On the surface, having your sales consultants promoting your brand on social media seems like a win-win. The idea that your dealership is getting that additonal exposure for free seems like a no brainer. And while it does not seem to be a bad idea, there are some things that your dealer ought to consider. One of those things is a social media policy. A policy that is put in place to protect your dealership. In addition to guidelines with regards to the OEM and FTC concerning the promotion of specials. That said, here are some of the other things to consider when it comes to your sales consultants promoting your brand on social media: 

The Customers Should Be Directed to Your Dealer Website! 

Think about it for a moment. The reason we spend money on advertisements, and paid social media posts is to have the customer visit the website; with the goal of their converting! But if your sales consultants are promoting your brand on social media - without creating call to actions - for the customer to visit the website, it might be missing the point. Not to mention, if you are not an ADMIN on the page, you cannot edit and or monitor the content that is being promoted by the sales consultants. 

You Should Have ADMIN Access to the Social Media Page

You have a top sales guy using social media, all seems well until he takes all of your customers - ones who like/engage - with his social media page to the next dealership. Meaning that he can now promote his new dealership to those customers. Customers that your dealership paid to acquire as not all customers on their social media sites are customers in which they either paid to acquire or spent thousands of dollars advertising too! 

I have seen this happen way too often. And trust me, if you think that they are not taking those customers - with the hopes of selling them - at the next dealership, you are sadly mistaken. This is not to say that customers do not otherwise have a loyal following. However, we have to remember at the end of the day, we are to be promoting the dealership, not the sales consultant. Most other businesses do not promote an "employe" by allowing them to run their own social media pages, so why are we? By having ADMIN access to their social media accounts, you can create a policy in which indicates that should they depart from the dealership - you retain full access to their account. At which point, they will no longer have access to the customers or content in which is linked to your dealership.  

If You Think They Are Not Running Specials On their Social Media Pages. Think Again. Have You Checked to Make Sure They Are Compliant With the FTC? 

We see it every day. Dealers who have specials that are not OEM compliant, or worse not compliant with the FTC. However, one thing that your dealer needs to do is make sure that if your sales consultants are promoting their own specials - which is not recommended - that they are in compliance with not just your dealership, but the OEM and FTC. However, this is not as easy if you do not have ADMIN access to their page. 

Think about it, let's say one of your sales consultants offers the customer an "extra" dollar amount off of the vehicle to which people respond. However, when they get to the dealership and find out that the vehicle in which they inquired on is not eligible (despite there not being any disclaimer on the Ad on FaceBook) your dealer could be liable! That said when in doubt it is best for the sales consultants to share specials that are currently running on your dealerships website or social media. 

Brand Image. Do You Want the Image of Your Dealership In the Hands of the Sales Consultants? 

One wrong post or one inappropriate photo can lead your dealership into being in hot water. Not just with the customers, but with the public. I cannot tell you how many times sales consultants have promoted their dealerships on social media - even having their own pages - without many security settings. To which they have posted and/or liked inappropriate content for business. Where the customers have had their say in how they feel about it. The bottom line with this is why would you want to risk your dealer's hard-earned reputation by enabling anyone to control your brand's image? This is not best practice and something your dealership should consider. 

The Bottom Line: 

This is by no means to say that sales consultants and or your dealership should not use social media. What this is, however offering is that there are FTC compliance regulations, OEM compliance, and Dealership guidelines that should be adhered to, period. And if you do not have any access to your sales consultants social media pages, it becomes that much more difficult to manage the content that they are otherwise promoting without your knowledge or consent. All of which can put your dealership in a bad position! Instead of taking that risk, encourage your sales consultants to engage with your social media page, share your posts, etc. All of which can have a positive impact all while ensuring that it is compliant. 

Do you let your sales consultants have their own social media accounts? If so, do you require that they give you ADIN access to their pages? If not, why? Do you know how many of your sales consultants past and current have their own social media pages? 
 

At one time or another, we have been asked by a customer "what the dealer processing fee is?" to which most everyone would give a different response. Everything from a fee we charge for DMV paperwork, DMV charge, a charge the dealer has to cover stuff, to name a few. If this question is answered incorrectly, it could land your dealer in hot water. To avoid this happening here some of the things you can do at your dealer to avoid this issue! 

So What isn't Dealer Processing Fee? 

The Dealer Processing fee is NOT for tag and title work, not for reimbursement of pulling the customer's credit scores, and it is also not reimbursement for other costs associated with the deal. 

So then What is the Dealer Processing Fee? 

Simply, it is a fee that your dealership is allowed to charge the customer in relation to services in which your dealership is not otherwise compensated for. 

(reference for the above; MADA)

Other Dealers Do Not have As High of A Dealer Processing Fee, But They Have Maintenance Charge Fees, Appearance Package Fees? 

There are times where I would get calls and the customer asked: "how come your processing fee is more expensive than the other dealer" to which I would (depending on the dealer they were comparing us to) explain that while our processing fee is higher as is the cost of the vehicle. The dealer they are comparing us too has discounted the vehicle to then add "fees" back into the deal (which is a whole other article), but for the purpose of this article instead of charging the same "processing fee," they were simply disguising into another fee, such as an "appearance package, maintenance fee," to name a few. I would not recommend doing that; however, that is something we see dealers doing. 

Educate Your Staff. Explain What the Dealer Processing Fee IS and IS NOT 

Given that there will come a time that your staff is asked to answer "what is the processing fee," you want to make sure that you first explain what the processing fee is not. Thereafter, take the time to explain to the staff how to answer the question. Another thing you can do for the team and customers is to have a brochure that explains the dealer processing fee. This will also help ensure that the same answer is given each time a customer has a question regarding the dealer processing fee. 

The Bottom Line: No one wants to land themselves - or their dealer -  in hot water by not answering the question correctly; or more importantly, miss inform their customers. That said, there are a few things that your dealer can do - as mentioned above - to ensure that your team is always answering the customer's questions regarding the dealer processing fee correctly. In doing so, it will lessen the chances of there being an issue. The other thing you want to be mindful of too is answering the customer's questions with regards to other dealers having less expensive Dealer Processing Fees, to then add "additional" fees to the deal. At the end of the day, it is best to be both honest and transparent to the customer by offering them a good experience.  

How do you handle this question? Is this a question you get often? 
 

Every dollar counts towards the bottom line, we get that. But it is easier said than done as not all customers are presented extended warranties, service contracts, or any other protection packages your dealership offers to the customer. As for the excuses, they can be anything from "not believing in the product," to simply not presenting the product! What is worse, the F&I manager might not know the ins and outs of what is offered, which is a big concern. Here are some of the top things to consider in ensuring that your F&I team presents all customers the additonal products. 

Do Not Assume the Customer Does Not Want An Extended Warranty. Ask for the Sale. 

Sounds simple. But the truth is that you cannot purchase something you do not know of, no? So we have to ask ourselves the hard questions: why aren't we offering the products to the customer? Is it a time issue? Is the deal already completed? Did the customer already agree to a monthly payment? All are good questions, and sure the customer might have previously agreed to the payment. But that does not then mean that s/he is not open to a warranty. Not to mention, it also has a lot to do with how the products are presented to the customer when they are in the finance office. 

One of the biggest things to consider is the purchasing of a vehicle is often the second most expensive item a customer will purchase. And it is no secret that many people want to protect what they just purchased. But if you go into the signing of the deal assuming that s/he does not want and or need the products, sure they will not purchase them. However, if you break it down and offer something to the effect of "for less than 17 dollars a month you can have the peace of mind that your brand new vehicle will now be covered for up to 100k miles or 6 years. It is an inexpensive way to ensure that you're on the road for years to come." This is not to say that it will work every time, we get that. But we cannot sell what we do not offer, either. 

Do You Know What the Value or Benefits the Products Offer? 

It is not easy to sell a product or service that you are unaware of! One of the best ways to ensure that you know of the product is to have a cheat sheet. One that highlights all of the advantages/selling points of the product. In addition to the qualifications; for example, more often than not, pre-owned vehicles will have stipulations as to what qualifies for an extended warranty. As for the OEM warranty, it is essential that you understand what the OEM has to offer to the customer. Namely, there is nothing worse than mistakingly telling the customer that they have a "bumper to bumper" warranty when they do not. The OEM does not cover all items necessarily on the vehicle. All the more reason to sell an extended warranty or a  warranty that is comprehensive so the customer does not have a large unexpected bill! 

Provide POP Marketing, Videos, Or Any Other Collateral that Sells the Products! 

One of the best ways to introduce all of the products and services your dealership has to offer is while they are waiting to sign in F&I. This way not only is the customer staying engaged while they wait, but they are also aware of the products and services. Making it that much easier to sell the customer when they are sitting with you. One of the best examples of this is a video on your dealer's protection package with regards to key replacements. More often than not, people do not realize the cost of purchasing a lost key! It is not cheap, but with the protection package - if this is something you offer - it could potentially save them hundreds of dollars! The point is, try and find ways to relate to the customer when selling all of the advantages and benefits of the products. 

The Bottom Line: selling a healthy amount of warranties, service packages, and or protection packages can add a healthy amount of revenue to the bottom line. But this is not possible if you are not presenting any of these options to the customer at the time of purchase. More importantly, you have to ask yourself why you are not offering these products? If it is a knowledge concern, take a minute to learn about the products. Better yet, as mentioned above, create a cheat sheet of the selling points. In doing so, not only will it increase your personal income, it is mutually beneficial for both the dealership and the customer! 

How do you present the extended warranties, service contracts, or protection packages? 
 

Taking on a new initiative can in many ways be overwhelming. There is often the fear of "are we going to get this right? Or "Do we really need this product. Will this product move the needle?" of which both are valid questions. It is these very questions, though that often prohibit us from taking the first step on a new project. Leaving us - on the dealer level - wondering what the next steps really are. The idea of are we catching onto a trend or a fad; one that can wind up costing us thousands of dollars in the long-run.

Beyond the nagging questions in the back of our minds, we also ask ourselves the same questions when it comes to partnering with the right vendor. Where you often hear the GM, Marketing Manager or Sales Manager ask the question "what are other dealers (OEM's) doing? What is working for them?" to which while the vendor can - in some ways - answer that question; each dealer has its own needs, no? Not all dealers - despite having the same OEM - are the same. So to latch onto an idea, itself because another dealer - with the same OEM is doing it - does not always make sense.  Keep in mind, though - the product the vendor offers might be the same, but the way in which you leverage the product for your dealership is not.

Another aspect we as dealers face is the demo phase; a phase that can cause for us to overthink the product. Asking questions that we might not otherwise ask. Questions that are often actually objections because deep down inside we are not one hundred percent sure whether or not to make the move. Just like in sales, we have to overcome the customer's objections; working with the customer to not just understand their needs, but to find the right vehicle. It is the same with vendors, and it takes the right account manager not just to understand the dealer's needs, but to actualize the dealer's goals. It is no secret that there are vendors who - once the dealer has signed up - are on autopilot. Not giving the dealer the time they need to devise a smart growth plan. One that could evolve into layering in additional products that will only compliment the foundation they have built.

As the title mentions, "finding a vendor that fits like a glove" is a crucial element in championing your dealer's success. To be a champion, however, they cannot be a one size fits all vendor. They need to be strategists who align their dealers with the right products and teams. But even more importantly, they have to mold the product around your dealer's goals. Beyond finding the right fit, your dealer has to have the right account manager - they are the pillars on which the partnership is built on. They to have to be a strategizer. One that works tirelessly to find the right content, spending a considerable amount of time before reaching out to their the dealer to discuss the plan of action.

The bottom line is that we have to move onward and upward, and that means finding the right vendor that understands our dealer's needs. The idea that while we might not have all the answers, and or are concerned with taking the next steps. It starts with interviewing the vendors, and in doing so, you can find the right fit. A fit that can take your dealer to the next level. With the idea that instead of having a singular focus of what the other dealers are doing that is successful - which can often only just increase the internal objections - focus on your dealership! Devising a plan of action with your respective account manager who can filter out the white noise, and get your dealers name out there.

What is holding you back from making the right partnership? Do you get caught in the autoloop of vendor demos?

In the last year, I have not been a direct supervisor - something, to be honest, that I did not miss. So I had to ask myself the honest question: what about managing did I not miss? Managing is not easy, we get that - you have not just to lead the team, but more importantly continue to develop the team, which means you are balancing personalities, finding their strengths, to then orchestrating them all together. This is not an easy task, and now that I am a manager again, here are some of the top things you should also consider when you are managing a team. 

Do Not Be Afraid to Let Your Team Lead a Project. They Cannot Develop or Grow if They Are Not A Part of the Change. 

It can be easy to try and manage everything yourself: everything from website changes, vendor management, etc. However, the truth is that no one person can effectively manage every facet of the business. This is something that I had to learn, in my last group while I did allocate work to my team they were not given the autonomy to complete and develop new projects. Something I wish I were allowed to do. That said, now that I do have the autonomy to have them develop new projects we can - as a team - effectively diversify our projects. 

One of the best ways to do this is to have a set of goals. Goals that do not just affect the team, but offer smart growth to the dealership. Everything from enhancing the website, working more effectively alongside our vendors, to most importantly working directly with the sales consultants. So while the autonomy, itself, does not necessarily mean that my team has free reign. The goal was to empower the team; working collectively to create realistic goals. Sustainable goals; and most importantly, goals they helped create. 

Do Not Get to Involved in the Day to Day Work. But Remember Where You Started. 

Sometimes we get too entrenched in the day to day work; we can often forget about the bigger picture. Namely, as a manager when you get too involved in the day to day operations, it offers you less time to think forward. Whether that is creating a new project for the team, or increasing your team's overall effectiveness, this by no means is offering that we do not support our team in what they do, either. Instead, it means that as a leader, we always have to be looking forward; understanding what projects are most important in offering our dealership success. Another significant aspect of assigning a project to your team is that it empowers them to both learn and grow. No one wants to become stagnant or disenchanted because they do not believe that they have the chance to grow and develop within the company. And as a manager, by assigning projects, it helps you better understand what their individual strengths are and what they, too, can bring to the table. 

Do Not Be Afraid to Hire Somone Better than You. Or This Can Lead You to Failure.  

There can - depending on the companies culture -  be this fear that if you were to hire someone better than you in an area that you could lose your job. Or that your employee might outshine you, and get all of the credit for the department's success. And while at certain companies this might be the case - you cannot lead like this! In fact, in doing so, it can and will eventually lead into failing not just the team, but yourself. Not everyone can be a leader (manager), and not every leader (manager) can be an employee. It works both ways. If you are a good leader, you will let your team shine, allowing them to bring their own strengths to the table. 

Do Not Roll Your Team Under the Bus. As A Leader, You Are Responsible for Your Teams Success. 

This is not to say that your team might let you down, but you have to ask yourself the hard question: did I fail my team? We are human, and we will make mistakes. But the last thing you want to do is pass all of the blame onto your team. Instead, use it as a learning experience and move forward. This will not only increase your chances of earning your teams respect and trust, but it shows your ability to lead the team in the right direction. The other thing to consider is looking back at why you failed, which in some cases can offer you the means to speak with your employees to prevent this from occurring again. But do not angle the conversation in a way that belittles your employee; focus on the positives, and how you can work as a team to prevent the mistake from recurring. We have to remember that we make mistakes, too and were once in their shoes before we got to where we are. 

Bottom Line: Leading is by no means easy, but a good leader will work with their team to leverage their individual strengths in a meaningful, relevant way. One that not just compliments the team, but most importantly offers the dealer success. 

Do you include your team in projects? What is one thing you have learned as a leader on the dealer level?
 

I am the first one to offer that I am not always fond of relating specific automotive examples to other industries. Understanding that while it is essential to think about things from various perspectives; certain processes and elements are automotive specific. One thing, though, that we can learn from other industries is the explanation of the “process.” Namely, what is involved when it comes to purchasing a vehicle. Think about it, we sell cars every day, but people do not purchase them daily. So while we understand - in our sleep - what it takes to purchase a car, not all of our customers do. That said, we already know how stressful buying a car can be, so if there is anything we can do to make it easier, then we should do it! Of course, making sure it is mutually beneficial for the dealership. 

Here are some of the top reasons to explain the buying process online! 

Customers Often Do Not Know What they Need to Bring When it Comes Time to Purchasing A Car: 

We have all been there; that is the customer agrees to purchase a vehicle from us, but they do not have their pay stubs, credit application, key fobs, bank statements (if needed), pay off, insurance card or anything else needed to make the purchase. In which case, the customer has to spend that much more time at the dealership to make the deal happen. Or worse, schedule a time to come back into the dealership, which can in some cases lessen the chances of their returning. 

To avoid this issue, dealers could easily create a quick video (no more than a few minutes) to outline “things to bring on your visit,” which would offer the above items. In doing so, the customer not only understands the everyday things to bring, but it can also save them time at the dealership. There is nothing worse than being held up in F&I because the customer does not have their insurance card, or is otherwise missing important documents. Not to mention, if that customer is held up it only means that the next customer to hit the box is going to be delayed. And it is no secret that the customers ‘experience’ often lessens when they are made to wait too long before signing. This is not by any means to offer that you explain everything in the video, either. Instead, it is a means of offering the customer ways to save time making for a better, smoother experience at the dealership. 

If the Customer Has A General Idea of What to Expect they Are Often More at Ease: 

This reminds me of what it is like to buy a house; there is a lot of information that is required, but a lot of it is similar; proof of income, insurance (home), bank statements, credit application, etc. So while this might seem to be common sense, we have to remember - as I mentioned above - the customer is not in the market every day, and might not otherwise really know what to bring. Given that we know how stressful it can be just buying a car imagine what it might feel like to gather up a bunch of documents without knowing what you really need? And let's be honest, how many customers come in with everything - I mean everything, including having already added the VIN to their insurance - when coming in to meet with you? Very Few! And from my experience, this happens more often for pre-owned vehicles where the customer is purchasing out of state. That said if we took the time to explain which documents are most commonly required to purchase a car the customer will be at ease. Better yet, if the customer is not anxious and or worrying about s/he needs to purchase a car, they can spend that time and energy focusing on what is most important; finding the car, they are about to purchase! 

If the Customer is Willing to Bring All of their Information for their Appointment Chances Are they Are Ready to Purchase. Most Customers Do Not Visit the Dealership for the Sake It. 

When I first started in the industry, I was always told “tell the customer as little as possible, and just get them into the store,” which looking back - that only caused for multiple issues. Everything from the customer having to make multiple visits, not purchasing, or having expectations on being able to purchase a car that was not within their budget. Of course, simply telling a customer what documents to bring in is not going to change that all, either. What it can do, however, is offer a glimpse into where they are in regards to making the decision. In that, a customer who is willing to bring in the common documents is usually ready to go. In turn, allowing you to focus on ensuring that you are finding them the right vehicle - to which you can - in many cases - glide through the sales process. 

Bottom Line: there is nothing more frustrating than not knowing what you need to bring or what is otherwise expected when purchasing a vehicle. And while there are some blog posts here and there that offer “what to bring” from other customers perspectives, that is not always what is also needed for each customer that happens to stumble across the blog when searching "what is needed to purchase a vehicle." Given that some customers, as we know, might require various other documents. So if your dealer were to step up and offer the customer things that can offer them a better experience, it could also have a positive impact. An experience that can influence their decision to purchase from you. 

Do you offer a video to explain to the customer how the car buying process works? If so, have you seen any positive impact? If not, what is holding you back from creating a video for your website? 
 

Year after year we attend conferences coming back with great ideas. Ideas - that if they were implemented - could have a significant impact on your dealerships bottom line. However, more often than not, those new innovative ideas do not come to fruition. Whether that is the GM or Owner not offering their staff the ideas; or not providing your team the ability to execute the ideas. Either way, for the new ideas to come to fruition some things have to be considered: 

Bring the Business Development Manager or Your General Sales Manager 

For those who have BDC’s - you most likely have a BDC Manager; someone that is usually responsible for the websites, marketing, CRM and vendor relationships. I know first hand how valuable these conferences are. However, it took sometime before the dealer was willing to invest the time and money in allowing me to attend the conferences or workshops. Where previously, the owner would come back offering new ideas and or suggestions. The problem, though, was that I did not otherwise have access to these vendors in a meaningful or significant way. Not to mention, by the time I was given the ideas and suggestions trying to round up the decision makers was not an easy task, and no one wanted to champion the efforts. Noting that for there to be a significant shift to occur in the way we approach digital marketing or internal processes,  both your leaders and influencers have to be onboard.

That said, the ideas where there but never executed. Until finally, I was able to attend the conferences interacting directly with the vendors and owner. It was like an entirely new world was unleashed; the idea that I was not the only one struggling with the same issues. As a result of attending with the owner, we were able to create action plans - having already committed to making the decision when we returned. Having that foundation - groundwork - built was invaluable. Not to mention, it is much easier to make decisions and changes when you are out of the day to day operations; allowing you to focus on a smart growth plan. 

Do Not Tackle Everything at Once. Pick One thing to Make the Change On. 

It is easy to sit in a room and make several decisions, but we have to look beyond the change, itself understanding that it will be a cultural change, it affects the way KPI’s are measured, and most importantly, it takes a ‘champion’ to see that these changes are executed. That said, instead of tackling everything at once choose one thing that you know you can improve on. Looking back, one of the things we knew that needed to be tackled was online reviews. We were not consistent in the reviews we got; there could be one month we got five or six, and other months that we did not get any at all. Knowing how much your online reputation plays in the prospective customer making their decisions we knew that had to change. 

At one of the conferences we attended, we were able not just to conceptualize the change, but more importantly - we actualized the change. The following Monday we got back, we got with the managers first; explaining the new process on online reviews. To which they got with their staff. Three months later, we had an additional 125 positive reviews, and when I left, we had over 1,600 positive reviews and won Dealer of the year for the last five years running. This is not to say it will work for everyone. What it is saying, however, is take the time to invest in your dealers champion - whether that is your BDC Manager or one of your sales managers. In doing so, not only will it boost their morale, but it can and will have a positive impact on your dealership. Looking back to my last career, it was the conferences that pushed me to think differently and actualize results. 

How do you approach change? Do you invest in your dealers champion? 
 

Long gone are the days where we make it difficult for the customer to obtain their credit information with regards to auto loans. Yet, the last thing many dealers want to do is provide their customers with their credit score and potential buying power. The idea that it is best to have the customer come in having already completed a credit application; offering that their approval is “pending” and they need to speak with the finance manager. Please do note, though, that this is not to say and or offer that it is not a good idea for the customer to complete a credit application, either. However, more often than not if the customer tells the sales consultant or BDC Agent (for those with BDC’s) that they have excellent credit and when they do complete the credit application - prior to arriving at the dealership -  it often winds up being a different story which could wind up messing up the deal. 

Here are some of the top reasons to offer your customers a soft credit pull on your website! 

Customers Have More Access Today to their Credit Scores Through Various Tools 

Credit Karma is one of the largest tools out there today where the customer can track their finances and credit score (and this is not promoting them, either). That said, in many cases, the customers are getting pre-approved before they start their online buying journey. With Credit Karma, it even offers the customer a list of potential lenders and their respective loan amounts. That said, it does not hurt to have the soft credit pull option on your site; allowing the customer to look at the inventory that fits in their prospective purchasing power. Rather than the customer taking the time to look at the inventory that they otherwise might not be able to purchase. The other added benefit of providing the customer with this information is that s/he might feel more comfortable completing the soft credit pull themselves; offering more accurate information. The concerns, though, with providing the customer this information is worth noting. The idea that more variables need to be considered when the customer is seeking approval. One of them is the customer's trade-in, which can and will affect their payment. However, it still does not hurt to have this option available for the customer. 

What the Soft Credit Pull is Not Replacing. The Customer Still Needs to Come Into the Dealership. 

Of course, the customer still needs to come into the dealership, no? More than 88% (study by Roadster) of the customers still want to test drive the vehicle before purchasing it. However, perhaps the customer would be more inclined to make the purchase sooner rather than later because they have a better understanding of what their buying power is - not to mention, by having an understanding of what s/he can purchase it can save a lot of time at the dealership; time that is very important to the customer. It is a known fact that the customer mostly becomes disenchanted during the time in which they have to wait for the finance manager to close their deal. But by having as much information available as possible, it affords the finance manager a better chance in upselling service contracts and warranties. 

Bottom Line: Dealers who make the buying process the easiest for the customer will have a better chance of closing prospective the deal. We also know that “transparency” is a buzz word that is still widely discussed on the dealer level. With that said, this is both a meaningful and relevant way to be transparent to the customer. 

Do you offer a soft credit pull on your website? If so, have you seen a positive impact? For those that do not offer a soft credit pull - what is holding you back? 

There is such a thing as analysis paralysis. The idea that we become numb when reviewing the various reports our CRM’s have to offer, and when we do review the reports - they do not always tell us everything we need to know. Here are some of the top things to consider when reviewing CRM reports, and how to use them when managing your teams effectively! 

Not All Reports Are Created Equal. How to Choose Reports for Your Dealership. 

More often than not, CRM’s have preset reporting which may or may not provide you what you are looking for. For example, let's say you want to review the total number of quotes out for the month, but you also want to see if the customer also came into the showroom and or had an appointment; this is often not something that can be reviewed in one report — making it that much more challenging to review the data. The other issue with a lot of CRM reports is that it does not enable you to drill down on the data provided in the report, which means that you have to do a lot of copying and pasting to review the data.

How Valuable Are Report Subscriptions? 

Each morning you get the same report emailed to you, maybe it is 8 AM? The issue with using reports in this manner is that in the morning - by the time you have reviewed the report - the data could have already been updated. So by bringing the managers into the room and banging them up on the reports might not be the best idea, and you still have to review the items on the CRM. 

Instead of this approach, it is perhaps best to review the key metrics that you are tracking, for example, instead of running a quote report subscription. Take the time on Mondays (or whatever day you have your meeting), and print out the current quote statistics. This way it gives your managers the time to go in and update the CRM from the weekend. As there might be missing quotes, etc. 

What Should You Report On? 

This is a question in which you will get a different answer from every dealership. Everything to text reports, call reports, email reports, campaign reports, quote reports, etc. All of which can be helpful; however, to make the most out of the meetings it is also just as important to not get to detailed into the day-to-day, but instead, look at the bigger picture. That is first reviewing how many sales you have for the month to date vs. the quotes that are still pending. In doing so, you have a better sense of what your current sales rate is vs. looking at calls, emails, and texts. 

The other reports such as email, call, text and campaign reports are best suited for your sales managers to review as they are managing their respective teams. Besides, merely looking at a call report does not and will not indicate the sole reason your sales are not where they need to be. There are far more indicators to review. One example is your marketing efforts. The idea that if your GM has cut the marketing budget because s/he wants to save money can have a negative impact on your sales numbers. You cannot hold your sales managers accountable for slower sales if you are not marketing to prospective customers, but that is another topic to discuss. 

When reviewing the marketing reports, however - it is important to note how many phone calls you have received for the month. In doing so, you can see what the potential opportunties are; however when reviewing the inbound phone call reports it is important to take into consideration that the numbers might not be accurate. For example, in my last auto group, if the customer called in multiple times - it counted as a new call each time according to the GM - which meant that the closing rate was much lower than what it actually should have been. This also means that more time was wasted reviewing the call logs than trying to increase sales. 
 
Bottom Line: reviewing reports is essential, but not all reports are created equal. Rather, it is more important to look at the bigger picture; that is everything from how many quotes are out vs. sold, phone calls, and appointments set. By spending time on the total sales, it enables your management team to focus on what is important - having reviewed all facets with regards to the sale - versus several reports that do not offer the full picture. 

How do you handle reporting for your store? Do you have weekly meetings on a few reports or do you focus on the bigger picture? 
 

Every day your vehicle goes without a photo online, you could be losing revenue. Getting the photos online, however, is easier said than done. There are several inventory management tools on the market; though, many dealers still do it the old way. That is taking the photos on a camera (or cell phone), loading them to the computer, to then loading them onto the unit. This is a very lengthy and time-consuming process! To avoid the delay, here are some of the top things to consider when loading photos online!

Stop Wasting Time With Manually Loading Photos Online. Time is Money. There is An App For That.

Long gone are the days of taking the photos on a camera to then have to load them onto the computer; to then finally loading it up to the vehicle. One of the most significant disadvantages of doing it this way is that it can be easy to mix up the photos. Wherein, you are not saving the photo on the camera as the stock number. This means that when you are going to load them onto the website, you have to click through each vehicle to then figure out which stock number they belong too. This can easily take five extra minutes. If you have twelve or so vehicles to photo that could be as much as an hour wasted! Instead, many of today's inventory management tools have a photo app. One that enables you to load the stock list. In which case, whoever is taking the photos can click into the app, select the stock number, and load the photos. This can save a lot of time; time that can be used to do other tasks. Such as moving vehicles, or better yet merchandising the inventory!

Have a Process. Consistency is Key for Success.

Have you ever browsed a dealers site and the vehicles all have different sorts of photos or various orders? Best practice would be to have a set process; one where your inventory manager is taking consistent photos. That is ensuring that they photo each angle of the vehicle; and for vehicles with specific features, make sure to capture those add ons, such as Navigation, Back-Up Camera, Sunroof, Spoiler, Rims, etc. Anything that makes the unit stand out. In doing so, it can make it much easier for the customer to see if the vehicle has the features they are hoping for!

Bottom Line: anything your dealer can do to save time, do it! That hour or so a day is five hours a week, which is just three hours shy of an entire day lost to wasted time - time that can be used to merchandise inventory, or moving vehicles!

How do you handle your inventory photos? Do you still have your inventory manager taking photos and loading them to a computer?