On The Road With Ralph Paglia - Part 1
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On The Road With Ralph Paglia - Part 1
![Introducing Ralph Paglia Part One on the Dot Com Insider.
Editor's Corner Ralph Paglia currently serves a CRM Program Consultant assigned to work with major Car Companies
Forum in North America. In this capacity, Ralph draws upon over 20 years of experience working in
Industry Insider Automotive Retail and then working with hundreds of dealers during consulting engagements where his
mission is to find ways to use the Internet and Information Technology to sell more cars and make more On The Road
Events Calendar
money. With Ralph
Resources
Head to Head
Introducing Ralph Paglia, Part One
As I begin to think about the information that would make this web column interesting, I find myself sitting in an American Airlines MD80
that is at a gate in Albuquerque. When you get on airplanes every week, after awhile you sit up front and get to watch everybody walk by as
they board the flight… I am watching the each person walk by and picking out the seasoned road warriors. You can usually tell by demeanor,
dress, luggage and accessories… The beat up looking Tumi computer case is a dead give-away. Why am I leaving New Mexico to get to
Detroit in February? To present eBusiness solutions that have been proven effective, in the real world... At real dealerships, like yours, located
throughout North America.
Imagine, if you will, that someone offers you a pile of money and plane tickets to travel all over America, so you can visit hundreds of
dealerships that are in the eBusiness of selling cars. You would be responsible for helping these dealers sell more cars and make more money
using the Internet. After a few years, do you think you might pick up a few ideas and "best practices" along the way? Interested? Well, if you
are involved with trying to get the most bangs for the buck from your dealership's Web Brand Management Strategy... Then this is the column
to keep tabs on.
When Dennis Rushing contacted me and asked about writing for his site, my initial reaction was "why?" After listening to Dennis's
goals and his vision of building a higher degree of professionalism among Internet Sales Managers throughout the automotive industry, I was
hooked. Dennis is right... The skills and knowledge that are required to be an effective Internet Sales Manager can be challenging for many
people in the car business to master. There are such a variety of marketing tools, techniques and business processes that we are all in an
ongoing learning mode.
I have had the privilege of working with some of the best ISM's in the business, and they have displayed management skills that rival any
New Car Manager, Used Car Manager, F&I Manager or GSM at any dealership, anywhere. Yeah, that's a lot to think about, and will probably
get some "no ways" from people reading this article, but I have been in this business a long time and stand by that assessment. There have been
dealerships that I have visited during consulting and training programs where the ISM had sold cars for 4 years while going to college, then
went to work for a technology company to manage their web sites… THEN, back to the dealership to convince the dealer about what could be
done using the Internet to market the dealership and sell more new and used cars. And, they were doing it… Making things happen… Selling
leads, getting the phones to wring and generating visitors to the dealership with printouts in their hands from he dealer's web site.
http://www.dotcominsider.com/authors/Archives/introtoralph1.html (1 of 3) [4/19/2003 7:39:14 PM]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ontheroadwithralph-part1-091208011202-phpapp02/85/On-The-Road-With-Ralph-Paglia-Part-1-1-320.jpg)
![Introducing Ralph Paglia Part One on the Dot Com Insider.
Let me share my vision for this column with you... As I travel around America to work with dealers of all sizes, franchises and market areas,
I will share my observations and what seems to be working and not working with the readers of this column. Many of you will be from
dealerships that I have worked with in the past, and you already know my style. No BS, find out what REALLY sells more cars and builds
better relationships and loyalty. My goal is to tell it like it is, and let you know in advance about the challenges and pitfalls… And, what
objectives you will have to achieve to get the results you want.
The first thing we need to establish is a common frame of reference, so let's talk about exactly what "Web Brand Management" is...
Reynolds Transformation Solutions (yes, the company I work for… And damned proud of it!) has developed a trademarked Internet Strategy
concept that goes by the Acronym of TIPS. It is important for my readers (you) to understand that the "Intellectual Property" represented by
TIPS is the exclusive property of Reynolds and Reynolds and you may not reprint or resell this information without written permission from
Reynolds. If you do try any funny business, there is a whole staff of lawyers just itching to make IP thieves pay… dearly. By the way, this stuff
is in our brochures, so it can't be too top secret. Here's how it works:
TIPS
T = Traffic to the dealers web site; measured by the monthly "Unique
Visitors"
I = Interactive Web Site; measured by (Leads Submitted)/(Unique
Visitors)
P = Process; measured by (Appointments Scheduled)/(Leads
Submitted)*
AND (Leads that Show Up at the Dealership)/(Appointments
Scheduled)
S = Sales; measured by (Vehicles Sold)/(Internet Prospect Showroom
Visitors)
The above supplements your Internet Sales Closing Ratio, which is: (Vehicles Sold)/(Total Leads) within the measured time period. Did
you see the *(asterisk) next to Leads Submitted? That's because there are three ways to analyze this (your process)… ONLY leads from your
web site, which can include both your factory supplied site and the independent site that your dealership owns and promotes. We should also
look at your process results for ONLY the leads from 3rd party lead providers, and an overall combination of ALL leads from all sources.
Think of it as New Car Sales, Used Car Sales and Total Sales… Speaking of which, you should also look at your P (Process Analysis) from a
New, Used and Combined perspective. It's a good thing to see the picture all three ways, and it takes about 5 minutes and a calculator if you
have the raw data.
Ralph Paglia
"The Catalyst Who Cares"
mail@ralphpaglia.com
Cell: 505-301-6369
800-221-4632 x1510
Click here to read Part Two
http://www.dotcominsider.com/authors/Archives/introtoralph1.html (2 of 3) [4/19/2003 7:39:14 PM]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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On The Road With Ralph Paglia - Part 1
- 1. Introducing Ralph Paglia Part One on the Dot Com Insider. Editor's Corner Ralph Paglia currently serves a CRM Program Consultant assigned to work with major Car Companies Forum in North America. In this capacity, Ralph draws upon over 20 years of experience working in Industry Insider Automotive Retail and then working with hundreds of dealers during consulting engagements where his mission is to find ways to use the Internet and Information Technology to sell more cars and make more On The Road Events Calendar money. With Ralph Resources Head to Head Introducing Ralph Paglia, Part One As I begin to think about the information that would make this web column interesting, I find myself sitting in an American Airlines MD80 that is at a gate in Albuquerque. When you get on airplanes every week, after awhile you sit up front and get to watch everybody walk by as they board the flight… I am watching the each person walk by and picking out the seasoned road warriors. You can usually tell by demeanor, dress, luggage and accessories… The beat up looking Tumi computer case is a dead give-away. Why am I leaving New Mexico to get to Detroit in February? To present eBusiness solutions that have been proven effective, in the real world... At real dealerships, like yours, located throughout North America. Imagine, if you will, that someone offers you a pile of money and plane tickets to travel all over America, so you can visit hundreds of dealerships that are in the eBusiness of selling cars. You would be responsible for helping these dealers sell more cars and make more money using the Internet. After a few years, do you think you might pick up a few ideas and "best practices" along the way? Interested? Well, if you are involved with trying to get the most bangs for the buck from your dealership's Web Brand Management Strategy... Then this is the column to keep tabs on. When Dennis Rushing contacted me and asked about writing for his site, my initial reaction was "why?" After listening to Dennis's goals and his vision of building a higher degree of professionalism among Internet Sales Managers throughout the automotive industry, I was hooked. Dennis is right... The skills and knowledge that are required to be an effective Internet Sales Manager can be challenging for many people in the car business to master. There are such a variety of marketing tools, techniques and business processes that we are all in an ongoing learning mode. I have had the privilege of working with some of the best ISM's in the business, and they have displayed management skills that rival any New Car Manager, Used Car Manager, F&I Manager or GSM at any dealership, anywhere. Yeah, that's a lot to think about, and will probably get some "no ways" from people reading this article, but I have been in this business a long time and stand by that assessment. There have been dealerships that I have visited during consulting and training programs where the ISM had sold cars for 4 years while going to college, then went to work for a technology company to manage their web sites… THEN, back to the dealership to convince the dealer about what could be done using the Internet to market the dealership and sell more new and used cars. And, they were doing it… Making things happen… Selling leads, getting the phones to wring and generating visitors to the dealership with printouts in their hands from he dealer's web site. http://www.dotcominsider.com/authors/Archives/introtoralph1.html (1 of 3) [4/19/2003 7:39:14 PM]
- 2. Introducing Ralph Paglia Part One on the Dot Com Insider. Let me share my vision for this column with you... As I travel around America to work with dealers of all sizes, franchises and market areas, I will share my observations and what seems to be working and not working with the readers of this column. Many of you will be from dealerships that I have worked with in the past, and you already know my style. No BS, find out what REALLY sells more cars and builds better relationships and loyalty. My goal is to tell it like it is, and let you know in advance about the challenges and pitfalls… And, what objectives you will have to achieve to get the results you want. The first thing we need to establish is a common frame of reference, so let's talk about exactly what "Web Brand Management" is... Reynolds Transformation Solutions (yes, the company I work for… And damned proud of it!) has developed a trademarked Internet Strategy concept that goes by the Acronym of TIPS. It is important for my readers (you) to understand that the "Intellectual Property" represented by TIPS is the exclusive property of Reynolds and Reynolds and you may not reprint or resell this information without written permission from Reynolds. If you do try any funny business, there is a whole staff of lawyers just itching to make IP thieves pay… dearly. By the way, this stuff is in our brochures, so it can't be too top secret. Here's how it works: TIPS T = Traffic to the dealers web site; measured by the monthly "Unique Visitors" I = Interactive Web Site; measured by (Leads Submitted)/(Unique Visitors) P = Process; measured by (Appointments Scheduled)/(Leads Submitted)* AND (Leads that Show Up at the Dealership)/(Appointments Scheduled) S = Sales; measured by (Vehicles Sold)/(Internet Prospect Showroom Visitors) The above supplements your Internet Sales Closing Ratio, which is: (Vehicles Sold)/(Total Leads) within the measured time period. Did you see the *(asterisk) next to Leads Submitted? That's because there are three ways to analyze this (your process)… ONLY leads from your web site, which can include both your factory supplied site and the independent site that your dealership owns and promotes. We should also look at your process results for ONLY the leads from 3rd party lead providers, and an overall combination of ALL leads from all sources. Think of it as New Car Sales, Used Car Sales and Total Sales… Speaking of which, you should also look at your P (Process Analysis) from a New, Used and Combined perspective. It's a good thing to see the picture all three ways, and it takes about 5 minutes and a calculator if you have the raw data. Ralph Paglia "The Catalyst Who Cares" mail@ralphpaglia.com Cell: 505-301-6369 800-221-4632 x1510 Click here to read Part Two http://www.dotcominsider.com/authors/Archives/introtoralph1.html (2 of 3) [4/19/2003 7:39:14 PM]
- 3. Introducing Ralph Paglia Part One on the Dot Com Insider. http://www.dotcominsider.com/authors/Archives/introtoralph1.html (3 of 3) [4/19/2003 7:39:14 PM]