(I recently entered a time warp which took me two years into the future.  While there I read this article in the March 2016 issue of Automotive News and wanted to share it with you.)

This week Google and The Walt Disney Company announced their partnership to establish a new company which has arranged to purchase 100 new car dealerships in five states.  They plan on announcing these locations over the next month as legal documents and filings are completed.

The franchises include domestic, Asian, and European brands and are located in large markets or within 30 miles of metro areas.  Disney long known for their focus on the customer experience saw an incredible opportunity that auto dealers failed to capitalize on, even though many dealers completed the Disney Experience Training programs.

Don Duckhouser, Chief Communications Officer for Disney said, “In our opinion it was pretty clear that the majority of auto retailers were hiding behind technology and not focusing on extending relationships to build networks of customers and prospects. Their high employee turnover and lack of respect for their associates indicated to us that implementing a “Disney Process” could retain the best employees, provide a great work environment and still provide personalized service to the auto buying public.”  He continued, “If we can get folks to pay $100 a day to ride a few roller coasters and have them wait in line for an hour for a four minute ride, then selling cars and trucks and providing them with a stellar experience is a no-brainer.”

Ken Searchwright from Google Automotive Marketing division shared his vision of the new stores; “We have designed a simple, friction-free, transparent process that will excite customers, attract a new class of employees, and restore the reputation of auto retailers. Our marketing will be local, organic, socially conscious and not reliant on price or promoting ridiculous trade-in values.”

He continued, “While our operations rely on the latest technology the work environment will be very attractive to employees, offer a powerful home/work balance, and create generous incentives for revenues from repeat customers, their friends and family members. A ramped up level of networking will replace most of the traditional advertising and all media messaging will be consistent across all channels.”

Existing media properties and online channels of Disney and Google will feature interactive advertisements promoting these dealerships; and other tie-ins will be rolled out over the coming year. Naturally Google's team will handle the search optimization and online ads.

When this reporter spoke to auto industry executives many would not speak on the record, but one individual shared, “For years we have tried to encourage, push, and cajole our retailers to improve their sales process and employee retention.  Many just didn’t seem to want to move in that direction, so as manufacturers with a brand to protect we are aligning with companies that value the customer experience and transparency.” 

Article written by Mitch McFly (mcfly@autonews.com) 
(note- this email will not exist until two years from now)

(I recently entered a time warp which took me two years into the future.  While there I read this article in the March 2016 issue of Automotive News and wanted to share it with you.)

This week Google and The Walt Disney Company announced their partnership to establish a new company which has arranged to purchase 100 new car dealerships in five states.  They plan on announcing these locations over the next month as legal documents and filings are completed.

The franchises include domestic, Asian, and European brands and are located in large markets or within 30 miles of metro areas.  Disney long known for their focus on the customer experience saw an incredible opportunity that auto dealers failed to capitalize on, even though many dealers completed the Disney Experience Training programs.

Don Duckhouser, Chief Communications Officer for Disney said, “In our opinion it was pretty clear that the majority of auto retailers were hiding behind technology and not focusing on extending relationships to build networks of customers and prospects. Their high employee turnover and lack of respect for their associates indicated to us that implementing a “Disney Process” could retain the best employees, provide a great work environment and still provide personalized service to the auto buying public.”  He continued, “If we can get folks to pay $100 a day to ride a few roller coasters and have them wait in line for an hour for a four minute ride, then selling cars and trucks and providing them with a stellar experience is a no-brainer.”

Ken Searchwright from Google Automotive Marketing division shared his vision of the new stores; “We have designed a simple, friction-free, transparent process that will excite customers, attract a new class of employees, and restore the reputation of auto retailers. Our marketing will be local, organic, socially conscious and not reliant on price or promoting ridiculous trade-in values.”

He continued, “While our operations rely on the latest technology the work environment will be very attractive to employees, offer a powerful home/work balance, and create generous incentives for revenues from repeat customers, their friends and family members. A ramped up level of networking will replace most of the traditional advertising and all media messaging will be consistent across all channels.”

Existing media properties and online channels of Disney and Google will feature interactive advertisements promoting these dealerships; and other tie-ins will be rolled out over the coming year. Naturally Google's team will handle the search optimization and online ads.

When this reporter spoke to auto industry executives many would not speak on the record, but one individual shared, “For years we have tried to encourage, push, and cajole our retailers to improve their sales process and employee retention.  Many just didn’t seem to want to move in that direction, so as manufacturers with a brand to protect we are aligning with companies that value the customer experience and transparency.” 

Article written by Mitch McFly (mcfly@autonews.com) 
(note- this email will not exist until two years from now)

Few would dispute that training to become a Navy SEAL is one of the most rigorous and challenging processes in the world. Adm William H. McRaven recently gave a commencement address highlighting the life lessons from that training. Here are some of the highlights, a few which I have adapted for this audience, but I would like to invite you to read the full article to see all his comments.   http://bit.ly/navyseallessons

 Life Lessons Highlights from Navy SEAL Training

1. If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
2. If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle. You can't change the world alone—you will need some help—and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the goodwill of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide them.
3. Nothing matters but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status. If you want to change the world, measure people by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.
4. Sometimes, no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform, you still end up on the losing side of the situation. It's just the way life is sometimes. If you want to change the world, don’t focus on the failings but keep moving forward.
5. Life is filled with consequences and crappy outcomes. You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core. But if you want to change the world, don't be afraid of those failures.
6. If you want to change the world sometimes you have to find new solutions to old problems. Take the risk; it might work out well.
7. There are a lot of bullies and hurdles (sharks) in the world. If you hope to complete the journey and reach your goals you will have to deal with them. So, if you want to change the world, don't back down from these hurdles.
8. Every SEAL knows that at the darkest moment of the mission, is the time when you must be calm, composed—when all your tactical skills, your physical power and all your inner strength must be brought to bear. If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.
9. If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person—Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan named Malala—can change the world by giving people hope.
10. Quiting is a simple process, you can walk away anytime.  If you want to  change the world; quitting is not an option.

http://bit.ly/navyseallessons

Suceeding in auto retailing is certainly not tougher than being a Navy SEAL team member, but if you and your dealership really want to compete and win, there are lessons here we can all learn. 

Few would dispute that training to become a Navy SEAL is one of the most rigorous and challenging processes in the world. Adm William H. McRaven recently gave a commencement address highlighting the life lessons from that training. Here are some of the highlights, a few which I have adapted for this audience, but I would like to invite you to read the full article to see all his comments.   http://bit.ly/navyseallessons

 Life Lessons Highlights from Navy SEAL Training

1. If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
2. If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle. You can't change the world alone—you will need some help—and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the goodwill of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide them.
3. Nothing matters but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status. If you want to change the world, measure people by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.
4. Sometimes, no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform, you still end up on the losing side of the situation. It's just the way life is sometimes. If you want to change the world, don’t focus on the failings but keep moving forward.
5. Life is filled with consequences and crappy outcomes. You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core. But if you want to change the world, don't be afraid of those failures.
6. If you want to change the world sometimes you have to find new solutions to old problems. Take the risk; it might work out well.
7. There are a lot of bullies and hurdles (sharks) in the world. If you hope to complete the journey and reach your goals you will have to deal with them. So, if you want to change the world, don't back down from these hurdles.
8. Every SEAL knows that at the darkest moment of the mission, is the time when you must be calm, composed—when all your tactical skills, your physical power and all your inner strength must be brought to bear. If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.
9. If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person—Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan named Malala—can change the world by giving people hope.
10. Quiting is a simple process, you can walk away anytime.  If you want to  change the world; quitting is not an option.

http://bit.ly/navyseallessons

Suceeding in auto retailing is certainly not tougher than being a Navy SEAL team member, but if you and your dealership really want to compete and win, there are lessons here we can all learn. 

Way back in 1996 Bill Gates said that “Content is King.”  His message: If you want to reach people on the Internet you don’t need to use banner ads, rich media, or annoying animated gifs you just need to provide content on websites, blogs, publications and other digital media outlets that will get you noticed and give visitors something to read.

Fast forward 18 years. The Internet has matured or maybe it’s become immature. The popularity of smartphones, tablets, and our diminishing attention span has changed the way we consume and perceive content.    Emails and blogs posts gave way to Facebook posts and 140 character text messages called tweets.  Of course you can’t share much in 140 characters but you can embed links and photos to all sorts of drivel, commercial posts, and innocuous photos of celebrities, cats, cars, freaky items and other images you would have trouble imagining unless you are Stephen King.   If you really have Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) and tweets are taking too long to read you have Instagram and Vine.

I believe that content is no longer king, and that “The New King is Engagement.”   With all the noise online and short attention spans you need to provide not just content but content that works to engage visitors, customers, prospect and peers.  As Ben Franklin said, “Speak not but what may benefit others . . .”

Take a look at your blog articles, posts and tweets.  Are they providing good information or something of value to the reader?  If not, why not?  If you are going to push content to the web, work a bit harder to find something that will benefit others and indirectly benefit you.  Let people see you as an entity that provides value to its audience. 

Car dealers have access to an incredible amount of engaging content that almost everyone would find of interest.  When highlighting new vehicles don’t focus on features; talk about the benefits to the consumer.  Share how this new technology makes their lives easier or safer. Dealers are always involved with community activities so share that information. Highlight the local blood drive or charity 5K run.  Highlight your people.  Share how one of the dealer employees was working with Habitat for Humanity and used his vacation time to build a home for a flood victim in New Jersey.  Manufacturers are always sponsoring events and local dealers can highlight those activities through their local posts and tweets.  Highlight and provide proof of great customer experiences in the dealership.  Don’t just post a photo or video of Mom and Dad in front of their new truck, tell a story that engages the reader and makes them appreciate how you helped these folks.

Mass media eblasts, shotgun tweets, silly photos, and content that’s more at home on Bravo TV will not make you stand out in a good way. 

Everyone wants to feel special. Speak to them, address their concerns, solve their problems, and help them improve their lives in some way.  That will engage them, and build respect for your organization.

Way back in 1996 Bill Gates said that “Content is King.”  His message: If you want to reach people on the Internet you don’t need to use banner ads, rich media, or annoying animated gifs you just need to provide content on websites, blogs, publications and other digital media outlets that will get you noticed and give visitors something to read.

Fast forward 18 years. The Internet has matured or maybe it’s become immature. The popularity of smartphones, tablets, and our diminishing attention span has changed the way we consume and perceive content.    Emails and blogs posts gave way to Facebook posts and 140 character text messages called tweets.  Of course you can’t share much in 140 characters but you can embed links and photos to all sorts of drivel, commercial posts, and innocuous photos of celebrities, cats, cars, freaky items and other images you would have trouble imagining unless you are Stephen King.   If you really have Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) and tweets are taking too long to read you have Instagram and Vine.

I believe that content is no longer king, and that “The New King is Engagement.”   With all the noise online and short attention spans you need to provide not just content but content that works to engage visitors, customers, prospect and peers.  As Ben Franklin said, “Speak not but what may benefit others . . .”

Take a look at your blog articles, posts and tweets.  Are they providing good information or something of value to the reader?  If not, why not?  If you are going to push content to the web, work a bit harder to find something that will benefit others and indirectly benefit you.  Let people see you as an entity that provides value to its audience. 

Car dealers have access to an incredible amount of engaging content that almost everyone would find of interest.  When highlighting new vehicles don’t focus on features; talk about the benefits to the consumer.  Share how this new technology makes their lives easier or safer. Dealers are always involved with community activities so share that information. Highlight the local blood drive or charity 5K run.  Highlight your people.  Share how one of the dealer employees was working with Habitat for Humanity and used his vacation time to build a home for a flood victim in New Jersey.  Manufacturers are always sponsoring events and local dealers can highlight those activities through their local posts and tweets.  Highlight and provide proof of great customer experiences in the dealership.  Don’t just post a photo or video of Mom and Dad in front of their new truck, tell a story that engages the reader and makes them appreciate how you helped these folks.

Mass media eblasts, shotgun tweets, silly photos, and content that’s more at home on Bravo TV will not make you stand out in a good way. 

Everyone wants to feel special. Speak to them, address their concerns, solve their problems, and help them improve their lives in some way.  That will engage them, and build respect for your organization.

If you could not attend Digital Dealer 16 in Atlantic City this year, let me sum up what the attendees learned at this year’s event. Here are the main tips and advice that many paid thousands to hear.  I have also thrown in a few tips their professional speakers may have missed.

• Treat customers with respect
• Guide customers through the sales process and solve their transportation and financial issues
• Provide  social proof you can deliver a great customer experience
• Never ask a customer to post a review for you while in the dealership. If they liked you to that point, standing over their shoulder while they type the review will blow it for you.
• Stop being sexist and treat women fairly in the sales and service departments
• Sales people need to be online and build their personal brand
• People like watching videos. Use them to inform and educate prospects and customers.
• Everyone is on mobile devices to be sure to be present in this new mobile environment
• Use SMS-Text messaging but be sure to have a software solution that keeps you compliant as the penalties for non-compliance are huge
• Keep your website updated.  Empty staff pages, boilerplate About Us pages show visitors you do not care about them.  It’s your site; make it the best you can.
• Do not require a complete dossier before someone can submit a contact form on your website
  • All they need is name, email and/or phone number
• Managers need to publicly recognize employees that do a good job. It keeps them engaged and boosts morale
• Avoid the candy machine in the dealership as much as you can
• Managers: Never ask an employee to do something you would not do yourself
• Never use slang, derogatory terms, or curse in the dealership as it shows you are either ignorant, rude, stupid or all of the above. Act like the professional you hope people believe you are.
• Drink lots of water. Hydration is good and you can use the bathroom breaks too
• Use technology to enhance relationships not to take the place of them
• Use and depend on your CRM system. It is the foundation for professional success.
• Use, do not abuse social media channels like Facebook and Twitter.  Be a good neighbor online.
• Try not to spill catsup on your shirt when you eat at the local burger joint, and if you do have a spill, keep a spare shirt in your car or truck
• Tell people your dealership guarantees NOT to meet or beat any price.  They will look at you in awe and then you can explain that at your dealership there is more to making a customer happy than the price. Then tell YOUR story!
• Don’t look for gimmicks to bring in those extra ten deals a month. 
• Don’t promise anything you cannot deliver!
• Work Hard, Be Nice to People.

The rest is all common sense stuff that you already know.  And by the way if you can save up the money I highly recommend attending these events. You will learn as much if not more from conversations in the hallways than you will from the presentations.  I ought to know because I organized and coordinated the first two Digital Dealer Conferences in Nashville way back when and they have only improved since then. 

If you could not attend Digital Dealer 16 in Atlantic City this year, let me sum up what the attendees learned at this year’s event. Here are the main tips and advice that many paid thousands to hear.  I have also thrown in a few tips their professional speakers may have missed.

• Treat customers with respect
• Guide customers through the sales process and solve their transportation and financial issues
• Provide  social proof you can deliver a great customer experience
• Never ask a customer to post a review for you while in the dealership. If they liked you to that point, standing over their shoulder while they type the review will blow it for you.
• Stop being sexist and treat women fairly in the sales and service departments
• Sales people need to be online and build their personal brand
• People like watching videos. Use them to inform and educate prospects and customers.
• Everyone is on mobile devices to be sure to be present in this new mobile environment
• Use SMS-Text messaging but be sure to have a software solution that keeps you compliant as the penalties for non-compliance are huge
• Keep your website updated.  Empty staff pages, boilerplate About Us pages show visitors you do not care about them.  It’s your site; make it the best you can.
• Do not require a complete dossier before someone can submit a contact form on your website
  • All they need is name, email and/or phone number
• Managers need to publicly recognize employees that do a good job. It keeps them engaged and boosts morale
• Avoid the candy machine in the dealership as much as you can
• Managers: Never ask an employee to do something you would not do yourself
• Never use slang, derogatory terms, or curse in the dealership as it shows you are either ignorant, rude, stupid or all of the above. Act like the professional you hope people believe you are.
• Drink lots of water. Hydration is good and you can use the bathroom breaks too
• Use technology to enhance relationships not to take the place of them
• Use and depend on your CRM system. It is the foundation for professional success.
• Use, do not abuse social media channels like Facebook and Twitter.  Be a good neighbor online.
• Try not to spill catsup on your shirt when you eat at the local burger joint, and if you do have a spill, keep a spare shirt in your car or truck
• Tell people your dealership guarantees NOT to meet or beat any price.  They will look at you in awe and then you can explain that at your dealership there is more to making a customer happy than the price. Then tell YOUR story!
• Don’t look for gimmicks to bring in those extra ten deals a month. 
• Don’t promise anything you cannot deliver!
• Work Hard, Be Nice to People.

The rest is all common sense stuff that you already know.  And by the way if you can save up the money I highly recommend attending these events. You will learn as much if not more from conversations in the hallways than you will from the presentations.  I ought to know because I organized and coordinated the first two Digital Dealer Conferences in Nashville way back when and they have only improved since then. 

This is nothing new because anyone in auto retailing knows that auto dealers are very supportive of local community efforts and are the first ones to reach out and help those in need.  Too often social media gives dealers a bad rap, so I wanted to share this video which shows and in my opinion typifies managers, owners and sales people in our industry.  

This is nothing new because anyone in auto retailing knows that auto dealers are very supportive of local community efforts and are the first ones to reach out and help those in need.  Too often social media gives dealers a bad rap, so I wanted to share this video which shows and in my opinion typifies managers, owners and sales people in our industry.