Text Sells and Keeps Customers Satisfied
Text Sells and Keeps Customers Satisfied
Dealership Communication ToolsDealership Operations & Processes

Text Sells: Improve Your CSI and Repeat Business with SMS

Are you looking for ways to improve your Customer Survey scores? Do your service advisors wish they had a clone to do all the follow-up for them? Would you like to see more first-time customers return to your service department repeatedly? Naturally these are things all dealers desire and there are many ways to achieve …

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Self-Driving Cars: the Winners the Losers
Self-Driving Cars: the Winners the Losers
Best PracticesDealership Operations & ProcessesIndustry News & Trends

How America’s New Car Dealers Can Prepare – For the Coming Autonomous Vehicle Disruption

As I wrote in 2015’s Self-Driving Cars: the Winners and the Losers, new car dealers will be among the “Obvious Losers” when, not if, self-driving vehicles become ubiquitous. However, I also predicted that this evolution wouldn’t likely begin impacting new car dealers before 2025. My timeline has actually contracted a little in the last year and …

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Best PracticesDealership Operations & Processes

Go for the Gold: Three Takeaways from the Olympics

Dealerships and the Olympics: Are you the winner or loser? So I completely have Olympic fever. From the moment the opening ceremonies began to the recaps every night, I am obsessed with the level of competition, the anticipation, and the excitement that accompanies each and every event. Who knew I would watch Badminton and actually …

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Dealership Communication ToolsDealership Operations & Processes

What Are “Active Customers” and How Should We Communicate with Them?

When someone chooses to do business with your dealership and brings their vehicle in for service, they are no longer a prospect anymore, they have become an “active customer.” Chances are, you did many things right and well to make them an active customer, but if you aren’t proactive and you fail to change the …

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Car Dealer Customer Loyal Nonsens
Car Dealer Customer Loyal Nonsens
Best PracticesDealership MarketingDealership Operations & Processes

A Big Old Can of Nonsense: Who Needs Loyal Customers Anyways?

With all of the recent epiphanies that thought leaders in ours and other industries that businesses should be spending time and effort cultivating relationships, spending money and basically treating customers right, I thought it time to re-visit this whole “customer loyalty” phenomenon. Customers don’t really care about car dealers, do they?
Sold vehicle by text using iphone
Sold vehicle by text using iphone
Best PracticesDealership Communication ToolsDealership Operations & Processes

I Just SOLD a Car – USING TEXT MESSAGE ONLY

From time to time I’ll flip the switch on our CRM, allowing myself to be assigned a few internet leads for the day. Last week, within minutes I was assigned a lead for a Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes-Benz. A really nice, well equipped 2013 GLK SUV. Priced right with fresh photos and a typed description by yours truly …

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maximizing talent vs. finding the round peg
maximizing talent vs. finding the round peg
Best PracticesDealership Operations & Processes

Are you a “System” team or a “People” team?

A dealer owner recently caught me by surprise. Chatting about the business, past, present and future, the conversation turned to opportunity and people. He explained that while there are opportunities “around,” without the right people to nurture and manage these opportunities, it didn’t make sense to pursue them. He then expanded upon what amounts to …

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Becoming a Better Sales LEADER / Manager
Becoming a Better Sales LEADER / Manager
Best PracticesDealership Operations & Processes

The Manager Who Doesn’t: A Guide to Better Sales Management

There are many people in our industry with the title of “Manager”, but very few who deserve it. This happens for countless reasons in sales management. Some feel entitled by this newfound title and don’t believe they need to. Others claim they’re too busy. Surely some have been promoted to the point of incompetence and …

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