Nothing compares to waking up in the morning, checking my email and reading in a new message from CarWoo! that a customer has accepted my offer and wants to coordinate pickup. Suddenly, a day I assumed would be full of follow-up calls and emails now has an elevated purpose. I start it off by getting a car in the wash rack. Starting a day this way raises the prospects for it turning into a two- or three-car day. But the truth is, getting these unexpected emails is no accident. Continue reading →

As a sponsor of the upcoming Internet Battle Plan X , July 17-18 at the New Tropicana in Las Vegas, CarWoo! is joining a host of other progressive companies who are helping dealers be their best online.  Jim Ziegler has been putting together these Internet Battle Plan sessions several times per year for the past few years, and dealers love them. Continue reading →

A dealer in Fairbault, Minnesota can see them lingering 58 miles north, where Minneapolis rises from the prairie removing every notion of rural. In the heart of Los Angeles, they seem to exist on the fringes, where houses are still affordable, where hills remain green, where no man could go mad – or, perhaps, where all men have. Out where the coyotes scatter out of the backyard in the morning with avocado stuck to their whiskers. Continue reading →

Until today, if anyone approached a major Internet department and said that they should be closing 61% of their leads, many may have balked. They’d cite example after example of how this simply isn’t possible. And the truth is, the more they’re like the lowest closing-ratio dealer, the more examples in their arsenal. And with more examples comes a stronger belief. But, just like the General Manager in Part 1 wiped last month’s sales board clean, we have to put that behind us. Continue reading →

Summary: The dark before the dawn – the Internet Manager has a mental breakdown.

It was May 1^st, and the General Manager was wiping clean last month’s stats off our sales board in his office. All my late-night, hard-won battles vanished in his big swipes. Sales always look so clean and easy when they’re just numbers. And the eraser glides so easily over them. But, we all know there’s a story behind every number on the board. Continue reading →

Almost every dealer has one. Every salesman on the floor has been wronged by him at some point. If they haven’t recently, it’s only a matter of time before he strikes again.

He’s Half-Deal Man. Continue reading →

In Part 1, we got a better sense of the internet car shopper’s mental model. Now, let’s talk about how to apply that understanding. Continue reading →

This very millisecond, somewhere on the interwebs, a customer is about to press “Click Here for a Quote.” This customer is moments away from reaching dealers’ CRMs. They bite their nails, pondering the ramifications of giving out their personal information for the promise of super-awesome dealer quotes. The risk seems worth it, so they proceed… but then change their phone number slightly because that way maybe they’ll only receive quotes via email. Hopes are high. They refresh their inbox. Dealers are responding. Let’s follow along the most likely path taken by this internet shopper. Continue reading →

Maybe you’re a GM, and you suspect your Internet department is underperforming. Or you might be an Internet Manager who’s tired of losing deals to competitors that tell your prospects to bring in their lowest quote. Either way, you’re in the right place; this is no average article – It’s a step-by-step plan on how to improve sales. Continue reading →

A crowd of salesmen assembles on the showroom floor. None of them quite understand why they’re whispering. Some have heard rumors of a salesman who existed many years ago. Others swear this isn’t true. A few say he could never survive again because we live in different times. Continue reading →

In Dealer Reviews: Part 1, I discussed how dealer reviews impacted my quote response rates. What if you’re a 2-star rated dealer? What can you do to turn this around? Here’s an Action Plan for turning around your 1- and 2-star rated dealer reviews.

Good Dealer Reviews Step 1: Find the biggest wound and stop the bleeding

Look at your reviews and try to isolate the common complaint – and simply put a stop to it. Don’t just look at who’s mentioned in these complaints. For example, if salespeople are mentioned, these salespeople may just be following an existing sales process. If your Desk Managers aren’t listening to salespeople regarding the customer’s wants and needs, this will create a disconnect and a negative experience for shoppers. You may need to do away with the practice of putting processes before people.  Continue reading →