When I was much younger I used to think I was a pretty fast runner until I saw what world-class speed was at a track meet.  You may think you are doing a great job with your Internet Operation but without clear comparative metrics in place it’s difficult to really know.  In an Internet Operation there are two areas where you want to measure metrics:  The first is Performance Metrics (sometimes known as Process Metrics) and the second type is Financial Metrics.  To really grow your operation you need to measure both.



Performance Metrics

Performance Metrics can be used to measure your lead sources, your website performance and even the performance of your Internet team members.  Let’s review these 3 key metrics.

Lead source (3rd Party leads) performance can be measured as a performance metric and a financial metric.  The performance variable has to do with the quality of the data available to your team for follow-up.  If a l...

I am really impressed with how this gentleman nailed it.

David Kain Subject: My letter to the President - from a Chrysler dealer in Brandenburg KY

To: The President of the United States of America

May 16th, 2009

From: Larry Green (Concerned Citizen)



Mr. President,

I am writing you today as it is my right to share my opinion and thoughts with you, the leader of our country. The developments in the past weeks have been quite puzzling to me. Seeing you announce on public television that Chrysler LLC would file for bankruptcy is something I never thought I would ever see our president do. To further complicate all that has been happening with the automotive industry I was in total shock to see who you had appointed to oversee the restructuring process and the lack of experience they have with automotive retail sales and manufacturing.

If you want to learn how to raise livestock then the obvious place to start is seeking knowledge from a far...

If you have not been tightening your budget belt already, I am certain you are planning to do so in the near future. We often hear about cutting budgets so deep we hurt business growth so I wanted to spend some time offering an opinion on things you can’t do without when it comes to your online marketing.
A lead handling process
There is no use in spending the money to drive prospects to your business if your team does not have a lead handling process in place to convert them to appointments and then sales. This simplest of tasks is typically the one most overlooked and yet a solid process ensures that the money spent on leads provides the return on investment your dealership requires to thrive. A process is the Science of deciding what action (email, phone, text, postal mail, etc) and at what time/day/frequency you will complete it. The Art of the process is what you say in an email or phone conversation and how you use links, graphics, video, etc.
An “effective” Lead Manage...

Someone gave me some good advice once and I often have to reflect on it when times get tough – “if you focus your energy on positive actions you will stay so busy you won’t have time to worry about the negative”. Words won’t get you the results you need but I can assure you that a focus on the positive will allow you to accomplish great things even in the face of adversity.
Nearly everyday we read about someone who has done some extraordinary feat and wonder how he or she did it. When asked how they reached the pinnacle of achievement they recall the effort and focus it took to be the best and most of us express that we are not willing to work as hard - even if it means remarkable achievement.
What is remarkable achievement these days?
Remarkable achievement these days could be as simple as keeping the dealership’s doors open whereas others may suggest that it is expanding their market share and increasing profits. Many of you know dealers who are having record year...

Our team just completed a 2.5 day Internet Director/Manager Bootcamp in Las Vegas sponsored by NCM. As always, I learned as much as I taught and was impressed with the level of talent in the represented dealerships. What was particularly nice about this event was the fact that we had such a wide range of experience and that the attendees with a great deal of experience were so willing to share what works in their dealerships with those who were just starting out. I think if the industry is going to thrive at the level it can then we are going to have to help one another and this spirit of helping was clearly present at the Bootcamp. It is certainly present in the DrivingSales environment.

A nice byproduct of the Internet for dealerships is that it is a nice draw for bringing talented women into the workforce. There were nearly as many women as men in the Bootcamp sessions and this is impressive and will do more for helping the industry reach out to the marketplace as any technology ...

Hopefully you have a very effective lead handling process in place, which helps you gain a lot of appointments and vehicle sales. Like a lot of people I tend to get complacent when processes are working well and do not take the time to review them to ensure everything is working at peak capacity. This tends to resolve itself over time because a client will alert me of a letdown and I will adjust and get back on track. Wouldnt it be great to make the adjustments before it frustrates someone, especially before it frustrates a customer? Here are a few ideas you might want to consider so you can proactive instead of reactive.

1. Review your current process step by step.

The old statement its the way weve always done it is very prevalent in business and you have a chance to validate whether doing it that way is still valid. Many dealerships have steps in their process that have never worked and yet they have their staff repeat them with each prospect. Please look at each action and a...

Congratulations to the new group of Internet managers out there! You are embarking on an exciting adventure that will allow you to increase your income by serving the fastest growing segment in the automotive marketplace. Be excited about the opportunity and bring a lot of energy to the role. Regardless of what situation you walked into, there are some important first steps you should take to ensure you have solid success now and in the future. Take these five steps first and you will set the stage for good results.

1. Identify Expectations
Of course you have your own expectations and would likely not have accepted the job if you did not feel you could improve your income and position within the dealership. However, it is equally important to find out what your management team expects from the department. Ask them how they will measure the department results and be sure to obtain objective goals that you feel you can reach. It is important that you understand what actions are neces...