On October 20^th, the industry lost a dear friend, Shellie Pierce.  Shellie was not feeling well going into the weekend and tragically passed away on Saturday evening.  Shellie was the Founder and Principle of Pierce Marketing and partnered with many of us in the automotive industry.

Shellie leaves behind her only child, Anthony, who is now attending NYU.  It was Shellie’s greatest goal to see her son graduate from college and although she can’t be with us today, we want to ensure that her dream of Anthony graduating lives on.  Friends of Shellie have started a memorial fund, which will go toward Anthony’s college tuition.  We encourage all those who are able to contribute to the fund, which can be found on www.remembershellie.com.

Good friends may be lost, but never forgotten.  May you rest in peace, Shellie.

DrivingSales is all about pushing the boundaries of innovation in the automotive industry and helping dealers become more profitable as a result.  However, we’re not the only one with this same desire; our industry is riddled with individuals who do the same thing.  That’s why we created the Dealer Best Idea Contest – to recognize the today’s most innovative auto dealership strategies, driven by dealers themselves.

Congratulations to the following Dealer Best Idea Contest Finalists, who will be presenting their strategies in a head to head competition on stage at the 4th annual DrivingSales Executive Summit On Monday, October 22nd.  Register here to see the competition live!

• Daniel Boismier, Internet Director from the Suburban Collection, on Gamifying & Socializing the Shopping Experience
• Alan Krutsch, Director of Marketing at Walser Automotive Group, on the “I’ll Take It” Button
• Wendy Lowen, Internet Manager for Park Chrysler Jeep, on the Valet Appraisal Service
• Matthew Smith, Marketing Manager at Darling’s Automotive, with Be relevant. Be social.
• Bryan Wilson, eCommerce Director at Ehrlich Group, discussing Increasing Reviews

The competition was more competitive than ever this year and we’re eager to acknowledge their progressive nature.  Thank you to all of those who submitted creative ideas and congrats to all of the finalists!

Tickets are running out for #DSES and registration won’t be open much longer.  Be sure to reserve your seat by registering today!

The DrivingSales Executive Summit isn’t just a place to come and hear world-renowned speakers or thought-provoking breakout sessions.  It doesn’t only provide an intimate networking setting with the most progressive dealers in the country.  DSES is the place to come to hear about the cutting-edge strategies and the most volatile topics that directly impact your bottom line, as well as happenings that influence the industry at large, and how that affects you, the dealer.

When things are moving and shaking in our industry, you bet you’ll hear about it at DSES.  We focus in on the topics that have a bearing on the dealer atmosphere and dealer success.  That’s why DrivingSales Founder and CEO, Jared Hamilton, will be sitting down for a face-to-face exclusive interview with the Chairman and CEO of TrueCar, Scott Painter, onstage at the 4^th annual DrivingSales Executive Summit. 

Throughout all of Painter’s businesses in the automotive industry, he’s always not only pushed the boundaries of the industry, but also tested out new and sometimes unpopular ideas of how the industry should work.  His current operations with TrueCar have caused quite a ruckus in the last 12 months. Jared will ask Scott the hard questions, many of which dealers will have the opportunity to submit ahead of time, to examine what our industry has been through and discuss what the future holds.

See Jared interview Scott exclusively on stage at #DSES.  You won’t want to miss this showstopper, so reserve your seats today!

Marketing has long been the follower.  The second thought.  The supplement to the game plan.  But with “Big Data” sweeping through the automotive industry, marketing is finally taking its place on the main stage.

It is no secret to anyone that Big Data is changing everything.  With data, we now know almost everything about our customers, from what, when, and where they are searching on the web to their mobile search behavior, to their ‘likes’ and much, much more.  But how we use this data can make or break us.  If completely ignored or even used incorrectly, this data can drown retailers, leaving them on the wrong side of the tidal wave.

That’s why the DrivingSales Executive Summit is stoked to announce a special keynote presentation by Professor Zettelmeyer. This Northwestern University Professor of Marketing and author of a groundbreaking study on the impact of the Internet on automotive retailing will illustrate how ‘Big Data’ is turning organizational marketing into the leader, not the follower. He'll demonstrate how marketing can and should be used, and made actionable, across departments as a genuine ROI imperative.

A leading expert on marketing and the impact of the symbiosis of data and technology on business, Florian Zettelmeyer is the J. L. and Helen Kellogg Professor of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and was named the 2011 L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year. Prior to his appointment at Kellogg he was an Associate Professor of Marketing and chair of the marketing group at the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley.

Professor Zettelmeyer’s keynote titled Is Marketing Dead? How Big Data is Changing the Future of Marketing examines the way that ‘Big Data’ is driving (or should be) a sea change in marketing practices extending across all organizational functions -- and the positive impact this can, and should, have on automotive retailing.

This is just another information-packed agenda item that DSES plans on delivering to its decision-making attendees, and one you definitely won’t want to miss. If you haven’t booked your hotel room yet, be sure to do that as well as there are only a dozen or so rooms left and they won’t last long.

Be sure to reserve your seat today by registering at www.drivingsalesexecutivesummit.com/registration before tickets are sold out. 

Preparations for the 2012 DrivingSales Executive Summit are really heating up! We wanted to make sure that you got the heads up about Early Bird Pricing before it closes TODAY (Aug 15th). You and the other decision-makers at your dealership could jet-propel your business forward this October by leaving DSES with a progressive business plan for 2013. Space is filling up quickly - we've already sold out of our original block of rooms at the Bellagio and had to order a second block. Register your team now to ensure your place at the most exclusive digital automotive conference of the year!

NON-AUTOMOTIVE EXPERTS 

The DrivingSales Executive Summit is considered the top gathering point of the most innovative retailers in the industry where they collaborate with industry leaders. Each year, world-renowned experts from outside the industry help shed light on topics that we are currently experiencing in the automotive industry, and this year we've spent over $100,000 to bring in the very best! Billy Beane of ‘Moneyball’ fame will be discussing how to leverage hidden value using data; SEO ‘superstar’ Rand Fishkin will share insights on the art and science of SEM; mobile experience expert Luke Wroblewski will convey how to keep your store top of mind and in the palm of your customer’s hand; and Facebook and Google will deliver a joint presentation followed by an interactive Q&A session.

DEALER-DRIVEN, NOT VENDOR-DRIVEN

At DSES, we don’t allow sponsors or vendors to dictate the agenda or content. In fact, a dealer review panel selected the breakout topics to ensure that the content is on point and aimed at the needs of the dealer. This year’s breakout speakers will boil down the high level keynotes into actionable implementations at the store level. You can find more information on the breakout speakers by visiting our breakout speaker profiles.

EARLY BIRD PRICING ENDS TODAY

Register now to reserve your seat at the premier automotive event of the year. Hurry because the early bird registration CLOSES TODAY, August 15th, at which time prices will increase.

DISCOUNTS FOR EXECUTIVE TEAMS

Because the event is the time to develop your strategy for the following year, we’ve created a pass to significantly reduce the cost for your team to attend. The General Manager, Sales Manager, Internet Manager, Fixed Ops Manager, or any combination of four or more executives on your team can attend for $200 off each registration price. But again, registration rates increase after today.

Register now to attend the most focused, dealer-centric automotive conference of the year at the DrivingSales Executive Summit, October 21-23 at the Bellagio Las Vegas.

See you in October!

The DrivingSales Executive Summit is always looking to push the boundaries of innovation and profit building in the automotive industry.  As the gathering for the most progressive dealers in North America, DSES constantly looks to set the bar for quality content, top of the line networking opportunities, and a rich experience that can’t be found anyplace else. 

In pursuit of that endeavor, this year, DrivingSales is pleased to be partnering with J.D. Power to combine our Executive Summit with their Automotive Marketing Roundtables.  After three power-packed days at DSES, attendees can close out the Summit with a few keynote presentations that simultaneously kick off the JD Power event.  It’s certainly an event you won’t want to miss.

This year, DrivingSales and JD Power, thanks to a sponsorship from Cars.com, will be bringing you presentations from Scott Stratten, best-selling author of “Unmarketing” and Viral, Social, and Authentic Marketing expert named one of the top five social media influencers in the world by Forbes.com; and Tom Salkowsky, Head of Marketing at MINI USA and is responsible for all Marketing Communications in the United States.

Scott and Tom will bridge DSES and JD Power by bridging information on digital and traditional marketing, leaving attendees inspired and prepared to take on their 2013 business plans.

Combination tickets for dealers to attend both events can be purchased at a discounted rate by visiting dses.com/registration.  Hurry and reserve your seat today, as Early Bird registration expires on August 15^th, and although we’ve increased seating to account for the growing demand of dealer attendees, we anticipate DSES to sell out. Register today to secure your spot at the most profit building event for your dealership!

Learn more about the line of high-profile keynotes and read the official press release at DSES.com.

The DrivingSales Executive Summit is filled with high profile keynotes to give us a 30,000 foot view of what’s going on in the business world around us, what we should pay attention to, and what we should avoid.  But taking that information and applying it specifically to the process of selling cars is a whole other skill.  Cue the selected breakouts.

This year we had nearly 100 proposals submitted for people to speak at DSES – a new record!  We’re thrilled at the enthusiasm and support for the event and excited to that so many people continue to push the boundaries of innovation. And with the many great applications we got, we’re glad we didn’t have to pick them. That’s right; as a dealer-driven event, we put the decision-making in the hands of the dealers themselves, meaning they select the topics they want to learn about, review, or perfect.  A Dealer Review Panel provides feedback and voting on the submissions and then we collate them and present them in the agenda.  It also means that there are no vendor or sponsorship influences on topics or content for the event.  No paid speaking engagements, and no sales pitches.  Attendees come to DSES to get the most progressive information selected by the most progressive dealers.

As you can imagine, competition for speaking slots was fierce, but we’re confident the agenda is going to smoking hot!  Highlights include a wide variety of subjects such as “Assessing ROI Beyond Leads,” “Leveraging Local Influence,” “Online Keys to Success,” and “Bridging the Certification Gap,” not to mention topics covering mobile, CSI, reputation, online marketing for fixed ops, and so, SO much more.  Congratulations to the following people and companies who were selected by the dealers – for the dealers – to speak at the 2012 DrivingSales Executive Summit October 21-23 at the Bellagio Las Vegas.  Register now before the early bird rate expires on August 15th!

Eric Giroux (Briggs Auto) and Aaron Schinke (DealerFire) - Moneyball: Winning with Analytics

Ted Heater (Independent Pre-Owned Dealers) - BDC Followup

Shaun Weissman (Rallye Auto Group) - Evolving your BDC into a true Business Development & Marketing Department

Jim Flint (Local Search Group) - Moneyball: Extra Innings

Courtney Cole (Hare Chevrolet) - Differentiate Your Store to Crush the Competition - Case Study

Greg Coleman (Oxmoor Auto Group) - 50 best practices from a dealership group that ranked 11th in the country for Internet Sales

Joe Stroffolino (Causeway Family of Dealerships) - Bridging the Certification Gap: How to Turn Longer Life/Higher Mileage Used Vehicles 60% Faster -- and with 23% Additional Gross!

Brad Hensley (Knoxville Auto Broker)

Chris Costner (Southern Volkswagen of Greenbrier) - From Customer Satisfaction to Customer Loyalty

Tracy Myers (Frank Myers Auto Maxx) - How I Successfully Handled a PR Disaster in 24 Hours: A Case Study On Turning Lemons Into Lemonade

Jeff Cryder (Lebanon Ford) - Confessions of A Young Social Media Manager

Jennifer Bunner (Outsell) - Big Data and Analytics- Become more relevant to your customers and drive significant increases in your sales and service profits

Cory Mosley (Mosley Automotive Training) - Influence: The Key to Conversion

Jacob Solotaroff (FirstLook) - Staying mobile: How to sell to today's savvy buyers

Jeff Kershner (DealerRefresh) and Malinda Terreri (1to1 News)

Jerry Thibeau (Phone Ninjas) - Internet Phone Mastery

Glenn Pasch (PCG) - Branding Your Reputation Inside Your Dealership

Cars.com and Jason Ezell (Datium) - Assessing ROI Beyond Leads

Matt Murray (Dealer.com) - Think 2018: The Dealership Wake up Call

Mike Merrill (ReachLocal) - How to identify and leverage local influencers for dealership word of mouth

David Kain (Kain Automotive) - 5 Easy Steps to Internet Sales Success

Gary May (IMACS) and Joe Webb (DealerKnows) - DSES Digest

Learn more about these speakers and the DrivingSales Executive Summit agenda at dses.com.

So much is happening in the auto industry right now, and keeping up on all of those transitions takes some serious effort.  To help consolidate the news, DrivingSales is now dedicating a portion of its efforts to help keep you updated on the constant change. Managed by DrivingSales’ industry journalist, Brian Chee, this blog is dedicated to industry news.  But of course, the content that our industry generates is equally informative, as evidenced by the Top 5 Trending Posts this week.  Be sure to check in on the news and insights from the community!

Can Our Industry Afford To Rush To Market and Fail? – Brian Pasch

Auto Sales: Time to Respect the Van – Brian Chee

Auto Sales: Selling More, for Less – Today’s News

Insights on why your upper management is not thinking about social media marketing – Joseph Little

Closer Look: CarWoo! Inks AOL Autos Deal -- Brian Chee

Dealerships can have all the right tools, the hottest technology, and the easiest selling brand in their market and still fall short.  Why? Because if they don’t have the right people and an effective management team leading those people, they’re starting out with their hands tied behind their back. 

At DrivingSales, we feel passionately that curating the right team members for the job and for the company is paramount to success. Additionally, implementing the processes to help the team be successful is equally important for both the growth of the people and the endeavor of becoming a great organization. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that leadership and management extraordinaire, Jim Dance, will be joining us at the 2012 DrivingSales Executive Summit.  Jim’s training is renowned for helping hundreds of automotive dealerships, dealer groups, auto manufacturers, and industry clients – including General Motors, Chrysler Corp., Penske Automotive Group and NADA – achieve measurably better results.

At the 4^th annual DSES, Jim’s keynote will add a much-needed layer of insight to dealers with regards to deeper understanding behind the mechanics of how great companies became great. His focus is all about getting the right people to do great work every day, and using the best processes possible to make that happen.

Jim’s grasp of blending process management with structure and dealership cultural dynamics will enlighten and inform the attendees at DSES. Most importantly, Jim will point out ways for dealers to actually execute these ideas to drive productivity and profitability. As always, the DrivingSales Executive Summit is aimed at inspiring the most progressive dealers and sending them home with actionable business plans geared toward a more profitable operation, and Jim’s keynote will be a huge factor in accomplishing that.

Dance speaks on October 23rd, and joins other DSES high-profile keynotes including Billy Beane of ‘Moneyball’ fame, SEO ‘superstar’ Rand Fishkin, mobile experience expert Luke Wroblewski, and an exclusive presentation from Facebook and Google. 

Last year's summit was standing room only, and although DSES 2012 will allow for an expanded number of registrants, it is expected to sell out quickly. To register for DSES 2012, and take advantage of early-bird registration through August 15th, visit: http://drivingsalesexecutivesummit.com/registration/.

We look forward to seeing you and the premier automotive event of the year in October at the Bellagio Las Vegas!

This week’s Top 5 Trending posts are all about social media.  Well, kind of.   From Twitter efficiency, penalties for inappropriate use of reviews, and Facebook losing steam, it covers a wide array of how social media can and can’t impact your business, and where you still need to stick to your roots.

Interested In An Unexpected 21 Million Dollar Fine? By Brian Pasch

Facebook Blue: Losing Budget and Priority? By Brian Chee

Networking Group Busted For Posting Fake Reviews on Yelp – By Glenn Pasch

One Great ‘Old School’ Practice – By Ed Brooks

Twitter: Love it or hate it, You Still Need To Be More Efficient. By Joey Little