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Cutting To Save Costs Can Cost You Greatly, So What’s Next?

It's so much a part of business today: cost cutting, staff reductions, marketing cancellations, disappearing perks. Even companies that are profitable and efficient are not exempt from the slashing and hacking (that makes sense, right? right?). Needed? Absolutely! Done right? No way! What can you honestly expect when you're name (and more) is not out there?

There's no point in kicking a dead horse: it's bad out there and those that watch conventional media just make it worse by believing what the masses do. But ignoring opportunities and not INVESTING in your future is just as bad as picking up a dime after stepping over a $100 bill. Cost cutting is not an exercise as many people profess, it's simply a knee-jerk activity. One in which you'll disappear. If you want to run through exercises and get wiser, more nimble and learn, then be smart!

Many activities related to online reputation, brand equity, lead generation, customer relation management and more are…wait for it…free! But alas, you must work at it (as discussed in today's Dealer.com 1st Party Lead Webinar, thank you Alex Snyder). Hearing "I can't afford to have my staff doing that online stuff" gives me more indigestion than eating that 72oz steak down at Big Texan!! Folks, what is your strategy? If you cut off blood and oxygen to the brain, what happens?

If you are part of the pointless cost cutting brigade today, how are you going to correctly ramp back up? What are your benchmarks? Consumer confidence, bank lending, 20% lift in units? Please! Strategy, planning, analytics, indicators and some intuition thrown in for good measure should do it along with a good long look at the competition.

If you don't have a game plan, how do you know when the 'cuts' are done? You can't, you don't and you won't. Be proactive. Be thoughtful. Be interactive. Most of all, be timely, accurate and relevant. People want to know you're around and in business.

You may have turned off the car wash and done away with the donuts and muffins but what do you still offer? Think about what's next and think about success (no matter how hard). There are some great opportunities out there just as long as you're willing to do them, putting your effort, thoughts and money behind them.

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

Week At IM@CS: Chats With The Industry

What drives the traffic in? We haven't addressed that much so let's look at a few smaller providers in the realm that IM@CS believes provides the service, backs it and provides additional value:

GetAutoAppraise: Barry Brodsky and the crew at GAA have been doing appraisals for quite a while and know what is most important: the lead, not the value of the car. While the other companies focus on their own traffic around appraisals, GetAutoAppraise gets it done for the dealer with a great admin tool to boot. Check them out at http://www.getautoappraise.com

SEO For Dealers: When dealers ask about complex services they don't understand, they request to "keep it simple". In regards to SEO/SEM and the areas around that, Jeremy Hambly at SEO For Dealers knows how to get it done right: http://www.seofordealers.com

DealerBug: What in the world would drive a 'car guy' to build a widget for consumer to add to their desktop from their favorite dealer when most dealers can't even communicate effectively with their leads? Thank goodness for engagement and for Mike Jennings (former Ford and Compete guy) who understands one of the things that will drive people to and back to your store: http://www.dealerbug.com

We'll try to keep these updates weekly and ultimately have an area where you can get in touch with the vendors.

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results