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	Infinite Prospects can help you sell more cars with our services and tools
	Infinite Prospects Overview Infinite Prospects is an automotive digital marketing agency, specializing in helping car dealers build, refine, enhance, and grow their Internet sales and online presence. We do this by working hands-on with dealers - updating sales contact processes, regularly coach... 1 replies, Posted: 3 hours ago by Adam Ross
	We need Rectruiter/Trainers
	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36DFDzhivXY 0 replies, Posted: 9 hours ago by Craig Lockerd
	What are your rules for split deals?
	Nothing kills the momentum on the showroom like two sales people fighting over a split deal. One of the common problems for split deals is the internet sales person claiming the deal is theirs and the floor claiming its a retail deal. Even between two retail sales people its hard to know who is sk... 6 replies, Posted: 10 hours ago by Jacob Jackson
	Favorite Car Songs.....
	AutoMax Asks: What are your fav Car Songs? Put a bunch on FB..tells us what you like best. http://www.facebook.com/automax I love songs about cars, about driving, cool songs while driving in my car, songs that take me back to the “Good Old Days” 409 – Beach Boys, Dead Man’s Curve – Jan ... 0 replies, Posted: 12 hours ago by Craig Lockerd
	Openlane Used Car Online purchasing CR reports
	Anyone use Openlane? Your thoughts on situation. Bought a 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid, only 17k Miles! CR report came back as 1 panel previous repair (cool) Skuffs, scratches here and there, (fine can deal with that) But the Dog Hair, and ungodly smell, with dog biscuits in the trunk NOT LISTED! I cou... 2 replies, Posted: 6 days ago by Michael Salido
	Superpages.com -or- Everycarlisted.com
	Just had a visit from Everycarlisted.com. They are a part of superpages.com. My dealership is in the Chicago land area, and they do not have any dealers out here. Has anyone used them, or have any recommendation either good or bad for me. Thanks Everybody, Tim Slattery Taylor Dodge Chrysler Jeep 6 replies, Posted: Last Week by Tim Slattery
	NJ & NYC Area Dealers - Supercharge your Internet Department
	With Digital Ad agency services and Internet Sales Training from Infinite Prospects, Inc. http://tinyurl.com/yzcmnnw 0 replies, Posted: Last Week by Adam Ross
	Sales Training and Internet Sales
	How do you think sales training is affected by internet sales, searches and activity. Also do you feel like traditional sales training needs to be modified for the internet and lastly should the internet buyer be treated differently than the walk in or call in opportunity? Grant Cardone www.vir... 10 replies, Posted: Last Week by Grant Cardone
	How to Add Inventory or Web Sites to your Facebook Fan Page for free
	Hi everyone, I thought my new blog post might be of interest to the forum members. Enjoy! http://tinyurl.com/ycrv5wn 1 replies, Posted: Last Week by Arnold Tijerina
	Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
	There are a number of good reasons for operating an ethical and legally compliant dealership, not the least of which is staying out of a courtroom. Perhaps the most important - and most often overlooked - reason is increased customer satisfaction. There are times when an employee may feel that he ... 2 replies, Posted: Last Week by Jim Radogna
	AutoMax Asks" What did you SELL today...Product,service or idea.....and tell everyone how you did it__________________!
	When you asked and they said "No"....what did you say or do? Product,Service or Idea 0 replies, Posted: Last Week by Craig Lockerd
	Responselogix
	Any dealer using Rersponse Logix? If so, please share what you like and dislike. Thank you. 4 replies, Posted: Last Week by Gary Sanders
	Dealers in for Dramatic Decline in Service Volumes.......
	Headline from March edition of Dealer Magazine! HELLO!, We've been discussing this for over a year now...and they still don't explain the issue or WHY! Go to my blog: http://dealerscompass.com/?p=123 for a full explanation. 0 replies, Posted: Last Week by Brad Bossen
	Cobalt IMR digital marketing campaign
	Wondering how the Cobalt IMR digital campaign worked for GM (specifically Chevrolet) dealers. For those who participated your input would be much appreciated. 0 replies, Posted: Last Week by Terrence Kell
	ResponseLogix Seeks Account Managers
	Anyone know of intelligent, ambitious and service-oriented types who might be interested in joining us at ResponseLogix? We’re looking for Account Managers in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Our 400 signed dealers (and the thousands we plan to sign) ... 0 replies, Posted: 2 weeks ago by Catherine Edwards
	Top Ten Ways an Employee Can Ruin Your Day
	Question: Where are compliance lapses likely to occur in most dealerships? 1. The F&I office 2. The sales managers’ office 3. The lot 4. The showroom 5. All of the above In my humble opinion, the answer is a qualified all of the above. The reason I say “qualified” is because in many organiza... 0 replies, Posted: 2 weeks ago by Jim Radogna
	Is anyone having a similar issue with cars.com and Autotrader?
	We have seen a sharp decrease in the effectiveness in our Cars.Com and Autotrader business. Leads are down. Phone calls are down. Hits to our website from them are down. Of course they're only answer is to always ask us what we're doing wrong so let's get that out of the way. We have custom comment... 16 replies, Posted: 2 weeks ago by Mitchell Brenner
	FREE Social Media Monitoring Software Offer
	Hi Everyone, Here's a new Social Media Monitoring Program offering a FREE 30 Trial, provided by Trackle. Besides sharing a great new service, I'm fortunate to be 1 of 36 finalists in Trackle's iPad giveaway Contest. (All I had to do was answer a trivia question on twitter.) The winner is the pers... 8 replies, Posted: 2 weeks ago by Eric Miltsch
	Craigslist Posting And free Classifieds
	If you are not posting at least 40 cars a day on craigslist you are missing at least 400 leads a month. If you dont have time to get the job done then checkout www.smaalliance.com the will do it all for you manually. Check out there site and give them a call. 0 replies, Posted: 2 weeks ago by ANTHONY JAMES
	With all this social networking, when do we have time to actullay sell
	I get it, social networking IS a big deal. It certainly has taken the world by storm and I agree there is a place for it in the corporate selling world. But should it consume so much of our time? This almost reminds me of the opening days of the internet, where everyone believed that brick and mor... 15 replies, Posted: 2 weeks ago by Kevin Leigh
	Nissan Role Call...
	Where are you? position? How long? 1 replies, Posted: 3 weeks ago by Ryan Mills
	How do you advertise on Driving Sales?
	Does anyone know who how to advertise on Driving Sales? Who can I contact? I am having difficulty coming about this information. Thank you! 0 replies, Posted: 3 weeks ago by Margalit Gould
	Legal Compliance - Who Taught You the Rules?
	Back when I was a green-pea salesman, I listened carefully to everything the closers and sales managers said. These guys were good! It seemed that no matter what the customer said, they had an answer. So I listened and learned. When I got my shot and became a closer, I carefully followed my sales ma... 0 replies, Posted: 3 weeks ago by Jim Radogna
	Service Scheduling and Marketing Software
	This response is directed to the post made by Alex Andreus on 2/19/10 about using Service Scheduling and Marketing Software. Alex, your best bet both economically and for your best ROI would be CIMA Systems. I have used them for sometime with different manufactures and have always gotten great resu... 0 replies, Posted: 3 weeks ago by Dave Zyski Sr
	Need Sales Consultants & Managers to Consult with Us
	We're developing an innovative new technology product for new car sales. To help us clearly understand sales consultants' & managers' challenges/issues, we need sharp individuals with 3-5 years experience selling main-line vehicles to consult with us. Tell me about you: jimh@hugheshunter.com. 0 replies, Posted: 3 weeks ago by Jim Hughes
	Craigslist Posting for Auto Dealers
	Today's email/web poll for auto dealers: Are you posting you inventory on Craigslist? If so, how? If not, we make it easy with our posting tool http://tinyurl.com/ygms5sh 0 replies, Posted: 3 weeks ago by Adam Ross
	foursquare
	Is anyone using foursquare? I've added us as a location...any ideas about how to maximize this app/site? 2 replies, Posted: 3 weeks ago by Tessa Wissler
	Service Scheduling and Marketing Software
	I am looking at several different companies that can provide an online service scheduling tool and email marketing together. I have looked at xTime, TimeHighway and Autorevenue and they all have certain strengths and weaknesses. Can someone give me any recommendations or things to look out for. I am... 2 replies, Posted: 3 weeks ago by Alex Andreus
	NADA LIVE Video Feed on Dealer.com
	What do people think of the NADA LIVE Video Feed on Dealer.com? 2 replies, Posted: 4 weeks ago by Chris Bergeron
	Baseball and Auto Pie
	Written by a dear friend of AutoMax's,Mr.Tom Wiegand,interested in others view of this topic. Baseball & Auto Pie The professional franchised retail auto industry and the professional franchised baseball industry are my two all-time favorite franchise systems. Why are they so obviously differ... 0 replies, Posted: 4 weeks ago by Craig Lockerd
	Web site V12 Software for Independent
	Hello Is anyone using them? Heard of them? Looks like much functionality for velocity pricing... Please advise, thank you 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Michael Salido
	2010 NADA Booth #427
	Visit the Carloan.com team and schedule for a quick demo. You will receive 10 free high quality Carloan.com leads + Call Center appointment setting service provide by NVS + No Fee Lending for you sub-prime deals. What's the catch, there is none. We are doing what we do best and that is helping d... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by John Kong
	Service drive and dispatch control software
	At present we are on manual ro driven dispatch and paper route sheets for service writers. Any suggestions on what automated system could bring us out of the 90's. We are on adp operating dms. 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by jeff mcconville
	Are EBay Sales or Losses?
	I have to wonder sometimes if the due diligence has been done on these selling decisions. When EBay and Craigslist's became popular with parts departments. They were a great outlet to get rid of "dead stock." Whatever the net profit, it was better than letting it sit on the shelf and collect dust. ... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Google Buzz. What's the Buzz?
	Google announced their latest move with the 'Buzz' yesterday... Big step towards the centralized, portable profile mentality by combining the social buffet of stand-alone platforms & channels. In typical Google early-release fashion, it lacks certain items - such as the ability to update your FB/t... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Eric Miltsch
	Do you require your salespeople to follow up on incoming sales calls?
	I recently covered the importance of handling incoming sales calls correctly and requiring salespeople to use scripts when answering calls. Now I want to talk about the importance of properly following up on those incoming sales calls. If your store is like many stores, your incoming sales call ... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Nick Lozovsky
	Our First Day With Our New CRM
	I just wanted to write about our first full day with Vin Solutions. As anyone who has ever changed their CRM, or DMS, system quirks, issues etc. always come up. Now we've been with Higher Gear for over eight years so we expected some resistance. Well a funny thing happened on the way to the forum, t... 4 replies, Posted: Last Month by Mitchell Brenner
	Local Based Marketing
	What are dealerships thoughts on location based marketing and behavioral targeting? The increased presence of location applications like Foursquare can provide an interesting marketing opportunity for dealerships. How will this impact dealership marketing (if it will)? Are dealerships changin... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Andy Warner
	Was Jerry Maguire On To Something?
	Jerry Maguire “Two nights later in Miami at our corporate conference, a breakthrough. Breakdown? Breakthrough. It was the oddest, most unexpected thing. I began writing what they call a Mission Statement for my company. You know -- a Mission Statement -- a suggestion for the future. What started o... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Gary Sanders
	Driving Force and the Bargain Button
	I have been using Driving Force and Bargain Button since 2007. It is the best organic generator available. I have converted a bargain Button Lead to a bonified comitted sale as quick as 45 minutes. Driving Force Bargain Button Platform is so innovative we are shifting entire web platforms to Driving... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Fred Schei
	GROW YOUR OWN!
	Good techs are hard to find and you never know what you have until after you've hired them. Start your own in-house training with apprenticeship programs. Maybe you'll remember a program initiated by Snap-On years ago, whereby an apprentice tech would receive a "beginner" toolbox and tools at a grea... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Online Chat
	Is your dealership using online chat? What have you done to make it successful? 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Randy Taylor
	Friday Nite Special!
	I've posted two sample contracts at www.dealerscompass.com blog page. One is for employee "Specialized Training", the other for an "Apprectice Tool Program." Help yourself, insert your dealership name,logos,copy and paste as you wish. 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Changing gears in the website industry
	2010 will prove to be an interesting year in automotive digital for both dealerships and vendors. Awareness, knowledge and the exchange of ideas are rising in digital automotive making transparency the key for website vendors in 2010 and beyond. With all of the great minds converging on the forums... 1 replies, Posted: Last Month by Jeff Wallen
	How Did Your Internet Department Perform Last Month
	This Week's Poll for Car Dealers at http://www.infiniteprospects.com How did your Internet Department perform last month (January 2010) vs. expectations? Which new programs are you trying this month to increase traffic to your showroom? Thanks for your input. 2 replies, Posted: Last Month by Adam Ross
	Prepare for the Tsunami?
	Why is all the attention being given the service and parts departments? Every manufacturer's DSPM is visiting the dealership at least weekly. Trade magazines that seldom had much to say about the back of the store, now suddenly write volumes about how customers should be served, follow-up processes ... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Incoming Phone Calls - Don't forget how important these are!
	Question: Are your incoming sales calls being answered by someone who uses a phone script for each and every call? Customers who pick up the phone and call a dealership tend to be towards the end of the buying cycle, meaning they are closer to buying than many of your other lead sources. People ... 3 replies, Posted: Last Month by Nick Lozovsky
	Balloons
	I noticed my local Chevrolet dealer puts balloons on all of their cars every Saturday to create a "sale" type atmosphere. I think it would be a waste of time and helium. What's your thoughts??? 10 replies, Posted: Last Month by Jayme Roberts
	So...WHO Pays for Training?
	The brochure said; Room, meals, transportation and class registration only $2800! ONLY? Only $2,800 of real, green paper dollars that the dealership pays to send one technician to receive training. Ouch! How many 'sold shop hours' will it take in REAL profit, for the dealership to recoup that exp... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Dumb Stuff on Dealer Websites
	Have dealers ever really looked at their websites and all the stuff that is on these pages? ISMs I know you are looking but are you seeing. I'd like to hear from you about what content, buttons, functionality you think is dumb, not working properly, or items that need to be re-tweaked so they prov... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Mark Dubis
	Sell More New and Used Cars on Craigslist and Online Classifieds
	Auto Dealers - Sell more new and used cars on Craigslist and other FREE online classifieds with Inteli-Post's automated tool and Infinite Prospects - click here - http://tinyurl.com/yzvl6pb 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Adam Ross
	AutoMax asks, If I was looking for employment why would I consider selling cars?
	"Winning" answer gets FREE Salesperson Recruiting and Training Campaign! 4 replies, Posted: Last Month by Craig Lockerd
	usedcars.com
	Does anyone use usedcars.com? If so what do you think of it? 2 replies, Posted: Last Month by Richard Tolsma
	Who EARNED...the Income?
	On the monthly financial statement, within the Parts Department, there is an account titled 'Discounts Earned'. This is the price savings (discounts) earned by the Parts Department when they purchase large quantities of bulk oil products for use in the shop. The dollar amount fluctuates from month... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Looking for Employment in Houston
	I moved to Houston over the summer, and have been looking for a management position with a car dealer in the Houston area. I have 22 years experience in the automobile industry, and have spend years as a Sales Manager for BMW, Finance Manager for a Lexus dealer, and a Used Car Manager and Finance D... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Lester Brown
	Garbage IN……No Trip to St.Maarten!
	There isn't a dealership still in business that isn't using some form of data base software for marketing. Mailers, emails, coupons, VIP flyers, texting and all your efforts to be "socially correct" may be costing you sales volume. •Did you "scrub" the addresses before you send out mailers? How... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Networks On Facebook
	I see some dealers and vendors have created Networks on Facebook but I can't find where they created them. Does anyone know how to create a Facebook Network? 3 replies, Posted: Last Month by Mitchell Brenner
	Tires Sales are a Vein of Gold!
	Tire sales have been an excellent source of income for dealerships for years! Each year, right after the New Year, selling tires becomes a NEW profit center. Management is excited, large inventories of tires are warehoused in Parts, the local tire rep brings out plenty of pennant flags, racing post... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Need Opinions.....lol...That shouldnt be to hard
	Automax is looking for people with automobile backgrounds to be Bloggers on www.salesstud.com ...This site is for graduates from an AutoMax Recruiting and Training class,most have little or no experience,be a great way to give something back and remember when you first started out. 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Craig Lockerd
	To be Great at anything,dublicate anything you have already been Great at!
	Seems as though to often we ditch what we have always been good at and change for the sake of change rather than on a consistant basis dublicate what we have always been great at,whatever it is. 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Craig Lockerd
	Email Marketing - Dealers must start collecting emails!
	We recently had some extraordinary results creating a sales email marketing campaign for a few of our Honda clients that wanted to take advantage of some Owner Loyalty incentives that Honda just announced. These incentives are for a very limited time (11 days) and are perfectly matched for a strong... 5 replies, Posted: Last Month by Nick Lozovsky
	Collecting an email from every department and incorporating a gatekeeper
	Let’s be honest...an email isn't hard to get. All you have to do is ask. The problem with this...is that your employees don't and won't ask. Why? Because of their own insecurities. How do we get around that? You have your employees give your customers something that is quite valuable to them... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Deanie Sebring
	Toyota Recall
	I just read Brian Pasch's post regarding the Toyota recall and couldn't agree more than this is going to present incredible challenges for Toyota service departments. In speaking with my service managers, their biggest concern is the effect this will have on customer perception and satisfaction �... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Karen Dillon
	Selling used cars to make a profit
	I've been pointed here by somebody on cardealerforums.com. I'm attempting to modernise my dad's used car business and in doing that I'm putting together a simple DMS for sole traders. I've done some research into the used car sales process and have written up a basic document on it. I would like fe... 2 replies, Posted: Last Month by Aaron Falloon
	More IS Better.....
	Everyone is scrambling to find the most cost effective way to manage each department. Like many of you I have developed a pretty good "gut feeling" ability about what will work and what won't. Or so I thought! Your and my gut training has come from time and experience in the business. That old schoo... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	IS IT FIXED?
	For those under the age of about 45yrs the terms Fixed and Variable probably don't make any sense. These are accounting terms given to the departments on the financial statement. Because of their seemingly "fixed" pricing and operating costs the back of the store fell into the Fixed Operations categ... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	AutoCheck vs. CarFax
	This is an interesting discussion that was brought up the other day and a report was published about it, you can check it out at http://tinyurl.com/ydo8apf. Which one do you think gives better vehicle history reports AutoCheck or CarFax? 6 replies, Posted: Last Month by Sarah Duggins
	Don’t Lose Focus On The Importance Of Process
	As 2010 gets rolling, Auto Dealerships are finding themselves bombarded with calls to join the newest and hottest trends in the Internet Marketing revolution. The hottest trend currently is Dealership participation in online social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. This is on top o... 2 replies, Posted: Last Month by Nick Lozovsky
	Where'd They Go?....
	Remember the "old days"? You know when the service drive was so busy that we had to hire someone to greet the customers and begin the write-up process. And we were too busy to make follow-up calls so we had someone doing that too. And then we hired someone to greet the customers and direct them to t... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Cash is KING...but income is SURVIVAL.
	Keeping dealership assets liquid! First stops are the Used Car and Parts inventories. Used vehicles are a depreciating asset while parts on shelves are unavailable cash. Scenario: You have a vehicle on the rack and no parts to co... 0 replies, Posted: Last Month by Brad Bossen
	Automotive Truth in Consulting Disclosure
	Truth in Automotive Consulting Automotive Industry: There are only a handful of Automotive Sales and Technology consultants.. Most of these consultants are very smart and have a lot of talent. They are on the cutting edge of business and technology. The truth is, during these tough economic ... 10 replies, Posted: Last Month by Rafi Hamid
	Why Didn't You Call....?
	It was 5:15pm, I'm standing on the service drive, the customer is livid! She just travelled across town during rush hour to pick up her car and it's not ready. Listen to the excuses, "but you have a free loaner car", "why didn't you call before your left", "the additional work is all FREE warranty w... 2 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Brad Bossen
	Primary Focus this Year is NOT Reducing Expenses
	I was recently on Fox TV and all the questions were about businesses cutting cost as their primary focus. When I said, "I don't believe the business owner's main concern is expenses any longer..." The interviewer looked at me like I was crazy. I went on to say expense reduction is old news and some... 0 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Grant Cardone
	Penny Wise...Pound Foolish!!
	May I have a few minutes to vent? I received phone call from a long time Service Manager that was laid off. I know, that's going on across the land, and I understand and in some cases agree. I've known this manager for many years and for the purpose of this article I'll just tell you that he was o... 0 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Brad Bossen
	How Often Will You Be Hiring Salespeople in 2010?
	Do you find yourself hiring based on need in due to increase in sales,expansion etc or does it seem to kind of creep up on you and all of a sudden you find yourself short staffed? Do you recruit and hire quarterly ,twice a year,is there a plan in place? Do you try and recruit one at a time or a "cla... 0 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Craig Lockerd
	This Service and Parts mailer was CLASS!
	Beautiful, glossy paper, tons of color, bursts, maps, 6 pages, phone and emails, great pics, expensive, discounts galore, as high as 33%! So what? The $9.95 coupon for a car inspection. Again, so what? Where is the "we're here for our customers", "trust your car to us" mentality that every dealers... 0 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Brad Bossen
	Fill in the blank "My Perfect Automobile Salesperson is_______________
	Can this person be described? If so how would you descibe "The Perfect Automobile Salesperson" 11 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Craig Lockerd
	Parts & Service Mailers Go GREEN!
	They fill up the recycling container! Do you know the value of your mailers? Are you using OpCodes on your coupons to track? Whats the ROI of that fancy CO-OPed mailer? Is there a hook? Check out the competition....no, not the dealership down the street. Its STILL the Independents that are kicking o... 0 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Brad Bossen
	Talk to the Dealer/Manager
	Why is it that every Contact Us form on the dealers website is set up for a vehicle lead? What if a consumer has a questions about finance, a comment about the website, or wants to share an issue with a manager? Dealer websites don't seem to accomodate this? While retailers are going online to fa... 1 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Mark Dubis
	Inventory Listings
	I was just tasked to be the Internet Director for a 7 store Auto group. We have 3 BZ sites and 4 Cobalt sites. I just switched our BZ used inventory pages to Dealer Specialties and like the results. Now here's my question. Is it possible to have 1 really good new inventory module that could be used ... 3 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by BRUCE HARTZ
	Response Logix - Common Article
	Rene Isip's Toyota of Lewisville Finds Internet Success With Response Logix BY Toyota LewisvilleSat Jun 13, 2009 This blog is written by a member of our blogging community and expresses that member's views alone. Toyota of Lewisville Success Story Click on the link below for the entire story as... 0 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Julie Fifield
	Is Your Fixed Ops still FIXED....or is it time for Change?
	A little play on words but my intent is to draw attention to the "out of the box" attempts made for the front of the store marketing...yet our customers continue to receive the same old (aka FIXED)flyers and mailers that were designed years ago. Seems very contradictory message to the consumer! 2 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Brad Bossen
	Car Salesman – The True Buissness Model
	With the focus lately so heavily on business to business communication the fundamentals of relationships have been lost. Yesterday my good friend Benjamin reminded me of what importance we as a younger generation have on the future of good business practices. Not knowing how profound this statement ... 1 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Scott Mitchell
	Start a new discussion here...
	The e-Up is a computer generated list which enables all sales persons to be given a fair chance at succeeding. e-Up will be organizing the dealership into a successful place to work. Through the e-Up sales persons take turns approaching newly arriving costumers. Therefore, reducing the pressure f... 1 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Ali khan
	Truth About Automotive Consulting
	This is my last posting for 2009 and I love to bring a unique subject on DrivingSales, just arrived back from west coast after addressing a mega dealer group. At the end of the session we had a very candid discussion about their experience with some of the consultants from our industry in recent mon... 2 replies, Posted: 2 months ago by Rafi Hamid
	What CRM do you like and why?
	We are in the final stages of our decision as to which CRM to go with. Can anyone who is happy with their CRM tell me which one you are using and what you like about it? 15 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Mitchell Brenner
	Is being an Internet Manager a Thankless Job?
	Today, if you ask a customer where they located a vehicle before they arrived there common response is “On-Line”. I am a Lexus dealer and if we sell a 2004 Honda Accord, they were not just driving by. Don’t get me wrong I am thrilled the store sold it, but it gets logged as a “Fresh Up”. I... 5 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Gary Sanders
	Studying my work sites' Google Analytics
	So, I'm studying the past month's analytics- and I'm still not schooled on making screen shots, so bear with me. Here's the #1 exited page, and it's got a high exit before even going to another page on my work site: This page was viewed 2,544 times Analyze: Navigation Summary Content /ind... 0 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Susan Burgess
	Keeping Up with the Joneses
	I recently had a conversation with a family member regarding her situation. She and the father of my niece have a great relationship. He is remarried and business is good. My sister has struggled and feels like she has to keep up with the nice house and things he provides my niece. I remind her not ... 2 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Gary Sanders
	2010
	Seems as though something good is happening.Dealers,Vendors,Trainers,you seeing the same thing as we are?Off to a HUGE start! 0 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Craig Lockerd
	Lead Integrity
	What happens to our online industry if we keep feeding the Autobytel and Dealix of the world? JD Powers study said consumer confidence was down 2. Something % meaning that fewer people we making leads.. They also said, the consumer did not expect to get what the asked for a Quote. My belief is deal... 0 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Tony Giorgione
	What is the best technique to drive an internet customer to your dealership? Any suggestions???
	We get a pile of leads a month and I know we sometimes loose a few of them to other dealers. But for some reason, when a customer inquires about a vehicle they tend to hide behind there computer and once you give them the information that they want, they won't respond. Now that frustrates me a lot! ... 0 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Carm Restauro
	Has Reynolds and Reynolds gone too far?
	We received a letter today from Reynolds and Reynolds that effective January 4th, 2010 all modem access to third party vendors will be turned off. That means we have to scramble now with all our vendors to find other ways to get the data to them. All during the Holidays and limited time. How's that ... 5 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Mitchell Brenner
	Dealer Rating on Google
	I've been reading a lot lately on reputation management and I have a question for the community. If you type our dealership into Google and click reviews it states we are a 1/2 star, but if you read the reviews they are all positive. We have 11 reviews. 1 on Google Maps, 7 on DealerRater, and 2 o... 7 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Michael Midgley
	inventoryblaster.com
	Hey everyone, How are you? I know it has been a while since I posted anything. My owner had asked me to look into this company, inventoryblaster.com. It looks a really neat idea. Does anyone know this company? Has anyone ever used it? Please let me know your thoughts and opinions. Thanks. S... 3 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Stan Sher
	What is a BDC?
	What is a BDC? Just about everyone I talk to in the business says they have a BDC. When I ask them what their BDC does, I get everything from, two ladies that answer phones for the Service department in the afternoons, to a phone room that pounds customers with razzle dazzle specials for sales and s... 13 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Jim Chamberlain
	This Changes Everything.....
	Fully Automated,inventory specific,no long term contracts available,guarantee's..... and on and on www.automaxblast.com 0 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Craig Lockerd
	OLD DOG....NEW YEAR!
	I have been in this wonderful business for 30 years. 1 year ago, I committed to open my mind to the possibilities of changing the "My way or the highway" processes that have proven to build a solid, loyal and extremely profitable business model, that was evolving with the same speed as the industry... 0 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Joe Orr
	How to run a Financial analysis with DealerTrack DMS
	The Financial Analysis tool is a powerful reporting feature that allows you to build customized reports on any combination of general ledger accounts. Use this tool to help build your budgets, forecast expenses, analyze trends, and much, much more. With Financial Analysis reports, you can display ... 0 replies, Posted: 3 months ago by Bart Jensen
	Do you think GM is in good hands?
	With the resignation of GM CEO Fritz Henderson the Chairman of the board, Ed Whitacre is taking over the company. Whitacre has no automotive experience but has a successful record as the head of At&t for 17 years. Automotive retail is not like other retail, can outsider be able be successful with a... 1 replies, Posted: 4 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Dynamic Show Floor Plan for 2010 NADA
	Are you attending, or are an exhibitor at the NADA convention? See the latest exhibit floor plan dynamically at: http://bit.ly/55feez 0 replies, Posted: 4 months ago by Steven Herron
	2010 NADA Convention Specials!!
	@2010NADA: Dear Dealers: please stay in-the-loop about specials at the convention. Updates are all found at: http://bit.ly/5XRYL2 0 replies, Posted: 4 months ago by Steven Herron
	smart phones
	Wondering who is using a blackberry or iPhone type of device. And if they work with GM Dealerworld and R&R Contact Management. 11 replies, Posted: 4 months ago by Shawn Vieira
	Driving Sales Executive Summit
	I came home from the Summit with an arsenal of information. I am now putting together a comprehensive map of social media for our dealership and hopefully the dealer group. I have been in a holding pattern until I felt a confidence that we would be giving the customers/prospects what "they" are look... 3 replies, Posted: 4 months ago by Joe Orr
	Microsite Strategy
	After the meeting I started talking to my boss about a microsite strategy. We were wondering what the right goal number is. Using the right SEO strategy do 1000 plus sites make sense??? Would 1000 sites produce a lot of leads?? 18 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Cathy Nuccio
	Maintenance Menus
	Have you tried to bolster your Service Department by using a quality, reasonably priced menu program? One that has Year, Make, and Model specific schedules. Most dealerships realize a real 20-40% increase in menu sales with a quality product. We have that product at AWS LLC. Our product has Accurate... 0 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Joel Yates
	Changing CRM's
	We are changing CRM's and the consensus from the management team is to go with Reynolds and Reynolds' Contact Management. I'd like to hear from people who are currently using the system to let me know their honest thoughts as to: 1) Ease of use for the sales staff 2) Handling of Internet Leads 3) E... 4 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Mitchell Brenner
	Car Donation and Tax Benefit
	Car donation has come up as one of the best way to giving away redundant cars to the charitable trusts. While it comes to US region, it offers residents tax benefits with easy process which leads it to the more popular and adopted option. Some of the critics are there but having said that I remembe... 0 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by jone pop
	Have you thought about expanding into the BHPH market? You can get started doing your own BHPH-type deals using FinCo’s BuyHere-PayTHERE lending platform.
	Don’t give up your profits to finance companies; let FinCo become YOUR virtual finance department. There are no monthly minimums, no sign up fee, and you keep the principal paid. You can start banking the unbankable customers today! Coming Soon… BuyHere-PayTHERE Cash Advance Hybrid FinCo w... 0 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Toby Reiley
	Increasing Sales at a Dealership using a handheld scanner and a database link
	My small company, Payment Ranger LLC, just recently was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,529,694 for a method of increasing sales at an automobile dealership using a hand held scanner and a data base link. The method and system of this patent allows a customer browsing a car dealership to see an accurate e... 0 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Michael Crites
	Have you learned anything on DrivingSales.Com? If so, what, from whom and how has it helped you sell more cars?
	I am a strong believer in the value of social networking as a relationship, branding and long term investment in building friends. Of course, doing business with friends is critical since your enemies and strangers are less likely to call you and - after all, what are friends for! Unfortunately, so... 0 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Philip Zelinger
	Behavioral Targeting
	A study from researchers at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of California Berkeley School of Law and the Annenberg Public Policy Center reports that consumers would not prefer to look at relevant advertisements and offers. Recently, vendors have claimed the opposite in that most ... 4 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Andy Warner
	What are your customers watching?
	The Automotive Broadcasting Network provides our dealer customers with their very own Private Television Network! We provide top quality, primetime entertainment programming for the viewing pleasure of the customers in your service and/or finance waiting areas. Through our partnership with the numbe... 0 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Daniel Skelton
	Buy Here Pay Here National Conference 2009
	Nowcom will be at the BHPH National Conference in Las Vegas, stop by our booth. Are any of you going to be there? 2 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Sarah Duggins
	Does A Saturn, GM or Other Failing Dealership That Is Scheduled To Close Deserve Your Loyalty?
	Twenty five years as a GM, then Executive Dealer Principal and finally as a Dealer Principal taught me the importance of team work. The loyalty that I worked for as the leader of our team was earned by valuing the people I worked with as my most valued asset. My R.O.I. was expressed in relationship... 0 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Philip Zelinger
	Is the GM 60 day money back guarantee going to boost sales or create problems?
	As the details of the 60 day guarantee emerge, what are your reactions to the program? What happens to the sales persons commission? Will the factory just charge back the incentives? The cars that roll back will in many cases be titled, so they will they used cars when they come back into inven... 4 replies, Posted: 5 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Enforcement of 'Red Flags' Rule
	The Federal Trade Commission will suspend enforcement of the new “Red Flags Rule” until November 1, 2009, to give creditors and financial institutions additional time in which to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs. Today’s announcement and the release of an Enforc... 1 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by InterActive DMS
	E-mail open rates
	I have a question that I would like to open to community. We're been going over our templates and we have realized that we are at a 29% open rate (First Email not auto response)and we have no idea where we as a dealership should be. What should we be expecting? 0 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Michael Midgley
	Monetizing Social Networking Is A Priority For Automotive Advertising Agencies; I may Have The Solution!
	Human nature drives the success or failure of all media; it always has and it always will! In some sense, the Internet is the latest technology driven method to communicate and distribute information into the public domain for both personal and commercial consumption. The ability to directly compare... 0 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Philip Zelinger
	How to best get your name out there
	Subarus are not as popular in the Sunbelt region as they are in the North and Pacific Northwest. We are spending a great deal of money on SEO and SEM, utilizing all social media networking possible, utilizing effective advertising methods, etc. but don't seem to be making a big dent. What we nee... 8 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Peyton Porter
	The Transformation of PPC advertising
	I was reading a book (which I highly recommend) called "Socialnomics" by Eric Qualman. The subtitle is "how social media transforms the way we live and do business". This book is great for someone to learn the importance of utilizing social media in their company. For those who haven't seen it, the ... 0 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Arnold Tijerina
	Social Media Marketing
	What did one New England Dealer Ad Group do when they weren't satisfied with their banner ad program? They slashed it and tested an alternative approach: Use of Social Media. Concept? 2 Models, 1 Milan Hybrid, 600+ miles through New England on 1 tank of gas in only 48 hours. They called it: Follow... 3 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Scott Empringham
	Microsites
	I am interested in anyone's experiences with microsites. Also is anyone doing anything with ebay and microsites? 1 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Cathy Nuccio
	Social Media and the Automotive Industry Webinar
	WorldDealer and MARKIT Group invites you to attend an informative session on leveraging Social Media technology and tools for the automotive industry. This informative webinar covers topics such as: - What is social media and should you be involved? - How the Automotive industry is using ... 0 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Nannette Staropoli
	Any Suggestions On Customer Loyalty Programs?
	We are looking into starting some type of Loyalty/VIP service to help with customer retention. Has anyone had any success with this type of program? What company did you use or did you do it in house? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! 3 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Mitchell Brenner
	Dealers Wanted to help test our free TEXT MESSAGING solution.
	Hi. We completed a quick version of our full text messaging solution and put it online for dealers and repair shops to try out -- for FREE. It solves this Problem A customer drops her car off for repairs and wants her advisor or service manager to text her (cell phone) when her car is ready. Solu... 1 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Bob Jump
	Utilizing the Internet to draw SALES
	Let Us Build and Maintain Your Website Live Is your website really InterActive? We host and maintain all aspects of your online inventory sales store. Live with no delays, complete with two way communications from the DMS to the web and from the web directly into the DMS. We create custom website d... 0 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by InterActive DMS
	Word-of-Mouth 2.0 "what" to do?
	Social media today is driving a significant amount of buzz in the automotive space. Many people - especially dealers and their staff continue to ask me to explain in "clear terms" the best way to leverage social media for their promotional, sales, and relationship maintenance efforts. Their motivati... 1 replies, Posted: 6 months ago by Ron Morrison
	Cash Flow vs. Cash For Clunkers vs. The Next Related Fiasco!
	Cash for clunkers has been a complete fiasco on many levels with some more obvious than others! GM finally stepped in to advance funds to dealers who couldn't absorb the negative cash flow but you aint seen nuthin yet! In my opinion - and that of the NADA - Monday will be too late to cover the dea... 4 replies, Posted: 7 months ago by Philip Zelinger
	Webmaster Pay Plan
	Hello, My dealer group is looking to hire a full time webmaster to create, update, and maintain our dealer websites and psuedo sites. It will be relatively affordable to split the cost of the position between our 6 stores. However, I just wanted to see what recommendations there are for a pay plan.... 0 replies, Posted: 7 months ago by Robert Preston
	Dealer Group Used Car Buyer
	Hello, At my 6 store dealer group we are looking to move to having a centralized pre-owned buyer for all our stores. I have the perfect guy who is the used car manager at our largest store. I foresee that he will be doing most of his buying online at our headquarters and will make a occasional trip... 0 replies, Posted: 7 months ago by Robert Preston
	Basic CRM function is a big CRM problem for most?
	I have a question for everyone out there on how your current CRM works. Let's pretend you setup an internet follow up process with several emails and events that happen for 90 days from when a lead comes in. If you modify the email template attached to your day 7 email, does your CRM properly appl... 4 replies, Posted: 7 months ago by Matt Watson
	Dealer Management Software Compliance
	Three Most Common Problems with Dealership Management Software Today! The number one problem with most dealership management software programs is protecting your customers’ private data. Having password protection to access your dealerships software is just the start, but if your database can be ... 0 replies, Posted: 7 months ago by InterActive DMS
	What is your opinion of the Cash for Clunkers program? Is it helping your dealership?
	Please share your insights with women-drivers.com 2 replies, Posted: 7 months ago by Anne Fleming
	Good Call Scripts or Ideas
	I am looking for anyone who knows a good source for call scripts for internet lead outgoing calls, different types of campaign call scripts. Any suggestions? 4 replies, Posted: 7 months ago by Angela Trapp
	UsedCarAUCTION.com needs SEO help
	We need someone to optimize our site so that the cars themselves are high on searches. 8 replies, Posted: 7 months ago by Robert Lehrer
	Centralized Internet Marketing Department
	We have 3 stores, all within 30 miles of each other. 2 Domestic, 1 import. Currently we have a different person handling their online/internet marketing for each of the stores. Does anyone have a success story of a centralized internet marketing department? What are the pro's, con's and duties of a ... 4 replies, Posted: 7 months ago by Emily Lorencz
	Why are the majority of 3rd party consumer reviews negative?
	we are finding it consistent that our google business position is positively affected by our website traffic but as well by our growing number of positive feedback and reviews. currently we have more reviews than any ford or chevy store in tennessee and georgia and it's because we solicite them. t... 14 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Matt Lamoureux
	Best Practices for Recruiting
	I have found that recruiting starts at home! Employee retention trumps recruiting every time. Good management support and compensation plans tied to performance without constant pay plan changes brought about by a shrinking bottom line that wasn't the individual contributors fault will keep a stab... 4 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Bart Wilson
	To accessorize or not
	Here's a question: I've worked in dealerships where parts and service has sold accessories, on where the salespeople sold them and were spiffed, and even one where F&I sold accessories. Who has the best model for selling accessories? 6 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Larry Schlagheck
	Whats the MOST important piece of technology?
	I like the telephone as the best answer! That's a great one! I guess my personal vote is a good CRM. Keeping track of your unsold customers and knowing when to call them back and get them back in the dealership has to be pretty important. 4 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Who should salespeople be branding?
	I agree with Phil in many respects. I also agree that divorce is the term for a parting relationship. I have been on both sides of the coin and have never "ever" forgotten my deep roots as a salesperson. Selling yourself is the first priority. Then the dealership follows. People buy f... 19 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Paul Rushing
	How are people converting 2009 buyers from 2008 buyers?
	This is always a challenge. You would think that we would have it figured out since it happens every year. My best answer is depreciation. When it is time to sell your 2008 the buyer doesn't care when you bought it. It will still be worth less than the 2009. Also, what about the new features on... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by James Lovely
	Desking Question
	Ok here is the problem that I see with desking software. Maybe you guys can provide some feedback on this. There are almost always at least 3 basic purchase options to present to a customer. 1. Manufacturer Financing + Rebates (ex 2.9% APR + $1,000 rebate) 2. All cash or Alternate Financing + Diff... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Matt Watson
	How will the Internet effect brick & mortar dealerships?
	It is interesting how your replies focused on the real estate asset, and the need to free up working capital in a struggling economy, as the impetus for the change from the real to the virtual showroom from the dealer's perspective. Similarly, the margins in retail sales have been dwindling ever sin... 4 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Philip Zelinger
	Should you send out a price quote or not
	If you don't send a price they will find someone who will, or even more likely, they will find a virtual dealer with a transparent pricing policy on their website while you are reminding them why they went online instead of visiting a dealership - or engaging with a "car salesman" to get ... 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Midgley
	Getting sales people to use CRM.
	I think we have to be careful not to throw salespeople under the bus on CRM use, or lack thereof. It's simply not that important to them to collect information or tag the right advertising source right at the beginning of their encounter with a customer. That's normally when the CRM's prompt them ... 19 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jacob Jackson
	ZERO traditional advertising?
	Does anyone know of any dealers that have cancelled traditional advertising budgets entirely and moved 100% online with their marketing money? If you know of a super-gutsy dealer that has done this, post a link so we can all see the "anchor" website. This would be very courageous, IMHO, ... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by David Book
	AutoMax Needs Trainers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
	We have 25 and found ourselves in an over booked situation this week have interest? send resume to hr@automaxrecruiting.com or we pay $500 Bird Dog 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Craig Lockerd
	Parts Inventory
	I am surprised (read shocked) by how may companies use Spreadsheets to perform their Demand Planning (forecasting and replenishment planning) - please complete the POLL ( Results will be displayed on "Parts - Inventory - Demand Planning" Group 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Ian Chambers
	Converting from new to used online
	The most effective way I've found is to bring up my brand's (Volvo) CPO program, which has been rated number 1 by Intellichoice.com in our segment for two years running. That's a factoid that's interesting to many new and pre-owned buyers alike (an effective CPO program has the side-effect of maint... 7 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Bart Wilson
	Have you tried SMS Marketing? (Mobile Ads)
	We have been experimenting with mobile technology for awhile and have began to rollout our mobile solution. We decided on a mobile browser approach and not an SMS approach. From your mobile browser... use PIN: 1972 http://www.pinspeed.com... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Allison Bonnot
	Insurance provider satisfaction in current climate
	A very good friend of mine works at an insurance consultancy firm based in Atlanta. He and I were discussing the auto industry among other things recently and he brought up dealerships and large dealer groups having to re-align their insurance coverages or, very often, change entire providers based... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Nathan Scripps
	Dealer Association Websites?
	Are any FLM Dealers aware of any other vendor besides Ford Direct to manage their dealer association websites? Has anyone ever heard of Flash Point? http://www.youtube.com/fpcomm 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Scott Empringham
	Poll: Is the resignation of GM's CEO a good thing?
	The Obama administration has required the resignation of GM's Chief Executive as a condition of them seeking additional loans from the federal government. Do you believe Rick Wagoner's resignation is a good thing for GM and the GM dealers around the country? 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Are you using Twitter to build relationships with customers?
	A number of you have been using Twitter for some time. However, are you using the micro-blogging platform to build relationships with customers or merely as a promotional tool? Just posted an article about this on Headlighblog.com that includes guidelines on how to best use Twitter, including: * E... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Mary S. Butler
	Internet Lead Distribution - Best Practices?
	David you bring up a good point about text messaging alerts. I think these are a great feature. We send alerts when new leads are received but also when an email reply is received from a customer among other things. Text alerts are great because the internet salespeople can get them no matter where ... 10 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by David Book
	How can I get my managers excited about SEO
	I would simplify the issue as much as possible. Get them to think of it in real world terms. Their website is not advertising, it's an extension of their dealership online. A dealerships #1 form of advertising in the real world is their location. SEO is their location on the web. In the real wo... 6 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Midgley
	Targeting the Gay and Lesbian Consumer - Success Stories?
	Hi Joe... interesting topic Are you suggesting that gay and lesbian citizens shop for cars differently, consume alternative media, or somehow "want" to be marketed to differently? I have no idea what gaywheels.com is trying to accomplish that is different than any other online automotiv... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Joe LaMuraglia
	Generating New and Used Car Stickers
	Michael I would really be suprised if your CRM will push your inventory, it would be the only CRM I have heard of that would have that functionality. CarSpot is exspensive you might want to take a look at VinSolutions, we have a best in class inventory management tool as well is ILM, CRM, and web ... 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Budd
	Myspace, Facebook, Twitter.
	I think Jared hit it on the head. People don't want to be advertised to on these sites, but, if you provide relevant content they will seek you out when they are ready - this is very similar to what we do with our newsletters. Another key is having a good undertanding of how the sites work. Use stat... 7 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by marc mattingly
	Silverlight is Lighting Up March Madness and 2009
	Silverlight has been released for over a year now. This March it will be powering the NCAA March Madness! All of the games will be available online in streaming video. <a href="http://mmod.ncaa.com/">http://mmod.ncaa.com/</a> For those of you who don't know what Silverlight i... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Matt Watson
	Google Analytics: Bounce Rate
	The first portion is basic info for anyone already using - a must have for new users though. I'm halfway through...should have plenty of valuable resources to share. Interested in hearing anybody else's views on the lessons. 7 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Samuel McCracken
	Cloud Computing
	Standards... that is the key. Everyone I talk to I mention that the toughest part of working with dealers is that there are zero standards. It won't matter how many API's are floating around if they don't meet and standard that others accept and adopt for use. As far as there not being enough aut... 19 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Blake Lemmons
	DealerTrack Launches ‘OpenTrack’ Program to Integrate Third-
	Check out this Advent CRM Power Tool in their Dec. newsletter: http://www.adventresources.ca/admin/new ... Dec_07.pdf It's the second page on the top. On a recent contract they sent us, it is listed as Web CRM. We are not using them, but are considering. I noticed that there is not much on thei... 6 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Matt Watson
	UC Salesman's Pay Plan
	Was wondering if anyone has in place a used car salesman's play plan that works well. I’m looking to dump mine. 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Vic Austin
	Smoking in a new car showroom...
	I have not heard of any stats about it affecting sales, it is illegal in most states that I am aware of. It would be interesting to see the stats. I think the best policy is always to start very conservative and propper with your guests, you can always get more "casual" as you get to kno... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Debbi Kroll
	Stop losing customers to poor consumer credit
	Let's say you're a mortgage broker, an auto dealer, or operate in any kind of business which relies on your customers' good credit to make the sale. Describes just about all of us, right? Now let's say you turn down some percentage of your customers -- people who want to pay you -- every month becau... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by New User
	At AutoRevo we Doubled our Business in 2008! How?
	http://blog.autorevo.com/2009/01/autore ... s-website/ 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Chad Polk
	2009 NADA "take aways"
	Hey ALL , I missed NADA this year . Please share your "take aways" ...best ____,.... new _____,....industry buzz____...,personal reflections on state of the Automotive union . Thanks in advance for your thoughts . Tim 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Tim Elliott
	Have you lost sales due to a poor credit score?
	In today’s economy it’s a sure bet you’ve lost more than your business can afford. Stop Losing Customers Due to Poor Consumer Credit. Your customers need credit restoration and now you can give it to them. You manage your customer relationship. You collect the payments, then we start re... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by New User
	internet e newsletter
	Hey Brian, Just seeing your question now... You can see a few examples at the bottom of the page (Weekly Newsletter Examples) http://www.drivingsales.com/visitorInde ... traid=NTg= For us, the most successful newsletters usually contain: Strong title/Subject headings Strong graphics Engaging/ti... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Brian Hy
	Make Your Dealer Website Social!
	Hi Dudley, The Lead Widget works with Cobalt sites - and for that matter all dealer website providers: izmo cars, dealerskins, dealer.com, etc. I would encourage you to visit the website to see how it all works (it's pretty simple). In the meantime, here's a link to our video on YouTube. http:... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Tracy Thomas
	What to do with web traffic...?
	I am a little curious about something. I have a client, whom I do not do any web marketing for, just manage their inventory and back-end. We track roughly 5000 visits a month and 50,000 pageviews on this dealer's website, and they only have a 12% bounce rate. They are an independent dealer and se... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Blake Lemmons
	Headlightblog.com: What is your email marketing strategy?
	Last week I posted "Email imperatives for the auto industry" <http://www.headlightblog.com/2009/02/email-imperatives-for-the-automotive-industry/> on headlightblog.com and have received some interesting comments and direct emails. Would love to hear how the Driving Sales community ... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Mary S. Butler
	Headlightblog.com: Invest in owners during the slow economy
	This week I posted a new article by Grant Owens, Invest in owners during the slow economy, which recommends building stronger post-purchase relationships during this tough new-vehicle sales environment. How about you? Have you been spending more time cultivating existing customers? 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Mary S. Butler
	Let em FAIL ?
	Ok . We have lost our way folks , not sure where or how . I'm a free market guy . Lost my own dealership due to bad planning , poor choices and changing market conditions . I ask for financial help . Got none and closed the business . Painful ? Yes .... (paying some of the debt today ). However . Li... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Tim Elliott
	Internet Conversion Ratios
	Dont be ashamed of your closing rate, if the ROI is greater than you would get with that money elsewhere in your store than you are already off on the right foot. Many stores never get beyond the 5-6% realm. To increase it first you need to look at your process. Make sure you are monitoring every... 10 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Tim Northburg
	Customer Survey's
	I am going to state the obvious here but I would make sure I said "Completely Satisfied" (or whatever the exact phrase reads on the survey) as many times as I could during my sales process. In my meet and greet I would say something like "at ____ Infiniti our whole sales process has ... 6 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Vic Austin
	Whats the best kind of video?
	I started working for this dealership about 4 months ago and one thing they are really eager to do is create video for our inventory. The Owner & GM both stated that they didn't want the video to exceed 60 seconds. When it comes to doing a live walk around, it's kind of hard to acheive that, s... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by John Griffin
	Lending Sources
	Which banks are best for "secondary finance" right now? 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Peter Bond
	Follow-Up Letters
	I am trying to revise my current follow-up letters for Sold as well as Unsold follow-up. If anyone has any letters they are willing to share it would be greatly appreciated. If you want to take a look at what I am currently using just send me an email: Lonnie@EastTXCarGuy.com... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Lonnie Newbury
	harvesting customer database with email
	We are trying to find ways to use email marketing to reach existing customers in our database when they have equity in their trade in or may be in the market to buy. We are trying to use a predictive method so that we do not pound our customers with sales emails when they are not in the market. has ... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Budd
	Dealership w/out Internet Dept
	This is going to be very hard to believe however I have just started working for a dealership that does not have an Internet Dept. Owner has put creating one in my hands. I have worked in the Internet Dept for 5 years so I have experience keeping one up and running. Any suggestions on thrid party le... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by New User
	Inventory on Craigslist? - Amazing results or not?
	I would be very interested to hear from dealers IF you post your inventory online to Craigslist (and other free listings) and what kind of results you are having? How are you doing it (a software tool, or using a service). Also, If you DON'T post your inventory to the free listings, why not? Love ... 4 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Mark Boyd
	Pay Plans for Salespeople?
	Alright... So I'm sure everyone has their a slightly different twist on their salespersons pay plans and different goal on what the pay plan is supposed to accomplish but here is what I am looking for... A pay plan that will motivate the salespeople to not only be concerned about gross but unit vol... 4 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Tom Fohr
	Northwood University
	I am a student at Northwood University majoring in automotive marketing and management. Currently I am working on a project for my summer class and have to get surveys filled out. If anyone is interested in helping me out, I would greatly appreciaite it. Please respond or email me at montgome318@nor... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Kelly Montgomery
	First week in auto sales
	EEEEEEK! I hate to be the person coming here for tips, but...DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS? I am working at a GM dealership in Athens, GA. I have done sales for almost 10 years and think I will do well in this new venture. Any advice for a first timer? 12 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Layla Meyer
	Cash for Clunkers
	How are you guys handling this, I have taken what I feel to be decent steps in preparing for it if/when the bill passes through building psuedo sites and having prepared email blasts, press releases, and pages on our website. However in the meantime, as the internet director for a couple of our sto... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Robert Preston
	Fighting back against recent dealership closings
	What does everyone think about the recent GM wind-down letters? Our dealer principle has been quite active in this cause, trying to save dealreships. Here's a link with some more info: http://drivingtimes.fredbeans.com/2009/ ... -closures/... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Christopher Strosser
	Mobile Marketing - SMS advertising and Mobile Sites
	I would like to reach out to any dealerships who either have implemented a mobile marketing/adversiting strategy to discuss your experience thus far, as well as to dealerships who are interested in implementing mobile advertsing and marketing at your store, but are unsure where to begin. I am an in... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Susan Burke
	UsedCarAUCTION.com Needs Market Managers
	Need people currently selling dealerships and want to add to their portfolio. Sell dealer websites with modules that can be added to existing sites - Auction and a unique Customer Retention program. Commissioned and residual sales payplan. Go to www.Creampuffalley.com for an example of what you ... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Robert Lehrer
	The "Efficient Market" and Full Retail Internal Recon
	I've become a true believer of the premise of the efficient market as it pertains to the pre-owned business. BHPH and special finance is another issue. But given the way consumers use the Internet to shop for vehicles, initial pricing is critical. Gone are the days of marking a vehicle up thousands ... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by David Ruggles
	Ok,so I was asked this question on Face Book
	What is the best way to start using Social Media for a dealership? FaceBook?, Blog?, Twitter? To me there should be steps to getting involved and we all know you can't eat an elephant in one bite so I would like you to share what you are doing at your dealership on the ActivEngage wall here. Also h... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Craig Lockerd
	Anyone use AutoFerret.com
	Just wondering if anyone is using this site? 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jeremy Lewis
	3rd Party New Car Leads
	We have been testing lead sources and 3rd Party New Car Leads are one area we have been trying. We are not having much success with closing them. Does anyone have some input from their experience? We have purchased leads from the GM 3rd Party Program and Cars.com. Neither with a very good close rate... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Budd
	President Obama's Fuel Efficiency Standards
	What are some of your opinions on President Obama's fuel efficiency standards by 2011? How do you think it will affect US Automakers especially since the industry is in this crisis today? 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Richard Glasgow
	Videos on websites
	We are looking at adding some video to our website. Does anyone have any comments about the 'welcome' videos some companies are using? And then, with the used vehicle videos ... are you doing them yourselves or hiring it out? thank you 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jami Beck
	Online customer service
	How do you meet with your prospects at your online dealership? 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Katerina Stojanovska
	Social Networking/Blogging Vendor
	So I have been toying with the idea of starting my own company. As you all know I am big into social networking and blogging. So I was wondering how this can lead into a successful opportunity. Well I see a lot of businesses that are now starting to create facebook, myspace, ning, and many other pag... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Stan Sher
	Video on website
	What is the best way to start using video on our website? Should we put a collage of pictures or do a virtual test drive? Where do we start, and is it easier to do ourselves, or should we have a 3rd party do it for us? 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Steve Shiveley
	A Commentary from the NYC Google Automotive Summit
	Google has been holding a series of briefings for OEMs and agencies across the country. The NY program has some great speakers from inside and outside the industry. As you might expect, a primary topic was “when will this pain end?”. John Casesa, the auto analyst and an advisor to the Auto ... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Chris Reed
	Growing Dealerships One Phone Call at a Time
	Have you been looking for a cost-effective way to move units, increase service revenue, and process more credit applications in an effort to boost your bottom line? I'm sure most dealers would say 'yes', right? If so, then look no further than the equipment right on the desks of your sales team ... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jeanne Landau
	With Chrysler in BK, will that help you close more deals?
	With Chrysler in Chapter 11, is it fair game to use that as a closing tool when closing a deal on a Ford, Toyota or Honda if they are also considering a chrysler/dodge/jeep vehicle? Does it pose an ethical delema to tell the customer "you dont want one of those cars, they are in BK." Car... 4 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Average Distance Customer Is Willing To Travel
	Just curious if anyone would know what the average number is that a customer will pick when they choose the radius parameter in their search. For example do they pick 50 miles from there zip code or on average do they pick 200 miles from zip. Just kinda curious... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by David Hensley, Jr.
	Warranty Forever
	Does anyone have any experience with this Warranty Forever program being offered www.nationalautomotiveexperts.com? We are thinking about implementing it into our business, would just like to know what others think about it.... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by David Hensley, Jr.
	OneCommand is Searching for Proven Sales Professionals!
	Business at OneCommand is booming, with 75 new dealer clients signed in April! If you are a seasoned, passionate and polished sales professional ready to make money, submit your resume at: http://tinyurl.com/cnjmob 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Lindsay Leugers
	Strokebusters
	One quote from the Johnson Automotive Badger tidily sums up the stereotype of the self-important car salesman with no time for the client: "Don't talk to me, can't you see I'm on my popcorn break?". While none of us want to be that guy, I think we've all also had moments when the badger... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Alan Edwards
	Where should we post press releases?
	We make a solid effort to make sure the blogs offer real value to the readers as often dealers just get sales pitches at industry workshops and in traditional trade pubs. Vendors agree to share on non overly promotional, "best practice" related material. Naturally some content is better ... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Losing 3000 dealers
	Dear Driving Sales: My partner and I have extensive backgrounds in the dealership business, and we have developed a comprehensive, organized, thoughtful process to follow for those of the approximately 3000 dealers that are going to have to go from ongoing operations to termination of operations. ... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by John Warner
	Despite the Chrysler BK - Would you buy a CDJ franchise?
	Chrysler is in BK and they announced they are moving to cut just shy of 800 dealers out of their franchise agreements. Would you buy a Chrysler Dodge Jeep store in today's climate? I would, (naturally it would have to be one of the points NOT listed to lose the franchise agreement) but I believe ... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	craigslist postings flagged
	I am curious to see if anyone else is having problems with someone flagging their craigslist postings and whether or not there is anything we can do to stop it or figure out who is doing it. I would hate to think it is a competeing dealership but who knows. 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Shane Moran
	Cash for Clunkers a Clunker?
	Now that we have all seen the nightmare that Cash for Clunkers has become, how are you handling the difficulties with pre-sold CFC units? Does anyone have any doubt that ALL the money is already spoken for? Chris Johnston 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Chris Johnston
	Best practices for social networking sites?
	We have not seen many car dealers on social networking sites, and few using it successfully which is perhaps why you see few responses on here. I think this happens for a few reasons. If customers know you are a "car guy" then many people will avoid you so they do not get a hard sell or sa... 12 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Marc Wagner
	Why pay for your own name?
	JD, Good points, all of them. In some markets we find that there is such little competition, or no competition at all for the dealers name. One vendor, who shall remain nameless, really built an entire search business model around the dealers name and variations of the dealers name. Again, phrases... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Sweigart
	Making the car biz cool
	I love this business! There are some really cool people that make it that way and then of course those who make it hard. Fortunately, many of those bad ones believe these forums are utter nonsense and can't join us here. People are going to have stereotypes for years and years to come (unfortunat... 7 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jenifer Lambert
	What would you do with $5k per month?
	Free is good, and I really appreciate all of the ideas for free stuff. We use many free tools, services, sites, and applications to promote PureDealer, so I know the benefit. However, using technology because it is cheap, or even free or inexpensive is not the way we should all be thinking. Return ... 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Sweigart
	Surviving With Leveraged Automotive Advertising & vSEO
	AdAgencyOnline.Net - www.adagencyonline.net - was first created to benefit our own auto dealer clients. We leveraged our experienced "best practices" by sharing them among the independent affiliated automotive advertising agencies and production partners of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and our... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Philip Zelinger
	How are you navigating the tighter lending practices?
	Its good to see the governments plan starting to deliver results. As a direct result of the billions that GMAC received they announced that they have dropped their minimum credit score requirement on applications from 700 to 621. Its may not be the perfect solutions but at least with this govt act... 6 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Cobalt is Growing!!
	Hello All, I am on the hunt for an experienced Product Marketing Manager to join our team here at Cobalt. Below is some info on what we are looking for, please feel free to forward to anyone who might be a fit or looking. Contact me directly at malkhazov@cobalt.com. The Product Marketing manager... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Mark Alkhazov
	SEO or SEM Which Provides More Value
	In the long term I believe SEO is a better investment, however SEM provides the ability to immediately test and retest the effectiveness of a landing page that is also extremely valuable. I'd also like to point out a study that was done by Enquiro Research in 07 (http://pages.enquiroresearch.com/br... 13 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Paul Rushing
	Content vs Links for SEO
	Good content on well optimized pages, over time, is the best long term plan for search optimization. If you look at the largest lead collector sites, they have a page created for every car model in every year with a full page of text and photos about the car. This is how these lead collectors win ... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by JD Rucker
	Never underestimate the power of a Lemming
	As some of you may have been following the success of uploading videos into youtube, we have some further discussion points that makes me question media's attention to detail. We recently uploaded Toyotas Saved by Zero Event commercial into youtube for a client. We tagged it nicely, put some good k... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Sweigart
	Should GM and Chrysler Merge?
	I wouldn't go so far as to call GM or Chrysler a leper... Both are certainly hitting rough times... GM is burning through cash and could run out, Chrysler is, well, Chrysler (when was the last time anyone referred to anything Chrysler as cool, sexy, or even buyable?) A merger of the two without go... 6 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Kristen Stanton
	What to do in January 2009?
	What are you, as a dealer, going to do when the market takes it's seasonal dip after the last piece of confetti hits the floor and Dick Clark slurs out Happy New Year? (sorry, Dick) The first quarter is always a tough one. Some dealers cut back, some stay consistent and take advantage of lower adve... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Sweigart
	Do You Support Automotive Women Professionals?
	Women automotive professionals need support. Join is to honor Susan Scarola of DCH to receive the 2008 Professional Achievement Award from the Women's Automotive Association International, (http://www.waai.com) on November 20th in Los Angeles Established in 1997, the WAAI Professional Achievement A... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jody DeVere
	Is there value in dealership employee forum participation?
	I think so and am guessing that those of you reading this would agree. By virtue of being on Drivingsales.com, you recognize the value of social networks and community. However, does your boss agree? Or your employees? Have you been trying to communicate the value of connecting with your peers at o... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Mary S. Butler
	What is your current cost per sale?
	Wow is it really that bad? 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Sweigart
	Anybody using an email that generates a great response?
	James, Before I give you a complete answer that can assist you, maybe you can help me and answer a few questions. Are you utilizing video to answer your present lead generations? How many leads are you receiving a month? Of these leads you receive how many are from third party vendors? Who contr... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by James Lovely
	Social Networking and the election
	The Internet had a Major affect of the election, in particular social networking. Cspan this evening had a great segment that is linked to below, and I've highlighted the timeframes so you can zoom right to the good stuff. It is a monumental event to have this much money invested in the Internet wi... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Sweigart
	Grand Opening Idea...
	I recall a dealer in my area doing a week-long grand opening where he appealed to various groups. As an example: Monday - classic car meet Tuesday - motorcycle meet Wednesday - local high school band competition Thursday -local sports celebrities signing autopgraphs w/ mascots Friday - ice cream so... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Vic Austin
	Questions about contacting prior customers?
	Johnny, Have to second Paul and to offer a starting point on a CRM I suggest a web based so you can access from any computer with internet and one with workflow and email. Such as Zoho CRM which is very robust and Free! Another idea is to see if it is possible to get a list of all customers afte... 7 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Johnny Ryals
	Detroit is unique (in so many ways!)
	Good call Phil! The stronger relationship you could develop BEFORE they start the buying process would go MILES in helping your business in such a competitive market. 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Larry Schlagheck
	YouTube Video Walk Arounds
	well matt, thanks for OUTING ME!!!! haha, at least you gave me the "savvy" credit. no seriously, i'm not here to give away secrets but the response on ebay and locally has been amazing. we did a "tag team" walk around on one of the 2009 shelby gt 500's we got in, and guys, t... 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Matt Lamoureux
	Know your employees
	I think the most obvious way to see if you're hiring the right people is customer feedback. Simply doing follow-up calls with customers is a great way to decide. If you're getting poor feedback, then it's time to change your hiring practices. Another great way to ensure your employees are "the ... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Larry Schlagheck
	Vehicle descriptions - yes, no or maybe?
	Part of my pay plan is based on the number of kept appointments I set. Just wanted to get that out there because it has some relevance. We do a great job of having multiple pictures and recently I started to try and put some detailed and descriptive sellers notes in for our vehicles, my goal was t... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Marc Wagner
	Self Generated Leads vs. 3rd Party Sites vs. 3rd Party Leads
	Let me throw a different spin on a 3rd party site. We have developed a network by which we help the customers buy a car rather than be sold a car. Millions of people hate the car buying process and would like to have someone help them through the process. We have created and marketed The IJustNee... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Philip Zelinger
	Go Green micro site
	A post on DrivingSales' "Strategies" section was submitted a couple days ago which, I believe, deserves a discussion (currently DS "strategies" only allows for comments not dialogue). Take a read and post a response if you'd like. Also, go to DrivingSales' strategies and rate t... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Larry Schlagheck
	True or False, Transparent Pricing is the key to the vault.
	How about a happy medium. In exchange for the customer's name and email, you will provide them with a competative price. It may be too much to list an MSRP and a Internet Price together. As of this evening we're working on a new strategy. We use dealer.com's e-pricer system. In the past the MSRP was... 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Philip Zelinger
	Layoffs SUCK. But...
	Agreed, layoffs suck. I would say our industry is going to face more than a few versions of layoffs in the near future (manufacturing, dealerships, support industries could all be included) and preparing for it is a good move. Two parts... the actual layoff and the follow-up. For the actual layof... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	I hate this question!
	I like the suggestions on how to get the customer on the phone. That is the first step. I think it is important to ask this question: Why is the customer looking for a price? We all know that most customers don't end up driving the car home they inquired about. I think the customer wants a pric... 9 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Marc Wagner
	Price Quotes
	Sometimes as sales people we want to base our entire processes around the most difficult customers to deal with because they stick out the most in our minds. Internet customers want price, give them a competitive price but in the end remind them there is so much more to buying a vehicle and that in... 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Glenn Simmons
	Bill Heard: Bad business or signs of the times?
	Bill Heard's failure was a direct result of poor management and lack of oversite. I am really surprised they made it as long as they did. 7 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Nathan Scripps
	Outside your control: How to handle it?
	At the end of the day you never really can be fully prepared for the unexpected. Sound business planning with good marketing, strong fiscal management, and ethical customer behavior and you can sleep at night without worrying about the unexpected. I think to really top it off make sure you stay in... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by New User
	Semptember gloom
	Would it have been different? Perhaps- but it's like anything else, it's not just what you make, it's what you keep. If Chrysler were to try to stay in the leasing business they have two basic options: 1- Keep things the way they were. Don't change the residuals or rates, try to keep people behi... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Larry Schlagheck
	Which Presidential Candidate?
	Lots of things to consider in the upcoming election. Most importantly which candidate do you feel will help this industry? 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Paul Rushing
	User Reviews - Love 'em or Hate 'em - They're Here!
	the j.d. powers report that came out yesterday says that 38% of buyers used the dealer ratings and reviews and that 87% of the 38% found that information useful. you're right, they're here to stay and with google plugged in a dealer that doesn't manage his feedback will be a dealer passed over. we... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Kristen Stanton
	Marketing to Women breakout session Oct 7th 1pm
	Looking forward to meeting you as well - See you Tuesday! Jody DeVere CEO/President AskPatty.com,Inc. http://www.askpatty.com 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jody DeVere
	Internet Specials Pages
	Eric, That sounds like a great tool. Many websites can automatically posts cars to the homepage as well that are old or within certain criteria. "Cars under $10k" have always done pretty well on some of our sites. It would be interesting to see some multivariate testing to compare the mul... 8 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Andy Warner
	Dealership Expense Reductions
	I see your points, especially with the multitude of organizations specifically linked to trying to cut advertising and print spend. However, I'm familiar with a company that has a growing list, more specifically in the top 100 dealer network, and those groups just outside that qualification that pr... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Rod McDowell
	The Golden Rule of Management
	Most of the managers I have worked for and worked with were great salespeople that were promoted to management. What makes them qualified to manage salespeople? They were good salespeople. That may not be enough. A good manager must be willing to train. I feel that the reasons the managers in... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jay Witt
	Help, what should I look for in an ISM?
	An ISM. Oh, and so much more! Liaison, link, and advocate. Yes, phone and email skills top the list. I always believed that the top salesperson is right where they belong. At least where I'd want them. As an Internet manager that has never sold a car in her life, I find that interpersonal skills a... 17 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jacob Jackson
	Internet Sales - Next Phase for just getting going?
	Much of the uniqueness that comes with an internet lead is the buying timetable. Most internet leads will not convert to a sale for another 90 days. Do you have a plan to stay in front of the customer for that time period? Many clients have credited our products with helping them stay relevant in th... 8 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jacob Jackson
	How do you leverage Craigslist to sell cars?
	My customers have great success on both Craigslist and Kijiji and if used effectively, your ads will becoming organically indexed on the major SERPs. When I was marketing eDealer's site, www.carloanscanada.com, I ran 150-200 ads Canadawide for special finance on Craigslist with strong results. It i... 11 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Pay Plans
	HI Vic, We had a UC Manager pay plan that worked really well for us. The UCM was paid a % of gross. (standard right? ... usually you want your desk managers as a whole to be paid about 10% of the gross - Nada guideline) This is where it got fun. The % of gross motivates them for gross and vo... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Vic Austin
	Web Marketing-Tiny Info
	Internet marketing, also referred to as web marketing, online marketing, or eMarketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. The Internet has brought many unique benefits to marketing, one of which being lower costs for the distribution of information and media to a global aud... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by tom carry
	Are you using Facebook to bring in business?
	I've used FB for a while now. This is a pure branding play IMO; not expecting to sell vehicles. (although we actually did) Don't expect high CR's from the marketplace ads. Our CR's are up to 30% lower than our site average. The ads will drive a lot of traffic - but I do recommend changing them up ... 6 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	New headligtblog.com post: Android gets in the driver’s seat
	Kyle Outlaw covers current and upcoming automotive-related apps for phones using Google's Android operating system: http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/12/an ... vers-seat/ 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Mary S. Butler
	New Hire Procedures
	I once worked at a place that had a great hiring process. I interviewed with five people. The person in charge had a specific set of questions that were asked every time to make sure nothing was missed. The questions were designed to extract specific information. Once I was hired this detailed a... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Bart Wilson
	Great Sales Meetings
	We used to have the new guys secret shop dealerships in the area and report back during sales meeting. They had some pretty good stories to tell. On guy had the car impounded on a test drive (their salesperson was driving). Why not take this a step further and have the salespeople spend a week sh... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Bart Wilson
	Who do you follow on twitter?
	We twit all auto industry: http://twitter.com/autorevo 6 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by DrivingSales Publisher
	This is a Revolution not a Recession
	Our industry is full of Revolutionaries! http://blog.autorevo.com/2009/01/this-i ... recession/ 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Chad Polk
	NAIAS
	I just checked out the new cars launched at the North American International Auto Show. It looks like that "electric" is the new "hybrid". What do you think of the offerings (both production and concept) from the Big Three? Are they headed in the right direction? 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Bart Wilson
	Who is headed to NADA? What are you planning to see?
	Just wanted to see who is headed to New Orleans this next week for the convention. Ill be there (I'm doing workshops Saturday, Sunday and Monday) and Ill be on the floor in and out of meetings. If you have something going on let me know and Ill swing by your booth. Ill be writing a convention rep... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Lessons in changing consumer perception of a major brand, on
	Scott Monty heads up social media efforts for Ford Motor Company, an effort he began in July. In that role, he’s responsible for internal and external adoption of social media strategy to help improve Ford’s overall reputation. I sat down with Scott last month to discuss his approach, before wha... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Mary S. Butler
	Let's Hear Some Solutions
	Close the thread... I dont think it can be better said than that. Good stuff phil. 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Bart Wilson
	Who would you pick for the Car Czar?
	Error In my above post, By year end our National Deficit will be over $11,572,632,721,553.18 Check out www.perotcharts.com 13 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	What would you do with $50 Billion?
	It is an interesting question. If we do gear it towards newer and cleaner cars how do we disperse the money? I would think if American Manufaacturers would concentrate on a clean / effcient vehicle that is not a concept but a useable vehicle it would be a win / win. We as taxpayers would get a va... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Kristen Stanton
	Keyword Research - What tools do you use?
	First Paul, you may want to confirm whether or not you are looking for PPC keywords or Organic keywords, or trend keywords (up and comers). Each have different applications. Are you shooting for cheap CPC or long tails for organic, or are you looking for some hot trends in order to put together a di... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Paul Rushing
	Live Contest Ideas for Car Giveaway
	Does anyone have any good ideas for an auto show contest that includes a car giveaway? Would like to maximize vehicle exposure both at the show and in the media over the course of the show. Thanks. 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Amie Santoleri
	Efficiencies of the web and fixed ops?
	Many of you are extremely talented web marketers. If you were just getting into using the web in your fixed operations where would you start? Online appointments? SEO to drive service appointments or accessory sales? There are a lot of options, but where would you start and why? 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	Managers who hate the internet...
	It is a great tool but I still think we should all walk the lot once in the morning when we get to work. 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Jared Hamilton
	The Dumbest Dealer/GM Quotes Ever RE Inernet Marketing
	Old School GM says "An internet department is a giveaway department" Following year Dealer Principal asks Old School GM why Internet Department has a higher average gross than the floor. 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Paul Rushing
	Should Congress Get Involved With Stimulating Auto Sales?
	As of a few hours ago they announced that congress has come to an agreement in principle. They will allow some of the 25 Billion already approved to support a move to fuel efficient vehicles to be redirected to bridge the automakers until Jan when pres Obama comes into office. Its pretty clear he ... 8 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Ralph Paglia
	Viral and Video Marketing 54,000 views
	Sorry if this is a cross-post of sorts, but we felt it was important to share this: Viral marketing is alive and kicking, and it does not take a large investment in time or effort for a dealer to make this work. In fact, you do not even need a video camera. 54,000 video views, and links from major... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Michael Sweigart
	Service Marketing Scripts/Word Tracks
	Does anyone have any phone scripts or email templates that they would be willing to share that pertain to service marketing? I'm looking for new and fresh ideas and concepts for service marketing as alternatives to what I am currently doing. Specifically I am looking for scripts that address "... 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Andrew Wright
	Solution to the Economic Crisis - Fire the Whiners
	Can't say enough how much I agree with everything you said here... would love to talk to you about publishing some of the views you expressed... let me know. 5 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Eric Judson
	Compensation?
	Word to think over: When discussing money it is always best to create for yourself an exit plan if need be. Think: You took on single-handed a situation no one wanted to and learned a lot while embracing the challenge. Now it is working and you would like to see more compensation. Be smart, the ti... 8 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Christian Leon
	3rd Party Leads vs Search
	I'm a bit new to the auto industry, but in the short 7 months I've been playing ball here, 3rd party leads seem like a necessary evil. In short, they are easy. Buy how many customers you want, hopefully sell some cars, run some reports and determine whether the return on investment was worth you... 9 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by DrivingSales Publisher
	3rd party lead conversion tips
	Jared's idea was great. An alternative way to switch things up would be to engage by asking what color they were interested in. Also, I would be sending the email with frequency. Most people have at least 2 email addresses and their 2nd email address might get bogged down with tons of solicitatio... 3 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by Bart Wilson
	First post
	Your Welcome : ) 2 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by manjeet singh sidhu
	Have you lost sales due to a poor credit score?
	In today’s economy it’s a sure bet you’ve lost more than your business can afford. Stop Losing Customers Due to Poor Consumer Credit. Your customers need credit restoration and now you can give it to them. You manage your customer relationship. You collect the payments, then we... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by New User
	How many sales have you lost recently due to poor credit?
	In today’s economy it’s a sure bet you’ve lost more than your business can afford. Stop Losing Customers Due to Poor Consumer Credit. Your customers need credit restoration and now you can give it to them. You manage your customer relationship. You collect the payments, then we start re... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by New User
	Have you lost sales due to a poor credit score?
	In today’s economy it’s a sure bet you’ve lost more than your business can afford. Stop Losing Customers Due to Poor Consumer Credit. Your customers need credit restoration and now you can give it to them. You manage your customer relationship. You collect the payments, then we start res... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by New User
	Have you lost sales due to a poor credit score?
	In today’s economy it’s a sure bet you’ve lost more than your business can afford. Stop Losing Customers Due to Poor Consumer Credit. Your customers need credit restoration and now you can give it to them. You manage your customer relationship. You collect the payments, then we start restor... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by New User
	Have you lost sales due to a poor credit score?
	In today’s economy it’s a sure bet you’ve lost more than your business can afford. Stop Losing Customers Due to Poor Consumer Credit. Your customers need credit restoration and now you can give it to them. You manage your customer relationship. You collect the payments, then we start restor... 1 replies, Posted: 8 months ago by New User

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