One of the best parts of my job is to act on behalf of the dealers in the community and, at their request, connect them with the most successful people in the world and the subjects dealers are interested in. In that light, I was really pumped when Danny Sullivan’s name came up and was requested as a keynote for DSES 2013. Danny is someone I’ve personally been following and learning from for many years – he is one of the most brilliant minds in digital marketing and I’m stoked to announce him as a keynote at the DrivingSales Executive Summit this year.

Danny has helped marketers understand how search engines work for nearly 20 years. Back in 1996 he led research on how search engines work, and published his study as “A webmasters Guide to Search Engines.” That effort became Search Engine Watch in 1997.

Today Danny works as the Founding Editor of Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and SMX - Search Marketing Conference. Just to give you an idea about how knowledgeable he is regarding search engines, Matt Cutts of Google considers his work as “must reading” for "web Marketers” and Tim Mayer of Yahoo called it the “most authoritative source on search.” The bottom line, Danny doesn’t mess around – this guy is brilliant and knows how to dominate in digital marketing – and he will rock our digital marketing world at DSES.

As always, DSES will be awesome this year. We put our entire focus on bringing in the best speakers from inside and outside the industry. The DrivingSales Executive summit is the only event that lets dealers select the speakers (as opposed to others who let vendor sponsors decide the content – which is why you get massive sales pitches at those events.)  

Our goal has always been simple: Help dealers fill in the gaps that exist within their dealerships to improve performance. Danny Sullivan will be another incredible resource to help you understand what’s happening now and stay more than just a couple of steps ahead of your competition.

Danny's keynote presentation, Racing to Keep Up with the Fast Pace of Digital Marketing will cover: 

• Current state of search marketing strategies

• What Google is doing to help brands & consumers

• How marketers need to respond to the new rules

• Content marketing strategies - how the auto industry needs to be thinking 

Presentation Overview:

Danny Sullivan (the internet marketing journalist, not the race car driver) will deliver a turbo-charged keynote, bringing the audience up to speed with the latest trends in SEO and search marketing strategies. Covering a wide range of marketing opportunities on Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter and beyond, automotive dealers will learn how to prioritize their digital content marketing strategies and reach qualified customers through local search, mobile and social media marketing efforts.  Attendees will walk away with a greater understanding of cross-platform content opportunities and best practices for search and social media that can be implemented immediately in their marketing campaigns.

The 2013 DrivingSales Executive Summit will be held at the Bellagio Las Vegas from Sunday, October 13th through Tuesday, October 15th. Every year DSES has sold out and this year will be no different.  So, don’t hesitate and register now. We have even more great keynote surprises coming out in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

See you in Vegas!

San Clemente, CA – May 5, 2009 – Leading automotive CRM provider DealerSocket, announced today it has added a new distinction to a long list of accolades by being named as a finalist for the "Red Herring 100 North America" award, a prestigious list honoring the year’s most promising private technology ventures in North America. The Red Herring editorial team selected the most innovative companies from a pool of 1,200. The nominees are evaluated on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, technology innovation, quality of management, execution of strategy, and integration into their respective industries.

“To be chosen as a finalist for an award of such high distinction is truly an honor,” said Jonathan Ord, DealerSocket Co-Founder and CEO. “Over the past year we have experienced incredible growth during a time when the automotive industry has been particularly hard hit. Our CRM product is helping auto dealers discover ways to retain precious market share and even grow during these challenging times. Our company is full of great people and this award is yet another testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team. We all look forward to continuing to grow our customer base and help our customers do the same.”

This unique assessment of potential is complemented by a review of the actual track record and standing of a company, which allows Red Herring to see past the “buzz” and make the list an invaluable instrument for discovering and advocating the greatest business opportunities in the industry.

"This year was especially difficult," said Alex Vieux, Publisher and CEO of Red Herring. "There were so many great companies producing really innovative and amazing products that we had a difficult time narrowing it down to 200.  Now we’re faced with the arduous task of selecting the final 100. We know that this year’s crop will grow into some amazing companies that are sure to go far."

For over 10 years, The Red Herring 100 North America award, open to private technology companies headquartered in North America, has been given to the top 100 tech companies based upon their technological innovation, management strength, market size, investor record, customer acquisition, and financial health. During the several months leading up to the announcement, hundreds of companies in the telecom, communications, security, Web 2.0, software, hardware, biotech, and clean tech industries sent in their submissions to qualify for the award. Past award winners include Google, Yahoo!, Skype, Netscape, Salesforce.com, and YouTube.

The CEOs of the 200 finalists are invited to present their winning strategies at the Red Herring Conference in San Diego, where the Red Herring Top 100 will be announced.

ABOUT RED HERRING
Red Herring is a global media company uniting the world's best high technology innovators, venture investors, and business decision-makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine; an online daily technology news service; technology newsletters, and major events for technology leaders around the globe. Red Herring provides an insider's access to the global innovation ecosystem, featuring unparalleled insights on the emerging technologies driving the economy.
For more information, visit www.redherring.com

ABOUT DEALERSOCKET
With the power to manage sales, service, CSI and marketing, DealerSocket's Customer Relationship Management solution is a single tool enabling all automotive dealership departments to achieve optimum results. DealerSocket provides auto dealers with the most comprehensive CRM solution available today, allowing dealers to save critical time and money, while also increasing sales staff effectiveness.  More than 50,000 users at nearly 1000 auto dealerships throughout the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia now leverage DealerSocket's CRM solution to optimize and manage marketing activities, sales processes, customer satisfaction and retention, and service department operations.  Based in San Clemente, California, DealerSocket has won numerous awards and industry recognition, including being named Best Overall Company globally in the 2008 International Business Awards.  DealerSocket is recognized by Deloitte & Touche as one of the fastest growing companies in North America. 

More information is available at DealerSocket.com.

This is was given to the dealers directly from Chrysler:

Q1:  What does this new company mean to me as a Chrysler, Dodge or
Jeep customer?
A1: The partnership with Fiat transforms Chrysler into a vibrant new company
with many strategic advantages.  It enables Chrysler to better serve its
customers and dealers with a broader and more competitive line-up of
environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient high-quality vehicles. 
 
Chrysler and its dealers will continue to sell and service vehicles and
honor warranties without interruption.  Consumers can continue to
purchase our vehicles with complete confidence.
 
Q2: What is the ownership structure of the new company?
A2: When the transaction is completed, the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary
Association (VEBA) will own 55 percent of the new company and the U.S.
and Canadian governments will own proportionate shares of a 10 percent
stake.  Fiat will initially own a 20 percent stake in Chrysler.  Fiat will have
the right to increase its ownership stake an additional 15 percent in three
increments as it meets the following criteria: 5 percent for bringing a 40
mpg vehicle platform to Chrysler to be produced in the U.S.; 5 percent for
providing a fuel-efficient engine family to be produced in the U.S. for use
in Chrysler vehicles; and 5 percent for providing Chrysler access to its
vast global distribution network to facilitate the export of Chrysler vehicles. 
Fiat cannot become a majority owner until all U.S. government loans have
been completely repaid.  
 
Q3 What is a Chapter 11, section 363 bankruptcy?
A3: For the past several months, we have worked tirelessly to reach
agreement with key stakeholders on concessions that would allow
Chrysler to complete this alliance with Fiat and proceed with its plans
without the need for a bankruptcy proceeding.  Despite substantial
progress on many fronts, Chrysler was not able to obtain the necessary
concessions from all of its lenders.  As a result, under the direction of the
U.S. Treasury, Chrysler LLC and 24 of its wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries
filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U. S. Bankruptcy Code.
With this filing, we will also submit a motion under Section 363 of
the Bankruptcy Code, requesting the swift approval by the Court of the
agreement with Fiat and the sale of Chrysler’s principal assets to the new
company.  
The benefit of this type of filing is speed.  It should allow a leaner
new company to emerge in a matter of 30 to 60 days, well positioned for
long-term viability. Chrysler’s Mexican, Canadian and other International operations are not part of any bankruptcy filing.
 
Q4: Is Chrysler still an American car company?
A4: Chrysler’s operations, as of now, will remain primarily based in the U.S.,
employ tens of thousands of Americans directly and at the supplier and
dealer level, and will continue a proud tradition of American engineering
and manufacturing into the future.   
 
U.S. Dealer (Please note:  These apply only to U.S. dealers, the 363
Reorganization filing is relevant to U.S. dealers only):
 
Q5:  Will the resale value of customer’s vehicles decrease because of the
bankruptcy filing?
A5: Resale values are determined by actual transactions in the used car
markets, Independent third parties forecast values.
 
Q6: How will the reorganization affect the availability of service and
replacement parts at U.S. dealerships?
A6: At this time we do not anticipate any issue with the availability of service
and replacement parts.
 
Q7: Will there be a difference in the time it takes a dealer to get paid for
incentives?
A7: We have no plans to change the timing or the process of how dealers are
paid for incentives due to them.
 
Q8: Will Chrysler still offer consumers incentives on new vehicle
purchases that are commensurate with what is going on in the
marketplace?
A8: Yes. The current Employee Pricing Plus Plus program has been extended
through May 4, 2009.  Chrysler traditionally announces incentives as part
of its monthly sales release and call.  We will continue to do that,
announcing new incentives the week of May 4. 
 
Q9: How will U.S. dealers get paid for warranty work?
A9: Our priority is to do what is right for our customers.  Dealers will continue
to get paid for warranty work; there is no plan to change that process.
 
Q10:   How will the bankruptcy filing effect existing CJD vehicle warranties?
A10: There is no change to existing warranties.  All warranties will continue to
be in effect and honored.
 
Q11: How does the bankruptcy filing affect the warranty if a customer
purchases a new vehicle tomorrow? 
A11: There will be no effect on the warranty of a new vehicle purchased during
the reorganization.  The warranty will remain valid for the duration of the
warranty period.  The warranty is guaranteed by the U.S. government if
the vehicle is/was purchased from March 30, 2009 to June 30, 2009.  In
addition, a possibility exists for a renewal or extension based on mutual
agreement.
 
 
Q12:  How does the bankruptcy filing affect the U.S. government backing
of Chrysler vehicle warranties?  
A12: There will be no effect on the warranty of a new vehicle purchased during
the reorganization.  The warranty will remain valid for the duration of the
warranty period.  The warranty is guaranteed by the U.S. government if
the vehicle is/was purchased from March 30, 2009 to June 30, 2009.  In
addition, a possibility exists for a renewal or extension based on mutual
agreement.
 
Q13: What vehicle warranties are backed by the U.S. government?  (Any
Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge with a valid warranty, or only vehicles
purchased after the announcement of the government backing?)
A13: As initially announced, the U.S. government said it would back the
warranties for customers who purchase a new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge
vehicle from March 30, 2009 to June 30, 2009, but the possibility exists for
a renewal or extension based on mutual agreement.
 
Q14: Will the timeframe for reimbursement for warranty work change
during the reorganization process?
A14: We have no plans to change the process or timeframe for reimbursements
for warranty work.
 
Q16: How will the bankruptcy filing effect payments to dealers from
Chrysler?
A16: Our plan is it will have no effect on eligible payments to dealers.  We have
applied for permission from the court to pay virtually all of our dealers’
factory receivables. 
 
Q17: Will Mopar continue to exist ?
A17: Mopar is, and will continue to be, a valuable part of the Chrysler company
business.
 
Q18: Will parts for older Chrysler (Mopar) vehicles continue to be available
for purchase through a local dealer and for how long:
A18: Yes, they will continue to be available and the process for how long
authorized service and replacement parts are available will not change
during the reorganization.

 Q19: How will dealers get paid for service contract work?
A19: We plan no changes to the process for how dealers are paid under the
terms of the service contract.
 
Q20: Will dealers be closed as part of the bankruptcy filing, if so, when will
a dealer know?
A20: It is too early in the process to comment, when we have information we
can share, we will communicate that information directly to our dealers.
 

April 30, 2009 

Dear Chrysler LLC Dealer 
 
Earlier today, Chrysler LLC announced that as a result of the comprehensive restructuring plan agreed to by many of our stakeholders, we have signed an agreement in principle to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat SpA to create a vibrant new car company.   
 
This alliance will provide the new company access to high-quality, environmentally friendly and fuel- efficient small and compact segment vehicles, as well as exciting products and platforms, technology, and a wider global distribution network.  This partnership not only will transform Chrysler into a stronger car company with many strategic advantages, it will enable us to better serve you and our customers with a broader and more competitive line-up of vehicles.  I am very pleased that with the support of the U.S. and Canadian governments, Cerberus Capital Management, LP, Daimler AG, the UAW and CAW leadership, employees, suppliers, our new partner Fiat, and you, our dealers, we can now look forward to the future with a true sense of optimism and possibility. 
 
For the past several months we have worked tirelessly to reach agreement with key stakeholders on concessions that would allow Chrysler to complete this alliance with Fiat without the need for a bankruptcy proceeding.  Despite substantial progress on many fronts, we were not able to obtain the necessary concessions from certain lenders.  As a result, to facilitate our alliance with Fiat and the agreements with key stakeholders, Chrysler and 24 of its wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries today filed voluntary petitions for a structured bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S.Bankruptcy Code in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.   
 
Here’s what is meant by a “structured” bankruptcy:  With this filing, we have also submitted a motion under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code, a provision that allows a company to enter a court-supervised process to sell its assets quickly and in an orderly manner as the best way to preserve and maximize value for stakeholders.  We filed this motion requesting the swift approval by the Court of the agreement with Fiat and the sale of Chrysler’s principal assets to a new company.  Utilizing this provision will allow us to emerge a stronger, leaner, more competitive company. 

Although complete agreement was not possible, we understand and appreciate the deep sacrifices made on the part of many of our stakeholders, including dealers like you.  In order to create this new company, we will use this structured bankruptcy to swiftly implement tough but necessary changes, including: the agreed upon wage and benefit structure for active and retired employees that is competitive with those of transplant manufactures; a reduction of debt and interest expense; disposition of idle assets; sound agreements with suppliers and rationalized and more efficient dealer network.  In the days and weeks ahead we will continue to keep you informed of our progress. 

Throughout this process Chrysler will honor all warranties for new vehicles and service contracts for Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles.  Chrysler will continue to produce and support quality vehicles over the long term, under the Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge, brands and parts under the Mopar® brand. 

Chrysler has signed a financial services arrangement in principle with GMAC to become the primary retail and wholesale lending company.  As of May 1, GMAC will be the preferred lender for your dealer and consumer business, including wholesale new and used vehicles as well as retail.  GMAC will be able to offer the best long-term finance options for your business and our customers, and is established as a bank holding company with access to a variety of funding sources. There will be a natural wind down of Chrysler Financial business, which includes existing dealer floor plan units staying with Chrysler Financial.   

As a part of the restructuring, most manufacturing operations will be temporarily idled effective Monday, May 4, 2009.  Normal production schedules will resume when the transaction is completed, which is anticipated within 30 to 60 days. 

To ensure business will continue without interruption for our customers as well as our dealer Sales and Service centers, Chrysler also filed “First Day” motions with the court, seeking relief to honor and pay post-petition obligations to employees, suppliers, and dealers as an essential component of preserving ongoing value.  We expect to receive approval for these motions within the next few days.  If you have further question regarding this process please visit www.ChryslerRestructuring.com or call 1-877-271- 1568. 

Again, I thank you for your service and commitment to Chrysler. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
Bob

Earlier today Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli wrote an email to the employees of Chrysler to bring everyone current on the progress of the restructuring.  I was happy and impressed that he was so complimentary to the dealers for the sacrifice they have made to support Chrysler.  OEM's often treat the dealers that pay their bills like second class citizens.  It was a well deserved compliment to the dealer body.

He also laid out what will happen with if the deal goes through with Fiat:  “Upon successful completion of the alliance, a board of directors for Chrysler will be appointed by the U.S. government and Fiat. The majority of the directors will be independent (not employees of Chrysler or Fiat). The board will have the responsibility to appoint a chairman. The board also will select a CEO with Fiat’s concurrence.”

I have two problems with this:

   1. Nardelli has done a decent job steering the broken down clunker of a company he was given from the Germans.  He is the fall guy, not the problem.
   2. I personally don’t like the government being this involved in business.  They can’t successfully control markets and should stop trying.

As you are aware, the government severly wounded Chrysler's negotiating position with Fiat by pronouning Chrysler “not viable on its own" and stating it had two choices and a deadline: partner with Fiat or go BK.  That public acknowledment took away all of Chrysler's negotiation leverage.  To me, that was either a really dumb move, or, something else is taking place...

The only other option for Chrysler at this stage is a BK, most likely, (hopefully) a Chapter 11.  Under Ch 11 Chrysler will shed many of its costs at the expense of partners: Pensions, Debt holders, UAW and yes, the dealers, will all lose out.  However, if consumer demand stays they will emerge a much stronger and leaner company, prepared for the future as a strong domestic automaker.  There will be pain, but it would turn out ok.

BK Rumor Mill or Inside Source?

I have a source in Detroit that is telling me that the executives were all summoned back to Chrysler headquarters this weekend for meetings.  This could be normal, however the "Rumor Mill" speculation is that they plan file for CH 11 as early as Monday or Tuesday of next week.  After all, they have no additional funding availble without a partner.  You also have to consider what would Fiat rather do. Would Fiat really partner with Chrsler now and absorb all those legacy costs or would it be smarter for them to let Chrysler file BK, shed some cost and emerge leaner AND with a new partner as a MUCH stronger company?  Hmmm...

Nothing is completely confirmed, (except Nardelli’s email, which I'll paste below)  but ill certainly be watching to see what happens next week.  Chrysler only has two ways to go at this point and we know what they both are.  The only questions remaining are "which path" and "when"...

Nardelli Email:

To: Chrysler Employees and Contractors
Subject: A Message from Bob Nardelli To All Chrysler Employees

I’d like to give you an update as to where we stand in our restructuring process, since we expect the next two weeks to be very busy as we move toward our April 30 deadline. As you know, significant concessions from all Chrysler constituents are a requirement of our government loans and a condition of our alliance with Fiat. President Obama himself acknowledged this in his March 30 address on the auto industry:

“Now, what we’re asking for is difficult. It will require hard
choices by companies. It will require unions and workers who have
already made extraordinarily painful concessions to do more … It will
require efforts from a whole host of other stakeholders, including
dealers and suppliers.”

While we have made progress with most constituents, there are significant challenges remaining, and I wanted to provide you with a brief update on where we are in the process.

UAW: As required by our U.S. Treasury loan, we submitted a viability plan on Feb. 17 that included tentative agreements with the United Auto Workers union related to modified VEBA terms and hourly wage rates competitive with the transplants. Unfortunately, the Administration reviewed the plan and determined that Chrysler was not viable as a standalone entity, and as noted above, even with an alliance partner, Chrysler must ask for additional sacrifices. The additional concessions we are seeking from the UAW are critical to receiving continued support of the Administration, completing our Fiat alliance and achieving sustained viability.

CAW: Chrysler and the Canadian Auto Workers union have held a series of meetings, but unfortunately, have not reached an agreement on concessions as outlined by the Canadian government. The CAW has been unwilling to abide by the terms of the Canadian government loan, which requests that the union meet local transplant all-in labor costs. This issue is also critical. Without a successful resolution, the alliance with Fiat and our continued viability is at risk.

Canadian government: The Canadian government has been very supportive of our viability, providing a loan of $1 billion (CDN $750 million drawn to date), with an agreement to provide additional support in proportion to the loans received from the U.S. Treasury.

Creditors: The U.S Treasury has been meeting regularly with our creditor group, which has been asked to make significant additional concessions. The U.S. Treasury has extended a concessions proposal to the group, and the creditor group is expected to respond shortly.

Suppliers: In these troubled times we have had success with our suppliers, with some being very supportive. Others have become involved in the Federal Automotive Supplier Support Program. To date, Chrysler has approved 150 suppliers for the program.

Dealers: Our dealers were among the first constituency groups to meet their concession goals and continue as strong supporters of Chrysler. In spite of the negative perceptions surrounding our industry, our dealers show tremendous enthusiasm for our company, our brands and products in their local communities with their optimism and steadfast support of our customers.

Chrysler Employees: As a result of extensive downsizing and de-layering, Chrysler employees continue to do more with less throughout the organization. Significant costs and benefits have been eliminated and all federal guidelines are being met.

Fiat: We continue to review the status of all stakeholder discussions with Fiat, as the achievement of concessions is a condition of the alliance. Fiat strongly believes in the mutual benefits the alliance would create for both of our companies, our customers, employees and other constituents.

To help set the record straight in light of recent media speculation, let me share with you a few facts on the alliance. Upon successful completion of the alliance, a board of directors for Chrysler will be appointed by the U.S. government and Fiat. The majority of the directors will be independent (not employees of Chrysler or Fiat). The board will have the responsibility to appoint a chairman. The board also will select a CEO with Fiat’s concurrence.

As we enter this crucial period, I want you to know that I appreciate your tireless efforts and dedication to the cause of ensuring Chrysler’s future success. I ask you to stay focused on the job at hand, remain positive about our future and keep supporting one another in everything you do.

Thank you again for your continued commitment to Chrysler.

Bob

Recently I have been asked some questions about what rules we have for posting in the DrivingSales community.

Truth is we don’t really need many rules, since the community is made up of professionals it regulates itself quite well.  The couple things we do ask is that:

1. Vendors not write overly promotional material, or insult one another.
2. In the vendor ratings section, only dealers can write and review the vendors.

Since I have fielded so many questions lately, I thought it would be a good time to explain our background and answer a few specifics publically:

How DrivingSales.com got started:

DrivingSales.com was create back in 2003; I built is as a private community to network my dealer academy class so that we could share information and support each other more efficiently.   Less than one year ago we opened up the community for other professionals to share and benefit.  We knew the community was a great resource and excited to see that thousands of industry professionals (and still counting...) agree!

Are there guidelines for each section?

Yes the guidelines are, "If it’s good for the dealers, it’s good for the community."  If you would like to see our philisophy to each section you can read it below.

In Conclusion…

DrivingSales is open to Dealers, Vendors and OEMs for the sharing of innovation and best practices.  Our industry exists because Dealers sell and service cars; everything else supports those two objectives.  Thus, our main focus is to serve the dealers.  
Email us at contactus@drivingsales.com or join our community council group if you have suggestions about how to make the community better.  We love making your ideas a reality!

Guidelines for each section:

Blogs:

Our blogs are to share knowledge; they are not for vendors to write advertorials for their products.  We have other well-defined opportunities for advertising. 
(Vendors: the best things you can do to build you name are to share real knowledge and tips with dealers WITHOUT being self-promotional.  Dealers need to know who are the real experts with real solutions, not hype.)

Vendor Ratings:

Only dealership employees can rate and review the products they have experience with.  While the reviews are anonymous to the readers, we validate each review behind the scenes.  Make sure your contact information is accurate so we can contact you if needed to verify your review.  The fact that we verify the validity of the reviews makes the system more valuable for everyone.
That’s it for the rules.

Discussion:

Anyone can post any question or topic and anyone can respond.  If you spam the discussion board you will look like a poor marketer and people will ignore you. Spam at your own risk.

Video:

Anyone can upload any video they believe will be relevant to share with the industry.  No pornography.  When a video has good content, give it a good rating and more people will watch it.  If you don’t like the video, ignore it and its buzz will wane.

Strategies:

This section was built like a 20 group idea session on steroids.  Present your ideas and take time to rate the ideas of your peers.  There is some really great stuff presented there!

Groups:

Anyone can create a group with all functionality of DrivingSales housed in your own private environment.  Be creative and have fun with your group to make it more vibrant.

Dealer.com just announced the next installment of their online marketing webinars. The Power of 1st Party Leads!  They have a great lineup of expert web marketers and the presentation promises to be a good one.

What you will learn:

• 1st party leads close at a higher rate with higher profits
  
• That not all leads are created equally
  
• How to harness the power of your website to generate higher quality leads
  
• How to implement a first party lead strategy at your dealership

Click here to register for free.

Note: This is a dealer and OEM management webinar only. 

I am happy to announce a new DrivingSales editorial blog called Elevator Pitch that will keep you current with the good, the bad and the ugly of new vendor products.    The blog will compliment the Vendor ratings as a way for dealers to get independent and unbiased information about a solution provider BEFORE they commit to a partnership of sorts.

Each week we will allow one new vendor to pitch our editors (all prior dealership managers) on their new product or service.  The “Elevator Pitch” blog posts will a short and to the point product review answering the four questions below.  This way you can stay on top of the new innovations that can help you better their business.
 Each post will answer four questions:

1. What problem does the solution solve for the dealer?
2. How is the solution used by a dealer? (the demo part)
3. What ROI can a dealer expect from the solution?
4. How does the solution differ from its competition? 
   

We welcome recommendations from anyone about which vendors we should review.  We will focus on unique or new/updated products to cover.  If selected, a representative from the vendor will have 30 min to demo the product to us on the phone or in person.  We will have 15 min of Q&A, and then our editors can get to writing the review.  We plan to publish one review per week and see what everyone thinks.

To keep everything fair there are some rules that are best to discuss up front, this way everyone knows what to expect.

1. This is NOT pay to play.  There will be ABSOLUTLY no compensation to review a product a certain way or even to review a product at all.  This is not a method of advertising; this is DrivingSales educating dealers.  (If we decide to review your product don’t count yourself lucky until you read the review… we will be honest! See rule 2)
   
2. We will be honest in the review.  If we like your product, we may say so.  If we don’t like your product… well, we will say that too.  Again, we are not your public relations manager; we are writing reviews to help dealers.  If we were not honest it wouldn’t be helpful.
   
3. While we determine whom we will review, we are welcome to (and expect) recommendations.  Those recommendations coming from dealer members will be weighted heaviest.  To recommend someone (including yourself) see below.
   

If you are a vendor and would like to submit yourself to be written about please email us at contactus@drivingsales.com.  Please let us know, in a few sentences, what your service does and provide us with your contact information.  We will set up the demo from there.

Congratulations to David Swan, the $500 winner of our Car Czar contest.  David submitted what he called the “Swan Doctrine” – a type of a tax break for car buyers.  To continue in the spirit of fun giveaways, we have decided to randomly give away an Ipod to one respondant to the following hot topics:

Help your peers and add your thoughts to any of these threads for a chance to win a shuffle.  We will randomly select one respondent to one of these threads to receive a shuffle in the next Newsletter:

Lets do some problem solving together

Used Car Turn Policy & Write Down Accounts

Google Analytics, Bounce Rate?

First Party Leads - Looking out for Number 1

Internet Conversion Ratios

Good Luck and thanks for participating!

(note: the shuffle is open to any member of DrivingSales.com.  All Vendors, Dealers and OEMs are welcome to participate.)