This article was written by: Dennis Kane

I see an increasing trend from auto dealers: slip, trips and falls are on the rise, particularly in the service department.

This uptick can be attributed to some or all of the following factors:

• Dealerships are simply more hazardous than previously, either due to changing weather patterns or because attention to safety has waned,

• Dealerships are servicing a greater number of cars because more…

The sales process hasn’t changed, but the way customers shop for a car has.  Make sure your online sales process matches your on-lot sales process.

Your Online Meet and Greet

The sales process we all know and love starts with that initial handshake and introduction.  It establishes…

Kelley Blue Book Research Verifies That Both New and Used Vehicle Shoppers Respond to Actual Photos, Not Stock Photography on Dealer Web Sites

According to a new study conducted by…

If you haven’t already done so, it’s that time to review your 2012 performance in detail. In what areas did you fall short of your goals and why? Where could you have generated greater gains and how? Don’t allow January to slip by without these facts in writing and a discussion of how you can best move forward in 2013.

A common F&I pay plan in the automotive industry is known as the grid. It compensates managers based on their per vehicle retail performance and products sold…

This post struck me as a very succinct and thoughtful social media marketing mantra, so I thought I wanted to share it on ADM.  Use this mantra when planning and executing your social car dealer marketing programs.

Last month I wrote an article on ADM about a new announcement from Google that will give dealers who manage their own Adwords campaigns a big boost in relevant ad building tools.   (See…

In October, we facilitated a panel called “The Five Things in Common That Successful Internet Departments Share” at the 13^th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas. We were thrilled to have over 200 attendees and want to thank our panelists for doing a great job. We decided to share some tips from our panelists for the benefit of all who couldn’t make it to the conference in hopes that you’ll find it as helpful as the attendees did.

Our panelists…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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WILMINGTON, NC - NOVEMBER 20, 2012 - After careful evaluation, New York publishers John Wiley & Son have selected two of Americas top trainers to be added to the family of books known as the "Dummies" franchise.  Trainers John Fuhrman and Anthony Bartoli have agreed to be co-authors for the…

Are you taking advantage of Social Media for Referrals?

Have you ever looked up your dealership at www.socialmention.com? If you have never done this, pause and take a moment to do so now. Now that…

Had a great time at Digital Dealer and made a lot of great new friends in the process. I put together this quick video on the plane ride home.

Dealer Marketing Magazine 2013 Technology Leadership Awards

Seattle, WA –…

I am writing this from the airport in Manchester, NH as I head back to Wilmington, NC.  Hurricane Sandy has left her mark on the North Carolina Coast and is heading north for what forecasters think will be a huge event.  I'll be glad if I just make it home today.       Many of the homes up here are equipped with back up generators to handle loss of power issues.  Stores were selling out of extra water and batteries as folks prepared for the worst.  I think we can all agree this is just being…

Social media is an increasingly relevant marketing tool for auto dealerships. Its ability to engage consumers where they socialize today -- and then pull them into the showroom -- is a growing reality.

However, social media at your dealership doesn’t mean much if the sales team is forgetting the basics –…

The basic Law of Reciprocity states: To give and take mutually.

I have thought about this a lot over the last few months. We…

Your dealership is a physical store. You sell actual cars and trucks, and other products and services such as parts and customization items, accessories, and routine maintenance plans. You even provide extended warranty options for new and previous buyer. What if someone told you that you could provide just about all of these same services online? What if you were also told that you could reach people across the country, and no longer be limited to your local market?

The…

"Why"

This is the single most difficult concept for most marketers in automotive to understand.  “Why” is the reason AutoTrader and Cars.com run millions of dollars in ads on TV, then put only a fraction of that budget into real content that consumers go online to find “the expensive kind of marketing” as noted by…

Fort Lauderdale, FL – October 8^th, 2012— AutoUSA Internet Sales Solutions (www.autousadealers.com) announced today the addition of five panelists to their scheduled workshop at the 13^th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. Phil DuPree and Josh Vajda will present and moderate “The Five Things in Common That Successful Internet Departments Share” on Tuesday, October 23^rd at 3:30 p.m. The panelists, all…

Excessive Frequency of Posts, Fear of Unwanted Contact by Sales People Discourage Car Dealership Likes On Facebook

Social…

The 13th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition is fast approaching - just 3weeks left!

Not only is DealerOn a Title Sponsor, we will also have a booth (#1211), and many of us will be speaking as well!  Going to be a busy, busy few days for the DealerOn group.

Here are the sessions we are going to be presenting:

"Double Your Fixed…

What was your September like?  Or how do the year-to-date numbers look?  How is the sales force working out?  How many are left?  How is inventory?  Do you have enough of the right stuff?  How did you feel reading your last aged unit report?      

Those questions could have good answers or bad answers.  The future depends on what you're ready to do regardless of the answer.  This also applies to your entire operation.  How you answer the tough questions determine how you fare…