Email marketing continues to be the number one online marketing channel for all departments of your dealership. It's bigger than paid search, it's bigger than social medi and bigger than SEO.

But it is changing. There are new rules for getting into the inbox AND getting your prospects and customers engaged. Does your email marketing deliver?

Or are you struggling with declining open rates, horrific one to one communication emails to potential clients and other issues? Almost every dealership needs some level of help with email and that's what Malinda and I have set out to offer you.

You're going to walk away from our session with the newest hands-on tools and techniques that you can take back to the dealership and execute on.

This is exactly why I've asked Malinda to join me in this session. For those of you that don't know Malinda, she's the Superwoman of email marketing. Literally!

Malinda is the founder of 1to1News. A smaller but strategic service that caters to dealers and their email marketing needs. She provides some of the best and most engaging email newsletters in the industry. She have achieved some staggering results for my dealers in the past and dealers that I consult with.

Just a few  takeaways from our session include:

• 4 Letters that will sell you more cars this month
• How NOT to be one of the 7 out of 8 emails that Yahoo marks as SPAM
• Why fake email addresses can KILL your email reputation
• What Subject lines will DOUBLE your open rate

Not only are you going to gain some great knowledge but we have a very special offer for each dealer attendee...so listen up!!

Malinda and I are offering a FREE email audit report to dealer attendees that would like to participate. All you have to do to get started is fill out this quick and easy form. To receive your results you will want to attend our session "Secrets of the Inbox: The New Evolution of Email" at DSES.

Click here to get started with your FREE Email Audit Report!

Wait, there's more!!

We'll be giving away 3 FREE iPads during our session. Everyone likes an incentive (not that we need anymore incentives), so we thought we would place some icing on the cake and raffle off 3 FREE iPads to attendees.

I leave you with a short video we put together to help promote our session. Feel free to share, like and promote the video.

We hope to see you at our session. 

 

 

As you know or if you're not already aware, Edmunds.com is going direct to dealers. They're cutting out the middle man (AutoUSA, Dealix and Autobytel) and coming after our business with a newly hired sales team.

Dealers, WE/YOU have a very important choice to make that WILL help determine change (good or bad) to our industry. Keep in mind, Edmunds.com has never been one to treat the dealer fairly. I've been watching this for a while, and it's not rocket science, but follow me... A few years ago, Zag is re-selling leads to dealers per lead basis. Zag changes their subscription model and starts charging dealers on a per sold basis. "So I don't pay unless I sell a car?" - nope. That is music to a dealer's ears! However, in order to determine what to charge you, Zag needs access to your DMS in order to match-up customer sold data (dare they say "transactional data to the dealer") with the leads they've sent you over the last few months. Dealers don't think twice about signing up for the new Zag subscription model. But not thinking twice is the potential issue. You just signed an agreement allowing a 3rd party company to proudly scrub your DMS for YOUR transactional data! Only to use this data to power a CONSUMER facing price analysis tool - TrueCar!

TrueCar Inc. is an automotive solutions provider focused on changing how cars are sold by providing a significantly better customer experience while helping qualified dealer partners to gain incremental market share and reduce costs. TrueCar.com is a transparent, visual publisher of new car transaction data.

How much more transparency does our business need? Perhaps this is nothing more than the evolution of our business.

I've spoken to several higher-ups at TrueCar and trust me, this is a determined company. They "want to change the way cars are sold and bought". Yeah, we've heard this before, but this time we dealers need to listen and pay attention. The challenge; how does TrueCar turn TrueCar to be a household brand?

Let's review the top visited online automotive research sites ...

In order for TrueCar to become a household name, they need a platform to brand themselves. Edmunds.com fits the bill. Before I go any further, allow me to inform you the following is pure speculation on my part... ;) TrueCar's people speak to Edmunds people about a possible synergy between the two. They consider a deal UNTIL Edmunds.com say "Whoooaa - wait a second, we already have a TrueCar piece and it's over a decade old". TMV - True Market Value.

Surely you haven't forgotten about TMV have you?

Edmunds.com quickly figures out exactly what they need to do. Sell direct to the dealers. And in return suckering dealers into allowing them to pull their transactional data.

Click here for a copy of the Edmunds.com Dealer Agreement For Dealers. TrueCar already claims to have over 40% of all transactional data In the United States. Dealers allowed this to happen due to our ignorance and oversight.

Are you going to allow Edmunds.com to have YOUR data transactional?

Click here to read over 40 interesting comments so far.

 

Why aren’t dealers social networking?

That's the title of an article I wrote back in Dec of 2007. I can't believe I had almost forgot that I written it? It wasn’t until I was digging through my analytics and took notice to a top referring site pointing to the article. The title of the article was a little deceiving. I didn’t even write about why dealers are NOT in social media …

“There are many reasons why dealers are not social networking and I’m not totally convinced that all dealers need or should be social networking. But rather than writing why dealers shouldn’t be social networking let’s look at a few of the advantages why maybe they should be.”

Instead, I wrote about 5 advantages to dealers for leveraging social media. Interesting enough, these same 5 advantages still hold true today are have become the backbone of many articles about the dealer industry and social media.

• Branding and Awareness Opportunities
• Search Engine Saturation
• Build Link Popularity
• Build Traffic to your Dealers Website
• Interaction with the Public – Online Reputation

Our industry has come a long way since writing that article in 2007 (well maybe not that far). But the question still remains…“Why aren’t dealers social networking?” Are you even convinced that dealers should even be focusing their efforts in this medium?? It’s still a great question, and one that no one has really talked about. Well...I’ll tell you why most dealers are not OR should not be focusing their effort on social media…

1. Most dealer still can’t answer the phone with professionalism while asking the right questions to get to know the customers’ wants and needs.
2. Most dealers lead response time is still over an hour on average AND when we do get a lead, most don’t know how to respond to the customer with relevancy.
3. Most quit following up with the customer after 48 hours and then wonder why the customer bought from the other dealer.
4. Most dealers still struggles with its “Brand” / its “Message”, a strong Why Buy from Me.
5. It’s too much damn work and most DO NOT have “that person” to manage and take ownership of it.
6. Dealers still struggle to fully embrace New Marketing and trying to understand today’s consumer.
7. Most vehicles comments are still “power windows, power locks and A/C”.
8. Most dealers have no email marketing strategy or better yet, have an email capture rate of less than 20% on the showroom floor.
9. Heck, most dealers still can't keep their Specials Updated.
10. Your Reason Goes Here...

* Most of these dealers are not reading DealerRefresh, that’s another issues in itself (and another post). The list could go on and on and I bet YOU TOO have a few reasons you could add to the list. It’s simple..get your 101 on target before you worry about engaging the customer via social media. Social Media, when done right takes real dedication, time, care and finesse. Don't ask "how many cars will it sell me this month" because there's no report that going to truly track it to a direct sale!! Humm..maybe its time for your dealer to become its own "BRAND". What reason do you think car dealers are still not taking advantage of Social Media?? And heck..maybe you agree and are convinced that not all dealers need or should be in the social media game. **This was first posted over on DealerRefresh and currently has 19 comments you can read to start or continue the conversation here on DS. ::::::::::: Jeff Kershner Founder ~ Blogger ~ ISM DealerRefresh ------ Join me on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter Become a fan fb Fanpage

Yes we do. I'm going to assume that you're like me; you didn't dream of working at a dealership. NASA, the court room, or even the White House were probably more along the lines of what mommy and daddy got you thinking about early on. But here we are pounding pavement and fighting for pennies. What brought you here?...needed some money for some reason I bet. Did you intend to keep doing this after you got that needed money? NO!!!?? Why the hell are you still here???!!! So basically you're telling me the next best thing hasn't come along yet. How long will it be before you stop looking for the next best thing? The car dealership is temporary. This is why we're scum. This is why we can't get CRM right. This is why we can't answer a phone. This is why there is a revolving door on the front of every dealership. This is not what we wanted to do, and there's something better on the horizon - right? Well...Maybe not. Maybe you should look at it another way. So you think selling cars is NOT a career but could "selling" be a career? Hell yes! One of the highest paid professions is SALES and with out selling, the world would stop. You're not in the business of selling cars, you are in the business of SALES and building your own network of raving fans. SO why NOT commit today to using your CRM, answering the phone like a professional, following up with your potential clients while keeping yourself trained. Commit and make "sales" your career! Question: What got you into the car business and have you truly committed to a career in sales? **This was first posted over on DealerRefresh by myself and Alex with 27 comments you can read to start or continue the conversation here on DS. ::::::::::: Jeff Kershner Founder ~ Blogger ~ ISM DealerRefresh ------ Join me on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter Become a fan fb Fanpage

Are your sales representatives skipping right past that 112 days in stock vehicle like it’s the plague?

05 BMW 335i - days in stock 93
06 Toyota Sequoia - days in stock 123
03 Jaguar X-Type - days in stock 154
07 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer - days in stock 112

Why are these cars sticking around?

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen sales professionals tiptoeing around a vehicle ONLY due to the perception that the vehicle was priced too high or for some reason or another felt as if the vehicle was not worthy of being on the front line.

Where do they come up with these conclusions?

I’ve seen it arise from something as simple as 1 or more potential customers telling the sales representative “you’re asking too much for this car” or “wow, I thought this car would have been equipped better”. Many sales people, after hearing this more than once, actually start to believe it’s true.

The car is just sitting there, it’s not being demonstrated nor test driven and now the sales team seems to be avoiding this vehicle like it’s the plague. Before you know it, that same vehicle is 112 days in stock, sucking up your floor plan and messing with your churn rate.

The problem; your sales team is not SOLD on this vehicle. You, as a sales manager have not SOLD the vehicle to who you need to FIRST. If your sales department is not SOLD on the vehicles you have in stock, how do you ever expect them to have the confidence and enthusiasm it takes to sell a car to a customer while also retaining gross?
Before you can sell that used car, it’s imperative you SELL that used car to your sales team first.

1. Be transparent with your sales staff on the price of your inventory. Explain and include them in on the pricing. Show them how it compares to like models in the retail market and/or competition.

2. Build value in your inventory with your sales staff. Review the CarFax, any history reports or stories that go along with each vehicle. Review the options and specifications that make this vehicle worth the asking price.

3. DEMONSTRATE the vehicle to your staff. Do a detailed walk-around while explaining the feature and benefits just as your sales staff would do with a potential customer.

Get your sales team on board and educate them on the inventory. You’ll be surprised by the lack of knowledge and information your sales team has on each used vehicle you have in stock.

I recommend doing this as soon as the vehicles comes out of the reconditioning department OR better yet, have a morning inventory walk with your sales team reviewing the fresh inventory.

Before you sell that used car, SELL that used car.

Side note: If your used car sales manager is too lazy to do this, get it done yourself!

Another side note: If you have a days in stock issue, well then you have a whole ‘nother issue.

7 COMMENTS on this article can me read here.

Consider who Obama was going up against; a Veteran, a Maverick, the old trusty Ford that has been turning it's wheels for a long time.

To me it resembles the dealer down the road that has been around for over 30 years, sorta doing the same thing over and over. They're not a bad dealer, maybe family owned, their reputation is average to above but their customer base has slowly dwindled. Their marketing and lack of consistency no longer speaks to today's consumer.

America has changed over the last 12 months. For the first time in our History we are about to have our first Black President. A true symbol of shift and adjustment across our land.

We have seen a shift in our business as well. This shift has been taking place for some time now. And of course with the economic status, we have seen a deeper change over the last 8-10 months.

As maybe a lesson for dealers (us); Is there anything we can learn from a Presidential Campaign that will mold into the history books.

1. Have a Clear and Simple Message.

Obama's message was clear and precise. "Change". He treasured the weakness of his opponent/s and voiced a message [slogan] that resonated with the majority. A simple message for simple Americans, a message that we all wanted to hear.

2. Keep Consistent

Obama was consistent with his message and process. He found his message early and stayed true to it, never letting off. There was no going back to the drawing board in a relentless search for the magic bullet.

3. Brand Yourself (like a rockstar)

Obama's logo, slogan, understanding of social media and technology were considered flawless. Obama become a brand while also becoming an effective force across America. His brand and persona helped fuel his strategy.

4. Perfect your Marketing Mix

Obama and his campaign team was able to fully leverage every avenue of marketing. From traditional to online marketing, his consistent message was heard abroad. They had a true understanding of Web 2.0 and was able to touch, embrace and engage voters across America using social-media channels.

5. Build Raving Fans

Using the tools of Web 2.0, Obama was able to build a pure fan base across all 50 states. This empowered him to plant and mobilize raving fans in amongst the competition. He harnessed the power of today's online social word of mouth, recognizing it's impact of immenseness.

Dig deep into underlying characteristics that has fueled Obamas success. He was able to create a passionate audience by speaking, engaging and listening to the people. He had a process, a message that became apart of his "brand" and image.

What is your dealers message, what is your dealers brand, are you truly engaging with your customers?

I didn't vote for Obama, but I have a full understanding why so many Americans did and now that he is going to be our President he has my full support (unless he effs it up of course).

------------------------------------------------------

Jeff Kershner
Founder ~ Blogger ~ ISM
DealerRefresh
jeffkershner@dealerrefresh.com
240.217.1740 (my Cell)
http://www.dealerrefresh.com

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