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It's a fact of your business and of mine. Car dealers never seem to have a good public image and those of us who work in automotive advertising and specifically - direct mail - are often viewed less than favorably.

 

My best guess for the reason behind this is because for the wrong kind of people, it is simply too easy to cheat. If you've ever been burned by a direct mail company or ever wondered if your mail has been delivered in the total ordered, let me help you understand…

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“Deliver on your ideas.  Nothing silences critics like success.  Raise the bar for yourself and project a greater vision for those around you.”  When I read this statement on Tony Paragas’s Dealer Elite profile, I felt challenged to seize the moment and share a strategy for success that I have been…

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The new federal regulations that went into effect this year have added to the never-ending compliance requirements that dealerships have to deal with. Fortunately, most dealers have found that the Risk Based Pricing Notice and updated Privacy Notice requirements are pretty easy to handle. Utilizing the Credit Score Disclosure exception to Risk Based Pricing Notices and using the New Model Privacy Notices is relatively simple – just a few more forms to add to the pile. The Red Flags Rule is…

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That sign up with independent dealers?

Just back from a national internet seminar in Dallas. Some new and exciting things happening in the world of social media but what I want to talk about is not new it's just something I find many dealers have not really contemplated. 

 

Odds are you are familiar with the Facebook "Like" button but are you familiar with the absolute staggering power it possesses? Read on. 

 

For my own company, Shipp Marketing & Media, LLC, I just created a Facebook page a few…

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Much of what employees learn in the car business is from watching and listening to their co-workers.  This type of education can be invaluable in many areas such as sales presentation, demonstration, and closing techniques. Of course, it can also lead to picking up bad habits like pre-qualifying customers by appearance or shortcutting the sales process.

An area that is frequently learned more by osmosis than by formal training is legal compliance.  Dealers often assume that their…

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Let’s face it, every dealership is looking for short cuts to help manage Social Media more efficiently and effectively. One option is to outsource your dealership’s Social Media to someone who can take care of certain tasks for you. Social Media still requires your participation and any task that doesn’t require your personality or involvement can be outsourced.



Here are 4 tips to guide you when deciding who should manage your Social Media efforts:



1. Identify what you can… Continue

            Recently I sold a vehicle to an individual that had been a phone up.  After I had spent days working on this deal over the phone to include write up, closing, and delivery, I was shocked to find out that our internet person had claimed half the deal.  Come to find out from the customer he had no communication with our internet person other than an email inquiring about a vehicle that was not on our lot yet from the factory.  He never received any follow up from our internet guy.… Continue

ResponseLogix is proud to release our next generation product line - SmartQuote Pro and SmartFollow Pro. Stop by the Digital Dealer booth for a full demo that starts with a robust, multi-vehicle price quote to all your internet leads.   The video below provides a glimpse of just some of the powerful new features we’re releasing at Digital Dealer.

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Technology is advancing at the speed of light, so much so that the most life-changing innovations of the 21st century have been from this segment. Its effect has been felt on every aspect of society, but perhaps one area where the impact of this technology can be really be seen and felt is in automotive marketing.



Digital… Continue

Ever find yourself with "disgruntled" Service Personnel and wondered "How did it get this bad?" You know people are getting "fed up" when you have top personnel (like a Superstar Service Advisor) give notice from seemingly out of nowhere or Customer complaints suddenly increase overnight or accidents start happening.



These are all signs that something is amiss.



You need to have a "Take."



Take a Moment and begin by opening the door of two-way communications… Continue

 

 VinSolutions Announces Lead Certification with Saab 

VinSolutions is currently certified with thirteen (13) Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with new partnerships in development. 

Overland Park, KS – VinSolutions has announced their certification by Saab Cars North America (SCNA) as an approved lead management vendor. Benefits to the VinSolutions dealership customers of this (OEM) partnership include the guarantee of up-to-date…

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Trying to get some feedback. We are looking at different lead sources for the subprime depeartment and are checking into Carloan.com. Has anyone ever used them. The program sounds good and so far. Also sounds like you can make some money and do good with it for what you spend but I want to hear from someone who has actually used it before we do it. I have used other sources in the past and haven't had luck so want to try something different. Please help me out any feedback would be…

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Online marketing has completely transformed the car business.  I often meet dealership managers who are perplexed by this new medium.  My job is to translate the noise they hear into results.  I recently met a dealership leader that’s embraced Social… Continue

You don’t have to be a Baby Boomer to have cracked-up watching M*A*S*H, the medical drama/black comedy that follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the “4077^th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital” in Uikjeongbu, South Korea during the Korean War.

The series, which…

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If you’re a car salesperson, you need Social Media. You need an online network just like you do your customer list. You need referrals through word-of-mouth because you know those relationships are the most profitable.  Getting started may seem… Continue