How do you find a GOOD Internet Manager?

Replies to This ADM Discussion

Permalink Reply by Terry Holbrook on February 21, 2008 at 8:31am

One last thing. The GM told me the hardest thing he did every month was sign the check for the Fleet/Internet Director because it was always a lot more than his!

Not to many GM's would let that happen even if their check was larger because of it.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ralph Paglia on February 21, 2008 at 2:38pm

Yesterday I was privileged enough to be the invited speaker to a 20 Group Meeting in Phoenix that was organized by The Rikess Group consulting company. The topic they asked me to prepare and speak about was "How to Grow and Develop an Internet Sales or BDC Department" and what they wanted was an experienced perspective on how to recruit, hire, define roles and responsibilities in a way that grows a successful sales and marketing operation. I am uploading the PPT presentation file I used during the meeting.

Attachments:

• RikessGroupConference-02-20-2008_v1.ppt, 23 MB

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Philip Zelinger on February 25, 2008 at 8:14am

Thanks Ralph, I suppose it might be time for me to be blunt on this forum - PLEASE SEND ME ANY RESUME'S THAT WON'T STEAL ANYONE FROM A FELLOW FORUM MEMBER. I don't want to offend anyone or steal a manager from a friend but anyone else is fair game!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Terry Holbrook on February 25, 2008 at 8:30am

PRICELESS Philip PRICELESS!!!!!!!!

Maybe we need a section for posting jobs on this site? If we are sharing information that might be a good bit of info to share.

Philip, I got your Linked In message but I have been covered up. We had a new baby the day after NADA so don't give up on me :)

Terry

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Gould on February 26, 2008 at 12:10am

I think it would benefit the industry greatly if someone started a company dedicated to training internet managers for placement into dealerships. I know that many dealerships would be willing to pay a fee for this. How much is the question, but the demand is surely there. I think "old school" management would buy into this "internet thing" much easier if there was a turn-key solution that put proven methods and well trained managers to work right away in their dealership.

By the way, does anyone have any input on an industry average pay range for an experienced internet director/manager?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ralph Paglia on March 8, 2008 at 9:40pm

Finding high quality human resources has been one of the greatest challenges in automotive retail for quite a few years. Unfortunately, when we look at several factors in our national demographic trends, it looks like hiring good people is going to get more challenging in the short and mid-term time periods. I have managed and been involved in more recruiting and hiring campaigns for dealerships and dealer groups than I would ever want to detail, but there are several lessons learned about recruiting for Internet Sales Managers that I would like to share with the ADM Community. Here’s are a few of them:

1. From a strategic perspective. Dealers should approach and create Internet Sales Manager recruiting and hiring campaigns from a mind set similar to what would be used to create a successful Dealership Marketing and Advertising campaign to sell cars.

2. Prepare and document a complete Internet Sales Manager job description that includes a thorough list of very specific daily, weekly and monthly tasks, along with a detailed list of the actual performance metrics that will be used to evaluate the ISM’s job performance. The job description should include actual performance metrics that represent both the minimum levels of acceptable performance and a second level that represents what the dealer or GM would consider a “job well done”. Be realistic and set the minimums using realistic low end numbers that sustained performance by an ISM at or below those levels would result in termination. For the “job well done” metrics, I recommend using levels that represent a 25% improvement above current dealership averages for the most recent 12 month period.

3. Prepare and document a detailed compensation package including pay and bonus plan. Show examples of what the ISM’s total pay would be for a month using performance results that represent realistic expectations. I recommend compensation packages for ISM’s that include a base salary, volume incentives and profit based incentives that are based on total gross profits generated on sales without segregating front-end from back-end profits. I also recommend some monthly bonuses based on 2 key overall aspects of managing sales from Internet inquiries; the first would be a bonus for achieving above a specified percentage of leads converted to showroom visits, and the second would be based on going above a benchmark percentage of showroom visits converted into sales, regardless of unwinds or voids caused by financing related issues. The reason I like those 2 incentives is that there are far too many ISM’s that do not get the customer to come to the dealership unless they already have a deal at least tentatively agreed upon. This undermines the use of management skills and other assets that the dealership has in place to ensure that customers do not leave the dealership without every opportunity to put a deal together. The second incentive I like because it promotes converting pre-checks into spot deliveries and helps offset the tendency for ISM’s to pre-check deals that probably could have been spot delivered.

4. Use the job description as the basis for online listings of positions available. I have had my best success using web based job posting services such as Monster.com, CareerBuilders.com and Jobing.com. Especially in the Southwest USA, Jobing.com seems to be a very good place to post ISM help wanted listings.

5. Produce a recruiting video that can be used for all sales department related job postings online. When I worked at Courtesy Chevrolet in Phoenix, AZ we produced a sales department recruiting video using the same production company that did our TV commercials. We had them provide us with a WMV file format version of the video and we posted it on Jobing.com along with all our Sales Help Wanted job listings.

6. Create online Help Wanted Ads that do not use the word “sales” in their headlines or initial description paragraph. Instead, use terms like “Marketing”, “Customer Service” and “Consultant”. You will see that this will generate more resumes submitted in response to the listing and will get you interview opportunities with great people that may actually be highly effective in sales roles, but don’t respond to job listings for traditional car sales people. My favorite job title in these types of alternate listings is; “Automotive Internet Marketing Specialist”.

7. Try targeting and recruiting people from outside of a dealer’s local market and then working out a hiring package that allows the new hire to relocate to the dealership’s area. The level of commitment to the new job that a dealer gets when a new hire moves their residence in order to accept the new job is unquestionably greater than the local car guy that has worked for 3 dealerships in the area within the past year. Additionally, if a dealer already has an established Internet Sales Team, or is hiring more than one ISM, then taking on a mix of experienced automotive sales people with inexperienced people that have prior sales experience outside of automotive can work well.

Additional ideas to consider are targeting the hire of women into ISM positions and also considering the possibility of hiring Disabled Americans. I have seen ISM’s that do not have the use of their legs and work from a wheelchair do incredibly well. And, I have also seen dealerships get federal government reimbursement of 50% of the Disabled new hire’s pay for up to 6 months as part of a retraining program that provides assistance to companies that hire Disabled Americans into jobs that require extensive training and new skill sets. It is a good program and I have seen enough dealers access it that I do not believe it is overly burdensome to get the reimbursements paid. As far as recruiting women, the ISM position represents a great opportunity for dealers to attract and retain women into a sales position that is far more desirable to most women than standing on “the point” with the resident car dogs while waiting for the up to roll into the lot. Likewise, the prospect of being able to do some of the work required from home based offices with web access is a big draw, and if a dealer offers hours that are adjustable and not excessive they can often times attract women ISM candidates that are of a professional caliber far higher than what we normally see for typical showroom sales positions.

I once hired an experienced web marketing and customer service professional who had been highly successful working for Nordstrom’s Irvine, CA based Internet Sales Center. She was incredibly talented and generated lead-to-showroom conversion rates higher than anyone I have ever seen before. Her phone skills were off the charts and her professionalism and attention to details were phenomenal. I personally witnessed typical car shopping prospects willingly pay prices above those quoted by other dealers for the privilege of working with her. We lost her after about 9 months because she could never find a parking space when she showed up for work at the dealership and she was very uncomfortable walking several blocks in a downtown area at 9:00PM to get to the parking space she was forced to use because only managers were allowed to park onsite. In hindsight, I should have let her use my parking spot which was located on the dealership’s lot and part of the management perks provided by the dealer.

Which brings me to a point I would like to make… When you get the opportunity to use the unique characteristics of an Internet Sales Manager position as a means of hiring a professional who may not otherwise be willing to become a car salesman, be sure to monitor your organization and mitigate the inevitable but subtle tactics used by “old school” car guys to get rid of the inexperienced new hires, thus reducing competition for the next buyer that comes to the dealership, whether by driving in, calling or completing a form online. I have seen more hard work and money invested by dealers to recruit and hire talented people undermined by other sales people, or even managers who do not respect the efforts, skills or time it takes to manage a steady stream of incoming leads in a manner that eventually gets the customer to the dealership. However, what these “resisters” do not realize is that less and less people are coming to dealerships without some type of information and engagement provided to them by the dealership via online resources. It is up to the dealer and the General Manager to create an environment where highly intelligent and educated people can work in a sales position that requires multiple communication skill sets, while rewarding them for all aspects of their job when executed properly.

Ralph Paglia
Director - Digital Marketing | OEM & National Accounts
ADP Dealer Services
505.301.6369 Cell | Ralph_Paglia@ADP.com
SELL CARS PARTS AND SERVICE PROFITABLY™
Visit www.ADP-DM.info to learn about Digital Marketing
Visit www.ADP-CRM.info to see our CRM solutions
mobile email: rpaglia@gmail.com

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Philip Zelinger on June 19, 2008 at 5:07pm

Excellent advice, thanks!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jay Austin on June 20, 2008 at 6:27am

My view on the matter is this. The best way is to make a commitment to develop them. I read the other day that Tiger Woods has a swing coach. MLB teams have a hitting instructors. My company sees the value of development. If you think about it most big automotive groups have a e commerce director to develope ISM's. Hire a consultant and skip Career Builder.
Once you steal a person sometimes with some people they are never loyal to you.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Philip Zelinger on January 23, 2009 at 2:49pm

Hi Jay,

Just wanted to mention that I am going to NADA with a list of dealer cleints in need of good people and I am meeting some good people who have been "downsized" out of a position. Wish us luck and if you know of anyone needing a good ISM - or an ISM needing a good home - have the meet me/us at the Ritz on Saturday night in the lobby lounge at 5:30.

After all, what are friends for!

▶ Reply to This

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page