Say a customer calls to ask about a car that my dealer doesn’t have in stock. Say it’s a hot car, and hard to find. A trade’s not in the cards, even from our friendliest dealer connections. What do I do? I run a locate and list off the dealers that do have the car. Why? Because I have little to no chance of selling that car to them myself. I’m guessing not many GMs would be huge fans of this practice. Continue reading
Author Archives: Dave
Car Shopper Pitfall: Monthly Payment
You’d think, since I work in the car business, all my family members and friends would be immune to the worst dealer behaviors. No way would they get cleaned out at a dealer, right? But, unfortunately, that’s simply not the case. For one thing, I only sell Hondas. Regardless of my big Honda pitch, not everyone wants one. Continue reading
Car Shoppers and the Customer Satisfaction Index
In the auto industry, “CSI” is short for Customer Satisfaction Index, not an engaging TV show. If you’ve bought a new car or you’re about to, you’ll probably receive the call. It’ll be a third party hired by the manufacturer, asking you to rate your experience at the dealership.
The questions typically ask you to rate your satisfaction relating to the dealership, your salesperson, the paperwork process, the delivery process, and on your vehicle itself – each on a scale from 1-5. This survey is known as the Customer Satisfaction Index. Continue reading
Dealer Reputation Management: It Ain’t Easy, But it’s Simple.
You’ve seen reviews. You know, those things that let customers relive their shoppingexperienc
Dealership Closers: What Car-Shoppers Need to Know
Not every dealership has a “Closer.” But just in case you find yourself sitting across from one, you might want to get a feel for their role in a dealership.
First off, you probably won’t know who this person is. Closers aren’t likely to introduce themselves as such, but rather as the Manager. Or, your salesman may introduce him as his manager. Make no mistake though. Often, these people disguised as managers are highly polished and experienced Closers. And you’re more likely to find them in larger dealerships. In this article, you’ll learn why dealers have Closers, what they do, and how to best deal with them. Continue reading
The Secret to Finding Dealership Trainers
Dearest dealership manager, you were probably hoping for an article with a shortcut to all the contacts you need to know to improve any aspect of your dealership – internet sales, phone pops, SEO, reputation management, and so on.
But before I let in to my secret to finding the right consultants, let me tell you about a guy who’s gone to my gym the past three years. Continue reading
Managers – Remember When You Were a Car Salesman?
After a long day at the dealership, I came home to find my dogs had once again dug under my bed and torn up a few of my files. They’d shredded diploma
The Dealership’s Finance Manager, Final Stop in Car-Shopping
You’re in a dealership, waiting for a Finance Manager to get your paperwork ready. What could possibly be taking so long? You peer around, trying to figure out where this person is and why he hasn’t helped you quite yet. You see offices, fancy cubicles, official-looking people who look like they could be the Finance Manager. Your salesman seems to have lingered off. He told you it’d be just a few minutes, but you can’t help but wonder why you get the feeling he’s out back smoking right now. You’re in no man’s land: that time between shaking your salesperson’s hand and signing on the dotted line with your Finance Manager.
Agree to a deal? Get ready to meet your Finance Manager. Continue reading
Tips to Keep Car Shopping Fun
Here are some car shopping tips to keep car shopping fun. Very few car shoppers walk into a dealership without researching pricing. Of course, you would be accommodated if you chose such a mission. But wait a minute. Let’s say you were planning a trip. Would you drive to the airport, pay to park, walk up to the ticket counter and simply buy a ticket?
Continue reading
Dealer Service Department: Power of Social Media Feed
Say you’re a Service Manager, experiencing a good deal of success. The service drive is fairly busy most days. Your service writers are fine-tuned machines. You’ve resolved complaints of writer favoritism from your technicians. Your customer satisfaction index looks good, but your GM doesn’t seem to leave you alone about “social media.” Just what does he want from you? Continue reading
Why Car Dealers Should Use Video to Talk to Buyers
Personalized Video
A few months ago, a friend of mine was promoted to the Internet Department at his dealership. He asked me for advice on what he could do to get more sales. In my lists of short-term and long-term ideas, I included video as the thing he should work on right away.
The discussion dropped off my radar until the other day, when he texted me a picture of the sales board. His numbers were three times that of any other sales person. I texted him back.
“Congrats!”
He replied quickly.
“Thanks, chief! I owe you. Personalized video email rocks!! Kicks ass!” Continue reading