Susan Eway, Business Development Manager at Danbury Auto Group (which includes Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, Hyundai, and Kia brands) had to face some big obstacles when she first joined the dealership. The Internet department was only seven months old and it needed a lot of work, “Nothing was followed up on. We had to increase our digital focus to engage the modern shopper,” Eway commented.

Eway increased her staff, from only three people manning the BDC, to five. “Even with the increase in staff, I knew that it still wasn’t enough to successfully manage chat,” Eway said.

Danbury Dodge first got their feet wet with chat through Cars.com and AutoTrader.com and they weren’t impressed, “We even tried an auto-response system for our leads and it completely failed.”

Not jaded by her experience, Eway came across ActivEngage and liked what she saw, “People want to talk to other people. They want their questions answered with immediacy. I stand behind ActivEngage because each and every conversation they have with my shoppers is unique.”

As an added benefit, Eway’s team found shoppers respond better to their follow up when anActivEngage chat has taken place. “The information that the chatters get from shoppers is fantastic help in closing the sale! I can’t say enough about the engagement either.We’ve had a significant increase in our visit-to-lead conversions. The attention to detail the chat team has is superb,” Eway stated.

With nothing but positive reviews from ActivEngage chats, Danbury Auto Group sees a 15% closing ratio on their chat leads. She is easily able to calculate her return on investment with ActivEngage’s extensive reporting suite. “The backend data we get in the dashboard is awesome - no other vendor has this business intelligence. It has been a huge help in measuring our success online.”

Regarding customer service, Eway has nothing but good things to say about her Customer Success Manager, “At times, he’s more aware of my website than I am and he’s very responsive to any inquiries I have. ActivEngage has definitely contributed a lot to the success of our current presence online.”

Susan Eway, Business Development Manager at Danbury Auto Group (which includes Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, Hyundai, and Kia brands) had to face some big obstacles when she first joined the dealership. The Internet department was only seven months old and it needed a lot of work, “Nothing was followed up on. We had to increase our digital focus to engage the modern shopper,” Eway commented.

Eway increased her staff, from only three people manning the BDC, to five. “Even with the increase in staff, I knew that it still wasn’t enough to successfully manage chat,” Eway said.

Danbury Dodge first got their feet wet with chat through Cars.com and AutoTrader.com and they weren’t impressed, “We even tried an auto-response system for our leads and it completely failed.”

Not jaded by her experience, Eway came across ActivEngage and liked what she saw, “People want to talk to other people. They want their questions answered with immediacy. I stand behind ActivEngage because each and every conversation they have with my shoppers is unique.”

As an added benefit, Eway’s team found shoppers respond better to their follow up when anActivEngage chat has taken place. “The information that the chatters get from shoppers is fantastic help in closing the sale! I can’t say enough about the engagement either.We’ve had a significant increase in our visit-to-lead conversions. The attention to detail the chat team has is superb,” Eway stated.

With nothing but positive reviews from ActivEngage chats, Danbury Auto Group sees a 15% closing ratio on their chat leads. She is easily able to calculate her return on investment with ActivEngage’s extensive reporting suite. “The backend data we get in the dashboard is awesome - no other vendor has this business intelligence. It has been a huge help in measuring our success online.”

Regarding customer service, Eway has nothing but good things to say about her Customer Success Manager, “At times, he’s more aware of my website than I am and he’s very responsive to any inquiries I have. ActivEngage has definitely contributed a lot to the success of our current presence online.”

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- Dealer Think Tank, DD15/DSES reviews, and marketing gold in new Chrysler ad.

10. Kill the Wolf

What's the common image of a salesperson? The big bad wolf.

The big bad wolf seeks and destroys. It's a predator who pounces on its prey, eats the weak and leaves a bloody mess behind. This image makes the job of salespeople a lot harder than it should be. The good news is that this creates an opportunity to kill the wolf and turn the negative into a positive.

9. DrivingSales Executive Summit 2013 Review with Kevin Frye

Kevin Frye’s FIRST ever review of DSES.

8. DD15 Review with Kevin Frye
Kevin Frye’s Semi-Annual Review of Digital Dealer 15 in Las Vegas

7. Empowering Employees to WOW without Fear
The key to the success of a program of this type is “giving them a framework within which to operate… and feedback about how they are performing within that framework.” This empowers employees to WOW customers while minimizing abuses. At the same time, it ensures that larger issues which cannot be resolved within this framework get escalated to a manager. It also helps ensure that the employee doesn’t brush the customer off without satisfying them.

6. Dealer ThinkTank Speaker Line-Up is Sure to Amaze
The Dealer ThinkTank Automotive Training & Education Conference will bring together some of the most innovative and interesting automotive professionals in the business today, and they are openly going to share their invaluable knowledge with you in a collaborative environment. Get ready to learn something!

5. The Failing State of Content Marketing
While some may contend that the "cream always rises to the top," when it comes to great content, there is another worthy argument that goes like this: there is too much cream and there are too many tops. Everyone is publishing - in text, images, audio and video. All of the time... and to the world!

4. Give us the Truth
More than two thirds of consumers in the US, UK and China rate ‘honesty and transparency’ alongside price and quality when considering to buy a product or brand, according to a new report from global communications agency Cohn & Wolfe.

3. How Chrysler’s Francois Scored Marketing Gold in Will Ferrell
Olivier Francois is a Parisian working for an Italian company, but he understands American popular culture better than most U.S.-born marketers. Thus the Fiat and Chrysler CMO — the man behind the iconic “Imported from Detroit” campaign for the Chrysler brand — now has scored what looks like another major marketing coup by creating another cultural touchstone with Will Ferrell’s Anchorman 2-based ad campaign for the new Dodge Durango.

2. Drop in Teen Driving Tracks with Teen Unemployment, HLDI Study Finds
A recent drop in teen driving likely comes down to simple economics. Young people today may want to drive just as much as they did a generation ago but simply can't afford it, a new report from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) suggests.

1. Best Halloween Costume, Yet?
A little toddler girl dressed up in an LED suit that transforms her into a precious little stick figure? What is going on? Cute is upping its game in the 21st century, and this is the new frontier of precious.

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

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 or subscribe to our blog! 

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- Dealer Think Tank, DD15/DSES reviews, and marketing gold in new Chrysler ad.

10. Kill the Wolf

What's the common image of a salesperson? The big bad wolf.

The big bad wolf seeks and destroys. It's a predator who pounces on its prey, eats the weak and leaves a bloody mess behind. This image makes the job of salespeople a lot harder than it should be. The good news is that this creates an opportunity to kill the wolf and turn the negative into a positive.

9. DrivingSales Executive Summit 2013 Review with Kevin Frye

Kevin Frye’s FIRST ever review of DSES.

8. DD15 Review with Kevin Frye
Kevin Frye’s Semi-Annual Review of Digital Dealer 15 in Las Vegas

7. Empowering Employees to WOW without Fear
The key to the success of a program of this type is “giving them a framework within which to operate… and feedback about how they are performing within that framework.” This empowers employees to WOW customers while minimizing abuses. At the same time, it ensures that larger issues which cannot be resolved within this framework get escalated to a manager. It also helps ensure that the employee doesn’t brush the customer off without satisfying them.

6. Dealer ThinkTank Speaker Line-Up is Sure to Amaze
The Dealer ThinkTank Automotive Training & Education Conference will bring together some of the most innovative and interesting automotive professionals in the business today, and they are openly going to share their invaluable knowledge with you in a collaborative environment. Get ready to learn something!

5. The Failing State of Content Marketing
While some may contend that the "cream always rises to the top," when it comes to great content, there is another worthy argument that goes like this: there is too much cream and there are too many tops. Everyone is publishing - in text, images, audio and video. All of the time... and to the world!

4. Give us the Truth
More than two thirds of consumers in the US, UK and China rate ‘honesty and transparency’ alongside price and quality when considering to buy a product or brand, according to a new report from global communications agency Cohn & Wolfe.

3. How Chrysler’s Francois Scored Marketing Gold in Will Ferrell
Olivier Francois is a Parisian working for an Italian company, but he understands American popular culture better than most U.S.-born marketers. Thus the Fiat and Chrysler CMO — the man behind the iconic “Imported from Detroit” campaign for the Chrysler brand — now has scored what looks like another major marketing coup by creating another cultural touchstone with Will Ferrell’s Anchorman 2-based ad campaign for the new Dodge Durango.

2. Drop in Teen Driving Tracks with Teen Unemployment, HLDI Study Finds
A recent drop in teen driving likely comes down to simple economics. Young people today may want to drive just as much as they did a generation ago but simply can't afford it, a new report from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) suggests.

1. Best Halloween Costume, Yet?
A little toddler girl dressed up in an LED suit that transforms her into a precious little stick figure? What is going on? Cute is upping its game in the 21st century, and this is the new frontier of precious.

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

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 or subscribe to our blog! 

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-- DD15, DSES, and mistakes our brains make.

10.  DD15 Recommended Sessions with Kevin Frye

Hum along with me – “It’s the Most… Wonderful Time… of the Year!!!”

9. Inventory Photos Made Easy

In the case of inventory photos, many dealerships pay a vendor to do it simply because it won’t get done otherwise. Many enlightened dealers have recognized the cost savings by taking their own photos and have designated people to take them. Every minute you have a vehicle on your website for sale without photos is a minute in which a potential customer could see it and pass on by.

8.  DrivingSales Executive Summit

Experience brilliant speakers from in and outside the auto industry at this year’s DrivingSales Executive Summit.

7. 10 Social Media Stats Every Automotive Marketer Needs to Know

As savvy as Internet marketers tend to be, you’d think there wouldn’t be much they could learn about the sites they use nearly every day. As it turns out, that’s not true at all. Here are ten surprising facts about social media that every automotive marketing professional should know.

6. Are You Doing Your SEO Wrong?

With all the changes going on with encrypting keyword data inside of Google Analytics, there are still a lot of simple housekeeping things you can do to make sure the infrastructure and integrity of your site are legit.

5. Creating Parody Social Media Accounts Doesn’t Violate Computer Frau...

This is a strange lawsuit brought by an assistant middle high school principal who alleged that defendants (students) created social media accounts using the principal’s name and likeness. Defendants allegedly posted materials, including some which were obscene, that caused his reputation to be diminished.

4.  8 Common Thinking Mistakes Our Brains Make Every Day and How to Pre...

Get ready to have your mind blown.

3. U.S Unloads $570 Million in GM Shares

The U.S. Treasury said it sold another $570.1 million worth of General Motors common stock last month as it moved toward exiting its holdings in the company by the end of March 2014.

2. Don’t Point at Elephants

Listen up, humans. It's time you all stop feeling so superior about all that pointing you do with your highly-evolved fingers. Elephants are wise to this method of communicating, so it's probably best to keep your pointing finger away from your secret peanut stash.

1. Ylvis -- The Fox, LIVE!  

If you've been near YouTube or your Facebook feed in the past month, you've probably gottenan earful of "Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding" thanks to Ylvis' viral video for "The Fox." But Norwegian brothers Bard and Vegard Ylvisaker hadn't personally asked American audiences what the fox says until Wednesday night, when they made their television debut on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”

_

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 and @kettycon 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-- DD15, DSES, and mistakes our brains make.

10.  DD15 Recommended Sessions with Kevin Frye

Hum along with me – “It’s the Most… Wonderful Time… of the Year!!!”

9. Inventory Photos Made Easy

In the case of inventory photos, many dealerships pay a vendor to do it simply because it won’t get done otherwise. Many enlightened dealers have recognized the cost savings by taking their own photos and have designated people to take them. Every minute you have a vehicle on your website for sale without photos is a minute in which a potential customer could see it and pass on by.

8.  DrivingSales Executive Summit

Experience brilliant speakers from in and outside the auto industry at this year’s DrivingSales Executive Summit.

7. 10 Social Media Stats Every Automotive Marketer Needs to Know

As savvy as Internet marketers tend to be, you’d think there wouldn’t be much they could learn about the sites they use nearly every day. As it turns out, that’s not true at all. Here are ten surprising facts about social media that every automotive marketing professional should know.

6. Are You Doing Your SEO Wrong?

With all the changes going on with encrypting keyword data inside of Google Analytics, there are still a lot of simple housekeeping things you can do to make sure the infrastructure and integrity of your site are legit.

5. Creating Parody Social Media Accounts Doesn’t Violate Computer Frau...

This is a strange lawsuit brought by an assistant middle high school principal who alleged that defendants (students) created social media accounts using the principal’s name and likeness. Defendants allegedly posted materials, including some which were obscene, that caused his reputation to be diminished.

4.  8 Common Thinking Mistakes Our Brains Make Every Day and How to Pre...

Get ready to have your mind blown.

3. U.S Unloads $570 Million in GM Shares

The U.S. Treasury said it sold another $570.1 million worth of General Motors common stock last month as it moved toward exiting its holdings in the company by the end of March 2014.

2. Don’t Point at Elephants

Listen up, humans. It's time you all stop feeling so superior about all that pointing you do with your highly-evolved fingers. Elephants are wise to this method of communicating, so it's probably best to keep your pointing finger away from your secret peanut stash.

1. Ylvis -- The Fox, LIVE!  

If you've been near YouTube or your Facebook feed in the past month, you've probably gottenan earful of "Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding" thanks to Ylvis' viral video for "The Fox." But Norwegian brothers Bard and Vegard Ylvisaker hadn't personally asked American audiences what the fox says until Wednesday night, when they made their television debut on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”

_

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 and @kettycon Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!

Patrick BMW Offers Customer a Choice--and it Pays Off!

Sales Manager Rocco Massarelli began to notice a trend at Patrick BMW. “Everything is done online now. Our marketing, our test drive appointments, even our service appointments are done via the Web. I’ve been in the industry for over 28 years now, and this is a big shift from the print-dominated medium of a few years ago.”

 All Online Shoppers Need a Choice

Due to the influx of web visitors to Patrick BMW’s website, Massarelli knew he needed to give their shoppers a choice.  “We are all about providing options to our prospects. We want to make it easy for them to contact us - whether through a phone call, an email, or a chat.”

Patrick BMW Offers Customer a Choice--and it Pays Off!

Sales Manager Rocco Massarelli began to notice a trend at Patrick BMW. “Everything is done online now. Our marketing, our test drive appointments, even our service appointments are done via the Web. I’ve been in the industry for over 28 years now, and this is a big shift from the print-dominated medium of a few years ago.”

 All Online Shoppers Need a Choice

Due to the influx of web visitors to Patrick BMW’s website, Massarelli knew he needed to give their shoppers a choice.  “We are all about providing options to our prospects. We want to make it easy for them to contact us - whether through a phone call, an email, or a chat.”

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 -- Toyota founding member dies, Justin Brun is under 40 and rocking it, and SEO myths.

10. Eiji Toyoda, Promoter of the Toyota Way, Dies at 100

Eiji Toyoda, who as a member of Toyota Motor’s founding family and an architect of its “lean manufacturing” method helped turn the automaker into a global powerhouse and changed the face of modern manufacturing, died on Tuesday in Toyota City, Japan, where the company has its headquarters.

9. Where do my Customers Come From?

As Google puts it, “…these days, the customer journey has grown more complex.”

8. Why Can’t I get Paid to Sit on Facebook All Day?

Social media can be very beneficial to a company’s marketing efforts, but posting memes should rarely take time-precedence over handling inbound sales opportunities.

7. Kevin Frye’s Recommended DrivingSales Executive Summit 2013 Sessions

Here are sessions that Frye deems as the most valued.

6. 5 Myths to Better Google Organic Ranking Busted

In a recent interview with the Google Search Quality Team, they dish their experiences and knowledge about what impacts reach ranking and reveal a couple of tips on what you shouldn’t be doing.

5. Food Expired? Don’t be so Quick to Toss it

Most consumers mistakenly believe that expiration dates on food indicate how safe the food is to consume, when these dates actually aren't related to the risk of food poisoning or food borne illness.

4. HookLogic Named to Dealer.com’s Certified Provider Program

Two HookLogic solutions will be made available to Dealer.com members via the Certified Provider Program.

3. 40 Under 40: Justin Brun

Justin Brun's success at using the Internet to generate sales for Acton Toyota of Littleton has earned him high marks and some hassle from Toyota.

2. The Rise of the Brand Advocate

Brand advocates are defined as individuals that promote and embody a brand’s core values and ethics. External agents promoting a brand not only result in boosted sales and awareness for a company, but they are 50% more influential than the average customer.

1. Adding Sound to Stock Videos Doesn’t Make them Any Less Awkward

Stock footage is weird, isn't it? It never looks quite right. Even though they supposedly filmed real people, it never actually seems like it. It's also generally silent, and this video from Getty Critics proves that might be a good thing.

_

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 -- Toyota founding member dies, Justin Brun is under 40 and rocking it, and SEO myths.

10. Eiji Toyoda, Promoter of the Toyota Way, Dies at 100

Eiji Toyoda, who as a member of Toyota Motor’s founding family and an architect of its “lean manufacturing” method helped turn the automaker into a global powerhouse and changed the face of modern manufacturing, died on Tuesday in Toyota City, Japan, where the company has its headquarters.

9. Where do my Customers Come From?

As Google puts it, “…these days, the customer journey has grown more complex.”

8. Why Can’t I get Paid to Sit on Facebook All Day?

Social media can be very beneficial to a company’s marketing efforts, but posting memes should rarely take time-precedence over handling inbound sales opportunities.

7. Kevin Frye’s Recommended DrivingSales Executive Summit 2013 Sessions

Here are sessions that Frye deems as the most valued.

6. 5 Myths to Better Google Organic Ranking Busted

In a recent interview with the Google Search Quality Team, they dish their experiences and knowledge about what impacts reach ranking and reveal a couple of tips on what you shouldn’t be doing.

5. Food Expired? Don’t be so Quick to Toss it

Most consumers mistakenly believe that expiration dates on food indicate how safe the food is to consume, when these dates actually aren't related to the risk of food poisoning or food borne illness.

4. HookLogic Named to Dealer.com’s Certified Provider Program

Two HookLogic solutions will be made available to Dealer.com members via the Certified Provider Program.

3. 40 Under 40: Justin Brun

Justin Brun's success at using the Internet to generate sales for Acton Toyota of Littleton has earned him high marks and some hassle from Toyota.

2. The Rise of the Brand Advocate

Brand advocates are defined as individuals that promote and embody a brand’s core values and ethics. External agents promoting a brand not only result in boosted sales and awareness for a company, but they are 50% more influential than the average customer.

1. Adding Sound to Stock Videos Doesn’t Make them Any Less Awkward

Stock footage is weird, isn't it? It never looks quite right. Even though they supposedly filmed real people, it never actually seems like it. It's also generally silent, and this video from Getty Critics proves that might be a good thing.

_

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!