How many ISM's get invited to the weekly Manager meeting

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Permalink Reply by Jay Austin on May 29, 2008 at 12:04pm

Are you saying that you would not like to be more involved with the other store managers?

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Permalink Reply by Ralph Paglia on May 25, 2008 at 10:36pm

Most of the dealers I work with, and certainly the stores I have worked for, require either the eBusiness Director or BDC Manager to attend weekly management meetings and supply activity and operating results reports. At several stores that have friday AM management team meetings, a major point of the meeting is to discuss the volume and nature of the appointments set up for the weekend as of COB Thursday.

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Permalink Reply by Jay Austin on May 29, 2008 at 12:05pm

I think this is the best process if a dealership wants to get to that next level.

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Permalink Reply by Ralph Paglia on May 26, 2008 at 7:47pm

Paul,

You should go visit dealerships that have their Internet Directors and/or BDC Managers attending weekly management team meetings. They tend to be the stores that have a higher respect for, and place a higher value on their Internet Sales and /or BDC operations. I find it difficult to accept the scenario you seem to seek where the ISM's are isolated from the rest of the sales department. The most progressive dealers, and the ones who are having the greatest success are those that have their Internet, BDC and CRM operations more fully integarted into their overall sales department functions and management. You seem to be suggesting that ISM should be kept seperate from the rest of the sales department and in most cases the most successful dealers have them MORE involved with overall sales management, rather than less!

Maybe you need to get out more often...

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Permalink Reply by Jay Austin on May 29, 2008 at 12:24pm

Formula for disaster is an advertsing rep who never sold a car makes way more than most ISM's and has the trust of your GM. You need to develope into a real ISM and know how Internet sales works at stores that have Internet directors, you may pick up a few tips on how to show your GM some of the things you do or don't do may be costing sales. Remember the consumers have access to the Internet and are very smart these days.

I do understand what you are saying about people who have no idea on how to run the Internet telling a seasoned vet how to do the job (makes me mad).

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Permalink Reply by Jay Austin on May 29, 2008 at 12:14pm

There is a thin line between micro manage and being on top of your game. Tiger Woods and Michael Jordon micro manage themselves all the way to the hall of fame. Forward thinking is one thing we need more of in this industry. Direction and development of the ISM is what we need also. The turnover rate for the ISM postion is out of control with the gun slinger attitude people. In the Army they train all of the time and keep people informed. The day of just putting people in the Internet department and just sink or swim is costing dealers a lot of money. All of your ROI reports will reflect this. And if you are not in the manager meeting you never see the reports.

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Permalink Reply by Ralph Paglia on June 1, 2008 at 9:00am

It is healthy and the right thing to have debates and arguments about important subjects... I respect everyone's right to disagree, but I know what I know and have been earning a living with digital marketing and managing dealerships for over 20 years. I know in my heart that isolating digital marketing activities and management from the rest of the sales department is a recipe for disaster and have seen the outcome at least a hundred times since I first starting posting digital liner ads on BBS's in 1986... Having Internet Sales Teams and Digital Marketing strategies that integrate and become part of the entire dealership's culture and operating systems results in a far more sustainable and lower turnover program than an isolated department that is dependant on one or two people, that if they leave collapses.

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Permalink Reply by Jay Austin on June 2, 2008 at 5:08pm

I like your reply you seem to have your finger on the pulse of the delership. I have seen other third party folks and OEM folks come up with ROI reports that shead a good light on them and the product that they sell and dealers pay mad money for them and scream they don't have money to pay a good Internet Manager. As for me, I was able to head things off when I got a seat at the table in the meetings and it helped me show how I could stop waste because they did not feel the need to communicate things to the ISM. Out of site out of mind.

Again, thank you for your feedback on this topic.

J

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Permalink Reply by Ralph Paglia on June 6, 2008 at 6:05pm

Ford and Lincoln Mercury Digital Advertising Program for Dealers:

An online enrollment form for Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers to participate in this program has been set up at: www.FLMDigital.com

Ford and Lincoln Mercury Dealers who would like to receive a proposal from the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Digital Advertising Program for Dealers can complete the online enrollment for an initial Search Engine Analysis at no charge to the dealer at: www.FLMDigital.com

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