Ryan LeslieDirector of Dealer Reputation Strategy-DealerRater

The Proof is in the Numbers Reviews Drive Business

Can you give a definition of the word RUN?

Would it surprise you to hear that there are 644 other meanings of the three letter word?

Cash for Clunkers

AgendaWhere we’ve been…Where we are…Where we are goingReputation

Management

A quick story from NADA 2013……”do you do reputation management?”

Reputation:

: the common opinion that people have about someone or something : the way in which people think of someone or something

Management:

: the act or process of controlling and dealing with something

Reputation Management:

: the act or process of controlling and dealing with the common opinion that people have about you

What is the “common opinion” of car salespeople…

GALLUP recently polled Americans on the perceived honesty and ethical standards of 22 professions. Survey respondents rated each profession on a five-point honesty and ethics scale ranging from "very high" to "very low."

Nurses' ethics and honesty scored the highest at 85% saying they had a high to very high score.

What percentage rating do you thinkcar salespeople received?

“Car salespeople have been at the bottom of the list every year except 2011, when they tied members of Congress with a 7% honesty rating. Car salespeople's perceived honesty has never climbed out of the single-digit range in the history of the list.”-Gallup

Today’s Consumer...75% of all in-market consumers conduct research on the internet before walking into a dealership (JD Power)

89% of car buyers go online to verify recommendations before purchasing a vehicle (Cone Study 2011)

4 out of 5 consumers do not move ahead with a purchase based on negative online reviews (Cone Study 2011)

59% of auto shoppers said they feel more positive about dealers who respond to negative comments (2013 Ford Direct study)

Why Promote 3rd Party Reputation?

Online Consumer

Reviews 2nd Most

Trusted Form of Advertising

How are dealers using DealerRater Certification to

help sales and service professionals overcome this

negative perception?

Jeff King General Manager

Bozard Ford, St Augustine FL

Creating a Strong but Simple Reputation StrategyStarts with Training

Jeff King General Manager

Bozard Ford, St Augustine FL

Creating a Strong but Simple Reputation StrategyEstablishes Process

Creating a Strong but Simple Reputation StrategyMonitors for Mentions

Creating a Strong but Simple Reputation StrategyLeverages the Positive

Concentrate on SERP 1

What review sites

are consumers finding on Page 1?

Decide and Conquer

Vast majority of Search Traffic comes from Dealer Name-based Search.◦ 65% of search traffic is Directory Search (Georgetown

Kia) vs. ◦ 35% of search traffic is Keyword Search (Kia Dealers,

Toronto)***2013 Autotrader.com reported at JDPower March 2013 Conf.

Keyword Versus Directory Searches

Promote 3rd Party Reputation Everywhere!

• 3rd Party Breaks Down Barriers of Mistrust

• Differentiate from Competition

Promote 3rd Party Reputation Everywhere!

Print & Online Ads

Service Lounge

Monitors

Promote 3rd Party Reputation Everywhere

Because Reviews Drives Business!• Radio• Television• Online Advertising• Print • Billboard

Online

Print

Drive Individual & Dealership Awareness on Social Networks

• Socialize Reputation

• Be Top of Mind

• The meet and greet happens online, NOT in the store

• Personal/Professional Bio

• Links to 3rd Party Content

Create employee buy-in

Create Employee Buy In

• Engage entire staff• Recognize Top Rated Employees

Weekly• Drive Competition and

Recognition

Promote 3rd Party Reputation Everywhere!

• Website Staff Pages• Employee Email Signatures

Follow Up Email Templates/Email Signatures• Engage Every Unsold

Prospect

• Powerful 3rd Party 1st Impression

Building Today’s On/Offline Evidence Manual

Print Out and Promote 3rd Party Reviews

Break down the barriers of mistrust!

Competition + Recognition = More Quality Appointments

“Google Me”

The video I showed in the meeting was a conglomeration of the following:How important is an online greeting?How do you leverage reviews for competitive gain?How do reviews support the Evidence Manual?How do reviews help book more sales appointments?How are reviews integrated into your dealer culture and sales process?Do reviews really work?  

Jim McGinnGermain BMW

Naples, FL

Kurt LytleUniversal KiaFranklin, TN

Booking More Appointments & Breaking Down Barriers

Megan Barto

Ciocca HondaHarrisburg, PA

2012 Polk Study Background Polk was requested by DealerRater to conduct a study

evaluating:

1. How franchised dealership star ratings affect sales performance

2. How various levels of participation in DealerRater’s Certified Dealer Program affect sales performance

Goal was to investigate assumptions about star ratings and the Certified Dealer Program

Study Methodology DealerRater provided Polk with industry database file

(including DealerRater certified dealers and other dealerships)

7,784 dealers in the sample set◦ DealerRater data elements included:

Dealer ratings Certified dealer date & certification type Reviews Usage of DealerRater tools

Jan-Sept 2012 vs. Jan-Sept 2011 & historical new vehicle registrations to 2009

Dealers Rated 2 or Less Dealers Rated 4 or More0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

12.2%

14.8%

% GrowthJan-Sep 2012 vs. 2011

+21%greater increase

in sales

Dealers with an average star rating of 4.0 or higher had a 21% greater increase in sales compared to dealerships with an average star rating of 2.0 or less

Reviews Drive Business

Certified dealers averaged a 5% increase after six months and an 8% increase after 12 months

360Certified dealers averaged an 11% increase after six months / 19% increase after 12 months

Certified Dealer Program Impacts Dealer Growth

* 360Certified dealers using all DealerRater tools

6 months after certification 12 months after certification0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

5%

8%

11%

19%

% Growth After Certification

Certified Dealers

*360Certified Dealers

In other words, on average certified dealers sold 6 more cars per month in the 12 months after joining the program

A Measurable ROI

Certified dealers experienced on average a 23% greater increase in new car sales compared to non-certified dealers.

360Certified dealers who were fully utilizing the program tools had a 50% greater increase in sales compared to non-certified dealers.

% Greater Increase in Sales0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

23%

49%

% Growth vs. Non-Certified Dealers

Certified Dealers*360Certified Dealers

Outpace the Average Dealer

* 360Certified dealers using all DealerRater tools

Eley DukeDuke Automotive

Suffolk, VA

Jeff King General Manager

Bozard Ford, St Augustine FL

Note: Please click on either of these gentlemen to see the videos I referenced during the meeting.

Questions?For additional questions or information:

Ryan LeslieDirector of Dealer Reputation Strategy

800-266-9455 x 3562Ryan@dealerrater.comwww.DealerRater.com