Some companies celebrate their birthday with a coupon. Porsche put together this awesome video.

Porsche birthday press release:

For five decades, the 911 has been the heart of the Porsche brand. Few other automobiles in the world can look back on such a long tradition and with such genuine continuity as the Porsche 911. It has been inspiring car enthusiasts the world over since its debut as the Type 901 at the IAA International Automotive Show in September 1963. Today it is considered the quintessential sports car, the benchmark for all others. The 911 is also the central point of reference for all other Porsche series. From the Cayenne to the Panamera, every Porsche is the most sporting automobile in its category, and each one carries a piece of the 911 philosophy.

More than 820,000 Porsche 911s have been built, making it one of the most successful sports cars in the world. For each of its seven generations the engineers in Zuffenhausen and Weissach have reinvented it, time and time again demonstrating to the world the innovative power of the Porsche brand. Like no other vehicle, the 911 reconciles apparent contradictions such as sportiness and everyday practicality, tradition and innovation, exclusivity and social acceptance, design and functionality. It is no wonder that each generation has written its own personal success story. Ferry Porsche best described its unique qualities: “The 911 is the only car you could drive on an African safari or at Le Mans, to the theater or through New York City traffic.”

In addition to its classic yet unique lines, the Porsche 911 has always been distinguished by its advanced technology. Many of the ideas and technologies that made their debut in the Porsche 911 were conceived on the race track. The 911 was committed to the performance principle from the start, and motor racing is its most important test lab. From the very beginning it has been at home on circuits all over the world, earning a reputation as a versatile and dependable winner. Indeed, a good two thirds of Porsche's 30,000 race victories to date were notched up by the 911.

How Porsche celebrates the anniversary

For Porsche, the 50th anniversary of this iconic sports car is the central theme of 2013. There will be a wide variety of anniversary events, starting with the “Retro Classics” automobile show in Stuttgart. From March 7-10 the Porsche Museum will ring in the anniversary year with four special exhibits: an early-model 911 Turbo Coupe, a 911 Cabriolet study from 1981, a 1997 street version 911 GT1 and the pre-series Type 754 T7. This chassis by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche was a milestone on the way to the 911 design.

The company is also sending an authentic 1967 model 911 on a world tour. Over the course of the year, this vintage 911 will travel to five continents where it will be shown in places like Pebble Beach, Calif., Shanghai, Goodwood, U.K., Paris and Australia. As an ambassador for the Porsche brand, this vintage 911 will be in attendance at many international fairs, historical rallies and motor sport events. Fans and interested individuals can follow the car’s progress at http://porsche.com/follow-911.

The Porsche Museum is celebrating “50 years of the Porsche 911” from June 4 - Sept. 29, 2013, with a special exhibition featuring the history and development of the 911. In the spring the museum’s own publishing house, Edition Porsche-Museum, will publish an anniversary edition entitled “911x911.”

The generations

The First 911 (1963) - Birth of a Legend

As the successor to the Porsche 356, the 911 won the hearts of sports car enthusiasts from the outset. The prototype was first unveiled at the Frankfurt IAA Motor Show in 1963 as the 901, and renamed the 911 for its market launch in 1964. Its air-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine delivered 130 hp, giving it an impressive top speed of 131 mph. If you wanted to take things a little slower, starting in 1965 you could also opt for the four-cylinder Porsche 912. In 1966 Porsche presented the 160 hp 911 S, which was the first to feature forged alloy wheels from Fuchs. The 911 Targa, with its distinctive stainless steel roll bar, made its debut in late 1966 as the world's first ever safety cabriolet. The semiautomatic Sportomatic four-speed transmission joined the lineup in 1967. With the 911T of the same year, and the later E and S variants, Porsche became the first German manufacturer to comply with strict US exhaust emission control regulations. The Porsche 911 became more and more powerful as displacement increased, initially to 2.2 liters (1969) and later to 2.4 (1971). The 911 Carrera RS 2.7 of 1972 with 210 hp engine and weighing less than 1000 kg remains the epitome of a dream car to this day. Its characteristic “ducktail” was the world's first rear spoiler on a production vehicle.

The G-Series (1973) - The Second Generation

Ten years after its premiere, the engineers at Porsche gave the 911 its first thorough makeover. The G model was produced from 1973 to 1989, longer than any other 911 generation. It featured prominent bellows bumpers, an innovation designed to meet the latest crash test standards in the United States. Occupant protection was further improved by three-point safety belts as standard equipment, as well as integrated headrests. One of the most important milestones in the 911 saga was the 1974 unveiling of the first Porsche 911 Turbo with a three-liter 260 hp engine and enormous rear spoiler. With its unique blend of luxury and performance, the Turbo became synonymous with the Porsche mystique. The next performance jump came in 1977 with the intercooler-equipped 911 Turbo 3.3. At 300 hp it was the best in its class. In 1983 the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera superseded the SC; with a 3.2 liter 231 hp engine, it became a favorite collectors’ item. Starting in 1982, fresh air enthusiasts could also order the 911 as a Cabriolet. The 911 Carrera Speedster, launched in 1989, was evocative of the legendary 356 of the fifties.

The 964 (1988) - Classic Modern

Just when automotive experts were predicting the imminent end of an era, in 1988 Porsche came out with the 911 Carrera 4 (964). After 15 years of production, the 911 platform was radically renewed with 85 percent new components, giving Porsche a modern and sustainable vehicle. Its air-cooled 3.6 liter boxer engine delivered 250 hp.  Externally, the 964 differed from its predecessors only slightly, in its aerodynamic polyurethane bumpers and automatically extending rear spoiler, but internally it was almost completely different. The new model was designed to captivate drivers not only with sporty performance but also with enhanced comfort. It came with ABS, Tiptronic, power steering, and airbags, and rode on a completely redesigned chassis with light alloy control arms and coil springs instead of the previous torsion-bar suspension. A revolutionary member of the new 911 line right from the start was the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 model. In addition to Carrera Coupé, Cabriolet and Targa versions, starting in 1990 customers could also order the 964 Turbo. Initially powered by the proven 3.3 liter boxer engine, in 1992 the Turbo was upgraded to a more powerful 360 hp 3.6 liter power plant. Today, the 964 Carrera RS, 911 Turbo S, and 911 Carrera 2 Speedster are in particularly high demand among collectors.

The 993 (1993) - The Last Air-Cooled Models

The 911 with the internal design number 993 remains the one true love of many a Porsche driver. The remarkably pleasing design has much to do with this. The integrated bumpers underscore the smooth elegance of its styling. The front section is lower-slung than on the earlier models, made possible by a switch from round to polyellipsoid headlights. The 993 quickly gained a reputation for exceptional dependability and reliability. It was also agile, as the first 911 with a newly designed aluminum chassis. The Turbo version was the first to have a bi-turbo engine, giving it the lowest-emission stock automotive powertrain in the world in 1995. The hollow-spoke aluminum wheels, never before used on any car, were yet another innovation of the all-wheel drive Turbo version. The Porsche 911 GT2 was aimed at the sports car purist who cherished the thrill of high speeds. An electric glass roof that slid under the rear window was one of the innovations of the 911 Targa. But the real reason dyed-in-the-wool Porsche enthusiasts still revere the 993 is that this model, produced from 1993 to 1998, was the last 911 with an air-cooled engine.

The 996 (1997) - Water-Cooled

The 996, which rolled off the assembly line from 1997 to 2005, represented a major turning point in the history of the 911. It retained all the character of its classic heritage, but was an entirely new automobile. This comprehensively redesigned generation was the first to be driven by a water-cooled boxer engine. Thanks to its four-valve cylinder heads it achieved 300 hp and broke new ground in terms of reduced emissions, noise, and fuel consumption. The exterior design was a reinterpretation of the 911's classic line, but with a lower drag coefficient (cW) of 0.30. The lines of the 996 were also a result of component sharing with Porsche’s successful Boxster model. Its most obvious exterior feature were the headlights with integrated turn signals, at first controversial but later copied by many other manufacturers. On the inside, drivers experienced an entirely new cockpit. Driving comfort now also played a greater role alongside the typical sporty characteristics. With the 996 Porsche launched an unprecedented product offensive with a whole series of new variations. The 911 GT3 became one of the highlights of the model range in 1999, keeping the tradition of the Carrera RS alive. The 911 GT2, the first car equipped with ceramic brakes as standard, was marketed as an extreme sports vehicle starting in the fall of 2000.

The 997 (2004) - Classicism and Modernity

In July 2004 Porsche unveiled the new generation 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera S models, referred to internally as the 997. The clear oval headlights with separate blinkers in the front apron were a visual return to older 911 models, but the 997 offered more than just style. It was a high-performance vehicle, with a 3.6 liter boxer engine that turned out 325 hp while the new 3.8 liter engine of the Carrera S managed an incredible 355 hp. The chassis was also substantially reworked, and the Carrera S came with Porsche Active Suspension Management as standard equipment. In 2006 Porsche introduced the 911 Turbo, the first gasoline-powered production automobile to include a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry. A model update in the fall of 2008 made the 997 even more efficient thanks to direct fuel injection and a dual clutch transmission. Never before had the 911 series made such extensive allowances to suit drivers’ individual preferences, and with Carrera, Targa, Cabriolet, rear or all-wheel drive, Turbo, GTS, special models, and road versions of GT racing cars, the 911 family ultimately comprised 24 model versions.

The 991 (2011) – Refined by Experience

This car, known internally as the 991, represents the greatest technical leap in the evolution of the 911. Already the class benchmark for decades, the new 911 generation raised performance and efficiency to new levels. A totally new suspension with a longer wheelbase, wider track, larger tires and an ergonomically optimized interior – it all adds up to an even sportier yet more comfortable driving experience. Technically, the 911 is the epitome of Porsche Intelligent Performance - even lower fuel consumption, even higher performance. This is due in part to the smaller 3.4 liter displacement in the Carrera basic model (yet developing 5 hp more than the 997/II), and to its hybrid steel/aluminum construction, which significantly reduces curb weight. Other innovations include Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) and the world’s first seven-gear manual transmission. The design of the 991 has likewise met with high critical acclaim. With its flat, stretched silhouette, exciting contours, and precisely designed details, the seventh generation of the Porsche 911 Carrera remains unmistakably a 911 that has once again succeeded in redefining the standard for automobile design. It is the best 911 of all time – until the next generation.

An effective dealer chat strategy is a key puzzle piece for increasing leads and sales from dealership websites, and dealers continue to add chat to their portfolio of services – whether they opt for an in-house staff or hosted chat vendor.

The scary truth is that many dealers who jump on in-house chat or the cheapest hosted chat expecting that it will magically pull them out of a sales slump overnight often end up with the same feelings as someone who 'tried' the latest trendy diet or fitness contraption: “I tried it and it doesn't work”.

We may not be experts in diets or workout equipment, but we know live chat like Chef Ramsey knows cooking, and our experience teaches us that there are three key elements for live chat success:

• Processes and people
• Software
• Web interface

Each piece is critically important, but once you have chosen your software or vendor, the PROCESSES and PEOPLE piece is the one element that dealers can control. First, you have to determine WHO will be involved with your live chat process. In-house, there are several steps to increase your odds of success:

• Determine WHO will take the chats (hire additional staff?)
• Assign management
• Develop effective scripts (effectiveness AND speed)
• Establish policies, processes, and escalation for ALL CHAT TYPES
• Train, train, train for best practices on EVERY CHAT CONVERSATION

Once you have all this in place, be sure to position your chat staff as online operators, NOT as internet salespeople, to boost your chances of gathering lead information. This helps avoid your sales or BDC staff from running around to find out what brand or speed rating of tire is on a specific car, so they can get an appointment set.

If you are using your sales force to respond to live chat inquiries, you want to make sure they are strong on the phones before putting them in front of a keyboard, figure out how you will handle chat conversations when your store is full on a Saturday afternoon, then decide if that is REALLY how you want them spending time.

Choosing to use BDC staff to handle chat conversations needs other questions answered, like how much free time do they currently have and what if they are on the phone when a chat inquiry comes in (response target is 7 seconds or less). Dealers must recognize that industry statistics show that 30% of chat requests are missed by a BDC, and as many as 35% of requests can be missed during off hours.

Generating more dealership website leads and increasing car sales is very possible with an effective live chat strategy, but as with anything else, it take planning and preparation to maximize its chances for success.

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Tom LaPointe CarChat24 
Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

More and more auto dealers see the value of an effective live chat strategy for their website, and choosing the right software is critical to help ensure a strong return on investment (ROI). Successfully managing live chat in-house requires a commitment of manpower and development of processes, and since CarChat24 is just one of several companies that offer affordable or even free chat software, choosing can be a daunting task.

Essentially, a dealership live chat program is an extension of existing tools, like your website and BDC. After all, the goal is to increase the amount of quality leads (and sales) without cannibalizing leads from the CONTACT FORM, so the last thing you (or we) want is for your live chat implementation to end up like the last unsuccessful private sale you held.

Here are seven key elements your dealer chat software should include:

• Engineered specifically for the auto industry so it can be easily incorporated into current processes
• Comprehensive, yet easy to operate DASHBOARD for both users and managers
• Compatible with your website / web integration / branding, so it looks organic to your brand, rather than seems stuck on
• Forward lead information (including transcript) to CRM / Email so prospects receive effective follow-up and follow-through
• Usability features, including an ability to watch as guest types, easy information lookup, versatile user management
• Variety of looks for invites / icons / surveys so your interface doesn’t look 'cookie cutter' to website visitors
• Powerful reporting so you can measure the progress and success of your team

Setting up live chat in-house can entail a substantial investment of time and energy, and many dealerships are able to show a positive impact on their bottom line. If your team struggles to make an in-house chat strategy work, or you discover you can't answer chat requests after hours, you will want to look at a managed / hosted live chat option either as a backup to your staff or even as a full-time option.

Dealers that find the right chat software or managed live chat service typically stick with it, because the ROI us undeniable.

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Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

I recently helped a friend celebrate his retirement by choosing which new car to purchase for his next chapter in life. As it turns out, his purchase mirrors a national trend that shows ‘baby boomers’ are purchasing more new cars than younger buyers. According to a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Instituteand reported by Automotive News, the largest chunk of new car buyers by age in 2011 was that between 55 and 64 years-old. This means that auto dealers must not only include cutting-edge technology services like CarChat24 in their strategy, but find other methods to connect with these older buyers, as well.

While some analysts point to the economy as a reason for this difference and others note that younger buyers have fewer licenses and are actually driving less, the cause doesn’t really matter. What matters is finding a way to effectively target this valuable segment, especially since Pew Research Center indicates people age 50 to 64 are at least 14 percent less likely to use the internet and 24 percent less likely to use social media than younger buyers.

Just because there are fewer Boomers using the web and social media, don’t ignore these valuable tools, because these same studies indicate that 60 percent of users 50-64 are on social networking sites and 77 percent of them are online. And, as you can see from the Toyota video ad above, manufacturers recognize the buying power this market segment still represents and is working to attract these buyers.

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Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

As dealers continue recognize the benefits of either hosted live chat or chat software managed in-house on their automotive websites, many still feel using their staff to handle the chats is their best option. With some proper planning and execution, it is possible (we’ll cover staffing investment another time). Here are four live chat success tips to help you implement a successful in-house live chat strategy.

1. Be sure to use a proactive (popup) live chat invite. This is the equivalent of greeting a buyer on your lot, and can increase your interaction by 80 percent or more.
2. Don’t demand contact information up front. It is surprising how businesses using live chat in every sector blow shoppers off their website by demanding names and emails (as if that’s really a lead) before the chat. USE THE CHAT to build rapport so you can get a quality lead
3. Answer the chat – QUICKLY! It seems like a basic step, but dealers using in-house staff often report their BDC or sales staff are tied up on a call and NADA reports as much as 55 percent of chats are missed during business hours.
4. Create an effective plan of action and scripts. Ensure your chat processes are managed and that effective scripts and processes are firmly in place. Just like a phone-up, the goal is to set an appointment, or at least generate a quality car sales lead. That is why chat operators MUST stick to their processes and scripts.

Dealerships that can implement these in-house live chat success tips and stick to the program show very measureable increases in leads and car sales. Live chat is a web technology that is here to stay, and the stores that can best use it to engage their shoppers should see a measurable increase in sales.

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Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

There are numerous ways to build success into your live chat strategy, but if you want the ONE THING that is sure to guarantee embarrassment and failure (not to mention waste time and money), try this: make your guests give you contact information before you (or your live chat vendor) have a live chat conversation!

Done. Kaput. Fin. Nyet. Nada. Zilch.

That pretty much sums up your live chat success with this very ill-advised practice. But maybe you wonder, why not ask up front so you can generate a ‘lead’? Here are five good reasons you should not force your website shoppers to give you their contact info to ‘earn’ their chat conversation:

1. You will definitely upset them
2. The information is likely bogus
3. You will definitely upset them
4. The lead is low quality and will have low closing probability
5. You will definitely upset them

This won't be a QUALITY lead

Let’s face it – people shop online for convenience AND anonymity. One of the key principles and goals of a successful live chat strategy is to earn trust and build a relationship by communicating with buyers on THEIR terms. Forcing information out of them without the benefit of a mutual information exchange is not only bad business practice, but it’s rude.

Would you REALLY have your receptionist demand contact information before forwarding a sales call to the sales floor or BDC? I have seen dealers try it, and for as long as the experiment lasted, it created more of a problem than a solution.

Yes, businesses really do this

I recently shopped on the website of a leader in discount electronic accessories. I had a simple question about a product with some vague information in the description, and thought I would see if the chat operator had (or could get) the answer. When I saw them forcing my hand for full contact information, I moved to another source. It was that simple. They lost the sale. And so will your dealership. Since automotive buyers typically only visit one dealership after shopping several online, why would you blow them out before the conversation gets started? This was with a company who HAS MY INFO because I have spent hundreds of dollars with them, but I didn’t have the time or desire to indulge their arrogant (in my perception) demand.

Use Live Chat to earn the buyer's trust

Just like your salesperson on the floor has to EARN the right to ask for the sale in the product presentation, you have to earn the right to ask for contact info in a chat conversation by providing a certain amount of good faith information exchange. Whether you handle your own live chat conversations or contract a chat vendor for hosted service, be sure there are scripts in place that both address the shoppers’ needs and build the trust required to gather quality lead information that can result in a car sale.

Photo: freedigitalphotos.net / Grant Cochrane

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Tom LaPointe
CarChat24
Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

AutoWeek spotlighted the ’53 Mercury on their website, and it got me thinking how sad it is that such a storied brand has fallen by the wayside, and that dealerships that aren’t careful can also end up like the dodo bird or Mercury brand.

CSI is critical to SURVIVAL

One of the intangible benefits for our Live Chat products is that it can help guard your CSI. Not just the CSI the factory measures, but the one that has your customers posting great things on social media and telling their friends how great it is doing business with your dealership. The one that ensures you are still in business two years, five years, ten years down the road – or just the next recession or manufacturer dealer chop.

Years back when I was part of the management team of one of the top luxury dealerships in the world in both sales and CSI, our general manager continuously harped on the fact that from a business longevity point of view, the “WOULD YOU RECOMMEND US” question was more important than the TOP BOX / COMPLETELY SATISFIED question.

Relationships are the key

That same GM stressed that the RELATIONSHIP that every staff member had with every customer was critical to help ensure future business. I’ll never forget him sharing how his father’s insurance agent knew everything about their family so they could be an effective advisor, from “buffy the dog” to “uncle Harry’s liver operation”.

We were obsessively committed to a CULTURE that would help ensure this result and create customers who are AMBASSADORS in the community. I shared this with my brother, who lives in a rural area in the eastern U.S., when we were discussing how one of his small local dealers didn’t seem to care about customer service - but that it didn’t matter because they would always be in business. I told him to mark my words when the economy slipped and that dealership would fall by the wayside. Sure enough, it was an unfortunate casualty of the recession.

Three keys to stronger CSI

Is your dealership TRULY committed to the satisfaction of your customers? Here are three keys to help you achieve this holy grail:

• Have every staff member commit to it – ensure they understand the critical importance in the long and short term
• Make sure every employee can recognize a problem, and empower them to help begin the resolution
• Measure – measure – measure, by every means you have to

Whether your relationship begins through live chat, walking on the lot, or as a phone up, a commitment to true satisfaction can help ensure your dealership doesn’t go the way of the dodo bird – or Mercury.

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Tom LaPointe
CarChat24
Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

More than a dozen years ago, I learned a priceless life lesson from Grant Cardone – to use proven sales techniques “every day, every time, without fail, no exceptions”.

But before you get to the point of this magical consistency he teaches, you have to discover what works – and what doesn’t in your situation. What definitely doesn’t work very well is a team of salespeople and managers who have one year of experience five to ten or more times, rather than several years of growth. Salespeople who ‘wing it’ may end up with a certain amount of success, but just like a novice in Vegas who gets lucky with an unadvised hit on 18 or 19 at the blackjack table, ‘winging it’ eventually fails.

Carly with a ‘Y’ or Carli with an ‘I’?

The reason for asking about the differences in Carli’s is that it actually makes a difference (FYI – with an ‘I’ garners better response). The scientific testing methods we use to test Live Chat details actually show that even something as seemingly insignificant as one spelling actually affect the outcome. How many salespeople or managers make the conscious effort to sharpen their skills to the point of knowing which greeting is more effective, which walk-around points elicit the most emotion, or the specifics of price discussion that close the most deals? A high-achiever recently pointed out to me that he was the ONLY one taking notes in the weekly meeting because he uses this kind of attention to detail to stay atop the car sale board.

Because ALL we do is provide live chat services and software to dealers, we can tweak each element of the customer experience without compromising lead acquisition count or shopper satisfaction. But this also works in the showroom. Times change. Buyers change. Technology changes. Why shouldn’t word tracks?

Legendary trainers, Jackie B. Cooper and Grant Cardone wouldn’t have developed their systems without adapting their approach until they knew it was effective and it worked  and then used it every day, every time, without fail – no exceptions.

How to grow

Examine every aspect of your customers’ experience to figure out your ‘best practices’. First, correct those points that need immediate attention, THEN start looking for ways to improve best practices to make them even better so you can sell more cars and stay on top of the competition.

Check out Jeff Sterns, CarChat24 VP of Sales and Business Development, at AutoCon 2013 in Las Vegas

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Tom LaPointe
CarChat24

Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website Chat Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

Let’s stay that estimate is accurate (we began offering 24/7 service BECAUSE of overnight demand). With our lead conversion rate of more than 60 percent, that’s at least nine leads – with a potential for two or three car deals –plus timely intervention in a potential sales or service CSI issue. So if a chat vendor tells you 24/7 doesn’t work, they’re really saying they can’t figure out how to MAKE it work.

YES, THERE REALLY ARE ENOUGH VISITORS

Do you really want to pass up these opportunities? Less than 10 percent of typical weekday floor traffic is between 8am and noon – that doesn’t have you keeping your doors shut. Statistically, Tuesday or Wednesday will typically experience less than 10 percent of your weekly floor traffic – why not take those off? Because it makes sense to be open when customers want to shop, as long as it is feasible to schedule staff.

24/7 LIVE CHAT MAKES SENSE WITH A TRAINED STAFF

Don’t miss out on leads and sales just because your chat provider hasn’t solved their training and staffing issues. If the overnight chat operator shifts receive the same extensive training and expert management, and have the same (and sometimes more) job dedication as the daytime shift operators, then why WOULDN’T you want them responding to customers?

You want your best face-to-face salespeople working deals on the floor. You want great phone people staffing a BDC, and you want great chat operators manning keyboards. Typically, you hire and train staff with the right personality for each role, and everyone starts out ‘new’. The key is to provide world-class training and retain team members. Many chat operators (or so-called virtual sales assistants) perform this role as a stepping-stone in their career. As with any vendor, you want seasoned professionals with a proven commitment to their career, ideally with several years in the role.

There is so much ROI for dealers that many who use their own BDC or sales staff during the day actually contract hosted chat services after hours.

WHY BOTHER WHEN WE’RE NOT OPEN ANYWAY?

I recently had a service issue with Ford. After several days of calls to the service advisor, service manager, and the factory, I am still waiting for the regional representative to help resolve my issue. Everyone was appropriately empathetic and kind, but this shows that just because the dealership is ‘open’, problems can't always be immediately solved. But at least a live person took the call, and that’s the benefit after-hours live chat provides.

Customers will always prefer a conversation with a live person via voice or live chat over leaving a voice message or filling out a form – especially if they have a problem. While it’s true that an overnight chat operator may not have ‘best price’ answer a buyer is looking for or be able to diagnose an engine fault, today’s instant-gratification shopper would often rather ask a chat operator for the hours or address than chase it down on the website, and an overnight conversation still starts the sales relationship and can set a showroom appointment. Shoppers KNOW the store is closed, but still appreciate live contact.

PLUS, it’s been proven time and again that customers with an issue initially want someone to LISTEN. With hundreds and thousands of dollars on the line with CSI surveys, having someone who can respond and begin the resolution process is invaluable.

IS IT WORTH THE INVESTMENT?

A full-time live chat option absolutely makes as much sense as being open weekday mornings. Auto dealership managers always have to weigh the value and ROI of their services – lower quality services will typically cost less for a reason.

Photo credits: CarChat24 graphic, Dreamstime

Check out Jeff Sterns, CarChat24 VP of Sales and Business Development, at AutoCon 2013 in Las Vegas

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Tom LaPointe
CarChat24

Interactive Media Manager /
Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website Chat Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

Stick to these basics to sell more cars

There is some brilliance in the concept and execution of Subaru’s new ad, “Let’s Do That”, which AdWeek highlights as their Ad of the Day.

As I watched this great video, I contemplated the latest “we will give you MSRP for your trade” marketing gimmick letter I received this week from a local dealer. It kind of reminds me of football teams that turned to the Wildcat formation to confuse defenses for a short time or government agencies that over-spin activities and end up in controversy. Neither ends well.

It certainly makes sense to be proactive with internet marketing that offers legitimate ROI with VPCs or actual sales, but at the end of the day, the overall customer experience will dictate short- and long-term success…or failure. One needs only to revisit Carl Sewell’s Customers for Life book for a master course in these fundamentals. With more than 600,000 sold, its message remains golden.

Here are four basics that help keep a focus on the customer experience:

• Be transparent in your advertising
• Provide as much information as you reasonably can to internet, phone, or live chat prospects
• Ensure your (entire) staff gives guests a world-class experience
• Nurture your relationship with quality social media and appreciation events

And by all means, avoid getting naked like the couple in the video (figuratively or literally), because it never seems to end well.

Check out Jeff Sterns, CarChat24 VP of Sales and Business Development, at AutoCon 2013 in Las Vegas

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Tom LaPointe
CarChat24

Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website Chat Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus