So, What Makes You Different?
Every automotive dealer believes that they run the best operation and do everything a little better than their competition. But, is this true? I have the pleasure of going to all regions of the country every week and walking into automotive stores that are new to me. I can assure you that, for most of
Success Story: Sales up 40%. Gaining Traction as a Powerhouse in the Twin Cities
Richfield Bloomington Honda of the Tom Wood Auto Group To get a feel for the competitive landscape Richfield Bloomington Honda contends with, picture a wagon wheel.[…]
Spending Time Wasting Time
I think about time a lot. It’s the one thing that is truly in limited supply. No matter who we are or what we do, we each have 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. Is there enough time to do everything I need and want to do in the 525,600
The Importance of Employment Branding
Employment branding: a company’s reputation as an employer, or how great a place it is to work — a must for today’s prospective employees. Dealerships have always placed a heavy emphasis on attracting consumers and cultivating a company brand for them, but with Millennials now making up the majority of the workforce and consumer base,
Three Things to Do Now So You Can Start Using Data Like a Boss
How do you think Wal-Mart decides to build a new store? They don’t just toss a dart at the map. They use data to analyze population projections, proximity to existing stores, property value, competition and a laundry list of other data points that make sure each store is successful.
How to Master the Art of Online Conversation
Much like the printing press during the European Renaissance, the Internet has transformed the way we interact forever. “Googling” is now a verb synonymous with getting answers, we can communicate with people across the world in a matter of seconds and we can buy things without leaving the house. It’s a fast-moving, interactive digital world,
GM’s are Finding Hidden Revenue in Recon and You Can, Too
It is becoming increasingly critical that dealership operators recognize how reconditioning practices affect bottom line profitability. Unstructured and unmonitored recon practices create waste and costs that erode used car gross. On the other hand, GMs will transform their recon operations into profit centers when they use a time-based, continuous improvement strategy to drive this critical
Hope: A Magic Ingredient for Employee Retention
Today’s average car buyers go to 1.6 dealerships before they buy a car. They do not move on from that first dealership because they don’t like the brand. They move on because they don’t like the dealership. With a turnover rate for dealership salespeople of 72 percent, customers who want to become loyal to a dealership
Your Customers Will Pay More
The best way to gain and retain customers is by providing services that other dealerships won’t, and making sure that the customers know you value their business. Happy customers not only continue to do business with you, but will often pay more if they value the relationship. In my years in the car business, I’ve
Three Things To Do Now So You Can Start Using Data Like a Boss
If you spent any time walking the floor at NADA this year, you couldn’t miss every DMS and CRM company pushing their new version of “data-analytics” on dealers. The reason dealers are seeing this push to use “big-data” is because every other industry has been leveraging data for years. It’s not about fancy dashboards; it’s