The document discusses the 2011 seminar series that helps auto dealers turn relationships into revenue through effective equity management and CRM solutions. It introduces VehSmart, an in-vehicle communication system that enhances safety and allows dealers to locate their inventory. Additionally, it highlights the acquisition of Vinsolutions by Autotrader, aiming to create an all-in-one digital marketing solution for dealerships to integrate software solutions for better efficiency and profitability.

1. 2011
JUNE

4. TURNING YOUR indy
RELATIONSHIPS cle
INTO REVENUE. atl
bos
nyc
d.c.
min
Hundreds of dealers have discovered the value of equity lead and reputation chi
management by attending, the 2011 Nationwide Seminar Series TURNING YOUR
RELATIONSHIPS INTO REVENUE. If you were unable to join us, there's still det
opportunity to learn what so many others already have.
tam
You can still find out how to leverage your relationships and the data from dfw
customers you already own to drive significant revenue, right from your own desk!
la
Discover the untapped potential.
Call today to set up your
FREE on-site consultation.
888-502-8954
Autobase has provided auto dealers with the premier Automotive CRM since 1988. As the most experienced CRM provider in the industry,
Autobase delivers marketing and sales solutions that help nearly 80,000 auto dealers and their dealership staff tofind, market, sell,
and retain more customers, more profitably, every day. www.autobase.net

5. How about a brand new, hi-tech, impossibly easy to sell
product that sets your store apart from the competition?
How about a new high margin profit center for your F&I
department?
How about a product that prevents lost sales by
notifying you of low battery levels?
How about all this AND being able to
locate every car in inventory, at any
time, from anywhere?
Introducing VehSmart™, distributed by G&A Marketing.
What is VehSmart™?
It’s the newest and most advanced in-vehicle communication system. It combines the power
of GPS/Satellite with cellular technology, so your customers can connect with emergency
services, roadside assistance, or get live help 24/7.
VehSmart™ has more advanced safety & security features than the most popular “on-demand”
service. And it can be installed quickly and easily on any vehicle - new or used.*
Plus, VehSmart™ gives you the ability to locate every vehicle in your inventory, accessible
anytime, from anywhere.
VehSmart is a registered trademark of VehSmart Services, Inc.
For free information, details and exclusive pricing,
send an E-mail to info@gamarketing.com. Put
“Smart” in the subject line.
No purchase necessary, no obligation.
*VehSmart™ can be installed on any vehicle manufactured 1996 or after (866) 460-0539
www.gamarketing.com
OUR MISSION: To be the industry’s best at leading dealerships to achieve maximum performance through marketing, training, consulting and motivation.

6. THE #1 SALES-IMPROVEMENT MAGAZINE FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE PROFESSIONAL
AutoSuccess Magazine is published monthly at 3834 Taylorsville Rd., Building A, Ste. 1B Louisville, KY 40220; 502.588.3155, fax 502.588.3170. Direct all subscription and customer service inquiries to 877.818.6620 or info@autosuccessonline.com. Subscription rate is $69
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. AutoSuccess accepts no liability in respect of the content of any third party material appearing in this magazine or in respect of the content of any other
magazine to which this magazine may be linked from time to time. 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, 3834 Taylorsville Rd., Building A, Ste. 1B Louisville, KY 40220.
2300 Hurstbourne Village Dr, Suite 1200 Louisville Kentucky 40299 | 877.818.6620 / 502.588.3170 | AutoSuccessOnline.com / AutoSuccessPodcast.com | info@autosuccessonline.com
Susan Givens, Publisher Thomas Williams, VP & Creative Director Dave Davis, Editor & Creative Strategist Brian Ankney, Account Manager Susie Horne, Account Manager
John Warner, Sales-Improvement Strategist
sgivens1@autosuccessonline.com design@autosuccessonline.com ddavis@autosuccessonline.com super6@autosuccessonline.com shorne@autosuccessonline.com
jwarner@autosuccessonline.com
feature solution
leadership solution
marketing solution
sales & training solution
what woulD happeN iF you prioritizeD your aDvertiSiNg
h.i.c.c.u.p your way paSt competitorS oN Facebook
you’re builDiNg eQuity with Social aND reputatioN
veNDor proFile: viNSolutioNS aND autotraDer:
the ‘how-to’s’ iN proSpectiNg – aND the reSultS
DollarS oN leaDS that are eaSieSt to cloSe?
harNeSSiNg the power oF perSoNality
SaleS SucceSS iN 10 SecoNDS or leSS
how to Quickly overcome objections and move Forward
iS your DealerShip aSymptomatic?
invest in mobile and be ready for your Shoppers
are you in the Fast lane or being passed by?
the making of a Digital marketing Juggernaut
mobile ShoppiNg iS a reality
aNother braNDiNg leSSoN
maNagemeNt...areN’t you?
Stop whiNiNg about price
the pSychology oF a t.o.
the Next Direction in Digital marketing
the truth about crms...
mobility iN marketiNg
the power iS Simple:
using the Softening Strategy
For your braND
.
by DalePollak
32
30
26
10
28
16
38
20
14
22
08
18
34
24
36
markTewart
ScottJoseph
marshBuice
SusanGivens
SkipMurphy
glennPasch
mattBaker
troySpring
chadPolk
genaeGirard
Seanv.Bradley
FranTaylor
tracyMyers
peterBond
markSpringer
12
8
6
22
1
2

8. SusanGivens marketing solution
veNDor proFile:
viNSolutioNS aND autotraDer:
the making of a Digital marketing Juggernaut
Publisher’s note: Although we don’t often with too many tools that didn’t talk to each 2001 and BZResults, which ADP bought in
cover automotive sales news, in favor of other, so we built one tool that could replace 2006) and his experience and advice has been
providing sales-improvement help to our the rest” said Dullea. Dullea worked with invaluable,” said Dullea.
readers, we believed there are enough Matt Watson, one of VinSolutions’ founders
professionals in the industry affected by these and CTO, to build an “all-in-one” sales and “Mike and Matt built an extraordinary team
events that it warranted coverage. service marketing system that is DMS agnostic. with talented guys like Kendall Billman
“If you can think it, Matt and his team can and Sean Stapleton, the best salesperson in
AutoTrader continued to surprise the build it,” Dullea said. “His team releases the industry,” said Wolfington. “Dullea is a
industry when they announced they were enhancements every other Tuesday based on relentless leader who has built a fantastic team
acquiring VinSolutions, an automotive digital requests they receive directly from the users.” and Watson built an extraordinary technology
marketing company that serves manufacturers As a result, VinSolutions users help them build platform.”
and retailers. “We are thrilled to acquire a platform that includes search marketing;
VinSolutions and add it to our best-in- online advertising; social media marketing VinSolutions digital marketing system has
class portfolio of dealer software solutions tools; Websites; Internet lead management; been widely recognized in the industry.
companies,” said Chip Perry, president and CRM (customer relationship management); Recently they won the DrivingSales award for
CEO of AutoTrader.com. “VinSolutions will sales force automation; sales management their Website, Internet lead management tool
further ramp up our dealer solutions product and desking; appraisal; finance; used vehicle and their new VinLens product, a customer
suite to provide dealers with a simpler, more market pricing; inventory management and information application that lets dealers see
functional one-stop-shop solution of Internet distribution; handheld inventory marketing who is on their site and what they are looking
marketing software tools accessible by the tools; window stickers; automated video at so they can deliver custom messages and
dealer through a single sign-on tool.” tours and targeted marketing with e-mail, promotions based on what’s important to the
text, mail and telemarketing services. Their customer. VinLens also lets the dealer see
VinSolutions software tools will be offered on “Dealership Marketing System” is one of the where the customer has been before visiting
a flexible a-la-carte basis with no long-term first companies to include complete mobile the Website so they can track their advertising
contracts, and dealers’ will have the flexibility integration so dealers can access reports better. VinSolutions also took the top prize at
to work with their other software vendors, from any mobile phone that has access to the the Automotive Website Awards for building
since AutoTrader promotes open platforms and Internet, including Blackberry, Android and the most complete digital marketing system in
integration across its software solutions and iPhone. Currently VinSolutions is certified by the industry.
other dealer software tools. all major OEMs and integrates with most DMS
companies, including certified integrations Consistent with AutoTrader.com’s approach to
VinSolutions.com evolved from a start- with ADP, Reynolds and Reynolds, AutoSoft their previous acquisitions, VinSolutions will
up inventory management company to the and Arkona. VinSolutions also has alliances be a subsidiary of AutoTrader.com, and the
33rd fastest growing software company in and integrations with CARFAX, Autodata, current management team will remain intact,
the United States according to the Inc 500. RouteOne and DealerTrack, as well as vAuto led by Mike Dullea (CEO) and Matt Watson
VinSolutions took off after the company and Kelley Blue Book, both of which are also (CTO) from their headquarters in Overland
released their all-in-one dealership marketing owned by AutoTrader.” Park, Kansas. “Our team is very excited to join
system a few years ago. forces with AutoTrader.com because we are
To launch the new all-in-one dealership both passionate about helping dealers use the
VinSolutions was founded by entrepreneurs marketing system, Dullea recruited the help Internet and innovative technology to grow
who had a vision of building one solution of a few industry veterans who had a proven their business,” Dullea said. “Together we will
that tied together all the technology a dealer track record of helping other companies grow. strive to constantly improve how we serve our
needs to market their dealership online. Led by Dullea recruited Sean Stapleton as their chief dealers and how we help them attract, serve
CEO Mike Dullea, the company experienced sales officer and Kendall Billman to lead their and retain their customers.”
growth of more than 100 percent a year over Web marketing initiatives. Stapleton was the
the last few years after releasing their new EVP of sales at Who’s Calling where he helped Both AutoTrader and VinSolutions are pioneers
solution. “I was spending too much money create a new category of call monitoring and in the industry, so it will be interesting to see
with 15 different companies that did not measurement, and Billman helped develop how they can leverage all the synergies to
integrate,” said Todd Crossley from Gary Web platforms for both Third Coast Media serve their dealers better. One thing is for sure:
Crossley Ford, the No. 1 Ford retailer in the (acquired by Reynolds and Reynolds) and Neither company has a reputation of standing
Kansas City Market. “Now I have one system AutoONE Media. still for long so it will be interesting to see
that does everything, from managing my how this new partnership helps dealers and the
Internet marketing to desking to service, in one Dullea also recruited Sean Wolfington to join industry move forward.
tool that is easy for my team to use. We are VinSolution as a mentor and advisor. “We
spending less for one system that does more brought Wolfington on board because he led
than the 15 it replaced.” two of the biggest digital marketing companies Susan Givens is the publisher of AutoSuccess.
in the industry, (CyberCar and Automark, She can be contacted at 877.818.6620, or by
“Dealers were complaining about working which Reynolds and Reynolds bought in e-mail at sgivens1@autosuccessonline.com.
08 autosuccessonline.com

10. TroySpring marketing solution
aNother braNDiNg
leSSoN
Last month we talked about de-branding messages and stereotypical advertising does
a store by the actions we take and by the not always provide direct results. For example,
advertising we do when it is inconsistent with say you launch a branding campaign with the
the culture — or the desired culture — of message “Hey public, we are in business 75
the dealership. This month, let’s talk about years and we love you!” You can’t expect to
“branding” versus “direct impact” advertising. sell a car on Saturday as a direct result of this
Let me state up front as a disclaimer that I am message.
in the direct mail business and may be a little
bit biased; however, the chicken came before So, if you can find a way to advertise with
“So, if you can find a way to advertise
the egg on this one. I firmly believe what I am a direct results message that you believe
about to preach — and I practice it. is consistent with the personality of your
with a direct results message that
dealership, you will see the long-term branding you believe is consistent with the
Many times, we have to make the decision results, as well as immediate results. A perfect personality of your dealership, you
inside the monthly advertising budget between example of this is a dealership with a small will see the long-term branding results,
a direct results (or “promo”) type of campaign, “branding” message buy on the radio. You may as well as immediate results.”
or to launch a branding message campaign. as well just keep the money because there is
When it comes to this decision, remember that a dealership with a large “direct results” buy for their trade than any of your competitors.
when using direct results advertising, it does completely dominating and dwarfing your The dealers who are advertising this way will
still in fact brand you by getting your name branding message. You must tell the customer be the ones who are remembered and, after all,
out in front of the public. It will brand you as something that they care about. They really isn’t that part of what branding is?
an aggressive dealership seeking the business do not care how long you have been around Troy Spring is the president of Dealer World.
and ready to make deals. However, it does (as long as it is more than a year). What they He can be contacted at 866.906.7884, or by
not work in the opposite direction. Branding care about is that you plan to give them more e-mail at tspring@autosuccessonline.com.
10 autosuccessonline.com

12. On October 15, 2010, I sold vAuto to AutoTrader Corporation. Few addition, we now know the price point at which they are most popular. With
experiences could be more gratifying than starting a business in your this information, the dealer’s used car buy lists will begin automatically
home with an idea and seven short years later, have it acquired by an populating with those winners that meet their stocking objectives.
industry leading media giant. To be sure, the sale of vAuto was the
realization of a dream, but not the fulfillment of a mission. I needed to Along with each vehicle on the buy list will be a dollar amount that
ensure that the sale was not just good for me, but also our employees, the dealer can justify paying for the vehicle. This amount will be
dealers and AutoTrader. Therefore, how everyone would win was a automatically calculated by subtracting from the optimal selling price, the
question that needed a clear answer. dealers profit objective, average reconditioning costs and transportation.
Fulfilling the mission Next, the system will automatically search the vast network of Manheim
For many years, I recognized an opportunity in the fact that Cox auctions to determine the location at which such vehicles will be sold in
Enterprises owned both AutoTrader.com and Manheim auctions, the the coming days. Once these auctions are identified, they’ll be ranked
preeminent retail and wholesale automotive marketplaces. In spite of their by the likelihood of being able to purchase the vehicle at or below the
common ownership, these two giants were run independently, and largely target amount. This ranking will be determined based on the prices of the
without strategic connection. To me, this appeared to be the greatest of all most recent identical vehicles sold at each location. Once the matches
opportunities for everyone. are found, a dealership representative will be notified with a request
for approval. The dealership representative can specify the minimal
Recognizing an opportunity and acting upon it, however, are two different acceptable condition grade and, with a single click, a proxy bid will be
things. The recognition of the opportunity was the justification for the submitted on their behalf. When the target vehicle is acquired, it will be
sale, what is ultimately to be unveiled will be its fulfillment. Therefore, immediately transported and instantly posted on the Internet with a price,
mapping a strategy was one of the first priorities to fulfill the promise photos and a complete description.
to the industry. To do so required a thoughtful analysis of both today’s
and tomorrow’s industry challenges. What follows is an overview of a New competitive edge
and insights to my thoughts about the future of the business, dealers and Traditionally, dealers have made profits by using strategies and tactics
technology solutions. to maximize transactional gross profits of new and used vehicles. Today,
a New Day however, it is both the wholesale and retail markets that largely determine
As the domestic auto manufacturers return to profitability and the transaction profit, rather than the persuasion of talented sales people.
employment rebounds, the optimism of the American automobile dealer Progressive dealers who have recognized this new reality have found
returns. Evidence of renewed confidence can be seen in growing numbers success in improved profitability with focus on velocity, rather than large
of dealership renovations, inventory expansion and dealer’s lifestyle gross margins. Although it has been extraordinarily difficult for dealers to
enhancements. To many, the current outlook appears to be a long- adopt this new strategy, it has proven to be effective.
anticipated rebound from the trough of an unusually harsh but all-too-
familiar industry cycle. The American car dealer has seen it all before and Dealers who joined the competitive price bandwagon early enjoyed
has once again persevered and emerged triumphant. success at the expense of their traditional higher-priced counterparts. Now
that more dealers are pricing aggressively, the challenge is to find the
With a broader perspective however, there are many new realities and next competitive edge. The good news is that there are new advantages
unfamiliar challenges awaiting dealers. One such new reality is a margin- to be found; however, they may not be easy for many dealers to adopt.
compressed used car market. With shortages of used cars and historically One such opportunity for competitive advantage is to modify the
high wholesale prices, dealers have found the sourcing of used vehicles at organizational structure and business process of the dealership to create
reasonable prices to be a complex task. higher efficiency and greater profitability. This is presently being achieved
at many dealerships by transitioning to little- or no-negotiation sales.
a New way These dealerships are able to employ fewer managers as well as lower-
As a result of the AutoTrader acquisition, vAuto will soon introduce a new priced and easier-to-find sales consultants. Some of these dealerships
game-changing solution for the sourcing, stocking and merchandising have even eliminated the expense of dedicated F&I personnel, as they’ve
of used vehicles. The new solution begins with the recognition that split this responsibility between sales consultants and the few remaining
AutoTrader.com is a giant voting machine. Millions of cars on this site are supervising managers. The results are a lower cost of sales, faster
voted on every day by car shoppers using their mouse. With the ability to transaction time and improved customer and employee satisfaction.
tabulate the votes on a weekly basis in each market, the winners can now
be declared — those cars that are most sought after by used car shoppers. In Key to the transition to little- or no-negotiation sales is an understanding

13. that documentation must replace negotiation. Systems like vAuto’s in favor of corporate consolidated enterprises. Many of these enterprises
RealDeal provide salespeople and consumers the ability to arrive will continue to be controlled by families, but operated in accordance
at consensus by documenting the prices of all identically equipped with standards of corporate governance and efficient markets.
competing vehicles in the market. In such cases, the dealer’s vehicle
does not need to be the lowest price, but rather the dealership only needs conclusion
to credibly demonstrate why lower-priced vehicles are not of the same While there continues to be great opportunity in the American automobile
value. The differences are automatically identified by mileage, equipment, industry, today’s dealers and solution providers must recognize that the
condition, number of previous owners, accident history and the selling emergence from the most recent sales cycle slump comes with a host of
dealer’s service and warranties. The result of using RealDeal is that new realities and challenges. The mission of AutoTrader, vAuto and its
both salespeople and shoppers derive satisfaction while the dealership growing collection of subsidiaries is to anticipate and meet the needs of
maintains the gross profit that it anticipated when the vehicle was priced. dealers in both the present and future. The mantra within the AutoTrader,
In fact, most dealerships today using the RealDeal system are negotiating vAuto and other subsidiary companies is to place the dealer’s interests
less than $200 per vehicle from their original asking price. first and create value for the company by anticipating and fulfilling
dealer’s needs.
Another opportunity for competitive advantage is a restructuring of
the dealership facility. Today, vehicle shopping occurs more in the Since the AutoTrader acquisition six months ago, I’ve been inspired by
virtual than physical realm. Large, expensive, high-profile facilities the aggressiveness, intelligence and competency of the management
are luxuries that most dealerships can no longer afford. Dealerships team. I’m also impressed by the genuine dedication of the field team to
of the future should be located in desirable and accessible commercial serve the interests of dealers and transform their roles into ones of trusted
areas, but not at the proverbial corner of Main and Grand. These new advisors. While there is still much work to be done, I am part of a team
dealerships should be positioned on one-and-a-half acre plots and be built that is positioned to be an industry leader of marketing, merchandising
vertically. The ground floor should be a modern corporate-compliant and sales solutions. With strategic vision, professional management and
showroom with an open-air parking structure above. Such structures financial strength, I am confident that our mission will be fulfilled. As
are low cost, relatively maintenance free and, with proper lighting, can said by Charles Darwin, “the future belongs not to the strongest, nor the
accommodate customer parking as well as new and used car display. smartest, but the ones most ready to adapt.”
Similarly, it is not economically efficient to perform mechanical repairs
on the most expensive real estate in the community. Service and parts Dale Pollak is the founder of vAuto and a best-selling author.
need to be located off-site in lower-cost commercial or industrial parks. He can be contacted at 866.274.1226, or by e-mail
These locations need only be accessible, safe and clean. Perhaps like- at dpollak@autosuccessonline.com.
minded dealerships will ultimately create service center parks as their
predecessors did decades earlier with their sales facilities.
Because it’s difficult for dealers to extricate themselves from present land
and buildings, this transition will require cooperation and partnership
among the dealer, their OEM and municipality; all three are key
stakeholders in the dealership’s continued viability.
the New breed of buyers
Another new reality facing dealers and one that also supports the physical
restructuring of the dealership is the fact that Gen Y buyers prefer less
human interaction in the car-buying process. With shrinking margins
and technological advances, progressive dealers are beginning to invest
in systems to facilitate true e-commerce automotive sales transactions.
Today, buyers can already research vehicles online, find them in dealer’s
inventory, get a price, dispose of the trade in and arrange financing
without ever visiting a dealership. Meeting the sales-process desires of the
Gen Y buyers while reducing selling costs through the use of technology
is, therefore, inevitable.
the New breed of Dealers
Scale and centralization of operations will also become a priority
for profitability in the years to come. The fact is that one CFO, one
operations manager and one used car director can and should perform
management oversight across multiple locations. Shrinking margins
and higher costs make it increasingly difficult to support profitability
with a self-contained operation under one roof. Such advantages will
become available to organizations that scale locally and/or regionally
as opposed to those with a national footprint but without geographic
concentration.
Further, single log-on technology systems will be used to facilitate
mission-critical functions across the enterprise. It will no longer be
cost effective or operationally efficient to support separate systems
at multiple locations. CRM, desking, new and used vehicle
inventory management and similar systems must be standardized
across all locations. Future dealerships will be more like sales
outlets rather than self-contained dealership operations.
The landscape of family-owned single dealerships will dissipate

14. ScottJoseph sales & training solution
what woulD happeN iF you
prioritizeD your aDvertiSiNg
DollarS oN leaDS that are
eaSieSt to cloSe?
There are a lot of options when choosing how Are you better off investing into third-party sure these types of leads are handled correctly?
to invest your advertising budget. Normally, leads that are distributed to dealers all over
you may think of dividing your budget town, or investing in pull-ahead programs Perhaps the most amazing benefit to this type
across channels such as TV, Internet, radio, right out of your own customer database? If of innovation is what can be done through
newspaper, direct mail, e-mail, social media, your goal is to sell more vehicles, what is the the Service Department. Imagine these same
etc. Why not look at it a different way? Why easiest way to get there? Are you going to have calculations being run every business day with
not put the priority on attracting leads that you a higher closing percentage with a third-party your dealership’s new service appointments,
have the highest probability to close? In other lead or a previous customer who can actually thereby matching your appointment customers
words, what if you divided your advertising upgrade his or her vehicle for no money down to vehicles currently in your inventory.
budget based on referrals, previous customers and actually lower his or her payment?
and conquest (new) business? If you prioritized Today, the tools to sell a vehicle have never
your ad spend based on the closing percentages With today’s innovations, dealers have more been more innovative. Are you prioritizing
of these segments, how would your advertising tools at their disposal than ever before. Like your advertising dollars in systems and
budget look different? anything, you’re only going to get what you processes that create the type of lead you have
put into a program. With used cars in demand, a better chance of actually closing?
There are multiple channels to target each of how important is it for you to acquire more
these segments. With referrals and previous trade-ins from your previous customers? How would I prioritize a budget? I would
customers you can use e-mail, direct mail, prioritize these segments in this order (of
the telephone, social media and texting, and Imagine marrying your dealership’s customer course only you can choose which programs
you can combine these with micro-sites. With database and vehicle inventory with current and channels work best per segment for your
conquest or new business, you have options manufacturer incentives and the specific profit store and personnel):
such as third-party leads, TV, radio, newspaper, level you would like to achieve. Then complex 1. Referrals (you must have a good referral
Internet, direct mail and e-mail (assuming your algorithms generate a list, pairing customers program and process)
prospects have opted in). So, out of all these with the vehicles in inventory that they are 2. Previous customer offers (both sales and
opportunities, which will give you the greatest eligible to trade into for lower payments. Using service)
return on your investment? the Black Book value of the customer’s current 3. Conquest
vehicle and his or her current payment and
Last month, I wrote an article on setting up a financing information, the customer is matched I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
referral process. Without question, referrals with a new or upgraded vehicle with no cash
will give you the greatest return, but you can’t down and often a lower monthly payment. Is
survive on referrals alone. So, based on your this lead easier to close compared to a third- Scott Joseph is the president of J&L
advertising budget, where do you invest most party lead? How much do you invest in a Marketing, Inc. He can be contacted at
of your money, and is it prioritized based on program like this compared to third-party leads? 888.835.1689, or by e-mail at
what gives you the greatest return? How much do you work with your staff to make sjoseph@autosuccessonline.com.
14 autosuccessonline.com

15. More Visibility.
More Clicks.
More Sales.
Increase your visibility with effective Pay-Per-Click
campaigns by optimizing your exposure to online
car shoppers. Our Search and Analytics team
takes a personalized approach to developing your
campaigns producing more clicks and traffic to
your website…all designed to bring you more sales.
to learn more, Call today at
877-834-2030
You can also scan the QR code below, or visit us
directly at www.dealerskins.com/auto-success
Connect with us:

16. MarkSpringer marketing solution
you’re builDiNg eQuity with
Social aND reputatioN
maNagemeNt...areN’t you?
Trying to find time to get the important things to your business and look for creative ways to technology and Website vendors are building
done along with selling cars and making a tie your audience to your brand and showroom applications designed to help dealers effectively
living is hard enough. For today’s dealership floor, such as having your used car manager and proactively manage social and online
personnel, adding social and reputation tweet about a hot trade in you just appraised. reputation. You can, however, manage this via
management to the daily work plan seems free apps on your smart phone, or with free
ludicrous. Who has time for that? The result is more business now. More browser plug-ins or for free in the back end
importantly, it cultivates more followers, fans of these social sites. Most important, these
This article is for those who are trying to find and engagement, equaling more social activity. applications may not answer the big questions
answers to those big questions surrounding asked earlier in this article.
social and reputation management: “How can reputation management
being proactive with social and reputation There are a number of techniques for managing Our advice to dealers reading this and looking
management actually result in a better bottom your dealership’s reputation online. Examples to answer those questions is to seek out an
line? ” and “If I invest the time, effort and include monitoring popular forums or blogs application that does indeed allow you to
resources to manage my online reputation and related to your brand or dealership name, more effectively and proactively manage both
social assets, how can I actually build tangible subscribing to RSS feeds that funnel up-to-the- social and online reputation, but one that also
equity in my business?” minute information via e-mail or a Web browser is architected in a way that delivers equity
and tracking your brand or dealership’s “buzz” that you can actually see and results that are
There are a few obvious intangibles. Being online with technology such as Google Alerts. tangible. Find a SRMS (social and reputation
courteous and responsive is good. Being positive management system) that harnesses your efforts
and talking up your brand and your dealership is By far, the method of reputation management and hard work, and delivers that content directly
smart. But aren’t these things we do naturally as that is given the most credence, and the one we to search results in the form of indexed pages in
salespeople when the opportunity arises? I am will pay close attention to, are online reviews. a slew of geo- and brand-search markets.
not talking about these obvious intangibles. I am As you know, Google has changed the way our
referring to tangibles that result in more sales, potential clients enter our digital dealerships by Imagine you are a Lexington, Kentucky Ford
higher profits and repeat customers. I want to providing an additional layer of consideration dealer. A local consumer searches for a Ford
offer a few tips on how to turn your social and for the consumer prior to the click through. F-150 near Lexington, Kentucky, and Google’s
reputation management into tangible equity for With a tug on the subconscious of the consumer, first page is saturated with positive reviews
your dealership. Google now displays those little yellow stars or Facebook posts left by your dealership’s
as a snap shot of your reputation right next to loyal customers — and you have 237 reviews
While reading this, remember a couple the link to your Website in search results. Most averaging 4.7 of those little yellow stars at the
important things: dealers are now scrambling to address this new same time. Wouldn’t that be great?
• Everything you do online should be centered reality with internal procedures to solicit new
around SEO. and consistent positive reviews from the happy bottom line
• With SEO, original content is king. customers hoping to offset and strengthen If your social and reputation management
their mediocre averages brought down by the investment does not yield tangible equity, it may
Social management previously buried reviews from upset customers. be time to adjust some priorities. Get engaged,
If you do not already have them, get your be proactive and make certain you are not
dealership clean, professional Twitter and If you are not taking this action, do it now. over-paying for SRMS applications that deliver
Facebook business pages created. Promote them Compiling positive reviews at every turn. Offer zero equity for their investment. In today’s car
aggressively. Run promotions to increase your discounts and promotions in exchange for business, it’s all about finding efficient, revenue-
fans and followers every chance you get. Do reviews for your dealership. Do it with urgency. positive ways to increase the bottom line.
this first and do it right away (Sounds obvious
right? Stay with me here because we are setting Seo If I can help you by answering questions or
the table for the tangible equity part). The importance of all of this is the content, providing additional information on how to
which you can leverage for high-powered SEO. turn your dealership’s social and reputation
Here is the hard part with social: You actually If a consumer writes a 200- to 500-word review management efforts into tangible equity, please
have to be social. or post about your dealership, the brand you contact me with the information below.
sell or the specific model they purchased, good Mark Springer is the president and COO
Download some apps on your smartphone. Set or bad, isn’t that 200 to 500 words of keyword- of BluSolutions Dealer Websites &
some alerts. Get engaged socially. And yes, dense content served up on a platter for you? Automotive SEO. He can be contacted
answer every question, reply to every comment, at 866.835.0921, or by e-mail at
and get involved in every conversation relevant Here’s the tangible equity part: Some automotive mspringer@autosuccessonline.com.
16 autosuccessonline.com

18. SkipMurphy marketing solution
the power iS Simple:
the Next Direction in Digital marketing
One thing most used vehicle and Internet through the online vehicle merchandising and Internet managers the ability to update vehicle
managers don’t want or need in their lives sales processes. inventory descriptions and prices any time of
is complication. The industry has equipped the day or night — across most of the online
dealers with all kinds of technologies designed Not only is all this effort time consuming for sites in which you list inventory — so they can
to make these managers’ lives easier, but has already-busy Internet managers and staff, be sure to have the freshest, most appealing
that been the true outcome? but the effort often results in less-than-ideal online inventory possible.
online vehicle presentations prone to listing
For example, the industry has given them tools and pricing confusion, out-of-date listings and killer apps to Sell more cars
of all kinds to help them merchandise vehicles prices and other errors. Seamless integration of your key digital
online and respond to Internet leads originating marketing components — your Website, CRM
from those online showrooms. As useful as If you want to sell more cars on-line, your and online inventory management software —
these technologies can be, they can require online listings must be compelling, current and means comprehensive digital marketing results
more staff effort than should be necessary. consistently merchandised across all online from one source.
sites in which you list inventory, especially
In fact, dealing with various systems for listing the dealership Website — potentially the In addition, other exciting online marketing
and managing online inventory, comparing dealership’s most powerful inventory sales tool. apps will make it a cinch for dealers to
online prices with competitors’ and driving build powerful and affordable online selling
shoppers to the dealership Website inventory Furthermore, all this activity must be as juggernauts. Some of these exciting apps
pages — the most “ready to buy” end of the automated and hands-off as possible so staff include those that deliver:
sales funnel — can be frustrating. can concentrate on closing leads — not on
merchandising inventory. Improved lead processing: Leads from
It can be frustrating because orchestrating all third-party sites, craigslist and the dealership
these disconnected processes requires work. Most online buyers visit a dealership Website Website will now flow directly into the CRM,
when they’re close to making a final vehicle
It requires staff to log into each system and so leads don’t drop through the cracks and
and dealership decision. Nothing will send
then flip from one screen to the other to move so you then convert more of your digital
them scurrying marketing investment into vehicle sales.
off your Website
faster than Website Improved vehicle listings: Solutions that help
inventory that’s you create and manage the most compelling
Introducing – Your Buyers. presented, described and comprehensive vehicle inventory listings
and/or priced and descriptions on the Internet.
differently from
IMN Spotlight™ reports enable you to create the other listing Improved vehicle merchandising: Enriched
lists of your most engaged subscribers sites where your online content to attract more eyeballs and sell
and target those ready to buy dealership also lists your listings. These tools include human voice-
from your dealership. inventory. over video, ad writer and custom comment
Ready to sell? generators, YouTube and craigslist easy listing
a Digital leap tools and direct-to-auction (OpenLane and
Forward Smart Auction) tools.
Apps are currently
being developed in Improved dynamic content: New tools will
the marketplace, upload “live” walk-around videos to YouTube
however, that will and to the dealership’s inventory pages, as well
soon make possible as to sites like AutoTrader, Cars.com and many
multiple, real-time other sites.
daily data extraction,
compilation Improved social media tools: Jumpstart and
and distribution ensure ongoing involvement in your Facebook
from your dealer and Twitter efforts.
Drive customers in for sales, for life. management system
to your dealership’s These are exciting times in auto retail digital
Visit www.loyaltydriver.com Website inventory, marketing. The “power of simple” — integrated
key online car- CRM, Web and inventory management — is
shopping sites and simplifying how easy it is to use and benefit
Innovative Enewsletter Solutions
the resulting leads from modern online inventory sales and
loyaltydriver.com | 1-800-818-4071 right into your management tools, while improving how dealers
CRM. capture, merchandise and sell vehicles online.
This new integration Skip Murphy is sales director with Trinity Suite.
technology will He can be contacted at 866.295.9491, or by
give used car and e-mail at smurphy@autosuccessonline.com.
18 autosuccessonline.com
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20. TracyMyers marketing solution
harNeSSiNg the
power oF perSoNality
For your braND
Last month, I shared with you that the fastest, advice. So, you’ve got to let them in. old, but I actually started to live my dream
best and easiest way of creating a successful, pretty quickly. When I was eight, my brother
highly profitable business or career in the And yes, that does mean you need to show and I got a couple of the neighborhood kids
automotive industry was to position yourself as them your quirks and idiosyncrasies. together to put on a play in my backyard. We
a celebrity expert. practiced every day for two weeks after school.
Now, there may be things you don’t want to
Over the next few issues, I’m going to share get into — such as politics and religion — but I made posters by hand advertising the
the key steps and strategies you need to follow you should be aware that the more polarizing play — remember, this was before PCs, and
in order to build a powerful celebrity expert you are, the more magnetic you will become to there was no Kinko’s. We made copies using
brand. If you follow these steps, you’ll stand those who are like you. carbon paper and put them in the neighbors’
out way ahead of your competition. mailboxes.
polarizing for Success
However, in this section, I want to share one The more you let people know who you really We didn’t charge admission, but I did pass
secret that will take you to a completely new are, the more they’ll either see themselves in the plate. We may not have had an audience
level. That secret is the power of your own you or they’ll see they’re not like you. of thousands, but I did manage to get $55 in
personality. donations —that’s not too bad when you’re
So, it’s also true that the more polarizing you only eight.
Overcoming the dull, corporate approach are, the more you’ll push some people away. But
every day in my work, I meet people who have the benefit of that is that the people who identify I gave my two friends and my brother $5 each,
amazing personalities. Then I go and check out with you will be even more attracted to you. which left me a hefty profit of $40.
their blogs, their articles, videos and books —
any of the ways they represent themselves in You can probably think of personalities right So, I was lucky enough to learn three very
their business world. I often discover that they now — whether in business or in entertainment important lessons early on in life:
are totally flat and stale — they have a dull, — that you cannot stand. You just can’t figure • I loved being on a stage in front of people.
corporate feeling. out how they have such a big following. Well, I loved the applause, the accolades and the
it’s because of this rule. There are people who celebrity! (The money wasn’t bad either!)
I have to tell you that if you truly want to be feel like them, and the more polarizing they
the celebrity expert in your market, you have are, the more they’re drawn to them. • Marketing something — in fact, anything —
to do the exact opposite. This dull, corporate came naturally to me.
approach is not what your clients and prospects I’m going to show you exactly how to position
want. They want to know who you really are. yourself so that the right potential customers • If you were creative and didn’t mind a little
The fact is that we connect best with people we are attracted to you. But let me start by sharing hard work, you didn’t have to spend a lot of
can relate to; who are like us in some way — a little about me and how I started my journey. money marketing to get great results.
whether it’s the way they think, their lifestyle,
their age, their background...whatever. my celebrity expert I’ve learned lots of valuable lessons that I’m
branding Story - part 1 going to share with you over the next few
So, if you want to build your celebrity expert My story dates back more than 82 years — and issues, plus, next month, I’ll teach you the
brand, your expertise has to align with your no, I’m not that old! That’s when my great- secrets of matching your expertise to your
personality and who you’re trying to connect grandfather opened the first Frank Myers store. perfect market.
with. This may seem scary at first, but you And, to most people, it seemed obvious that I
have to let people in on who you truly are. would follow in the family footsteps.
You’ve probably heard it said that success is However, I had other plans. I wanted no part
10 percent what you know and 90 percent the of the car business. I wanted to be in the
rest. I’m not sure if these numbers are correct, entertainment industry. From the age of five or Tracy Myers, C.M.D. is a noted small
business marketing and branding solutions
but I am sure the message is spot-on. In short, six, I only wanted to be a rock star, radio DJ, specialist, best-selling author, speaker, car
people have to know you before they’ll listen or an actor. dealership owner and entrepreneur. He can
to you. If they don’t know who you are, then be contacted at 866.860.0029, or by e-mail at
they don’t know if they should take your I guess that’s not too unusual for a five-year- tmyers@autosuccessonline.com.
20 autosuccessonline.com

22. MattBaker sales & training solution
SaleS SucceSS iN 10
SecoNDS or leSS
how to Quickly overcome objections and move Forward using the Softening Strategy
What can be accomplished in only 10 seconds? down, a mutual understanding is established would you like me to ask you? What is
If you’re in sales, a 10-second segment of your and rapport is initiated. Softening strategy important to you?”
process can determine whether you close the offers a non-combative approach to addressing
deal, end the conversation or at least keep the customer concerns. Like this example illustrates, the goal is to get
process going. How is that possible? You’re the customer comfortable with entering the next
about to find out. the Softening Strategy practice stage of the process. The customer respects your
If you are currently or have ever been in a ability to acknowledge and align with them,
This article is focused on the five to 10 relationship you know what can happen when which opens the door for you to interject your
seconds of a sales process that is most the two of you don’t see eye to eye. Let’s say opinions and advice. Letting the customer make
important — the point of initiating trust and your mate is dealing with a dilemma, and you the final decision to move forward puts the ball
rapport with your customer. For those who happen to have the world’s best advice. If that in their court. They feel in control.
may be confused, let me explain. Establishing advice isn’t presented in just the right way, you
customer trust and rapport is an ongoing and your advice won’t be taken seriously, or the importance of tone
effort. However, initiating it (and even will result in an argument. On many occasions, sales requires a knack
nurturing it) requires only a few seconds for acting. The ability to align with or
of salesperson compassion in response to In the sales world, this scenario happens acknowledge something you don’t agree with
customer objections. I call this the softening between salespeople and customers every day. isn’t an easy feat. Whether you’re able to
strategy. Depending on the nature of your All too often, salespeople counter customer pull it off or not is very much dependent on
business or your customer, this five- to objections by responding with a statement like, your tone. Those less experienced with the
10-second act of empathy may take place “Yeah, but…,” or “You should….” You can fill softening strategy can often come across as
once, or may need to be repeated multiple in the blanks with whatever reason you like. condescending. That’s not a good thing when
times over the course of the sale. Yet despite Unfortunately it will never take away from the looking to build a relationship.
this fact, the reward you stand to receive is fact that this statement is argumentative. Arguing
well worth the wait. with your customers will not make them like You want to always appear sincere. Radiating
you, and people buy from people they like. sincerity in non-sincere situations, however,
Selling doesn’t truly begin until customers often requires a lot of practice. Don’t be afraid
start objecting. Although customer objections Softening strategy helps you prove your point to test your abilities out in conversations with
are often feared by veteran salespeople and without being confrontational. The steps are people who are not prospects — for example, a
green peas alike, they present an opportunity to easy: waiter/waitress, your spouse, friends or family.
establish a relationship that will result in a sale. 1. Acknowledge the customer’s concern Just like movie stars continuously work to
One of the most common mistakes salespeople 2. Align with their position (even if you don’t improve their acting ability, so should you.
make is that they talk about themselves or their agree) If your tone isn’t perfected, your chance for
product as means to build rapport. Trying to 3. Coax them into hearing your side of the success dwindles greatly.
impress your prospects with personal feats will story and let them choose what your next
not help you get paid. The more the prospect steps will be There are literally hundreds of ways this
feels involved in the conversation (meaning the strategy can apply to car sales scenarios. If you
more the prospect talks) the stronger rapport and Here’s how this strategy might play out in a car are interested in learning additional softening
the greater the sales. The softening strategy is sales scenario: strategy word tracks and reading more role
one of many tricks to get the prospect talking. Customer: “I’m just looking today.” play scenarios utilizing this technique, please
Salesperson: “I understand.” (This is where request G&A’s Guide to Improving Sales
the purpose of Softening Strategy the salesperson acknowledges the customers Talent: Softening Strategy by sending me an
Ever hoped the next customer you approach concern.) e-mail with the subject line “SOFT.”
won’t express any objections? Chances are you Salesperson: “I hear that a lot, and it’s OK.”
have. After all, who wouldn’t love to just take (This is where the salesperson aligns with the Matt Baker is the vice president of sales for
orders? The reality of the situation, though, customer’s position.) G&A Marketing. He can be contacted at
is that customers do have objections. And in Salesperson: “Let’s pretend you were 866.618.8248, or by e-mail at
the automotive sales world, they tend to have considering doing something, what would mbaker@autosuccessonline.com.
a lot. When customers vent their opposition, be the most important things about a vehicle
don’t get defensive. Understand that customer that you need to know?” (Do not use the
objections are not personal attacks against you. word “buy” in place of the phrase, “doing
something.” It can trigger customer defenses.)
There are two sides to every story and
somewhere in the middle is the truth. Your goal OR
as a salesperson is to find that story in between
the lines. This is where softening strategy Salesperson: “I know you’re not going to
comes into play. Instead of defending yourself buy today. However since you are here, let’s
or your product, softening strategy takes the pretend you were. What kind of questions
pressure out of customer objections by using
acknowledgement, alignment and coaxing “Selling doesn’t truly
to move the process forward. When both the begin until customers
customer and the salesperson put their guards
start objecting.”
22 autosuccessonline.com

24. PeterBond marketing solution
mobility iN
digital world. Why do people text instead of
call? Why do people listen to commercial-free
radio or use digital TV recorders? The answer is
simple: They demand to control more and more
marketiNg
are you in the Fast lane or being passed by?
the types of messages they receive and when
and where they receive it. It has been said that
in the future the consumer may no longer have
to seek out the products and services they need
One simple truth can be said about the automotive industry, and that is the old proverb that “the and want; the products and services they need
only constant is change.” Auto dealers everywhere have weathered the economic tides of change and want will find them. Marketing strategies
as much as any U.S. industry to date. will not be about traditional resources, but rather
who can best provide the consumer with control
Just as new technologies can advance product lines, makes and models, consumer’s expectations over that marketing vehicle in order to deliver
evolve with regards to relevant and timely marketing and branding messages or content. their message.
The consumer today is in more control than ever before over what they hear, see and feel in the
The cyclical world of marketing can be directly
linked to time periods that introduced the next
great “disruptive technology.” Where the 80’s,
90’s, and the first decade of the 21st century
can be indexed by new digital solutions
made available by the Internet (Websites,
e-commerce, e-mail, pay per click, social
media, etc.), the arrival of mobile platforms to
deliver rich media content will lead the field
for the next decade and beyond.
The value proposition of mobile from a
marketing standpoint could be argued in the
past, but the argument no longer holds water
thanks to tech giants Apple, Google and
Microsoft advancing their mobile agendas at
freakish speeds. The research group IDC found
that in the last quarter of 2010, smartphones
surpassed global PC shipments for the first time
ever — a trend that looks to widen the gap with
the current iPad and tablet craze.
As an owner, manager or director of an
organization or department, we are often
overwhelmed by the process of vetting out the
“right” marketing idea or solution. Throw in
a tool that involves something new involving
technology and it becomes easy to table that
discussion until a time when our brains are
better rested.
It’s worth the time and effort to stay abreast
of the state of mobile technology, though,
both through education and by seeking out
technology that can help you simplify and
consolidate your digital marketing efforts.
Mobile is becoming the most relevant
marketing channel due to the ability, through
the right platform, to deliver differentiated
and immersive mobile experiences. Marketing
pundits worldwide agree, that this will be
the key to long-term customer loyalty and
retention.
Consumers are quickly transitioning from a
“point and click” environment to a “tap to
call,” “tap to schedule” or “tap to share this
offer” environment. What is your dealership’s
mobile marketing strategy?
Peter Bond is the president of Automotive
Resource Group. He can be contacted at
866.447.0238, or by e-mail at
pbond@autosuccessonline.com.
24 autosuccessonline.com

26. GlennPasch leadership solution
iS your DealerShip
aSymptomatic?
I recently related a story at the Automotive This can be very tricky because most times no the person’s effort. If you see they are trying
Marketing Boot Camp about this topic. The one looks into what you did to achieve results; and they are almost there, then I would retrain
short version is that my son has some ongoing everyone is just happy you did. What you them. By asking them what they are doing,
medical issues and my wife and I are very need to ask the employee is, “What did you do you can easily see what part of the process
vigilant in monitoring his progress. When he to achieve the results?” Notice I asked what they are missing and can tailor your training
had to have a certain procedure, the doctor they did. This allows you to understand their to that specific part of the process. Make sure
remarked that he must have been showing this process, but, more importantly, they understand to document the training so that you have
sign or that sign, to which we responded, “No, what they did so they can repeat the behavior. something to refer to later.
he wasn’t.”
One of the most important things you are If you have trained and retrained but the person
That day I learned a new word: asymptomatic doing is complimenting them on what they did. is still not getting results, then it is up to you to
(meaning, “not showing symptoms”). I We as people repeat behavior that makes us document the failure and have a heart to heart
thought about this and it struck me how feel good, so if they are getting compliments with them. Most of these conversations fall
certain businesses can also be asymptomatic. when they achieve success, they are more than into two categories:
Everything looks great on the surface, but likely to repeat the behavior, thus achieving
lurking below the surface are potential problems continued success. The person is really trying but just is not
that only will surface when it is too late. suited for the position. There are many people
This also allows you to have a benchmark who come in and give it their all and you want
To drive this point home, how many of you in case they ever fall into underachieving them to succeed, but results are not there. You
reading this article inspect your processes expectations. You have their process that you have to be honest with them and give them
with the same intensity when you have your can review and see if they are skipping a step one last chance, or maybe there is a different
best month versus when you had a month that or have taken a step for granted. This allows position in your company.
missed expectations? you to easily get them back on track.
The person is not even trying. This person
How many of us focus on our top performers What if someone has not achieved the results needs to be documented and the conversation
to understand what they did to achieve you are expecting? is a wake-up call. Most times, they can do the
results so that we can take certain behaviors job but they are choosing not do. These are
and implement them across the other team This first place to look is if they have been very dangerous employees to keep on board.
members? trained to do this task. I cannot tell you how Too many chances will impact your other
many times I have asked that question when I employees who see poor performance being
Many of us are so pleased we hit our goals am helping someone, only to find no one ever rewarded. My advice is cut ties as soon as you
that we focus on the next month without ever trained him or her correctly. They may have can with proper documentation.
thinking, “How did we do what we just did?” been told what to do, but no one showed them
Maybe we give our team praise — “Great job, what needed to be done. Remember, telling By doing this type of inspection each month,
let’s do that again!” (See my column in April’s allows interpretation by the listener. Showing you will be anchoring in behaviors that achieve
issue regarding specific feedback). leaves no room for interpretation. If they have results and address any that will not help you
not been trained, then train them correctly. be successful. Don’t be lulled into a false
Now, understand I am not saying that you sense of security. Looks can be deceiving and
should not celebrate success, but what I am If they have been trained, I recommend success can be a very strong hallucinogen.
saying is that each month you should be training them again. This time, you have Celebrate success by rewarding execution of
focusing on the execution of processes, not trained them so later you can look them in the process, not just results.
only on results. Focusing on “how” things are eye and know training is not the issue for not
executed can help you better train your staff achieving results.
so they can replicate success. Glenn Pasch is the COO of PCG Digital
Marketing and the president of Improved
If you have trained them and they still are not Performance Solutions. He can be contacted
First, let’s review what to do if you getting results, you have to make a decision at 866.611.0998, or by e-mail at
achieve the results you desire. if you want to retrain. Much will depend on gpasch@autosuccessonline.com.
26 autosuccessonline.com

28. ChadPolk marketing solution
mobile ShoppiNg
of five areas to consider when you’re getting
started with mobile (or to evaluate your current
mobile site):
iS a reality
invest in mobile and be ready for your Shoppers
1. Minimalist approach to the user interface
(UI), with a focus on uncluttered
shopping experience. An example of poor
UI would be putting too much information
on the inventory list.
If you haven’t yet heard of the three-screen • 46 percent of first-time mobile shoppers 2. Your mobile Website must convert
lifestyle, you’ll soon become aware of it. It’s access a retailer’s site by typing the Website leads. Do you have consistent easy-to-
the ever-growing lifestyle of consumers with a into the browser navigate lead forms, touch-to-call or SMS
TV, computer and now a smartphone. Modern • For consumer researching and browsing functionality?
marketers are finding creative ways to reach product information, 81 percent prefer 3. High-quality imagery. Touch screen
these consumers who are riding the growing mobile browser, and 19 percent prefer smartphones have made incredible strides in
wave of “always-on” instant availability. Recent mobile app displays. Does your mobile Website deliver
research finds that U.S. mobile Internet users are • 71 percent of consumers prefer a mobile rich media to the mobile browser?
engaging in shopping-related activities at a rate browser over a mobile app when comparing 4. Deep product details. There are several
that actually exceeds desktop usage. products and prices great ways to display as much vehicle
• 53 percent of consumers spend one to five data on a smartphone screen as there is on
Any way you look at mobile, it is transforming hours per week shopping mobile Websites desktop browsers. Provide your consumers
the way your customers shop and interact with as much information as you do on the
with your dealership. Dealerships that are not Auto dealers have gone through the TV phase, desktop.
investing in mobile shopping technology are are living in the computer phase and have 5. Robust search. Searching, sorting and
at risk of getting left behind. The good news now been given a new frontier for marketing: filtering inventory could not be more
for mobile initiative dealers is that mobile- the smartphone era. For dealers, mobile can important on a mobile Website. Customers
optimized Websites can raise engagement as be a highly influential marketing channel. are usually looking for a finite inventory
much as 85 percent. For automotive retailers, it provides the set or a specific vehicle when searching on
unprecedented immediacy of shopping your mobile.
This isn’t meant to scare anyone. Mobile store when the need strikes the consumer.
Websites are just another marketing channel Think of mobile not strictly as a purchase Google recently stated that mobile searches
to reach prospective customers. What better channel, but more as a marketing channel to have increased by 500 percent from 2008 to
gift could a customer give you than to have drive consumers to an action (lead conversion) 2010, and according to recent projections
your dealership available in their pocket 24/7? and to serve them information whenever published by Nielson Co., one in two
You’re probably a smartphone user, right? At they’re ready to buy. Americans will own a smartphone by the end
any given time, how far away is your phone? of 2011. It’s time to take notice that the “must
Personally, I know the farthest my phone ever Mobile shopping is still in its early days, but have a Website” era in our industry has now
gets from me is my nightstand. auto dealers absolutely need a mobile presence become the “must have a mobile Website” era!
to begin testing and measuring what works
A recent study done by Adobe* has some for their store, clients and region. Mobile will *(source: Adobe Scene7 Mobile Commerce
statistics that will get your attention: continue to evolve as user experiences catch up Survey: Mobile Shopper Insights for 2011)
• 53 percent of mobile shoppers rated product to the fast pace of smartphone technology.
and pricing information as most important Chad Polk is the CEO of AutoRevo. He can
• 66 percent of mobile shoppers prefer So, you ask, “What should I consider when be contacted at 866.873.0031, or by e-mail at
shopping via mobile browser vs. in an app setting up my mobile Website?” Here’s a list cpolk@autosuccessonline.com.
How much money are you losing
daily in your service drive?
On average at least one needed fluid
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29. Providing The
LIVE ADVANTAGE
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30. GenaeGirard marketing solution
searches on YouTube and/or sites that plug
h.i.c.c.u.p your way
. social media. Always watch a video all the way
through before posting — you don’t want it to
paSt competitorS include any profanity or other unmentionables.
Remember, video is king. Written blogs are
oN Facebook being trumped by the clever, colorful and often
fun video blogs.
interactive Questions
Every dealership is trying to use Facebook to move their business forward and stay connected
to customers. Why are some more successful at this than others? Content is the key to staying in Don’t be afraid to ask open-ended questions
touch with customers and keeping them informed. Use the H.I.C.C.U.P. approach to make your to your group. For example, “what is your
Facebook page more successful: opinion on electric cars?” The purpose here is
to begin the conversation. People posting their
humor answers will create a community buzz. Letting
Humor allows your audience to come away with a warm fuzzy feeling and a friendly attachment the responses unfold naturally also gives you a
to your message. It doesn’t have to be industry specific, although it can be. You can do viral marketing advantage, because you know what
customers are looking for.
content
If you don’t provide interesting topics,
information and current trends, current
customers — as well as future customers —
simply go away. Clicking “Unlike” on Facebook
is just as easy as clicking “Like.” Smart, clever
and challenging content will keep your audience
waiting for more. With most dealerships having
a presence on Facebook, competition will
become fierce and you have to stand out.
current events
If you haven’t done so already, get plugged in
to all online media and/or trade publications.
When something interesting pops up, pass it
along. If something political occurs that impacts
your industry, for example, let people know.
Never make a personal judgment about the
event; let your community unfold. Use Google
Alerts to notify you of events and news feeds
that pertain to auto sales. Use a program like
Hootsuite to consolidate and tweet events out to
all of your feeds and accounts at once.
utilizing industry Facts
Keep your followers abreast of changes in your
particular industry and relate them back to your
own business. For example, if new models
are about to come out, keep people aware by
posting them on Facebook.
promos and Specials
Mention specials, promotions, new products
and services. You can get creative here and run
a coupon or contest. Talk about new employees,
business awards or articles written by your
staff. You can drive traffic to your business and
services by using this concept. The one caution
is that you shouldn’t overuse Facebook to
market to your customer base. They can grow
tired of it on your page, causing you to lose a
potential client.
To be successful, all categories should be
represented on your posts daily. If you
personally don’t have time, assign this process
to an employee or virtual assistant. Generally,
creative, idea-generating minds are the best
individuals suited for this task.
Genae Girard is a speaker, author and
entrepreneur. She can be contacted at
866.263.5696, or by e-mail at
ggirard@autosuccessonline.com.
30 autosuccessonline.com

32. MarkTewart sales training solution
Stop whiNiNg
are the ones that you gave everything away
to. Here’s a news flash: You don’t have to do
business with them. It’s your choice.
about price All things being equal, money will be the
customer’s final decision. It is your job to
make everything unequal. Customers consider
the 3M’s: Money, Machine and Me. What
Price cutting is a self-inflicted wound. Nobody holds a gun to your head and makes you cut your are you doing to elevate the “me” part of the
price. I know that many of you are thinking right now: “There is so much competition today that I equation? The “me” part of the 3M’s stands
can’t maintain profits,” “Everybody is giving everything away,” “The salespeople can’t negotiate,” for you: your process, the dealership, the
and “Everybody knows our pricing from the Internet. “ Blah, Blah, Blah. Stop whining about price! service and the reputation. It’s the easiest part
of the equation to change. Your dealership
Only about 10 percent of buyers buy on price alone. For that 10 percent, you can decide to lower is unique and your customers need to know
your prices or let those customers buy elsewhere. Every person who has ever sold anything knows why. You have to believe that you are the
that the happiest customers are the ones who pay you profit, whereas the unhappiest customers best and that you are worth more. Many
salespeople and sales managers have a flawed,
weak belief system. If you don’t believe you
are outstanding, you will make yourself a
replaceable commodity.
Every day you must work as hard on yourself
as you do on sales. When you get better,
your customers will get better. Do you work
on yourself every day in the area of attitude,
education, motivation, sales skills, customer
follow-up and marketing? Let’s be brutally
honest and forget about being politically
correct — most salespeople stink at their
profession. The majority of salespeople never
work on the above skills. Can you really tell
me that those unmotivated and uneducated
idiots are the tough competition? Your only
competition is in your own mind.
Recently, while in Las Vegas, I shopped for
shoes at Caesar’s Palace. At the first store
I went to, I noticed the salesperson looked
agitated to have to hang up the phone to wait
on me. He was extremely rude and did nothing
to add value to his store or differentiate himself
from other run-of-the-mill salespeople.
The second store I went to, I encountered a
sensational salesperson who created rapport and
sold value and quality. He knew his product and
made a high price seem like a bargain.
The first store lost two sales and the second
gained from the first salesperson’s stupidity.
Is the first salesperson and his inadequacies the
norm, or was it an aberration? My experience
says that unfortunately, he’s the norm. My hunch
is that your experiences are the same as mine.
Work every day to get better and show it to
your customers. Work on your belief system.
Don’t be a commodity, and stop whining about
price. Price is the easiest problem to solve in
the sale.
For your free special report “10 Ways to
Overcome the Best Price Questions,” e-mail
me at the address below with “Best Price” in
the subject line.
Mark Tewart is the president of Tewart
Enterprises, and the author of the best
seller, How To Be A Sales Superstar. He
can be contacted at 866.429.6844, or by
e-mail at mtewart@autosuccessonline.com.
32 autosuccessonline.com

34. MarshBuice sales training solution
the pSychology
oF a t.o.
One of the hardest things for a new salesperson despite all efforts, is unwilling to pull in salespeople have skinny kids; you must
to grasp is the significance of a T.O. The the same direction as the salesperson. The exhaust all of your resources in an effort to
reason why new hires are resistant to the T.O. customer is not always saying “no” to the make a sale. There should never be a time
is because of the negative thinking behind the salesperson’s efforts; he may be saying, a customer leaves without buying and the
word. The only thing good about the word “know.” “I don’t know you,” “I don’t know salesperson says, “What if I would have….”
“turnover” is when it has the word “apple” what your motives are, “ “I don’t know if this Leave all of your efforts out on the blacktop.
in front of it. Think about it: If sales were a is the right vehicle for me” or “I don’t know Keep in mind that you cannot lose what you
sporting event, you would be deemed a loser enough about your dealership” may be some never had. How can you “miss out” on a deal
if you “turned the ball over” consistently; but of your customer’s concerns. If you want to if you never had one in the first place? What
a salesperson is required to “turn over” his be compatible with your customers, think like does the commission pay for almost making
customers. When a salesperson is hired, they your customers do and address their “knows.” a sale? When an objection is turned to a
are taught to be independent and thick-skinned, manager, who has no emotional attachment,
but are fearful of looking weak when they be Double-minded he can assess the situation quickly and take
have to T.O. a customer, thinking the meaning The thinking behind a T.O. is a different action. Sometimes the customer is on the
of a “T.O.” is “I’m too weak to do this deal mentality for a salesperson versus a manager. wrong vehicle, while other times it is as
on my own,” thereby becoming resistant to To a salesperson, a T.O. should be thought of little as reinforcing what the salesperson has
their manager. As a manager, if you want as “turning the objection.” The customer’s already said. There are also times the customer
more consistent T.O.’s, you should change the objections range from they don’t have time to just may not be emotionally compatible with
psychology of a T.O. not enough money for their trade, or a million the salesperson, so a change of face is needed.
other reasons why they need to “come back A high percentage of missed sales are not due
“No” vs. “know” later.” The manager should think of a T.O. as to price, but are lost due to an incompatibility
I know this may be hard to believe, but a “teaching opportunity.” Turning objections with the salesperson (i.e. appearance, attitude
occasionally a salesperson will be confronted over to a manager serves two purposes: The or lack of knowledge); price was merely
with a resistive customer; a customer who, first purpose, the manager has a chance to turn a smokescreen. Often, a change of face or
a customer around different personality can reveal the true
and help put a deal objection and thus clear the pathway toward
together. The other a sale.
purpose of a T.O.
is an opportunity Strength in Numbers
to teach “hands The Bible says there is strength in numbers;
on.” The best form two are better than one. You cannot win a
of teaching is by championship alone, it takes teammates; it’s
example. A manager called “The Rolling Stones,” not “The Rolling
also may be able Stone”; surgeons don’t perform open-heart
to pick up on some surgery alone, nor do pilots fly 747s to London
quirky mistakes solo. Why would you insist on selling alone?
made along the A T.O. is a joint collaboration of consultants
way and coach the and management in an effort to increase the
salesperson at a chances of making a sale.
later time.
If you are a salesperson, before you place this
all-time assist article in a discreet white envelope and stick it
To use the analogy under your manager’s day planner, remember it
of basketball, a is your manager’s job is to equip you with the
T.O. is grabbing necessary skills in order to become successful,
the rebound and but it is your job to do the work and turn your
keeping the ball dreams into reality. Put a different way, a
in play granting coach’s job is to prepare you for the game, but
another opportunity it is your job to take the game-winning shot.
to score (make Players use all of their resources to win as a
a sale). After team, but are inducted into the hall of fame
spending time alone. Change the psychology of a T.O. and
with a prospect, change your fortunes forever. See you on the
the salesperson is blacktop.
fearful of going
too far and losing
a potential sale, Marsh Buice is the sales manager of Mark
which means Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep. He can be
they don’t go far contacted at 866.535.5006, or by e-mail
enough. Timid at mbuice@autosuccessonline.com.
34 autosuccessonline.com

36. SeanV.Bradley leadership solution
the truth
about crms...
Customer relationship management (CRM) One of the most powerful benefits of using Here are some steps you can take before you
software is always on a dealership’s agenda a single CRM solution, however, is the fact buy a CRM:
in our 20 Groups, and they almost always that all information is on one centralized • First, simply ask yourself “What do we want
come up in every single workshop. And this platform. For example, if you have a prospect or need a CRM for —Internet, sales, service,
is how it should be — it is one of the most that sends an Internet Purchase Request, the BDC?” When you answer that question, find
important tools and resources that a dealership CRM will have that in its database. If that a CRM that specializes in that area of need.
has in its arsenal for automotive Internet sales. prospect decides to walk in the dealership • If, for example, you have an extreme need
Over the last 12 years, I’ve seen Internet lead and is “logged” into the dealership’s CRM as for Internet lead management, compare
management (ILM) and CRM technology a showroom prospect, it will be recognized CRM tools that specialize in that area
companies evolve to have amazing offerings. immediately that that prospect was originally with each other. Find out why they feel
an “Internet opportunity.” Furthermore, if that they specialize in ILM, and find out what
But over the years I still get the same question prospect was ever in the dealership’s service credentials they have for ILM.
“What is the best CRM for dealerships?” The department or did any type of business with • Get references, and then actually call other
answer is complex, because there are different that dealership, it would show up in reports. dealers using the tool. Ask for references
“flavors” of CRM, and what’s right for one Most CRMs will calculate the amount of profit who aren’t in their marketing, and speak to
dealership can be the wrong fit for another; we’ll made from each customer, and the dealership the actual department you are investigating.
get to that in a moment. The goal of a CRM can see the whole picture of a customer or Don’t ask the dealer principal or GM about
package is to reduce redundancy by offering prospect. This is important because if the Internet lead management; ask the Internet
with multiple tools and consolidate to one dealership has the full picture on a situation, it or BDC director. Get their real opinion from
centralized platform. That means if you have can make better business decisions. a day-to-day operational level.
multiple tools / products that do the following: • Accept the fact that you might need to have
• Digital or manual showroom control system Not all CRMs are perfect fits with all more than one tool. For example, I have a
(desk log) dealerships, though. CRMs can be designed to lot of dealer clients who have multiple tools.
• Service reminders focus more on one area of sales than another. If They might have a full CRM and an ILM
• Permission-based e-mail campaigns your dealership also focuses on this area, it’s a tool, as well. Yes, this goes against the myth
• ILM tools good fit. If you don’t have a particularly strong that a CRM can do everything, you’ll be
• Phone up tracking system Internet sales department, but your CRM better off in the long run with the right tools
• Inventory management system specializes in Internet lead management, that for your dealership.
• Call tracking software can be a bad fit. You have to do your research
• Service appointment system before committing to a CRM solution. Look at it this way: You wouldn’t go to the
• Data mining ophthalmologist if you had trouble breathing.
• BDC campaign management The best advice I can give is to stop trying to The ophthalmologist is a doctor, but that’s
• Special finance shove a round peg into a square hole. Too many not his specialty. Use this same mindset when
• Reporting and analytics dealers out there buy one tool, and then try to selecting your CRM.
make it do what it wasn’t designed to do. I’ll
With the right CRM, you don’t need a give you an example. I have a dealer client that Please e-mail or call me if you have any
separate tool to perform all these functions. purchased a tool that was 100-percent designed questions about CRM or if you would like
Theoretically, the right CRM lets you for special finance. It was designed for a a free strategy session/assessment on your
consolidate all of this with a single technology “special finance” department, and was designed current CRM solution.
platform. The benefit here is multiple. It’s by a “special finance” branded company. But
certainly cheaper to pay for one CRM tool the dealership uses this tool for its entire store,
than having to purchase numerous tools and they depend on it for their Internet sales
individually. While an individual tool will department. The crazy thing about this situation Sean V. Bradley is the founder and CEO
of Dealer Synergy, a nationally recognized
almost always be cheaper than a full CRM, if is that the dealership doesn’t even have a
training and consulting company in the
you add up all of individual tools out there, the “special finance” department. They bought this automotive industry. He can be contacted at
total cost would be much more expensive than tool without researching the situation, and are 866.648.7400, or by e-mail at
the average cost of a CRM. now paying the price. sbradley@autosuccessonline.com.
36 autosuccessonline.com

38. FranTaylor sales training solution
the ‘how-to’s’ iN
proSpectiNg – aND
the reSultS
Take a rookie and have them write down 250 friends. Get names, addresses and phone numbers I used to put my name cards on the cars every
for all. Then call all the people up and let the future customers know what you do. Ask them for Saturday after work and take them off Monday
all the members in the family, along with their birth dates, and put them in your system. Mail mornings to get future clients. This is another
all of them four cards with your $100 referral offer on the back (but first check the laws to see if way that is guaranteed way to get sales at no
this is allowed in your state.) This is a very effective way to start in sales. Always ask “Who do cost to anyone.
you know that is looking for a new or used vehicle?” at the end of every call, and mention your
referral fee if allowed. Every day, go out and talk to at least 10 future
customers and simply ask if they — or anyone
they know — is in the market for a car. Do
this every day and I guarantee someone will
You sell cars for a living.
pay for your lunch every day of your life.
Remember, I’m looking for a now customer
and a future customer, as well. I will get their
name, address and birth date if they seem
really nice and are willing to help me. When
you do this, it takes less than a year to get
1,000 names in your birthday system. Now you
have something to work with.
You have to build a “business within a
business” by investing in yourself with
prospecting tools. Learn the tools that allow
you to make money while you are sleeping.
Magnets, key rings, pens, ads in the paper and
so on is just a start. Each month you must set
aside money for prospecting tools, or you will
be working the lot the rest of your life.
This is you This is how your All the money is in repeat and referrals, and
this will happen in time if you do this every
customers see you month. After a while, you won’t have to look for
customers; they will look for you. That’s when
you will work less and make more money.
Like it or not, some bad apples in the car business have made
it tough for professional, customer focused sales Talk to the winners who are doing it and you
people to shake the image of the slick talking salesperson. will get accurate advice. A rookie sold 41 cars
in his fifth month at Alexander Subaru by
learning this right away. Remember: There are
Carfolks.com helps by offering FREE personal pages to all vehicle more customers outside the dealership who are
sales professionals to build their brand, and our dealer marketing ready to buy than will be on your lot with the
program provides an integrated solution that highlights the top biggest sale. You just have to go get them.
performing, customer friendly dealers in the market. What comes with prospecting on a daily
basis? Higher close ratio, bigger grosses, more
Don’t let industry stereotypes define you! fun, less stress, more time off and lots of fun
because you stand out from the crowd. Do
Join the Carfolks Neighborhood today. Call 866-618-8257. something different from the complainers. Do
what the big fish do to be successful, because
they eat the little ones. Prospecting is the best
way to be successful and stay at the top.
Fran Taylor is the president and CEO of
Social Media | Reputation Maintenance | Marketing Services Taylor Techniques. He can be contacted
at 866.848.9864, or by e-mail at
ftaylor@autosuccessonline.com.
38 autosuccessonline.com

39. September 20 21 Seattle
(888) 697-4167

40. Providing the automotive industry with cutting edge digital sales
solutions that utilize technology to stay ahead of the competition.
Are you effectively advertising your
products and services?
V-Active gives you the ability to change advertisements,
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design your custom campaign.
$1,995 AutoSuccess promotional offer*
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Text VACTIVE To 41411
*$1,995 includes initial production, setup, and required hardware. A signed 24 month contract for $299 a month is also required. This monthly fee
includes hosting, repairs, maintenance, and one promotional update a month. Monitor not included. Rates and terms are subject to change without notice.

41. Join us in 2011 and make a
difference one car at a time.
www.1car1difference.com Do you want to be a part of one of the fastest
growing software companies in the retail
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Join the ActivEngage sales team! technology solution provider experience in the
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If you have automotive industry experience and a
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47. Tough Metro Market? Yeah, Right.
Antwerpen Hyundai dominates with quirky TV ads and targeted
digital marketing
Don’t talk to Antwerpen Hyun- integrated marketing strategy has commercials that is unique to the
dai about the typical challenges Antwerpen repeatedly captur- Antwerpen family of dealerships.
found in large metropolitan areas ing 30% of the sales volume for
like tough competition, almost all of Maryland, and as much as “We have some crazy commer-
nonexistent customer loyalty and 50% for the local Baltimore mar- cials and it’s become our claim to
dwindling employee retention. ket. Meanwhile, it has grown its fame. Our TV ads have branded
customer database by 20% while our dealership – everyone knows
The Baltimore-area dealership, maintaining a high customer re- us when they walk through our
one of the largest Hyundai stores tention rate. doors,” says Michael Antwerpen,
in Maryland, has flourished de- general manager of the Catons-
spite the challenges. Quirky tele- First, Antwerpen Hyundai has set ville store. “My general sales man-
vision commercials, a focus on themselves apart from the crowd ager, Jeff Glascoe, is in most every
customer service and a targeted with a quirky style of television commercial with me. I think peo-

48. Success Story
ple get a kick out of seeing us on Karry Moore, president and co- the ads on TV being in-market to
TV and then coming in and work- founder of www.Car-mercial. purchase a vehicle, close to 100%
ing with us.” com, the VSEO company that An- of online viewers are in-market to
twerpen Hyundai uses. “Google buy a vehicle.
Recognizing the value of live-ac- reports that consumers are 55%
tion ads Antwerpen Hyundai nat- more likely to click on thumbnail Antwerpen customers are increas-
urally moved beyond just televi- video images than static links, so ingly loyal which is tough for such
sion and now uses video to further Google gives more ranking au- a high volume dealer in a competi-
promote their dealership online to thority to video which gets them tive market. One of their primary
appear on top of the leading search on the top of search engine re- goals is to make sure that every
engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing sults.” As a result in-market con- customer receives the quality ser-
and YouTube in their local mar- sumers see positive videos about vice that the dealership has built
ket. Working with a video search Antwerpen Hyundai and the ve- their name on.
engine optimization (VSEO) com- hicles they sell when searching in
pany has greatly improved their their local market. “We have some of the best sales
search engine ranking and page experts in the business. Our high-
one results. Essentially Antwerpen is target- ly trained sales team has earned a
ing their television spots to view- credible reputation with our cus-
“People would rather watch the ers online, so rather than only tomers over their many years of
movie than read the book,” says one percent of those who view service and commitment,” Ant-
In a Nutshell
Antwerpen Hyundai consistently captures 30% sales volume for Maryland and has grown their active
customer base by 20% year to date with an integrated marketing strategy.
• Antwerpen Hyundai has a unique style of television commercial that has branded their dealership.
• Antwerpen Hyundai invests in their employees. Their highly trained veteran sales team has an invaluable
reputation with customers which helps to build customer retention.
• Antwerpen Hyundai utilizes Video Search Engine Optimization (VSEO) to dominate their local search engines
with positive videos to promote their dealership and the vehicles they sell by working with a VSEO company
called www.Car-mercial.com.
• Antwerpen Hyundai successfully grows their dealership through the use of a targeted digital marketing platform
that consistently communicates with customers from point of purchase and regular maintenance to in-equity
status by sending targeted mail and email campaigns that reect the appropriate status of the customer’s
vehicle. Antwerpen Hyundai works with www.TeamVelocityMarketing.com to execute this strategy.
• Antwerpen Hyundai provides excellent customer service to keep their customers coming back year after year.

49. Success Story
“Antwerpen Hyundai has had great success and grown its customer
base 20% by implementing a targeted digital marketing strategy,” says
David Boice, president of www.TeamVelocityMarketing.com the targeted
marketing company Antwerpen Hyundai uses.

50. Success Story
werpen says. “It doesn’t matter “Every campaign promotes every lot of 2000, 2002, and 2003 trades,
whether it’s sales or service, when profit center, new, used, finance, but now our top trades are 2007 and
customers come in they see the service and parts, which makes 2008.”
same veteran staff year after year the rate of return dramatically
and I’m proud of that. Good peo- better,” says David Boice, presi- With all their success and attention
ple are hard to find and harder to dent of www.TeamVelocityMar- to customer service, they naturally
keep, just like loyal customers. My keting.com the targeted market- have systems in place to monitor
staff is second to none in the busi- ing company used by Antwerpen customer-related activities such as
ness.” Hyundai. inbound sales and service calls. An-
twerpen is a stickler for monitoring
Antwerpen Hyundai also has “We’ve got it covered,” says Ant- customer’s calls to make sure every
grown its active base of customers werpen. “We stay in touch with call is handled properly.
by keeping their active custom- our customers regularly through-
ers active, reactivating custom- out the life cycle of their vehicle. “Years ago I realized the value of
ers who are ‘lost’ or not as active People don’t just get a great deal having our calls monitored to ensure
as the dealership would like, and from us; we take pride in keep- excellent customer service, plus it’s a
finding new customers by target- ing our customer’s cars in the great training tool for our staff. The
ing ready in-market buyers who same condition that they rolled phone is a great asset if you handle it
are more likely to buy or service off the showroom floor.” In fact, right.”
with their dealership. They send Jack Antwerpen, Michael’s father,
targeted mail and email with cus- authored and published a special
tom messaging that reflects the children’s book that they give to
appropriate status of the custom- every young family who purchas-
er’s vehicle that includes a thank es a vehicle with their dealership,
you for recent purchasers, main- “Mom and Dad Beware, Jack Says
tenance reminders to vehicles not Yes to Routine Car Care”.
yet in equity, but who may be due
for maintenance, and very persua- “Better car maintenance also leads
sive promotions like the Antwer- to better quality trades from cus-
pen Hyundai Vehicle Exchange tomers when they’re ready to buy
Program or their infamous “Buy from us again,” says Antwerpen.
1 Get 1 Free” offer, where custom- “We’ve significantly improved the
ers buy one new Hyundai vehicle overall health of our trade pattern
and get the second vehicle for one by also targeting in-market Hyun-
dollar – currently the second ve- dai owners with later model years.
hicle is a 36-month lease covered Hyundai is such a great brand and
by Antwerpen. so reliable people naturally keep
them longer. Last year we saw a
Poster