Automotive Digital Marketing Professional Community (ADM)
Serving Car Dealers, Internet Sales Managers, Marketing and Advertising Leaders
Have you been downsized out of a job or into a career! (Dealer version; outsourcing vs.paying employee benefits!)
As one door,(question), opens in ADM, three others,(answers), follow! Many forums have dealt with the value of processes vs. people and the impact of virtual showrooms on the people that grew up in real world dealerships. My position is clear; people first and processes second but the rub is in how the people are used - and paid - to run the processes that are implemented.
Now to the point of this forum as it differs from its predecessors.
The fact is that in this down market, and likely because of it, Ad Agency Online is booming because dealers faced with a challenging economy and a shrinking bottom line are forced to evaluate every expense and every process and that's what we do for a living. I may be wrong, but I think that 90% of the members of ADM are in the same boat on the same rising tide - but - some of us don't know it yet!
If you have the skills to manage and market a virtual showroom for your dealership you are in the right boat. If you are an Internet Manager that understands the new social networking personality that is maturing on the World Wide Web - you are in the right boat. If you are one of these modern day managers and you are "downsized" by an old world dealer or manager that thinks that they are "cutting expenses" without considering the true R.O.I. of a valuable & productive Internet savy employee -CONGRATULATIONS!
Your dealer just set you free to build your own boat because the dealers that know better are looking for someone to keep their heads above water! Sure, there is risk in opening your own consulting or application based business but there is reward to match. The risk was there when you were an employee too - it was called "You're Fired!" The reward was also there but it had a cap called "cost of sales" that would always establish your income ceiling with little regard for your floor.
If you are a succesful vendor or consultant how about sharing some "best practices" or at least lend some support to the next generation of new business owners that are being forced out of the boat and help them out of the water!
I for one am looking to add new offices with some new "partners" running their own independent automotive advertising / consultant agencies so if you are available - and you don't presently work for any of my auto dealer or vendor clients - then go to www.adagencyonline.net - click on "Full Service Automotive Advertising" - and then click on "Agency licensing opportunities" at rhe top of the page That, or go look for another job; but remember the old saying. One definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and to expect different results.
If you are a dealer that knows what he dosen't know and you are wise enough to look before you leap - try hiring one of the vendor/consultants that your competition just "downsized." One person's loss is another person's gain and the losses are out pacing the gains by two to one!
Outsource the solution to today's problem to a professional who will help you tweak your processes and people to provide a short term R.O.I. and a long term solution. If you need help finding the right vendor / consultant just look on ADM - there are over 1,250 of them!
Now to the point of this forum as it differs from its predecessors.
The fact is that in this down market, and likely because of it, Ad Agency Online is booming because dealers faced with a challenging economy and a shrinking bottom line are forced to evaluate every expense and every process and that's what we do for a living. I may be wrong, but I think that 90% of the members of ADM are in the same boat on the same rising tide - but - some of us don't know it yet!
If you have the skills to manage and market a virtual showroom for your dealership you are in the right boat. If you are an Internet Manager that understands the new social networking personality that is maturing on the World Wide Web - you are in the right boat. If you are one of these modern day managers and you are "downsized" by an old world dealer or manager that thinks that they are "cutting expenses" without considering the true R.O.I. of a valuable & productive Internet savy employee -CONGRATULATIONS!
Your dealer just set you free to build your own boat because the dealers that know better are looking for someone to keep their heads above water! Sure, there is risk in opening your own consulting or application based business but there is reward to match. The risk was there when you were an employee too - it was called "You're Fired!" The reward was also there but it had a cap called "cost of sales" that would always establish your income ceiling with little regard for your floor.
If you are a succesful vendor or consultant how about sharing some "best practices" or at least lend some support to the next generation of new business owners that are being forced out of the boat and help them out of the water!
I for one am looking to add new offices with some new "partners" running their own independent automotive advertising / consultant agencies so if you are available - and you don't presently work for any of my auto dealer or vendor clients - then go to www.adagencyonline.net - click on "Full Service Automotive Advertising" - and then click on "Agency licensing opportunities" at rhe top of the page That, or go look for another job; but remember the old saying. One definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and to expect different results.
If you are a dealer that knows what he dosen't know and you are wise enough to look before you leap - try hiring one of the vendor/consultants that your competition just "downsized." One person's loss is another person's gain and the losses are out pacing the gains by two to one!
Outsource the solution to today's problem to a professional who will help you tweak your processes and people to provide a short term R.O.I. and a long term solution. If you need help finding the right vendor / consultant just look on ADM - there are over 1,250 of them!
Replies to This ADM Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Meadows on -
Phillip,
AMEN to that! Just found out I was downsized again for the second time in a year from the same company. My shrink won't even talk to me anymore until I learn the definition of insanity!
Hope I get to work with some of the members on here in the near future. I'm always looking for good ideas.
Have a great weekend all!
Mike
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Permalink Reply by Philip Zelinger on -
Mike - CALL ME! I have many dealer and vendor clients that are "building assets" and people are the only true asset that I know of in the car business! No worries if you don't want to open an affiliated office with me - I am just as willing to play match maker. After all what are friends for! Besides, I will take credit for your success for my clients and we will both win. Of course If you screw up after I recommend you - I WILL HAVE YOU KILLED!
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Permalink Reply by Mike Meadows on
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Hey Phillip, Can I give you a call the beginning of the week? Definately want to explore things. Hope to talk to you on Monday.
Mike
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Permalink Reply by Philip Zelinger on
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Sure, ready when you are!
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Permalink Reply by Mike Meadows on
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I'm ready! Talk to you soon.
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Permalink Reply by Philip Zelinger on
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It looks like Ralph and a few others are on the same page as I was when I started this forum. Obviously, we all seem to agree that working for yourself, or at least for many dealers instead of one, is a more stable career goal than putting all of your eggs in one dealer's basket. Wether you send in your resume to Ralph, Joe or the next forum looking to attract profesionals focused on digital marketing it seems obvious that there are more opportunties with vendors/consultants than in the retail dealership arena - so pick one and go for it!
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Permalink Reply by Pauline Kirsch on -
Hi Phillip,
Actually my dealership thought they could do the work inhouse using one of the already overloaded employees.....NOT. So I became the outsource company that you speak of but it wasn't by choice.
Would I rather have benefits and insurance? Sure I would but on the other hand can I do what I was doing already but without the drama? You bet!
Besides I have benefits that those at the dealership only wish about!
Thanks Phillip for noticing us!
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Permalink Reply by Philip Zelinger on
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Thanks for the real world example of the opportunities being forced on those that were too entrenched in focusing on their employer's success to envision their own. If you have the knowledge and work ethic it takes to earn a paycheck for someone else - and then they fail you by not appreciating it - the problem is theirs and the solution is yours!
Good luck, or rather, congratulations on being "downsized".
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