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1. AutoSuccess Must-see Companies NADA 2006, page 4
a division of Systems Marketing, Inc. January 2006

2. MUST-SEE
COMPANIES
NADA 2006

6. UST-SEE COMPANI
O R
ADA 200
L A N D O F L O R I D A
American Auto Exchange: Delivering innovative solutions that streamline and maximize dealers’ sales operations to
include: inventory optimization, Þnance menu, reporting, and dealer desking tools.
Auto Dealer TrafÞc, Inc. is the automotive search engine marketing experts. ADT’s focus on SEO, Paid Search, and
analytics has made it the premier company in the automotive arena. ADT’s proprietary technology analyzes your
search marketing efforts easily. Count on us to give your marketing dollars a ROI!
Established in 1999 Auto Internet Marketing has been generating both New Vehicle and Finance Leads of superior
quality and content since the beginning of the Internet Revolution. Our unique marketing platform promotes FREE
exposure for our Dealers, resulting in FREE leads every month! We look forward to speaking with you soon!
BZ Results is a digital marketing & consulting company currently working with 8 of the top 10 eCRM Dealers of the year. BZ offers CRM,
Web marketing, Search Engine & Email marketing, Websites, New & Pre-Owned, F&I, Service, Parts and specializes in BDC’s. BZ
set up the largest BDC in the world which sold 384 vehicles in one month. They also work with the #1 Pre-Owned eDealer, #1 Honda
eDealer, #1 Chevy eDealer and the #1 eDealer Group in the world.
The Cobalt Group and Dealix Corporation specialize in helping dealers and auto manufacturers maximize
every proÞt center by helping them: meet, sell to, and retain customers for repeat business in the most efÞcient
manner possible by providing a comprehensive suite of services, including the highest quality Internet sales
leads and marketing services, cutting edge technology, and the expertise of automotive industry veterans.
HomeNet, Inc. is a technology provider offering online vehicle inventory solutions to help automotive dealers
manage their vehicle inventory and increase online sales. HomeNet’s Inventory Online (IOL) system allows
control of the acquisition, editing and distribution of vehicle data. IOL interfaces with all major DMS and
broadcasts accurate vehicle inventory information and photos across the Web.
Impact Direct develops innovative sited sales and direct marketing campaigns that light up your phones, Þll up your showroom and
deliver vehicles. All with out taking a percentage of your gross proÞt.
InterActive Financial Marketing Group offers new and used car dealers lead generation, direct mail marketing,
CRM, advertising and Þnancing by leveraging it’s brands; Carloan.com, Autoloan.com, 1.800.CarLoan and
IFMG Direct.
J&L Marketing’s solid reputation as the industry leader for direct marketing campaigns is based on the strong relationships we form,
focused marketing, and the increased proÞts we provide for our dealers. We take great pride in our expertise to build the best campaigns
for your individual needs. This remarkable success that J&L provides for over a thousand dealers a year can be yours, too.
We provide a fully integrated web-based software solution for F&I, leasing, special Þnance, BDC, inventory
management and sales mangement reports. We also provide direct mail, Internet leads, credit hotlines
and website hosting.
TimeHighway.com is the premier, real-time, online service appointment scheduling solution. It will increase
customer satisfaction and retention, service department efÞciency and revenue, load balance service bays and
drive trafÞc to the dealer’s website. Are your customers returning to your dealership for scheduled maintenance?
If not, let us help!!!
Ultimate Warranty provides leading-edge service contracts and ancillary F&I products. More than 8,000 dealers
have recognized the advantages and have beneÞted from selling Ultimate Warranty products. Stop by the booth,
and Ultimate Warranty can show you how they are making a great thing even better in 2006.

7. 462
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2117
2120
2774
3804
1201
3448
2728
1548
4074

8. 8
Congratulations eCRM Dealers of the Year PatrickLuck
INSID Planning Your Questions
Seven Keys to Warranty Administration Success
Take Your Internet Sales to the Next Level
Do You Have a Daily Schedule
20
21
22
24
BrianTracy
GreggTompkins
DavidKain
ChrisHanson
The Rick Case Automotive Group: More Than Just Car Dealerships
26
Dealers Recognized for Invaluable Community Contributions and Industry Innovations
PatrickLuck
How Much Does a ‘Token’ Discount Affect Your Paycheck
30 JimAdams
Create an Enlightened Environment
32 TomGegax
The Three Sources of Trust
34 DougHall
Achieving an Optimal Internet Marketing Mix
36 MichaelRosenberg
Words Are Cheap
38 MarkTewart
The Greatest Business in the World
39 JoshWeaver
Back to Basics
40 AnthonyHall
to Your Service Department 42
How to Bring More Customers KarenDillon
Effective Credit Application
44 TonyDupaquier
NADA 2006 Turning a Phone Up Into an Appointment
45 JeffMorrill
Stop by and see
Improve Your Body Language Skills
46 PattiWood
us at the NADA
2006 Convention
A New Commitment I Give to ... Me
48 MichaelYork
at booth
#3816
Some Best Practices for 2006
50 ScottJoseph
2 Chronicles 14:11
“Lord, there is no one like you to
help.”
3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive Louisville, Kentucky 40245
Toll Free: 877.818.6620 Facsimile: 502.588.3170
Isaiah 55:12
Patrick Luck, Editor & Publisher
• pluck01@autosuccess.biz “For ye shall go out with joy,
Susan Givens, Vice President
• sgivens02@autosuccess.biz
and be led forth with peace: the
Courtney Paris, Sales-improvement Strategist mountains and the hills shall break
• chill-paris04@autosuccess.biz
Brian Ankney, Sales-improvement Strategist
forth before you into singing, and
• brian01@autosuccess.biz all the trees of the field shall clap
God Bless America
Thomas Williams, Creative Director
• twilliams03@autosuccess.biz their hands.”
AutoSuccess Magazine is published monthly at 3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive, Louisville, Kentucky, 40245; 502.588.3155, fax 502.588.3170. Direct all subscription and customer service inquiries to 877.818.6620 or
info@autosuccess.biz. Subscription rate is $75 per year. AutoSuccess welcomes unsolicited editorials and graphics (not responsible for their return). All submitted editorials and graphics are subject to editing for grammar, content, and page length. AutoSuccess
provides its contributing writers latitude in expressing advice and solutions; views expressed are not necessarily those of AutoSuccess and by no means reflect any guarantees. Always confer with legal counsel before implementing changes in procedures.
© All contents copyrighted by AutoSuccess Magazine, a Division of Systems Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without express written consent from AutoSuccess. AutoSuccess
may occasionally make readers’ names available to other companies whose products and/or services may be of interest; readers may request that names be removed by calling 877.818.6620. Printed in the USA.
Postmaster: Send address changes to AutoSuccess Magazine, 3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40245.

10. CONGRATULATIONS
eCRM Dealers of the Year written by: Patrick Luck
The benchmark for con- sites as those that generate measurable results. Process: Converting leads into sales. Keys
sideration for winning Dealers tell us that a Web site will get results to successful process include e-mail and phone
this year’s award is re- if it is simple, easy to use, quick to load and response, setting appointments and following
sults as measured by has highly engaging content that can work fast up before and after the sale.
volume of Internet sales even on a low-speed connection. Great Web
and by how well the sites offer cool features like inventory, online People: Our top eCRM Dealers share how to
dealers use the Internet auctions, virtual test drives, online credit ap- find and keep the right people who are passion-
and CRM to promote all
of their profit centers: new, used, F&I, service,
parts, etc. CONGRATULATIONS eCRM Dealers of the Year
Our goal was to seek out the dealers who are HerbChambers.com
the best at using this marketing medium to
generate huge increases in profit for their deal- RedMcCombs.com
erships while also improving CSI and loyalty.
We considered the number of rooftops, the size DaveSmithMotors.com
of the dealerships or dealer groups, their mar-
kets, the brands they carry and their Internet HouseofCourtesy.com
profits as a percentage of their total profits. In
researching the contenders, we learned a lot ParagonCars.com
about what determines a dealer’s success with
using the Web to generate increased sales and CDodge.com
service profits. In this article we outline some
of the commonalities and some effective best Sheehy.com
practices that have propelled the winners to
the forefront of Web marketing and CRM, en- DickHannah.com
abling them to sell 100 to 800 extra units every
month. Schomp.com
CRM Vision and Strategy: For the award Tasca.com
winners, the vision began with a desire to at-
tract more customers for less cost compared plications, online trade appraisals, online parts ate about what they do and ways to combat the
with mass advertising. These dealers are lead- and accessories and more. Great Web sites do auto industry’s biggest challenge – turnover.
ing the way in a marketing revolution initiated much more than post information online, they
by customers who are using the Web to shop compel the customers to pick up the phone, Pricing: To increase profits pricing is critical
for vehicles rather than the paper, TV or radio. submit a lead or drive straight to your show- to a dealership's success and profitability. Some
Smart dealers are shifting some of their adver- room. dealers sell a lot of cars online but they don’t
tising to market where customers are shopping, make money because their pricing strategy is
and the returns are much higher and easier to Marketing: How can you drive traffic to focused on selling price rather than building
measure. Some common denominators of the your Web site and dealership? In today’s super value and asking for a fair profit.
winning dealers’ strategy and vision are: tech- competitive market, it’s not as simple as build-
nology, marketing, process, people, pricing ing a great Web site and selling a ton of cars; Measurement: Tracking your performance
and measurement. you need to let your customers know how to results. Top dealers agree: The best part about
find you. The dealers profiled have some great Internet marketing and CRM is that everything
Great Web sites: Appearance is subjective, methods for increasing traffic without having is measurable.
and when it comes to design, what appeals to to spend more money on advertising. These
one person can repel another, which is why we ideas include e-mail marketing, search engine Case Studies: In this issue we profile the
selected our Top eCRM Dealers based on re- marketing, banners and more. winners to show how they use the Web and
sults. This is why we define the Greatest Web CRM to improve profits.
8

11. Starting a Revolution
www.HerbChambers.com Changes the Way New England Buys Cars
erb Chambers is New England’s
largest automotive dealer. It is
the eCRM Dealer of the Year
and it has been named Dealer
of the Year by Ward’s. With all
this success under its belt, it's
well on its way to accomplishing its mission
of changing the way the world buys cars.
Like many dealers, Herb Chambers noticed www.HerbChambers.com is a new buying Customers can take a free virtual test drive on
service that won a the Golden Web Award. www.HerbChambers.com
that more and more customers were using
the Internet to start the shopping process
when it was time to get their next vehicle. Herb Chambers set up a regional buying service to make it easier
However, unlike many other dealers, Herb for its customers to buy a car online. The new state-of-the-art Web
Chambers not only noticed the trend, it set up site won a Golden Web Award.
the most successful regional buying service
in the world. This new buying service,
www.herbchambers.com, is revolutionizing
the way people buy cars.
THE BOTTOM LINE
With 80 percent of today's customers shopping • Most customers use the Internet at some point in the buying process.
online, Herb Chambers found that customers
were using the Internet because they were • Customers turn to the Web in search of a way to make the process easier.
looking for a faster, easier and friendlier way
to inquire about and even purchase a vehicle
• Herb Chambers created a new regional buying service for its customers.
online. So, that’s what Herb Chambers works
to deliver; a fast, easy, friendly way to give
the customers what they need to pick out and • Herb Chambers sold thousands of vehicles online last year.
buy a car.
• Herb Chambers was named a 2005 eCRM Dealer of the Year.
Once they found the right technology and
training provider, www.HerbChambers.com
began to leverage its 25 dealerships and
• HerbChambers.com sells 600-700 extra cars a month.
virtually unlimited pre-owned inventory to
give customers everything they’re looking result, the system drives more foot, phone and
for with just a couple clicks. Once they’ve Internet traffic and automates e-mail activity
selected the make and model they’re interested so the team has more time to use the phone
in, they can take a virtual test drive, run and sell cars. Herb Chambers has a dedicated
product comparisons, get a price and payment, team of specialists who are trained to make
check for specials, download coupons, learn their customers’ online shopping experience a
about the retailers’ three-day money back pure pleasure. The customer-friendly process
guarantee and 30-day exchange policy, sign gives the customers all the information they
up for eVIP membership and even book a need to make an informed decision. As a
service appointment or schedule parts. Herb result, www.HerbChambers.com has sold
Chambers' new system includes more than just thousands of vehicles a year to make it one
a custom Web site, it's a complete marketing of the top eCRM Dealers of the Year and the
system with prospect management capabilities largest retailer in New England.
Herb Chambers is the largest
and a suite of multi-media Buzzmails. As a
automotive retailer in New England.
9

12. RED McCOMBS SELLS 500 ADDITIONAL CARS A MONTH!
Dealership Increases sales by using the Web and CRM to improve its business
ot long ago Red McCombs
was selling about 40 vehicles
a month on the Internet, and
today it is selling an additional
500 vehicles a month. In this
article, it identifies the top mis-
takes dealers make with the Web and CRM
that cost time and money.
THE TOP MISTAKES DEALERS MAKE
WITH THE WEB AND CRM:
1. Dealers don’t generate enough leads from
their own Web sites so they have to buy most
of their leads.
2. Dealers fail to attract prospects to their
Web sites. Web sites without traffic don’t sell
cars.
3. Most dealers don’t appear on top of all
search engines and they don’t conduct ongo- "We were selling approximately 40 vehicles a month on the
ing e-mail campaigns. Internet, and today we are selling an additional 500 vehi-
4. Many dealers’ Web sites don’t generate
cles a month." Rad Weaver - Red McCombs
leads because they convert a small percent of
visitors into leads.
5. Most dealers don’t have the automated THE BOTTOM LINE
tools to update their sites so they waste a lot
of time playing with their tools rather than • Since implementing its new Web site and CRM tool, Red McCombs is
selling cars. selling an additional 500 cars a month.
6. Dealers assume they only need a Web site
• With 80 percent of today's buyers shopping online, they adjusted their
and CRM tool so they don’t have all the tools advertising to reach them.
and training they need to succeed.
7. Some dealers hire the wrong people, and • Red McCombs has increased gross profit from $60k a month to more
they usually get the wrong results. They don’t than $750k per month while increasing CSI and customer loyalty.
have the right number of people for the vol-
• Red McCombs increased its closing ratio from 3 percent to 19 percent
ume of leads.
by automating much of its follow-up.
8. Many dealers don’t have a clearly defined
process that is proven to work. • Red McCombs uses e-mail marketing campaigns and search engine
9. Most dealers don’t get the training they placement to increase sales and lower costs.
need to succeed and avoid costly mistakes.
10. Some dealers fail to automate follow up, • The cost per sale at RedMcCombs.com is below $200 per vehicle sold.
which hurts closing ratio and sales.
11. Some dealers don’t have a pricing phi- Most dealers think they will get results with campaigns, a CRM tool that automates fol-
losophy so their Internet department sells only a great Web site, and that’s not true. low-up and the training to tie everything to-
price rather than value, and their gross profit However, a great Web site is a critical compo- gether. The system helps us market the site,
suffers. nent. Rad Weaver explains: “Initially we had update the site, generate leads and even au-
12. Many dealers and managers don’t mea- Web sites built by our DMS provider and the tomatically respond and follow up with the
sure the department’s results and metrics so manufacturer but they hardly produced any leads before and after the prospect buys a car.
they don’t know how to improve the busi- sales. So we hired another company, BZRe- We've learned that it takes more than a Web
ness. sults, who provided us with Web sites, search site and a CRM tool to sell 500 extra cars a
engine marketing, custom multi-media e-mail month online."
10

13. Dave Smith Motors
Dave Smith Motors Increases Sales and Profit
ave Smith Motors sells 400 In-
ternet-lead vehicles a month with
“We designed our own
technology created in-house
– and sells about $600,000 a fully customized
month in accessories – from a Internet and CRM
single-point, multi-line dealer- interface system that
ship in a county of just 14,000 people. But for helps manage the
Ken Smith, president of this Kellogg ID deal- whole Internet market-
ership, size doesn’t matter. His aggressiveness
ing and sales process.”
and creative mind has helped the dealership he
Ken Smith
took over from his father grow to a $250 mil-
lion business.
Dave Smith Motors' system also has a CRM THE BOTTOM LINE
tool to help track leads. It requires site visitors
to provide extensive information before they • Dave Smith Motors developed its own technology to help sell more than 100
can submit the request, which helps get bet- extra cars a month.
ter-quality leads. Lead Rocket time and date
stamps the leads, and then turns them over • Their Web site helps them sell more than $600,000 a month in accessories
to the Internet team manager who distributes
them among the 25 dedicated Internet sales as- • Their system includes a CRM tool to capture information and stay in contact
sociates. Overflow leads go to the other sales with the customer
associates in the main showroom.
• Their Web site and marketing strategy help draw customers from as far away
as Alaska, California and Colorado
In the showroom, there is a computer on every
sales person’s desk and more than 200 comput- • Dave Smith Motors has used the Internet and CRM to help grow its operation
ers in the store. to a $250 million business
• The dealership has a team of dedicated internet sales associates to handle all
The system is very simple: Customers e-mail inbound leads
leads, and the dedicated Internet sales associ-
ates e-mail them back. In real-time, sales asso- sociates must maintain a minimum of 95 per- came about around 1992 we decided we want-
ciates can check results right on their comput- cent customer satisfaction score. Should they ed to be the dealer in the Internet field. Shortly
ers – no more running to the sales manager’s fall behind, they’re put on a 90-day proba- after we got started, we got into a dispute with
office to look at the big board. Monthly sales tion. Expecting high scores means taking care the dealers in Montana and Washington that
contests are also available for viewing through of the customer. As an intranet system, Lead tried to boycott our dealership. We won that
Lead Rocket, so associates and management Rocket lets anyone within the dealership send dispute. These dealers were afraid of the In-
can track on a per-hour basis where everyone electronic messages throughout the store. The ternet and they thought we would dominate
is at any given time. Ken Smith gives an ex- system features in-house classified ads, lists the market. At the time we started, we weren’t
ample, “This way we all know where we’re all accessory prices and phone numbers for all doing much Internet business, though, and we
headed and what we have to do to meet contest employees. weren’t sure where it would take us. But we did
objectives. The system also reminds associates know that if we could be first into it and could
of call-back times, and it can be set up so re- When the company first got started with the keep updating our Internet sites and keep on
minders pop up on the computer screen or call Internet and CRM, its approach was to sell at progressing with it, we might succeed. That’s
the associate’s cell phone or pager. So if John price lower than MSRP-plus, so it started its why we developed our own system, because at
Doe calls and says, ‘Call me tomorrow at 2:30 own pricing system. The companies had about that time there weren’t any lead-generating/fol-
and I’ll buy that truck,’ Lead Rocket pages the 10 computer programmers at one time punching low-up systems available on the market. I then
associate and reminds him, ‘It’s 2:15 and you numbers to automate pricing to give customers put in a full-out press on developing a Web site
said you’d call John Doe back at 2:30, so make an immediate, automated price. They decided and then started developing our Lead Rocket.
the call and get the sale.’” that they wanted to be ahead of the competition Today it’s a completely different system than
– ahead of the market technologically as long what we’d originally developed.”
The system also helps track CSI. All sales as- as they could. Ken says, “When the Internet
11

14. Paragon Honda/Acura Sells 214 Extra Cars Online
ParagonCars.com Helps Dealership Reach No. 1 in New Car Volume
aragon Honda has generated
more than 214 additional sales
a month by changing its mar-
keting and sales strategy.
“We adjusted our marketing
strategy to target customers on the Internet
since nearly 90 period of our buyers begin their
shopping online. More of our customers look
to the Web than TV, radio or print when re-
searching their next car purchase, and we want
to be where the majority of our customers are,”
Brian Benstock from Paragon Honda said.
The Results
Within four months of launching its new mar-
keting system, Paragon not only established a
dominant presence on the Web, it also set up
a complete customer relationship center in "Every prospect who calls or visits our dealership is offered a ‘free virtual
the dealership to handle all of the Internet and test drive’ on the vehicle they’re interested in. As a result, we get the ma-
jority of our customers' e-mail addresses whether they call, click, or come
phone leads the system was generating. As a
into our dealership.”- Brian Benstock, Paragon Honda and Acura
result, it sold an extra 106 vehicles the first
month the system was up and running and it
increased the closing ratio from 7 percent up to THE BOTTOM LINE
25 percent. Today, the system generates more
than 200 additional sales a month. • Paragon Honda used its new digital marketing strategy to increase sales
by 214 units in one month.
How did Paragon do it? • Since launching the new system, Paragon’s closing ratio went from 7
Brian Benstock explains: "We were only sell- percent to 25 percent and it became the most profitable dealer.
ing 20 cars a month online so we upgraded our
• Paragon sends all its prospects and customers multimedia virtual test
Web site but our sales didn't increase. Then we drives via e-mail.
realized we needed more than just a Web site,
so we hired a digital marketing company, which • Paragon uses bulk multi-media e-mail campaigns to drive more traffic
gave us a new site and the tools and training to
without additional advertising costs.
market it, manage the leads and implement a • Creative marketing online and offline has created more showroom,
successful strategy. As a result, we increased phone and Internet traffic while lowering the overall marketing budget.
our traffic to our showroom, phone and Internet
• Paragon’s BDC handles all Internet and phone leads. The BDC is staffed
department while reducing our cost per sale,
with phone specialists whose only job is to get appointments.
and today we're selling almost 200 extra cars
a month.”
customers' e-mail addresses whether they call, our marketing strategy. Today, we have more
click or come into our dealership.” Paragon has than 80,000 e-mail addresses which we can use
"Now, we collect e-mail addresses from our
thousands of e-mail addresses that it uses to to send campaigns for every month of the year,
customers by offering them free things that
conduct marketing campaigns. “We have hun- every season and any theme. We send inven-
they want. For example, every prospect who
dreds of pre-packaged multi-media Buzzmail tory reduction, clearance, holiday events, spe-
calls or visits our dealership is offered a ‘free
campaigns that we can send to customers with cial financing, key for key exchange and more.
virtual test drive’ on the vehicle they’re inter-
a few clicks” Benstock said. “E-mail marketing It’s a great way to generate more sales without
ested in. As a result, we get the majority of our
is the future, and we’ve made it a big part of extra cost.”
12

15. Sheehy Sells 414 Cars a Month Online
Sheehy.com Increases Leads over 300 percent in 60 Days
heehy sold an additional 414
cars in one month online.
“We shifted some of our market-
ing budget to focus on targeting
the Internet." said Roy Reutter
from Sheehy. "Customers are
changing where and how they
shop, so we are changing where we market.
Initially we relied heavily on third party pro-
viders for our leads, and after a short time, we
realized that the leads with the highest closing
ratio and lowest cost came from our own Web
site. We’ve since set up our own regional buy-
ing service, and we’re generating more traffic
and leads for our people to turn into appoint-
ments and sales. We’ve increased our numbers
by more than 600 percent and the Web has be-
come our primary source of phone traffic.”
The Idea
Once the Sheehy team realized it needed more
than a Web site and a few third party lead pro- “We appear in the first two Google results for free when
viders, it worked to build a complete strategy to customers type in “Washington DC Ford." Our competitors have
market its Web site, update the Web site, staff
its team, implement a process, establish pricing
to buy sponsored links where they pay to get a worse
and more. That was two years ago, and since position than our two free positions.” – Roy Reuetter
then it has increased its numbers by more than
600 percent and dropped its cost per sale to
about $130 per car. THE BOTTOM LINE
The Technology
• Sheehy sold 414 cars online by shifting some of its advertising.
Roy Reutter says: "We were using our DMS
provider for our Internet and CRM strategy but
• After launching the new Web site, Sheehy went from 400 to 1,350 leads in
they were not getting results because that is not
only 60 days, and today it generates more than 2,400 leads per month.
their specialty. After hiring a specialist in digital
marketing and CRM, our numbers skyrocketed • The closing ratio for the leads from Sheehy.com is three to four times
because they not only built our Web site but higher, and the cost per sale is about $130 per car.
they also did all the online marketing including
our search engine placement and multimedia e- • Sheehy.com is designed to drive phone and showroom traffic, and the
mail campaigns." Sheehy increased leads from Web site is now it's No. 1 source of phone leads.
400 to 1,350 in the first two months and have
continued to improve results. Today they are • Sheehy increased leads by 350 percent after switching from its DMS pro-
generating more than 2,400 leads a month from vider to a digital marketing company to build and market its site.
their Web site alone they’re selling more than
400 cars a month online. • Sheehy's Web site vendor positions it on search engines and helps market
the Web site online and through multimedia e-mail campaigns.
The Web site
Roy Reutter has found there are five keys to a 5. Designed to create more Internet, phone and cost per sale by using search engine optimiza-
great automotive Web site. They are: showroom traffic tion in conjunction with multi-media Buzzmail
1. Simple and easy to use campaigns. As a result, customers are landing
2. Content that the customer wants The Marketing on www.Sheehy.com rather than at the com-
3. High-impact, engaging multi-media that is Roy Reutter has said, “If you can’t generate petitors’ sites. "When customers go online to
fast to load even on a low-speed connection traffic there’s no point in having a Web site.” search for dealers in our area they find us, and
4. Automatic updating According to him, the Sheey Auto Stores have as a result we have increased our traffic and
been able to generate more traffic at a lower sales dramatically."
13

16. Dick Hannnah
Becomes No. 1 Pre-Owned eCRM Dealer by Selling 384 Extra Cars in one Month
ick Hannah, in Portland, Or.,
became the biggest pre-owned
Internet dealer in the U.S. by
rethinking its marketing strat-
egy and recognizing that there
is a lot of money to be made in
special finance online.
They’ve since learned to use the Internet to tap
into the special finance and pre-owned profit
opportunities, and today, they’re selling hun-
dreds of extra vehicles per month. Joe Orr from
the Dick Hannah organization shares how they
implemented a new marketing strategy and re-
gional buying service to become the No. 1 pre-
owned Internet dealer in the world.
The Right Marketing, People and Strategy
We re-evaluated our advertising budget and
realized we were spending more money than
ever before on mass marketing without a suf-
ficient return on investment. An increase in
“Special finance is huge on the Internet. With
television and radio stations today makes it DickSaysYes.com, we sold an additional 180 sub prime
harder to reach a large audience. The cost of
print advertising has gone up, and print ads are
units in one month alone.” Joe Orr, Dick Hannah
positioned alongside competitors’ ads which
focus on price - driving down the average gross
profit. We were spending more to get less, and THE BOTTOM LINE
it was tough to measure our return. It became
clear there had to be a better way, and Internet • DickHannah.com became the No. 1 Pre-Owned eCRM Dealer in the
was the obvious choice for targeted marketing. world and the USA's Approval Site of the Year.
The first thing we did was get the right people
in place to run our BDC and establish a strat- • DickHannah.com generates Internet leads, phone traffic and showroom
egy for building business. Next, we focused on traffic resulting in 384 incremental sales.
finding the right Web site and CRM provider.
• The leads from DickHannah.com have a higher closing ratio and lower
cost per sale.
The Right Technology
Orr is quick to point out that you need more • Dick Hannah dominates the market with its own regional buying service
than a great Web site and CRM tool; you need and sub-prime approval center at DickSaysYes.com.
to build a complete strategy for marketing, get
the right people in place, implement a process • Dick Hannah hired one vendor to set up its emarketing system, Web
and establish a pricing philosophy. He also sites, CRM tools and training.
adds: “While the right Web site won’t solve
all your problems, you won’t get far without • Dick Hannah uses e-mail marketing because it's cheap advertising with
it. We had a pretty good templated site that a high rate of return.
was recommended by our manufacturer site for the customer to get further into the process Reestablish Credit, Fast Bankruptcy Approvals
but we were not getting incremental business. and continually prompts them to fill out an ap- and other areas that speak to what’s important
After we switched to our current provider we plication online. to the sub prime audience.”
increased sales by 180 cars because they not
only built us a better site, they also provided Joe explains, “The key to building a Web site Joe’s team has learned that to set yourself apart,
all the marketing tools and training.” capable of generating sub prime leads is to you need to make it interactive, clean and user-
provide information the customer is looking friendly. Visit www.DickSaysYes.com and you
One great feature of the new site is a virtual for and a way to contact the dealership. For can even click on a link to view TV commer-
special finance department called www.Dick- example, DickSaysYes.com includes a ‘How it cials that promote the Web site and target the
SaysYes.com which provides three easy ways Works’ button that provides FAQs, Six Steps to sub prime market.
14

17. Schomp Automotive
Sells 100 Extra Cars in one Month
espect. That’s the key word
at Schomp Automotive. Re-
specting the customer starts
with selling according to the
needs of the customer and say-
ing goodbye to outdated one-
size-fits-all high-pressure sales
techniques.
“Our approach to sales is two-pronged,” Lisa
Schomp says. “We pay equal attention to pro-
viding a superb Web site where customers can
research and find exactly what they need and
to our state-of-the-art BDC that ensures our
telephone customers’ needs are met promptly
and efficiently.”
Benefits of the BDC
Implementing the BDC has increased sales,
for the most part, because it greatly enhances
follow-up by Schomp’s sales staff. Custom- “Our Web site is integral to our success; we sold over 1,000
ers are no longer slipping through the cracks.
vehicles online in 2004, and over 100 a month this year.” Lisa
Lisa Schomp explains, “We provide prompt
responses with real answers and a genuine in- Schomp
terest in the customer’s needs. The focus is
to set an appointment, and this is a true team
effort.” THE BOTTOM LINE
The Web site, the Marketing Strategy • Schomp Automotive consists of a Chevrolet, Honda, BMW and Mini fran-
and the Technology chises
“Our Web site is integral to our success; we
sold over 1,000 vehicles online in 2004, and • www.Schomp.com helped sell more than 1,000 vehicles online last year
we are selling a lot more this year. Our Web and sells more than 100 cars a month today
site provider built us a fantastic site, and they
• Schomp’s Web site generates 700 new Internet leads per month
provide search engine placement, e-mail
campaigns, our CRM tool and the training we • Schomp’s digital marketing has accelerated sales from 730 vehicles sold
need to implement everything. We use a suite to 1,001 and gaining
of powerful multimedia Buzzmails to selec-
tively target our clientele with highly interac- • Schomp has implemented e-mail promotions that sell more cars without
tive campaigns. We have had a 10 percent re- any extra expense
turn on e-mail promotions. The way we look
at it is if we broadcast 400 e-mails for free and • Schomp’s sales have increased because they have the right people using
make two sales from five minutes of typing, its digital marketing system
that medium cannot be beat. Our customers
per and radio with their Web site and e-mail fairly when they walk in the door, we’ve in-
seldom opt out since we do not overwhelm
providing the bulk of the coverage they have. creased our site leads ten-fold.”
them, and we provide them with the informa-
Lisa Schomp says, “We believe in indepen-
tion."
dence from third party lead generators and About the future of the industry, Lisa Schomp
auto brokers. We post our inventories on a says, “Know that change is inevitable, and
Schomp has implemented other new and in-
couple of services like Cars.com and Auto- don’t be afraid of it! Five years ago we had
novative marketing techniques to bring in
Trader, but we rely mainly on our own Web no idea that digital marketing would account
new customers. They have done very little
site and treating our customers the way we for so many new customers and sales. Also,
advertising over the last dozen years, and to-
would like to be treated. By using our own don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need
day, they rely on a small presence in newspa-
site to pull in leads and treating customers it.”
15

18. Christopher’s Dodge World: 138 Extra Sales in one Month
CDodge.com Increases sales and profit by using the Web and CRM to change the way America buys cars
hristopher’s Dodge World
has become one of the largest
dealerships in the country by
working to constantly improve
how it sells and serves its cus-
tomers. It is quickly becoming
known for how it is revolu-
tionizing the way cars are bought and sold in
America.
Like many dealers, Christopher’s Dodge
World noticed that more and more customers
were using the Internet to start their shopping
experience. Not only did it notice the trend,
Christopher's Dodge World rose to the chal-
lenge the Internet represents and are now
leading the way to success with their own on-
line buying service.
“Our goal is to make it quicker, easier and
less expensive for customers to get their next
vehicle. We feel that by putting the custom-
ers’ needs first, saving them time and giving
them what they want we will sell more cars, “After we switched to BZResults.com we increased
increase gross and boost customer satisfac-
tion. And you know what, it’s working” said
our sales from 20 to 138 cars a month.”
Cliff Hall, general manager. Chad Sterling, Internet director
In the year since building its online buying
service, www.CDodge.com has enabled it to
increase sales volume from 20-30 vehicles
THE BOTTOM LINE
per month to 138 sales last month. Custom-
ers who in the past may have used brokers • Christopher’s Dodge World created a new online buying service and be-
(who would then sell the leads to the dealer-
came the No. 1 Dodge eCRM Dealer in the nation.
ship) now know that they can go directly to
the CDodge.com buying service. Chad Ster-
• Christopher’s Dodge World sold 138 extra cars in one month from its
online buying service.
ling, Internet director at Christopher’s Dodge
World says, “Customers love it because they
can build any car they want or view virtu- • CDodge.com promotes all profit centers at the dealership.
ally unlimited new and pre-owned inventory
with just a couple clicks. They can also take • At CDodge.com you can build and compare vehicles, take virtual test drives,
a virtual test drive with 360 degree tours,
get financed, evaluate a trade in, schedule appointments, buy parts , etc.
view product comparisons, get financing,
view performance vehicles, check for spe-
• Christopher’s Dodge is delivering on its mission to better serve the cus-
cials, download coupons, learn about the pre-
owned certification process and the one-hour
tomer.
vehicle purchase and even book a service ap-
pointment or schedule parts.”
• Their technology vendor provides search engine marketing, online ads, Web
and CRM tools, automated follow-up, reports and in-store training.
As a result www.CDodge.com has become
the most successful online Dodge dealer in experienced massive growth instantly. After
the world. Chad attributes the success to the some pretty nice templated Web sites but our
customers wanted more and after hitting a pla- one year we increased our online sales from
following: Dealer and management support, an average of 20 vehicles a month to 138 ve-
a great marketing strategy, the right Web site teau, we realized we needed more. Although
we had a great Web site we did not get great hicles last month. The reason for the increase
and CRM tools, tight processes and a great was partly due to a better Web site that gener-
team. “We’ve signed with outside training to results, and we quickly learned we needed
more than a Web site. We hired a company ated more leads but most of the increase was
make sure that our team is skilled and able to due to the digital marketing tools we now
execute the process 100 percent.” called BZresults.com to custom build our on-
line buying service, and they gave us all the use. These include search engine marketing,
tools and training we needed to promote, man- e-mail marketing, online ads, CRM tools, au-
The Right Technology: We began with tomated follow-up and reports.
age and measure all our customer activity. We
16

19. Courtesy Chevrolet
Becomes No. 1 BDC in U.S. by Selling 384 Extra Cars in One Month
ourtesy Chevrolet’s Business
Development Center has learned
to leverage the marketing power
of the Internet and as a result, it
sold an additional 384 vehicles
out of its BDC in one month
alone. The cornerstone of Courtesy’s BDC is
its digital marketing system that allows it to
generate incremental sales out of its BDC and
drives more than half of the phone traffic to the
dealership. The BDC staff has learned to use
the Web as an incredible marketing medium,
and as a result its using the system to increase
sales, F&I and service and parts business for a
lot less money than traditional advertising. As
a result, “Our cost per sale ranges from $125 to
$200, which is a lot less than traditional adver-
tising” said Scott Gruwell of Courtesy.
The system includes a high-end custom Web
site and a prospecting/CRM tool that auto- “We increased our BDC sales from 40 to 384 cars a month.
mates most of the BDC’s contact activity. Gru- The key to our strategy was our Web site, CRM system and our
well explains, “Our new Web site increased our Internet marketing.”- Scott Gruwell, Courtesy Chevrolet
leads by more than 400 percent but it was only
one part of our new system. The system also in-
cludes the marketing tools to create traffic and THE BOTTOM LINE
the CRM tool to manage our Internet, phone
and show room opportunities so we can turn • Courtesy Chevrolet’s BDC helped sell 384 extra cars and generate $582k
in one month
leads into sales. After the first month we sold
40 units, then 75, then 150, 200 and last month
• Courtesy Chevrolet finished the year as the No. 2 Chevy dealer in the country
we sold 380.”
When asked to name the single most important • Courtesy Chevrolet was named one of the Top 10 eCRM Dealers of the
factor in launching a successful BDC, Scott Year
Gruwell, tells us, “You need to find and train
• Courtesy’s Web site and BDC took them from 40 sales to 384 sales after
the right people and give them the tools they a two-year period.
need to do their job.” Scott has found that the
right people for the BDC are those with excel- • Courtesy Chevrolet's Web site provider setup their BDC and provides
lent phone skills and a passion for customer their training
satisfaction. He tells us that the right tools will
automate much of the follow-up process and • Their cost per sale ranges from $125-$200 since installing their new system
provide the reports to manage and measure
results. He says, for example, “automation
enables our team to focus their energy on the "We conduct monthly
phone and they’re setting more appointments
multi-media e-mail
as a result.” Scott will be the first to admit that
installing a successful BDC is not a simple task, campaigns that result in
but when the BDC helps take the gross profit
25-50 sales a month."
from $84k per month to $582k per month, it’s
an effort that’s worth the investment. Scott Gruwell
17

20. Tasca Auto Group
Tasca Increases Profits and Reduces Turnover
n today’s market, dealers are ei-
100
ther thriving in a growth mode,
or struggling to stay afloat. 80
Whether you’re successfully 60
adding franchises to your dealer
40
group or tightening your belt in
20
an effort to remain competitive,
nothing will make or break a dealership’s suc- 0
cess quite like people. 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr
Employee Customer
Profitability Turnover
Satisfaction Satisfaction
Tasca Automotive has grown from a small,
family owned single-point store to a multi-
franchise auto group operating out of four lo- “We signed up with BZResults.com to implement our new digital
cations. It has grown substantially while main-
marketing and training strategy. As a result our turnover has de-
taining CSI scores that are among the highest in
creased and sales and profit have increased.” Bob Tasca III
the nation and customer loyalty above 83 per-
cent. Throughout the growth process, Tasca has
naturally needed to add people. What’s unique
is that the Tasca leadership team believes that THE BOTTOM LINE
their most important asset is their people, and
as Bob Tasca III likes to say, “We owe it to our • Tasca increased sales, profits and CSI by using the Web, CRM and train-
customers and ourselves to invest in the devel- ing to improve the customer experience at its dealership.
opment of our team.”
• Tasca hired a company to create and implement a complete strategy to
recruit, hire and train its people in all areas of their business.
But how do you move beyond the typical new-
hire training? Tasca hired an outside training • Tasca’s world class Customer Relationship Center generates an addi-
company to improve its strategy for recruit- tional 80 sales a month.
ing, hiring and training its people. Bob Tasca
III says, “We’ve been able to manage growth, • Tasca won Automotive News “Best Web site” award and has been named
increase profits and reduce turnover. We use a among the top eCRM Dealers of the year two years in a row.
recruiting, hiring and training system to ensure
• Tasca’s customer loyalty rating is above 63 percent and their CSI is
we hire the right people for the job, baptize
among the nation’s highest.
them in the Tasca way of doing business and
give them the tools and skills they need to get • Tasca Automotive invests in training its people because it's found that
off to a strong start. We build on that founda- employee satisfaction drives customer satisfaction.
tion with weekly in-house sessions and monthly
training meetings with our consultant.” Here’s
munication. ery one of our graduates is excited about their
an outline their 120 day New Hire Orientation:
career, confident with the skills and process
Part 5 - Job Training: Detailed training regard- needed to get results and eager to continue with
Part 1 - Welcome to the Tasca Family: Over-
ing job-specific activities, processes and pro- their personal and professional development.
view of the dealership’s history, vision, mission
cedures. Now that everyone is on the same page and our
and principles.
processes are generating great results, I could
Part 6 - Mentorship: Every new team member not imagine not spending the time and money
Part 2 - Welcome to the Dealership: Introduce
is assigned to a mentor who is responsible for to train our people properly.”
new hire to each department and clarify his or
guiding him or her through the first 120 days. Below is a summary of some of Tasca Univer-
her role within the entire ownership experi-
sity’s training modules:
ence.
Part 7 - Certification: The new team member Sales process
meets with manager to verify proficiency with Management and coaching
Part 3 - Dealership Tour: Working tour of ev-
each job skill as defined in the certification Phones strategy and process
ery department.
book. Internet strategy and process
Customer relationship center
Part 4 - Department Internship: Work briefly
According to Tasca, “Employee satisfaction Sold and unsold follow up
in each department to better understand cus-
drives customer satisfaction and loyalty. There- Service contact and follow up
tomer experience and interdepartmental com-
fore, the goal of orientation is to see that ev- Lease and retail renewals
18

22. sts fos ls ms sf fis
BrianTracy
sales and training solution
Planning Your Questions
Selling consists Here are some great questions for gap Good questions that grab the prospect’s
of finding the gap analysis. attention will start him or her visualizing and
between where the imagining an ideal future state, exactly the
customer is and where The first question is an application of the state that your product or service is meant
he or she could be with “magic-wand technique.” Imagine that to achieve.
what you sell. Gap you have a magic wand that you can wave
analysis is based on asking good questions — over the prospect’s situation and you ask A final key to effective selling through gap
questions focused on discovering problems this question: “Mr. or Ms. Prospect, if this analysis, is to share some of the experiences
that might be troubling the prospect. There is situation were absolutely perfect in every of people who have previously purchased
a direct correlation between the use of good respect, what would it look like?” Then your product or service. Use third-party
questioning techniques and sales success. remain silent. When the prospect begins references, testimonials and anecdotes.
The more and better questions you ask to describe that perfect situation, you’ll Say something like, “I have a very good
aimed at finding a problem or uncovering a uncover the gaps you can fill to create his or customer who had a similar situation to
dissatisfaction, the more interest the prospect her ideal future. When you explain how your yours not long ago.” Then go on to explain
will have and the more sales you will make. product or service can bridge those gaps, you how your customer was able to rectify that
The person who asks questions has control. will greatly enhance your chances of making situation in a cost-effective way by accepting
a sale. your recommendation.
Good sales people always plan the wording
of their questions, rewriting them and A great set of questions begins with the To be truly persuasive in the selling process,
practicing them before they get face-to-face words what if? For example, “What if use gap analysis. Instead of trying to
with a prospect. Poor sales people, on the we could achieve this particular result for overwhelm your prospects with reasons and
other hand, make up their questions as they you? What effect would that have on your rationales for doing what you want them
go along. situation?” to do, ask questions aimed at uncovering
their problems, needs and dissatisfactions.
Listen carefully to the answers they give
you, and ask additional questions to help
them expand on their situation. Take a few
moments to feed their answers back to them,
to show that you were really listening and
Keep your customers that you really appreciate their needs. Then
position yourself to influence and persuade
for just pennies a day. your prospects by showing them how your
product or service just happens to be the
ideal way to solve their problem, satisfy their
need, or achieve their goal.
Here are two things you can do immediately
to put these ideas into action.
Loyalty DriverTM by .
is email marketing made First, take time to write out your questions
word for word and practice them in advance
easy. Your own customized
before meeting with the customer. They are
e-newsletter with profes- too important to be left to chance.
sionally written content
and sophisticated report- Second, continually ask “What if” questions
to help open up your customer’s mind to the
ing including our unique
possibilities and benefits of what you sell.
buy signal allowing you to Listen carefully to every answer.
know when your customer
is ready to buy.
CONTACT US TODAY Brian Tracy is the chairman and CEO
at 866-964-NEWS (6397) ext.214 of Brian Tracy International. He can be
or email us at loyaltydriver@imninc.com contacted at 866.300.9881, or by e-mail at
btracy@autosuccess.biz.
20

23. sts fos ls ms sf fis
fixed operations solution
GreggTompkins
Seven Keys to Warranty
Administration Success
The automaker is your need to be looked at weekly and reviewed often look like a mini-junkyard in your parts
biggest customer in the in-depth on a monthly basis. department. The more disorganized it is, the
service department. less likely you’ll be able to find the parts
They come in as Open RO reports you need when the manufacturer requests
different customers Just like warranty schedules, open RO them back. The most common and simplest
throughout the day reports can tell you what’s going on with system is to use the tried and true 10-bin
under the guise of warranty repairs, but when your warranty claims. You wouldn’t leave system.
it comes to dollars, the automaker pays out cash lying around on a desk without
more than any other customer to your service depositing it, so why do it with warranty Good warranty administration practices
department every month. claim dollars? This report will isolate unpaid are an essential component of a well-run
warranty claims that have not yet made it to service department and profitability. Take a
To collect that money, it takes more effort the warranty schedule. look at how you measure up and make the
than just swiping a credit card or taking cash. appropriate changes if you need them. It can
That’s where having your warranty processes Manufacturer’s warranty expense reports mean money in your pocket.
on a good foundation will pay off. This is an important document for you to
review every month. The reports can give you
A good warranty administrator valuable insight into how well you’re minding
Dealerships need a strong, knowledgeable the manufacturer’s money, and that’s what
warranty administrator that can be the matters if you want to avoid an audit.
go-to person. This is the person that
will have very detailed knowledge of Parts retention and scrapping system. Gregg Tompkins is the president and a
warranty administration policies and can The most overlooked component of many consultant at Dealer Insight. He can be
usually handle answering most warranty dealerships’ warranty administration systems contacted at 866.403.7973, or by e-mail at
administration questions, as well as be is the warranty parts retention system. It can gtompkins@autosuccess.biz.
the hands-on person to deal with warranty
claims once the repair is completed.
A good service manager
A good, strong, effective and honest service
manager plays a key role in your warranty
administration success. He or she can keep
everyone focused on following the policies
1-888-Get-A-Car
outlined by the manufacturer and keep
warranty expense in line so the threat of an
&
audit is minimized and you can keep your
hard-earned money.
Proper documentation
www.getacar.com
Proper documentation will help avoid many
problems. Those problems can include: not Only One Dealer Per Market
claiming all the warranty dollars you’re due,
claims being improperly coded, claims being
Call Now for Exclusive Rights Details
held up longer for payment and claims being
debited in an audit. View TV Spots at www.getacar.com/dealers.htm
Properly documenting warranty claims must Programs Include
be part of the job description for service
advisors, technicians, management and parts Leads, TV Spots, Lenders, Advertising Assistance,
personnel. Training for your Special Finance Department,
Bankruptcy Mailer Software
Use and maintenance of schedules
Warranty receivable schedules can be a
good barometer of how effective your STOP Paying per Lead! One Flat Rate For
claims payment processes are. It takes
constant overview and maintenance to
UNLIMITED LEADS!
make warranty receivable schedules useful Get A Car, Inc.
in evaluating how things are flowing.
Joe Perot - President
Payments need to be applied immediately,
and any adjustments need to be identified email: perot@getacar.com
and corrected as soon as possible. Schedules 800.790.1212 www.getacar.com
january 2006
21

24. sts fos ls ms sf fis
DavidKain
marketing solution
Take Your Internet
Sales to the Next Level
Answer the following Lead source percentage achievable goals: to think you can go beyond and become an
question and outline • Dealer Web site generated leads = 40 industry leader. Whatever level you aim
your next level: percent of total leads for, be sure to keep it in a state of flux so
• Third party generated leads = 50 percent you can achieve and then aim even higher.
1. What level are you of total leads (for Ford and GM dealers Your dealership Internet team must feel
on today? these include FordDirect and GMBuyPower the next level is attainable or they could
leads) give up before they even start the journey.
In order to know where you want to go. you • Manufacturer generated leads = 10 percent By including your Internet team in the
need to know where you are today. The of total leads discussion to determine your next level goals
Internet is very metrics based, which makes you will have their buy-in and commitment
it the perfect dealership tool. Dealers are Number of leads you connect with to do what it takes to achieve them.
accustomed to measuring every aspect of achievable goal:
their business from their hours per R.O. • Connect rate = 55 percent of total leads. 3. Do you have the foundation in place to
to their obsolete parts inventory to their Meaning the number from whom you actually take it to the next level?
reconditioning charges on used vehicles and obtained a legitimate e-mail response or with
their aged receivables. All of these variables whom had a telephone conversation. There are several common elements in place
mix into their goal of achieving a profit, and when I see dealerships who truly have taken
they monitor these and many other metrics Number of prospects who set an it to the next level. I’ve outlined them below
each and every month. appointment achievable goal: for you to gauge your own foundation.
• Appointment rate = 40 percent of total
The following metrics need to be defined leads • Dealership commitment – Is the dealer
each month to determine your performance principal willing to commit the time, energy
level. Number of prospects who keep their and resources to grow to the next level?
a. What is the number of Internet leads appointment achievable goal:
received by e-mail and by phone? • Kept appointment rate = 30 percent of total Basic resources:
b. What are your lead sources? Dealer Web leads • Budget for leads, technology and
site, third parties, online classified? compensation
c. How many leads you are able to connect Percentage of Kept Appointment Prospect • Training for dealership management and
with and have a real dialogue? who Purchase Achievable Goal: Internet/BDC personnel
d. How many customers set appointments? • Kept appointments who purchase rate = 50 • People – behind every leading Internet
e. How many customers kept appointments? percent operation there are key people who manage
f. How many vehicles did you sell? This through adversity to stay focused and on
determines your close rate Close rate percentage of total leads target. Hire and train the right people and
g. What is your average gross per sale? achievable goal: you are almost there.
h. What is your total gross? • Close Rate = 15 percent of total leads • Leads – right sizing your leads to your
i. What did your leads cost you? Web site personnel and technology is essential to
costs, third party costs, Online classified Gross average on Internet generated sales meeting your goals
costs, technology costs, etc.? achievable goal: • Technology – an effective Web site is
j. What is your return on investment? • Average Internet gross = average showroom crucial in meeting your dealer Web site lead
gross source goal. Managing growth requires
Once you have these metrics defined you a technologically advanced CRM or lead
can pretty well determine your operating Average cost per vehicle sold via the management tool
level as long as you have some benchmarks Internet achievable goal:
to compare yourself to. Over the last several • Average cost per Internet vehicle sold = By answering these questions you can easily
years, I have learned the difference between $200 predict whether your dealership is in line
poor, average, good and great performance to take it to the next level. With so many
and want to offer the following achievable 2. What do you consider the next level people using the Internet to start the buying
goals for your use in comparing your own compared with your current performance? process you don’t really have any choice, so
Internet performance. outline the steps and start aiming for the next
The answer you provide for this question level today.
General Internet achievable goals is perhaps the most important one for your
These goals are based on the actual results dealership in attaining the next level. If
of dealerships KainAutomotive.com has your performance is below the achievable
David Kain is the automotive Internet
trained and consulted with over the past goals outlined above the next level for your training specialist at Kain Automotive Inc.
three years. The goals can and should vary dealership could be achieved by meeting He can be contacted at 800.385.0095, or
by brand, so make sure you focus on what is those outlined above. If you are already at by e-mail at dkain@autosuccess.biz, or
attainable given your individual brand. the levels described above then it is realistic visit www.kainautomotive.com.
22

26. sts fos ls ms sf fis
ChrisHanson
sales and training solution
Do You Have
a Daily Schedule
It doesn’t matter if you to do things to fully maximize your daily
sell 10 cars a month or schedule. By this, I mean each store has
25 cars, we all have different traffic trends, so ask your manager
lots of time. If fact, or start paying attention. When does it seem
when we are really most ups come into the dealership? When
busy, our daily schedule really comes in do most phone ups call in? When is the best
handy. Just like we talked about in the last time to get hold of your customers?
article, we need to set goals and then have
a plan for how we are going to accomplish Start by creating and following a daily
those goals. A daily schedule will help you schedule. Here’s an example:
accomplish them.
1. Listen to a Training CD on the way to
One of the first things to consider is your work.
continuing education. Become a student of
the business. Start the day out by listening 2. Get to work a little early and watch a
to a training CD on the way to work. Don’t training tape.
have a long enough drive to work? No
problem. Do it when you get to work. Go 3. Plan your day.
to the meeting room and listen or better yet
watch a training tape. If you want to take 4. 9 to 9:30 a.m. – Walk the inventory
things up a notch, how about listening to a
CD on the way to work and then sit down 5. 9:30 to noon, beat the phones to
and watch a training tape when you get to death! Watch for ups.
work? Then if you want to really take your
career to the next level, find a partner at 6. Five Appointments! Go for five
work that will commit to role-play with you every day. You need to make enough
every day and watch your sales go through contacts by phone each day to
the roof! How many months do sports teams generate five appointments.
practice before they play their first game? “I
want to think about it.” What are you going 7. 1 to 3 p.m. – Come back to your
to say? “Payments are too high.” What are office and hit the phones again.
you going to say? Watch for ups.
Right after you get done with your training, 8. 4 to 5:30 p.m. – Watch for ups.
it’s time to head out on the lot. I don’t care
if you have 100 cars or 1,000 cars on your 9. 5:30 to 6 p.m. – Set up the day for
lot, you need to know what your inventory tomorrow
is. Walk the lot and take note where cars
are located, colors and equipment and keep 10. Do this everyday.
a look out for new trades and new program
cars. You must know your inventory, trust Sit down today, create your daily schedule
me. Your career depends on it. Start walking and put your career on the fast track. Make
the lot and see what happens. You will be use of your time while you’re there by
more professional and you will know what having direction and a purpose for being
alternatives to offer your customer and, in there beyond your next sale. If you would
turn, you will sell more cars. Start today. like more details on developing your
schedule please feel free to e-mail me.
From here you need to go over yesterday and
see what you need to follow through with
Chris Hanson with Hibbing Chrysler can be
and also plan your day. Now you need to contacted at 800.901.2862, or by
really figure out the best times at your store e-mail at chanson@autosuccess.biz.
24

27. I don’t believe in Santa Claus, but I’m not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in
December. I don’t agree with Darwin, but I didn’t go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher
taught his theory of evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second
prayer before a football game.
So what’s the big deal? It’s not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts. They’re just
talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the Þeld and the fans
going home from the game.
But it’s a Christian prayer, some will argue.
Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. According to our
very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you
expect-somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.
If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.
And I wouldn’t be offended. It wouldn’t bother me one bit. When in Rome.
But what about the atheists? is another argument.
What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We’re not going to pass the collection plate.
Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that’s asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the
bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do.
I don’t think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world’s foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our
parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating; to pray before we go to sleep.
Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to
cease praying.
The silent majority has been silent too long. It’s time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be
heard that the vast majority don’t care what they want. It is time the majority rules! It’s time we tell them,
you don’t have to pray; you don’t have to say the pledge of allegiance; you don’t have to believe in God
or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right. But by golly, you are no
longer going to take our rights away. We are Þghting back ... and we WILL WIN!
God bless us one and all ... especially those who denounce Him. God bless America, despite all her
faults. She is still the greatest nation of all.
God bless our service men who are Þghting to protect our right to pray and worship God.
May 2006 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families
and institutions. Keep looking up.
Anonymous Author