What are a prospect’s expectations when they submit a “Request for Contact” on your website?            "Dude, we'll totally sell you a car."            “What’s it gonna take to get you into our dealership today?”            “If I could, would you come down today?”            “I don’t know if the manager will even let me do this…”            “You’re not going to believe this, in fact I think it may be a mistake!”   A dealership’s greatest opportunity for growth in 2012 is online, but old school, traditional tactics will not be tolerated by today’s savvy customers.  The shopper in 2012 is a well-informed, tech savvy shopper that demands a certain level of respect and an even higher level...

  In my 20+ years in automotive retail I was always a firm believer in the notion that the dealerships that spent the most time training their employees were the ones that would thrive rather than simply survive.  I am still a believer in that way of thinking, but with the caveat of “Training for Sustaining.”   What do I mean by that?  Sometimes as a dealer executive it’s possible to get caught up in the egocentric method of training.  Have you ever had a conversation with someone that you could immediately tell really enjoyed hearing themselves speak?  I’m sure it is gratifying to them, but not so much for the person at the other end of the conversation.    When preparing to conduct a training meeting of any kind (i.e. sales meeting, managers meeting, staff meeting etc.) it is imperative that we keep the best interests in mind of those that will be receiving the training.    What is the intend...