Fort Lauderdale, FL – September 27, 2011 – AutoUSA Internet Sales Solutions (www.autousadealers.com) announced today the results of its 2011 auto dealer Internet marketing survey. The survey results reveal the economy is having a significant influence on customers’ abilities to buy cars, and that staffing issues continue to be a major concern for Internet Sales Managers. But, despite an uncertain economy, 72% of respondents do not plan to…

Certain technologies lend themselves really well to mobile application use. Consumers download millions of mobile apps related to gaming, weather, social networking, navigation, travel, restaurants and other forms of entertainment.

But when it comes to business, and dealerships in particular, the market for mobile apps is a little more uncertain. Not all business applications lend themselves well to mobile apps use. For instance, in our business we use a contact management software.…

Keep Them Coming Back

There are many ways to build trust with a potential customer and gain loyalty, especially when working with that customer for the first time.

One such bold suggestion was recently posed by Jim Kristoff on…

I learned in differential calculus, that problem solving is easier if your start with the solution and work back to the problem.  At first, this is an awkward testament to a person’s ability.  We do not often spend time going backwards in life.  In this case though, I found if I focus on the desired resolution, the pathway to resolving the problem becomes clear.

Once I…

(Part 2 – Find them)

In the first part of this 4 part blog, we reviewed how to “assess” what would be your “perfect Pre-owned inventory mix”.

Now that we know what vehicles we are looking for, the next step is “finding” them!

There are many…

(Part 1 – Assess them)

Pre-Owned vehicles are the life blood of any successful automotive dealership!

For some dealers, that don’t floor plan pre-owned vehicles, this is where a LOT of cash can be found!

So why is it that some dealers feel that the Pre-owned…

What is designed to be a way for users to let Google know when a business has been closed is, in some cases, being abused by local competitors.  Since it is so easy to mark a business closed in Google Places, some business are being tagged as closed when they aren't.  When enough people mark a business as closed, Google will review whether or not this is true, though their review process isn't public.

Google seems to be doing what they can to address the issue.  In the past,…

I know a lot of us use the Ning social media platform to run our automotive communities.  What impact do you think Glam's purchase will have on you?

Glam Media, a women-focused online content and advertising company, has acquired social network creator Ning, in a large advertising and online media tie-up. Financial terms were not…

Just When You Thought You'd Figured It Out...

I'm not going to lie, I had fun sharing the 7 Ways to Kill the Newsticker story and playing to the massive crowd of those of you who HATE the "NewFacebook". The truth is, I actually "Like" it. And while I knew we had only seen a glimpse of the…

Do you know the one thing that happens before 100% of the closes salespeople succeed at?  If you discover that secret, you'll see an increase in your own closing ratio, or in your ability to drive your sales staff to repeating successful months over and over.  The real beauty is, once you discover the secret, you have it.  It becomes yours to use any time you need it.

This powerful secret will also work to help you improve yourself, increase your skills and develop your team…

"Negotiation is the art of reaching agreement by trust while lying."  -- Keith Shetterly, 2011

Wow!  My friends have pointed out that I needed another article for "trust-eroding" words and phrases--spoken or written--that can kill sales, so here comes Part 2 of what is now a series.  What do I mean by…

I'm prepping for a big strategy meeting with a dealer group. So I decide to verify my hunch that there is big opportunity in training the call handlers for better Appointment Set, CSI, Retention and all that good stuff. I decide to listen to a bunch of calls from some of the top performing dealerships in the country, to help identify the skill differences and training opportunities.

Then it hit me......How could I have missed this for so long?? 

The…

Facebook has redesigned the news feed (again!) and officially launched a ticker in the right-hand side of the screen.

Users have been seeing both of these changes in beta test versions in recent weeks, but today they go live across the site.

While the news feed and ticker at first seem like duplicates of one another, the…

Want to make more sales or maybe just sound smarter?  Then learn which words make lots of people--from your peers, to your bosses, to your CUSTOMERS--cringe.  Spoken or written, these words lose you sales!

Irregardless.  It's a common word now that is most often misused as a synonym for…

About the 1st Automotive ZMOT Study

I've been profoundly impacted by a free book called "Winning the Zero Moment of Truth" by Jim Lecinski.  As a result of reading this book, I have created training materials, online workshops, and planning materials for car dealers on this…

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the death of the Internet Department and the birth of the digital dealer. I certainly agree with this in principle as the Internet and digital technology have essentially become part and parcel to most retail industries. However in car dealerships, at least, there are issues that can’t be glossed over or treated lightly. These are issues of implementation.…

Mark Zuckerberg and others announce revolutionary and supercool changes to Facebook.

According to Zuck in his introduction to the keynote:

• A record 500 million people used Facebook the same day. We’re connected now. The next era will be defined by the social apps that use these connections.
• PROFILE: The profile is the heart of the FB experience, and people invest a lot in their profile. The old 2004 profile: how you introduce…