Macs don’t belong in car dealerships! PC’s are where it’s at y0!

I beg to differ. I’m making it work.

Using a Mac in the dealership is not for everyone, but for those who do use one there is something about that innovative Apple interface that makes daily computing much more enjoyable. Of course, your mileage may vary.

If your patience is low and you don’t like figuring stuff out, then don’t get a Mac.  Moving from a PC to a Mac can be frustrating for a week or two – it was for me.  There is one key thing to remember when making the switch:

When you get stuck on a Mac, think about how your grandmother would do it and the solution comes right up.

In many ways you’ll have to unlearn PC.  But the learning will actually open your mind a lot more and you may discover that it helps you to better communicate with your vendors when working through process and feature development.

What are you going to need in your dealership Mac?

Share the wealth!

What do you think? Any truth in this??

Share the wealth!

NADA 2010 Convention & Expo in Orland Florida

–This is a dual post by myself and Alex. Mine is the following and Alex’s is below.

Attendance this year was low – - dealers and vendors.

Parties were at a minimum

The sessions were good, the ones that I was able to attend (not many). The dealers attending this year seem to be more in tune; not just looking for new shiny objects but also looking for some substance. Looking for features and benefits of a solution/vendor can provide.

Share the wealth!

When speaking to traditional car people they make analogies of the Internet being a pesty animal that crawled in through the back door when nobody was looking. The funny part about this critter was that it didn’t come alone.  It didn’t just walk in through the back door either.  It came through every crevice in your house on the back of every individual on this planet!  To continue calling it a creepy little pest is just sad.  If you’re one of these people I feel sorry for you.

To make matters even worse, you’ve lost control of everyone because of the Internet.  Your customers are free to say what they want to hundreds if not thousands of people in as little as 140 characters.  Your employees are friends with all of your customers while displaying photos of themselves smoking a cuban cigar and drinking rum on a vacation in Costa Rica.  What a Public Relations nightmare!

How do you get everyone back to the good old days? You don’t.

Without control we’re scared little business people, but we’re missing the bigger picture.  It is a new world where the rules still have not been defined.  Sure, we can write company policies that prohibit employees from using facebook at work or stopping them from participating on blogs, but what does that really gain?  People are always going to find a way to do what they want.  I say nurture it!

Instead of throwing the Fourth Reich at people, why not implement the Second Declaration of Independence.  Teach your staff the best way to communicate online.  Help your happy customers find the review sites and facebook pages that best let them tell their great story about you.

We are very fortunate in the automotive business to have sites like DealerRefresh and companies like GOSO, DealerRater, Pasch Consulting, and many others who will help us find the best way to nurture people into advertising machines for our business.

If you think you’ve lost control, this is how you get some of that control back.

Share the wealth!

Date: Friday, Feb, 2010
Time: 12pm to 1 p.m. (Eastern)
Location: Your Computer
Cost: FREE – Register Here

With the new year underway, are you working your plan for a profitable 2010?

Do you know how current industry trends and emerging technology will drive your business and fuel your success? Each year, the NADA convention is a hub for new ideas, tools and tactics that can help drive your business. Join Cars.com and a panel of industry experts as we recap the hot topics and trends raised at this year’s show and discuss how they can boost sales and the bottom line at your store.

In this session, we’ll discuss:

• The state of the new- and used-car marketplace and sales projections for the year ahead
• Emerging technologies that help you reach internet shoppers and fully merchandise your inventory
• New sales processes that engage car buyers and encourage them to purchase from you

Panelists:

Steve Finlay
Editor of Ward’s Dealer Business

Jeff Kershner
Founder of DealerRefresh.com

Ralph Ebersole
Cars.com Automotive Consultant

Share the wealth!