AutoSuccess July 2012

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2012 JULY

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The #1 Sales-Improvement Magazine for the Automotive Professional - featuring CallSource

Transcript of AutoSuccess July 2012

Page 1: AutoSuccess July 2012

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888.785.5418 | nolimits.dealer.comA U T O M O T I V E D I G I T A L M A R K E T I N G

Booyah!It’s the moment you realize your dealership has no limits. Creating your Booyah moment is why we’re here. Find out more at nolimits.dealer.com.

Earl Wheless, Sales Manager, Skyland Automotive

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AutoSuccess Magazine is published m

onthly at 2300 Hurstbourne Village D

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MattBuchanan 24 crM has Moved far beyond custoMer relationship ManageMent

best practices for driving data-based dealschristianThornton 20

how to boost your bottoM line in the shortest aMount of tiMe

JimmyVee & travisMiller 36

stop believing your custoMers, you’re too niceMikeMyers 44

dennisMcGinn 40 is reconditioning holding down yourused car lifecycle?

if you want to sell More car, reMeMber ‘Macro’ versus ‘Micro’

seanv.Bradley 22

Making the video leapaJLeBlanc 38

susanGivens 08 technology-enabled sales: why a tablet selling system Matters

pregnancy doesn’t slow salesperson downfranTaylor 34

glennPasch 30 what is your vision of custoMer service?

davidMetter 32 stair-step prograM; what’s your plan of execution?

MarkTewart 10 are you lucky?

getting it right: the right Message at the right timerussellGrant 42

dalePollak 18 three ways to ease the pain of declining wholesale used vehicle values

toddKinzle 26 bidding against the coke Machine

if the coMpetition is doing it, do the oppositeJeffDoerrer 28

georgeNenni 14 taking pinterest to the next level

your website traffic is failing youtoddSmith 16

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Susan Givens is the publisher of AutoSuccess. She can be contacted at 877.818.6620, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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sales & training solutionSusanGivens

technology-enabled sales:why a tablet selling system Matters

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Dealerships use many systems to effectively manage different aspects of the business (e.g., DMS, CRM or ILM), but the newest one that is making a significant impact is an iPad/tablet selling system.

Retailers in all categories are incorporating iPads into their sales process as they look to enhance customer engagement and ramp up efficiency. Retail experts believe that this trend represents a sea change in how retailers transact and interact with customers. Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, Home Depot, Sephora, British Airways, Carrow’s restaurants and many others are rolling out tablet solutions throughout their businesses. At a time when shopping has lost some of its glamour, the iPad and other tablets are helping to restore the excitement. A recent sign captures this sentiment well: “The Customer Experience is the Next Competitive Battleground.”

For dealerships in particular, the exploding variety and complexity of vehicles makes it imperative for sales consultants to be able to stay on top of immense amounts of information in order to sell effectively. And with customers increasingly using mobile devices to look up information during the sale, a dealership that

already has a tablet selling system in place is better prepared to meet and exceed the expectations of today’s customers.

A tablet selling system is more than just using an iPad during the sale, however. It is an all-inclusive approach that enhances the sales function from start to finish, impacting every aspect of the sales process. A comprehensive system has the ability to turbo-charge the dealership’s sales process to take it to the next level. Key elements of an effective tablet sales system should include: • Seamless integration of the tablet technology

into the dealership’s sales process, with training to help the sales team understand how to use it effectively

• A full array of media tools to enhance customer engagement during the sale, such as videos (ones that demystify vehicle technology are especially effective, while videos about the dealership are differentiating and add value), photos and social media links

• A back-end feedback loop to track usage and ensure compliance

Especially for a new sales consultant, having vehicle and inventory information instantaneously available on the iPad is a great way to get up to speed without resorting to cheat sheets. And since so many vehicles are now high-tech hybrids and plug-ins, it only makes sense for dealerships to be using the latest technology in their sales process. Other benefits of a mobile selling system include:• Ease of comparing different models and

trims• Ability to check store inventory

instantaneously• Ability to enter customer information into

the iPad while with the customer• More green; no wasting paper• Customers think it’s cool

Jonathan Conn, eCommerce director of Tom Gill Chevrolet, agrees. “We strongly believe that iPad selling is the direction of the future for dealerships. The results we’re seeing so far just prove how powerful an iPad selling system can be.”

“By leveraging the power of today’s technology, you add value throughout the sales process, greatly reducing the focus on price,” said Jim Hughes, co-founder of IntellaCar, the iPad selling system used by Tom Gill Chevrolet. “A recent J.D. Power and Associates study confirms that an enhanced customer experience trumps price.”

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sales & training solutionMarkTewart

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Do you believe in luck? Do you consider yourself a lucky person or are you waiting for your ship to come in? There is a difference between luck and randomness. You should create your own luck and remove the randomness of your results.

Recently, I conducted a sales meeting for a business. Before I gave the meeting, I entered the meeting area before the sales team arrived and I taped a $20 bill to the bottom of a chair. During the meeting, I asked everyone to stand up and then look underneath their chairs and tell me what they had found. Everyone was saying they hadn’t found anything except the one person who was sitting in the right chair, who yelled, “I found $20 bucks!”

After the gentleman found the $20, I asked everyone if that was luck that he had found the $20. Some replied “yes” and some replied “no.” I told them that the reason for this exercise was to make several points. First of all, the person who found the $20 had to get up out of bed, drive to work, be there on time and

pick the right seat. As silly and simple as all of those things are, there was a time that all of those things would have seemed impossible. You are not born with a car or a job, but somehow you figured out how to accomplish those things.

My point is that your goals must become as believable as any task you do every day. Do not think of goals as goals, but as tasks. Bombard your brain with repetitive thought and proof of your goal until you become convinced it is a task and not a goal. People fail at goals and News Year’s Resolutions, but they do not fail to drive, go to work and eat. Change your perspective. Also, the steps he took — such as getting a car, getting out of bed, driving it to work and arriving on time — were sequential. It did not happen with a push of a button. There is no such thing as push-button success.

Next, the salesperson who found the $20 may have been lucky, but he put himself in position to be lucky. Everyone who consistently puts themselves into position to be lucky becomes lucky. Create your positioning and possibility for luck. You cannot be denied forever.

You may be saying “Come on. There is no way to know you would pick the right chair!” I would agree with that 100 percent. The right chair part is random, and that is exactly what most salespeople do every day. They randomly choose their luck or lack of it.

Imagine a fisherman who fished everyday in a spot with no fish, the wrong hook, the wrong bait and at the wrong time, versus someone who fished with the all the right things in place. Who catches more fish, more often? Is that luck? If you are a salesperson who shows up to work and acts in a random fashion with no plan, no tools and no thought as to what you want and how to get it, you will get what you planned for. Nothing equals nothing or the occasional random luck.

Have you ever been wrapped up in the “good month/bad month” syndrome? It’s not bad luck and it’s not by accident. You simply have set yourself up in random fashion to get random results and those results are usually poor. You have given up your power, your responsibility and made a choice. It’s always a choice.

Successful people are lucky. They have planned for their luck and they believe in their luck. Unsuccessful salespeople are creatures of randomness. Either way, randomness or success is always a choice. You choose to win or you choose to lose but it is always your choice.

If you want to find out how to be very lucky in sales and life, e-mail me for the free special report titled “Luck.”

Mark Tewart is the president of Tewart Enterprises, andthe author of the best seller, How To Be A SalesSuperstar. He can be contacted at 866.429.6844,or by e-mail at [email protected].

Bombard your brain with repetitive thought and proof of your goal until you become convinced it is a task and not a goal. People fail at goals and News Year’s Resolutions, but they do not fail to drive, go to work and eat. Change your perspective.

Do not think of goals as

but as

tasks.“

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Daemeth Rooney, general manager of L.A. County’s Sunrise Ford in California, knows his dealership receives around 900 sales calls every month. That’s 900 opportunities to set appointments, answer questions and sell vehicles. If those calls aren’t handled properly, though, Rooney knows that it could easily become 900 missed opportunities each month.

To make sure that these 900 opportunities are given the best chance to complete the path to the sale, Rooney’s dealership uses a call tracking service (in their case, CallSource’s DealSaver system) to monitor calls, educate their staff and save deals that might otherwise have fallen through the cracks. Recently, the dealership made 19 extra sales in a month from deals that otherwise would have been dead. We sat down with Rooney and asked how the call tracking system fits into their program, and what it’s meant to the dealership.

autosuccess: describe your telephone prospecting system — how does it fit in on your path to the sale?daemeth rooney: It’s huge. Our Internet department represents about half of our sales personnel, and they rely pretty much 100 percent on making and receiving telephone calls.

as: what are some common problems a dealership can run into with prospect calls?dr: Obviously, one of the biggest challenges on incoming calls is how those calls are handled, as far as what information is given out over the phone and whether or not we acquired a name and number for follow up. How did we handle the phone call? Did we actually listen to the customer and answer their questions? Did we offer alternatives if we didn’t have a particular vehicle? And, most importantly, did we get contact information so we can follow up?

as: when did you implement a call tracking service, and why?dr: We implemented a call tracking system about seven years ago. First, we wanted to know the effectiveness of our advertising budget and see what kind of calls were being generated from it. It’s been instrumental for tracking our ROI. Secondly, it gave us a phone number when someone calls and, in some cases, a name. We could run

a particular campaign and then go back and print off all the calls that came from that campaign, and have a sales manager or assistant sales manager follow up with those customers. as: what’s the most useful information you get from your call tracking system? dr: The most useful bit is that we can get the number of calls that came in for a specific ad, and then, most importantly, we’re able to listen to every one of those calls and get a phone number so we can follow up. The nice thing about call tracking is we can actually listen to the phone calls and see how calls are being handled. One of the other nice features about it is that if someone calls and the call is missed or they got disconnected, we get an e-mail that we have a missed call from this ad source with the number that the call came from so we can call those customers right back.

as: what kind of difference has the dealsaver package made for your dealership?dr: The DealSaver package has been phenomenal. With the amount of calls we have, it’s difficult or impossible to listen to every single call. With DealSaver, we have someone listening to all those calls, isolating calls where it didn’t go well — calls where we don’t get a name and number, calls where we didn’t ask for an appointment or calls where information wasn’t given to the customer or wasn’t given to the customer properly.

What’s nice about it is that I get an e-mail — and all my managers are on the distribution list, as well, so everybody in the management of the store gets notified. The e-mail is basically a snapshot of the experience, which says something like “the customer was interested in ‘x’ vehicle; the salesman told them it was unavailable, and didn’t ask for a name or number or didn’t attempt to set an appointment.” In that e-mail, there’s also an icon I can click on and immediately the recording of the call will start to play. You can listen to the bad call immediately and hear what happened. Then, you can counsel the salesperson and, most importantly, we’re able to call the customer back in a timely manner. We have a manager call them back and see if we can save the deal or get an appointment.

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as: what’s the value of being personally notified?dr: With the system I have in place, every time an alert comes in, I require one of the managers to e-mail me back immediately as to what action was taken. For instance, an e-mail notice will come in and I will get an e-mail from the sales manager saying something to the effect of “one of the salesman has been in contact and set an appointment,” or “I spoke to the customer myself and we’re searching for a vehicle for him.” So, I not only get it the notification, but the customer is called immediately, and then my managers tell me what action they took.

as: what information do you find most helpful when you’re called to save the deal?dr: Obviously, we listen to the call. We want to know what happened. As we listen to it, we can get a feel for what the customer was looking for, and then we have a phone number and information there, so we can give them a call right back and introduce ourselves as the sales manager of the store. We can see if their questions were answered, and take another run at setting an appointment. We’re just basically able to try to get the deal working.

as: is the system useful for training?dr: It’s been an invaluable sales training tool for salespeople. We can identify who the salesperson is, so if we’re getting notices daily or weekly and the same names are popping up, we can take action. We’ve taken people off the phone pops for a week because until you can answer a call correctly — get a name and number and at least ask for an appointment — you shouldn’t be on the phone. It’s allowed us to implement disciplinary actions, as well as improvement steps for the sales personnel. A lot of times I’ll call the salesperson into my office and say, “Hey, listen to this.” We’ll play the call for them, and we can point out “This is what you should’ve said — do you hear how you’re sounding right now? You were short with them and didn’t answer the guy’s questions.” Or, “Why do you start running your mouth and going down tangents that had nothing to do with what this guy asked?” People hear themselves on the call, and can improve. No one wants to be called into the office to hear a call they didn’t handle correctly. as: are they ever surprised when they hear the call back?dr: Oh, yeah, they can definitely be surprised about how they sound or what they talk about. For instance, somebody might call and ask if we have any 2012 Ford Escape XLT with leather in stock, and the salesperson will say, “Yeah, we have plenty of those and we’re running an incredible lease special right now, and I have a friend who leased a car last week,” and the customer’s saying “OK, I was actually going to buy it....” So, the salesperson’s running their mouth about something that doesn’t matter to the customer, instead of asking more pointed questions and trying to set an appointment and find out what it is going to take to get this customer to come and do business with us.

as: any parting thoughts on call tracking at your dealership?dr: DealSaver has allowed me to use our resources more efficiently. I used to have a BDC manager who would take all the incoming calls. Basically, this has allowed me to eliminate that position and actually gave me more accountability. When you have someone taking all the incoming calls, who is holding that person accountable? You just rely on them that they’ll be setting the appointments and handling the calls well. Now, with this system, I’m able to have pretty much anybody take incoming calls and, if anything goes wrong, we know about it right away and I might be able to come in and save it. We can then counsel the salesperson to do better next time and create a whole sales force of people who can handle incoming sales calls well.

For more information about Daemeth Rooney or Sunrise Ford, visit www.sunriseford.com.

For more information about CallSource, contact Laura Bavetz at 888.821.3770, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Daemeth Rooney, general sales manager of Sunrise Ford of North Hollywood, California, utilized a telephone lead management solution to capture 19 additional sales that would have fallen through the cracks. What does 19 additional units sold mean? The national average of profit for a sold unit is $2,350 (not including parts and service), giving Sunrise Ford an additional $43,000 in profit in just one month. Simply put, telephone lead management solutions, which include call tracking, monitoring and alerts, translate into substantial financial gains. These solutions also help leaders like Rooney manage his dealership with maximum efficiency, while providing the sales team the training they need to succeed with every lead. With nearly 1,000 incoming prospect calls each month, Rooney needs to be sure every call is attended to and every sales opportunity captured. CallSource’s call tracking and lead management solutions help dealers like Rooney make the most of each and every call. In this case, Sunrise Ford made approximately $43,000 more in one month because of lead management solutions. Ben Goleman, national sales manager - automotive division at CallSource, works closely with Sunrise Ford, and manages nearly 300 dealerships and auto groups nationwide. “It’s my job to make sure dealers convert as many leads as possible into showroom appointments and sales,” said Goleman. According to Goleman, dealerships that use telephone lead management with an alert notification system have a real leg up on the competition. “They sold 19 additional units based on 145 e-mail alerts from 309 inbound sales opportunities. That’s pretty substantial proof that when you’re notified about any missed sales opportunities, you really can save the deal.”

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marketing solutionGeorgeNenni

14 autosuccessonline.com

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taking pinterestto the next level

Why should dealers establish a presence on Pinterest? Pinterest (launched in March 2010) has established itself as the third most popular U.S. social networking site, behind Facebook and Twitter. Pinterest hit 20 million users this April, up from only 1 million users in July 2011. The Wall Street Journal reported that Pinterest is now valued at $1.5 billion, thanks to the way the site attracts users and converts them to revenue. If you’re still sitting on the sidelines, it is time to take action.

One of the biggest risks for dealers who haven’t yet joined Pinterest comes from spammers squatting on key brand names (like your dealership’s). These spammers will then sell you your brand once you decide to join this hot new social media site. It only takes about 15 minutes to secure your brand on Pinterest, so register your dealer’s brand name now.

Pinterest’s amazing ability to secure Page 1 SERP is a proven fact. These search results show up not only for a dealership’s brand name, but also on key search terms. The most wonderful thing about Pinterest is that it’s easy and fun to do. You simply establish your brand presence and then develop your style and voice for the page. What does that mean? Read on.

I recently gave a presentation on Pinterest at the 2012 Automotive Boot Camp in Las Vegas. Having conducted research and dealer interviews prior to the presentation, it was interesting to note the audience’s reaction to Pinterest. There were a handful of dealers who had established their presence and could talk about their “Pinterest style.” Establishing your dealership on Pinterest can help you dial into your dealership’s personality, appealing to both current and prospective customers. Fiat dealers, for example, feel their customers like things that are fun, quirky and creative, so the Pinterest pages from their dealers echo that. Jeep dealers, by contrast, promote a personality of rugged and adventurous customers, and have Pinterest boards with Jeeps used accordingly. You get the idea; target your customers while promoting your dealership’s history, community involvement and personality.

How can you measure whether or not you’re successful on Pinterest? That’s easy, too. Simply visit a site called PinPuff (www.pinpuff.com) and you can get a free rating on your site. PinPuff is a measure of your popularity on Pinterest and the value of each of your pins. PinPuff lists the boards and pins with the most traction, and provides tips to

build your network. Through PinPuff, it’s possible to improve content and get more results on Pinterest. An average PinPuff score is 32, and any score 50 or higher is considered very good. Another free tool is actually built right into Pinterest that allows you to track the pins that have come from your dealer pages. The URL structure is: http://pinterest.com/source/[domain]. Replace the “domain” with your Website address. For instance, to find out the pins that have come from Ford Motor Company’s Website, you would go to this web address: http://pinterest.com/source/ford.com. This creates the perfect opportunity to find people pinning and re-pinning content, so these visitors can engage with your dealership (since this is a social site). The key is to be conversational and helpful.

The SEO ability of Pinterest is probably the most impressive aspect of the site. Since Pinterest is a site built upon links, and Google indexes the text from your boards and from your homepage, it is potentially packed full of SEO juice. Be strategic with your homepage and board descriptions to make sure you’re getting indexed for the same keywords that prospective customers are using in automotive searches.

The Internet remains a world where change is constant. The key for dealers is to stay in tune with where consumers are spending their time, and adjust online strategies accordingly. Of all of the social media outlets dealers need to pay attention to, Pinterest is a very easy one to start. Don’t delay — grab your brand today and start laying out your strategy. George Nenni is the vice president of operations for Dominion Dealer Solutions. He can be contacted at 866.382.8622, or by e-mail at [email protected].

“The SEO ability of Pinterest is probably the most impressive aspect of the site. Since Pinterest is a site built upon links, and Google indexes the text from your boards and from your homepage, it is potentially packed full of SEO juice.”

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marketing solutionToddSmith

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your websitetraffic is failing you

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Todd Smith is the co-founder of ActivEngage. He can be contacted at 866.387.9061, or by e-mail at [email protected].

As dealerships continue to better understand the Internet, one thing remains critical to success: How do you drive more qualified traffic to your Website? This question has been at the top of my mind for quite a while. What really brought it to the forefront and made it the catalyst for this article was something I heard at a conference I spoke at this month. The speaker said, “The most important keyword that will drive the most traffic to the average dealer’s Website is the dealership’s name.” He also noted the dealership’s name was the single most important thing to optimize a Website for, since the majority of traffic was coming from shoppers who entered the dealership name or a derivation of it into a search engine.

“What an idiot” is all I kept thinking. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that, of course, most of the traffic a dealership’s Website receives is derived from their name. Why? Because, the dealership Websites don’t produce any content marketing to drive traffic from additional keywords other than their name. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If Google is only finding your dealership’s name and no other additional keywords, then, of course, the majority of your traffic will come from your dealership’s name.

Now, what if you wrote 100 short, content-rich articles, explaining vehicle features versus competitive vehicles or the new MPG of the

Chevrolet Silverado? What about asking your salespeople to write down the top 10 questions shoppers ask them before they buy a vehicle from your dealership? Then, compile a master list of these questions and write some content that answers them. I guarantee more people are looking for answers to their questions than for your dealership’s name.

Today’s consumers have evolved; so, why are we still trying to engage them in the same manner? For the most part, the Internet has taken over the “pre-sale” aspects of our relationship with the shopper — meaning, shoppers will research and find the answers to their questions online, long before they will submit a lead or engage with a dealership to find information. Only after they have exhausted the free information the Internet provides, and feel the need for answers to those specific, detailed questions which only the dealership can deliver, will the shopper “take the plunge” and submit a lead.

Why not catch more of those shoppers in the “pre-sale” phase and build your brand, all the while developing trust with them? All you have to do is develop the content they are searching for and put it online with a good title and description. Google will do the rest for you. Yes, I am simplifying this a bit, but for the sake of this article, I want to make the point clear. We continue to fail at serving the shopper at the most critical junction — the “pre-sale” phase. Instead, we wait until the shopper has submitted multiple leads and is grinding us down before we truly interact with them.

Content marketing can change your dealership’s traffic. It can help to develop better leads and even deliver more sales. Don’t believe me? Third-party lead providers have been using content marketing for years to siphon off shoppers, and then sell the captured leads back to you. Just do a Google search for “Ford Focus MPG 2012” — a simple question any shopper looking at a Focus might ask during their qualifying phase. Who comes up? Exactly — my point.

If Google is the sandbox we need to play in, then content is the sand.

Page 17: AutoSuccess July 2012

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three ways to ease the pain of declining wholesale used vehicle values

Let’s imagine that you own a gas station.

A week ago, the supply truck filled the underground tanks at your station at a wholesale cost of $3.30 per gallon.

Today, as you opened the station for business, you learned that the wholesale cost had dropped to $3. You look across the street and see a supply truck filling up the tanks at the competition, and a new posted retail price that’s 15 cents less per gallon than your price.

You quickly recognize you have one of two options: You can meet or beat the competition’s price to sell your gas quickly and re-stock while wholesale prices are low, or, you can stick to your guns and sell your gas at a 15-cent-per-gallon premium to cover your wholesale costs and maintain your retail margin.

Which option would you choose?

For my money, the first option’s the wisest course. No doubt, the decision would cause short-term pain, given you’ve paid a higher

wholesale price for your gas than the competition. But the decision would help you more quickly align your wholesale costs and retail prices to the current market — and ensure ongoing price competitiveness and relevance for potential customers at your station.

I’ve shared this example with dealers in the past and most agree that it’s best for the station owner to bite the bullet and get rid of the higher-cost gasoline. Ironically, however, many of these dealers won’t make the same choice when it comes to used vehicles at their dealerships.

When wholesale prices for used vehicles decline, these dealers often hang on to their higher-cost inventory and retail prices in the hope that the market will come around to their way of thinking. Inevitably, they end up fighting a losing battle that creates wholesale losses and diminished profitability in their used vehicle departments.

This dynamic is repeating itself in the summer of 2012 as wholesale values for used vehicles have been largely on the decline since spring. This is the first time in roughly two years that dealers have seen significant drops in wholesale values. In that time, the biggest challenge has been finding the “right” used cars and buying them “on the money” given consistently high wholesale prices.

In recent weeks, I’ve had many calls from dealers asking for guidance on how to adjust to the new market reality and achieve their goals for return on investment (ROI) and profitability in their used vehicle departments. I’ll often share the following three recommendations to help dealers recognize the commonality they share with the gas station owner who’s sitting on a supply of a higher-cost gasoline:

1. Take the lump and move on. I recognize that dealers are often eternal optimists. “The market will come back!” is part of the rationale they offer for holding onto used vehicles that have lost

value. While I understand why dealers think this way, I’m always quick to point out that they’re just guessing about the future. What if they’re wrong and the market doesn’t come back? How will you purchase fresh cars if your money is tied up in aging, over-priced cars on your lot? The key is to play the hand the market deals rather than wishing for a different set of cards. This might mean less front-end gross profit on some cars. But dealers can still achieve gross profit for reconditioning and F&I sales as they sell out of the cars the market made problematic. In other words, the “lump” is more like a bruise.

2. Trust the traction of inventory turn. In the past two years, many dealers eliminated wholesale losses in their used vehicle departments. They rarely, if ever, load up the truck with cars destined for the auction. Their secret? These dealers focused on turning their used vehicle inventory at retail more quickly. They acquired the “right” cars, set the “right” retail asking prices and turned metal into money again and again. This “turn-‘em-quick” mindset provides dealers greater traction when the wholesale market slides — they’ve reduced their exposure to declines in vehicle values and they’re able to quickly adapt to new market conditions.

3. Tally the take-away lessons. I often tell my sons, “You’ll make mistakes in life; just do your best to avoid making the same ones twice.” As wholesale values decline, dealers will inevitably find the exit strategy on some cars more difficult than others. I encourage dealers to take careful note of these vehicles and the reasons they’re more troublesome: Did you pay too much to acquire them at auction or trade-in? Is your inventory too deep with a particular make/model? Did the combination of your reconditioning costs and changing market conditions kill your ROI and profitability potential? The answers to these questions often prove valuable to manage future market volatility, which will inevitably occur.

Dale Pollak is an author and the founder of vAuto. Hecan be contacted at 866.867.9620, or by e-mail [email protected].

Page 19: AutoSuccess July 2012
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sales & training solutionChristianThornton

best practices for driving data-based deals

Deals today are data-driven. Customers contact dealerships based on data-driven marketing and dealers’ inventory, and price vehicles based on data-driven metrics.

More and more, there’s real science behind deals. Technologies like real-time data aggregation help make this possible. This technology describes the merging of diverse kinds of data into a single usable information stream you can use to sell more cars profitably.

Key elements of this data stream are your various activities analyzed and aggregated from:• Dealership Website inventory pages• Online shopper behaviors• Customer information and customer

activities data from the dealership DMS and CRM

• Data from inventory management demand-comparison and pricing tools

All this data pulled together and usable to the dealer helps simplify and improve online inventory marketing. This is because this marketing can now be based on marketplace realities, not assumptions. With this data, dealers will be better positioned to meet consumers where they are — when they’re ready — to shop or buy.

What follows are some ideas for utilizing your data across multiple systems to drive business throughout your profit centers:

Be proactive — Look for opportunities; search your data for specific target audiences and their needs. Sort target customers by common

needs or opportunities. Think high-mileage customers and aim a “Welcome Back” mailer to them to entice their return to your service department. Think late-term customers, whose vehicles are approaching factory warranty expiration. Target an extended warranty service mailer to them.

Be there — Get inventory out of your data and onto the online car-shopping sites from which most vehicle sales originate today. Online inventory management tools integrating with your CRM, DMS, Website and online sites like cars.com and craigslist.com get your inventory presented online in dynamic, visual and compelling fashion across hundreds of online sites.

Be accurate — Real-time data integration across all platforms upon which your inventory resides online is critical to consistency across all places where shoppers shop your vehicles. This technology ensures that vehicle prices, descriptions and incentives are consistently presented — in content, image and pricing — wherever that inventory appears, from your Website to all of your online car-shopping sites.

Be dramatic — Avoid b-o-r-i-n-g listings. The idea is to make your listings stand out and draw eyeballs to yours first — and hold them there longer. Enhance basic listings to improve their dramatic appeal by adding video, live-voice video, 360-degree walkarounds, vehicle-history report buttons, finance calculator tools, and custom and vehicle-specific descriptions that go beyond basic VIN content.

Be on the ball — Online inventory data feeds, including leads, that flow through your CRM and mobile CRM help make sure you’re on top of every opportunity to sell cars and service. Use silent salesperson tools on your listings and Website inventory pages. Let this virtual worker handle viewers questions, promote your dealership and chat up the vehicle while you’re closed or otherwise occupied so you never miss the customers’ ZMOT (zero moment of truth) when they decide to shop or buy.

Be responsive — Respond to leads promptly; use an autoresponder only to acknowledge the original lead and respond with a personalized e-mail as soon as you can. E-mail to these leads videos of the vehicle they’re interested in — never miss an opportunity to reinforce the consumer’s emotional involvement in the vehicle. Leads from your dealership Website are always more down-funnel than leads from third-party Websites. Be sure to treat these hotter, more-ready-to-buy leads like the precious opportunities they are.

Christian Thornton is senior executive vice president of marketing and new business development for AULtec Inc. He can be contacted at 866.516.6238, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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sales & training solutionSeanV.Bradley

if you want to sell More cars, reMeMber ‘Macro’ versus ‘Micro’

The goal is to sell more cars, more often and more profitably. The question is “how can we do this?” How can we stack the deck in our favor to ensure consistent success? The answer is to sell on a macro level versus a micro level. Let me explain the difference between the two. “Micro” selling is the way the typical sales consultant sells — one deal at a time, working off of “Ups” or referrals. “Macro” selling is when you are able to sell multiple units at a time, or sell to multiple people at a time. For example “fleet” sales is a form of macro selling, if you have a company that wants to buy several units in one deal.

Sometimes this might be better than selling one unit at a time, and sometimes it’s not. Why? Simple — with a lot of “fleet” deals, there might be multiple units getting delivered; however, they can be heavily discounted because the client is buying multiple units in one transaction. So, is it better to sell one unit at a $2,200 total gross, or sell four units in one fleet transaction for a total gross of $4,000? On

one hand, you are making $4,000; on the other hand, you are obviously not maximizing on gross. But before I give you my opinion, here are some statistics that might blow your mind: • You have a six percent closing ratio off of OEM leads (leads from your manufacturer).• You have an eight percent closing ratio from third-party leads — but remember that more than

70+ percent of the leads you get from third parties originate from search engine optimization and/or search engine marketing.

• You have a 14 to 16 percent closing ratio from leads you generate through SEO and SEM initiatives and/or from leads from your dealership’s Website.

• On average you have a 27 percent closing ratio from membership buying services such as: • BJs • Sam’s Club • AAA • Costco (as a matter of fact, Costco had a 35 percent closing ratio)

People believe that if they are in a “membership buying program,” they will get a better deal. Numbers do not lie. Most dealerships and most salespeople sell the hardest way: one at a time. There is a better way: macro selling.

What you need to do is start a membership buying program for your dealership. When I was a manager at a dealership in New Jersey. I created a membership buying program through my dealership for law enforcement. I worked with a company called www.njcops.com, which is both a free newspaper as well as a Website, and goes to every law enforcement division in New Jersey — every police department, sheriff’s department, correctional facility, and federal agency in the state, along with some law enforcement organizations from neighboring states.

I created a full-page ad in the free publication, as well as full digital marketing and branding on their Website. I came up with a complete value package proposition (“Why Buy From Us?”).

Basically, the ad said, “Show me your badge and we will….” But it wasn’t just for the officers — it was for everyone at the police department, and their spouses and their kids. It was for everyone. Sound familiar? There is always a sale going on everyday at your dealership. Same concept: Perception is reality. We wanted every single person reading New Jersey Cops magazine and using its Website to think and know that if they or anyone they know wanted or needed anything automotive — sales, service, parts, finance, special finance, body shop, aftermarket — there was no other place other than Sean V. Bradley and my dealership. As a result of those ads, we signed up 22 different police departments in one week, and we sold a ton of cars. Anytime anyone needed anything automotive, they came to me and my dealership. We eventually moved beyond just law enforcement. We created a program for the military, teachers, firefighters and others.

What you need to do to start selling on a macro level versus a micro level is:• Understand the difference. • Identify which “macro” audience you want to target first. It doesn’t

have to be law enforcement or military. For example, if you are in Clear Lake, Texas (Right next to NASA), you might want to target NASA.

• Create a powerful “value package proposition” for your targeted macro audience.

• Create a powerful marketing campaign to fully engage your new audience.

If you have any questions about this article or if you would like me to help you identify what “macro” opportunities you have in your area, please feel free to e-mail or call me.

Sean V. Bradley is the founder and CEO of Dealer Synergy, a nationally recognized training and consulting company in the automotive industry. He can be contacted at 866.648.7400, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Page 23: AutoSuccess July 2012

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Page 24: AutoSuccess July 2012

sales & training solutionMattBuchanan

24 autosuccessonline.com

crM has Moved farbeyond custoMer relationship ManageMent

It used to be that CRM was used primarily as a database of customer names and information; dug out only when needed to create an e-mail blast or add a note from a phone call. Times have changed in a big way and today’s providers offer everything from mobile services to lead tracking to service campaigns that can pull in the lion’s share of a dealership’s profits. The result is an invaluable tool that not only stores the information, but also helps managers target these prospects and lead them down the funnel to a final sale. Below, we’ll examine three areas where CRM tools have grown by leaps and bounds, and how the new tools can help add to a dealer’s bottom line.

owner lifecycle Marketing processesA true CRM solution is the glue that holds every department together in terms of customer lifecycle management. These solutions should provide sales, service and parts revenue, plus information on how the customer was contacted and what was the result of each interaction. Moreover, a great CRM should seamlessly provide you with the lifetime value of each and every customer. Additionally, these tools are great at the following:

• E-mail Marketing — While this has been around for some time in terms of CRM, the best solutions on the market now offer laser-focused targeting, testing and tracking so a dealership knows what worked, down to the pennies spent per e-mail recipient, per campaign and per sale.

• Data Mining/Analytics — The best CRM solutions should help management slice and dice data to find new prospects and market to them at the time they’re ready to buy.

• Showroom Capture — CRM systems should offer ways to capture information as soon as the “Up” walks in the door, and then provide a realistic follow-up process to convert them into a customer.

• CSI — Automated surveys, tracking of complaints and escalation processes and even the tracking of complaints by department help principals immediately spot problem areas and tackle issues that arise before the OEM CSI survey is conducted. Additionally, a great CRM tool (used properly) can help dealers effectively manage their online reputation.

service Marketing processesThe CRM tools that get us really excited today don’t just create e-mail blasts to service customers offering 10 percent off an oil change; they help dealers fill their service bays 100 percent of the time.

• Online Scheduling — Today’s consumers want to be able to schedule service appointments on their time, which usually involves nights and weekends. Many CRM tools now offer scheduling components that work with a dealership’s Website to enable service customers to schedule service at a time convenient for them, whether or not the service advisors are at their desks or even on the clock.

• Mobile Marketing — To take it one step further, some of the most progressive CRM companies are now offering mobile scheduling tools. Using these Internet dashboards, a mobile customer would be able to find available times, book the appointment and get directions to the dealership, all while sitting in traffic.

• Appointment Reminders and No-Show Scheduling — Pull in new prospects and returning customers alike with e-mail- or text-based appointment reminders. If a no-show happens, the CRM system can follow up automatically with the customer to reschedule.

internet lead processesWe’ve all heard the stats; Internet requests need to be followed up with immediately or it counts

as a lost opportunity. The great CRM tools are helping dealerships not only follow up on e-mails quickly, but also drive different prospects down different follow-up paths, allow salespeople to access the CRM tool from their mobile devices and track the success rate of all activities.

• Multiple Follow-Up Paths — Every prospect doesn’t want to see the message from your dealership. For example, a prospect who completes an online trade appraisal is interested in what you’ll offer for their vehicle, while a traditional third-party lead prospect is more interested in a competitive price quote. Great CRM tools make creating and maintaining these multiple paths a snap.

• Mobile Sales Applications — If your Internet lead management processes cannot be duplicated on a mobile device, then your team’s success will be limited by the amount of time they spend sitting at their desks. The newest innovations in CRM are allowing dealer personnel to access their templates and processes right from their mobile phones — regardless of where they’re located.

• ROI Reports — The true value from CRM comes from helping dealerships determine what’s working and, more importantly, what is not. From salespeople to Internet campaigns to keywords used in SEO, CRM systems should allow dealers to drill down to minute detail on every touch point with the customer.

In short, CRM has become the most important tool in a dealership’s arsenal of sales, service, parts, Internet leads and CSI tools. With such a wide influence across every department, isn’t it time to take a sharper look at what your CRM system provides and ensure it offers you the solutions you need to compete in today’s tech-driven marketplace?

Matt Buchanan is co-founder of Dealers United and the principal of Sarasota Ford in Sarasota, Florida. He can be contacted at 866.239.4049, or by e-mail [email protected].

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Page 26: AutoSuccess July 2012

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sales & training solutionToddKinzle

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Todd Kinzle is the president and CEO of Auction Genius. He can be contactedat 866.386.4914, or by e-mail at [email protected].

bidding against the coke Machine

I can’t begin to tell you how many dealers claim they are unwilling to submit proxy bids or participate in live online auctions because they are afraid of being run up by the auctioneer or the seller. It is a common concern, and I can’t say I blame dealers for their discomfort. However, it is clear to me that it is an illogical fear that keeps dealers from taking advantage of a tremendous opportunity. The reality is that submitting proxy bids and participating in online auctions will allow you to bid on vehicles you otherwise would never have the chance to consider. If you’re successful, even if you were only bidding against the Coke machine, you will have acquired a piece of inventory you would have not had an opportunity to bid on for a price you determined to be fair. If you’ve done your homework and gotten your values right, this is good business.

Not knowing for sure who or what you are bidding against can be one of the most disconcerting, confidence-stealing problems buyers face at online auctions. The ability to look into the eyes of your competitors while

they raise their hand in support of the value of the item you’re bidding on is one of the reasons buyers and sellers alike enjoy the format of a live auction. However, allowing the fear of potential shill bidding to keep you from participating in more auctions and bidding across the country on more of the vehicles you need can be a big mistake.

If you want to improve your ability to get the vehicles you need at auction, you need to embrace and leverage the technology provided by the major auction players. It will help you be a more confident online bidder. Participating in online sales and leveraging proxy bidding opportunities helps you to cast a much broader net, and increases your ability to buy enough of the right cars for your inventory.

It’s perfectly normal to have fears and doubts when you’re venturing into unknown territory, but in order to achieve a greater level of

success, you will need to overcome your fears and emotions and approach these types of transactions from a purely logical business perspective. Forget about how you feel about who you’re bidding against or about how the auctioneer arrived at the final bid amount. Instead, ask yourself whether or not you’re improving your potential to come away with more of the vehicles you need for your inventory. The answer will be obvious.

At the end of the day, it’s OK to bid against the Coke machine if you come away with the right car at the right price. If you’re willing to put aside your fears and embrace technology, you’ll find that online buying and proxy bidding will significantly improve your ability to find more good buys for your inventory.

Now, sit back, put your feet up on your desk and enjoy that nice cold Coke because you can overcome the Coke machine.

Page 27: AutoSuccess July 2012

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marketing solutionJeffDoerrer

Jeff Doerrer is the sales manager for G&A Marketing. He can be contacted at 866.855.6616, or by e-mail at [email protected].

if the coMpetition is doing it, do the opposite

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you emulate a competitor because it appears that they came up with a good idea that worked? Do you spend the majority of your advertising money promoting the last two weeks of a month because that’s how you have always done it? Do you hire salespeople from other dealerships in town because they are “experienced?”

Do any of these ad phrases look familiar to you?• “LOWEST PRICES AROUND”• “PAYMENTS AS LOW AS…”• “NO CREDIT, BAD CREDIT, NO

PROBLEM”• “$$$ BELOW INVOICE”

There’s a reason they do. It’s because virtually every car dealer uses or has used these marketing lines, among many others, over and over again. In a competitive market, many dealerships focus on price as the leading marketing hook to get a customer to shop their store. The fact is every other dealership is doing the same.

In his book Differentiate or Die, Jack Trout writes, “Price is often the enemy of differentiation. By definition, being different should be worth something. It’s the reason that supports the case for paying a little more — or at least the same — for a product or service. But when price becomes the focus of a message or a company’s marketing activities, you are beginning to undermine your chances to be perceived as being unique. What you are doing is making price the main consideration for picking you over your competition. That’s not a healthy way to go.” Consider the way you market your dealership to customers. Is it based on price? Is price the primary reason customers visit your dealership, and if so, what is the impact on your store’s profitability?

So, if you have determined that you don’t want to be known as the dealer who promotes price above everything else, what do you promote? Jack Trout writes about ad agency executive Rosser Reeves, who coined the term “unique selling proposition,” or USP for short. The book describes a three-part definition of USP:

1. Each ad must make a proposition to the consumer — not just words, not just product puffery, not just show window-advertising. Each ad must say to each reader: “Buy this product and you will get this specific benefit.”

2. The proposition must be one that the competition cannot or does not offer. It must be unique, either a uniqueness of the brand or a claim not otherwise made in that particular field of advertising.

3. The proposition must be so strong that it can “move the mass millions” (i.e., pull over new customers to your product).

Well, you don’t need to move the “mass millions,” but you do need to move the people in your market who buy cars. So what is your unique selling proposition? What is it that your dealership does (or can do) that the other dealerships can’t (or won’t)? It’s worth your time to brainstorm with key people at the dealership and come up with these USPs. If they are compelling enough, begin marketing to your prospective customers using your unique selling proposition. Think through all of your advertising and marketing. For those of you who use an outside advertising agency, challenge them to come up with ways to position your dealership uniquely in the market.

There are many ideas worthy of exploring. For the purposes of this article, however, I will illustrate one. Many businesses have reaped the benefits of “cause-related marketing.” People are inclined to support businesses that support causes that they care about. In Joe Marconi’s book Cause Marketing, he states the following facts:

• According to a study by Research International Ltd., 86 percent of consumers are more likely to buy a product associated with a cause or issue.

• About two thirds of Americans have a greater degree of trust in companies aligned with social issues.

• About 64 percent of consumers feel companies should make cause-related marketing a part of their standard business practices.

While it is easier for large, national companies to align with national causes, it is still something that can be done locally with a strong positive impact. What issues are important to your local community? Are there charitable causes that the dealership has supported in the past but has not used in its marketing? Local charities are always in need of exposure and funds. Many support children’s causes, military family programs, stray animal adoption.... The list goes on.

There are dealerships that will give a portion of revenue generated through car sales to the charity. This is an effort that is clearly marketed to consumers in the area. While we know that the dealership must offer a good product at a fair price with great service to win a customer’s business, cause-related support can often times be the “tie-breaker” in winning or losing that customer’s business.

There are many more ways for you to promote a unique selling proposition. You need to figure out what is best for your dealership, based on its strengths and position in the marketplace. Let the other dealers in town do the same thing they have always done and simply blend in with the crowd. Remember, if the competition is doing it, do the opposite.

Do you have a unique selling proposition that you have been telling your customers about? If so I would like to hear about it. Please feel free to send me your stories and questions at the e-mail below.

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Page 29: AutoSuccess July 2012

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sales & training solutionGlennPasch

what is your vision of custoMer service?

All of us have had experiences where we walked away saying how excellent or how terrible the service was. What is even worse is if we did not notice it at all.

It is a sad state of affairs, but consumers are getting used to mediocre or poor service, so when they see excellence, it really stands out. Dealers today have so many opportunities to differentiate themselves in their market by simply focusing on improving how they are delivering their product to their customers.

If you think about the instances of exceptional service, it was usually the small things that made a difference. • The cashier walked around the counter and

handed me my bag.• In a hotel, every person says “good

morning” or “good afternoon.”• The front desk called to make sure

everything was set up as I requested.• The waiter heard us discussing wanting to

try an appetizer and got us one for free.

All of these little touches that make the experience seem exceptional, and you may be asking yourself what little things your business does — or can do — to be exceptional?

Delivering excellent customer service starts with knowing the experience you want to deliver. Is it a fun place? A prompt place? A knowledgeable place? One way to find out how you are seen by customers is to ask your own staff. Ask your long-term employees why they are still working at your dealership. Find out what they take pride in and then build on that.

Too many dealerships focus their sole differentiation factor on being the “lowest-price dealership.” We have all heard that the race to the bottom kills business, and I agree. There is always someone who will take a short-term hit to win market share, but this is not sustainable business because automotive dealers need a loyal customer base to fill that service lane and build profits.

Remember that every business is in the customer business. Even if an employee is not customer facing, their work impacts what is delivered, so they also need to be executing their tasks with passion and a sense of purpose.

My simple rule of thumb is this: Give customers a better level of service than you would expect in the same circumstance. It is a great place to start. And keep smiling. It makes the job more enjoyable and the customers will keep coming back.

Here are some of my ideas for you to do at your dealership:• Walk customers out to their car• Put their seat and stations back to the same way as it was delivered• Print out a service history to hand to them before you get started to discuss what has been

done, as well as what should be done• Make sure everyone says “hello” or asks if they have been helped.• As someone walks by the waiting area, see if anyone needs anything

Include all of the things that you encounter in your travels that made you smile or go “that was nice.”

I have used this example in many of my live workshops, but one of the best service experiences at a dealership was at my local Volvo dealer. When I pulled in, there is a canopy with a table and a box of all the paperwork. One employee opened the door to greet me and walked me over to the person handling the paperwork. As I turned around, I saw one employee in my car doing mileage while another was topping off my fluids. It looked like a pit crew.

They walked me inside and I was out and on my way with my loaner within 10 minutes. That was effective because they realized that my goal was to get in and out so I would not be late to work.

It was an excellent, well thought-out experience that I have never seen duplicated. That is standing out from the marketplace.

Glenn Pasch is the COO of PCG Digital Marketing and a nationalspeaker and trainer. He can be contacted at 866.611.0998,or by e-mail at [email protected].

Page 31: AutoSuccess July 2012

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32 autosuccessonline.com

sales & training solutionDavidMetter

stair-step prograM;what’s your planof execution?

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As many of you know, several automakers have rolled out incentive programs that pay dealers escalating bonuses as they sell more of a specific model. This is a selling tactic that has been used for many years. Instead of advertising rebates to the consumer, the manufacturers incent the dealers with these stair-step programs with the hopes of lifting sales.

If you read the Automotive News article that was published on May 21, 2012, you know that dealers are split on the topic of stair-step programs. Some dealers know how to work the system,

having a plan to execute once these programs are released. But many dealers say stair-step programs wreak havoc on their markets. Dealers pushing for their sales bogeys in the final days of a program often slash prices well below their cost in hopes of a large volume-based bonus at the end.

If you work for a dealership that just sits back and waits for customers to walk in the door throughout the month, you probably don’t like these programs. Personally, I love stair-step programs because I always felt like I had a plan to execute on them. Our group would utilize many of our existing marketing tools like cars.com new car specials, Autotrader.com spotlight ads, our e-mail marketing ability, social networking, paid search and retargeting ads to drive specific car buyers into our lead engines. In fact, while I was on the dealership operations side of the fence, we built a solution that would proactively segment customers based on specific models (i.e. Honda Accord) and drive them into our showrooms. We would turn this on as soon as we would receive the announcement so that we would get a head start on our competition. Driving more customers into the showroom would give our salespeople more “at-bats” on the cars that we needed to move, hence allowing us to sell more and hitting the bonus levels earlier in the month so we weren’t battling with our competition while they were in panic mode during the last week of month.

When you see these types of manufacturer programs, don’t take the same path as many of your competitors. Heck, don’t follow the same ritual that your dealership has in the past. Come up with a multi-faceted plan and execute on it. Use tools that will help you differentiate yourself from your competition and you will come out on top, with higher market share and a lower cost per sale… oh yeah, and more profit from the stair-step bonuses.

David Metter is the presidentof automotive at Hooklogic.He can be contacted at866.239.3846, or by e-mail [email protected].

“Driving more customers into the showroom would give our salespeople more “at-bats” on the cars that we needed to move, hence allowing us to sell more and hitting the bonus levels earlier in the month so we weren’t battling with our competition while they were in panic mode during the last week of month.”

Page 33: AutoSuccess July 2012
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sales & training solutionFranTaylor

pregnancy doesn’t slow salesperson down

Tiffany Kruzer has worked at Ganley Honda in North Olmsted, Ohio since 2002. Last month, she delivered 40 units; it’s worth mentioning that she was also eight months pregnant. She was also ranked in the top five of salespeople out of Ganley’s 27 dealerships. I recently interviewed her to learn how she is able to put up incredible numbers every month, even during the eighth month of her pregnancy.

fran taylor: how many phone calls do you make each day?tiffany kruzer: On a slow or rainy day, I make 200 or more calls.

ft: how do you find the time to make that many calls and still deliver 40 cars?tk: After the morning meeting, most salespeople go have a cigarette and chat for awhile. I go straight out to walk the used inventory to look for new vehicles. Next, I go directly to my desk and start making phone calls. If people aren’t home, I leave messages. If they are thinking about a new vehicle, it reminds them and they call me back. When someone comes in and asks for me, I sell that car and then sit back down and make calls and send letters.

ft: how many of your 40 deliveries last month were repeats and referrals?tk: There were 16 repeats and four were referrals.

ft: how do you get them to come back?tk: I send every customer a birthday card and call them. I call the day before their birthday,

so I be can the first to wish them a happy birthday. I also send cards and make calls to their families. After 11 years, many of the kids have grown up and now drive; they buy their cars from me. I send my customers magnets with my information on them. Many tell me they see me on their refrigerator every day. I also invite my customers to call me to schedule their service appointments, rather than wait on hold. When they come in for service, many will visit with me. We talk like friends. They know about what is going on in my life and I know about them. Building relationships makes it far easier to sell. Customers have been calling me to congratulate me on my son. They are telling me they will wait until I return from maternity leave to buy their next car. They want to work with me. It sure feels good to know I have a stack of sales waiting when I return.

ft: how many hours do you work per week?tk: I work 45 hours each week, and I take all my days off and more.

ft: how do you do that?tk: Once you start working harder, you don’t have to work as much. I work while I am at work. I am on the phone, sending a postcard or letter or I am selling a car. Many salespeople don’t want to invest in postcards or magnets. Or they go to work to chat. They spend their days waiting for a bus full of buyers to pull up. That bus is not coming.

I don’t work my day off. My customers understand that is my day with my family. They can come on another day to take delivery.

ft: how do you like being the only female salesperson at your store?tk: When I first got started there were a couple of other women. When they left and I was the only one, I set my goals to be the best salesperson in the store. My manager told me it is lonely at the top, but I have fun beating all the guys.

Fran Taylor is the president and CEO of Taylor Techniques. He can be contacted at 866.848.9864, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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Page 35: AutoSuccess July 2012

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Page 36: AutoSuccess July 2012

marketing solutionJimmyVee & TravisMiller

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how to boost your bottoM line in the shortest aMount of tiMe

Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller are founders of the Rich Dealers Institute and the authors of Gravitational Marketing: The Science of Attracting

Customers and Invasion of the Profit Snatchers. They can be contacted at 866.867.9618, or by e-mail at [email protected].

36 autosuccessonline.com

One of our biggest success strategies is speed. We’re always chasing after it. More speed equals more action, which creates more results. But speed doesn’t always mean doing things faster. Sometimes the most speed can be gained from choosing the best place to focus your time, energy and dollars. We call this “looking for the Closest Money.”

We are constantly working and refining success strategies and marketing ideas like these to help our private clients and members get more done and have a business and life is more ESP — Enjoyable, Simple and Prosperous.

Now, we don’t expect you to spend all your time immersed in marketing and refining success strategies the way we do on a daily basis.

But we do expect you to take the advice we give you because we’re boiling it down for you and hopefully making you think about things you wouldn’t have thought about otherwise, challenging you to do things you wouldn’t normally do and making your brain work in ways it doesn’t naturally.

The Closest Money Strategy is something so simple and so critical to your marketing and sales success, but we don’t know if we’ve mentioned it here in this column before. We at least know we haven’t made a big enough deal about it here.

We are only going to be scratching the surface of this concept here, but today it is essential and if you aren’t doing this you need to start immediately leveraging this opportunity for speed. What we’ve identified recently is a honey-hole for dealers that quite possibly could be the closest money for you. So we’re sure you’re asking yourself, “Jim and Travis, what are you talking about?”

We’re talking about effectively and systematically collecting your prospects’ and customers’ contact information — including

e-mail address — and leveraging it fully. That means meaningful communication sent frequently so you can build authentic relationships with your customers.

Many people who market online understand this concept. But many dealers we encounter do not get the power of this. You need to be actively creating and using a database. Your database is gold.

Most dealerships collect their customers’ contact info when they buy something, and some do a good job at keeping it current and in a usable state — most, however, don’t even do that. But just as important as keeping your customers’ data, you also need to keep your prospects’ information.

If a lead calls on the phone or an “Up” comes to the lot, you must have to have a system that collects their information. Ever notice how whenever you buy anything at RadioShack, they always ask for your full address? They collect the information vigorously.

At the very least, you want a prospect’s e-mail address and their permission to send them stuff in the future. It is imperative and can quadruple the effectiveness of your marketing and significantly impact your bottom-line. At best, you want full contact information so you can mail, e-mail and phone them.

So, here’s the big question:

How do you get all the info? You need to have a system that allows you to get at least the e-mail of every prospect who calls, comes into your location or that you run into in public. You need something to exchange for their permission to market to them in the future. No one is really going to give you their most valuable possession (their attention and time) for nothing.

So, if you are going to have a chance at getting them to give you their contact info and, in turn, their attention and permission to create an open dialogue and relationship, you better have something they want.

We recommend using valuable information and the concept of giving value first.

We’ve all heard of “added value” after the sale right? We think that is nonsense. You are rewarded for the value you deliver to the marketplace in conjunction with what you do potentially better than anyone else. And you have to deliver that value first — before a sale is ever made.

That’s how you get people’s attention and permission and create relationships and customers for life. That’s how you create raving fans who recommend you and talk about you to others. That’s how you get more referrals than you can handle and that’s how you can harness the power of that elusive “best-marketing-on-the-planet-because-it’s-free” marketing: Word Of Mouth Advertising.

But it all starts with aggressively pursuing and making it top priority to collect the contact info (especially e-mail) of all the prospects you ever come in contact with. With e-mail, you can market to them for free in the future.

For a free copy of our new, controversial book Invasion of the Profit Snatchers, go towww.profitsnatchersbook.com with the coupon code ASM1207.

Page 38: AutoSuccess July 2012

You spend a lot of time and money generating new leads.

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marketing solutionAJLeBlanc

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Making the video leap

38 autosuccessonline.com

AJ LeBlanc is the co-founder of Car-Mercial.com. He can be contacted at 866.795.9094, or by e-mail at [email protected].

When you’re talking about marketing a vehicle online, video brings the exposure of sight, sound and motion. People don’t want to read about a car; they want to experience it. Video engages them in ways that still photos or descriptions can’t, and engages them at a time where they’re receptive to that message — when they’re on the hunt for a new automobile. And, since people often spend an average of 42 minutes a day watching online video, it’s an effective way of getting your merchandise in front of an interested audience.

So, once you’ve decided that video is something you’d like to use in your marketing, what makes for a compelling video? It really depends on what the end consumer is looking for. There are a lot of different ways to go about using video in marketing a vehicle. Some ideas include: • Video testimonials from other customers

about your dealership (make sure you get a sign-off from the customers so you can use the video in your marketing)

• Video testimonials about the vehicle• Vehicle-to-vehicle comparisons • Third-party car reviews• Staff bios videos• Videos about the dealership’s involvement

in community events/charities• Videos about the dealership’s unique

amenities• Videos about awards the dealership may

have received• Videos about the heritage/history of the

dealership

Videos should be used to promote the dealership itself, the vehicles, specials you might be running or accolades your dealership has earned to represent yourself to the customer in the best light possible.

But when is the best time to start to use video? The answer is simple: Now. Start today making as many videos as you can. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, because you will make mistakes; learn from them, and your videos will become more and more effective. You can use a Flip cam or other inexpensive camera, but invest in a tripod; people don’t want to watch shaky amateur videos. It doesn’t have to be a fancy video — people aren’t going to watch to be amazed. They’re going to watch to gain information about the vehicle or your dealership. When putting the video together, leave room for an intro, and an end tag, with a clear call to action and contact information. Keep the videos short — two minutes or less. You’re not trying to win an Oscar; you’re trying to sell a vehicle.

When getting testimonials, you might want to use an interview format, since most people aren’t used to being in front of a camera. Interviews can sound much more natural than just placing a camera in front of the customer. Afterwards, put these videos on your dealership’s site, YouTube, Facebook, Google reviews, Yelp, DealerRater… any place where a customer might be looking for other people’s experiences, make sure your videos are available to them.

Embracing video marketing can give you a competitive edge over other dealers who aren’t willing to take the leap. Considering how easy it is now to take that leap, however, it’s not a hard decision to make. With a little practice and a little common sense, you can develop a powerful sales tool today.

“But when is the best time to start to use video? The answer is simple: Now. Start today making as many videos as you can. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, because you will make mistakes; learn from them, and your videos will become more and more effective.”

Page 40: AutoSuccess July 2012

sales & training solutionDennisMcGinn

is reconditioning holding down your used car lifecycle?

40 autosuccessonline.com

Most dealerships have integrated new technologies such as vAuto, AAX, First Look or Red Bumper to manage their used car lifecycle stages. Purchasing, appraising and pricing decisions are evaluated on a daily basis and have become part of the long-term dealership strategy. However, these solutions fail to address one of the largest opportunities for improvement in used car sales turns and profitability: reconditioning.

Until recently, dealerships of all sizes have mostly relied on custom spreadsheets and whiteboards to track and manage used car inventory throughout the reconditioning process. The data is often inaccurate and used car managers spend valuable time trying to locate responsible parties and determine the status of vehicles.

With the recent availability of an online reconditioning workflow process, it is now possible to have a complete lifecycle with all the metrics you need to know about reconditioning performance at every step.

Since recon demands are always changing, it allows managers to see bottlenecks as they build up and make process improvements based on historical data, as well as projections.

With a workflow process in place, dealers have the information needed to make informed decisions regarding resource planning. As demand for used cars increases, managers can easily determine when to increase staff hours, add additional staff or outsource overflow.

However, there is a much larger issue that needs to be addressed surrounding reconditioning’s impact on profitability. For the most part, reconditioning performance has been gauged on short-term memory of the best cars and the fact that no one wants to hear bad news. This has resulted in the more-difficult cars not being counted. For example, in a recent conversation with Tom Dunn, GM of Fred Martin Superstore in Akron, Ohio,

he said, “Before we implemented the recon workflow system, we used to congratulate ourselves regularly on what we thought was excellent recon performance, but boy, were we wrong. We were not counting all the time that cars were being held up for various reasons, which more than doubled our average. Now we have a complete picture of every car we own, at every stage, by day, week and month and can make better wholesale decisions and also compare our results with other dealerships.”

Dealers who are currently using recon workflow map technology have identified the following critical benefits:• Access to real-time data from anywhere,

including mobile devices• A single click updates the work flow when a

step is completed and ready for the next job • Text and/or e-mail alerts to appropriate “step

owners” when steps are completed• Workflow is always current and can be checked

by all authorized staff and management without having to leave their desks

The bottom line: A recon workflow system starts when the car is purchased or taken in trade and makes the process transparent, accountable and closes the reconditioning gap in the used car lifecycle.

Dennis McGinn is the founder and CEO of Rapid Recon. He can be contacted at 866.268.3582, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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A recent article quoted automotive research that showed the following:While sales are increasing, service business is decreasing!This recent downturn of service business has been a direct result of the drop off in sales that occurred during the economic downturn. It’s just math....

Slow car sales a few years ago equals slow service sales now. Consider the following:* Several studies have shown that the average

dealership retains only 19 percent of their customers from sales into service. That’s awful for the future health of your dealership.

* When you don’t retain customers into your service department, studies show that you don’t retain them for sales. Your service numbers directly reflect your sales numbers!

* If you don’t retain your customers, you will be forced to spend more and more advertising money to keep up your sales numbers.

Or you could easily and quickly solve these problems and make more $. Imagine the following:• 50 percent or more increase in Service RO’s• Huge increase in sales to service customer retention• Large customer pay increase• Surveys show that service loyalty massively increases

sales loyalty• Imagine also increasing new and used car sales at the

same time• Experience a 10 percent or more increase in vehicle

service contract sales as a result• Increase your front end gross profit, as well!

There are only four ways to increase the net profitof your dealership:1. Sell more vehicles.2. Increase your gross profit per vehicle.3. Increase your customer loyalty that will increase your

repeat business for sales and service.4. Decrease the time between sales and service visits.

Have customers who buy more, more often!

Here is the good news:And you can do all four things right now!

To get a quick preview of this revolutionary idea,just do the following:Call 888 2 Tewart (888 283-9278) and ask for Jaclyn. She will set up a convenient time to quickly and easily review the details. It will take all of 10 minutes!

There is more....I will give you a FREE bonus just for reviewing this. For your 10 minutes I will give you my distance sales training program 30 days for free. Train your sales staff with the best sales content in the industry.

Call 888 2 Tewart (888 283-9278) and tell Jaclyn that you want to review the 50 percent + program.

P.S. My question is, what would happen to your bottom line if you doubled your sales and service repeat business?

Page 42: AutoSuccess July 2012

marketing solutionRussellGrant

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Russell Grant is the vice president of sales for J&L Marketing. He can be contacted at 866.503.8397, or by

e-mail at [email protected].

42 autosuccessonline.com

getting it right:the right Message at the right time

It’s easy for us to get so caught up in “the business” of selling cars that we sometimes forget what really drives the business — our customers. When that happens, we no longer view customers as individuals with unique circumstances and needs. We reduce them to categories, interacting with them as prospects, conquests, previous or inactive customers instead of as people.

it’s about your customer, not you It’s important to remember there’s not a tool or system out there you can buy to earn a customer’s trust and loyalty. That’s your team’s job. And once they’ve established a relationship with a customer, it’s critical no one takes that customer and their future business for granted. These people — your previous customers — are your most valuable asset. And if you want them to return to your dealership for sales, parts and service, keep in mind that it’s always about them, not you.

Too often, a dealer panics and decides to run a

promotion because “I’ve got to make my month” or “I need to hit my numbers.” There is little strategy, limited targeted communications and virtually no data mining, which typically results in lackluster profits that do not capitalize on a dealer’s full sales potential.

what to say and when to say it Customers want to know that a dealership is thinking about them and paying attention to the details of their situation. But they don’t want dealers to communicate with them all the time — if a dealership does, the customer will stop paying attention. Customers also don’t want dealers to clutter their inbox and mailbox with offers that aren’t relevant to them and their lives. That’s why you want to make sure your data, tools and owner marketing strategy are up to the task of making the most of your hard-won customer relationships.

Sometimes it’s not even a matter of “selling” a customer on a deal. If your owner marketing strategy is solid, the deal can sell itself. All you have to do is get the communications out there, because with incentives, rebates, special offers and trade-ins, you can be doing a customer a favor — like helping them upgrade their vehicle and lower their payment, or performing a free multi-check vehicle inspection to prevent breakdowns and avoid costly maintenance issues. That’s the kind of message they’ll want to hear.

getting it right When you get it just right — when you target the right customers at the right time with the right message and you’ve got a great sales team to back it up — you might receive an e-mail like the one GM Mike Hills of Acton Toyota of Littleton recently shared with me:

To: Assistant GM Glenn Hoffman;Subject: New 2012 Tundra Purchase

Hi Glenn,Thank you for the e-mail letting me know about purchasing my new truck with no money out of pocket. I cannot tell you enough how much my wife and I love this dealership.

I’m so glad that my brother-in-law told us about Acton Toyota. We have purchased three new Toyotas from your dealership so far. We worked with John B all three times. He’s one of the nicest salespersons who I have ever worked with. His no-pressure approach to selling cars works for me. He is the most honest salesperson who I have ever worked with. He knows his products well and answers any questions that we ask. He is a very down-to-earth person who I believe really cares about his customers even after a sale. He does whatever it takes to make things more convenient for the customer. I only wish that Acton was closer to where we live.

Thanks for the best car-buying experience that a person could ask for.

Gregg and Kelly F

I’m not saying everyone is going to thank you personally for sending them promotional materials about a sales event. But I bet a lot more customers than you realize are ready to come back to your dealership, if only you’d send them the right message at the right time.

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Page 44: AutoSuccess July 2012

sales & training solutionMikeMyers

as seen on

44 autosuccessonline.com

I want to touch on something I’m starting to see in my dealership. Just a quick summary, I work in a “negotiation-free” store where we display upfront pricing and make buying easier. With that comes some other changes in our culture: sales not paid on gross profit but units and the way we hire, among other changes. The way we hire and who we hire is what I want to touch on here. We have been hiring more salespeople based on their personalities and potential, rather than sales ability. The idea is to develop your people so they can “sell” to a customer. There has been a trend that I’ve seen develop: salespeople being too nice At least they think they’re being too nice. When I talk to some of the salespeople on the floor and ask them how they’re doing, they tell me “not so good.” Of course, I ask “why?” They tell me their managers tell them they’re being too nice to their customers. Here are some of the things they say:

• I believe their objections.• I empathize with how they feel.• I agree with my customers.• When my customers says “no,” they’re right. Does this sound familiar to anyone? It does to me. As a matter of fact, I was the same way for a long time when I first started in automotive sales, so I know how they feel. I want to give my take on this and have some feedback from others as to how you would handle these dealership challenges. in My opinion:• There’s nothing wrong with being nice.• There’s nothing wrong with empathizing

with your customers.• There’s nothing wrong with believing their

objections.

What is wrong, however, is that’s where we stop. I’m a firm believer in not selling, but consulting. There’s a difference, don’t you agree? (Got you to say “Yes,” didn’t I?)

Customers want you to be nice, believe in what they’re telling you, and being empathetic to their situation. They are scared of the commitment. Not the dealership, the process, or even you; the commitment. Being committed to something requires courage, decision making, belief and a little faith. Your customer wants you to tell them it’s OK. They’re making a good decision and you’re going to stick by them.

So, when they say, “I need to go home and discuss it with my wife,” it’s OK. Be nice, empathetic and believe them. But, now is time not to shake hands and part as friends. It’s time to recap and ask him if his wife were to say “yes,” will this be the car they want to own? If he says “no,” go back. You missed a step. If he says “yes,” then maybe offer to have him take the car overnight to show his wife — just do something different. The other thing is get a T.O. There’s nothing shameful about a manager T.O. They’re not emotionally involved in the transaction, so they might pick up on something you will not see. It’s OK to be nice; just don’t forget to ask for the sale — more than once.

Mike Myers is a founder and partner of dealerELITE.net. He can be contacted at 866.382.6478, or by e-mail [email protected].

stop believing your custoMers, you’re too nice

Page 45: AutoSuccess July 2012

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To learn more, call 1-800-200-1513 or visit www.tdafdealer.com

Get service you can count on.

TD Auto Finance LLC, is a subsidiary of TD Bank, N.A. TD Bank Group is a trade name for The Toronto-Dominion Bank. Used with permission. For detailed credit ratings for the The Toronto-Dominion Bank and TD Bank, N.A. visit http://www.td.com/investor/credit.jsp. Credit Ratings are not recommendations to purchase, sell, or hold a financial obligation inasmuch as they do not comment on the market price or suitability for a particular investor. Ratings are subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the rating organization.

Part of the TD Bank Group, a Aaa-rated bank ranked as one of the safest banks in North America.

At TD Auto Finance, we’re committed to helping you grow your business. And we go to great lengths to meet your needs. You can submit deals seven days a week, and we offer rates and policies that are among the best in the industry. You also get the expertise of our dedicated Dealer Relationship Managers, who work with you to customize business plans and maximize profitability. It’s just what you get from a financing partner with over 45 years of experience.

Your profits may be the only thing better than our service

TD Auto Finance

905821A22_FCB March 7, 2012TDCT P1574 Auto FinanceP1574_Mag_I_2_rev_ST

Page 48: AutoSuccess July 2012

1 (800) 980-7488 • 6405 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 400 • Overland Park, KS 66202

BUILT FOR DEALERS BY DEALERS

LET’S SEE WHAT WE CAN BUILD TOGETHER. 1-800-980-7488

“Be One” is more than just a tagline, it’s our philosophy. It speaks to the way our customers are able to work faster, easier and more efficiently through one fully-integrated solution. It says that we are committed to a collaborative approach to innovation. VinSolutions

develops products and enhancements inspired by dealer feedback. Ask them; they will tell you what they told us.

Text Messaging

Rich Lucy, Tim Dahle Nissan

“The ability to communicate with customers and employees through text messaging directly from our CRM allows us to get messages out more quickly, with greater efficiency and as a preferred method over phone, voicemail and email without losing visibility of the

conversation in customer history.”

CRM FEATURETime Clock & Report

Bryan Armstrong, VW Southtowne

“This feature not only eliminates the need to add sales people to our ADP time clock, but also assists in accountability coaching and labor disputes. The Operator Panel allows the receptionist to easily see the status of each employee and text phone messages directly to them, improving communication and CSI. I requested the time clock feature on a Friday and it was done on Monday.

Now THAT'S listening to your clientele!”

CRM FEATURECustom Reporting

Chuck Olsen, Boucher Automotive Group

“Reports have been set up the way we want them, when we want them and with the metrics that truly drive ROI. We can choose from those best practice templates or create our own customized reports based on the power of my own data combinations with ultimate flexibility. Our VinPro is there to help

navigate an infinite number of options.”

REPORTING FEATUREAuto-Pricing Tool

Pat Hayes, Marc Heitz Auto Family

“The automated inventory pricing tool allows for management of extremely large pieces of inventory. I can take an entire fleet of 200-300 Silverados and price them aggressively online in just one click.”

INVENTORY FEATURE

be one with VINOne Integration • One Collaboration • One Solution

The VinLensTM

Dashboard was inspired by

dealer input.

Page 49: AutoSuccess July 2012

Success StorySuccess Story Success Story

Gunn Nissan

Gunn Nissan’s eCommerce Sales Jump 29% with New Video Ad Platform

In early 2011, Gunn Nissan was looking for an effective way to generate more awareness of their “One Simple Price™” philosophy throughout the San Antonio, Texas market they serve. Like many dealers, Gunn Nissan maintained a marketing strategy that included traditional and digital components, but were beginning to feel a decrease in the effectiveness of traditional mass marketing mediums like TV, print and radio while the cost for these traditional mediums remained high and difficult to track with measurable results.

Gunn Nissan began searching for a solution that would give them an added edge and increased visibility over their competitors while boosting sales without having to boost their ad budget. They soon discovered that with the dramatic increase in popularity of online video in recent years, a new market audience had emerged that can be highly targeted, and is more cost effective than traditional mass media: online video ads.

The 2011 Google Automotive Shopper Behavior Study shows online video ads as the No. 1 most useful ad format, above all other forms of traditional and digital advertising, to connect with prospective car buyers.

LEARN MORE ÆÅ READ FULL STORYÅ CONTINUED INSIDE

Gunn Nissan

• Use Video SEO to ensure that your dealership’s brand and message appears on Page 1 of the search results with compelling videos that attract and influence consumers more effectively than traditional text results.

• Use a Video Ad Platform that drives site traffic with professionally

produced, high quality targeted TV-style placed “pre-roll” video ads on highly visited websites.

• Work with a Video SEO and Video Ad Platform specialist like Car-mercial.

com to Geo target ready car buyers and build brand awareness and purchase intent within specific digital market areas to capture local in-market consumers.

IN A NUTSHELL

Gunn Nissan eCommerce Sales Jump 29% with New Video Ad Platform

“OUR ECOMMERCE BUSINESS IS UP 29 PERCENT YEAR OVER YEAR SINCE WE STARTED OUR VIDEO ADS BACK

IN MARCH OF 2011,”

-TONY RHOADES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION & CONSUMER

STRATEGIES AT THE GUNN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP.

Gunn Nissan’seCommerce Sales

29% with New Video Ad PlatformJUMPS

Gunn Nissan’seCommerce Sales Jump

29%

Page 50: AutoSuccess July 2012

Success Story

Gunn Nissan

IN A NUTSHELL Gunn Nissan eCommerce Sales Jump 29% with New Video Ad Platform

Recognizing an ideal opportunity, Gunn Nissan began implementing a two pronged, “push and pull”, video ad strategy to elevate their local presence and increase profitability.

“Our eCommerce business is up 29 percent year over year since we started our video ads back in March of 2011,” said Tony Rhoades, Executive Director of Information & Consumer Strategies at the Gunn Automotive Group.

First, Gunn Nissan began using Video SEO (Video search engine optimization) that enabled their dealer brand and message to “pull” for relevant keyword

search phrases and appear on Page 1 of search engine (Google, Yahoo & Bing) results with compelling videos that attract and influence consumers more effectively than traditional text results.

Online video ads decidedly draw more traffic than static ads because they combine the power of television’s sight, sound and motion with the power of search engines’ ability to speak directly to consumers who want to buy or service a vehicle now. These high impact videos are extremely effective as they stand out amongst the myriad of text ads, influencing consumers in a way that the written word cannot.

Gunn uses a proprietary Video SEO platform to distribute and optimize custom videos through an intelligent algorithm that continually works to achieve the highest possible search rankings on top search engines for popular phrases like “Nissan oil change San Antonio” or “Gunn Nissan reviews”.

A 2011 AutoTrader.com / Polk Automotive Influence Study shows that 95 percent of car buyers use search engines to shop for vehicles and 98 percent of those same car buyers do NOT go past Page 1 search results.

• Use Video SEO to ensure that your dealership’s brand and message appears on Page 1 of the search results with compelling videos that attract and influence consumers more effectively than traditional text results.

• Use a Video Ad Platform that drives site

traffic with professionally produced, high quality targeted TV-style placed “pre-roll” video ads on highly visited websites.

• Work with a Video SEO and Video Ad

Platform specialist like Car-mercial.com to Geo target ready car buyers and build brand awareness and purchase intent within specific digital market areas to capture local in-market consumers.

“Today Video SEO is given high ranking authority by top search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo,” explains AJ LeBlanc, managing partner for Car-mercial.com, the company Gunn Nissan uses for its Video SEO platform. “It is imperative for dealers to make it onto the Page 1 search results with high-impact video ads that quickly draw-in the consumer.”

Next, Gunn Nissan worked to implement the “push” component of its strategy. Developing a video ad network that included Geo targeting local car buyers on the largest online video ad network in the U.S., building brand awareness and purchasing intent within specific digital market areas, and driving site traffic with professionally produced, high quality targeted TV-style placed “pre-roll” video ads on highly visited websites.

“Pre-roll” refers to in-stream online video advertising across high quality, professionally produced publishers like MLB TV, that typically run for 15-30 seconds at the beginning of a video clip that a viewer has selected to watch or on a website’s home page. The pre-roll automatically runs, and often there is no opt-out option – a captive audience, just like traditional TV. The Video Ad network has the largest collection of popular national websites consumers visit to get information and see videos about news, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, how-to, technology, gaming, health, fitness, finance, auto, food, travel, parenting and family.

“With the average U.S. consumer watching over 21 hours of online video each month, and online video advertising comprising 20 percent of all viewing material, retailers can’t ignore this audience,” said LeBlanc. “Dealers can readily push their message using video ads to a select target audience on numerous popular national online TV networks – it’s truly ‘targeted TV’.”

Gunn Nissan’s initial pre-roll ad ran for 30 days and was featured on 1 of over 40 popular national websites targeted to only local consumers in the San Antonio market. The ad had 313,799 video plays with an 82 percent completion rate, meaning consumers watched the entire video ad, and 3,716 direct clicks were made to the Gunn Nissan website – a 1.18% click rate. This modest website conversion rate resulted in increased sales at a cost comparable to what would be spent on standard pay per click (PPC).

“With the average U.S. consumer watching over 21 hours of online video each month, and online video advertising comprising 20 percent of all viewing material, retailers can’t ignore this audience,”

- AJ LEBLANC, MANAGING PARTNER FOR CAR-MERCIAL.COM, THE COMPANY GUNN NISSAN USES FOR ITS VIDEO SEO AND PRE-ROLL PLATFORM

Success Story

Gunn Nissan

SEE FULL STORY

Ä CONTINUED FROM THE COVERSuccess Story

However, with standard PPC an ad is not viewed every time it shows up in sponsored links. Video pre-roll ads always play and are seen whether the consumer wants to view it or not. Just like traditional TV advertising, video pre-roll gives you the power of brand awareness, but online video has the ability to convert that viewer to an actual website lead the moment the video ad is played because the directly clickable video takes the prospect right to your website.

“MLB TV, along with the other sites in the Video Ad Network, has a huge online presence and has afforded us a great opportunity to build our brand awareness. There are a lot more San Antonians who now know… ‘At Gunn, One Simple Price™ means no fine print and No hassles’. The greatest thing about these pre-roll ads is that the consumer can click directly on the video ad and go straight to our website. Thanks to AJ at Car-mercial, Sean Stapleton and Tom Walls at VinSolutions we are now working to find better ways to track this activity,” said Rhoades. Additional stats from the Influence Study by AutoTrader.com / Polk show the average car buyer visits five different dealer websites before setting foot in a dealership. Dealers cannot afford to remain static online, as online video ads are fast becoming the new “norm” in advertising.

With 24/7 easy access to research vehicles, the increased use of tablets, cell phones and laptops and the “no pressure” aspect of searching online, more than 9 out of 10 consumers start their buying process online. Dealers have a phenomenal opportunity to get in front of in-market car buyers with maximum exposure for minimum cost.

Tony RhoadesGUNN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP

Page 51: AutoSuccess July 2012

Success Story

Gunn Nissan

IN A NUTSHELL Gunn Nissan eCommerce Sales Jump 29% with New Video Ad Platform

Recognizing an ideal opportunity, Gunn Nissan began implementing a two pronged, “push and pull”, video ad strategy to elevate their local presence and increase profitability.

“Our eCommerce business is up 29 percent year over year since we started our video ads back in March of 2011,” said Tony Rhoades, Executive Director of Information & Consumer Strategies at the Gunn Automotive Group.

First, Gunn Nissan began using Video SEO (Video search engine optimization) that enabled their dealer brand and message to “pull” for relevant keyword

search phrases and appear on Page 1 of search engine (Google, Yahoo & Bing) results with compelling videos that attract and influence consumers more effectively than traditional text results.

Online video ads decidedly draw more traffic than static ads because they combine the power of television’s sight, sound and motion with the power of search engines’ ability to speak directly to consumers who want to buy or service a vehicle now. These high impact videos are extremely effective as they stand out amongst the myriad of text ads, influencing consumers in a way that the written word cannot.

Gunn uses a proprietary Video SEO platform to distribute and optimize custom videos through an intelligent algorithm that continually works to achieve the highest possible search rankings on top search engines for popular phrases like “Nissan oil change San Antonio” or “Gunn Nissan reviews”.

A 2011 AutoTrader.com / Polk Automotive Influence Study shows that 95 percent of car buyers use search engines to shop for vehicles and 98 percent of those same car buyers do NOT go past Page 1 search results.

• Use Video SEO to ensure that your dealership’s brand and message appears on Page 1 of the search results with compelling videos that attract and influence consumers more effectively than traditional text results.

• Use a Video Ad Platform that drives site

traffic with professionally produced, high quality targeted TV-style placed “pre-roll” video ads on highly visited websites.

• Work with a Video SEO and Video Ad

Platform specialist like Car-mercial.com to Geo target ready car buyers and build brand awareness and purchase intent within specific digital market areas to capture local in-market consumers.

“Today Video SEO is given high ranking authority by top search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo,” explains AJ LeBlanc, managing partner for Car-mercial.com, the company Gunn Nissan uses for its Video SEO platform. “It is imperative for dealers to make it onto the Page 1 search results with high-impact video ads that quickly draw-in the consumer.”

Next, Gunn Nissan worked to implement the “push” component of its strategy. Developing a video ad network that included Geo targeting local car buyers on the largest online video ad network in the U.S., building brand awareness and purchasing intent within specific digital market areas, and driving site traffic with professionally produced, high quality targeted TV-style placed “pre-roll” video ads on highly visited websites.

“Pre-roll” refers to in-stream online video advertising across high quality, professionally produced publishers like MLB TV, that typically run for 15-30 seconds at the beginning of a video clip that a viewer has selected to watch or on a website’s home page. The pre-roll automatically runs, and often there is no opt-out option – a captive audience, just like traditional TV. The Video Ad network has the largest collection of popular national websites consumers visit to get information and see videos about news, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, how-to, technology, gaming, health, fitness, finance, auto, food, travel, parenting and family.

“With the average U.S. consumer watching over 21 hours of online video each month, and online video advertising comprising 20 percent of all viewing material, retailers can’t ignore this audience,” said LeBlanc. “Dealers can readily push their message using video ads to a select target audience on numerous popular national online TV networks – it’s truly ‘targeted TV’.”

Gunn Nissan’s initial pre-roll ad ran for 30 days and was featured on 1 of over 40 popular national websites targeted to only local consumers in the San Antonio market. The ad had 313,799 video plays with an 82 percent completion rate, meaning consumers watched the entire video ad, and 3,716 direct clicks were made to the Gunn Nissan website – a 1.18% click rate. This modest website conversion rate resulted in increased sales at a cost comparable to what would be spent on standard pay per click (PPC).

“With the average U.S. consumer watching over 21 hours of online video each month, and online video advertising comprising 20 percent of all viewing material, retailers can’t ignore this audience,”

- AJ LEBLANC, MANAGING PARTNER FOR CAR-MERCIAL.COM, THE COMPANY GUNN NISSAN USES FOR ITS VIDEO SEO AND PRE-ROLL PLATFORM

Success Story

Gunn Nissan

SEE FULL STORY

Ä CONTINUED FROM THE COVERSuccess Story

However, with standard PPC an ad is not viewed every time it shows up in sponsored links. Video pre-roll ads always play and are seen whether the consumer wants to view it or not. Just like traditional TV advertising, video pre-roll gives you the power of brand awareness, but online video has the ability to convert that viewer to an actual website lead the moment the video ad is played because the directly clickable video takes the prospect right to your website.

“MLB TV, along with the other sites in the Video Ad Network, has a huge online presence and has afforded us a great opportunity to build our brand awareness. There are a lot more San Antonians who now know… ‘At Gunn, One Simple Price™ means no fine print and No hassles’. The greatest thing about these pre-roll ads is that the consumer can click directly on the video ad and go straight to our website. Thanks to AJ at Car-mercial, Sean Stapleton and Tom Walls at VinSolutions we are now working to find better ways to track this activity,” said Rhoades. Additional stats from the Influence Study by AutoTrader.com / Polk show the average car buyer visits five different dealer websites before setting foot in a dealership. Dealers cannot afford to remain static online, as online video ads are fast becoming the new “norm” in advertising.

With 24/7 easy access to research vehicles, the increased use of tablets, cell phones and laptops and the “no pressure” aspect of searching online, more than 9 out of 10 consumers start their buying process online. Dealers have a phenomenal opportunity to get in front of in-market car buyers with maximum exposure for minimum cost.

Tony RhoadesGUNN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP

Page 52: AutoSuccess July 2012

Success StorySuccess Story Success Story

Gunn Nissan

Gunn Nissan’s eCommerce Sales Jump 29% with New Video Ad Platform

In early 2011, Gunn Nissan was looking for an effective way to generate more awareness of their “One Simple Price™” philosophy throughout the San Antonio, Texas market they serve. Like many dealers, Gunn Nissan maintained a marketing strategy that included traditional and digital components, but were beginning to feel a decrease in the effectiveness of traditional mass marketing mediums like TV, print and radio while the cost for these traditional mediums remained high and difficult to track with measurable results.

Gunn Nissan began searching for a solution that would give them an added edge and increased visibility over their competitors while boosting sales without having to boost their ad budget. They soon discovered that with the dramatic increase in popularity of online video in recent years, a new market audience had emerged that can be highly targeted, and is more cost effective than traditional mass media: online video ads.

The 2011 Google Automotive Shopper Behavior Study shows online video ads as the No. 1 most useful ad format, above all other forms of traditional and digital advertising, to connect with prospective car buyers.

LEARN MORE ÆÅ READ FULL STORYÅ CONTINUED INSIDE

Gunn Nissan

• Use Video SEO to ensure that your dealership’s brand and message appears on Page 1 of the search results with compelling videos that attract and influence consumers more effectively than traditional text results.

• Use a Video Ad Platform that drives site traffic with professionally

produced, high quality targeted TV-style placed “pre-roll” video ads on highly visited websites.

• Work with a Video SEO and Video Ad Platform specialist like Car-mercial.

com to Geo target ready car buyers and build brand awareness and purchase intent within specific digital market areas to capture local in-market consumers.

IN A NUTSHELL

Gunn Nissan eCommerce Sales Jump 29% with New Video Ad Platform

“OUR ECOMMERCE BUSINESS IS UP 29 PERCENT YEAR OVER YEAR SINCE WE STARTED OUR VIDEO ADS BACK

IN MARCH OF 2011,”

-TONY RHOADES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION & CONSUMER

STRATEGIES AT THE GUNN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP.

Gunn Nissan’seCommerce Sales

29% with New Video Ad PlatformJUMPS

Gunn Nissan’seCommerce Sales Jump

29%

Page 53: AutoSuccess July 2012

Don’t Sell

Another

Car Before

Reading This

The best the low-price model can offer is slow growth and meager profitability. This math is simple and important to understand: you can’t enjoy sustainable success in the car business today selling cars at or near break-even. This paradigm was designed to serve the factories and the mega dealers. Small to medium sized privately owned dealerships are the intended losers.

continued inside

Page 54: AutoSuccess July 2012

WHY IS THIS MESSAGE SO URGENT & IMPORTANT?

As vehicle sales start to slowly increase you may feel like things are improving—but the “new economy” is wired in a completely different way, and the new rules are not in your favor. The car business has pulled itself out of the muck of the recession but has lost its soul in exchange. The new currency of car sales is lowest price—and that’s bad news for retail car dealerships that need to sustain or grow profitability in the decade ahead.

We want to be sureto explain important facts about the true cost and risk of selling cars for the lowest price so that dealers and managers understand the stakes of the game. Put simply, participating in price-based marketing, advertising and sales is gambling with the life of your business. To compound the problem, after the struggles and losses of previous years, you need big returns over many years just to get back to even.

Sure, it’s EASY to sell a car for the lowest price. But what is easy in life that’s truly worthwhile?

There are good, smart people in this business who fear being embarrassed by their inability to come up with an alternative. There are many dealers and managers who already realize that the current model is flawed, but are reluctant to speak up. But you’ve worked and sacrificed to build the business and the career you have now. Surely you’ve shown strength and wit in the face of adversity in the past and have heroically kept your business afloat.

Please have the courage to do something to protect and serve your business right now. As a leader in your organization you have a duty to defend and build profitability. Never let circumstances try to rob you of what is rightfully yours.

We don’t mean to sound pessimistic or negative. Nor do we profess to have all the answers—nobody does. However, we’ve been

convinced that encouraging you and others is a worthy cause. We’ve seen firsthand the damage done to car dealerships that have relied on low price to sell cars.

Careers are destroyed, families are torn apart, life savings are lost, family legacies are left in pieces. We believe it’s our duty to prevent this when possible. Our hope is that you have the courage to take action. In spite of all this, we’re two of the most positive people in the business because we’ve helped so many dealerships turn things around and exit the low price business without seeing a dip in sales. In fact, through Rich Dealers, we offer an alternative approach that actually increases traffic, increases sales volume and dramatically increases gross profit, without ever mentioning price in your advertising or marketing.

Because today, people who own and manage car dealerships are in dangerous, uncharted territory. There are vicious predators lurking around every corner who would be pleased so see you put out of business.

Customers are being programmed to believe that you don’t deserve to make a profit. Right now, dealers and managers are facing challenging conditions much different than anything they’ve seen in the past.

Rich Dealers—A Complete Marketing, Management & Productivity System For

Creating A Rich Life & An Amazing Business

Sure, it’s EASY to sell a car for the lowest price. But what is easy in life that’s truly worthwhile?

Page 55: AutoSuccess July 2012

WHY IS THIS MESSAGE SO URGENT & IMPORTANT?

convinced that encouraging you and others is a worthy cause. We’ve seen firsthand the damage done to car dealerships that have relied on low price to sell cars.

Careers are destroyed, families are torn apart, life savings are lost, family legacies are left in pieces. We believe it’s our duty to prevent this when possible. Our hope is that you have the courage to take action. In spite of all this, we’re two of the most positive people in the business because we’ve helped so many dealerships turn things around and exit the low price business without seeing a dip in sales. In fact, through Rich Dealers, we offer an alternative approach that actually increases traffic, increases sales volume and dramatically increases gross profit, without ever mentioning price in your advertising or marketing.

The path to becoming a Rich Dealer starts with a proven set of diagnostic reviews, a process we call the Marketing Core Performance Review (CPR), to identify untapped opportunities for growth in your market and to uncover potential problems in your current marketing and advertising approach. The goal of Marketing CPR is to help you create a game plan for growing sales and profitability.

Depending on the issues and opportunities our advisors identify, we have solutions available to help. The reassurance we, along with our hand selected team of advisors, offer you is that our experience and unique methods have allowed us to help other dealerships facing similar challenges as you’re facing right now.

This is about you, your business, your life and the security of your family. It really comes down to that. Too many people in this business are slaves to their stores…in first, out last, family second. And after all that sacrifice, now dealers and managers are being told to strip away profit. It’s nonsense, and you don’t need to take it.

We personally guarantee you will never be pressured to make a decision. Our success is based on one simple key element: We want dealers and managers to know that we are here for them, that we are champions for them, that we stand with them and for them, in defense of their right to earn and keep a profit, and that we believe their life and their business should be ESP—Enjoyable, Simple & Prosperous. After speaking with our advisors, and experiencing our alternative approach, we want you to tell your friends in the business how well you were treated by our team and what amazing results were achieved.

Way back when, success in the car business meant treating your customers right and

having a great selection. Advertising meant displaying

your cars for sale in the newspaper. Things have changed a lot since then. Although the economy is turbulent and dangerous threats abound, abundant opportunity still exists.

It takes courage to face things like vehicle shortages, credit crises, unfair online reviews, rapidly changing technology and forced transparency. It might seem easier to ignore it or deny it or to just hold on, tough it out and see where it all goes. But we honestly believe you and your family deserve better. If you’re worried, unsure, unhappy, or losing sleep about what the future holds for your dealership, your career, your investment, your retirement or even just the free time you spend with your family, then do something about it.

Revitalize your business & life. Call us at 407-275-8667or visit us at www.richdealers.com/cpr

Sure, it’s EASY to sell a car for the lowest price. But what is easy in life that’s truly worthwhile?

Page 56: AutoSuccess July 2012

HOW TO SELL MORE CARS . . . WITHOUT CUTTING PRICESLet’s face it—it’s EASY to sell cars at the lowest price. Dealers across the nation are racing to out-price and out-sell one another and they’re “succeeding” wildly! New technology and a line-up of unskilled talent picked from the bloated ranks of the unemployed is about all that’s required to take orders from people who are happy to buy a car, as long as it’s at or below invoice.

Selling cars at “higher” prices (which means higher profit as well) requires more skill and a different approach. But most dealers have found that it’s actually very simple and straightforward, that higher prices attract more customers and that the customers who pay more are usually more satisfied with their purchase and their experience. Imagine what a great feeling it would be to sell more cars, at higher prices, and have happier customers!

An added benefit is that liberating your business from the shackles of low price means that you no longer have to fight to buy every used car so far “back of book.” Higher prices means greater margin, which means you can afford to spend more on your used cars. This gives you a tremendous advantage over other dealers in your market.

So how does this work and how can you get in on the opportunity?

The secret lies in one simple fact: everybody in North America wants a nicer, newer car than the one they’re driving now. Of course, most people aren’t out shopping for a car right now. Why not? Because it’s just not the right time for them.

Customers who have decided it’s the right time have also decided to engage in hours of research and feel obligated to find the lowest price. It’s what car

buyers do these days. Customers who “intend” to buy a car in the near future are very demanding and very price sensitive; they’re “informed buyers.”

On the other hand, customers who don’t “intend” to buy a car in the near future haven’t done any research. Deep down they want a nicer, newer car, but they’re not out shopping and they’re not online looking for the lowest price.

The big opportunity is in marketing and selling to these “non-intenders,” the people who don’t intend to buy a car right now, customers who haven’t yet decided it’s the “right time.” Your job is to make it the right time for them.

So what keeps the people out of the market? Why isn’t it the right time?

There are many answers to this question. It’s a little different for every customer. Could be fear of unemployment or recently recovering from a period of unemployment. Could be a credit issue relating to a short sale or foreclosure. Could be that they’re still making payments on a car they no longer love.

Whatever the reason, these customers can easily be motivated to buy now rather than later if you will offer to help them overcome the problem that’s keeping them from a nicer, newer car. This isn’t as easy as processing the

Customers who “intend” to buy a car in the near future are very demanding and very price sensitive; they’re “informed buyers.”

IMAGINE WHAT A GREAT FEELING IT WOULD BE TO SELL MORE CARS, AT HIGHER PRICES, AND HAVE HAPPIER CUSTOMERS!

Page 57: AutoSuccess July 2012

HOW TO SELL MORE CARS . . . WITHOUT CUTTING PRICESLet’s face it—it’s EASY to sell cars at the lowest price. Dealers across the nation are racing to out-price and out-sell one another and they’re “succeeding” wildly! New technology and a line-up of unskilled talent picked from the bloated ranks of the unemployed is about all that’s required to take orders from people who are happy to buy a car, as long as it’s at or below invoice.

Selling cars at “higher” prices (which means higher profit as well) requires more skill and a different approach. But most dealers have found that it’s actually very simple and straightforward, that higher prices attract more customers and that the customers who pay more are usually more satisfied with their purchase and their experience. Imagine what a great feeling it would be to sell more cars, at higher prices, and have happier customers!

So what keeps the people out of the market? Why isn’t it the right time?

There are many answers to this question. It’s a little different for every customer. Could be fear of unemployment or recently recovering from a period of unemployment. Could be a credit issue relating to a short sale or foreclosure. Could be that they’re still making payments on a car they no longer love.

Whatever the reason, these customers can easily be motivated to buy now rather than later if you will offer to help them overcome the problem that’s keeping them from a nicer, newer car. This isn’t as easy as processing the

paperwork on an invoice deal, and it does require more skill, but the rewards are enormous!

How Do You Attract These Valuable Customers?

The only complicated part of this equation is understanding how to attract and motivate these “non-intenders.” But don’t despair. We created Rich Dealers to make this part easy. Rich Dealers is like a “secret agency” committed to protecting dealership profits. Dealers rely on us when they’re ready to get back to growth and prosperity.

Every month we develop a new, unique, compelling advertising campaign

that speaks directly to these people and draws them to your store as if by a natural force. Frankly, the results are so dramatic that you really can’t appreciate this until you see it in action at your dealership.

Once the customers are there (getting them there is our job) you and your team take over and do what you do best: sell cars. All of a sudden the business is fun, interesting and exciting again, and everyone is busy. No more waiting for customers, and no more “haggling” over low price.

Our campaigns are available to no more than one dealer per market. We create everything from scripts for radio and television, email templates, phone and greeting scripts, print ads, flyers, mail pieces, customer newsletters, store signage and displays—even compelling messages to use in social media. Our members pick and choose which tools to use for their store.

Since this approach is different than what most other dealerships are using, we also provide a complete support system for our members. This goes far beyond customer service. We host quarterly meetings where all of our members come together to share their latest results and methods and get answers and solutions to their challenges. We’re constantly developing our members through training sessions, and all of our members stay connected via an email-based discussion forum.

Customers who “intend” to buy a car in the near future are very demanding and very price sensitive; they’re “informed buyers.”

Jim & Travis defy you to go back to cheap once you’ve experienced the alternative.

Call us today and start experiencing all of this for yourself. 407-275-8667

IMAGINE WHAT A GREAT FEELING IT WOULD BE TO SELL MORE CARS, AT HIGHER PRICES, AND HAVE HAPPIER CUSTOMERS!

New members are never more than an email away from getting answers from our most successful veterans.

The first step is scheduling a Marketing Core Performance Review (CPR) with a Rich Dealers Advisor. Keep reading to learn more.

Page 58: AutoSuccess July 2012

WHAT IS MARKETING CPR AND WHY DO YOU NEED IT?Many dealers are suffering from a lack of consistent traffic. They don’t see enough customers in any one month to meet their sales goals. Many dealers and managers are working harder and longer than they have to trying to “figure out” why they aren’t getting enough traffic and stressing over how they are going to hit their goals each month.

It’s an ugly spiral that happens month after month: slow traffic, depressed sales, more frustration, more stress, more work, more time spent at the dealership and less time for friends, family and hobbies. Ultimately you make less profit, have less balance in your life and have no more answers than you had the month before.

Traditionally dealers who want to grow their sales turn to vendors and reps for advice and solutions to increase traffic. Often these people understand only a single piece of the puzzle because effective and efficient marketing is not easy or intuitive. It requires more than common sense because there is nothing common about it.

Most vendors and reps know the features and benefits of their product or service but don’t understand how their piece truly fits into the complex puzzle of dealership marketing. In reality, getting everything you want out of your dealership and fully leveraging your marketing has nothing to do with outside products or services. There’s an

internal groundwork that has tocome first, a strategy that needs to be set and a philosophy that needs to be understood and followed.

Revitalize your business with Marketing CPR

Our Marketing Core Performance Review (CPR) takes into consideration the most popular industry vendors and products available to dealers, not to mention the currently popular high-tech tricks and tools. But it also includes critical components that may have not have been reviewed or considered by many dealers.

Most people don’t realize the direct impact their choices about positioning, targeting, media, offers and message have on results or how those choices affect gross, morale and quality of life. In fact, marketing to the wrong types of customers, in the wrong places with the wrong message can actually hurt your profitability and make going to work a whole lot less fun.

The Marketing CPR process reveals potentially serious problems within your marketing and advertising plan that prevent you from reaching your goals. We frequently find that marketing messages, media choices, goals and positioning strategies are not fully optimized to allow dealers to meet their monthly sales and profit goals.

Our proprietary Gravitational Marketing® strategies can help you make better decisions for your unique situation and bring clarity and simplicity to the process. With all the numbers analyzed and information presented, you can decide how to proceed.

MARKETING TO THE WRONG TYPES OF CUSTOMERS, IN THE WRONG PLACES WITH THE WRONG MESSAGE CAN ACTUALLY HURT YOUR PROFITABILITY AND MAKE GOING TO WORK A WHOLE LOT LESS FUN.

With a few tweaks you can be getting much more from the money you’re already spending.

Page 59: AutoSuccess July 2012

Improvement, Instantly!

Traditional marketing planning and dealer-vendor relationships

have always been about trying something and waiting to see if it actually works. Like throwing spaghetti against the wall and waiting to see what sticks. You’re the “guinea pig” and take the risk while the vendor holds your feet to the fire with a contract, yet has no commitment to delivering results. Frankly, we’re against that.

Our process is much different. Our strategies are vast and proven. Our campaigns are being run by over a hundred dealers in every kind of market and with every type of media mix available with all the reporting and results streaming into our central command center.

We know what works, before you spend a dollar. Our members see improvement instantly. We have a proven blueprint and we always have a support system available to our members 24/7/365.

All our methods are measurable and we insist that they deliver an ROI every single month to our members. We don’t hide behind generalities or contracts. In fact, the only commitment our members have with us is to stay only as long as it’s pleasurable and profitable.

WHAT IS MARKETING CPR AND WHY DO YOU NEED IT?Many dealers are suffering from a lack of consistent traffic. They don’t see enough customers in any one month to meet their sales goals. Many dealers and managers are working harder and longer than they have to trying to “figure out” why they aren’t getting enough traffic and stressing over how they are going to hit their goals each month.

The Marketing CPR process reveals potentially serious problems within your marketing and advertising plan that prevent you from reaching your goals. We frequently find that marketing messages, media choices, goals and positioning strategies are not fully optimized to allow dealers to meet their monthly sales and profit goals.

Our proprietary Gravitational Marketing® strategies can help you make better decisions for your unique situation and bring clarity and simplicity to the process. With all the numbers analyzed and information presented, you can decide how to proceed.

Marketing CPR is an empowering process because it allows you, with clear vision, to see for the first time where your marketing dollars are actually going and what it is actually doing for you. Often, you’ll find that with a few tweaks you can be getting much more from the money you’re already spending.

How Does Marketing CPR Uncover Hidden Opportunity You’ve Been Missing For Years?

One of our members said it best, “When you go from being just a product pusher to a trusted advisor you transcend being a car dealer and move up to being a solution provider. There are a lot more people who need solutions than there are people who are shopping for a new car.”

The Marketing Core Performance Review will help you understand how you can leverage the trusted advisor mindset and show you where these “solutions customers” are and how you can communicate with them effectively.

Start By Marketing “Smart”

Unlike old style marketing, our Marketing CPR is about problem-solving and discovery. We don’t just try to sell you a pre-formed

widget and say this will “fix all that ails ya.” We don’t hawk some miracle cure in a tech-shaped, geek-speak, whiz-bang bottle.

We are advisors who know what it takes to profitably market

a car dealership in today’s economy. We

use little known strategies for increasing response and can show you how to produce significantly more leads month-after-month.

Typically the best solutions involve simple changes to marketing, positioning, media and processes, which deliver a tremendous boost in sales and profitability.

Revitalize your business & life. Call us at 407-275-8667or visit us at www.richdealers.com/cpr

With a few tweaks you can be getting much more from the money you’re already spending.

Page 60: AutoSuccess July 2012

Speak with a Rich Dealers Advisor who is an expert at explaining how Gravitational Marketing® can improve

your critical numbers and put more profit in your pocket.

Using our proprietary Marketing CPR Process

and our very own Market Rater algorithm we’ll analyze your current situation and geography to discover the hidden wealth buried right beneath your feet.

Your Advisor will ask you some questions about

past, current and future sales, goals and marketing so they can understand where you are and where you want to be.

Your Advisor will explain the results of the analysis in straight talk and help you understand how quickly we

can guide you to the desired level of traffic and sales as cost efficiently as possible.

With your permission, your Advisor will share with you exactly how

our Gravitational Marketing® strategies have helped dealers

sell over 2 million cars.

You will hear from other

dealers just like you who have embraced Gravitational Marketing® and now have total control over their

traffic, sales and marketing.

You will realize that Rich Dealers is about much

more than selling some extra cars and making more money. It’s about helping people, enriching lives, giving back to your community and having fun. As we say, it’s about creating a profitable business and an amazing life that are ESP—Enjoyable, Simple & Prosperous.

Here’s What To Do Next

CONTACT US RIGHT NOW TO GET MARKETING CPR FOR YOUR

STORE & LEARN MORE ABOUT

RICH DEALERS.

REVITALIZE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

Plus get a FREE copy of ourBest-Practices-Busting book

Invasion of the Profit Snatchers.

REQUEST YOURS AT: WWW.RICHDEALERS.COM/CPR OR CALL: 407-275-8667*quantities are limited