saying that you do...

There seems to be a perpetual struggle in the dealer world between the client needing services, needing to change/improve, needing to stay in front of the competition and the vendors needing new places to hock their wares, prove their value, bang the 'we're the leader' drum and pay back their investors. They're both right while not typically paying attention to each other. In the course of recommending vendors, after assessing the needs of the client, it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint what services will be beneficial. This is more the case today with some providers offering truly integrated, real-time solutions. There are times when, over the course of an engagement, fitting vendors are brought in to do their jobs, but in hindsight it's realized that one larger provider could have done the work. And likely at a lower price while providing a more streamlined experience. It is always appropriate to push for the larger picture and achieve more but automotive retail has been hit ...

You've seen them. You've registered. You've looked a couple times. You've even mentioned them at some of the events you attend to be in the 'know' . And You're obviously on DrivingSales.com now. But the most you've been involved with what is likely the greatest area of information and opportunity for quicker growth ends with exactly that: not much. Post a comment on a forum? Nonsense. Ask a tough question of your peers? Waster of time. But your processes, results and even poorly rated vendors don't change and the answers are staring at you, through that nice flat screen you convinced your general manager you had to have. So what will it take to propel dealership involvement in the communities? If we don't change retail, as great as the products have gotten, the fact that new cars are now launched on the web or mobile devices exclusively rather than traditional advertising (about stinking time), the fact that you read reviews of hotels and restaurants on review/forum sites and a list...

It's not every day that you come across as example of what you're preaching, especially when it's in the automotive world. To be brutally honest, it almost never happens around social media, blogging, websites and the like. And then, just like in the movies, a kid gives you hope. This is not a typical post at all for us but this much-needed fresh air deserves credit. A jaunt down dealership social media lane today will reveal about 85% plus of franchises screaming "buy here" and all sorts of offers, incentives, links to inventory and other huge no-no's. Finding stores that are actually talking with the public is so rare you'd think that, even considering the poor reputation car dealerships have, all hope of being real humans was gone. Enter Scott Mitchell and his online brand: www.IAmAudi.com, or @I_Am_Audi on Twitter. After following his social media moniker for a while, I ventured to his site/blog and was even more impressed. Not being a client (nor his Audi store in Oregon) an...

Two items that we talk a lot around but typically don't address directly are the 'blocking and tackling' in the retail business. One stops people from the inside, the other from the outside. The first limits a broader brand experience while the second keeps customers away. Slowly eliminate both and you'll win. Dealership firewalls, website blocking, limiting controls and other less-than-trusting measures remove timely access and ability to become involved in what is the greatest area of traffic generation today. Add to that the understanding of what is happening in the market during the time in each person's day that it matters most. Whether posting to Facebook, sending test leads to competitors, scanning forums and reputation sites (likely for what Google alerts notified the store of), or seeing a competitor's site updates and overall becoming involved in the essential aspects of branding and reach, being online is essential. No, just block everything. Enter the typical excuses ...

It's no coincidence that by using the term 'resolutions' as temporary markers, we're able to miss our goals and targets. In an industry that's usually more comfortable with what worked 10 years ago, why waste time with "I wish"? Fact is, by resolving to do something it means that you're going to do it. If you're lacking resolve, find someone that can help you with it. This is not a plea for you to run out and get a shrink, not at all. Rather being resolute about how you manage your business, as a GM or a sales person or a porter, is entirely up to how well you plan your work. And when you think about the work involved with your entire online presence, business and infrastructure, it's not about being the 'do it all person'. That method will lead to disaster. 2010 will be a dividing and defining year, but not by the forces of government intervention, the factory guillotine, lack of the 'perfect' new model or even that location you've been eyeing for years. It will be a year of the h...

It's no secret that over the past few months things have really been taking off in the online automotive space for dealers and a lot of attention is being paid to the more leading edge, innovative companies (and some not-so-leading-edge ones).  It really seems that retail is starting to embrace, at a minimum, the 'change' in mindset.  At the same time it's not too hard to see that it may be overload. When you consider the amount of good information, new technology, availability of tools (especially those that are free or inexpensive), vast selection of downloads/blogs/webinars and more, it really seems like a heyday for flipping the switch and going forward like a gleaming new Boeing 787,  But just like the impressive 'Dreamliner", you can't get off the ground if your resources aren't trained for the flight. We still seem to be hamstrung by our best resource: staff, desire, goal-setting, application, training and simple commitment.  In a recent meeting, a general manager was ...

With the end of the year quickly approaching and a focus on getting as many cars sold as possible, it''s also the only time you have to make sure your plan is right for your web presence in 2010.  We're talking about a plan.  If you don't have one, it's time do something that will really move the needle for you. It's a bit of Branding 101, Internet 102, Process 201 (we'll say that since you've likely hired a more traditional "get them excited to do more of the same thing after the excitement of yelling at them wears off in 3 days" trainer although not in a while) and a number of other 'class' sounding names.  The long and short of it everything you're successful at will depend on your virtual existence. So, when you decide to spend $X,XXX to $XX,XXX per month online, and stick with it for the long haul, start with: WEBSITE: A thorough review of your websites via a true outside SEO review (we use @Grader at http://websitegrader.com), SEO keyword report from a third party (we...

If you're in sales, chances are you needed the Thanksgiving day break.  Badly. If things are good or not-so-good, the day off allows you at least to decompress.  If you're in automotive, many would say that the break is more than deserved.  You should return with two things: the day off and something new. Too often we take the greatest chance to improve and dismiss it with a focus on the short-term gain.  Will you return simply energized or with new, more aggressive goals and a dedication to really build your brand?  It's not only the things we're thankful for, it's also the things you plan on being thankful for. If you sell, are you doing everything you can?  Using your CRM as a static database or a real tool?  Is the day after Thanksgiving the day that you start leveraging your website with live chat, video, widgets, blogs, calls-to-action to convert your traffic (campaigns, truly unique offers, integrated items, etc) and more.  Or maybe it's not time to do that.  Right?...

You hear it all the time: "this isn't rocket science", "a monkey can do this" and "you're kidding me, that's easier than chewing gum".  Yet process seems to be as rare as a walk-up customer these days when it comes to the Internet side of the business. Not necessarily the sales process, although there are still many that struggle with that, but the part that deals with planning, accountability, results and reviewing. Based on the non-scientific data at the recent round of automotive industry events, many are surprised that the majority of leads from dealer (and OEM) websites still are not responded to well, timely, with engagement or even at all.  Most people from the consulting and coaching side of the business are not surprised.  While there is definitely more attention and dollars flowing toward the online part of retail, more opportunities are slipping away as software and solutions are expected to run the business. CRMs, as great as some are today, websites, as well as th...

Three vendors, multiple pitches, agonizing internal conversations, budget decisions, integration, contract, training and the big fat check (every month). Now: simply turn it on and have it send messages for you and you win! Right? Wrong! How in the world are we continually convinced that a solution 'in the box' is the right one for our multi-million dollar businesses?  Are most dealers now buying software and technology the same way that we've bought DMS for the past 20 years?  We have Dell build our own laptops down the finest detail, change the covers on our cell phones so they're more 'us', put 20's on our otherwise stock cars, and wear clothes that says 'me'. But we send out messages to everyone that's the same and expect them to respond, let alone come in, buy and refer? What a joke! Here's a clue: if it takes more work and you don't see the results immediately, you're probably heading in the right direction. Why would you send a message (email, text, direct mail, etc) to ...

Can't you just hear it in the background when you try to explain the shift to digital/social marketing from traditional 'push' marketing to a business like, oh let's say, a car dealer? A chorus fills your head from 1978: "Aaahh Freak out!  Le Freak, C'est Chic, Freak out!". Scary enough, our sales volumes are near 1978 levels and we continue to advertise as if it were. From forums on DrivingSales to articles on Advertising Age to the offices of medium- to large-sized dealer groups, there is still a debate. That's' mind boggling! Consumers are gobbling up media at alarming rates. Their chosen media, not advertising. Do you still believe it was the advertisers that killed the newspapers? It's much easier to accept than understand that people don't need to read yesterday's news that they already got online or on their cell phone the day before. So, people do what people do when they just don't understand: freak out, panic, sweat, worry, bury their heads. Come on, take out the Simpl...

This post should really be titled: Reputation Management: Can't I Just Ignore It? It's amazing that another year, and some great social media presentations, has passed with dealers still not understanding that they live and die by their reputation. They know it, they don't understand it. Or else everyone would be tackling their Achilles' heel. It wasn't too long ago that dealers knew their customers by name, would give up their own car if a client's died on the way home, attended the events they sponsored and generally made sure their name (and brand) was sterling. Then came the 'glut years' of the mid-80s to about two years ago. Dealers practically printed money for 20 years or so and then the dance ended. Volume, massive profits, huge staffs and even traffic have mostly gone in the same direction as reputation: downhill. With the exception of some forward-thinking and consumer-focused retailers, it seems apparent that our industry is completely fine with negative reviews on top...

It's the conference time of the year for the automotive biz and this last week didn't disappoint. Having attended both the first-ever DrivingSales Executive Summit and the venerable JD Power Internet Roundtable it was clear, to some degree, as to what the leaders are looking for, discussing and sharing.  My first observation? Not enough dealers were present. Nobody is trying to hold one group more accountable than the other and while budgets and money are tight, our industry moves at retail not at the supplier, vendor, media or marketing levels. Yes we need to have product that is appealing, ways to communicate effectively about it, means to get people buying the product (hello banks...), staying up with the breakneck speed of technology and keeping the general public excited. All those things aside, it's your good 'ol neighborhood retailer that gets the metal to move. So, the DSES at the Hard Rock had two days to get the dealers that want to be in front in the best possible pos...

"Hear ye, hear ye! For all of you, thou shalt be indentured in thar' olde sales department.  And for the rest of ya blubbering fools, 'yer lucky to call the Internet department over yonder home!"  Boy, sounds like a clip right out of a bad Tom Cruise period movie about horse sales from the 17th century, right?  And to top things off, he loses his English accent about 17 minutes into the flick... All right, it may not be that bad where you work, and it may be the 21st century, but why is there still a separation between most dealership sales 'departments'?  Why is there still a debate about whether or not they should be integrated?  Is it because the favorite 'floor' sales person loses status and the spooned deals?  What is it about the 1987 mindset that carries otherwise unacceptable practices forward? Your entire sales department shouldn't be handling Internet leads because nearly all customers are now shopping online.  It's not enough to make those not taking website ups...

After tip-toeing around this subject for most of the year, it's time to take a more direct approach. With more car dealers using "social' media these days, seeing the overwhelming amount of non-conversations are staggering! A quick visit to the majority dealer accounts on Twitter and Facebook reveal the following: • use of what are supposed to be social sites and services for essentially 'unpaid' advertising o The home of the $199 lease o Largest volume dealer in the area o Amazing inventory o More models arriving daily • use of auto-follow and auto-retweet programs to 'simplify' building followers o 30-day old accounts with 2,000+ followers o Retweets of Automotive News articles + Consumers can't access as it's subscription only, and why share? • limited contextual links and content o video links are exclusively to store's site or YouTube inventory/walk-arounds o Using same links over and over with only slight modifications Here's the hint that will hopefu...

Month end is behind you, save for those few deals that are going to be back-dated to August 31. Hopefully with C.A.R.S. you didn't need to do that. Now it's a whole new month and you're thinking "I'm at zero, clean sheet of paper, time to hit my numbers!" Since we know so many people that do that, there must have been one parent in all of our families that, when we were infants, whispered in our ears "you'll think like you'll get paid, you'll start over on the 1st, you'll scurry like hell to get everything done on the last day of every month". Man, talk about a dysfunctional family! So here you are, 20-40 years later, convinced that a calendar determines your effectiveness and runs your life. While nobody is here to tell you it's not how you get paid, quotas are set, assessments are handled and forecasts are created, quit thinking that way. You're not starting over. Especially in today's Internet-based world, the first of any month is just another day to tackle the 30-100 ...

Imagine, if you can, that business becomes painfully slow. Sales, traffic, even service, is down anywhere from a little bit to 'oh-my-gosh-how-can-we-survive?' slow. Then try really hard to imagine some gift-from-above program from an unannounced source drives a bunch of customers to your store for a few weeks. Then...the program ends abruptly. At the same time, consider that you expected the program to end at any time so you are not completely surprised by the news that the masked crusader and his money left town. What will you do the next business day? How prepared you are, how well you communicate with prospects and customers alike, how creative you are and where you know your business comes from will dictate if Tuesday is satisfactorily busy or if it is just like another day before all the loads of Monopoly money arrived. Most people we've heard from consider C.A.R.S. a blessing with all of the traffic and sales it generated, as well as a genuine pain in the butt. Of cour...

We're on the cusp again: in the next 90 days we're looking at events including DrivingSales Executive Summit, JD Power Internet Roundtable, Dealer summit, Synergy Sessions, Digital Dealer, Auto Training Events and more.  The more dealers that we hear from, the more we hear the same thing: "show me the beef!!".  What's the message?  Drive value for the industry, especially the dealers, or don't bother inviting me to the same old thing! Today, more than ever, it's a "what have you done for me lately" world in retail.  Dealers need information, partners, cooperation, support and solid direction.  By the same token, dealers need to get off their duffs and start really using all of their tools.  Not buy more and do the same thing.  Dealerships that move forward will do so because they understand their market, their brand and their opportunities.  Not because a piece of software or the factory will just feed them customers all day ...

It's been said that in business, it's not what you know but rather who you know. In social media it's not much different! It's not what you say, it's what everyone else thinks about what you say (and who repeats it that has a significant following). In today's auto industry social landscape, we're ruled by "buy here", "special of the day", "unbelievably cheap oil change", "home of the bla-dee-blah-blah-lease!" and more ranting and ravings about "me me me" than I'd care to acknowledge. It seems that the opportunity for a bunch of folks to so-called "save" their dealership from "paid advertising" and more importantly "relevant advertising" by getting "free advertising" has horribly skewed the mindset of otherwise savvy people. I can see it now...just imagine with me....(fake clouds of dry ice are filling the stage in your mind)... "Hey boss, you're not going to believe this! Me, your amazing ...

It's been said that in business, it's not what you know but rather who you know. In social media it's not much different! It's not what you say, it's what everyone else thinks about what you say (and who repeats it that has a significant following). In today's auto industry social landscape, we're ruled by "buy here", "special of the day", "unbelievably cheap oil change", "home of the bla-dee-blah-blah-lease!" and more ranting and ravings about "me me me" than I'd care to acknowledge. It seems that the opportunity for a bunch of folks to so-called "save" their dealership from "paid advertising" and more importantly "relevant advertising" by getting "free advertising" has horribly skewed the mindset of otherwise savvy people. I can see it now...just imagine with me....(fake clouds of dry ice are filling the stage in your mind)... "Hey boss, you're not going to believe this! Me, your amazing but otherwise unknown Internet salesperson, just came up with the way to save $20,000 a month o...

Whether or not the money lasts in the government's C.A.R.S./Cash For Clunkers program, one thing is clear: automotive retail still waits for someone or something outside of the dealer to drive the traffic. With few (and great) exceptions, people started hitting lots hard over the weekend.The question remains: what happens that's entirely up to you before and after programs? A couple of OEMs started a little early by creating buzz around doubling or even advancing dealers money. Dealers even sent out email and direct marketing (along with radio and newspaper....aaaaarrggggh!) to promote the fact that they'd have the CARS program at their dealership! Folks, that's just not enough. Remember that people what to know what's in it for them! If they can get $3,500 or $4,500 (or more) for their car ANYWHERE, why are you yelling that you simply have the program? Is your banner bigger? Big (something) deal! Why not detail how you understand the program's details, that you have a special team a...

You were the class clown, your friends' center of attention, captain of the sport team, oldest in your family, standout of sorts in various jobs and now you lead the sales ranks...and you're flat out lucky! Considering the last time you listened actively was to get an extra scoop of ice cream in eighth grade, it is hard to understand what, outside of ambition, fortune and favor, has you topping the charts. As a passive listener, you can remember that your first customer ever made a nice comment about your tie... OK, that was a little over the top, but hopefully the message hit home.  How do you know what he said, she said, they said, if you're not listening!?!? Consider the amount of leads that are not sufficiently handled, floor ups that aren't greeted correctly (let alone qualified), prospects that aren't followed up with in a timely, contextually relevant way (sending a pre-populated eNewsletter DOESN'T qualify) and you can start to understand how broken things are for consume...

Come on, let's admit it. If someone launches a new tool, application, service, widget, doohickey, gizmo or gadget, we'll all explode. We are so full of tools, you likely feel like the Craftsman section at your local Sears... Fact is we can probably expect more and that is what keeps pushing the bar forward. With the store closures, OEM staff reductions, agency layoffs and more you can likely look forward to more consultants, new software, increased industry service providers and just plain more 'stuff'. And considering how most owners, GMs and GSMs buy stuff, there may be cause for more companies wanting to get their piece of a smaller spend pie because they're 'new, shiny, better, sexier or have great advertising'. Folks, we're not using all the tools you have currently, even if you don't really know how to use them in the first place (Ok, you can put all of your hands down because we know you haven't seen your so-called rep in nearly a year who promised the latest training you need...

It is always a reality check (especially in sales) to review the mid-year numbers against goals. Even the most sophisticated of salespeople take the opportunity to evaluate, adjust, reassess, communicate and plan. Many others blame, accuse, defend, deflect and compromise, but rarely do what it takes: listen and learn. It's also the time of the year when middle-management does the infamous 'dance' (you know what I mean if you are in middle-management or deal with them). Consistency is the key, learning is the foundation, staying up to date and applying methods are the tools, guidance is the framework (read: not management), teamwork is the conduit, commitment is the path and success is the goal. For those that truly stayed on the road to their goals, using everything just mentioned, the first half was likely less of a mystery than for everyone else. Maybe you even are ahead of the game! Success never comes overnight, rarely is seen in the company of also-rans, doesn't hide from the re...

Boy, things were really humming there for the longest time and then the train ran off the track, or maybe the wheels simply came off. No matter what, we got to find out what it would be like for the industry to have a brake test. But instead of 60 to 0 in 137.6 feet, it was more like 17 million to under 10 million in a blink (try that supercars!) Add to that the fact that somewhere along the way, we got just a little more than complacent...ok, we got really frickin' complacent! Now we have the choice to do things over the way 'we' did, or go down the road less traveled. So we have to ask ourselves collectively some tough questions. Do we advertise the same way we did? Do we communicate the same way that we did? Do we build the same way we did? Do we sell the same way we did? If so, how can we expect different results? And for those that want to wait, how can you expect anything doing that? Many indicators seem to show that we're doing a lot of the old things and just a few new thing...

  Are you excited by the latest technology in the newest model arriving at your showroom? Were you going crazy waiting for FedEx/UPS/USPS last week for your latest iPhone? Can't believe that your newest CRM ties your site, third party leads, phone calls, mail automation, showroom visits and more together? Didn't have to break traffic laws a week ago since you Tivo'd the first 10 minutes of the NBA finals knowing that you'd work late? All that is absolutely fantastic, but it's not the innovation that matters most. Nothing that technology delivers, nothing that (supposedly) makes our lives better, nothing that is guaranteed to make our businesses run like clockwork matters until someone understands it, knows what to do with it and ultimately figures out how in hell to apply it, will mean anything...until there is a reason to use it in the first place. In other words, why use Tivo (as good as it and DVRs are!) if you don't watch, let alone care about, anything on television? What...