CarChat24’s new premium dealer chat software is now in extended beta release. This new beta test is ready to go and we would like to invite you to participate.

We are currently looking for enthusiastic and eager car dealers to take part in our extended beta test to help us find bugs and to give…

Most consumers have lumped "service", whether you are a dealer or an independent repair facility, as a commodity. Which means you compete in a market with everyone else even though the market is not a level playing field.…

Do You Have Separate Internet and Sales Departments

or One Blended Sales Floor?

Ryan M. Kolb, Operations Manager, Hines Park Lincoln, Plymouth, MI: "At Hines Park Lincoln, we do not have a separate Internet department. We have had a business development center since 2004 and I…

The Buy Here – Pay Here industry has had an image problem for years. Too many people remember the trailer sitting on a gravel lot with a few beat-up cars around selling barely running cars at astronomical interest rates to people who couldn’t get a loan anywhere else. Unfortunately, there are still a few of those dealers around and several attacks have been launched at the industry as a whole based primarily on the actions of this minority.

While many of the dubious practices in…

Spring Cleaning? Ya, me too. If you haven’t taken a look at your work area lately, step back and take it all in.

See that pile of papers on your desk? And those spare parts you were saving for the factory in the corner…how long have they been there? What’s up with that chair with the padding falling out? Are you saving that for someone special?

Hey, this is not limited to the Service Managers office. There are many GM’s and DP’s offices that look pretty darn close to that…

Studies show that the average salesperson is into negotiations within 3 minutes of saying hello.  Three minutes and they're talking numbers and hoping to close a deal.  What's amazing is, I heard that exact statistic when I went to my first sales training seminar in 1980.  So, nothing has really changed in over 30 years. 

Think about it this way.  Some of you have been reading this newsletter since it began.  That being the case, could you send me a check for $1,000?  You've…

I recently found a great article that discusses very specific things businesses should be doing to help their Google Places Listing improve its ranking.  Bizible, a start-up that makes local marketing software for businesses, conducted a pretty scientific attempt to determine how best to improve the rank of your Google Places Listing.

It is also interesting because his is the first time I've seen a distinction between Google Places…

Closing is a breeze when….

ROR, mental ownership and a commitment from your sales consultant to help people feel good about buying the right thing and the ultimate perception that they didn't pay too much. It is essential to adjust the steps and ensure the psychology of human instincts and personality types…

I'm so excited to be a sponsor and a part of an upcoming Digital Dealer Webinar. DealerOn co-founder, Amir Amirrezvani, will be presenting with Jason Ezell from Dataium on Website Conversion Rate Optimization best practices used by dealerships like Ideal Nissan (the 2012 Digital Dealer Website Excellence Overall Award Winner and DealerOn customer).…

Just because your store is one of the more popular brands, that doesn't mean you are guaranteed success.  Having the right sign up is no promise that customers will beat down your doors.  And the  right ads or killer Internet presence still doesn't make profitability a sure thing.  Without a key ingredient, even the best of the best will fail.…

A recent study by Marin, "State of Mobile Search Advertising in the US", shows that the percent of paid-search clicks from mobile devices is growing faster than expected, and if the trend continues, is expected to account for 25% of all paid-search clicks by Google by the end of the year.  This includes not only mobile phones but also tablet computers.

This is just another reason…

Don’t you think there is too much waiting going on? I don’t mean the kind of waiting we do for a burger at the local drive thru or waiting for the mail to arrive.

And it’s not the other kind of waiting we do these days “plugged in” as we are.

Heck, we all know that in this…

It’s been 60 days.

You had every intention of making changes and doing something different. You had all of the information gathered and catalogued. You even made a list of all of the Managers and their responsibilities and revised their Goals based on the information and training you were about to provide them.

You were ready for Success! You had new expectations! You were ready to accomplish new Goals.

You were ready to reap the benefits of attending the NADA…

Ali and Amir were so proud to accept our award for Overall Winner of the Spring 2012 Digital Dealer Website Excellence Awards for the Ideal Nissan website, presented by Jason Ezell!…

A dog and a cat were recently having a conversation about how each other looks at the world.

They had been friends a long time and the dog had recently been promoted to the title of Service Manager of his Dealership. The cat had stopped by for a visit and to congratulate her friend on his recent promotion. And, as Managers are prone to do, they began to discuss how each run…

Contact:

Harlene Doane

Editor and Director of Operations

Auto Dealer Monthly, LLC

888.300.8844

Harlene@AutoDealerMonthly.com

2012 Dealers' Choice Awards Winners Announced

SARASOTA, FLA. – April 2, 2012 - Auto Dealer Monthly magazine released the findings of the 2012 Dealers’ Choice Awards in the April 2012 issue. This…

Q: What Type of Customer Loyalty Program Do You Use in the Service Department?

A: "We use Ford Owner Advantage Rewards. Basically, customers get $100 from the sales department towards buying a vehicle. They also get $10 for a future service visit, and that’s the kicker. Everything is for a future service visit. Five percent of what loyalty members spend in service goes towards their…