Last month I was honored to be named one of the 5 finalists at Driving Sales Executive Summit in the most innovative Dealer competition. Many of you may know that the idea I presented was for a new review platform called the Power Pen now being marketed by Punchline Advertising. I was honored to be named the 3^rd place winner, but I feel that the focus was placed on the product rather than the concept I was trying to convey.

Finding a small local company that was providing a similar service to the medical profession and working with them to, in essence, create a new market segment product that better fit our needs was the true innovation idea. The product is secondary. We as Dealers have neither the time nor the funds to create every solution we may need and so we rely on existing companies to achieve the results. The Power Pen is an amazing new tool that allows Dealers to gather verified reviews from customers in the store and have them posted to an independent site which ultimately takes up more key controllable real estate in the search results for a Dealers name.

While this is great in and of itself, what is truly amazing is the way it came about. As a Dealer Manager I struggle to find the best vendor products that will enable me to secure key results. This goal is often times contrary to those Vendors internal revenue-generating structure. For example, while DealerRater, AutoTrader, Cars.com are all  good Vendors, I’m unhappy that unless I sign for the top most package I will still have my Competitors encroaching on my SERP’s by means of banner ads and other potential brand leaks.

Rather than be put between a rock and a hard place, what if we all continued to look outside the Automotive vertical for solutions, contact those companies and share with them the insights needed to achieve a viable product that is within our own control? To take it a step further, we then share the information and results and collectively benefit from one another’s efforts. The end result is that we could control our own digital foot print to a greater degree and become even more independent.

Quit being a digital share cropper, leasing your own land and giving your hard-earned profits to the very people you’ve paid to enhance your impact, then turn around and monetize your name and hard fought results. It’s a slower process initially but at the end of the day, you can be the master of your own domain rather than being reliant on a 3^rd party and subject to their whims of change. 

Last month I was honored to be named one of the 5 finalists at Driving Sales Executive Summit in the most innovative Dealer competition. Many of you may know that the idea I presented was for a new review platform called the Power Pen now being marketed by Punchline Advertising. I was honored to be named the 3^rd place winner, but I feel that the focus was placed on the product rather than the concept I was trying to convey.

Finding a small local company that was providing a similar service to the medical profession and working with them to, in essence, create a new market segment product that better fit our needs was the true innovation idea. The product is secondary. We as Dealers have neither the time nor the funds to create every solution we may need and so we rely on existing companies to achieve the results. The Power Pen is an amazing new tool that allows Dealers to gather verified reviews from customers in the store and have them posted to an independent site which ultimately takes up more key controllable real estate in the search results for a Dealers name.

While this is great in and of itself, what is truly amazing is the way it came about. As a Dealer Manager I struggle to find the best vendor products that will enable me to secure key results. This goal is often times contrary to those Vendors internal revenue-generating structure. For example, while DealerRater, AutoTrader, Cars.com are all  good Vendors, I’m unhappy that unless I sign for the top most package I will still have my Competitors encroaching on my SERP’s by means of banner ads and other potential brand leaks.

Rather than be put between a rock and a hard place, what if we all continued to look outside the Automotive vertical for solutions, contact those companies and share with them the insights needed to achieve a viable product that is within our own control? To take it a step further, we then share the information and results and collectively benefit from one another’s efforts. The end result is that we could control our own digital foot print to a greater degree and become even more independent.

Quit being a digital share cropper, leasing your own land and giving your hard-earned profits to the very people you’ve paid to enhance your impact, then turn around and monetize your name and hard fought results. It’s a slower process initially but at the end of the day, you can be the master of your own domain rather than being reliant on a 3^rd party and subject to their whims of change. 

I would be hard pressed to describe the events of the day, but if I don’t take a moment now, this feeling of absolute euphoria I feel may escape me as tomorrow prepare to travel and return to the day to day operations of my Store.

You see, for the last two days I have been rubbing elbows and interacting with the most brilliant and innovative minds from a variety of Industries and I am literally “in the ether” (You know, that state of enamor that we all try to elicit from our clientele? )

As I listen to impassioned people sharing ideas on Culture shifts, Marketing trends and truly connecting with customers in ways heretofore undreamed of in the Automotive Vertical, I have hope: Hope for a better Culture, better Sales and more importantly, of erasing the stigma that so many of even our BEST customers have long held of an Industry I love.

It didn’t matter if ideas conflicted; all were presented, cases stated and the audience left to make their own determination. There was no “pitching” of Products or Services and Dealers and Vendors alike were discussing ideas based on their MERIT alone. Strategies were shared and opinions ran strong and passionate and I remembered again of why I love what I do.

The real time twitter feed became an open forum wherein audience participation abounded and Speakers were commented on and rated by their peers IN REAL TIME. Vendors that are at odds and fierce competitors “on the street” sat at the same table and discussed strengths and weaknesses of their Platforms IN FRONT OF DEALERS!!! We hear the term “crowd-sourcing” bantered about, but with the live feed, twitter and input from different camps I have now seen it in action and come away with a clearer picture of what I hope to aspire to and a knowledge that I am not alone in that dream.

A few years ago, some friends of mine, Joe Webb and Bill Playford of DealerKnows, stated to me in a personal conversation, that they wanted to be “The Justice League” of the Dealer world when it came to Vendor Solutions/Consultants. DrivingSales has for these three days created an army of evangelists that will take the things learned and relationships built and enabled the seeds of such a vision to be spread far and wide.

I know I will be looking back through the #DSES hash tag on Twitter and watching these sessions as they become available on DrivingSales TV to further clarify and define the course in the weeks and year to come until the next one.

Thank you Jared and your hard working Team at DrivingSales.com for continuing to push the bar and set a higher standard for learning and interacting at Automotive Conferences. It may be altruistic and naïve, but I hope to be able to carry this passion with me to sustain me till next year’s Event.

I will be implementing take-a-ways from here and giving feedback in this Community and would encourage all those in attendance now, observing from afar or directed to this post by some well-intentioned friend to do the same and make plans now to attend next year’s event. This is not an Automotive Conference in the Traditional definition of the word as much as it is a trek to the Holy Grail. Come and renew, rejuvenate, be enlightened and re-define our role in the Business world. If you don’t, in the words of Gary Vaynerchuck you’ll be “going out of business within 15 years, and if 15 years is all you need, then fine”.

Personally, I too want to leave behind a legacy and know that I left an imprint of good upon the world through selling cars. After all, being a "car guy" (or gal) is, in my estimation, an opportunity to serve others and thereby better myself.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

I would be hard pressed to describe the events of the day, but if I don’t take a moment now, this feeling of absolute euphoria I feel may escape me as tomorrow prepare to travel and return to the day to day operations of my Store.

You see, for the last two days I have been rubbing elbows and interacting with the most brilliant and innovative minds from a variety of Industries and I am literally “in the ether” (You know, that state of enamor that we all try to elicit from our clientele? )

As I listen to impassioned people sharing ideas on Culture shifts, Marketing trends and truly connecting with customers in ways heretofore undreamed of in the Automotive Vertical, I have hope: Hope for a better Culture, better Sales and more importantly, of erasing the stigma that so many of even our BEST customers have long held of an Industry I love.

It didn’t matter if ideas conflicted; all were presented, cases stated and the audience left to make their own determination. There was no “pitching” of Products or Services and Dealers and Vendors alike were discussing ideas based on their MERIT alone. Strategies were shared and opinions ran strong and passionate and I remembered again of why I love what I do.

The real time twitter feed became an open forum wherein audience participation abounded and Speakers were commented on and rated by their peers IN REAL TIME. Vendors that are at odds and fierce competitors “on the street” sat at the same table and discussed strengths and weaknesses of their Platforms IN FRONT OF DEALERS!!! We hear the term “crowd-sourcing” bantered about, but with the live feed, twitter and input from different camps I have now seen it in action and come away with a clearer picture of what I hope to aspire to and a knowledge that I am not alone in that dream.

A few years ago, some friends of mine, Joe Webb and Bill Playford of DealerKnows, stated to me in a personal conversation, that they wanted to be “The Justice League” of the Dealer world when it came to Vendor Solutions/Consultants. DrivingSales has for these three days created an army of evangelists that will take the things learned and relationships built and enabled the seeds of such a vision to be spread far and wide.

I know I will be looking back through the #DSES hash tag on Twitter and watching these sessions as they become available on DrivingSales TV to further clarify and define the course in the weeks and year to come until the next one.

Thank you Jared and your hard working Team at DrivingSales.com for continuing to push the bar and set a higher standard for learning and interacting at Automotive Conferences. It may be altruistic and naïve, but I hope to be able to carry this passion with me to sustain me till next year’s Event.

I will be implementing take-a-ways from here and giving feedback in this Community and would encourage all those in attendance now, observing from afar or directed to this post by some well-intentioned friend to do the same and make plans now to attend next year’s event. This is not an Automotive Conference in the Traditional definition of the word as much as it is a trek to the Holy Grail. Come and renew, rejuvenate, be enlightened and re-define our role in the Business world. If you don’t, in the words of Gary Vaynerchuck you’ll be “going out of business within 15 years, and if 15 years is all you need, then fine”.

Personally, I too want to leave behind a legacy and know that I left an imprint of good upon the world through selling cars. After all, being a "car guy" (or gal) is, in my estimation, an opportunity to serve others and thereby better myself.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

I’ve written 3 different blogs this week and every time I’ve come to post, something has happened that has made me stop and think that this is the topic I should write on, not just once, but on 3 successive days! So whatever the fates want, they apparently know manipulation.

1. Recently I purchased a new VW Golf T.D.I. I love it. It is a great vehicle and gets far better mileage than the Prius I traded in. This is especially true when you factor in that my wife will actually drive it as opposed to her absolute refusal to even ride in the “grandpa car” (Hey! Gold is a good color!). The point of this is I opened up a letter from the factory that thanked me for my purchase and …you ready?... found included a $5 Starbucks card in appreciation for my taking the time to fill out the survey regarding New Car quality I would soon receive. I got it the next day.
2. I received an e-mail from Cobalt proclaiming all the advancements they’ve made since becoming part of the ADP family and that I may soon receive a commissioned phone survey that would grade them and the results weighed when considering what direction to go next. Sure enough, I received a call and after ascertaining it was indeed the announced survey elected to participate in the 10-15 minute survey. My main reason for doing so was to express overall, if not satisfaction, at least appreciation for what Cobalt has done. (I still don’t believe in OEM mandated providers) I answered satisfied or somewhat satisfied to most questions with only the occasional negative. At the end of the survey I was asked which of Cobalt’s other services I would be interested in if they were to available to me at a special reduced cost for completing their survey.
3. I called Chase bank telephone banking to reset my pin. 58 minutes and 3 operators later I was still unsuccessful and very frustrated. The only reason I stayed on the line that long is I had elected to participate in their customer feedback survey and I was ready to voice my displeasure. The rep insisted she would not hang up unless I did first. Through a glitch caused by one of the two reps I was on the line with hanging up, the survey was triggered. The rep was still on the phone when I pressed 1 as “highly unsatisfied” with the results of my call. She actually screamed “No sir, don’t you know what that will do to my rating?”

In all 3 instances any feeling of gratitude that may have been fostered by the attempt of reaching out for my opinion or solve an issue on my behalf was dashed by the emphasis put on “the survey” and “the upsell.”

The car industry, Dealers, Vendors and OEM’s, are rife with examples of those seeking to look good rather than be good. I know of several Dealers that try to attach all categories of the Manufacturers survey to the salesman’s relationship with the customer and make it part of their pay. Worse yet we all know of instances were there are still a lot of survey’s being diverted or “launched”. I’ve heard of one salesperson that literally has a notebook full of created e-mails he, with the full knowledge and endorsement of the Dealers upper management, sent customers survey’s to. He no longer works for the same Dealer so I have no doubt that those same e-mails will be deployed again.

            The system is broken from both sides: Unrealistic expectations and metrics that a client base, no matter the industry or position, can and will begin to leverage to hold hostage providers. When ”supercalifragilsitic” is the only acceptable response, no opportunity for real improvement will occur.

Oh and please don’t use the “I just want to make sure your satisfied, now what else can I sell you or who can you refer?” line. It just demeans us both.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

I’ve written 3 different blogs this week and every time I’ve come to post, something has happened that has made me stop and think that this is the topic I should write on, not just once, but on 3 successive days! So whatever the fates want, they apparently know manipulation.

1. Recently I purchased a new VW Golf T.D.I. I love it. It is a great vehicle and gets far better mileage than the Prius I traded in. This is especially true when you factor in that my wife will actually drive it as opposed to her absolute refusal to even ride in the “grandpa car” (Hey! Gold is a good color!). The point of this is I opened up a letter from the factory that thanked me for my purchase and …you ready?... found included a $5 Starbucks card in appreciation for my taking the time to fill out the survey regarding New Car quality I would soon receive. I got it the next day.
2. I received an e-mail from Cobalt proclaiming all the advancements they’ve made since becoming part of the ADP family and that I may soon receive a commissioned phone survey that would grade them and the results weighed when considering what direction to go next. Sure enough, I received a call and after ascertaining it was indeed the announced survey elected to participate in the 10-15 minute survey. My main reason for doing so was to express overall, if not satisfaction, at least appreciation for what Cobalt has done. (I still don’t believe in OEM mandated providers) I answered satisfied or somewhat satisfied to most questions with only the occasional negative. At the end of the survey I was asked which of Cobalt’s other services I would be interested in if they were to available to me at a special reduced cost for completing their survey.
3. I called Chase bank telephone banking to reset my pin. 58 minutes and 3 operators later I was still unsuccessful and very frustrated. The only reason I stayed on the line that long is I had elected to participate in their customer feedback survey and I was ready to voice my displeasure. The rep insisted she would not hang up unless I did first. Through a glitch caused by one of the two reps I was on the line with hanging up, the survey was triggered. The rep was still on the phone when I pressed 1 as “highly unsatisfied” with the results of my call. She actually screamed “No sir, don’t you know what that will do to my rating?”

In all 3 instances any feeling of gratitude that may have been fostered by the attempt of reaching out for my opinion or solve an issue on my behalf was dashed by the emphasis put on “the survey” and “the upsell.”

The car industry, Dealers, Vendors and OEM’s, are rife with examples of those seeking to look good rather than be good. I know of several Dealers that try to attach all categories of the Manufacturers survey to the salesman’s relationship with the customer and make it part of their pay. Worse yet we all know of instances were there are still a lot of survey’s being diverted or “launched”. I’ve heard of one salesperson that literally has a notebook full of created e-mails he, with the full knowledge and endorsement of the Dealers upper management, sent customers survey’s to. He no longer works for the same Dealer so I have no doubt that those same e-mails will be deployed again.

            The system is broken from both sides: Unrealistic expectations and metrics that a client base, no matter the industry or position, can and will begin to leverage to hold hostage providers. When ”supercalifragilsitic” is the only acceptable response, no opportunity for real improvement will occur.

Oh and please don’t use the “I just want to make sure your satisfied, now what else can I sell you or who can you refer?” line. It just demeans us both.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

This may seem a bit odd, but I want to address FEAR. Most of us won’t acknowledge the word or the concept. After all we are in the Auto Industry, we fear nothing, right? HA!

I have seen fear: of the unknown, of changing market conditions, of new advertising methods and of embracing change. G.M.’s and Owners refusing to acknowledge that the consumers are often times more informed than even our sales staff and wallowing toward obscurity hoping things will “come back”. Unfortunately, just enough fresh traffic still comes in and an occasional high-gross deal is used to justify that somehow those antiquated tactics will still work.

“Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” ~Japanese Proverb~

My wife’s Grandmother has had two dreams as long as I’ve known her:

1. To own a Red Ford Mustang convertible
2. To walk the beach in Hawaii

The only problem is she had a debilitating fear of flying. She started working on it 8 years ago: Watching realistic movies, reading books about how planes work, seeing a Doctor, a short flight or two to Denver to see her Sister… Each step small of its own accord, yet meshed into a plan with a firm goal in mind.

Last week, she sent me this picture of her first Maui Sunset:

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt~

We are less than a Month away from some of the largest Automotive Educational events in the Industry. I, like many, will be in Vegas for half of October. I look forward to Presenting two Sessions, Networking and Reviewing so many Vendors in one place at DD11 and the intense, cutting-edge learning opportunity DSES provides.

Luckily, in spite of whatever politics play amongst Conference Hosts, DrivingSales allows a truly open forum which includes not limiting its Dealer Editors from participating in other Events. ( I thank you Jared!)

I will be out of the Store and away from my Family and worried over both the entire time. Is it worth it? Will it pay off? Of course! When you invest in education, you invest in the future. Doesn’t it just make sense to ensure the future your securing is your own? If you don’t face the Fear of the unknown now, it won’t go away it’ll just get bigger as the gap widens and your lack of understanding increases.

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~Dale Carnegie~

Watch a webinar, read and ask questions on these Forums, hire a Consultant that you’ve vetted here on the Vendor reviews and conquer that which you don’t understand.

Conquer your Fear. Conquer yourself. Conquer your future.

Bryan Armstrong

bryanthecarguy@gmail.com

@bryancarguy

This may seem a bit odd, but I want to address FEAR. Most of us won’t acknowledge the word or the concept. After all we are in the Auto Industry, we fear nothing, right? HA!

I have seen fear: of the unknown, of changing market conditions, of new advertising methods and of embracing change. G.M.’s and Owners refusing to acknowledge that the consumers are often times more informed than even our sales staff and wallowing toward obscurity hoping things will “come back”. Unfortunately, just enough fresh traffic still comes in and an occasional high-gross deal is used to justify that somehow those antiquated tactics will still work.

“Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” ~Japanese Proverb~

My wife’s Grandmother has had two dreams as long as I’ve known her:

1. To own a Red Ford Mustang convertible
2. To walk the beach in Hawaii

The only problem is she had a debilitating fear of flying. She started working on it 8 years ago: Watching realistic movies, reading books about how planes work, seeing a Doctor, a short flight or two to Denver to see her Sister… Each step small of its own accord, yet meshed into a plan with a firm goal in mind.

Last week, she sent me this picture of her first Maui Sunset:

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt~

We are less than a Month away from some of the largest Automotive Educational events in the Industry. I, like many, will be in Vegas for half of October. I look forward to Presenting two Sessions, Networking and Reviewing so many Vendors in one place at DD11 and the intense, cutting-edge learning opportunity DSES provides.

Luckily, in spite of whatever politics play amongst Conference Hosts, DrivingSales allows a truly open forum which includes not limiting its Dealer Editors from participating in other Events. ( I thank you Jared!)

I will be out of the Store and away from my Family and worried over both the entire time. Is it worth it? Will it pay off? Of course! When you invest in education, you invest in the future. Doesn’t it just make sense to ensure the future your securing is your own? If you don’t face the Fear of the unknown now, it won’t go away it’ll just get bigger as the gap widens and your lack of understanding increases.

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~Dale Carnegie~

Watch a webinar, read and ask questions on these Forums, hire a Consultant that you’ve vetted here on the Vendor reviews and conquer that which you don’t understand.

Conquer your Fear. Conquer yourself. Conquer your future.

Bryan Armstrong

bryanthecarguy@gmail.com

@bryancarguy

It’s all in the sprinkles

                I have an obsession with coffee. I’m not talking I like it nor need it to get going in the morning but a full-fledged love of the drink. While at home and at most restaurants I prefer to drink it black but I will have it with cream and sweetened in one way and one way only: a venti latte vanilla breve with 5 shots, no foam and a sprinkle of nutmeg. This concoction of my own careful creative process has been my mainstay at many a Starbucks or up until recently a shop called Beans n Brews. They know me by name and I can even call ahead and simply say, “It’s Bryan, could you make my coffee?” and it would be ready. At just over $8 for this indulgence, I want it perfect.

So it is with much sadness and a sense of longing that I drive by my previously beloved haunt every morning without stopping. Though I am normally (surprise) not a shy nor timid fellow, they don’t, nor will ever know, why they lost my patronage. It’s simple: they forgot the sprinkle of nutmeg one too many times. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, re-explained my order to the same baristas that I’ve dealt with for years. The first few times, I shook it off but when it continued to happen, I was done. There’s a Starbucks on the other side of the street and its $1 cheaper there. They don’t know my name and I can’t call ahead but it’s exactly what they promise to deliver each and every time.

                As I call through customer lists and review customer survey responses, our industry is no different:

 “They didn’t put my seat back and I could never get it just right again.”

 “No one set my radio stations.”

“I didn’t get a sticker telling me when my next oil change is due”

“They just handed me my keys and it took me 10 min to find my car.” 

The list goes on, trivial things, sprinkles really but they all add up to send the message that the customer is not valued, neither listened to nor appreciated.

All the above issues are addressed as part of our process, and all are things that are done correctly probably 99.9% of the time. But by attrition that .01% adds up in lost re-sell opportunity, referral business and of course revenue.

                What are the sprinkles that change the flavor of your business from the competitor who may not be as nice or personable, but does things the exact same way every time to the customer’s expectations? What are the methods you have in place to inspect them? Who does so and how often? Service sells and consistent service sells ten-fold.

Bryan Armstrong 

@bryancarguy

It’s all in the sprinkles

                I have an obsession with coffee. I’m not talking I like it nor need it to get going in the morning but a full-fledged love of the drink. While at home and at most restaurants I prefer to drink it black but I will have it with cream and sweetened in one way and one way only: a venti latte vanilla breve with 5 shots, no foam and a sprinkle of nutmeg. This concoction of my own careful creative process has been my mainstay at many a Starbucks or up until recently a shop called Beans n Brews. They know me by name and I can even call ahead and simply say, “It’s Bryan, could you make my coffee?” and it would be ready. At just over $8 for this indulgence, I want it perfect.

So it is with much sadness and a sense of longing that I drive by my previously beloved haunt every morning without stopping. Though I am normally (surprise) not a shy nor timid fellow, they don’t, nor will ever know, why they lost my patronage. It’s simple: they forgot the sprinkle of nutmeg one too many times. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, re-explained my order to the same baristas that I’ve dealt with for years. The first few times, I shook it off but when it continued to happen, I was done. There’s a Starbucks on the other side of the street and its $1 cheaper there. They don’t know my name and I can’t call ahead but it’s exactly what they promise to deliver each and every time.

                As I call through customer lists and review customer survey responses, our industry is no different:

 “They didn’t put my seat back and I could never get it just right again.”

 “No one set my radio stations.”

“I didn’t get a sticker telling me when my next oil change is due”

“They just handed me my keys and it took me 10 min to find my car.” 

The list goes on, trivial things, sprinkles really but they all add up to send the message that the customer is not valued, neither listened to nor appreciated.

All the above issues are addressed as part of our process, and all are things that are done correctly probably 99.9% of the time. But by attrition that .01% adds up in lost re-sell opportunity, referral business and of course revenue.

                What are the sprinkles that change the flavor of your business from the competitor who may not be as nice or personable, but does things the exact same way every time to the customer’s expectations? What are the methods you have in place to inspect them? Who does so and how often? Service sells and consistent service sells ten-fold.

Bryan Armstrong 

@bryancarguy