ActivEngage, the most trusted brand in automotive live chat brings the top ten blogs and news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition-- a DoS attack, checklist for closing, and myths about self driving cars.

10. A Checklist for Closing

Remember your first days in a dealership and the fundamentals the sales manager drilled into your head? That was good advice. We tend to forget a lot of it over time and as experience adds up.

9. Google+ Ditches Zagat Ratings

In May of 2012, Google implemented their Zagat rating system which was confusing for both businesses and consumers. Now you can see they changed back to the 5-star rating system.

8. The Three Stages of Social Media--Part 1

This is part 1 in a 4 part series about automotive social media strategies that are emerging to help car dealers get true benefit. It’s not just about branding. It’s not about auto-feeding marketing content. With the right strategies in place, dealers can drive foot traffic and website visitors in a way that can help them sell more vehicles and drive more service customers.

7. Is Your Dealership on a Treadmill?

The dealership sales process has the ability to evolve into a more sophisticated, frictionless business if only it weren’t for our collective hesitation. One theme I see playing over and over at dealerships is the constant impasses that occur from one owner or manager being unwilling to make a decision.

6. Cobalt Hit with DoS Attack

Cobalt suffered a DoS attack yesterday morning that was the result of a massive surge in external traffic to the network. This affected both the main Cobalt company website and their network of dealer websites - including the US network of 4,400 General Motors websites.

5. What Does it Mean to Reboot Your Life?

Scott Monty sits down with Mitch Joel, author of  Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends On It. This new book is not your standard marketing book. It's certainly not a social media book. It's a book about life and practical matters with respect to business, marketing and how we all fit into the picture.

4. 3 Myths about Self-Driving Cars

There’s a lot of hype surrounding them. But where are they?

3. A Dead Man Wins Mexico Mayor Race

It's been said that to get elected to public office all you need is a pulse, but prosecutors Mexico are investigating how a man certified as dead got elected mayor of a village in southern Mexico.

2. Pig Beach, Bahamas.

On the Bahamian archipelago of Exuma sits Big Major Cay (also known as Pig Island and Major Cay). Legend has it that sailors dropped the pigs off on the island with the intention of coming back to eat them, but never returned. Now the pigs rule the island. Locals and tourists alike feed the pigs who have been known to swim up to incoming boats.

1. Helmet-Wearing Fool Challenges a Ram.

This epic video was originally posted last fall, but it's trending again because watching a ram show this kid who's boss is too good to pass up.

_

Did we miss anything important? Like our top ten blogs this week? Leave us a comment below! Or if you really can’t wait for your automotive fix, follow @activengage on Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!

ActivEngage, the most trusted brand in automotive live chat brings the top ten blogs and news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition-- a DoS attack, checklist for closing, and myths about self driving cars.

10. A Checklist for Closing

Remember your first days in a dealership and the fundamentals the sales manager drilled into your head? That was good advice. We tend to forget a lot of it over time and as experience adds up.

9. Google+ Ditches Zagat Ratings

In May of 2012, Google implemented their Zagat rating system which was confusing for both businesses and consumers. Now you can see they changed back to the 5-star rating system.

8. The Three Stages of Social Media--Part 1

This is part 1 in a 4 part series about automotive social media strategies that are emerging to help car dealers get true benefit. It’s not just about branding. It’s not about auto-feeding marketing content. With the right strategies in place, dealers can drive foot traffic and website visitors in a way that can help them sell more vehicles and drive more service customers.

7. Is Your Dealership on a Treadmill?

The dealership sales process has the ability to evolve into a more sophisticated, frictionless business if only it weren’t for our collective hesitation. One theme I see playing over and over at dealerships is the constant impasses that occur from one owner or manager being unwilling to make a decision.

6. Cobalt Hit with DoS Attack

Cobalt suffered a DoS attack yesterday morning that was the result of a massive surge in external traffic to the network. This affected both the main Cobalt company website and their network of dealer websites - including the US network of 4,400 General Motors websites.

5. What Does it Mean to Reboot Your Life?

Scott Monty sits down with Mitch Joel, author of  Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends On It. This new book is not your standard marketing book. It's certainly not a social media book. It's a book about life and practical matters with respect to business, marketing and how we all fit into the picture.

4. 3 Myths about Self-Driving Cars

There’s a lot of hype surrounding them. But where are they?

3. A Dead Man Wins Mexico Mayor Race

It's been said that to get elected to public office all you need is a pulse, but prosecutors Mexico are investigating how a man certified as dead got elected mayor of a village in southern Mexico.

2. Pig Beach, Bahamas.

On the Bahamian archipelago of Exuma sits Big Major Cay (also known as Pig Island and Major Cay). Legend has it that sailors dropped the pigs off on the island with the intention of coming back to eat them, but never returned. Now the pigs rule the island. Locals and tourists alike feed the pigs who have been known to swim up to incoming boats.

1. Helmet-Wearing Fool Challenges a Ram.

This epic video was originally posted last fall, but it's trending again because watching a ram show this kid who's boss is too good to pass up.

_

Did we miss anything important? Like our top ten blogs this week? Leave us a comment below! Or if you really can’t wait for your automotive fix, follow @activengage on Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!

What’s the one thing that big box retailers don’t have? Heritage and a story. Sure, they can hire celebrity spokespeople, spend millions in advertising and photography, but they can’t tell me a story. This is one thing that Bentley has excelled at in their recent campaign dubbed, “Le Mans 24 Hours: Les Bentley Boys."  This short documentary is available on YouTube and it’s about the world's oldest active endurance sports car race.

What’s so special about this video?

It’s divided into three vignettes chronicling a different period and perspective to the story. The first part creates awe, it establishes almost a mythical aura of Le Mans race. The second part gives us a picture of the rugged and audacious Bentley Boys who dominated the race in its earliest days. The final section takes us to 2003 when Bentley returned to the race and won after a long absence from the race.

This 6 minute documentary told a story unlike any car ad I’ve seen. The best part of this video is that it’s their story and no one else can touch it. It’s about relentless driving and it’s about the putting two unlikely things together: man and machine.  It’s about how the Bentley Boys made the car a luxurious, untouchable, classic vehicle. It’s not an ad to sell the car. It’s an ad to tell their story. There in itself, is a big difference.

How can you score with storytelling and heritage?

People connect with stories because they want to have an affirmation of life and meaning. Nothing gives greater affirmation than when we connect through stories.  Stories can cross through any barriers of time, past, present, and future. They allow us to experience the similarities within ourselves and others.  Here are some tips to create your story:

1. Make a promise that the story will lead somewhere and be worth your time

2. Make the audience put things together-- hold their attention and don’t be predictable

3. Change is fundamental in stories-- we are constantly changing and if your story doesn’t change then it’s not true to human nature.

4. Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty.

5. Stories have guidelines, no hardline rules -- remember that.

6. Have a strong theme

7. Evoke wonder

Once you evoke wonder, then you’ll see that this is the driving point to share a story. I was in awe of the Bentley Boys story and that is what made me write this blog and share Bentley’s story with you all.

----

What is it about your product or service that is uniquely and totally you? What story can you tell that no competitor can duplicate? For more automotive marketing tips, check out @activengage on Twitter! 

What’s the one thing that big box retailers don’t have? Heritage and a story. Sure, they can hire celebrity spokespeople, spend millions in advertising and photography, but they can’t tell me a story. This is one thing that Bentley has excelled at in their recent campaign dubbed, “Le Mans 24 Hours: Les Bentley Boys."  This short documentary is available on YouTube and it’s about the world's oldest active endurance sports car race.

What’s so special about this video?

It’s divided into three vignettes chronicling a different period and perspective to the story. The first part creates awe, it establishes almost a mythical aura of Le Mans race. The second part gives us a picture of the rugged and audacious Bentley Boys who dominated the race in its earliest days. The final section takes us to 2003 when Bentley returned to the race and won after a long absence from the race.

This 6 minute documentary told a story unlike any car ad I’ve seen. The best part of this video is that it’s their story and no one else can touch it. It’s about relentless driving and it’s about the putting two unlikely things together: man and machine.  It’s about how the Bentley Boys made the car a luxurious, untouchable, classic vehicle. It’s not an ad to sell the car. It’s an ad to tell their story. There in itself, is a big difference.

How can you score with storytelling and heritage?

People connect with stories because they want to have an affirmation of life and meaning. Nothing gives greater affirmation than when we connect through stories.  Stories can cross through any barriers of time, past, present, and future. They allow us to experience the similarities within ourselves and others.  Here are some tips to create your story:

1. Make a promise that the story will lead somewhere and be worth your time

2. Make the audience put things together-- hold their attention and don’t be predictable

3. Change is fundamental in stories-- we are constantly changing and if your story doesn’t change then it’s not true to human nature.

4. Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty.

5. Stories have guidelines, no hardline rules -- remember that.

6. Have a strong theme

7. Evoke wonder

Once you evoke wonder, then you’ll see that this is the driving point to share a story. I was in awe of the Bentley Boys story and that is what made me write this blog and share Bentley’s story with you all.

----

What is it about your product or service that is uniquely and totally you? What story can you tell that no competitor can duplicate? For more automotive marketing tips, check out @activengage on Twitter! 

Your digital showroom is the best source for quality leads and lead generation. Your consumers are not going to third party sites to search for your dealership, they are going to search engine sites like Google. And in those search engine sites, your potential customer is usually typing in the model of the vehicle they are looking for or they use search terms like service specials, car specials, or cars with good warranty.  

Once your prospects reach your site that is when you have toWOW them. Great web designers know that visitors will leave a site if they can’t find what they’re looking for in 5 seconds. This is especially true of dealership websites.

It’s time to stop guessing about the effectiveness of your website and learn the best practices behind making it a gold mine for engagement and leads. We created this eBook:Your Website is a Gold Mine, in order to discuss the tools available to you so you can use your website as the ultimate powerhouse of information, quality conversation, and connecting with your online shoppers. Just by making a few changes, it will be a gold mine for your investments too!

This eBook includes:

- Best practices for SEO and website content

- How to effectively design your website's layout for online shoppers

- How to manage your data to increase ROI

And more!

Download our free eBook and start using your website to its fullest potential!

Your digital showroom is the best source for quality leads and lead generation. Your consumers are not going to third party sites to search for your dealership, they are going to search engine sites like Google. And in those search engine sites, your potential customer is usually typing in the model of the vehicle they are looking for or they use search terms like service specials, car specials, or cars with good warranty.  

Once your prospects reach your site that is when you have toWOW them. Great web designers know that visitors will leave a site if they can’t find what they’re looking for in 5 seconds. This is especially true of dealership websites.

It’s time to stop guessing about the effectiveness of your website and learn the best practices behind making it a gold mine for engagement and leads. We created this eBook:Your Website is a Gold Mine, in order to discuss the tools available to you so you can use your website as the ultimate powerhouse of information, quality conversation, and connecting with your online shoppers. Just by making a few changes, it will be a gold mine for your investments too!

This eBook includes:

- Best practices for SEO and website content

- How to effectively design your website's layout for online shoppers

- How to manage your data to increase ROI

And more!

Download our free eBook and start using your website to its fullest potential!

Last week the world found out that the moon isn’t made out of cheese like all the fairy tales said, it’s actually a lime.Corona launched a fun billboard in New York City that captures the moon at the precise moment it descends onto the bottle placed on the board, in the precise shape of a lime wedge. The billboard was created after consultations with astronomists and professors, and is placed at the perfect location to create"Luna Corona."

Pretty awesome right? Imagine standing in NYC watching this phenomenon unfold and the experience Corona gave it’s customers. Now, how can you harness the power of the moon?

Make it relevant

Everything Starts With the vehicle

Are you offering something valuable? Are you merely selling vehicles… or facilitating and endorsing your customer’s life?

Don't Forget About the Dealership

Being true to who you are is key. Storytelling, authenticity, and uniqueness add more than you would expect: They reflect core values and sustain your identity.

Creating the Experience

Stories stay stories. Creating an actual experience around your vehicle, online and offline, is something intangible that elevates your product and brand experience. This is what Corona has done with their ad, they created  an experience  that was worth sharing with friends.

Your Website

Your Digital Showroom

A website is more than just an info desk about your dealership. It is what you are: You can share your past, your present, and your future and get feedback from your consumers. Your digital showroom should be a portal where everything your consumer needs to know is presented in an intuitive and engaging way.

Activate conversations

Surprises

Surprising your consumers is the best way to shake them awake and make sure they stay focused. A surprise can be anything: Send them a birthday card or post a video that no one has ever seen.

Stories

Do not underestimate the power of stories. Tell a story about yourself, let your consumers share stories about their personal life, or, even better, combine both. People want something to talk about. What kind of stories? Real, unique, personal, and emotional stories!

No guts, no glory

Go out there and create something awesome. If you don’t try, how will you know you succeeded?

-----

What do you think about Corona’s billboard? Do you think you can do something similar with your dealership? And as always, follow @activengage for the lastest tips in car live chat

Last week the world found out that the moon isn’t made out of cheese like all the fairy tales said, it’s actually a lime.Corona launched a fun billboard in New York City that captures the moon at the precise moment it descends onto the bottle placed on the board, in the precise shape of a lime wedge. The billboard was created after consultations with astronomists and professors, and is placed at the perfect location to create"Luna Corona."

Pretty awesome right? Imagine standing in NYC watching this phenomenon unfold and the experience Corona gave it’s customers. Now, how can you harness the power of the moon?

Make it relevant

Everything Starts With the vehicle

Are you offering something valuable? Are you merely selling vehicles… or facilitating and endorsing your customer’s life?

Don't Forget About the Dealership

Being true to who you are is key. Storytelling, authenticity, and uniqueness add more than you would expect: They reflect core values and sustain your identity.

Creating the Experience

Stories stay stories. Creating an actual experience around your vehicle, online and offline, is something intangible that elevates your product and brand experience. This is what Corona has done with their ad, they created  an experience  that was worth sharing with friends.

Your Website

Your Digital Showroom

A website is more than just an info desk about your dealership. It is what you are: You can share your past, your present, and your future and get feedback from your consumers. Your digital showroom should be a portal where everything your consumer needs to know is presented in an intuitive and engaging way.

Activate conversations

Surprises

Surprising your consumers is the best way to shake them awake and make sure they stay focused. A surprise can be anything: Send them a birthday card or post a video that no one has ever seen.

Stories

Do not underestimate the power of stories. Tell a story about yourself, let your consumers share stories about their personal life, or, even better, combine both. People want something to talk about. What kind of stories? Real, unique, personal, and emotional stories!

No guts, no glory

Go out there and create something awesome. If you don’t try, how will you know you succeeded?

-----

What do you think about Corona’s billboard? Do you think you can do something similar with your dealership? And as always, follow @activengage for the lastest tips in car live chat

Employees will treat your customers EXACTLY the way you treat them. If your employees are well cared for, they will focus on being good to your customers.

This is why, according to Shep Hyken,  the secret to building a customer service culture is not to start focusing on customers, but rather employees. He says that great companies "hire the right people to fit into the culture. They train them both technically and on how to deliver their brand of helpful customer service. The management and employees treat each other with dignity and respect, and in turn, they treat their customers in a similar fashion."  

Can you think of a  store that truly exemplifies the great customer service model? Think about it, whenever I need something for my home I dread going to Home Depot or Lowes. I’d rather go to a helpful place, like Ace Hardware. In their recent campaign they even showcase themselves as your neighbor. They have truly operationalized the word “helpful” into their culture. That is their version of customer service. Helpful is what gives them a competitive edge. They want to be known as the most helpful and trustworthy hardware store--and they are. Every time I walk into Ace Hardware, I’m immediately greeted and welcomed. Yes, I know that Home Depot and Lowes does that too, but Ace Hardware takes the cake because when I’m in an aisle looking at different sizes of washers or whatever, an Ace employee comes up to ME and asks if I need help. Not the other way around.

Here, at ActivEngage, we have a similar philosophy. Our managers hire people that fit our workplace culture and in turn, as a company we make them feel valued by the benefits we provide to them. It’s part of the reason why our chat-to-lead conversion is on average, at 80%. It’s part of the reason why our virtual sales associates (VSAs) are great at having conversations with your customers. It’s part of the reason why we are the most trusted brand in automotive live chat.

So how can you create a corporate culture that is customer service oriented?

• Management must make the measurement of service quality and feedback from the customer a basic part of everyone's work experience.

• Be very clear about specifying the behavior that employees are expected to deliver, both with external customers and their coworkers.

• Create ways to communicate excellent examples of customer service both within and outside the company.

• Indoctrinate and train everyone in the culture as soon as they are hired.

• Encourage a sense of responsibility for group performance.

• Establish policies that are "customer friendly" and that show concern for your customers.

• Remove any employees who do not show the behavior necessary to please customers.

Remember, in order for a culture of customer service excellence to grow and thrive, management must have a burning desire for it to be that way. Your dealership must become a totally customer-focused organization. EVERYONE, from the top-down, must believe that they work FOR the customer.

Employees will treat your customers EXACTLY the way you treat them. If your employees are well cared for, they will focus on being good to your customers.

This is why, according to Shep Hyken,  the secret to building a customer service culture is not to start focusing on customers, but rather employees. He says that great companies "hire the right people to fit into the culture. They train them both technically and on how to deliver their brand of helpful customer service. The management and employees treat each other with dignity and respect, and in turn, they treat their customers in a similar fashion."  

Can you think of a  store that truly exemplifies the great customer service model? Think about it, whenever I need something for my home I dread going to Home Depot or Lowes. I’d rather go to a helpful place, like Ace Hardware. In their recent campaign they even showcase themselves as your neighbor. They have truly operationalized the word “helpful” into their culture. That is their version of customer service. Helpful is what gives them a competitive edge. They want to be known as the most helpful and trustworthy hardware store--and they are. Every time I walk into Ace Hardware, I’m immediately greeted and welcomed. Yes, I know that Home Depot and Lowes does that too, but Ace Hardware takes the cake because when I’m in an aisle looking at different sizes of washers or whatever, an Ace employee comes up to ME and asks if I need help. Not the other way around.

Here, at ActivEngage, we have a similar philosophy. Our managers hire people that fit our workplace culture and in turn, as a company we make them feel valued by the benefits we provide to them. It’s part of the reason why our chat-to-lead conversion is on average, at 80%. It’s part of the reason why our virtual sales associates (VSAs) are great at having conversations with your customers. It’s part of the reason why we are the most trusted brand in automotive live chat.

So how can you create a corporate culture that is customer service oriented?

• Management must make the measurement of service quality and feedback from the customer a basic part of everyone's work experience.

• Be very clear about specifying the behavior that employees are expected to deliver, both with external customers and their coworkers.

• Create ways to communicate excellent examples of customer service both within and outside the company.

• Indoctrinate and train everyone in the culture as soon as they are hired.

• Encourage a sense of responsibility for group performance.

• Establish policies that are "customer friendly" and that show concern for your customers.

• Remove any employees who do not show the behavior necessary to please customers.

Remember, in order for a culture of customer service excellence to grow and thrive, management must have a burning desire for it to be that way. Your dealership must become a totally customer-focused organization. EVERYONE, from the top-down, must believe that they work FOR the customer.