autosuccess jan08

Check out the AutoSuccess Best of the Best Companies for NADA 2008

Volume 6 • Issue 7

HerbChambers.comTasca.com

FrankKent.comSheehy.com

ModernAutomotive.comDickHannah.com

MossBrosAutoGroup.comDaveSmith.com

ParagonCars.comWalser.com

The Driving Force BehindAutomotive Advertising

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Success Story

Patrick Luck, Editor & [email protected]

Hebrews 12:1 - Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

AutoSuccess Magazine is published monthly at 3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive, Louisville, Kentucky, 40245; 502.588.3155, fax 502.588.3170. Direct all subscription and customer service inquiries to 877.818.6620 or [email protected]. Subscription rate is $69 per year. AutoSuccess welcomes unsolicited editorials and graphics (not responsible for their return). All submitted editorials and graphics are subject to editing for grammar, content and page length. AutoSuccess provides its contributing writers latitude in expressing advice and solutions; views expressed are not necessarily those of AutoSuccess and by no means reflect any guarantees. AutoSuccess accepts no liability in respect of the content of any third party material appearing in this magazine or in respect of the content of any other magazine to which this magazine may be linked from time to time. Always confer with legal counsel before implementing changes in procedures.© All contents copyrighted by AutoSuccess Magazine, a Division of Systems Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without express written consent from AutoSuccess. AutoSuccess may occasionally make readers’ names available to other companies whose products and/or services may be of interest; readers may request that names be removed by calling 877.818.6620. Printed in the USA. Postmaster: Send address changes to AutoSuccess Magazine, 3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40245.

3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive | Louisville Kentucky 40245 | phone: 877.818.6620 | fax: 502.588.3170 | www.SellingSuccessOnline.com

God is the source of all supplyDave Davis, Creative Strategist & [email protected]

Thomas Williams, Creative [email protected]

Susan Givens, Vice [email protected]

on the cover

Brian Ankney, Sales-improvement [email protected]

God is the source of all supplyhelping to support...

Brian Balash, Sales-improvement [email protected]

Scott Schaeffer, Sales-improvement [email protected]

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2008 eCRM Dealers of the Year

MarkTewartChange More Than the Calendar

Identity Theft:Don’t Let Your Guard Down

The Value of Customer Service

DeniseRichardson

PatrickLuck

TomHopkins

KeithLatman

BrianTracy

SeanV.Bradley

Embracing Change for the Survival of Your Dealership

How to Get Your E-Mails Delivered, Part 1

JesseBiter

MichaelYork

PaulRauseo

Internet Sales 20 Group II

Negotiating for Profi t

Happy New Year:Big Breakthroughs or ‘Same Old Same Old’

Caring in the Workplace

MarcSmith

The Value of Mentors, Part 2

Promote Yourself Effectively and Create More Opportunity DebbieAllen

MichaelNealyNew Beginnings in 2008

DavidThomasYour Biggest Opportunity

KarenUriarteWomen Rock

RalphPagliaDealer Web Sites - One Is Not Enough

8

The ChallengeThe New Year is upon us, and it’s time to make our resolutions; so I have to ask: Have

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE RECIPIENTSOF OUR 2008

you seen a massive increase in the number of traffi c, leads and sales being generated at your dealership? We certainly have in our quest to fi nd our 2008 eCRM Dealers of the Year.

2008 promises to be quite a year for digital marketing despite a weakened economy. Recent projections forecast robust growth in online advertising, rising four times the rate of the overall advertising industry. What does this mean to automotive retailers? It means that it’s time for you to assess and align your dealership’s presence in the realm of online marketing - or get left in the dust.

The SolutionThe question that every member of the automotive industry faces is not only how to survive, but also how to produce a return. The answer is simple. Today’s automotive dealers must be technically competent, equipped with innovative marketing strategies and objectives that include intelligent digital marketing tools and training to sell more cars for less cost.

In keeping with our ongoing dedication to assist dealerships by providing innovative solution-based resolutions to aid dealers in becoming more successful, the team at AutoSuccess reviews the input of hundreds of dealers across the country who are mastering digital marketing initiatives and effectively leveraging the power of the Internet and

Customer Relationship Management in order to harness results. What our research has shown is that the nation’s top performing dealers are harnessing their knowledge, experience and resources toward this marketing phenomenon. This revolutionary medium has enabled dealerships to generate substantial returns on their investment by utilizing the innovation of digital marketing strategies and eCRM initiatives to promote all profi t centers within their dealership – from New and Used Sales, to F&I, to Parts and Service. AutoSuccess honors those dealers who have effectively leveraged the power of the internet and CRM to harness substantial results.

It is important to note that many dealers are not only realizing the potential benefi ts of digital marketing, but the reality of our rapidly changing industry and the growing demands of today’s consumer. Dealers can no longer just examine and weigh the possibilities that exist with online marketing, they must realize the necessity of overcoming their inhibitions with technology, look the mouse straight in the eye, and join the increasing number of successful dealers who have shifted their ad spend from traditional media to a more measurable and effective targeted digital marketing platform. Once dealers get past making excuses, things begin to fall into place.

The WinnersThis year’s top performing dealers have used the Internet to improve results and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Although different dealers’ strategies vary, AutoSuccess looks for the following fi ve

PatrickLuck

key elements to determine the winners of the eCRM Dealers of the Year Awards:

• Well-Defi ned Strategy: A detailed marketing plan with clear

objectives to attract traffi c to their site, phones and showroom fl oor

• Effective Web Site: A customer-friendly site that is

innovative, engaging and informative, and that promotes all profi t centers of the dealership

• Powerful CRM Tool: A fully automated prospect management

tool that will manage and measure all of their leads through the sales process and beyond

• Innovative Marketing: Digital platforms that include the current

cutting-edge technology of media-enriched emails, banner ads, live chat, eNewsletters and streamline video

• People & Process: Business Development/Customer

Relation Centers powered by well-trained and dedicated Internet specialists to sell appointments and well-equipped sales consultants to build value in the dealership and the vehicle

• Tracking & Measurement: Automated tracking and management

of vital metrics in order to continually monitor and improve results.

Our congratulations to the 2008 eCRM Dealers of the Year! Their winning entries tell a great story of marketing challenges and demonstrations of excellence in implementing innovative digital strategies and solutions.

HerbChambers.comTasca.com

FrankKent.comSheehy.com

ModernAutomotive.comDickHannah.com

MossBrosAutoGroup.comDaveSmith.com

ParagonCars.comWalser.com

Herb Chambers CompaniesNo. 1 Dealer Uses Internet to Sell over 1,100 Online Vehicles!

What drives Herb Chambers’ suc-

cess? The truth is that the name Herb Chambers is synonymous

with success. When it comes to running his business, Herb Cham-bers strongly believes that a

service-oriented culture is the key to success, from his employees, right down to the customer. The In-ternet has played a vital role in

service of customers as the Chambers leg-acy continues to expand to, at last count, 42 dealerships across New England—from Jeep Wrangler to Rolls Royce—generating over $1.8 billion dollars in sales last year.

“I don’t want my sales people to sell cars; I want them to help people buy cars,” explains Chambers. With that philosophy in mind, and the right technology partner, Herb Chambers leverages the cutting-edge technology of an innovative high-impact Web site and media-enriched communication into all his dealerships to make good on his commitment of providing the highest-quality service to their customers.

One of the greatest assets at Herb Chambers is the Business Development Center and

the implementation of centralized processes for the growing number of rooftops in the Chambers enterprise. The highly trained BDC specialists are generating exceptional results through quick responses to customer inquiries and fi ne-tuned processes for handling incoming leads. “Our E-Commerce team holds regular meetings to review benchmarks and evaluate progress in order to fi nd ways to fi ne-tune our processes. Our customized reports detail everything including the leads by source, response times, appointment percentages, show rates, closing ratios and cost per sale,” said Herb, whose constant support contributes to the ongoing success of the BDC.

Customer satisfaction is what it’s all about. Another concept that is key to the success of the Group is the Herb Chambers’ philosophy that “happy employees create happy customers.” The leading automotive group has one of the lowest turnovers in the nation, and is well-known for providing excellent training, employee benefi ts, incentive bonuses, and fi rst-name-basis relationships with the living legacy himself, Herb Chambers. As a result, the family at The Herb Chambers Companies continues to outsell the competition and build an ever-expanding base of loyal and satisfi ed customers.

THE BOTTOM LINE

• Herb Chambers is the No. 1 Dealer in New England.

• HerbChambers.com generates 1,100 online units per month.

• HerbChambers.com is a nationally acclaimed Award-Winning site.

• eDealer & eCRM Dealer of the Year for fi ve consecutive years.

• The Herb Chambers Group has successfully implemented centralized processes in all their dealerships.

“With our fully measurable and automated system, we are continually improving and fi ne-tuning our processes to improve our results and increase ROI.” - Herb Chambers

9Herb Chambers

Tasca Auto GroupWriting the Book on eSatisfaction - Selling 100 Additional Units Online

History has a way of repeating

itself. At the age of 27, Bob Tasca Sr. opened his fi rst Ford

d e a l e r s h i p , i n t r o d u c i n g u n h e a r d - o f concepts into the automotive i n d u s t r y , including one-

price selling and unparalleled customer service. In fact, he “wrote the book” on c u s t o m e r sa t i s fac t ion—quite literally—

entitled You Will Be Satisfi ed. Today, that small single-point store has grown to a multi-franchise auto group located in multiple locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The family business, now owned and operated by second and third generation Tascas, has grown substantially while maintaining CSI scores among the highest in the nation.

Under the direction of Bob Tasca III, the growing family of loyal customers of this innovative auto group is experiencing satisfaction like never before through the powerful combination of the Internet and CRM. Tasca Auto Group, a pioneer in the realm of eCRM, joined forces with the Internet early on to offer high performance

versions of customer satisfaction through the fusing of technology and “The Tasca Way” of doing business.

Internet veteran Tasca Auto Group got their start 10 years ago, and has successfully followed the same processes while implementing different strategies and techniques, said BDC Manager, Eileen Aquilante. Now their Internet Department handles all their incoming phone and Internet leads, and is responsible for setting appointments. With only a three-person staff, the Internet Specialists have an appointment set rate ranging from 50 to 60 percent, closing on approximately 60 percent of the leads they have direct contact with. “When a lead is generated, response is immediate both via e-mail and phone, and our staff will stay and return phone calls until 9 PM,” explains Eileen who personally returns calls on Sunday via her Blackberry when necessary.

“What gets measured gets done,” said Bob Tasca III, who sees to it that management constantly measures the vital statistics of how a lead is progressing, enabling the team to make necessary adjustments. As a result, the dealership has increased profi ts and ROI, reduced turnover, and built an amazing base of customer loyalty. “Our Virtual Dealership is designed around our mission to serve our customers, and in so doing, it generates massive amounts of Internet leads

and phone traffi c,” said Tasca III, “Our customers rave about our Web site because they can research, build and compare cars, view new or pre-owned vehicles, buy parts, schedule service appointments and more.”

As a result, Tasca currently sells 100 online units per month, and customer surveys conducted by the dealership show that up to 80 percent of their customers say that the Tasca.com Virtual Dealership infl uenced their buying decision.

Having happy customers defi nitely has its own rewards, and top-performing dealers like Tasca will continue to thrive and excel in the industry by providing eSatisfaction to their expanding family of loyal customers for generations to come.

The message is clear at Tasca Auto Group…You will be satisfi ed! 1

0

THE BOTTOM LINE

• Tasca made the shift to digital marketing to generate an additional 100 units per month.

• Tasca’s Virtual Dealership has helped to increase sales, profi ts, and CSI by improving the customer experience online.

• Tasca’s highly trained BDC staff handles all Internet leads and incoming phone traffi c.

• Tasca.com and “The Tasca Way” have earned CSI scores among the highest in the nation.

• Customer surveys show that up to 80 percent of customers were infl uenced by Tasca.com! Whenever a customer sees or hears a Tasca advertisement, they always see and hear TASCA.COM!

“Tasca currently sells 100 online units per month, and customer surveys show that up to 80 percent of our customers say that TASCA.COM infl uenced their buying decision.” - Bob Tasca III

11

Frank Kent Motor CompanyTexas Dealer Strikes It Big - Increasing Sales 50 Percent

Fourth generation owners of Frank

Kent Motor C o m p a n y have taken their dealer group to a

new level by i m p l e m e n t -ing new digital marketing ini-tiatives, includ-ing a high-end custom Web site. “The move from

our previous Web site to our media-enriched interac-tive Virtual Dealer-ship complete with marketing tools has helped us re-

alize our potential, doubling our Internet team with a resulting 50 percent increase in sales over the previous year,” said BDC Director, Dennis Groters. This Fort Worth multi-fran-chise dealer has been able to increase leads from 1,000 up to 1,500 per month—generat-ing nearly 200 units in sales per month—uti-lizing the power of the Internet and their new digital marketing strategies!

Frank Kent began his automotive career in 1927 when he accepted a proposition from a friend to try and sell a car in order to obtain a sales position at a local dealership. He didn’t sell one; he sold four. And so, the legacy begins. From a nationally acclaimed Ford dealer to a Cadillac Master Dealer, the name Frank Kent has become synonymous with quality and integrity. The dealership today is owned and operated by fourth generation great-grandchildren Cory Churchill and Will Churchill.

In the new millennium, Frank Kent Cadillac is joined by Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Hummer, Honda and Dodge franchises. The same dedication to excellence remains, and that is precisely why the dealership group made the decision to tap into the unparalleled potential of the Internet to meet the growing needs of their customers. The comprehensive digital marketing suite includes more than just a cutting-edge web site; it’s a complete marketing system with prospect management capabilities and a suite of multi-media e-mails, driving more traffi c to the Internet and the showroom.

Frank Kent has a dedicated team of Internet Specialists including seven highly trained appointment setters, two specialists that focus on leads from eBay, and BDC Director, Dennis Groters. Together, the team works to make their customers’ online shopping experience pleasurable and profi table. “We are constant with the processes that we learned during our two-day training boot camp,” explains Groters, and they have incredible results to back that statement. The Internet Specialists have a 68 percent appointment-show ratio and a 12 percent total closing ratio

resulting in almost 200 units per month! The staff is successful at following up with all of their leads quickly and effi ciently, and the customer-friendly processes give the customers all the information they need to make an informed decision.

Frank Kent’s dedication to customers has never wavered, and in today’s competitive market, the Internet has generated, and will continue to generate, a higher level of excellence for their expanding family of satisfi ed customers for generations to come.

THE BOTTOM LINE

“The move from our previous Web site to our media-enriched interactive Virtual Dealership complete with marketing tools has helped us realize our potential, doubling our Internet team with a resulting 50 percent increase in sales over the previous year.” - Dennis Groters, BDC Director

• The new Virtual Dealership at FrankKent.com is a highly converting lead generating tool.

• New digital marketing initiatives are generating 7,000 visitors to their Virtual Dealership.

• Frank Kent utilizes automated bulk e-mail to market their specials and promotions.

• Frank Kent utilized a two-day Training Boot Camp to equip his highly effective staff.

• Frank Kent currently has a total closing ratio of 12 percent with a goal of 15 percent.

• FrankKent.com has increased leads from 1,000 to 1,500 per month.

12

Sheehy Auto StoresDealer Group Sells 422 Online Units in One Month

The benefi ts of ef-fective digital

m a r k e t i n g are infi nite, and no one knows this

better than Sheehy Auto

Stores with 23 franchises lo-cated across Virginia, Mary-land and North

Carolina. A dedi-cated Internet sales staff of 35, under the direction of Roy Reutter, is capitalizing on a new platform

with their arsenal of digital marketing tools to accommodate their online customers and generate viable leads.

Reutter and his staff are utilizing popular trends like Live Online Chat windows to stay one step ahead of their competitors by allowing consumers to make inquiries into a convenient Chat link located on their Web sites and digital communications. The Live Chat is an additional way to communicate that allows dealerships to interact with online visitors in real time while they are showing interest in their site. Chat services can be staffed internally; however,

Sheehy has chosen to outsource to professional appointment setters who have received customized training specifi c to the dealership so they understand each dealership’s unique qualities like pricing policies, personnel and inventory.

Many dealers are starting to warm up to the idea of using Chat or Instant Messaging on their Web sites to communicate with their prospects, gathering vital information without requiring them to submit completed forms. Some consumers are apprehensive about responding to e-mail or phone, but feel quite at ease with an impromptu entry into a chat window. “Chat is a product that gets us extra contact with customers. We look at it as a lead generation tool – another way to capture leads off our Web site. It’s sort of like an add-on feature—like air conditioning on a car,” Reutter said. “We have tons of contacts from our Live Chat button - service, parts and purchase leads - probably about 500-600 clicks a month,” adds Reutter.

The highly trained staff at Sheehy is experiencing an 11 percent closing ratio on leads generated through chats; but Reutter confi rms that the true success of the function is what his staff does with the lead once they capture it and begin the follow-up process.

Sheehy customers also receive a digital newsletter that can be measured, tracking every single person who reads it, what they read, and how much time they spend on the articles. “New or Used vehicle sales are our main objective, but our biggest benefi t has been in the parts and service revenue that is generated as a result,” states Reutter.

The highly-converting Sheehy.com, in conjunction with advanced search engine marketing strategies, has proven very successful for this expanding auto group. Reutter reports that it is not uncommon to fi eld 4,200 leads per month generating 422 online units per month.

For more information, visit their Virtual Dealership at www.Sheehy.com.

“With our advanced digital marketing strategies, it’s not uncommon for our dedicated Internet staff to fi eld 4,200 leads per month, generating 422 online units.” - Roy Reutter, BDC Director

• The highly trained BDC staff at Sheehy handles 4,200 leads per month.

• Advanced digital marketing strategies have increased sales from 103 units to 422 online units per month.

• Online sales represent 24 percent of total sales at Sheehy Auto Stores.

• Sheehy increased leads by 350 percent after switching from DMS provider to a digital marketing fi rm to build a Virtual Dealership at Sheehy.com.

• Sheehy Auto Stores has a 9.3 percent total closing ratio.

• Internet leads represent 90 percent of total leads received at Sheehy.

THE BOTTOM LINE

13

Modern Automotive NetworkUsing Modern Technology to Sell 250 Online Vehicles per Month

Modern started their Internet Depart-

ment in 1995 with two individuals who were h a n d l i n g

faxed leads. This rare auto-motive presence on the Internet was met with criticism, and other dealers thought that they

were crazy for having two dedi-cated employees spending time and effort on the Inter-net and arranging offsite demos.

In spite of the disparagement, management at Modern knew the important role that the Internet would soon play - and they were right on the mark! Today, customer surveys indicate that 80 percent of Modern’s custom-ers do online research before coming to the dealership. This pioneering dealership is liv-ing up to its name utilizing advanced digital marketing tools and techniques to generate 1,730+ high quality leads resulting in 250 online sales per month.

The fourth generation Modern Automotive Network, located in Winston-Salem, NC, has expanded to eight rooftops, 650 employees, and a growing base of customers spanning across 18 states as far away as Washington and Arizona, and even reaching across international borders into Canada and Germany! Now that’s what we call making use of modern technology.

With the help of an automotive digital marketing fi rm, the Internet Department at Modern has been integrated into a thriving Customer Relation Center employing 22 staff members to handle the increasing number of highly qualifi ed leads that are being generated, and to service the simultaneously growing number of satisfi ed customers.

“I give the staff a ton of credit,” GM Omnia Fowler said. “Management writes the processes, but the staff executes them very well.” Each of the CRC staff members at Modern are very personable and are effective at establishing great relationships with their customers. “Our staff prides themselves on not being in the car business but in the people

business,” said Fowler. “The CRC specialists create friendships online and sometimes will sell a car six months after the initial contact was made.”

Another successful best practice for building and maintaining customer relations at Modern is their e-mail marketing. All e-mail addresses are collected at the time of sale and the customers are asked for permission to e-mail coupons in order to keep in touch. Proof positive that the CRC staff is doing an awesome job is the low opt-out ratio of only four percent!

According to CRC Director, Bryan Johnson, about 20 to 25 percent of Modern’s business is generated from Internet sales, and general sales have increased 15 percent in the last year. In 2006 they sold 10,000 cars, and 2007 numbers are coming in substantially above that benchmark. Even with the success they have seen from their current digital marketing strategies, Fowler and Johnson look forward to adding more lead-generating features like video streaming and live chat to their new Virtual Dealership at www.ModernAutomotive.com.

THE BOTTOM LINE

“Our customer surveys indicate that 80 percent of our current customers do research online before coming to the dealership with 60 percent stating that our Web site infl uenced their decision.” - Bryan Johnson, CRC Director

• With the help of an automotive marketing fi rm, Modern has successfully integrated their Internet Department into a top-performing CRC.

• The CRC staff at Modern has an appointment-show ratio of 75 to 80 percent.

• The multi-media Virtual Dealership at ModernAutomotive.com converts traffi c into highly qualifi ed leads.

• Online sales represent 20 to 25 percent of total sales at Modern Automotive Network

• ModernAutomotive.com and a well-trained CRC staff have increased sales from 160 to 250 units per month.

14

Dick Hannah Auto GroupDigital Marketing Strategies Increase Sales to 593 Units Per Month

“We found the cheese! A signifi -

cant portion of our business has moved to the virtual shopping and

info gather-ing world,” said Joe Orr of Dick Hannah Auto Group. The opportuni t ies created by an

effective digital marketing strat-egy are limitless, and owner Dick Hannah and his management have successfully lev-eraged the power

of the Internet to increase and expand his enterprise while continuing to maintain the Dick Hannah immaculate reputation for un-precedented customer satisfaction. With chil-dren Jason and Jennifer at their father’s side, the Hannah’s have successfully implemented an aggressive online presence with a focus on Sales & Service, and have become the largest pre-owned Internet Dealer in the nation.

The Dick Hannah Group comprised of 12 franchises in 14 locations across Oregon and Washington, has capitalized on aggressive Internet marketing strategies and their award-winning Web sites to tap into the special fi nance and pre-owned profi t opportunities. Dick Hannah hired a local search marketing fi rm to more effectively saturate their award winning Web-site on the fi rst page

of Google, Yahoo and MSN. The secrete formula to the search success includes over 1,000 search phrases per manufacturer (100 most popular automotive search phrases in 10 local cities). “Our Web site phone traffi c skyrocketed from 1,756 calls to 5,090 calls in less than 8 months,” said Joe Orr, GM at Dick Hannah Honda. The Honda store enjoyed an 82 percent increase in used car net profi t for the year while cutting advertising expenses from $442 per car to $114, and today they’re selling hundreds of extra vehicles per month meriting the commendation of being the No. 1 pre-owned Internet Dealer in the world.

Hannah is quick to point out that successful dealers need more than a great Web site and CRM tool; they need to build a complete strategy for marketing, get the right people in place, implement a process and establish a pricing philosophy. He also adds: “While the right Web site won’t solve all your problems, you won’t get far without it. We had a pretty good templated site that was recommended by our manufacturer, but we were not getting incremental business. After we switched Web and CRM providers, our sales began to increase, and now with the help of advanced eMarketing initiatives, we are selling 593 units per month because they not only built us a better site, they also provided all the marketing tools and training we needed.”

One great feature of the new site is a virtual

special fi nance department called www.DickSaysYes.com and www.printyourcheck.com which provides three easy ways for the customer to get further into the process and continually prompts them to fi ll out an application online. Hannah explains that the key to building a Web site capable of generating sub prime leads is to provide information the customer is looking for, plus a convenient and private way to contact the dealership. For example, DickSaysYes.com includes a “How it Works” button that provides FAQs, Six Steps to Reestablish Credit, Fast Bankruptcy Approvals and other areas that speak to what’s important to the sub prime audience.

Dick Hannah knows that his company’s reputation is a priceless asset, and he relies on the results and resources of digital marketing to uphold the highest standards of integrity and service within his dealerships.

“Our customers enjoy our Virtual Dealership. DickHannah.com is the nucleus of our success, helping us to sell 593 online units per month.” - Dick Hannah

THE BOTTOM LINE

• Dick Hannah used an aggressive eFocus on Special Finance to become the No. 1 Pre-Owned eCRM Dealer in the world.

• DickHannah.com helped generate an additional 333 sales per month.

• With advanced digital marketing strategies, Dick Hannah cut advertising costs from $442 to $114 per car.

• The leads from DickHannah.com have a higher closing ratio and lower cost per sale.

• DickSaysYes.com awarded USA Internet Approval Site of the Year.

15

Moss Bros. Auto GroupImplements Centralized e-CRC to Generate 192 Online Units Per Month

The Moss Motors history had a

modest begin-ning in 1921, when J.A. “Red” Moss Sr. planted

his roots in the community of Blythe, CA with the opening of his fi rst dealer-ship. The acorn doesn’t fall far

from the tree, and the seeds of integ-rity and prosperity that were planted by the pioneer-ing “Red” Moss have blossomed

into mega-store Moss Bros. Auto Group now owned and operated by third generation Glenn Moss.

Despite the humble beginning, the Moss family dealership, still located in the heart of Southern California, has capitalized on the implementation of a new digital marketing platform including a high-end Web site and the development of a centralized Customer Relation Center (CRC) to handle all leads which has resulted in an increase of monthly online sales from 30 units up to 192 units within a matter of months!

After years of research, trial and error, and consulting with various consultants, Moss fi nally found the right automotive digital marketing partner for his dealerships’ online needs. Not knowing if the move was right for all of his locations simultaneously, Glenn chose his award winning “Blue Oval” Ford point to implement the CRC processes. Within the third month, Moss Bros. Ford had a record-breaking month! Moss Bros. clearly saw the benefi ts and results of the implementation of training and processes, and wasted no time in getting four of his other stores on board. By the sixth month, all calls and leads were going to the CRC. “Our new Digital Marketing and Training System has helped us increase our units sold while reducing our Cost per Sale. We have developed a solid process for us to help our customers, and as a result we have seen a steady growth in Profi t and Sales,” said Moss.

The group began to see results in the way of increased traffi c and leads after going live with a newly designed custom Web site that is loaded with media-enriched and interactive features like scrolling marquees, a friendly virtual tour hostess, and 360-degree 3-D Virtual Test Drives that highlight all the information the customer is interested in. Moss feels that their new Virtual Dealership is more professional and more user friendly and provides the dealership with an effective “centralized coordinated attack” strategy rather than just being price driven. As a result of successfully implementing a new Virtual Dealership and digital marketing strategies to promote all profi t centers within the dealership, MossSavings.com has increased traffi c and generated over 3,300 qualifi ed leads resulting in a 540 percent increase in sales in just 11 months!

Today the highly effective 17 person CRC staff at Moss Bros. is doing a phenomenal job executing processes on appointments that show, generating 192 sales from 275 appointments - a 70-percent close ratio! Even with great results like that, Moss feels there are still areas in need of improvement, and is looking forward to what the New Year will bring.

THE BOTTOM LINE

“Our new Digital Marketing and Training System has helped us increase our sold units while reducing our Cost per Sale. We have developed a solid process for us to help our customers, and as a result we have seen a steady growth in Profi t and Sales.” - Glenn Moss

• After years of trial and error, Moss Bros. partnered with an automotive digital marketing fi rm to implement tools, training and processes.

• Marketing Initiatives increased online sales from 30 units to 192 units per month.

• The CRC staff at Moss Bros. closed on 70 percent of the appointments that showed.

• MossBrosAutoGroup.com promotes all profi t centers within the dealerships.

• Digital Marketing strategies have reduced cost per sale to $201 per unit.

16

Dave Smith MotorsDealer Stakes Claim Selling 600 Online Units Per Month

Where can you fi nd the No. 1 Dodge-

Chrysler-Jeep Dealer in the world for the fi fth year in a row—or, how

about the larg-est GM Dealer in the North-western U.S. for the eleventh year in a row?

Dave Smith Mo-tors, under the direction of Presi-dent Ken Smith, is located in Kel-logg, Idaho, a rural community

with a rich historical mining heritage and a population just over 2,600. That’s right-2,600 people. In fact, Dave Smith Motors has more vehicle inventory in this small tourist town than there are people! Overall in 2007, this home-grown automotive gold mine sold more than 11,000 Dodge, Chrys-ler, Jeep, Chevy, GMC, Pontiac, Buick and Cadillac vehicles, breaking an all-time re-cord in new sales for both DaimlerChrysler and GM!

Here’s living proof: You’ve all heard your manufacturers telling you that 80 percent of your customers shop online before coming into your dealership. The Dave Smith Motors staff is selling approximately

800 units per month with approximately 600 units being sold from Internet generated leads! You would think it can’t get much better than that, but Dave Smith Motors continues to have phenomenal success selling a record-breaking 7,030 Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep vehicles in 2006, only to blast right past that historical benchmark in 2007!

The Internet has played a vital role in the continued success of this auto sales mining enterprise. With technology created in-house, Smith is utilizing the power of the Internet to market his dealership, generating tons of traffi c and leads to his Web site. Because of Smith’s early decision to create a presence on the Internet in 1992, he designed and developed his own Web site and lead management tool because there weren’t any lead-generating/follow-up systems available on the market. Dave Smith Motors has excelled using their

own home-grown technology, attracting more than 100,000 visitors per month on their site, and getting approximately 150 Internet leads a day.

Entrepreneur Ken Smith looks at every profi t center as a golden nugget. When you’re mining and hit a vein, you don’t go dig somewhere else - you stake your claim, set up camp, start working and stick with it. Sometimes the work is tedious, but the payoffs are great. Smith has been able to maximize all of his value-added products and services, including warranty, fi nance, parts and a booming after-market accessory business that is Internet driven.

With their hassle-free buying philosophy and technology as their primary tool of the trade, Dave Smith Motors has successfully created a loyal (and growing) base of eager customers, creating a business based off repeat and referrals. The rush is on at DaveSmith.com!

“The Internet has helped us sell more than 11,000 Dodge, Chrysler, Chevy, GMC, Pontiac, Buick and Cadillac vehicles, making us one of the largest dealers in the world!” - Ken Smith, President

THE BOTTOM LINE

• Dave Smith Motors is the world’s largest Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep Dealer for fi ve consecutive years.

• Dave Smith Motors is the largest GM Dealer in the Northwest for 11 consecutive years.

• Dave Smith Motors is the world’s largest Mopar Accessories Dealer for fi ve consecutive years.

• Digital marketing strategies have helped Dave Smith Motors sell a record-breaking 7,030 Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep vehicles.

• The dealership has a team of dedicated Internet sales consultants to handle all inbound leads.

17

Paragon Honda/AcuraEffective eMarketing Keeps Dealer on Top With 300 Units Per Month

New York has its unique market-

ing challenges c o n s i d e r -ing that it is the only city

in the U.S. where more

than half of all households do not own a car. Despite the lim-

itations, Paragon Honda is thriv-

ing and is highly acclaimed as a leading volume dealer not only in New York, but across the nation

as well, selling 9,000 Hondas and Acuras in 2007—that’s 20 per day, 365/24/7 (with no fl eet sales). How do they achieve their con-tinued success? Thanks to a robust Internet marketing strategy, a well-trained Business Development Center and a loyal base of cus-tomers, Vice President Brian Benstock con-tinues his relentless pursuit to be the best by capitalizing on the power of advanced search marketing, digital display ads and bulk e-mail marketing campaigns to market and promote the Honda and Acura brand throughout New York.

As a foundation to their marketing strategy, Paragon integrates their Virtual Dealership URL into all of their advertising and marketing efforts. “Whether we use billboards, newspaper or radio, we always promote ParagonCars.com and as a result, we get a phenomenal amount of customers visiting our site,” said Ashley Antonio, Marketing Director at Paragon Honda.

E-mail marketing has been a critical component to their success. The BDC has had incredible results from targeted bulk e-mail marketing, generating up to 40 extra units sold from a single campaign without spending any extra money on advertising. “We recently sent out an e-mail promotion to 80,000 addresses in our database. It took our Internet Manager 25 minutes to create and the cost was zero dollars. Other dealerships

probably spend up to $10,000 to send out 15,000 pieces. We sent out 80,000 pieces and it took no time, no additional money and it generated outstanding results,” Benstock said.

Paragon now utilizes search marketing strategies including digital display billboards to attract visitors to their Virtual Dealership. An astonishing 85 percent of their leads are generated from their Web site. “What is amazing is that we can track exactly how many people saw the banner, how many clicked through to the site, what they did at the site and how many bought. This makes it easy to measure the cost per sale and to improve our offers to get more customers attention,” said Benstock.

From the beginning, Paragon has been an exemplary model for success. After implementing new digital marketing platforms four years ago, they went from 20 cars a month to 106 cars a month in their fi rst month. Now they are selling up to 300 units per month to remain as one of the top Honda dealers in the nation.

• Paragon delivered 9,000 Hondas and Acuras in 2007 - that’s 20 per day, 365/24/7!

• eMarketing has increased traffi c to ParagonCars.com by 20,000+ visitors.

• Paragon utilizes bulk e-mail campaigns to generate 40 additional units at zero cost.

• Paragon’s closing ratio is 300-percent higher than the national aver-age, according to OEM reports.

• Overall sales at Paragon have increased by almost 200 percent incrementally year to date.

• Paragon has drastically reduced cost per sale from $500 to $100 per unit.

THE BOTTOM LINE

“With the help of our eMarketing strategies, Paragon sold 9,000 Hondas and Acuras in 2007 -- that’s 20 per day, 365/24/7!”- Brian Benstock

18

The Walser GroupWalser.com Branding Increases Unique Visitors, Leads & Sales by 40%

When we last heard from the Walser

Group, they had suc-c e s s f u l l y implemented

digital mar-keting strate-

gies, including the establish-ment of consis-tent centralized processes within

all franchises and locations. The training and ex-ecution paid off in the form of 70 percent show ra-tios on appoint-

ments and total closing ratios as high as 20 percent!

Established in 1956, Walser Automotive has grown into a network of top-quality dealerships across Minnesota who are committed to offering the best service in the industry. What makes the Walser Group unique is their “negotiation-free” philosophy which they call the “Walser Way.”

With a fundamentally different approach to the car buying experience, The Walser Way empowers the customer and the Walser associate with the independent control to

make the deal happen. The core principle of the Walser Way is to give the absolute lowest price up front – no negotiating, no waiting, no need to run the deal by management for approval. Everyone pays the same low price. It’s up-front, it’s honest, and it’s simple - fast, fair, and easy!

This eDealer network, comprised of 14 franchises located across Minnesota, is committed to offering the best service in the industry, and with effective and successful processes in place, Owner Andrew Walser, is directing the spotlight toward branding his new Virtual Dealership and tracking conversions. “We are focusing on making Walser.com a household brand name for customers in our region,” Walser said. “We have increased our online identity in the marketplace through effective exposure on billboards, print, TV and radio as well as implementing a library of high-converting microsites to increase visibility on search engines,” said Alan Krutsch, Marketing Director, “and as

a result, we have seen substantial results with a 30 to 40 percent increase in unique visitors, leads and sales.”

With more of their growing base of customers turning to Walser.com to service their needs, Andrew Walser knows the importance of duplicating the buying process on his Virtual Dealership. That means investing in the process in order to build confi dence within the consumer and in the people at the dealer level in order to create excitement about the Virtual Dealership and its marketing potential.

Visit Walser.com to learn more about this extraordinary results-driven dealer group.

“We are focusing on making Walser.com a household brand name for customers in our region.” - Andrew Walser

THE BOTTOM LINE• The Walser Group has implemented a new Digital Marketing Strategy

to effectively market Walser.com.

• New digital marketing strategies and Walser.com have increased unique visitors, leads and sales by 30 to 40 percent.

• The BDC staff successfully sets appointments on 32 percent of leads at Walser.com.

• Walser Automotive has increased closing ratios up to 20+ percent in two franchises.

• The Walser Way is a “negotiation-free” philosophy. Everyone pays the same low price.

• Walser Automotive conversion ratio is 10 to 15 percent higher than the national average.

BrianTracy The Valueof Mentors, Part 2

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www.sellingsuccessonline.com

So, for a good m e n t o r - p r o t é g é

relationship, you must be wide open to the infl uence and instruction of the other person, and at the same time, the mentor must be genuinely concerned about your well-being and your ultimate success. These are the two essentials.

Your ability to choose your mentors can be a crucial step toward achievement in all areas of your life. So here are 12 steps for building successful mentor-protégé relationships:

1. Set clear goals for yourself in every area of your life. Know exactly what you want to accomplish before you start thinking of the type of person who can help you accomplish it.

2. Determine the things you will have to do in order to achieve your goals, the obstacles you will have to overcome, and the roadblocks you will have to surmount.

3. Identify the areas of knowledge, skill and expertise you will have to acquire in order to overcome the obstacles existing between you and your goals.

4. Look around for the most successful people in the areas in which you will need the most help.

5. Join the clubs, organizations and business associations these people belong to.

6. Once you have joined these organizations, become actively involved and volunteer for responsibilities. This will bring you to the attention of the people you want to meet faster than anything else.

7. Work, study and practice continually to get better and better at what you do. The very best mentors are interested in helping you only if they feel it is going to be worth their time. You will have no problem attracting people to you when you develop a reputation for being up-and-coming in your fi eld.

8. When you fi nd a potential mentor, don’t make a nuisance of yourself. Instead, ask for 10 minutes of his or her time, in person, in private. Nothing more. Remember, most potential mentors are busy people, and they may be opposed to some one’s trying to take up a lot of their time. It’s not personal.

9. When you meet with a potential mentor, express your eager ness to be more successful in your fi eld. Tell him or her that you would very much appreciate a little guidance and advice to help you move ahead. Ask for an answer to a specifi c question, for a specifi c book or audio program recommendation, or for a specifi c idea that has been helpful to him or her in the past.

10. After the initial meeting, send a thank-you note expressing your gratitude and

appreciation for his or her time and guidance. Mention that you hope to meet again if you have another question.

11. Each month, drop your mentor a short note telling him or her about what you are doing and how you are progressing. Nothing makes a mentor more open to helping you further than your making it clear that the previous help has done you some good.

12. Arrange to meet with your mentor again, perhaps on a monthly basis, or even more often if you work closely together.

Over the course of your life, you will have many mentor-protégé relationships. As you grow and develop, you will seek out different mentors, the people who can give you the kind of advice that is most relevant to your current situation.

Successful people are very open to helping other people who want to be successful. This is especially true if they know you are willing to be a mentor to others who are younger and less experienced than you. The more open you are to helping others up the ladder of success, the more open others will be to helping you.

Brian Tracy is the chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International. He can be contacted at 866.300.9881, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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Change More Than the CalendarThe last quarter of the year rolls around and

you begin to hear some common refrains:• “We are waiting until the fi rst of the

year” • “Starting in January I am going to…” • “We have to wait until spring when

business picks up” • “The fi rst of the year I am really going

to get into it.”

Here’s the reality for most people who make these statements: The calendar is the only thing that changes.

If you are waiting for the calendar to change your life or your business, you are kidding yourself. My own observation is that these false start dates are nothing more than excuses and actual obstacles to not face reality and take action. No matter your intentions, I think everyone has been guilty of false statements at some time.

Words are cheap. A U.S. General once said, “Every year I pay less attention to what people say and more to what they do.” Action is always where the rubber meets the road. However, actions are preceded by proper thoughts and beliefs. Just because a person says they are going to do something does not mean that their brain buys into the idea.

When you make a statement, you are consciously choosing to do so. The problem begins when your subconscious does not match up to the conscious choice. If your subconscious does not have any evidence to support your statements, the subconscious immediately begins to sabotage your thoughts. This is precisely why traditional goal setting and New Years Eve resolutions fail.

I have heard many times that in setting goals they must be believable to work. You can hear the “believable goals” mantra and interpret this to mean you need to pick a safe goal. Safe goals rarely inspire you to action. Safe goals are easy to say but they don’t fi ll enough emotional needs. Behind all realized goals are strong emotions that were on fi re to be realized.

First of all, you have to set inspiring goals that create emotions inside you. Otherwise all you are doing is writing out a To-Do list.

When was the last time you were “geeked” by your To-Do list? Stop listening to everyone’s “10 steps” and “10 rules” to everything and the “Dummy’s Guide to Goal Setting” and start living by your rules. It’s your life, your goals, your emotions and your rewards if you reach your goals. You make the rules. Go for as large a goal as you desire.

Secondly, start giving your subconscious all the evidence it needs to start believing. You may write your goal 100 times a day. You may write your goal and put on your bathroom mirror and say the goal aloud 10 times every morning. You may fi nd 10 people who have reached your goal and reach out to interview them on what they did. You may close your eyes and visualize yourself at the moment you reach the goal and see it in vivid colors, feel the feeling as strongly as you can feel.

No matter what goal you choose, you have to take some kind action. Take a step, no matter how small, and then set in stone your next action and action date. The next action should be soon. The next hour or the next day would be best. Don’t make the next action step too long after the fi rst, or leave it to chance that you will take your next step.

The dirty little secret to reaching any and every goal is that most goals are made up of small, boring, mundane steps that lead to your success. We live in an instant gratifi cation society – “8-Minute Abs,” “Lose 10 Pounds in One Week,” “Lose Six Inches in One Week,” and so on. Those ads are all brilliant marketing strategies, because they promise instant results. The headline of “Lots of sweaty exercise and eating tons of vegetables will help you lose weight this year” would not get a lot of response. The general public would say they hate hype but the truth is most people love hype. People love HOPE — the easier the better.

Don’t wait for a calendar to change your life or your business. Usually the only thing that changes is the calendar.

Mark Tewart is the president of Tewart Enterprises. He can be contacted at 866.429.6844, or by e-mail [email protected].

23

the #1 sales-improvement magazine for the automotive professional

24


TomHopkins

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One of the biggest challenges facing

any business is keeping in balance. In many automotive businesses, more emphasis is put on getting new business than serving existing clients. And that’s no way to succeed long term.

Next to sales functions, customer service functions are vital to overall success and must be given appropriate emphasis. By customer service, I don’t just mean vehicle service. That’s another issue altogether.

Poor customer service will cost a company as much business as will having a poor salesperson on the lot. Both can damage a company’s reputation and potential for future growth.

When businesses don’t properly serve their clients after the initial sale, the clients go elsewhere the next time they need a vehicle. And in today’s times, most families have at least two cars. If you’ve helped them get involved in one, why wouldn’t you serve them well and be the person they call when they need another?

If you don’t serve them well, you can’t expect them to be loyal to you, can you? Unfortunately, when a client doesn’t make a second purchase, all too often those businesses assume they weren’t good sales in the fi rst place — that the client moved away or has not yet made another purchase. If you had a solid follow-up system in place, you’d know what was going on and probably have made that second sale.

If the client did make a second purchase elsewhere, you’ll want to know why. Besides the question of why they left you, the other question you should be considering is where did they go?

Where do customers go who don’t stay with your dealership once they’ve made a single purchase?

Many simply buy from someone else. If you had followed-up, you would have discovered that the prospective client was either waiting for contact from you or was not happy with the fi rst buying experience whether it was the vehicle itself or something else. Either way, you need to know the answer if you plan on having the automotive sales business as your career.

If they bought from another dealership they either found a product or service that they liked better or a more persuasive sales professional.

I have a philosophy to share with you. Please commit to this statement: “If I am a pro, they will buy from me unless we go out of business, or the client dies.” Commit to yourself that you are going to be so professional that they are going to invest their money with you unless you are no longer in business or the decision-maker passes on to his or her heavenly reward. That may sound extreme, but that’s the way you have to feel if you want to get the business every time.

If you have lost them to the competition, I hope you will be mature enough to say, “If I lost the business, I got beat because of skill and talent. I’m going to increase my skill level so it won’t happen again.”

There will always be those clients that you simply cannot please. I’ve had clients I’ve given so much service to and I know I earned the business, but for one reason or another I didn’t close. I used to blame everyone else for these failures. However, the more I look at selling, the more I realize that if you lose to the competition, it’s usually because they outperformed you. That’s when you need to set a goal to get better at this game of selling.

The last reason customers don’t buy from you is because they no longer like your line of vehicles. It’s happened every time manufacturers go through major design changes. Some clients will hate the new look and start looking at different brands. Other people who may have never thought they’d own your brand of vehicle, though, will be attracted to the new design so there’s still plenty of new business to be had.

If existing clients have a change in their needs that requires them to go with a different manufacturer because you don’t have the product they need, accept it gracefully and move on to someone else you can serve. Your attitude at a time like that can earn you future business should their needs change or, even better, a referral or two of their friends or relatives who do like your brand.

World-renowned master sales trainer Tom Hopkins is the chairman of Tom Hopkins International. He can be contacted at 866.347.6148, or by e-mail at [email protected].

The Value of Customer Service

Poor customer service will cost a company as much business as will having a poor salesperson on the lot. Both can damage a company’s reputation and potential for future growth.

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26


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Negotiating for Profi tNegotiate: To confer with another or

others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement.

How many times have you attended a seminar and heard some self-proclaimed guru try and tell you how to negotiate and close a deal, sharing his or her favorite closes that we all know have been around since the beginning of time? Still, we send our sales professionals, managers and service writers in hope that they will learn a new trick or two.

Even the great J. Douglas Edwards said that the sales professional needs a minimum of 70 closes in their arsenal - but the reality is that most only have one or two — one being “if I could, would you…” and “what would it take to earn your business?” It leaves little to the imagination as to why so many are so unsuccessful when it comes to negotiating with a customer today.

The reality is that if your sales process were perfect, you would be closing 75 to 85 percent of your traffi c, instead of 17 to 20. In other words, your sales professionals, managers and service writers could be turning off 75 percent of your traffi c. Simply stated, customers want what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. Many times we focus on our customers from our own point of view, not taking into consideration that they each have a unique decision-making style.

When you appeal to the customer’s decision-making style, they become more comfortable, resulting in a shorter closing time, producing a higher gross profi t and CSI score.

Ever wonder why people talk the way they do, behave a certain way and respond to you differently? The reason is that we are all born with a certain trait or characteristic that, by nature, determines the way we make

our decisions. Appealing to one’s nature can also reduce stress, turnover and increase productivity.

A recent article stated that turnover in our industry in 2006 was 42 percent, down from 48 percent in 2005. The biggest reason for turnover is many times the environment we create. If management and employees had a better understanding of how each person likes to receive information, and communicated from their point of view, the result would be lower stress and a higher level of productivity with fewer turnovers.

The study of human behavior and how it relates to one’s decision-making style, I believe, is the next giant step in negotiating gross profi t, reducing stress and turnover in the workplace. As everyone knows, profi t margins are getting tighter and the ability to make profi t is getting more diffi cult.

There are essentially four customer types

27


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with unique decision-making styles:1. DirectPeople who appreciate you getting to the point and only require the Reader’s Digest version. If you try a Ben Franklin Balance Sheet Close on this type of customer, you are going to lose them fast. Simply get to the point, tie your suggestions to results, and give them options and choices.

2. ExtrovertedThese people appreciate interaction and may talk about things other than the deal. Simply interact, give them feedback and use the words “we” and “let’s” to get into agreement.

3. Paced They are your best customer and the most misunderstood. Because of their relaxed nature they are often referred to as “tire kickers.” Don’t be fooled; they are about timing and harmony and when on the lot they are here for one thing only — to buy today. They appreciate a relaxed form of communication and will say that they need to think it over if pressured. Simply respect their laid-back style and go for the close.

4. StructuredThey are fact-based individuals that

will ask many questions and may not buy the fi rst time around. Provide facts in writing and stay in touch with documented facts that will support their decision. They must agree with you before you can go for the close.

Remember that it is all about focus, whether in sales, service or managing your staff. When negotiating, your purpose should be to get into agreement with the customer. Don’t forget, we negotiate with our employees everyday. To reduce turnover, we have to communicate from their point of view not ours.

Imagine a direct-style service writer who is fi ve deep in the service lane and encounters an Extroverted customer who responds by telling a story about their problem and goes off on many different tangents. In this example, the manager’s focus is on results, moving the line quickly and has little time for conversation. The customer doesn’t feel comfortable because they are not getting any interaction, and therefore responds later with a poor CSI survey. The correct way to handle this would be to use support words like “we” and “let’s.” For example: “Mr. or Mrs. Customer, let’s have one of our technicians asses the problem, and we will have an adviser call you to talk with you around 10 a.m. Can we do that for you?”

This allows the Extrovert to feel comfortable because they are going to be able to talk more at a later time, and puts you in a better position for an up sale. The service writer accomplishes his or her goals by shortening the process to the customer’s satisfaction. Remember, they will be waiting for you to call, and failure to do so will refl ect negativity on the CSI score.

At the upcoming NADA convention in San Francisco, I will be speaking on the topic of Negotiating Techniques for Different Customers and Decision Making Styles. I will demonstrate how to focus and appeal to the buyer’s unique decision making style and how to negotiate for profi t while reducing the amount of time it takes to close the customer.

Marc Smith is the senior vice president for The Cardone Group. He can be contacted at 866.665.4479, or by e-mail at [email protected].

See our article on page 43

SeanV.Bradley

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Wow! I want to fi rst thank everyone; I

have had some amazing feedback in regard to my articles, as well as to our new Internet Sales 20 Group. I hope everyone had a great holiday and is very focused on making 2008 their absolute best year ever.

I had a tremendous response from my article “Online Value Package Propositions.” When I was talking to Shannon Haney, Internet Sales manager of Sonju Superstore in Minnesota, she told me she was having tremendous success with her dealership’s rewards program. The reason why the program is so amazing is the fact that it actually works. Shannon sells 20 units a month over the Internet in a small town outside of Duluth. She tells me that it is a great way to differentiate her dealership from all of the others in town.

If you go to www.sonju.com, you’ll see a button that says “Customer Rewards.” When you click that button, it will take you to a back page with the following information:

“At Sonju Two Harbors, our goal is to develop a long-term relationship with you and your family. As a preferred customer you are entitled to valuable discounts, complimentary service items, and a VIP membership standing. Each time that you use your rewards card you will accumulate points for service discounts, service offers and up to $500 off next vehicle purchase.”

Holders of the service rewards card, complimentary to all Sonju’s customers, receive perks such as a car wash with every paid service, local shuttle service,

a loaner car while their vehicle is serviced, alignment checks, discounts on oil changes and other maintenance, VIP Saturday service hours, and many more.

Customers also accumulate rewards points for every dollar spent, which go to lowering the prices of the next vehicle they purchase at Sonju Two Harbors. For 2,000 points, for example, they get $50 off. For 25,000 points, they get a $500 discount.

“Anything the client does at the dealership — sales, service buying parts, referrals etc. —gets them Sonju points that are converted to dollars for future sales and services,” Shannon said. “But the best part is that it is NOT vapor. It is a real program with technology to back it up. Customers go to the dealership site to check status, upgrades, free stuff…. It gives them a great reason to keep coming back to your site, even after they purchased a vehicle.”

Shannon also went on to say that it increases gross profi t for her dealership. A lot of her competition “gives cars away.” I am sure all of you can relate to that — your competition just shotgunning over their “Best Price” on their fi rst e-mail to a customer. At Sonju, they were able to build real value with their benefi ts and thus, “the price you receive elsewhere needs to be weighed against the value of our dealership,” she said.

Thank you, Shannon! Good luck this month and close strong. I will be sending you your FREE Flip Video camera for having this month’s “Best Idea.” Do me a favor and take video of your happy customers and put them on your Web site and e-mail templates.

As for the challenge, I had a lot of calls and e-mails from dealers with a consistant theme. The challenge is:

How do I get my owner or GM to pay attention to this Internet thing? How do I get them to start get serious about it? They don’t see the value....

You would be surprised that in 2008, with 87 to 97 percent of people going online to do some form of research before EVER stepping foot into the dealership, with LOWER cost for advertising and higher ROI, with full accountability in HR and capital investments, with over 211,000,000 people registered to www.myspace.com, with Google buying You

Tube for $1.7 billion, with CNN conducting the Presidential Candidate Debates via YouTube, with the city of San Diego (with 2.8 million residents) offering FREE complete wireless broadband access to the entire city…, well, you get the idea. Now, add to the fact that there are lead source providers like CarsDirect that actually sell cars. People don’t talk about that too much anymore, but CarsDirect has an actual dealer license; with NO inventory or real dealership, they sell over 1,500 units a month out of their L.A. corporate offi ce. How about AutoTrader.com? They have NO cars, no dealership and no sales people, but they make hundreds of millions of dollars telling the public to go their Web site! Yet, some dealers still to this day see little value with the Internet, or they see it but just let it fl y right by them.

So, what do you do with those dealers who still choose to ignore the obvious?

My advice is give them this article to read. Then, I suggest coming up with a solid plan as to what you want to do, with details. What are the products or resources you are going to need? Who is going to work in that department? Do you need more people? Where are you going to get everyone trained? What are your Standard Operating Procedures going to be? And where are you going to get your opportunities to do business (leads, Video Search Engine Optimization, Regular Search Engine Optimization, Pay Per Click, third-party providers, membership buying programs, etc.)?

Outline how much is this going to cost, how much you are planning to gross and net and fi nally, how long this is going to take to see a return. Put all of that together and you should have a better shot at getting their attention.

You can only do your best to change their minds and show them the light. It is up to them as decision makers if they want to walk into it or not. But you always have choices.

If you need help in trying to put that together, it would be my pleasure to do so with you or for you for FREE. Just e-mail me or call me.

Sean V. Bradley is the CEO and founder of Dealer Synergy. He can be contacted at 866.648.7400, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Shannon Haney

Internet Sales20 Group II

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Identity Theft:Don’t Let Your Guard Down

Personal information has become the

currency of choice for criminals since the credit system allows consumers with good credit ratings to set up lines of credit quite easily. Thieves would much rather steal what’s in your computer than what is in your wallet.

Your personal identifying information, and the information of your employees and customers, is routinely bought and sold by individuals and organized crime rings. It’s crucial you pay close attention to safeguarding personal and sensitive information by taking some commonsense safety measures. Fraud is non-discriminatory and current statistics show it is a rapidly growing crime that involves a theft of personal information happening every three seconds. A laptop is stolen every 12 seconds.

Social networking sites are rapidly growing in popularity. These sites are online communities where people from all over the world can meet and share common interests and network. Beware: They’ve become a favorite hang-out for thieves, too. Many of you and your employees routinely post personal information on Web sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Often, many of us unknowingly provide much more information than we should, e.g. full names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, spouses, pets’ and friends’ names and places of employment, all of which thieves routinely use to crack passwords and access your life.

Did you know that what others post on public sites can come back to haunt you? While many employees think they’re only sharing innocuous tidbits of personal information on public Web sites, these “tidbits,” once collected and assembled, can provide a thief with enough data to wreak havoc in their life — and yours, too.

Thieves take advantage of tiny morsels of information contained in seemingly harmless posts on networking sites that many of us frequent — including your family, friends and employees. Criminal identity theft rings have been trained to piece together tiny bits

of information and turn it into gold. They use publicly shared personal information to their advantage by pretending to have similar interests at heart. They do this to gain your trust, and that of your friends, family or co-workers to then solicit further information. Criminals have found innovative ways to infi ltrate your business. Some are paid by fraud rings to seek employment positions, solely to gain access to your business — and with it your customer database, customer credit card numbers or valuable Social Security Number. Many businesses have reported they’ve found their employees have been bribed or rewarded with cash to pilfer, and then pass on this type of valuable data.

The most frequent mistake many people make on networking sites is to divulge too much information. Information posted on these sites may on the surface seem harmless, but in reality can quickly turn perilous. With very little effort, trained criminals decipher clues that will easily crack a password. It may be time to change your password.

Simple preventative steps taken now will save you, your employees and your customers from immeasurable frustration, anxiety and signifi cant loss — trying to reverse the damaging effects of fraud when it strikes.

Top Three Tips to AvoidOnline Fraud 1. Safeguard LaptopsOver the last six months, many of the data breaches that have occurred have happened through the theft of laptops. Always make sure that your laptop is password protected, and armed with a fi rewall and up-to-date virus protection software — at all times. Some good news: There is GPS tracking software available for laptops. It is designed to both warn criminals the computer is trackable and recover data from the stolen computer once you alert the company to the theft. The company, once notifi ed immediately erases it from the computer — as soon as the thief goes online.

2. Prevent Thievesfrom Cracking PasswordsMany people use their pets’ names, birthdates,

favorite sports teams, hobbies, spouses and children’s names as their passwords and thieves know this. These bits of information, which are often posted on social networking sites, may be used by thieves to crack your password and get into your bank accounts, e-mail, or any online accounts connected to your password, such as Amazon, iTunes, etc.

3. Warn Employeesof Phishing Scams Since employees are often targets of phishing scams they should be warned of various phishing schemes. Phishing e-mails are often designed to appear authentic and urgent, but are simply a rouse designed to trick employees into providing account numbers or passwords — often under the guise they need to “verify” the data. Legitimate companies will never ask for this information in an e-mail. Do not dial the phone numbers contained in these e-mails either. Calls made to phone numbers contained in e-mail scams, unfortunately connect directly to the thieves.

To better illustrate the ramifi cations of what can happen when duped by a “phisher,” I think it’s important to note a recent phishing attack that was successfully launched against Salesforce.com. The breach did not occur as a traditional computer hacking attack against the company. In this case, an employee apparently fell for a phishing scam and provided the criminals behind the scheme his/her user logon information for Salesforce’s internal systems. With this information, the crooks were able to download the company’s customer fi les and use the fi les to fi nd new victims. They immediately began sending out more phishing e-mails - directly to the customers. Remember, the more time and effort you invest in preventing or detecting fraud, the less time, effort and money you will spend dealing with it when it hits.

Denise Richardson is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and an author. She can be contacted at 866.439.9242, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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Book, MSN Autos, AOL Autos, Yahoo! Autos, NADA Guides, Intelliprice and more.

In fact, our software filters through your leads so that you only get legitimate,

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The operations of an auto dealership have

changed in many ways over the past 10 years. Changes have occurred everywhere, from customer-buying practices to the disappearance of anyone resembling the stereotypical “used car salesman” on the lot and the “grease monkey” in the service department.

Vehicle purchasers are using the Internet to research vehicle pricing, options, availability and performance to a much higher degree than in the past. One of the most successful sales draws to the dealership of today is its Web site. This Web site must be visually striking in its presentation, and must be recognized by dealership customers as a comprehensive and reliable source of information. When the customer of today arrives at the dealership, they no longer rely on the salesperson they meet to educate them on which vehicle to purchase, but more to educate them on which options to purchase and which options are available. Sales training on vehicle features and options has become almost completely computer based. However, the training of sales personnel in the art of selling still continues to need the one-on-one training with the experienced sales personnel at the dealerships. Dealerships not recognizing the absolute necessity of having a well-trained and professional sales force to deal with today’s highly knowledgeable customer are fi nding themselves severely lacking sales, or in some cases, no longer in business.

The interest expense for the fi nancing fl oor plans has signifi cantly become more of a burden to dealerships, thus requiring managers to keep a more watchful eye on vehicle inventory levels. Auto manufacturers have recognized this and have put into place much more researched and refi ned vehicle allocation programs for dealers.

For example, manufacturers have increased

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Embracing Change for the Survival of Your Dealership

the availability to dealers of fl oor plan programs with no interest terms for short periods of time. Dealerships looking for additional means to reduce their fl oor plan interest expense are fi nding it more necessary to maintain and/or expand strategic lines of communications with other local dealers, as dealer trade programs have become more benefi cial to aid dealerships in keeping appropriate inventory levels.

Working with other dealers is more critical now than it has ever been in the past. To aid with this communication, auto manufacturers have increased availability to dealerships of informational databases refl ecting current locations of vehicles with specifi c options.

Parts Departments have benefi ted tremendously over the past decade. The need to carry large levels of parts inventory has been dramatically reduced due to the shift from the ordering and receiving parts from weekly to daily processes. Some manufacturers now provide access to parts databases so that dealerships can determine the location of parts at other dealerships without having to call around and search for them. Through changes in their internal systems, the auto manufacturers have improved their ability to fi ll dealer parts orders. Dealerships service and parts departments have benefi ted fi nancially and with increases in customer satisfaction levels from the improvements in manufacturers’ fi ll rates on their parts orders.

The employees working on cars in the service department used to be called “mechanics.” Nowadays, these “mechanics” are referred to as “service technicians.” These service technicians use digital tools as often as they use the tools from within their Snap On and Mac toolboxes. The availability and use of digital diagnostic equipment, digital maintenance manuals, and manufacturer online diagnostic systems to the service

departments has provided increases in productivity to all who properly use them.

Although repairs have not become easier, the time required to complete service orders has been reduced due to the new diagnostic and online tools used by service departments. These increases in productivity must be accompanied by the required level of sales in the service department to provide the dealership required profi ts. To acquire these sales dealerships have needed to more aggressively let their communities know the quality and price competitiveness of their services. When looking at the Web sites of successful dealerships, it is not uncommon to see the parts and service departments having the same amount of promotion as the new and used vehicle sales departments.

Change is not necessarily a bad thing. Auto manufacturers and many dealerships have made investments into change over the past decade. At some dealerships, there were investments made into change that did not provide these benefi ts. But for the most part, those dealerships that were more supportive of the implementation and continued utilization of these new practices, procedures and equipment were the ones who were more likely to benefi t. The Greek philosopher Aristotle based many of his thoughts entirely on the idea that everything that moves or changes is caused to move or change by some other thing. It seems quite evident that the vast majority of the changes in the operations of auto dealerships were predominantly driven by the desires of consumers. In a world where the auto consumer’s knowledge and purchasing practices are constantly changing, can a dealership afford not to embrace change?

Paul Rauseo is managing director of the George S. May International Company. He can be contacted at866.740.6054, or by e-mail [email protected].

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Happy New Year:Big Breakthroughs or ‘Same Old Same Old’

By now the champagne and

glasses are all put away and chances are good that most people who set resolutions have already broken them, if not forgotten them altogether.How about you?Happy New Year?Or Same Old YOU?

Why is it that, year after year, December seems to bring this refl ection of times past or how fast another year has fl own by and the realization that you haven’t done what you would have liked, or how you thought you would be farther along, or some other wistful thinking?

And then comes January.The New Year, all things new again, this year’s gonna be different or better or bigger… And then, BOOM! You’re 30 days

into the same-old same-old and nothing much has changed, or will, if YOU DON’T CHANGE FIRST.

Busy?Of course you are. That’s the No. 1 reason people give for why they don’t do what they know they should do or what they wish they could do or what they tell others they really want to do. “I’m just too busy.”

Then here’s the cold, hard, truth my friend: You’re FIRED!

Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually the marketplace will give you the pink slip.You can be an owner or worker or salesperson or (fi ll in the blank), but it is coming.

Busy is BORING. Busy is a cop-out. It’s not the badge of honor some try to make it out to be. It’s an excuse that’s gotten common

and old, and what’s worse — it’s a THIEF.It robs you of your time, greater profi ts, better ideas, recreation, family vacations and more, all in the name of work.

What to do? Glad you asked.

I recently sat with a savvy young entrepreneur who played professional sports for more than 14 seasons. I won’t reveal his name here, because that’s not important to the story and if I told you it might distract you from the real lesson (while you’re thinking about how that Michael York guy is always hanging out with big-name celebs, etc.).

He told me that when he was in the NHL, he worked as hard as he could go for two hours and was paid very well as a professional athlete. When he started his business, he was looking for the same thing. How he could work “full out” for a few hours a day and be paid by his business as a professional athlete (i.e. BIG MONEY).

And that’s what he has created: a SYSTEMATIC way to profi t from his business whether he shows up or not. He has a “bricks and mortar” business that is managed by someone who loves doing it, is very good at it, and is there during business hours, so my friend doesn’t have to be. He also has an online business that brings in systematic profi ts all hours of the day or night.

In the meantime, he focuses on GROWING and implementing new marketing or new ideas for his business.

Pretty impressive you say? Very. But of course it can’t work for you and what you do, right? Or it won’t work in your town or city because…

It will work if it’s really important to you to make it work. Busy work will never be compensated at the same rate as SYSTEMATIC results.

Henry Ford knew it. McDonalds knows it. eBay banks on it. Trump is busier than anyone I know, but not doing BUSY WORK! He has projects and “business interests” and business systems around the world that all work in his absence.3

6


IMN Loyalty Driver™ is a turnkey e-marketing service that drivesinterest, sales and customer loyalty. Customized, trackable emailcommunications provide tangible results for dealerships acrossthe country. A couple of examples:

• 15 test drives scheduled within the first hour after anIMN Loyalty Driver e-newsletter was sent.

• 90 phone calls in a month as a direct result of one IMNLoyalty Driver e-newsletter.

Looking for results like these? Call 866.964.6397, ext. 214 or email [email protected].

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to2.5

times its normal rate.”

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What’s your system, and who is the individual at your place thinking daily about new opportunities or new ideas that you and your business can capitalize on?

Why not YOU?

The short answer is that most people are prisoners of “busy work” and worried about lots of STUFF that consumes their time, thoughts, and energy.

What are you worried about? What’s got you concerned in the marketplace today? The Economy? The stock market? How to get more customers or make more money? Here are four things that SHOULD have you concerned:

1. Being UN-inspired about your life or work. Individuals want and NEED to be inspired. How do you get yours? From watching the NEWS? That’s uplifting, right? Read, listen, write, watch some inspiring story from the movies or the History Channel. We all need to be stirred from time to time. And the top performers do it DAILY.

2. Being BORING with your message or your marketing or your way of doing business — being just like everyone else. One of Tom Peters’ rants with a live audience of CEOs produced a provoked response from one of his targets who yelled out “we’re no worse than anyone else!” Which, of course, means you’re no better, and that means blending in or going unnoticed by the marketplace. If everyone else does what you do, why do we need YOU?

3. Being Without Ideas. Self explanatory. Same as being BORING and uninspired. Also leads to you being BORED. Could also be called JUST NOT THINKING. One of my favorite quotes, “Readers are plentiful, THINKERS are rare.” Think…and grow rich!

4. Being Without TIME to do the things that really matter. If your day is just a series of interruptions and distractions, try BLOCKING TIME for important things. When you’re isolated or unreachable, see what you can accomplish.

5. Being Without a Coach/Mentor/Mastermind. The best and those aspiring to become the best ALL HAVE A COACH! I don’t need to list all the examples here. If you can’t come up with enough examples of the best in sports, and movies, and business, and why mentors and coaches are CRITICAL, you wouldn’t get it even if someone tried

to explain it. From Tiger Woods, to Donald Trump’s apprentice phenomenon, to Napoleon Hill’s “Think…and Grow Rich” Mastermind clue to big success. If you’re all alone in being inspired, being remarkable at something, getting new ideas, and enjoying life along the way, FIND A COACH OR MENTOR OR JOIN A MASTERMIND group and see what can happen as a result.

It’s a new year. Why not choose now for a new way to get new results that lead to a NEW YOU?

If you want some inspiring new ideas in these

areas for your NEW YEAR, e-mail me for my short list on BIG BREAKTHROUGHS. Or join me for a FREE TELESEMINAR on BIG BREAKTHROUGHS coming in February. For more information and to reserve your place on the call, go to www.BetterDealers.com.

Michael York is an author and professional speaker. He can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected], or visit www.MichaelYork.com.

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KeithLatman

marketing

solu

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MS

How to Get YourE-Mails Delivered, Part 1U n d e l i v e r a b l e e-mails, e-mail

“bouncebacks” (or “bounces,” for short) are becoming more and more of a challenge for e-mail marketers these days.

According to a recent Association for Interactive Marketing (AIM) survey, 77 percent of respondents had bounce rates up to 10 percent, and 23 percent had rates greater than 10 percent.

Why should you be concerned? Because customer acquisition is expensive, and e-mail bouncebacks could mean the loss of customers and prospects that you paid dearly to acquire.

First, lets defi ne some terms:• A “Bounce” is where the proverbial

rubber meets the e-mail. This happens when a recipient’s mail server rejects your e-mail message.

• A “Soft Bounce” is often a temporary problem. It happens when the mail server confi rms the recipient’s e-mail address, but even so, cannot deliver the message. The recipient’s mailbox may be full or inactive, the recipient’s mail server may be temporarily down or the connection may have been broken.

• A “Hard Bounce” is a message that’s permanently undeliverable because the address is non-existent or invalid, or because the recipient’s mail server is blocking your mail server.

E-Mail Address ChurnWhy so many bounces and what can you do about them? People change ISPs, jobs and e-mail addresses at random. Often you’ll be the last to know. Some e-mail address churn is normal, but the erosion of your house list can make a seriously negative impact on your bottom line.

What Can You Do? Check with sales, support or someone on

the front line in your company, and follow up by phone or by snail mail to recapture valuable customers and prospects.

In addition to your “unsubscribe” or “edit interests” link in your e-mail, consider adding a note saying, “If you plan to change e-mail addresses, or if you prefer to receive this newsletter at another address, please e-mail us.”

Remember, it is seven times less expensive to market to an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one. The effort will be well worth your time.

The Use of Free E-Mail AccountsMany people who use free e-mail accounts do so as a secondary mailbox. As a result, they do not check their mailbox often. Free e-mail accounts, and some paid accounts, can hold only a limited amount of e-mail, so many times newsletters and advertising e-mail will bounce back as undeliverable.

What Can You Do? You can try the same techniques as above and, assuming you have the recipient’s permission, you could use snail mail to obtain their new e-mail address. Try sending a postcard asking them to revisit your site to update their profi le. The postcard should include a URL leading to the “profi le update” area of your site.

Spam Filters and BlockingISPs and corporations are paying close attention to incoming e-mail in the effort to block spam, or unsolicited e-mail. Anti-spam fi lters scan e-mail from and subject lines as well as e-mail body copy for certain language. They can also detect mailing patterns, frequency and volume.

Your legitimate, permission-based e-mail could be bounced back to you by a spam fi lter, or your mail server might be fl agged as a potential spam source. In either case, your messages won’t make it through.

What Can You Do? Use an e-mail marketing service with a strong permission policy and an active anti-blocking team. Don’t go it alone. Solid e-mail marketing companies develop relationships with ISPs to be sure their customers’ permission-based e-mail gets through. A good e-mail marketing service gets more attention than you could ever get on your own.

Ask your readers to help. If your e-mail is being blocked at a particular company or ISP, ask devoted customers/readers to contact their postmaster and request to have your e-mail “un-blocked.”

And Then?• Analyze your bouncebacks You should be using an e-mail

marketing service that categorizes bouncebacks and provides detailed reports that allow you to view and manage bounced e-mail addresses. Take the time to analyze your bouncebacks and remove hard bounces from your list. It should also be easy to correct obvious typos in your list (e.g. “.con” instead of “.com”).

• Monitor your “reply to:” address Many recipients are fearful of using

the unsubscribe function as it has been used by spammers to verify an address, rather than as a legitimate unsubscribe function. So, be alert to unsubscribe requests coming to your “reply to:” address and permanently remove those e-mail addresses right away.

Finally, pay attention to e-mail address change requests coming to your “reply to:” address and honor those in a timely manner as well.

Keith Latman is the chief executive offi ce at iMagicLab. He can be contacted at 866.657.4445, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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Promote Yourself Effectively and Create

More Opportunities

40


Self-promotion, when done effectively, can be one of your best marketing tools to promote your business. It’s EASY to successfully promote yourself, once you learn the science and the art behind effective

self-promotion. In fact, when you promote yourself over and over again, you will begin to enjoy it more, and it will reward you many times over with increased business opportunities.

After writing my book Confessions of Shameless Self Promoters, I started speaking on the topic of self-promotion and what I discovered from my audiences was shocking. I learned that an average of 87 percent of the hundreds of sales professionals I’ve presented in front of did NOT feel comfortable promoting themselves and avoided it MOST of the time.

In the automotive industry you understand that if you don’t promote and market you can’t be successful. Right? No matter how great your service is or what amazing value you offer your clients, if prospects don’t know about you, you’re not going to win the opportunity to do business with them.

Therefore, if you don’t promote yourself, it goes against the grain of all sales and marketing success. Right?

But why do so many sales professionals still feel so uncomfortable with self-promotion? Because, much of what they believe to be true about self-promotion comes from past programming that dates all the way back to their childhood, just like most people. When you grew up, you may have heard comments like, “It’s not polite to talk about yourself. It will come across as pushy or rude.”

Too many of us have 10, 20, 30 or more years of negative and/or limited beliefs rattling around in our heads about the concept of self-promotion. These limiting and negative beliefs have been programmed into our subconscious minds for years.

What were your parents, teachers or guardians like when you were growing up? Did they believe in promoting themselves?

Did they promote your self-esteem to believe that you could do anything you set your mind to? Were they risk-takers, or were they conservative?

We usually hate to admit it, but we are all creatures of habit, especially when habits have been programmed into our brains since childhood.

Some people are so conditioned against self-promotion they are closed minded about it; no matter how much it might benefi t them. Now, I don’t expect you to change your belief over night, but you can start by opening your mind to believing differently about self-promotion from this day forward.

Why believe differently? Because you can’t be truly successful if you aren’t willing to let people know that you, your services and your company exist? If you aren’t willing to promote your expertise, knowledge and service, others will quickly pass you by.

Five Ways to EffectivelyPromote YOU1. Join a Toastmasters club and learn how to hone your professional speaking skills.2. Get out more. Attend a couple of new networking clubs to meet more people.3. Build stronger business alliances with complimentary companies and promote one another.4. Contact the media in your area and share your expertise on the radio or local TV station. 5. Write articles for online and offl ine publications to promote your expertise and your Web site.

The world is not going to beat a path to your door unless you pave the way. And resenting self-promotion is one of the greatest obstacles to success. So get out there and start promoting yourself today.

Debbie Allen is an author and professional speaker. She can be contacted at 866.467.4104, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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JesseBiter

leadership

solu

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LS

Caring inthe Workplace

Faith has always been an integral part

of the American way of life. Unfortunately, our society has grown more secular over the years and there is a growing contingent of the population in which faith is no longer a priority. This trend creates a void which yields

a unique set of challenges that can wreak havoc on your top line and your bottom line.

In today’s fast-paced information age, personal and emotional issues are taking a back seat to meetings, deadlines and hectic business agendas. This emotional baggage does not

vanish because you are sitting at a conference table instead of your kitchen table. Since most people spend the bulk of their waking hours on the job, it makes practical business sense to care for the personal needs of employees in the workplace. One way to care for your top line is through a corporate chaplain program.

“The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace.”Psalm 29:11

Chaplain ranks continue to grow as studies show that approximately 15 percent of the workforce is likely to be faced with personal problems that can signifi cantly hinder job performance. This includes marital or family problems, substance abuse, job stress, fi nancial or legal woes, bereavement and many other diffi culties. Most managers are ill-equipped to help employees who are troubled by such deeply personal issues. As a result, productivity can suffer and the employee may be faced with yet another crisis — job loss.

Chaplains are trained professionals committed to reducing employee stress, helping employees deal with family issues, easing confl ict in the workplace, and focus on helping enrich the lives of employees so they don’t have to face diffi cult times alone. Chaplains can be instrumental in dealing with personnel issues, which can be useful to HR managers, executives and business owners.

Chaplain programs are rooted in Christian principles but are typically non-denominational. The chaplain will informally meet with employees on a regular basis. There is never a requirement to talk and no subject is off limits. Matters of faith are only engaged when an employee requests to move in that direction. All conversations are held in the strictest confi dence and chaplains are oftentimes available to help employees around the clock.

“‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”Mark 12:31

Though not quite as commonplace as medical and retirement plans, the corporate chaplain program is an increasingly popular employee benefi t. Employees will continue to bring their problems to work. Caring employers now have a means in which to help.

Jesse Biter is the president and CEO of HomeNet, Inc. He can be contacted at 866.239.4049, or by e-mail [email protected].

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MichaelNealy

marketing

solu

tion

MS

New Beginningsin 2008

2007 was the Year of Perfecting — getting

your dealerships in order and making sure all your systems were running well and profi table. 2008 is the Year of New Beginnings. What will you begin in 2008 that will pay dividends for the next seven years? What is your strategy to let all of your customers know what they can expect from your dealerships in 2008?

In today’s tight market, it is more important than ever to make your dealership “stand out” and get qualifi ed buyers in the door. All dealerships — domestic and import — will be aggressively pursuing a smaller group of buyers. In 2008, make a resolution to become extraordinary through online advertising and cross media campaigns.

One of your “New Beginnings” must be your Web site. Cookie cutter dealership Web sites don’t grab the attention of prospective buyers. Spice it up. Create a new look and feel for your online customers. Place banner ads, invest in Google AdWords, add Real Video Spokespeople — use the latest tools of the Internet to increase your dealership presence on the Web and bring potential clients back to your site. Remember, too, that all of your traditional media must include your online address.

First, engage consumers with real video spokespeople to pitch why your dealership is the best. Utilizing online spokespeople establishes a personal connection between you and the buyer. Video spokespeople increase the time spent on your Web site and increases the monthly number of hits. You only have 7 to 10 seconds to capture a prospects attention — make sure your message is dynamic, compelling and delivered by your choice of spokesperson. Secondly, make sure your message includes a Call to Action. The average person decides in less than 10 seconds if they like your Web site and are going to give you the information you are requesting. In 10 seconds, you can captivate your audience and direct them to online fi nancing applications and your inventory. You can also show them a Web site that never changes or looks just like your competitor’s site. We know more than 40 percent of potential customers search online before setting foot in a dealership; will the prospect fi nd what they need on your site?

One last word on New Beginnings: Most beginnings are useless if there is not follow-through. Don’t make the mistake of driving lots of traffi c through your Web site and then not have your sales team connect with these customers. Put an accountability system in place to insure all leads are contacted

immediately. 2008 will be great for those who embrace New Beginnings. Are you ready?

Michael Nealy is the president at Big Ideas Direct. He can be contacted at866.492.9373, or by e-mail [email protected].

44


DavidThomas

sale

s&tr

ain

ing

solu

tion

STS

PROVIDENCE, RI,NOVEMBER 26, 2007

– Finally the introduction of an automotive sales follow-up tool, designedby a car-guy with other car-people in mind. It is the CRM system that is simple, inexpensive and intuitive.

Auto RaptorTM is a revolutionary, new CRM-fi nancial web-based sales solution developed exclusively for the automotive industry. It is designed for the end user and created for one reason . . . to boost sales

For over 40 years Howard Leavitt has established a rep-utation as one of the brightest and most accomplished retail managers on the U.S. automotive scene. Now, Leavitt has leveraged his automotive expertise, along with his computer wizardry, into personally designing and developing Auto RaptorTM. It is the perfect show-room tool that eclipses the clumsy, complex, and micro-nightmarish CRM systems with which car dealerships are universally struggling. Dealers had been paying thousands of dollars for CRM systems that are long on wishful thinking but short on results. Not any longer.

Leavitt, who runs multiple stores in the New Englandregion stated: “For the last 25 years I have been frustrat-ed by the sales solutions that the DMS systems provide.

In the 1980s and 1990s I developed my own desktop programs to calculate lease payments and track custom-er’s information. These simple programs evolved into today’s Auto RaptorTM product. It is a web-based sales solution that combines the best of customer follow-up with the deal fi nance numbers included.”

Howard Leavitt indicates that most every automotiveexecutive realizes the need for some kind of sales fol-low-up system to stay in touch with their present cus-tomers and to systematically track new prospects. They know their competition does it; they know the manufac-turers are requiring it. “CRM” is the buzzword and ev-ery automotive magazine and every consultant will sing the praises of systems that end up being over the top in price and hype and too complex for managers actually to expect their sales staff to master. The run-of-the-mill CRM systems become that piece of exercise equipment transformed into a coat rack. Good intentions, wasted time and money, and no results. Auto RaptorTM changes all that.

“My innovative product transforms CRM from a cli-che to a reality, it combines follow-up with fi nance, and it offers a common sense solution to an age-old problem,” said Leavitt. “We all know the wisdom of marketing to the customers you know rather than throwing advertising dollars against the wall and hoping something sticks. Auto RaptorTM closes thegap between that passive strategy & proactive results.

It is what separates Auto RaptorTM from the rest.” How-ard Leavitt hopes that dealers who are about to purchase an expensive CRM system from a DMS provider will stop and think of the consequences.

“Traditional CRM’s from the DMS heavyweights are designed to collect data—not to sell cars,” said Leavitt. “Your showroom fl oor is about sales—not data entry.” Auto RaptorTM understands your business. It is the sales tool that actually ‘gets it.’

By using today’s technology, Auto RaptorTM allowsthe dealer to increase the speed and accuracy of quotes and store the calculation along with customer data. Quick retrieval of a customers quote, with strong follow up, will increase a dealer’s closing. Auto RaptorTM, is the easier, more accurate way to seal the deal, faster. Not only will it collect data, it lets a dealer load rate residuals and inventory. They can calculate cash, loan, and leas-ing information within the CRM application. No other product does that.

Auto RaptorTM is the cost-effective program for dealers looking for faster desk time on all their deals. It will help a dealer desk the deal faster.

Dealers can fi nd out more information by contacting Howard Leavitt • [email protected]

1-800-421-6533They can also visit the website at www.autoraptor.com

“YOUR SHOWROOM FLOOR IS ABOUT SALES—NOT DATA ENTRY.”A CRM DESK TOOL THAT WILL REVOLUTIONIZE THE AUTO INDUSTRY.

After buying an under-performing store

in West Texas, my fi nancial partner asked me what had been my biggest challenge. I quickly said, “Complacency.” When he asked me about my biggest opportunity, I said, “Complacency.”

After closing on the dealership, I realized that I was in a fairly complacent environment. If someone sold fi ve or six cars per month, they were happy. They made enough to pay the rent, car payment and cable. Where I came from, six deals per month would barely cover half of my expenses. I had to sell 15 to 20 vehicles each month to enjoy a nice standard of living and sack some savings away. My biggest challenge was to seek and hire great sales associates who weren’t satisfi ed with only six deals a month. I needed associates that had to make more money and, more importantly, wanted to. It took seven months, but I fi nally had a team that needed

and wanted to make money. Money is not everything, but it sure helps to give you and your family a more comfortable lifestyle.

Consider the following when you are looking to hire a motivated team:

• Do they need to make money to support a family or lifestyle?

• Do they really want to make money and have the burning desire to improve their standard of living?

• Do they walk fast? (If they move slow, they sell slow.)

• Are they enjoyable to be around?• Would you invite them to your home?

After we had established our team of motivated individuals that wanted to prospect and wanted to reach new heights, our attitudes and profi ts naturally went up. We now have a huge edge over our complacent competition that still hires fi ve-car-a-month performers. I want to hire someone that says, “I need to

make money.” Being great at what you do pays better and, more importantly, gives you a better attitude about life and family.

If you are “existing” in a complacent environment, make a shift to raise the bar. Whether you are a sales person or an owner, step up to the next level, and get the fi re started.

Post the following motivations on your refrigerator door:

• Sell fi ve more this month.• Prospect every morning.• Ask for referrals.• Let everyone know what you do.• Know your product.

David Thomas is the owner of Subaru of Dallas. He can be contacted at 866.429.6803, or by e-mail [email protected].

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I can prove to you exactly how it is doing what I am telling you right now at current dealerships.

You can speak directly to the dealers and see for yourself.

The results have been mind blowing!

Here’s the DealEveryday you feel the pain of losing cus-tomers and watching money walk out the door because you can’t get the customer approved.

Imagine getting a minimum of three of every 10 of those deals to be buyable.What would that do to your sales, gross profi t and bottom line?

• Our dealers are experiencing an aver-age of $4,300 gross profi t per copy on these deals that are getting approved that were once turned down. On just 10 deals that’s an extra $43,000 Gross profi t!• Deliver more new and used vehicles

monthly — guaranteed• Stop paying outrageous fees to special fi nancing companies• Increase your gross profi ts• Turn “eventual customers” into deliveries TODAY• Tie the customer to you...to the extent they MUST purchase from you• Reduce staff frustration and manager “pre-qualifying”

• Motivate lenders for faster and deeper approvals• Develop tremendous customer loyalty and customer referrals

Would you agree that the single greatest challenge you face today in order to maxi-mize every sales opportunity and your gross profi t is your customers’ credit and their credit scores?

What impact would you see in your opera-tion if your customers could legally have their credit scores increased by 50,100, even as much as 250 points with your credit reporting agencies — all according to Federal Law and with a money back guarantee?

How much would it be worth if 30% to 50% of your “turned down” credit applica-tions became vehicle sales from YOUR dealership?

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“I Will Guarantee You That I Can Make 3 Out of Every 10 of Your Credit Turn Downs Buyable”

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Bonus! Call and schedule your 15 minute, Free, no obligation presentation for your dealership by February 21 and you will receive my Tewart Distance Learning program for FREE for 30 days.*

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See my article on page 23

KarenUriarte

46


Women Rocksale

s&tr

ain

ing

solu

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STS

As a woman working in the car business,

I’d like to paraphrase Charles Dickens from his “A Tale of Two Cities” that “these are the best of times; these are the worst of times.”

It is the best of times because women in America are empowered like they have never been before. They control most of the purchasing power in this country, are an economic force in the workplace and, for the fi rst time in history, we have a viable candidate for President of the United States. It is the worst of times, as most dealers still do not understand the value of female sales personnel in their stores and many men selling cars lack the sales skills, attitude and focus to build a relationship of mutual trust with their women customers.

If you doubt my words or the power that women yield, then try this simple test: Ask a married male associate if they would ever buy a sofa, dining or bedroom set of furniture without the involvement and/or approval of their wives. I can assure you the majority will tell you there would be dire consequences if they ever made that purchase without their spouse’s input. Then ask those same men if they have ever empowered their wives to make those purchases without their input? Hmmm. Starting to see a pattern.

Now let’s turn to cars, vans and trucks. The exact numbers vary, but most sources indicate that women directly or indirectly infl uence over 75 percent of vehicle purchases. In many cases, they have total authority to buy the vehicle on their own. In the rest of the transactions they might not have full authority to say “yes,” but they do have the authority to say “no.” When you are working with couples in the showroom, you will rarely go wrong in assuming the woman will be the fi nal decision maker. This doesn’t mean ignore the husband or boyfriend, but pay close attention to tone, body language and questions asked by the female prospects. Be sure to make eye contact with the woman while you are talking with the couple.

The good news is there are resources to help dealers and sales people focus on serving their female clients. AskPatty.com is a Web site that works with dealerships to help train and certify them for working with women. The services are extensive and there is a signifi cant expenditure up front, but if you are serious about the market you should

check out their program. Their Web site also provides shopping tips for women and other services, too.

CarTango.com is a site that touts its female-friendly program. At this point the design, colors and icons are cute and there is the dancing/tango metaphors, but as time goes on I am sure they will build more functionality to appeal to women buyers and dealer participants.

At the very least you should make a point to have a section of your Web site that has a “Ladies Only” or “Women Shoppers” button. Take a look at these two Web sites:

• www.duvalhonda.com• www.nelsonmazdaok.com

Both of those sites have links off of the home page and back page content solely focused for the female shopper / buyer. I suggest that you let people know the following:

• Your dealership is cognizant of the fact that women are important

• You respect and value their business• You are dedicated to doing business

the way they want• That you have women employees…

sales, service, management etc…

Utilize technology to assist you. Last month’s Internet Sales 20 Group column by Sean V. Bradley highlighted a great product called Flip Video Camera. With this camera you can easily take a lot of video, and, with its integrated YouTube software, have it live on online in minutes. Try to imagine how much more powerful your Web site would be if you had video testimonials of happy female shoppers/buyers. Or, take the examples I gave in this article of Duval Honda or Nelson Mazda: They are doing a great job, but try to imagine on their “Ladies Only” back pages if there was video biographies — that would make an already-powerful back page even more powerful. Once you have created these videos and they are on YouTube, you can cut the URL of that video and paste it into your e-mail templates. You can now utilize video e-mail capabilities, custom video responses, video auto-responders, video bios, video testimonials, video “why us,” etc.…

Dealerships and sales personnel should also explore social networking sites that women frequent. Most women look to their friends, co-workers and family for advice about buying cars, so word of mouth is a very important. After you have successfully sold

a vehicle to a female customer, be sure to ask for the names, e-mails, and phone numbers of her friends. Then give her a week or two to contact her friends to let them know about her purchase and give them a heads up that you will be contacting them to introduce yourself and offer your services when they are ready to buy. Remember to be polite, helpful and consultative. Do not go for the close on these calls or e-mails.

We all know about MySpace.com and Facebook.com as the “big dogs” of social networking, but I view these sites as a great place for teens and college kids to surf. They offer minimal business opportunities and are not designed for promoting yourself or prospecting for customers.

I have been watching the development of a new site called CarFolks.com, which is being built as a community whose primary purpose is to help sales personnel and dealerships build relationships with consumers (prospects). This is a fantastic concept. Many dealers I speak with are frustrated that online sales has come to mean just posting your inventory at a low price on the Web. When you start the conversation with “price, price, price,” it makes it diffi cult to talk about other things. CarFolks.com will be offering sales people a free page on the site to promote themselves. They can talk about their experience in the industry, their background, ties to the community, their families, or whatever they believe might be important to a prospect. Then the sales people invite their customers to come to the site and rate them. Each dealership and/or sales person can be rated by the public for the world to see. Consumers coming to the site after launch can search for a salesperson and a dealership, not for inventory.

I invite your dealership to develop an audit of your processes as it relates to selling to women. See what your real attitude is in the dealership towards this powerful market segment.

If you have any questions or you would like some help in trying to create a female-friendly environment at your dealership, please feel free to call me.

Karen Uriarte is the vice president of business development for Dealer Synergy. She can be contacted at 866.698.8719, or by e-mail [email protected].

48


RalphPaglia

marketing

solu

tion

MS

I would like to start this article by

proposing that the Internet be considered as an environment, rather than a communications and advertising medium. Think of it this way: If you advertise on the radio, then people have to listen to a radio station to hear your spot. If you advertise on TV, then prospects must be watching TV in order for your dealership to receive an opportunity. This marketing conundrum situation is the same for newspapers, magazines and outdoor. With the Internet, we now have a place where over 75 percent of car buyers spend far too many hours of their time. A place where over 65 percent of new car buyers go to look for information that helps them decide what vehicle to buy, and where to get it.

Through my experiences in the automotive industry, I have worked for a very progressive old-school family-owned dealership that asked me to maximize their Internet-sourced sales opportunities. We experienced marked increases in Internet-generated leads as we implemented more and more Web-based properties. Within 16 months time, our Internet-based sales opportunities originating from Web sites controlled by the dealership had increased by 400 percent. All this activity was driven by a single-point Chevrolet dealership.

We worked diligently to improve both our Business Development Center (BDC) and Internet Sales Teams so that the store could better capitalize on the Internet sales opportunities being generated. Before long, the eBusiness Department hit their all-time peak with regard to appointments set by the BDC and sales results with more than 400 new and used vehicles sold by the Internet Sales Teams. Shortly thereafter, we increased the store’s Internet sales by more than 200 percent while increasing Interactive marketing expenses by 40 percent. Process

execution improvements contributed to about 30 percent of the sales increases, but marketing effi ciency improvements generated far more sales increases than our improved processes did.

Along the way, we have learned that having a single dealership Web site is the equivalent of having a single outdoor billboard and calling it a “campaign.” One dealership Web site is simply not adequate enough to support a true online marketing campaign. While growing into this highly effective lead generation “monster,” most of us did not intend to create a strategy that included a wide array of various Web sites, micro-sites and landing pages. It just became so apparent that multiple Web sites were more effi cient and cost effective at producing large volumes of high-quality exclusive leads than is possible with a single Web site. In some ways, this effect reminds me of using a multiple-choice closing technique. It is always more effective to ask, “Which one of these terms and payments better fi t into your budget?” than it is to show a single monthly payment to a car buyer and say “take it, or leave it.” Let me share with you an experience that illustrates how effective multiple Web sites can be from a purely fi nancial perspective.

With a long-standing and successful relationship with our CRM provider in place, we were approached by another Web site provider that told us we “had to purchase” a GM-approved Web site from them if we wanted to be a GM-Certifi ed Internet Dealer. It turns out that if we wanted a direct hyperlink from the dealer search results within the Chevrolet.com Web site to a dealership Web site, then that site had to be from a specifi c provider in order for GM to provide a link from either the GM or Chevrolet Web sites. When we asked about the cost, we got a range of answers, but ended up leveraging our contacts at GM to

compel the sales representative to sign us up for the minimum GM Web site package.

Despite the fact that we never had any desire or intent of buying a Web site from this provider, the site averaged about 20 leads each month and approximately 2 to 3 sales from those leads. This is certainly nothing to brag about for a large Chevy dealership, but from a fi nancial perspective, it does boil down to an average lead cost of less than $20 each and an average cost per vehicle retailed (PVR) of less than $200 each. Granted, the volume is nothing to write home about, but the concept of having more than one Web site intrigued us from a cost-effectiveness perspective. This successful Chevy store, along with other top-performing dealers, are capitalizing on the increased results of launching multiple Web sites and micro sites, each focused on specifi c topics and customer segments. This strategy of developing a portfolio of online properties has proven to be much more cost effective in selling cars than if those same dollars were redirected into buying leads or any other form of advertising. The bottom line is that creating and launching multiple Web sites targeted to specifi c customer segments, multiple micro sites that are hyper focused on specifi c models or parts of the buying process, and landing pages are all designed to achieve the highest conversion rates from clicks to phone calls and leads. All of them are a far more effective use of marketing dollars than that same old full-page ad in a newspaper, direct mail campaign or series of radio spots. Who’s going to fi gure it out fi rst: You or the dealer down the road?

Ralph Paglia is the director of digital marketing at ADP Dealer Services. He can be contacted at 866.883.9250, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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