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The More Things Stay The Same, The More They Stay The Same

We're considering making a big alarm clock. No, a BIG %^&*#$@ alarm clock. That way instead of waking up 10-100 dealers at a time, we can wake up 10,000. And folks, we all should know how big that clock has to be. 14 years of the automotive Internet, over 6 years for most OEM website programs and CRMs, over 3 years of SEO chatter, social media, landing pages, microsites, email marketing and nearly 2 years of mobile, geo-location, widgets and integration. What do we have to show for it? The alarm clock is not big enough.

Two percent leadership and a bunch of blank stares. The season of automotive industry digital marketing events is upon us. It's time to move the needle. Even before massive fees, niclkle-and-diming- new widget this and new fandagled that. And it's not "back to basics" or "blocking and tackling". If you want to stick to blocking, the customers are going to be walking. The alarm clock is not big enough.

Many folks talk about how the people that have been moving the industry's training and messaging programs are right there in the comfort zone, what they like, the heart of the 20 Group, the flame to the cigar so-to-speak. Many dealers around the country are still FourSquaring and we're not talking about the social media game. Many dealers don't have photos up on inventory for a week or two (or longer) after receiving the units. Many dealers don't know the first thing about where, what, how and why there are reviews on the web (or, in some cases, all over it) about the poor experiences at their dealership. The alarm clock is not big enough.

We're talking about dealers having to buy leads since their own inventory doesn't display correctly, generating their own leads. We're talking about the leads that are received not being handled right nearly 70% of the time. We're talking about dealers struggling with finding the right people to handle the leads right, yet hiring the wrong people in the first place. The alarm clock is not big enough.

Consider the volume of content that is available to every dealership with an Internet connection*. Consider the wealth of knowledge that exists at the other end of the phone at nearly any time. Consider the amount of information available in one day with the right person. Consider how much consumers, us, are changing the rules. The alarm clock is not big enough.

*Blocking computers from accessing most of the web? Does the industry emply adults? The alarm clock is not anywhere close to big enough for people with that much control. My fricking gosh, lighten up.

Think about how much less the franchise matters today and how much more the dealer brand matters. Think about how your HTML website* won't load on a cell phone nicely but your United, Delta and American boarding passes do. Think about how much more you want your customers to spend at your store but they don't even open your emails (because hopefully you're actually looking at that). The alarm clock is not big enough.

*And the fact that your website company is using Flash-laden pages, can't deploy a PHP-coded application and won't be able to resize and deploy a widget or give real analytics? No alarm clock can wake that up.

Really, the more things stay the same, the more they stay the same. It's not that we believe there are people intentionally not doing what they should to move the industry forward or that they can't do it. No. It's that whatever has been done has honestly moved the ball forward about a yard but it's 4th down and 28 yards to go. This round of events in Las Vegas needs to get as much fire about them as profits because of them.

Not the same data. Not the same repackaged presentation. Not even the same presenter. Not the same expectation. Not the same end game. Not the same focus. Not the same anything. We all know dealers that are afraid today. Isn't fear supposed to promote change?

Here's a challenge: Every speaker. Every presenter. Every vendor. Follow up your sessions with a call or onlne meeting within two weeks of the event for everyone that wants it. And promote it. For Free. Answer every question. Refer other companies if you don't offer something that's being asked for. Give something away at your session. Really give it away. No strings attached.

Maybe it's a start. Maybe it's about time. Maybe it's about the dealer. Maybe it's about selling and servicing cars. What do you think?

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

October 6, 2010 by Gary May 0
Let’s Talk Next Spring (A Very Direct Monologue)

(Note: As a practice, IM@CS has not written in the first person. We
try to not call people out or make examples of them directly. This is a
slight departure from the past two years of blog writing for dealers. We
hope you enjoy it or are at least compelled to comment on this aspect
as well)

After talking with Internet sales staff and leaving
messages for management over the past months, I visited a prominent
LA-area import dealer recently to see about getting a few minutes with
the manager responsible for their web and eCommerce presence. After
finally having the courtesy to recognize that someone was trying to talk
with him (understanding two things very well: one you're busy and two
you likely have a lot of people calling on you and trying to sell you),
he gave me 45 seconds.

In that time, he was able to share that
the "departments are going through changes so it's not the right time
and we'll be able to put our eCommerce and Internet efforts on the
schedule next Spring". Not only is this one of the best qualifiers, it
is also a great indicator of how removed from reality most dealers
really are. This is not a judgement, we'll leave that to the customers,
staff and factory. But as a litmus test, that's just bad. Flat out bad.

Let's say you ignore every automotive publication. Let's say you never
attend a "digital" event in the industry. Let's assume you're not in a
20 group. Just for kicks, let's say you never talk with your staff.
Considering it's 2010, if you have spent any time on the Internet,
bought an airplane ticket, hotel room, checked a sports score or weather
conditions, how can you allow yourself to be ignorant of what ALL
consumers do?

By next Spring, your competition will be
significantly ahead of you. And maybe by my or another consultant or
vendor's doing. Maybe even intentionally. When you send that kind of
signal out, it's hard not to either try to convince you (unless the
manager was intentionally being dismissive) or leave the store and run
to the next closest store. I say this because it's being done. Every
day.

While I can't speak for others that may walk into the
store I'm referring to, I can guarantee you that if I take the time to
engage you, your website, templates, social media (if it exists), phone
skills and other aspects of your operation has been assessed. Don't even
think for a second that mine is a traditional "pitch", again
understanding that everyone that walks in with a briefcase is likely
trying to get money from you in exchange for services.

Just
know that sometime, really soon, your traffic will go somewhere else..
And with what your using for website and more, it won't even cause a
drop of sweat to fall.

With all the best intentions,

Gary May
IM@CS

July 28, 2010 by Gary May 0
Take The Walls Down On Both Sides

Two items that we talk a lot around but typically don't address directly are the 'blocking and tackling' in the retail business. One stops people from the inside, the other from the outside. The first limits a broader brand experience while the second keeps customers away. Slowly eliminate both and you'll win.

Dealership firewalls, website blocking, limiting controls and other less-than-trusting measures remove timely access and ability to become involved in what is the greatest area of traffic generation today. Add to that the understanding of what is happening in the market during the time in each person's day that it matters most. Whether posting to Facebook, sending test leads to competitors, scanning forums and reputation sites (likely for what Google alerts notified the store of), or seeing a competitor's site updates and overall becoming involved in the essential aspects of branding and reach, being online is essential.

No, just block everything. Enter the typical excuses for limiting adult access to the web at dealerships: time waste, inappropriate content, non-work activities and more. Wow, great thing that your IT director has that closed down!! Whew, and you thought smoking on the point, chatting incessantly on cell phones, water cooler banter about the dealership's 'less-than-perfects' and simply hanging out for the next up was a time suck. Boy the Internet did change everything.

So all of that other stuff is now ok and some barely negligible photo of a little known celebrity topless on some remote beach in Europe is wrong? It may be but the technology that allows a complete blackout of surfing the web in what can be extremely productive time can also be set up to allow the right use. Have someone violating your store's TOU? Then fire them for the same reason that you would for violating other company policies. Ok, enough about that dealership mistake that is completely circumvented by someone's web-enabled device.

The second issue is blocking the other stuff that your store also needs: customers. If you've not woken up to 2010 (or 2009, or even 2008 and before for that matter) and realized that people are judging you before ever deciding to step foot in your showroom you've got to take the blinders off. The days of hiding aspects of your operation, be it front-end or back-end, and surprising customers when they do decide to come in will kill you.

Dealerships that don't decide it's time for transparency are not only kidding themselves, they're also hurting the next store that dissatisfied customer is going to head to. It doesn't matter if it's tackling the next 'up' because it's your turn, stuffing someone that doesn't understand that you could have actually saved them money, stranding someone in the showroom because the used car manager can't find their keys or a litany of other lies and excuses, mistreat customers and you will have fewer of them. And they will let everyone else know online.

There is an abundance of complete disclosure on the web related to everything automotive. So why pretend it's 1994 at a dealership? Because that's what a GM knows or a GSM pushes? Sorry, that has no place in business and deserves to be eliminated completely from our industry's retail locations. The archaic practices that still exist need to replaced by true business excellence. Customers will build a wall so fast around your dealership it'll make your head spin.

So if these are your challenges for 2010, put new plans and goals into action. The walls inside and outside your store will bring your business to a halt. Removing them and getting everyone involved in building your business is the best course you can start the new year with.

Simply put in the words of John Mellencamp in "Tumblin' Down":

Saw my picture in the paper
Read the news around my face
And now some people don't want to treat me the same…
When the walls come tumblin' down

You don't control your reputation, the factory, area pricing or everything else than happens around you, especially on the web and you'll never again control customers. What you do control is your brand, actions and messages. You can influence your customers and that, my friends, is powerful.

Take down the walls…

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

January 2, 2010 by Gary May 1
On Your Mark, Get Set, Think, Plan, Then Go! And Then Review.

You hear it all the time: "this isn't rocket science", "a monkey can do this" and "you're kidding me, that's easier than chewing gum".  Yet process seems to be as rare as a walk-up customer these days when it comes to the Internet side of the business. Not necessarily the sales process, although there are still many that struggle with that, but the part that deals with planning, accountability, results and reviewing.

Based on the non-scientific data at the recent round of automotive industry events, many are surprised that the majority of leads from dealer (and OEM) websites still are not responded to well, timely, with engagement or even at all.  Most people from the consulting and coaching side of the business are not surprised.  While there is definitely more attention and dollars flowing toward the online part of retail, more opportunities are slipping away as software and solutions are expected to run the business.

CRMs, as great as some are today, websites, as well as they take visitors 'through the process',even social media, as poorly as most dealerships handle it, are not stand-alone solutions that take your store from zero to hero.  Your customers won't rank your vendors, they'll rank you.

Planning, visualization, tracking and accountability (yes, to someone else that can call 'bullshit') are all tools of the sales trade.  Not printing your queue every day or starting off with a priority list when you first sit down?  You will not experience success at the level you should.  Fact is your database, no matter how clean, can't sell cars.  It may be a goldmine, but it's covered up until you have a work plan that actually takes prospects and changes them into completely satisfied clients.

While it may seem that the top producrs always have things 'go their way', it's due to working smart, prioritization (that doesn't mean you chose which customers to respond to effectively), visualizing positive results ahead of time (not just saying 'yup, this one's mine and they're taking chromes! and window etching') and being consistent in what you do.

The 'best' location, dynamic website with strong SEO, a bulletproof CRM, well-written templates, intriguing videos and a mission statement that is generations-old with a mediocre staff to back it up will be out-gunned by a competitor with less-than-perfect technology but an eager, process-oriented, customer-connecting, motivated and excited group of individuals working as a team.

Not to take anything away from some great companies in our business, including many that IM@CS recommends, but we must remember that we're in the people business and the badge on the sheet metal is not more important than the person buying it, nor is the voucher more more important than the techniques to achieve it.  Think about that the next time you skip asking the next guest how you can improve their experience , what would excceed their expectations or simply how they see things happening to earn their recommendation.  Yes, asking and truly listening are on the path to perfection!

Ready, shoot, aim does work…as long as you understand how to improve every time and have had the chance to review where you are at and why.  Go get 'em tiger!

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

November 12, 2009 by Gary May 0
A Week In Vegas Automotive Style (In A Few Paragraphs)

It's the conference time of the year for the automotive biz and this last week didn't disappoint. Having attended both the first-ever DrivingSales Executive Summit and the venerable JD Power Internet Roundtable it was clear, to some degree, as to what the leaders are looking for, discussing and sharing.  My first observation? Not enough dealers were present.

Nobody is trying to hold one group more accountable than the other and while budgets and money are tight, our industry moves at retail not at the supplier, vendor, media or marketing levels. Yes we need to have product that is appealing, ways to communicate effectively about it, means to get people buying the product (hello banks…), staying up with the breakneck speed of technology and keeping the general public excited. All those things aside, it's your good 'ol neighborhood retailer that gets the metal to move.

So, the DSES at the Hard Rock had two days to get the dealers that want to be in front in the best possible position with data, technology, new capabilities and compelling roundtable conversations. For a first-time event, it seemed to have hit its mark. With an agenda that covered current market data, SEO and relevant trends, new technologies and vendor offerings, analytics and social media, what was really impressive was the 'how to' part of the summit. Real conversations with real people answering the tough questions.

Networking is great and does has its immense value (including to this author) but the in-the-trenches, getting your hands dirty stuff is what moves the needle for any business. When someone is interested in doing something, they usually want to know the how, why, when and where. It was refreshing to be a part of the event put together by Charlie Vogelheim and Jared Hamilton.

DSES' range of speakers was atypical and that was a breath of fresh air. Compete's Skip Streets couldn't handle the glaring lights beaming down on him but the content prevailed. It was wonderful to get to hear BlueKai's new approach to media buying and consumer targeting from Dave Armitage. The presentation given by Driverside and R.L. Polk was very different considering it dealt with the back end of the retail business: service. Chris Brogan (New Marketing Labs) and Aaron Strout (Powered) quite frankly gave the road map to the industry without strings: customers, social media, branding, listening, content and value.

Switch gears to an event that I've been participating in since the first one back five plus years ago: JD Power's Internet Roundtable at Red Rock. Well attended by the OEMs, agencies, service providers, portals and dealers. The IRT has changed some over the past few years but it has lacked the 'punch' that it had a couple ago with the breakout roundtable discussions. One undisputed aspect: Everyone's socks were knocked off by Jim Farley's session Thursday morning, period. I've never heard more compliments and conversation after a speaker, ever. And if you haven't taken note of Ford's digital efforts over the past year, maybe you should.

In attending (and participating via Twitter) in a number of other sessions,the content seems to have drifted from subject at times but the speakers knew the craft from the social media, to the leads presentation to the media integration panel. Bar none, the crowd needed to be involved during or, at a minimum, after the sessions. The 'juice' comes from squeezing the *&$%!)#$% out of people and the occasional challenge to their stance.

Where JD Power's event always drives immense dividends for our industry is the lunches, dinners and hallway banter. I've always enjoyed taking part especially considering their influence and reach and, whether or not they are liked and appreciated at any given time, the company's heritage: focus on the customer. Hopefully our industry continues to listen considering consumers control everything today.

The IRT organizing team deserves props for getting social media on the agenda again but it still doesn't get the representation it deserves considering it makes up (along with online marketing and websites) the majority of automotive traffic now and for the future.

What both events need: more dealer participation, more dealer participation and maybe some more dealer participation. The media pays attention to SAAR, manufacturers, balance sheets, production, trends, bailouts and a whole lot of other things that have nothing to do with saving an industry. if you'd like to argue whether the magic number is 11.5M units or 13.1M, that's fine. Just as long as we're helping those that sell the cars in the first place.

The progressive dealers need to be up on stage talking about how they've changed their business and what ways they're moving forward. There may be a day in the near future in where the retailer is just as important as the company paying $20,000+ to speak or that changing up the agenda to showcase an undiscovered nugget is more relevant than some OEM's marketing exec giving the same presentation about their (somewhat) radical approach to marketing for the 20th time. (disclaimer: not talking about Mr. Farley here).

So this latest round of automotive Vegas-ness goes in the record books. Thank you DrivingSales Executive Summit and JD Power Internet Roundtable for having platforms that brought hundreds of thousand of dollars into Sin City. Now the question is: who has the guns to not make it a year until the next time the industry can learn?

Who can drive the education and engagement in the next 90 days without the trip, hotel, expense account and wad of one dollar bills (ooops, did I say that?).

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

October 17, 2009 by Gary May 1
The Great Dealership Debate That Shouldn’t Be

"Hear ye, hear ye! For all of you, thou shalt be indentured in thar' olde sales department.  And for the rest of ya blubbering fools, 'yer lucky to call the Internet department over yonder home!"  Boy, sounds like a clip right out of a bad Tom Cruise period movie about horse sales from the 17th century, right?  And to top things off, he loses his English accent about 17 minutes into the flick…

All right, it may not be that bad where you work, and it may be the 21st century, but why is there still a separation between most dealership sales 'departments'?  Why is there still a debate about whether or not they should be integrated?  Is it because the favorite 'floor' sales person loses status and the spooned deals?  What is it about the 1987 mindset that carries otherwise unacceptable practices forward?

Your entire sales department shouldn't be handling Internet leads because nearly all customers are now shopping online.  It's not enough to make those not taking website ups handle "online jacks" simply because there is not a trickle of showroom traffic to speak of, and definitely not to support the size of your team.  Do it because it is simply the right thing to do.  How you do it is up to you.

Dealers: quit responding to the market, conditions, volume and what you perceive to be business indicators and start being proactive: building, planning and expecting more.  Nobody ever built a birdhouse, let alone an empire, by standing still and waiting.

Yet people that otherwise can absolutely, positively produce more numbers, revenue and profit are not in organizations that support the opportunity, vision or appropriate business model.  While a good number of dealers have shifted their resources to completely cover all aspects of sales including web-based leads (and you deserve a lot of credit for doing that), most of the market continues to have a small segment handle what continues to be debated as a different kind of customer.

Fact: Consumers no longer bend around businesses, especially those with dated practices.  If you haven't checked in a while, they're no longer around.  Competition, the Internet and consumer-generated content/virtual word of mouth have changed our industry.  Businesses must listen to, connect with, communicate with and engage with the consumer on their terms.  To use an old adage: quit trying to find a square peg into a round hole.

If you no longer drive to the airport, stand in a 52 minute line and deal with a counter agent to buy an airline ticket, why are you expecting people to deal with an automotive retailer in ways that are also 20-plus years old?  Remember this next time you're in line returning a high-tech item that
you bought online from your favorite electronics retailer: you'll
likely find yourself in the same line as the people who bought items in
the store.  Imagine that…the same line!

It's time to look at your business with new eyes and focus.  Don't do anything less than you'd expect from the places you do business with.  No debate about it: there is no such thing as an Internet department.   There are only the ones that haven't figured it out yet…

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

September 24, 2009 by Gary May 0
Moving The Needle: From A Get Together To A Ground Swell

It is going to take lots more than talk, snake oil and rain dances to turn our hobby back into an industry with integrity, consistency and accountability (if we even had those in the first place).  It is more than about time to make change rather than simply talk about it.

Somewhere between the low-ball numbers form some industry experts and the pipe-dream estimates provided by others, there is a more accurate one and that's where we'll ultimately end the year.  Fact is the number is still going be a boatload below what it was just a couple years ago.  Now we can do our best to get to some better 'state of the industry' but the last time I checked, it still happens through selling and servicing cars the right way: one at a time.

Let's face it: consumers control content, the banks are controlling most of the consumers' spending (or at least for now), and there's no love lost for the venerable car dealer.

A couple weeks ago there was a Automotive LA Dinner, put together by Philip Inghelbrecht of TrueCar, and it was a great example of trying to get together to move the needle.  Eleven industry colleagues, most meeting for the first time, came from as far as 150 miles apart to meet in the Long Beach area and share insight, expertise, information, backgrounds and opportunities.  Our next meeting is supposed to be around the New Year, I hope sooner.

Next month's DrivingSales Executive Summit is going to be different.  charlie Vogelheim and Jared Hamilton wanted to put the dealers' future and opportunities in the spotlight, rather than the typical highest-paying sponsor or best-known industry speaker or colleague spearheading an event.  I hope this becomes a series of events with unprecedented support for the attendees, instead of greasing the skids for someone else.

The list of companies hosting webinars to get information out there for free is compelling: Cars.com, Powered.com, Automotive News, Ward's, Dealer.com and more are spending time, money and attention on where the water level really is: retail.

When the needle really starts moving in the right direction is when most of the events and support are the rule, not the exception.  It's a matter of finding the folks who weren't particularly impressed with an event, sitting down with them and finding out how to improve things.  Video after video, post after testimonial about how great an event or speaker or consultant was when half of the people in attendance leave a room is not going to benefit anyone.

Our responsibility is to improve, educate, compel, engage, support, enlist and activate.  Simply going through the motions and putting a new cover on old tricks (like reusing a one- or two-year old article and calling it fresh) , saying the you can deliver on something and then not or simply doing nothing at all – i.e. 'waiting' like so many dealers like to play it – is a move in the way wrong direction.  Don't get the wrong assumption: getting back to basics is great. Great for teaching someone how to close that doesn't.

You can't get a newspaper person to get the web, so don't try to.  You can't get a person who's never used a cell phone to text a message, so don't try to. But if we act like a village (no laughter, please) and raise the collective water level, we can do amazing things.  The needle can move much quicker in the direction we want and need if we eliminate the roadblocks, maintain above the status quo and help one more person each day achieve something more.

And maybe, just maybe, we might get someone who's never turned on a computer to end up taking 70 leads a month and closing at the third or fourth highest rate in a dealership.  We might see more dealerships starting to implement true customer satisfaction tools, employ true SEO practices, get advanced training on their CRMs, get a higher ROI from truly targeted service marketing and even utilize mobile web (I don't care if it's 0.005% of online users now, it won't be next week, next month or next year so quit using ridiculous excuses!!!).

Remember: it's our job to help move the needle, not someone else's.  Let's get the needle movers together.  Unite!…and stay thirsty my friends…

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

September 18, 2009 by Gary May 0
A Day With The Marketers…Automotive News Style

Today was a day filled with marketing statistics, reporting, ideas, videos, commercials, banter, conjecture and more. Ultimately what Automotive News set out to achieve again this year was, I my opinion, point the industry/crowd/listeners to what is and will be happening in the landscape of media and marketing. Did it happen?

Joel Ewanick from Hyundai detailed a number of aspects of the Hyundai Assurance program that has gained the brand major accolades in addition to being mimicked by over 100 companies. His retelling of the time line (just over 30 days) that they produced the campaign in along with the supporting aspects of such a program was impressive. The presentation lacked a 'forward' element, which I'm sure HMA already has done, but that's not likely what he was asked to speak about.

Scion's Jack Hollis struck what I thought was the closest blow to the nail from an engagement standpoint regarding experiential marketing, lifestyle and connection with customers. "We want community" is as close to where a marketer needs to be today! Great visuals were backed by his actual participation in events (and no, not just in a room to watch usability studies through a two-way mirror).

Judy Wheeler form Chrysler (replacement for the absent Steven Landry) had a good presentation that understandably had no major 'forward' view. After having their marketing budget slashed by 50% last week by the White House and Auto Task Force, there was not much to address besides the 'impending' marriage with Fiat. She did bring some ads that are in the hopper which centered around what Chrysler and Jeep brand "build".

John Maloney of Volvo hit on some solid points around their shift from the traditional 'national' unveiling and detailed a number of great points about the XC60's recent 'new' launch campaign. It sounds like Volvo will use the money-saving, impact increasing method again in the near future. He also focused on the brand's image with the new 'City Safety' accident avoidance system.

John Mendel from Honda spoke the words that you rarely hear today: brand, value, consistency. He repeated that call time and again throughout his session which included a throw-back to a nearly 50-year-old Honda motorcycle commercial! Flipping from decade to decade in content and conversation, Mr. Mendel was able to address the solid focus at Honda (along with their agency RPA) that should enable them to deliver more 'safe' marketing. Hopefully they do get a little more edgy than their Facebook and Twitter involvement…

And then there was Mike Sullivan, a.k.a. "L.A. Car Guy", bringing color and comedy to the stage for a retailer's perspective. He got into hard hitting numbers, results, marketing mix, Internet effect and other, more typical in better financial times, tangibles like charity, community involvement and other brand building mantras. Mr. Sullivan and his staff are more than dedicated to their marketing goals and seem poised to achieve success through their different initiatives. They still may have some room to grow on integrated media and retention, but they are clearly looking for more ways to deliver on their Interactive brand.

The closing panel with all the speakers answering questions got a little better, especially around the newspaper/print aspect. While Chrysler's recent direction was more heavily tilted toward print, the overwhelming opinion was a shift away from the paper and to the web. By the same token, these marketers have not hit pay dirt as many marketing efforts still leave behind the largest potential as well as target: the consumer. Content consumption has changed and even content creation has had a noticeable shift. Out industry still lacks the 'teeth' it needs, especially at retail, to really engage the consumer to become part of their lives, especially away from their vehicles.

Overall, it was a great time around well over a thousand ad agency, automotive marketing, manufacturers and service provider folks. Wonder what it'll be like next year…

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

May 20, 2009 by Gary May 1
Week At IM@CS: Chats With The Industry

It's been a while, maybe to long! Considering what is happening in the market, it's time to get back on track with the folks that power the industry (yes, besides consultants!). This is another mix of providers touching different aspects of marketing and services that hopefully give you a leg up (if not a whole body length or two).

You've heard it here before and you'll likely continue to hear it: accountability. I've not yet met a vendor that tells you everything. Even the most up front company will tell you that they can/do something and then shuffle (some like mad) to get it done, even if they know how to do it. Not only do I expect this, the challenge of new things for clients makes some companies tick, while many just hide.

More than ever, dealerships want the services they pay for to get the
customer in so their sales staff can "close 'em". Just leaves you to
guess that many salespeople still believe that they shouldn't have to work for the close.

Mobile Web: Face it, you have to do it, it's absolutely here (if not passing the auto industry like a freight train), consumers want it and technology is changing faster than prices for NBA Finals tickets right now.

Advanced Mobile Solutions has a great platform they're rolling out for automotive. They know mobile, understand that life-on-the-go will extend beyond iPhones and Android Phones very soon, have the backbone to support it and want to push the ball forward. Many of the platforms I've seen for dealership inventory are lacking. This company has some great promise…oh, yes they can also do your mobile/text marketing so you can have one vendor doing both correctly http://www.advancedmobile.us

Widgets: Plenty of people still question the staying power and how steadfast of a marketing tool having some real estate of a consumer's desktop is, let alone if they'd download it. Outside of iGoogle and the 'techie' folks, many believe that this market is absolutely huge.

Already featured last December in a "Week At IM@CS", DealerBug needs to be checked out seriously (yes, by you!). This versatile tool allows great presence, branding, analytics and adaptability. It's not a question of when you need it, only how will you use it. They're delivering customized widgets for everything from pre-order vehicles (like Camaro), to car clubs (Mustang, Corvette, IS-F, EVO, etc) and developing inventory-based communication. Relevancy and timeliness has a new home on your customer's screen http://www.dealerbug.com

Live chat has developed into a tightly debated sector of consumer engagement on dealership website (and now even on videos and ads playing on non-dealership properties like YouTube). No matter what, dealerships that do it right…get the results.

ActivEngage happens to be where IM@CS believes the market is right now for car dealership live chat (ie real-time car sales folks). Every time there seems to be a wrinkle in the 'get-em-on-the-website' process, this company appears to have the iron for the job. I've been impressed this year in watching the value that they continue to provide http://www.activengage.com

Hopefully we'll keep this section of the blog a little more alive. Please give some feedback on any companies that you believe should be featured or if your experience with any ones that are featured has been less than desired (in all fairness).

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

May 10, 2009 by Gary May 0
A December To Remember? For A Lot Of Reasons

No matter how tightly or loosely your association with the automotive industry, this is a month of reckoning for so many reasons. But most are still in 'wait and see mode'. That just flat out can't be comfortable and it's not right, so why is it done?  If you'd had the proverbial crystal ball, what would you have done months ago (if not years)?

It is interesting to hear about some level of negative consumer sentiment or backlash about the Toyota 0% advertising. When was the last time the public's voice rallied against dealers communicating with them too much or trying to sell them cars they didn't want?

Not to rip off Lexus and their annual end-of-the-year ad blitz, but will this be a December to remember? Some stores are talking about a small lift in their traffic, some about people buying again and some are just happy to get clients responding via email. How do you keep the water flowing?

These are constants in what IM@CS teaches daily:

1. Put everything in the customers' terms
2. Ask questions
3. Validate the customer (while talking less)
4. Answer their questions and ask a new one (yes, keep the conversation going)
5. Demonstrate a real reason to buy
6. Promote value, advantages and benefits

Then ask yourself what your marketing says and remember that if you keep doing the same things, don't expect different results. In a meeting with a dealer service provider Tuesday, their entire (refreshing) approach was to understand their clients' needs better. Almost everything we talked about related to engagement. So…what are you doing every day to think about how you communicate and relate to your clients?

Don't pay more attention than your precious time allows to think about the economy, bailouts, cut backs, fewer units sales, etc. Nothing affects you more than the leads you're not responding to, the terse or lacking responses and messages you leave, the appointments you don't confirm and the time you don't spend learning how to do things better.

Find every reason to make this a December to remember for your own reasons, get out there and be great!

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

December 4, 2008 by Gary May 1