Kelley Blue Book’s New York/New Jersey eNetwork Brunch

Where: Sheraton Suites on the Hudson
500 Harbor Boulevard
Weehawken, New Jersey 07086
201-617-5600

When: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
*Breakfast served at 8:30am – Lunch will also be provided

How Much: FREE

Who Should Attend:

Internet Managers
Used Car Managers
Marketing and Advertising Personnel
General Managers

SPACE IS LIMITED! GUARANTEE YOUR SPOT BY REGISTERING BY NOVEMBER 6th!

Do you brand your Internet sales department so that every customer feels compelled to ask for you when they arrive at your dealer?

There’s nothing more frustrating then looking across the showroom floor only to see YOUR customer sitting at another sales persons desk signing the paperwork for their new vehicle. This is the same customer you had been corresponding via email and phone over the last several days. Why are they buying from that guy? Why didn’t they ask for you? This happens every day, and many times results into a heated conversation between the salesperson, sales manager and the Internet sales department.

Walk the higher road and let the sales floor have the deal. Take responsibility for the customer not asking for you, and instead find ways of branding yourself so when one of your next potential customers arrives at the dealer, they want nothing more than to work with you and your the Internet sales department. Here are five proven ways that are quick, easy and will help brand your Internet sales department like no other:

1. Sharpen your Image with Great Photos

Potential customers are initially on your site for one reason: Inventory. When the customer finds the vehicle they are looking for, the first thing they gravitate to are the photos. Use this opportunity to grab their attention and start branding your department.

Slide a photo of your Internet sales team members in the line of vehicle photos between the exterior and interior shots. Be sure your team photo radiates professionalism while also portraying that you’re easy-going and fun to work with. Don’t forget your glamour smile on the day of the photo shoot.

2. Leverage the Dealer-Rating Websites

A strong WBFM (“Why Buy From Me”) message can give you the competitive edge. Your customers love you — you hear it all the time about how great of an experience they had. Why not get them to share their positive experience for everyone else to read?

Condition yourself to ask every one of your customers to share their experience on one or several of the consumer or dealer-rating Web sites, such as dealerrater.com and insiderpages.com. As you build enough positive customer comments, you will now have a tremendously strong WBFM message that you can talk up to all of your potential customers.

3. Be Fearless and Build Transparency With Video

Video is yet another way of gaining the competitive edge, since most people shy away from the camera. Nothing builds transparency quicker then a few short videos of you and your team. Commit to filming several videos that distinguish the difference between you and the competition. Let your customers know you and your team are the solution to their vehicle-buying needs. Consumers are looking for the right car, just as they’re looking for the right dealer and the right person with whom to do business.

Video is easier then ever. You can certainly go high-end, buy a simple Flip Video Camcorder from Amazon or your local electronic store will do the trick. Check out videospin. com for free and easy-to-use video editing software that works great with the Flip camera.

Take your filming to next level and get your positive customer testimonials on video, as well.

4.  Master your “About Us” Page

What is the real value of your dealers “About Us” page anyways?

When a customer clicks on your “About Us” page, they are looking for a reason to do business with your dealership. For lazy reasons, most dealers ignore this page or use the default text provided by the Web site vendor.

Take advantage of this page and brand your Internet sales department to another level while cementing a relationship between you and your potential customer. Let customers see a more human side of your dealership. Remember, just because the page is labeled “About Us” doesn’t mean you get to talk the “Me, Me, Me” message. The key to great marketing is not what you say about yourself, but what your customers say about you. This is a great place to display those customer testimonial videos.

5. Don’t Forget Your Sensational Signature

This might seem like a no-brainer, but believe me, many sales people overlook this effective element for branding themselves. Every e-mail you send is yet another opportunity to brand yourself and your Internet sales department. Before you hit “send” one more time, make sure your signature line says all it needs to about you and your Internet sales department. Your signature line should include your name, job title, the name of your dealership, your direct phone line along with your cell phone number and your Web site URL. These are, of course, the obvious elements — but why not take it a step further? Include a photo of yourself, a dynamic tag line and/or a P.S. note linking the customer to your consumer ratings profile page or your new “About Us” page.

Many Internet sales managers are left to believe that you need special “Internet pricing,” a “Benefits Package” or a “Free Give Away” in order to get the customer to ask for you. Instead, sell something larger than the price of your vehicle. Sell your brand, sell your image and sell your customer what they are truly looking for. Be the rock star you are — take full ownership of your Internet sales department and find every opportunity to brand it to the max.

AutoUSA Reports 17.6% Rebound in Truck Leads

AutoUSA, the industry’s leading provider of the highest quality Internet-generated consumer leads to auto dealers nationwide, today announced a 17.6% increase in truck leads and 11.9% drop in car leads for 3rd Quarter, 2008. Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) October 28, 2008

AutoUSA, the industry’s leading provider of the highest quality Internet-generated consumer leads to auto dealers nationwide, today announced a 17.6% increase in truck leads and 11.9% drop in car leads for 3rd Quarter, 2008.

“Truck leads decreased when gas prices shot up during the 1st and 2nd Quarter of 2008. Now that fuel costs are have declined, we’re seeing more truck inquiries,” said Phil DuPree, president of AutoUSA.

Despite the increase, truck lead volume, which includes Large Pickup, Large SUV, Small Pickup and Small SUV leads, is still down 26% YTD, driven by a fall-off in lead volume from Small SUVs (-33.6%) and Large SUVs (-27.9%).

The lead decrease in the car category of CUV, Large Car, Luxury Car and Middle Car brought total volume back to beginning of the year figures. The stop-loss was Small Car leads, up 20.6% since January. All other car leads were down YTD, including a large drop in CUVs at -14.6%.

Car lead market share, which was 82.9% in January, and grew to 89.1% in June, dropped back to 85.5% in September.

Conversely, trucks market share shrank in June (from 12.4% to 7.0%), and rebounded in September (10.0%), reflecting the stabilization of gas prices, which drew some consumers back into the trucks market.

AutoUSA provides leads to more than 4,000 dealers nationwide from a partnership network that includes leading automotive web sites including Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book, MSN Auto, Yahoo! Autos, AOL and AutoVantage.

About AutoUSA (www.AutoUSA.com):
AutoUSA, Inc., is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and a subsidiary of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE: AN), the largest retail automotive company in the United States. AutoUSA is an independent third-party provider of leads to more than 4,000 dealerships. The company has built its success on a combination of advanced web-based technology and a network that includes the country’s most well respected online automotive resources, including Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book, MSN Autos, Yahoo! Autos, America Online, NADA Analytical Services Group, AutoVantage.com, AutoNation.com and AutoUSA.com. The vast majority of Ward’s Top 100 eDealers use AutoUSA.

The all new DealerRefresh 3.0 is live!!

I want to THANK EVERYONE for making DealerRefresh what it is and what it has become over the last 3 years. When I started DealerRefresh, I had no idea what I was getting into; I merely wanted a place to voice my thoughts and hopefully gain a little feedback from other Internet Sales Managers. Since then, this has grown into one awesome community that has given me the privilege to meet and become friends with some truly fantastic people in this industry.

So what’s new with DealerRefresh?

As you can see, the look and layout is different BUT not extreme. I wanted to keep the overall feel the same, though you will quickly notice a few key additions like:

• Search Feature in the upper right corner (works very nice if I might say, give it a go!)

• Popular Posts right under the ad space; keeping some of your favorite articles only 1 click away.

• Better Ad Placement – I figured that would make the sponsors happy

• Added a few NEW Categories to make it easier to find what you are looking for.

• See what everyone is talking about with additional and a cleaner layout to Recent Comments.
• The addition of Alex’s mug shot. Alex has been a tremendous addition and it was time.

• I also added an Industry Announcements category to keep everyone updated on the latest Press Releases.

The biggest improvement to DealerRefresh (though not visible) is the move over to WordPress. I absolutely LOVE Typepad and would recommend to anyone that wants a personal blog but as DealerRefresh has evolved, WordPress was the obvious choice due to its flexibility.  Big thanks to Ethan and the rest of the Groove Commerce crew for a seamless transition and superior redesign.

So what do you guys think? I would love to get your feedback!

While you’re here and reading this, don’t forget there’s several way of keeping yourself updated with what’s happening on DealerRefresh.

1. Subscribe to the Newsletter
2. Get the RSS feed
3. Follow DealerRefresh on Twitter

Thanks again for everyone’s support over the last 3 years and farewell to the old DealerRefresh!

ActivEngage (www.ActivEngage.com), the automotive industry’s premier provider of proactive live chat for dealer websites, today announced the expansion of the full-service ActivConcierge to include new features to decrease abandonment rates and increase lead submission. Since the service launched in March of this year, the company has carefully monitored the consumer traffic patterns on their dealers’ websites and listened to feedback to continuously improve and offer the most effective, comprehensive live chat service. Orlando, Florida (PRWEB) October 21, 2008

ActivEngage (www.ActivEngage.com), the automotive industry’s premier provider of proactive live chat for dealer websites, today announced the expansion of the full-service ActivConcierge to include new features to decrease abandonment rates and increase lead submission. Since the service launched in March of this year, the company has carefully monitored the consumer traffic patterns on their dealers’ websites and listened to feedback to continuously improve and offer the most effective, comprehensive live chat service.

ActivSubmit is a key component of ActivConcierge’s new enhancements to increase lead submission rates. Website abandonment rates are typically highest on “forms” pages, where site visitors can request information and submit their contact information. ActivSubmit alerts a chat representative when a site visitor begins to complete a form on the dealership website. The representative can then invite the site visitor to chat and help the person complete the form and answer any questions. Alternatively, the chat rep can get the visitor’s contact information directly through the live chat.

In addition, dealers using the expanded ActivConcierge service can now collect the data a site visitor entered on a form, even if the person does not fully complete or submit the form. As a part of the new features, chat representatives can also be alerted when site visitors are on specified pages. For example, chat reps can be notified when visitors view particular vehicle pages and offer consumers customized specials, based on their behavior at the site.

“The new enhancements are a big part of our ongoing goal of providing dealership website visitors the right message, at the right time, to increase overall lead generation,” commented Ted Rubin, ActivEngage co-founder. “Abandonment is a huge issue for dealership websites, and this is especially true on forms. The new features can dramatically improve lead submission and offer a way to really pay special attention at critical junctions in the online car buying process.”

About ActivEngage: (www.ActivEngage.com)
ActivEngage’s proprietary business logic was designed in dealerships to meet the needs of sophisticated automotive shoppers. It laser targets each website visitor with the exact right message at the exact right time to get them to take action. The system has been strenuously tested for every type of dealership. It works because the company founders have over 30 years of retail automotive and technology experience, giving ActivEngage a true 360° understanding of the needs of automotive shoppers. Partnering with ActivEngage increases lead generation and offsets the increasing marketing costs associated with the sale of new and pre-owned automobiles. ActivEngage offers three tiers of service to ensure that all website visitors’ experiences are enjoyable and uncomplicated, thereby increasing the value of dealership websites through better lead generation.

Portland, OR October 1, 2008 — ProfitRunners, providers of leading dealership technology solutions, today introduced WideStorm™, a division of ProfitRunners and a revolutionary platform that enables auto dealers and website visitors to negotiate a vehicle deal solely online. The system can be used in conjunction with any existing website and DMS. WideStorm™ goes well beyond standard enegotiation systems by enabling dealers and consumers to work together and negotiate the entire purchase online, including vehicle selection, add-on features, trade-in value and financing.

“We want to give forward-thinking dealers a competitive selling advantage by empowering their customers to negotiate the deal from home,” said Jock Schowalter, CEO of ProfitRunners and DealerPeak. “We believe this approach will attract and engage the most advantageous group of prospects, serious car buyers well down the sales funnel, and deliver them to dealerships like no other tool currently on the market.”

WideStorm™ is a screen-driven, step-by-step process that walks the car shopper through a purchase as if he or she is sitting across the desk from a dealer. Customers have the option of self-evaluating their trade-in and may apply for financing directly online. When ready, the customer submits the requested contact information and deal terms to the dealer.

It is at this point in the negotiation where most online efforts end. With WideStorm™, the negotiation is just beginning. The customer’s request appears on the dealer’s computer in the Dealer Control Panel. The dealer uses the tools in the Dealer Control Panel to structure the most lucrative deal and emails a “presentation” to the customer that gives the customer a series of payment options to consider. Each customer has a secure, personalized microsite for viewing their personalized terms and for storing details of their negotiation. The process repeats itself until a deal is reached or is taken offline.

ProfitRunners, parent company to Dealerpeak, developed WideStorm™ in response to a growing demand by early adopter car shoppers for more Web-based transaction capability. The platform is based on CRM, desking and website technology that has been serving hundreds of dealers for over 8 years. The company is currently accepting forward-thinking dealerships to participate in a beta test of the technology. According to a recent report by J.D. Power and Associates, two-thirds of new vehicle buyers and three out of five used-vehicle buyers used the Internet at some point during their purchases. A survey by AutoNation reported similar results with two out of three consumers finding a “start-to finish” Internet car sale process appealing.

“We envision WideStorm being used by only the most progressive dealerships. The target customer for our solution is the early-adopter car shopper who has already done the research online, has completed a test drive and knows the price they’re willing to pay. All they want at this point in the game is a fairly negotiated price and the vehicle is sold,” said Schowalter.

“The beauty of Widestorm is it delivers on its promise – to bring serious car buyers into the showroom, ready to purchase. Even if the buyer arrives at the dealership and decides at the last minute to select a different vehicle, the dealer has a chance to up-sell and keep the deal under their roof. Ultimately, it’s a better experience for both buyers and sellers,” said Schowalter.

For more information, visit www.widestorm.com or email info@widestorm.com. Visit booth #19 at the Digital Dealer Conference, October 6-8.

About ProfitRunners:
Along with Widestorm, ProfitRunners is the parent company to DealerPeak, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and has created trend-setting customer relationship management and website solutions since 2000. Since its launch, the company has attracted hundreds of loyal dealer clients, including major auto groups such as Ron Tonkin Auto and Dick Hannah Auto Group dealerships.

I’m a huge UFC follower, so when when I received this ad in my inbox today from DealerSocket, I thought it was worthy of a quick post.

Dealersocket is sponsoring Rameu Sokoudjou in his UFC fight again Luiz Cane this saturday night UFC89. How cool is that? Props to the DealerSocket crew for thinking outside of the box with some off the wall marketing. Of course if I were not a UFC fan, I’d be like WTF?

I’m really looking forward to Keith Jardine going up against Brandon Vera! I Actually thought about breaking into the MMA scene myself. HA!

I’ll be sure to look out for the DealerSocket logo during Rameu’s fight! Nice job DealerSocket!

Liquid Motors Inc., a provider of comprehensive inventory management and marketing solutions for automobile dealers, has enhanced its Pricing Analysis System and Vehicle Marketing Systems with the addition of Kelley Blue Book Retail and Wholesale Values. Kelley Blue Book is a leading provider of vehicle information to consumers and the industry. Dealers across the country subscribing to Liquid Motor’s services now have the ability to incorporate Kelley Blue Book Retail Values into their eBay Motors and CraigsList vehicle listings. Dallas, TX (PRWEB) October 16, 2008

Liquid Motors Inc., a provider of comprehensive inventory management and marketing solutions for automobile dealers, has enhanced its Pricing Analysis System and Vehicle Marketing Systems with the addition of Kelley Blue Book Retail and Wholesale Values. Kelley Blue Book is a leading provider of vehicle information to consumers and the industry. Dealers across the country subscribing to Liquid Motor’s services now have the ability to incorporate Kelley Blue Book Retail Values into their eBay Motors and CraigsList vehicle listings.

“Effective pricing and disposal decisions have proven to improve sales results and the financial performance of automobile dealers” said Michael Daseke, president of Liquid Motors. “We are excited to extend are existing partnership with Kelley Blue Book to give our dealers a competitive advantage in this challenging market.”

This new edition to Liquid Motors Pricing Analysis system allows dealers to utilize the Blue Book Wholesale and Retail Values to effectively price inventory and make more informed vehicle pricing decisions when marketing and selling vehicles online.

“Recent Kelley Blue Book data shows that consumers have more trust in dealers that display Kelley Blue Book Values,” said Mike Romano, Kelley Blue Book, senior vice president of dealer sales and strategy. “By providing consumers with the information they need, levels the playing field and allows both the consumer and the dealer to start negotiations on the same page.”

With more than 80 percent of car buyers starting their search for their next vehicle on the Internet, dealers can build consumers trust and confidence, a critical component in converting online listing viewers into leads and eventually into sales.

About Liquid Motors: (www.liquidmotors.com)
Liquid Motors Inc., a Dallas, Texas based corporation, offers automobile dealers a comprehensive Internet marketing solution designed to maximize lead generation. We provide a variety of software and services that create competitive advantage for automobile dealerships by generating and capturing more cost effective Internet leads using no-cost Internet classifieds, eBay auctions and listings, leading pay classifieds and dealer websites through the implementation of strategic pricing analysis, search optimization and marketing, and compelling multimedia.

About Kelley Blue Book: (www.kbb.com)
Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, has provided vehicle buyers and sellers with the new and used vehicle information they need to accomplish their goals with confidence. The company’s top-rated Web site, www.kbb.com, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, including the New Car Blue Book® Value, which reveals what people actually are paying for new cars. The company also reports vehicle pricing and values via products and services, including software products and the famous Blue Book® Official Guide. Kbb.com is rated the No. 1 automotive information Web site among both new and used vehicle shoppers, and half of online vehicle shoppers visit kbb.com. Kbb.com is a leading provider of new car prices, car reviews and news, used car blue book values, auto classifieds and car dealer locations. No other medium reaches more in-market vehicle shoppers than kbb.com.

You have to just about be walking on water to get financed but even with our prime customers, banks are looking for a reason to say no.” – AutoNation CEO Michael Jackson, The Wall Street Journal, October 2008

Are we really in an Auto Credit Crisis?

Why does everyone use AutoNation as the benchmark to what is happening in our industry?

A recent article in BusinessWeek online compared several AutoNation dealers to others. Example: Bankston Chevrolet (AutoNation dealer), 10 miles from Classic Chevrolet. Bankston Chevrolet delivered 85 new Chevy’s last month. Both Classic and Bankston Chevrolet use GMAC to finance their vehicles AND share the same demographic customer, yet AutoNation’s store came up 354 sales behind Classic’s.

Does this example along with a few others suggest that maybe it’s not as bad as reporters suggest?

An interesting article from BusinessWeek dives into 6 TRUTHS why there really might not be an auto credit crises.

I would recommend NOT missing out on this FREE Webinar hosted by Avinash Kaushik on October 15, 2008 RSVP Today! Sorry about the short notice.

2008 has been a year of unprecedented change in the automotive industry: with declining new vehicle sales, tightened credit markets, and rapidly rising oil prices, it’s clear that consumer demand has shifted. These changes require a renewed focus on managing your marketing resources effectively – in particular, your media dollars – in order to maximize ROI.

In conjunction with Automotive News, Avinash Kaushik will lead a discussion on how to use Google Analytics to help address the fresh challenges facing automotive brand marketers. Learn how to improve marketing efficiency, drive insights into consumer behavior, and generate greater returns on your marketing investments.

Avinash Kaushik
Author, Blogger, Analytics Evangelist

Avinash Kaushik is the author of the recently published book Web Analytics: An Hour A Day. He is also the Analytics Evangelist for Google.

As a thought leader Avinash puts a common sense framework around the often frenetic world of web research and analytics, and combines that with this philosophy that investing in talented Analysts is the key to long term success. He is also a staunch advocate of listening to the consumer, and is committed to helping organizations unlock the value of web data. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences in the US and Europe, such as eMetrics, Ad-Tech, iCitizen, and SES. You’ll find Avinash’s web analytics blog, Occam’s Razor at http://www.kaushik.net/avinash

Update:
The original event was broadcast on:
Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Time: 12:00 PM EDT
Duration: 60-minutes

You can view the event archive at the link provided below:

http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=119132&s=1&k=AEB6F2931B41F387B4F3AE3A240B53EA

After watching the archive webinar, feel free to take the survey. It takes only a few moments.
http://www.autonews.com/webinarsurvey