Because of the success of his first book, "Win the Game of Googleopoly",  Dealer Synergy CEO Sean V. Bradley has decided to write another book. If you cannot wait for the new book, don't worry, the best selling author and award-winning automotive sales professional will also be speaking at several conferences throughout the remainder of the year. Don't miss your opportunity to see Sean in action, here is a list of his upcoming events. 

Sean V. Bradley Confirmed Speaking Engagements 2014-2015

August

9-10    NADA 20 Group - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Keynote Speaker) 

September 

8-10    Industry Summit - Las Vegas, Nevada (Keynote Speaker and Award Winner) 

*Dealer Synergy will also be exhibiting at the convention* 

21-22   Internet Battle Plan - Detroit, Michigan (Keynote Speaker) 

October 

18-19   NADA 20 Group - Kiawah, South Carolina (Keynote Speaker) 

November 

TBD     Internet Sales 20 Group 8 - Miami, Florida 

March 2016

31 - April 3   NADA 2016 - Las Vegas, Nevada 

*Dealer Synergy will also be exhibiting at the convention* 

A job search can be both extremely stressful and somewhat of an emotional roller coaster. With all the applications, resume building, and interviews, one day you could be flying high on cloud nine ready to conquer the world and the next you could find yourself in a slump. Present day job searches require more time and energy than ever before. Therefore, it is extremely important to stay motivated throughout the process. Here are a few simple ways to stay positive while searching for the job of your dreams. 

Prepare for the process - You have to face the reality that you will not find a new job overnight. There will be weeks where you will not have any contact from potential employers. In fact, research shows that your job search will take approximately one month for every $15,000 you plan to earn. The trick is to stay positive and not fall into a downward spiral because your job search is taking longer than expected. 

Don't give up on yourself - Every jobseeker has to keep the faith. Your job search is all about selling yourself to employers and hiring managers. It is very important to stay optimistic during this time, because if you don't believe in yourself who will. Your ultimate goal is to prove that you will be an asset to the company. 

Network - Never be embarrassed to search your job situation with others. Networking is a great way to find a new position. Over 40% of jobseekers said they used networking as a means to land a new job. Even if you don't find a new gig, networking is an excellent way to meet new people with similar interests. 

Set goals - Setting daily, weekly, and monthly goals will keep you on track during the hunt for new employment. Having targets to reach will help you stay focused and motivate you to send resumes and reach out to employers. Once you reach those goals you will feel good about yourself and your progress. 

Maintain a healthy work/life balance - Even though you are unemployed, you should think of your job search as a job. With that said, it is extremely important to keep a work/life balance. Step away from the computer and go out with friends, do something you enjoy, or find a new hobby.

Although your job search may be stressful and appear never-ending, it is imperative that you remain motivated. Never giving up, setting goals, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can aid in this process. Remember, it all the stress and frustration will be worth it when you land that dream job. 

If you are looking for a career in automotive sales, visit http://automotivesalescareers.com/.

Route 4 Cars, located in Paramus, NJ, wants every customer to experience the ultimate level of service and convenience. The entire staff is ready and waiting to help. The dealership has flourished since joining Dealer Synergy in Spring 2015. By using the Dealer Synergy process and Bradley on Demand training, the sales team went from selling 72 cars (with 146 showed appointments) in April to selling180 cars (with 454 showed appointments) in May. The numbers remained high through June as well. 

While all of the Route 4 staff is great, Internet Coordinator Shalonda Shaw has shown a lot of growth and initiative. Her sales numbers continue to grow and her positive attitude and desire to improve is an inspiration to her colleagues. 

An Open Letter to the Automotive Industry - Ken Potter

I spent the last three years working at TRUECar with a great team of people under me listening to dealers, industry executives, and my team on how to best serve dealers.
I first want to thank those dealers that allowed me to come visit their stores and hear their very candid feedback, concerns, and thoughts on how we could serve them better. I will be the first to say we didn't get it right for everyone, but we did grow from 3,200 to over 10,000 dealers during this time and did it with humility and respect, and made the program one dealers embraced and actually liked in many, many cases.
I sold my first car in the 90’s and am proud to say I am a “car guy”. I believe we have a great industry that creates opportunities for all walks of people and is often a second chance landing place for many who need one. Despite how technology has changed over the past 15 years, people still sell cars and always will in my mind.
I am very grateful to have had a long career in this industry and look forward to my next chapter. There are many players with lots of cash now jumping in the Automotive tech space and I would like to offer a piece of friendly advice to you all:
Dealers are the lifeblood, the Sales People are the soul, you cannot simply get in the middle of the Customer and Dealer with a great tech product and think you will be great for the industry. The Dealers are the ones who pay everyone (vendors, manufacturer, their employees, advertisers) which therefore makes the Dealer “the customer”.
If you receive revenue or profit from a Dealer, you should be accountable to them on their terms. You should embrace the people they employ and the lives they support.
I look forward to seeing many of my Dealer friends down the road or at a convention and whatever I will be doing will be done with Dealers in mind first, and with humility and respect for the industry.

Sincerely,

Ken Potter
310-895-0824

Looking to start an exciting career in automotive sales? Several Dealer Synergy clients are looking for talented individuals to join their team. Check our current listings and submit your resume.

Georgia
Cronic Chevrolet Buick GMC
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

Illinois
Castle Auto Group
Internet Coordinator -

Indiana
Andy Mohr Toyota
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

Louisiana
Robinson Brothers Ford
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now
Automotive Sales Professional - Apply Now

Massachusetts
Bill Dube Hyundai
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

Jack Madden Ford
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

New Jersey

Route 4 Cars
Lost Opportunity Coordinator - Apply Now

Perrine Buick
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

Spirit Chrysler Dodge Jeep
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

RK Chevrolet Kia Subrau
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

New York
Massapequa Auto Group
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

RC Lacy, Inc
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

Oklahoma
Auffenberg Chevrolet Cadillac
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now
Automotive Sales Professional - Apply Now

Pennsylvania
Piazza Auto Group
Internet Coordinator- Apply Now

Tennessee
Tim Short Dodge
Internet Coordinator - Apply Now

Personal branding is no longer exclusively for high-level executives within a corporation. The tactic is gaining popularity among professionals across all industries, even making its way into the automotive sales industry. As an automotive sales professional, you may question why you need to establish a personal brand when you are part of a dealership. The answer is simple. When buying a car, people buy from people! The more comfortable you make a potential customer, the more they are able to relate to you on a personal level, the more likely they are to purchase a car.

A successful brand is about more than a logo. A brand is what people think and feel when they encounter you. Your personal brand should be an accurate reflection of you. It should be an indication of your performance, what you have to offer, and your overall value. Building your personal brand, and ultimately positioning yourself as an expert in the automotive industry, can mean success for you as a sales professional and your dealership as a whole. 

Not sure how to develop your personal brand? Here are a few simple tips to get you on your way. 

Create a video channel - YouTube is the second most used search engine. Starting a YouTube channel, and posting educational videos, is a great way to get your face out there, get noticed, and gain validity in the industry. Posting videos about your sales process will mark you as an authority, have your peers wanting to learn from you, and potential customers wanting to buy from you. 

Get published - Write a book, submit an article to an automotive trade magazine, or even start a blog! Sharing your information and gaining a strong network is great for building a personal brand. 

Speak at conferences - whether big or small having the opportunity to present to a group of your peers is something you cannot afford to miss. 

Personal branding is no longer just for CEOs. It is very important for automotive sales professionals to build themselves as a brand. The more personable you can appear, the more comfortable customers will be purchasing from you. 

Millennials have a bad rep in today's society. They are stereotyped as narcissistic, lazy, and entitled. Although they are often misunderstood and underestimated, millennials are very important to the automotive industry. Millennials are the people buying and they have the money to spend. One in 10 millennials earn six-figures or more. The group, which ranges in age from 18 to 30, also has the most education. Therefore, they like to do their research. When marketing to this unique bunch, there are a couple things to keep in mind. 

Learn What Motivates Them - This group is extremely results -driven. So having your statistics on hand is very beneficial. They like to know the purchases they make are worth their hard earned money and the time they spent researching the buy. Also, millennials love to laugh. Tune in to what makes them tick and they will be more likely to make a purchase. 

Keep It Short - Don't beat around the bush with millennials. The more transparent you are, they more a millennial will be willing to buy from you. Millennials are known to multi-task and have a million things going on at once. The easier the buying process the better. 

Although millennials are often disregarded, they have a lot of buying power. The challenge is knowing how to market to this research and technology centric group. 

The Internet has made it possible for car shoppers to have numerous options, outside of their local dealerships, when it is time to purchase a new car. While this gives small dealerships an even playing field to compete with their larger competitors, marketing professionals in the automotive industry have been forced to alter their marketing strategies to adapt to the changes in technology. 

For lack of a better term, today's car shoppers have become lazy. They expect marketing professionals to read their minds and automatically address their needs. Although tedious and at times frustrating, having the ability to identify your customer's needs can be very beneficial to the success of your dealership. 

More Prepared - By identifying your customers' needs before hand, you will be more prepared to interact with them once they enter your dealership. Doing your research prior to meeting your clients, will help you to address their concerns and surpass their expectations. 

Shows you are listening - Having the ability to identify your customer's needs, shows that you are paying attention. If you take the time to consider your shopper's needs, get to know their likes and dislikes, and make changes that reflect their concerns, your customer will appreciate your efforts. Additionally, they will see that you value them as individuals, and will ultimately be more likely to make a purchase, refer your dealership to others, or be a return customer. 

While the changes in technology have forced marketing professionals to alter the way they do business, having to know your customer on a more personal level does have some benefits. Identifying your buyer's needs beforehand helps you be more prepared to serve them, as well as shows that you value them. 

So you have successfully launched your dealership's website, updated your blog with fresh content, and started all of the necessary social media sites in an effort to expand your customer base. While your online community continues to grow, you may notice a lack of customer engagement. No matter how large your online community may be, your dealership's digital marketing efforts will not reach their full potential if without quality customer engagement. When customers interact with your business online, your brand gains a positive reputation, as well as validity within the industry. Quality customer engagement produces leads which ultimately means a boost in revenue for your dealership. For those who are new to digital marketing, there are several ways to increase your brand's customer engagement. 

Be More Personable - Make social media posts that will appeal to your target audience. Learn what they care about and what motivates them, and then post content that is relevant to those things. By reaching your audience on a more personal level, they will be willing and more likely to engage with you. When interacting with your online community, be sure to have QUALITY conversations. It is easy to get caught up in the moment and lose focus, but the more quality conversations you have the better they are for your business. 

In -Person Networking - Get out in your local community. The more present you are, the more people you will meet. Once customers see that you are invested in the community you serve, they will communicate with you more regularly. Additionally, they more people learn about you, the more information they have to pass on to their friends. Remember, no matter how much technology advances, word of mouth is still one of the best forms of marketing. 

Your sales team starts working way before a potential buyer walks into your dealership. Whether your Internet Coordinator connects with a customer via an online lead or an inbound call, the interaction between the dealership representative and shopper is extremely crucial. You want to make sure your each member of your team has outstanding persuasion and communication skills. If your sales rep can not effectively communicate with your consumer, it is very unlikely that he will close the deal. 

Although you can equip your team with scripts and a list of objections and rebuttals, there may come a time where your representative is required to go off script in order to meet the needs of the client. When this happens, your staff must have the proper to remain calm and handle the situation with ease. Every member of your staff should be familiar with the daily process of your dealership. They should know the ins and outs of your CRM and be able to ask all general questions customers may have. 

Also, make sure your entire team is aware of the products and services your dealership has to offer. Not only will this allow them to address customer concerns, but it will also enable them to suggest additional services to buyers, resulting in more revenue for your business. 

When your sales team is properly trained, they will be confident in their ability to sell. A confident salesperson builds trust with his customers. If a customer trusts his sales associate, he is more likely to make a purchase at your dealership. 

There are many components that make up a successful digital marketing campaign. Website functionality, digital advertising, SEO, and social media are all major factors, but one piece of the digital marketing puzzle that is too often overlooked is blogging. Although many dealerships believe they do not need to blog, blogging has many benefits. 

First, it can be used as a marketing tool to attract new customers. When potential car buyers go online to browse, some of their keywords may be contained within your dealership's blog, which will lead them to your website.

Additionally, a blog can become the face of your dealership. Your blog can be the first look buyers get of business. Car shoppers may come across some of your original content online and decide to contact the dealership and learn more. 

Finally, a blog has the ability to establish employees as experts in the industry. A blog is the perfect space to showcase your employees' talents and areas of expertise. If shoppers are able to come to your blog and get answers to their questions, they will gain trust and confidence in your dealership and the capabilities of your employees. 

Although a blog may not seem like a vital part of a digital marketing plan, it is a great marketing tool with a vast amount of benefits. 

The inaugural Women in Automotive Convention will hit Downtown Orlando this fall. August 18 - 20, female automotive professionals will come together to learn the latest industry trends and network with one another. Currently, women account for 17 percent of employees in auto dealerships. The creators of the Women in Automotive Convention hope the workshop will help women will see the career possibilities available to them and facilitate cultural changes inside dealerships. 

Looking to get into the Internet market? Colton Davis from Hometown Automotive Group said IS20G 7 was the place to be to stack your arsenal.

The 2015 woman is extremely different from the 1950s woman. Today, women run households, hold full-time jobs, and are able to make executive decisions. While women are actively integrating into nearly every industry, there is an evident lack of women in the automotive industry.

Just 20 percent of dealership employees are women. Additionally, women occupy merely seven percent of front line management, sales, and service advisor positions.

The separation between women and the car industry is also apparent when it comes to purchasing cars. Women are often hesitant to come into a dealership and make a purchase without having a male present.

This is very alarming, especially since up to 80 percent of all automobile buying decisions in the United States are influences by women, 65 percent of service work is ordered by women, and women spend $200 billion a year on vehicle purchases and services.

In an effort to fix the disconnect between women and the automotive world, some dealerships are tailoring their services to cater to female buyers. Dealerships are staffed with female personnel, who are more familiar with this particular customer base.

To learn more about women in the automotive industry and the dealerships that cater to them, visit womensellingcarstowomen.com

Social media is quickly becoming part of everyday life, even in business. Businesses are now using social media to attract potential customers, engage with current customers, and promote new products. Automotive professionals are even integrating social media into their day-to-day practices.

A recent study shows that 78% of salespeople, who use social media to sell their products, outsell their peers who do not actively use social media in their sales process.

Social media and email marketing makes it easy for dealership's to reach a target audience. General managers are no longer left hoping their print advertisements fall into the right hands. If they have deals that are specifically for first-time buyers who are looking to buy a four door sedan, there are tools on social media and other blog forums that will allow dealership's to reach this particular group.