This article by John Quinones hits home with what dealers today need to survive from a mental perspective.

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Strong minds understand that the mind must be exercised like a muscle and as the mind gains in strength it increases in value. As the mind increases in value it becomes stronger and sharper to be more creative and approach situations in a very positive manner always knowing it can always overcome negotiations within its self. Competition is within one’s own mind.

Everyone has heard, "come on Johnny you can do it!" All you have to do is set your mind to it.

Weak minds welcome compromise. Often you will be able to recognize by the response greeting you receive when you meet them. For instance you may ask “How are you?” The responses might be:

"Can’t wait until Friday"
"Can’t wait until 5:00 o’clock"
"Hanging in there."

Weak minds are not happy with themselves so they settle for mediocrity.

Strong minds on the other hand welcome chall...

As expected and rightfully so, Toyota is hitting the social media trail to calm recent negative publicity surrounding the recent Toyota recalls. Jim Lentz, President and Chief Operating Officer of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, will be answering questions from the Digg.com community.

There are over 800 questions proposed so far and still over a day to put in questions for the Monday airing.

Digg, a social news site where users submit content from across the web for other users to "Digg" or "Bury" has thus far been relatively quiet regarding the Japanese automaker. The site, which boasts over 40 million registered users and an ability to send tens and even hundreds of thousands of unique visitors to stories that are made "popular" on the Digg homepage, has had past Digg dialogues with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Hawk, and other celebrities.

It is both an opportunity and a risk for the manufacturer. Digg and other social media sites have been a challenge for Toyota since the recall an...

KPA and TK Carsites announced a strategic partnership today that combines the environmental, health, safety, and HR compliance and risk management services of KPA with the "front end" marketing and website development capabilities of TK Carsites.

Lafayette CO / Orange, CA (PRWEB) January 4, 2010 -- KPA and TK Carsites announced a strategic partnership today that combines the environmental, health, safety, and HR compliance and risk management services of KPA with the "front end" marketing and website development capabilities of TK Carsites.

The partnership gives dealers solid options through trusted vendors within their field. KPA is the compliance leader with over 3000 dealers using their services to manage risk and cost, while TK Carsites has established itself as an award-winning automotive marketing platform through which dealers can grow their business.

As part of the partnership, KPA will provide TK with growth capital and inclusion of TK’s web services in the suite of...

When I first heard the concepts behind having an Automotive Marketing Boot Camp, I had to shake my head.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

We've always had the luxury of having JD Rucker and his expertise at our disposal. Recently, we've had the pleasure of getting more expert advice from both Paul Rushing and Brian Pasch. While we've been trying to determine the best way to "bottle, package, and sell" this magic, the three of them came up with it themselves.

Automotive Marketing Boot Camp. It just makes sense.



As dealers learn more about how to handle their own marketing and take their own futures into their hands through social media, SEO, microsites, and other forms of marketing, we've remained cautious supporting this for our dealers simply because doing it wrong can often cause irreversible damage. We are confident that those who take advantage of the Boot Camp will not only be ahead of their market, but will also be prepared for the changes that are coming down the ro...

As the week winds down and let's talk about the Presentation. In most cases the customer still has to come in to actually sign the papers and complete the transaction, so there will still be a real presentation done at that time. But to really set you apart from the other guys, why not do a killer virtual presentation?

Have one of co-workers follow-you around the car with a small video camera. Remember to keep it to short segments so do a spot at the front and talk about the engine and performance. Then move the passenger side and talk about the safety and styling features and benefits.

However you normally do your walk around just break it into small segments. Stay ENTHUSIASTIC, they're not in front of you so you want your confidence to burst out of the video. Keep in mind that the object here is twofold. First, to tell then about the car. Second, to MAKE YOU STAND OUT from the other dealerships.

There was a friend of mine in Nashville that started doing live Saturda...

This month I have been talking about how the ten step sales process or road to the sales has transformed. I was going through some boxes and found an article that I wrote in the Spring of 2004 for a workshop I did in Raleigh-Durham, NC. The article was about what I believed to be the ten steps to selling an Internet customer.

So as you read this article keep in mind that it was written in 2004. I will review and see how we can update even more to take advantage of known trends and technological advances since then:

Everyone that's been in the car business for any length of time has been introduced to the ten steps or road to the sale. It's fundamental for success. Where the traditional road to the sale was written for and counts on face to face interaction, the Internet process relies on your process and communications skills. Where your image and personality helped to make a good first impression on the lot, the speed and message of your responses set the stage for the Int...

While attending BlogWorldExpo 2009 in Las Vegas last week, Jared Hamilton was able to discuss social media with Ford representative Adam Barrow. While Ford is considered way ahead of most of their competition when it comes to understanding and implementing a proper automotive social media strategy, there are still deficiencies in the way that Ford engages with their dealers to help them achieve the same success.

Barrow described the philosophy at Ford by saying, "As we continue move towards this mindset of empowering users online, saying 'Give us your thoughts, give us your capabilities and share it' with us really standing back and staying hands off, being open to let the conversation just flow."

"I think you guys are doing an incredible job," Hamilton replied. "I think you guys have really got the right things going, but what I think you guys need to do at this stage now is that you're nailing over here (on the OEM side), you guys need translate over into the dealers' side and ...

I talk to dealers every day, even (sadly) when I'm on vacation. The general consensus is that the market is down and it's time to cut costs.  Thankfully, cutting costs doesn't necessarily mean cutting corners.
Despite how bad it is out there in the automotive industry, the online marketing aspect of the industry is getting a well-deserved spotlight shone on it. Dealers are being forced to take their tremendous television, radio, and newspaper budgets and cut them while still getting the same (or better) bang for the buck.
Economy is where Internet marketing shines.  As we develop new technologies to streamline our efforts, automotive vendors are able to offer more exposure for less money then they ever have before. Between websites, microsites, landing pages, search engine optimization, pay per click marketing, and automotive social media, it is easy for a dealer to have a complete presence attacking the market exactly where their customers are waiting for them:&n...

Twitter is the now-generation of networking online. It will have more daily users than larger networks such as Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn within months (possibly weeks). As businesses learn how to capitalize on this growing phenomenon that is receiving mainstream press by the minute, what manifestations of marketing will be acceptable and which will not?

According to this article on Adage, Land Rover last week became the first national brand to execute a national Twitter campaign in a bid to promote its newest models' debuts at the New York Auto Show.  They hired a company called Twittad to use their network of 4500 Twitter users to broadcast their branding and start conversations about their new models.
The bashing is coming, but let's start with a couple of positive things about the two firms in question:
Land Rover is smart enough to recognize the tremendous opportunity that Twitter holds for businesses attempting to build and strengthen their brand. While direct sell...

There are a lot of numbers (and names for these numbers) being thrown at car dealers that they "should" monitor to understand the effectiveness of their websites.  Conversion rates, indexed pages, bounce rates, stickiness, click thrus - all are being tossed around and used to highlight the prowess of websites and lead providers.
Are they important?  Usually, yes.  Are they the bottom-line indicator of the health and effectiveness of a website?  Absolutely not.
In the end, the only questions that really matter are:
"Am I getting more leads?"
"Am I turning more leads into sales?"
Your dealership could have the greatest conversion rate in the world with 0% bounce and 15,000 indexed pages, but if it isn't converting MORE leads that turn into MORE sales, it's all just smoke and mirrors.  Here is a breakdown of the subtle techniques used to promote websites and ways to get to the real meat:

Conversions vs Conversion Rates
Depend...

I was reading an article recently about some of the differences in the ways the two campaigns operated during this past election and some things really jumped out at me.
From their first meeting in early 2007, the Obama team faced an uphill challenge. They had almost no money and were facing a primary opponent who had a lot of money and a well-established organization. But, they decided to make the Internet the core of their strategy. As a result, they were able to get more local volunteers on the ground in key states than their opponent, which was especially important in smaller states and caucus states.
Next, in the general election, they decided to actively compete in 18 states that no one thought they could win. Instead of focusing on the same blue states that democrats had always focused on, they would use the Internet to raise money and spread their message in those 18 states. No one took their strategy seriously, including the McCain camp.

Maybe we in the car business can l...

One of the biggest misconceptions in the automotive website business is that the more pages you have, the more leads your website will produce.  There are arguments in both directions, but one thing is definitely true:
The more QUALITY, LEAD-GENERATING pages you have, the more leads you're going to get.
This is not an entry into the debate over indexing inventory versus not.  That's an entire other post.  Today, let's explore the power and effectiveness of landing pages both as part of your website as well as outside of your website.

Onsite Landing Pages
Regardless of what your customers are searching for, they should be sent to a page that gives them what they're looking for, period.  End of story.  Having a landing page that is geared towards a specific model, a service product, or a specialty service that you offer will dramatically increase your website's ability to turn potential customers into buyers.  Instead of going into details here, I will...

Every four years, many people hold their breath.  It's not their lungs that they tighten up - it's their pocketbooks.  Non-essential spending is pulled back and the car business takes the hit.
I'm talking about Election Day, of course.  When we decide as a country who to put in the White House, there is a natural tendancy for many to delay major decisions until after the results.  The funny part is that, regardless of who wins, those people who were waiting are still going to buy a vehicle regardless of which side they were on.
Call it the "Brace for Impact" philosophy.  Call it whatever you want.  People who need a car will buy a car.  Even if the election has very little impact on their purchasing decision, it's a common perception that it will, so people wait.  With the economy in its current state, this is probably amplified even more.

Get ready.  The flood gates will creep open slowly over the next couple of weeks.  ...

One of the most perplexing aspects of working with special finance customers is that many are reluctant to give the information necessary to grant them a loan.  Just about everyone understands that you need a job, a social security number, and a residence to get a car loan, yet they are often hesitant to reveal this information, especially when they're visiting a dealer's website.
The average car dealer website only generates a handful of credit leads per month, yet many of our clients have seen over 1,000% increase in credit leads the first month they get our websites.  There are three reasons that our 30-Second Credit Application is more effective:


3 Step Lead Capture - Our credit application is broken into steps with friendly video that walks prospects through the process.  If they finish step one but leave the application during the subsequent steps, you still get the important information in step one: name, phone number, email.
Flexible Interface - So...

As our company grows, I am able to get out into the field and talk face to face with clients and prospective clients more so than ever in our history.  In my travels, I have noticed a change in the mindset that many car dealers are using when it comes to their Internet department and their dealership as a whole.
It used to be that the Internet Sales Manager or BDC Manager was a salesperson or sales manager who had the strongest knowledge of the Internet.  This person would coordinate the leads, work with Internet vendors, and fix internal and external problems related to the web.
Now, we are seeing more and more dealers hire people from other industries, including IT, finance, and marketing, to come in and work with the technical side of automotive Internet marketing.  Other dealers are taking their current ISMs and getting them the training they need to be ahead of the curve.
Regardless of the way that dealers go, most are heading in the same direction: towards havin...

When I was selling cars, I noticed something that was consistent at all of my dealerships.  When the Internet first started taking hold, car dealers were reluctant to spend money on it.  The scale was off for some reason.  They would cut corners and pinch pennies when it came to spending thousands of dollars on their website, marketing, online classified sites, and third-party lead providers.  While they were figuring out ways to spend less on the Internet, I was spending more... and smiling all the way to the bank.
For years, car dealers had no problem with dropping tens of thousands of dollars on television, radio, and newspaper, yet there was a stigma about marketing on the Internet, their virtual dealership, a marketing platform that people trusted that would draw more traffic in a day than their physical dealership could get in a week, even a month.  I always had the advantage over my competitors because I believed in 3 letters: SGS.

Now that I'm out o...

It's a tough market.  We all know that.  BusinessWeek paints a grim picture with two recent articles, one that shows that auto sales have been sliding for 11 straight months and another that shows a shakedown for domestic auto dealers.  For dealers to avoid being a statistic, they have to take the bull by the horns, roll up their sleeves, and do something that many have not done in a long time.
They have to take chances
This doesn't mean that car dealers need to bet their flooplan money on the ponies or start buying shares in AIG.  What they need to do if they want to have a chance in this volatile automotive market is to get out of the mentality that the Internet is something on the side and really dive in head-first.  It is an investment, and one that can truly make a difference in the level of success a dealership can enjoy.
You get what you pay for
With many manufacturers jumping on board with platform-based template website providers, a couple of point...

The more I talk to car dealers, the more I realize that we are in the middle of a "breakout" age for marketing online.  We hear from so many Internet managers, general managers, and even owners about how they are ready to take their Internet marketing to the next level.
The question is, "What is the next level?"
With so many options available for getting inventories, branding, and additional services out to the masses, it can be a daunting task to choose how to spend the Internet marketing budgets properly.  Most dealers are starting to allocate more money to the Internet and less to traditional media, but the different options make putting together a proper strategy challenging.

Websites.  Microsites.  Online classifieds.  Vertical search.  SEO.  PPC marketing.  Banner advertising.  The list goes on and on.
As a biased participant in this, it's easy for me to say that the dealer's website is by far the most importa...

The economy is down, but help is on the way.
Gas prices are high, but they seem to be looking better than they have in recent months.
Competition is tight, but both the OEMs and other dealers are doing things to bring that level down a bit.
Overall, it appears that the automotive industry is ready to be rejuvenated in the coming months.  Before the skeptic in all of us starts chiming in, consider the following points:

People need cars.  The fact that fewer people have been making purchases lately does not change the fact that they need to.  It isn't that they have decided not to buy at all.  As with many markets, car buyers are simply holding out.  They are holding their breath, waiting to see what is going to happen next.  That is making it difficult now, but it's simply a bottleneck.  They will be buying again.  Soon.
Lenders need people to loan money to.  It's their business.  With the credit crunch the way it is right...

One of the toughest "sells" to make to Owners, General Managers, and even Internet Managers is that they should treat their Internet Marketing the same way they treat their conventional marketing.  Having a website domain and putting a website on it is nearly the same as having a few acres of land and building a dealership on it.  It's the 21st century.  People enjoy getting their shopping information from the comfort of their home or office.
Your website, vertical search marketing, purchased leads, automotive microsites and landing pages,  email campaigns - all of them have their direct "mirror" in the real world.  In nearly all cases, the total ROI is much better on the Internet version than in real life.  In some cases, the actual resulting sales can be higher than in the "real world".
The real crux of the matter is that the sooner that a dealer realizes the correlation and starts treating the Internet as a microcosm of t...

Sports Utility Vehicles seem to be a dying breed.  They will never die, of course, as many people still need the space and capabilities that are attached to them.
Still, the casual SUV buyer who simply liked the comfort, the way they look, the commanding view, the status, or a combination of these and other reasons are the ones who aren't buying them.  Gas approached $5.00 per gallon for a while and it scared people.  Sales dropped, then prices dropped, then sales continued to drop and the manufacturers started panicking.
For car dealers, now that gas has been on a steady price-drop trend for a little over a month, now is the perfect time to unload as much of your inventory as possible.  Using math and the promise of prudence (and comfort) and you will be able to succeed.

The Logic
This part is easy.  Anyone who is shying away from SUVs is a perfect candidate.  Ask them why they are avoiding the SUVs.  The answer, of course, will be gasoline pri...

After years in the automotive industry, I have seen a rapid decline in the level of service offered by vendors.  The old ways of keeping customers through quality customer service seem to be behind us in many ways.
I was out buying a suit a couple of weeks ago.  The gentleman helping me was well-informed about his topic and extremely helpful.  My suit was to be ready at the end of the week.
When I returned, it didn't fit properly.  Despite doing measurement after measurement, the tailoring just didn't quite meet my standards.  It was no problem -- they would make the adjustments as soon as possible and have the suits ready by the following week.
The second time I tried them on, they still didn't fit.  He looked at the suits thoroughly and found the issue.  It was in the way that I liked to have my suits fit compared to the design of the suit itself.  He assured me that the next time I come, it will be perfect.

I have no doubt that it will b...