ATAE Service Directors

1. Ryan Leslie
Director of Dealer Reputation Strategy-DealerRater
The Proof is in the Numbers
Reviews Drive Business

2. Can you give a definition of the word
RUN?

18. Agenda
Where we’ve been…
Where we are…
Where we are going

19. A quick story from NADA 2013…
…”do you do reputation management?”

20. Reputation:
: the common opinion that
people have about someone
or something : the way in
which people think of
someone or something

21. Reputation Management:
: the act or process of controlling and dealing with the common
opinion that people have about you

22. What is the “common opinion” of car
salespeople…

24. “Car salespeople have been at the
bottom of the list every year except
2011, when they tied members of
Congress with a 7% honesty rating.
Car salespeople's perceived
honesty has never climbed out of
the single-digit range in the
history of the list.”
-Gallup

25. Today’s Consumer...
75% of all in-market consumers conduct research on the internet
before walking into a dealership (JD Power)
89% of car buyers go online to verify recommendations before
purchasing a vehicle (Cone Study 2011)
4 out of 5 consumers do not move ahead with a purchase based
on negative online reviews (Cone Study 2011)
59% of auto shoppers said they feel more positive about dealers
who respond to negative comments (2013 Ford Direct study)

26. Why Promote 3rd Party Reputation?
Online Consumer
Reviews 2nd Most
Trusted Form of
Advertising

27. How are dealers using
DealerRater Certification to
help sales and service
professionals overcome this
negative perception?

28. Jeff King
General Manager
Bozard Ford, St Augustine FL
Creating a Strong but Simple Reputation Strategy
Starts with Training

29. Jeff King
General Manager
Bozard Ford, St Augustine FL
Creating a Strong but Simple Reputation Strategy
Establishes Process

30. Creating a Strong but Simple Reputation Strategy
Monitors for Mentions

31. Creating a Strong but Simple Reputation Strategy
Leverages the Positive

32. Concentrate on SERP 1
What review
sites are
consumers
finding on
Page 1?

33. Decide and Conquer
 Vast majority of Search Traffic comes from Dealer Name-
based Search.
◦ 65% of search traffic is Directory Search (Georgetown Kia)
vs.
◦ 35% of search traffic is Keyword Search (Kia Dealers,
Toronto)
***2013 Autotrader.com reported at JDPower March 2013 Conf.
Keyword Versus Directory Searches

34. Promote 3rd Party Reputation Everywhere!
• 3rd Party Breaks Down Barriers of Mistrust
•Differentiate from Competition

35. Promote 3rd Party Reputation Everywhere!
Print &
Online Ads
Service Lounge
Monitors

36. Promote 3rd Party Reputation Everywhere
Because Reviews Drives Business!
•Radio
•Television
•Online Advertising
•Print
•Billboard
Online
Print

37. Drive Individual & Dealership Awareness on Social Networks
•Socialize Reputation
•Be Top of Mind

38. • The meet and greet happens
online, NOT in the store
• Personal/Professional Bio
• Links to 3rd Party Content
Create employee buy-in

39. Create Employee Buy In
•Engage entire staff
•Recognize Top Rated Employees Weekly
•Drive Competition and Recognition

40. Promote 3rd Party Reputation Everywhere!
•Website Staff Pages
•Employee Email Signatures

41. Follow Up Email Templates/Email Signatures
•Engage Every Unsold Prospect
•Powerful 3rd Party 1st Impression

42. Building Today’s On/Offline Evidence Manual
Print Out and Promote 3rd Party
Reviews
Break down the barriers of mistrust!

43. Competition + Recognition = More Quality Appointments
“Google
Me”

44. The video I showed in the meeting was a conglomeration of the following:
How important is an online greeting?
How do you leverage reviews for competitive gain?
How do reviews support the Evidence Manual?
How do reviews help book more sales appointments?
How are reviews integrated into your dealer culture and sales process?
Do reviews really work?
Jim McGinn
Germain BMW
Naples, FL
Kurt Lytle
Universal Kia
Franklin, TN
Booking More Appointments & Breaking Down Barriers
Megan Barto
Ciocca Honda
Harrisburg, PA

46. 2012 Polk Study Background
 Polk was requested by DealerRater to conduct a study
evaluating:
1. How franchised dealership star ratings affect sales
performance
2. How various levels of participation in DealerRater’s
Certified Dealer Program affect sales performance
 Goal was to investigate assumptions about star ratings and the
Certified Dealer Program

47. Study Methodology
 DealerRater provided Polk with industry database file
(including DealerRater certified dealers and other
dealerships)
 7,784 dealers in the sample set
◦ DealerRater data elements included:
 Dealer ratings
 Certified dealer date & certification type
 Reviews
 Usage of DealerRater tools
 Jan-Sept 2012 vs. Jan-Sept 2011 & historical new vehicle
registrations to 2009

48. 12.2%
14.8%
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
16.0%
Dealers Rated 2 or Less Dealers Rated 4 or More
% Growth
Jan-Sep 2012 vs. 2011
Dealers with an average star rating of 4.0 or higher had a 21% greater
increase in sales compared to dealerships with an average star rating
of 2.0 or less
Reviews Drive Business

49.  Certified dealers averaged a 5% increase after six months and an 8%
increase after 12 months
 360Certified dealers averaged an 11% increase after six months / 19%
increase after 12 months
Certified Dealer Program
Impacts Dealer Growth
* 360Certified dealers using all
DealerRater tools
5%
8%
11%
19%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
% Growth After Certification
Certified Dealers
*360Certified Dealers

50. In other words, on average certified dealers sold 6 more cars per
month in the 12 months after joining the program
A Measurable ROI

51.  Certified dealers experienced on average a 23% greater increase in new car
sales compared to non-certified dealers.
 360Certified dealers who were fully utilizing the program tools had a 50%
greater increase in sales compared to non-certified dealers.
23%
49%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
% Greater Increase in Sales
% Growth vs. Non-Certified Dealers
Certified Dealers
*360Certified Dealers
Outpace the Average Dealer
*360CertifieddealersusingallDealerRatertools

52. Eley Duke
Duke Automotive
Suffolk, VA
Jeff King
General Manager
Bozard Ford, St Augustine FL
Note: Please click on either of these gentlemen to see the videos I referenced
during the meeting.

53. Questions?
For additional questions or information:
Ryan Leslie
Director of Dealer Reputation Strategy
800-266-9455 x 3562
Ryan@dealerrater.com
www.DealerRater.com