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Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley "Leadership" "Lead By Example"

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Yelp and Siri Integration

Prospecting Advice From A 30-Car Guy

Last year I wrote an article that I received literally HUNDREDS & HUNDREDS of emails, calls, social media messages from OEM reps, Dealer Principals, GMs, Sales Consultants, Automotive Professionals from all over the country.  The article was so popular that I created a webinar that over 500 dealers signed up for. I then uploaded that webinar to www.automotiveinternetsales.com  (Via YouTube) and that has almost 6,000 views. Because of the huge success of the article and the webinar I decided to create a curriculum for Associations such as the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) And the Greater New York Auto Dealers Association (GNYADA).  Here is part two of that article. I am going to go deeper on ideas of prospecting in 2013, 2014 and beyond.  

Remember the saying “Car Sales is like owning your own business”…? Then act like it! It is NOT 1983, its 2013. Don’t prospect like you did 30 years ago, like you did 20 years ago or even like you did 10 years ago! You need to get with the times and prospect with resources and strategies of this Millennium! 

First and foremost, 92-99 percent of Americans go online BEFORE they ever step foot into a dealership! So, if you were going to go fishing, would you go to the beach and cast your fishing line in the sand? No, of course not! Then why would you do it at the dealership? You need to fish, where the fish are. So, lets start there.

Here are the MOST powerful online (Not the ONLY, just the most powerful) places to prospect for an Automotive Sales Professional:

• Google
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Online Classifieds
• Blog Sites

It is important to create a strategy for each of these areas and stick with it. It is counter productive to start initiatives in multiple areas without a strategy, without consistency.  In other words, either do it or don’t do it.

Lets start with the big (fishing) pond… GOOGLE!

If you know that almost every single person goes online BEFORE they step foot into the dealership, then you need to show up NUMEROUS times on the first page of Google. Think of your dealership, your OEM. They must have a Google strategy. So, if they have one and you believe “Car Sales Is Like Owning Your Own Business”. Then you too need to dominate Google.

Are you even showing up on Google? I am NOT talking about if someone types in your name into Google, do you show up. I am talking about if someone is searching for:

• New Car Sales
• Used Car Sales
• Trade-In information
• Aftermarket Sales
• Bad Credit / No Credit Car Loans
• Service Repairs, Oil Changes etc…
• Car Buying Tips
• Car Maintenance Tips
• Car Reviews
• Tips, Advice, Secrets
• “How To Buy A Car”
• The specific franchises you sell…

I can go on all day long but think about it PLEASE! Most people go online to research, find & surf, compared to people who go online to BUY. So, you should be coming up in Google (And other search engines) for the “Point Of Interest” shopper and for the “Point Of Purchase Buyer”.

Here are ways / strategies that you NEED to be enveloped in to dominate Google:

• A Professional Website –Yes, that is right I suggest that ALL Sales “Professionals” have their OWN “Professional” website.
• Search Engine Optimization – That website needs to have BOTH “onsite” and “offsite” SEO strategies. Just because you have build or purchased a professional website does NOT mean that site is optimized. Also,  websites need continuous optimization.
• Video Search Engine Optimization (VSEO) -  VIDEO, VIDEO and MORE VIDEO! Sales Consultants can dominate Google with Video SEO. It is EASY and FREE!!
• Online Reputation – Sales Consultants MUST have a POWERFUL online reputation strategy.  Reviews INDEX on Google! The more reviews that you have online, the more times you and your name can show up on the first page of Google. There are also numerous online reputation sites that you can focus on:
•  
  • Google Reviews
  • Yelp Reviews
  • Dealer Rater Reviews
  • Yellow Page Reviews
  • Edmunds.com Reviews
  • You can create your own review site or review blog
  • Pictures – Believe it or not but images index very well on Google. They can be straight images or within an image sharing site or engine like:
    • Flickr.com
    • Pinterest.com
    • Photobucket.com

** Here is an AWESOME strategy:

• Create an LLC (Legalzoom.com is CHEAP). The LLC can be something like “Philadelphia Car Sales” or “Cherry Hill Used Car Sales”
• Make sure the “company” name is “Geo” (geographically targeted”)
• Now that you have an OFFICIAL “LLC” or Corporation… you can create a BUSINESS page on Google!!
• I would also create BUSINESS Social Media Accounts (rather than personal ones).

If you believe that car sales is “like having your own business”. Then you need to act like it! You need to seriously make it your own business. I do suggest that you ask your Dealer’s permission and or advice on anything you see in this article, before you just run and do it. These strategies are powerful and serious. 

Stop Stressing Credits, Focus On Selling Cars

I am seeing a disturbing trend happening in our industry. A lot of dealers are focusing way too much on getting credits from 3^rd party providers instead of focusing that energy on selling cars. Now, before you react. Please read the rest of this article.

Remember that I was an Internet Director (5+ years) before I started my company. Now for almost 10 years now I have been building Internet Sales departments and Business Development Centers. I say this just to show that I am not “pro vendor or anti-dealer”. I am a Car-Guy and all I care about is selling cars. And it seems that there is a trend with Dealers that are so focused on getting credits with leads. Some dealers spend so much time trying to track down credits it diminishes the amount of time following up with actual prospects. I am NOT suggesting that you should not be compensated for leads that are invalid or duplicates. I am just expressing my concern with Dealers that spend so much time focusing on trying to get credit for leads. Actually grinding their reps for more credit(s). I have clients that do it sometimes for sport. I said clients, so I know it’s a fact. Some dealers demand credits because they know that most lead source providers will concede rather than argue with a dealer or possibly lose a client over something as silly as a credit. There are dealers that sometimes not choose a particular lead source provider because of their “Lead Credit Policy”, or worse even cancel a 3^rd party lead source provider or aggregator because they didn’t get a credit or the amount of credit back they thought they were owed. 

This blows my mind because the average cost per lead in the United States is only $20 (give or take a couple of dollars).  The upside is off the charts. If a dealer buys 100 leads at $2,000 and sells 10 percent (10 units) with an average Front and Back, total gross of $2,000 per copy. That is $20,000 Gross. The Return On Investment (ROI) is SICK!! We are talking about a Net profit of $18,000 from 1 lead source provider. Especially when you compare it to traditional advertising. NADA says that the average cost per sale in advertising is $640+ per car. In the model I just mentioned, 10 units sold out of 100 leads at $2,000 per copy means that the 3^rd party lead source provider model is ONLY $200 per car sold. That is less than 1/3 of what the AVERAGE dealership in this country sells cars for.

Here is the problem; most dealers forget that leads are NOT magical beans or silver bullets. They forget that they have to work at these leads. And when I say “work”, I mean WORK and work them hard. Dealers need to have the following:

• A Follow Up Process – Dealers need to have a realistic follow up process for email, phone and social media (Yes, I said social media. Social Media is the #1 form of communication on this planet).  They need to not just say “we need to follow up via email, phone and social media”. There needs to be an EXACT formula mapped out. The formula needs to be realistic and logical and take into account that the average buying cycle is 45-90 days. NOT 37 days. Also, the follow up process needs to be tailored to the fact that the average Internet sales prospect is also engaging 5-8 other dealers or websites… 

• Content – Dealers need to have a powerful library of content. Email Templates, Phone Scripts, Word Tracks, Objections / Rebuttals, Value Package Proposition (Why buy from us message).

• People / HR – Dealers need to have the right amount of people in the department or the right amount of people in the dealership that are working the Internet Leads. A lot of dealers have too many leads and not enough people or the opposite… too many people and not enough leads. Both are bad problems (That can be fixed). But its not just not having the right amount of people. Dealers need to have the RIGHT people in the right positions. The right scheduling and pay plans are also imperative for success within an Internet Sales Department or BDC.

• Training – Dealers need to train their people with what to do, when to do it, how to do it and most importantly why they are doing it.

• TO protocol- There needs to be a 100% “TO” process in place with ALL Internet prospects. Just like most dealers and all successful dealerships believe in a 100% TO protocol for showroom prospects. So should the Internet department. Too many times dealerships “burn” through Internet Ups without any accountability.

• Culture – Dealerships that instill a culture that ALL leads are good leads. ALL 3^rd Party leads are AWESOME will be tremendously successful. It’s the dealers that allow Internet or BDC reps to “pre-qualify” leads or allow reps to say that a certain lead “sucks”… those dealerships will be inundated with “bad leads” that suck.  Dealers that teach their Internet / BDC teams that a lead is ONLY a “lead” it is an opportunity to sell an automobile. NOTHING MORE. It is a name, sometimes a phone number, sometimes an email address. BUT if you receive a lead without an email address or phone number instead of worrying about a credit (at first). FOCUS on trying to ascertain that contact information. For example dealers can:

•  Open up the original lead within the ILM /CRM and see if the lead didn’t parse
• Reverse look up via 411
• Reverse look up via www.anywho.com or www.whitepages.com
• Thorough reverse look up with www.spokeo.com
• Reverse look up via social media (cut and past prospect’s email address into Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc…

Bottom line is that 3^rd party providers have tremendous value. To realize that true value, dealers need to be prepared for these leads and have a proactive mindset that leads are gateways to opportunities to sell an automobile. Its not a guarantee, only an opportunity to do business. It is up to us how we maximize that opportunity.

If you have any questions about this article or if you would like me to review your Dealership’s Internet or BDC lead follow up process. Please email me at sean@dealersynergy.com or call me on my cell at 267-319-6776.

I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming www.internetsales20group.com that AutoUSA is a Platinum Sponsor in Los Angeles, November 12-14 

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Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley - Automotive Sales - Showroom New Hire Tips & Advice

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Gaining the Competitive Edge As A Member Of A 20 Group

Before I go into the “why”, let’s discuss the “what”. Specifically, what is a 20 group? A “20 Group” is a group of dealers in noncompeting markets that get together in exotic locations nationally and internationally, on a quarterly basis, to “synergize”. Although once required that a group consist of approximately 20 dealers (hence the name “20 Group”), this does not always hold true today. Some “20 groups” consist of 30 dealers while others may only consist of 15. Ultimately, the number of dealers in the group is not as relevant as the criteria by which the group itself is structured.

Today 20 Groups are structured a little differently, but it’s important to understand their origin in order to appreciate their evolution. Originally, the 20 group audience was composed of Dealer Principals, General Managers and/or senior executives of the dealership. It also originally focused on franchise dealerships. For example, in a “Toyota” 20 Group, you would find 20 different Toyota dealerships from 20 different markets, usually from all over the country. But even though the franchise was exactly the same, diversity still existed within the “Toyota” 20 group itself. For example, you could have dealerships that were small, large, part of a dealer group, part of a corporation, in a rural area, in the city, single point or part of a multi franchise point; all with different strengths, weaknesses, passions and fears. These dealers were intentionally diverse. This was imperative to the success of the 20 group to ensure impartial feedback.

Some of the most common areas of comparison, coverage and discussion in a traditional 20 group were:

• Financial Composite
  • Expenses
  • Gross
  • Net
  • ROI
  • S.W.O.T.

• Break Down of Different Departments
  • New Car Sales
  • Used Car Sales
  • Advertising / Marketing
  • Vendors / Suppliers
  • CSI / Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Legal
  • OEM Situations
  • Accounting / Floor Plan

• And More…

How was the data collected? Each dealer within the 20 Group would be responsible for filling out their “input sheets”, which would become part of the overall 20 group composite. The input sheets worked as the core for analyzing all of the details, metrics and financials mentioned above. The sheer act of an individual dealership filling out an input sheet and tracking the proper metrics was worth the price of membership. Always remember, what isn’t being tracked, can’t be measured and what can’t be measured, cannot be improved upon. Surprisingly, a lot of dealerships today still simply “wing it”. The 20 group input sheets forces the dealers to hold themselves accountable because they have no choice but to fill them out. Lack of doing so could lead to the dealer being fined or worse yet, kicked out of the 20 group completely. After all, in order for the composite to hold its validity, the numbers must be true. Garbage in equates to garbage out.  Now with those completed input sheets, the 20 group, led by the 20 Group “Moderator”, was able to take the dealers individual metrics and consolidate all 20 dealerships’ input sheets into the group’s composite. Upon consolidation of the metrics, the moderator and each dealer within the 20 group, is able to see the entire 20 Group in one view and see which dealers are excelling and which individual category they are excelling in. On the opposite spectrum, the group could see which dealers are struggling, where and why.  From this data, the group could create “standards” or “benchmarks”. The group could see who is above, below or on track for 20 Group standards. But, this is only the beginning. Now that all of this “field intelligence” has been exposed, the real “SYNERGY” begins! Within each individual 20 Group session, dealers spend time discussing what is successful, what vendors are good and what strategies are successful. Also, what vendors are bad and what to do when bad things happen. In essence, the composite acts as a conversational starter. The true value is being part of a specific group of like minded people, at your level (or better) and the group works together for one sole goal…to evolve the entire group synergistically.

The core principals described above still remain constant and relevant for today’s 20 groups. People need cars today like they needed cars back then. That hasn’t changed. But what has changed, is the medium by which people are buying cars. With 97% of consumers going online prior to stepping foot into a dealership, the Internet Sales Department was created. As mentioned, 20 Groups originally were for franchised dealers and broken down by franchise. Soon after, Independent Dealership 20 Groups started popping up, followed by:

• Used Car 20 Groups
• Special Finance 20 Groups
• GM 20 Groups
• CFO 20 Groups
• Internet Sales 20 Groups

20 Groups are essential for success in today’s market. Shakespeare said “Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are”.  If you are a Dealer Principal, GM, Internet Sales or BDC Director or any other senior executive within a dealership or dealer group, I suggest that you find a 20 Group that fits your dealership’s focus and needs.

Remember to find the RIGHT 20 Group for your unique needs and situation. You do not want to join a CFO 20 Group if you are looking for BDC information and clarity. Just like you wouldn’t hire a Service Writer Trainer to train your Internet Sales Department, you do not want to join a “traditional” 20 Group if you need information, strategy and clarity for Internet Sales. I also suggest that you are careful with 20 Groups that claim to do “everything”. Dr Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, says “Put First Things First”. Meaning, you want to identify which area of the dealership you want to perfect first and concentrate solely on that department. Once you solidify the success of that specific department, you can move on to the next focus. For example, if you want to compare and synergize with other Porsche Dealerships, then join a Porsche 20 Group. But if you are looking for clarity on your Internet Sales Department, BDC or Digital Marketing initiative, then find a 20 group that specializes in that area. 

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Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley - "Follow Your Process WITHOUT Exception WITHOUT Fail"

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Danny Benites, GM Of Greg Lair Buick GMC Will Be a Panelist At Internet Sales 20 Group Los Angeles

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Danny Alkassmi, Odo Club Promotional Special For Internet Sales 20 Group Members ONLY

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Automotive Internet Sales Interviews New Automotive Sales Professional, Joseph Argento Of Burns Honda in Marlton, New Jersey

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Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley - "Voicemails" Are IMPERATIVE For Phone Sales Success

Automotive "Internet Sales" is predominantly a PHONE SALE. Thats right almost every single Internet lead / prospect escalates to a phone sale. Very few Internet leads stay sole "internet" or "email".

And everyone knows that the HARDEST part of Internet Sales or BDC success is simply getting the prospect on the phone. The majority of what Internet or Business Development departments do is phone call and leave voice mail messages. So, if that is the case, then dealers need to really get great at leaving voice mails. 

Please let me know if you have any questions. If you would like more awesome information, please go to www.automotivedigitaltraining.com 

Dealer Principals & General Managers, When was the last time you…

When was the last time you actually went and listened to your Internet Sales Coordinators, BDC reps, appointment setters, sales consultants and sales managers’ phone calls? If you have a call monitoring system, do you log in yourself and listen to the MP3 calls, or do you delegate it to someone else? Do you ever “mystery shop” your employees? Or, if you have hired an outside company (training or consulting) and they conduct call monitoring and/or mystery shopping on your behalf, do you ever read the corresponding reports and assessments?  

When was the last time you went through your own website? I am not talking about a quick log on and review of the homepage. I am talking about you actually taking a deep dive into your entire website by clicking on EVERY single link, button, photo and drill down page. Pretend you are a customer. Is your website providing the type of experience you would hope for and expect if you were the shopper? After all, with consumers shopping an average of 5-8 different websites, will your website’s experience be enough to initiate a phone call?

When was the last time you reviewed all of your email templates?

When was the last time you listened to the way your people leave voice mail messages? Are they leaving the same mundane messages your competitor down the street is leaving, or are they leaving voice messages that will entice the customer to return your phone call and/or distinguish your dealership from the rest. Was a sense of urgency created?

When was the last time you reviewed your Social Media Strategy? You should know:

• What are you Facebooking?
• What are you Tweeting?
• What are you posting to your Google + account?
• What pictures are you uploading on Flickr or Pinterest?
• What videos are you uploading on YouTube?
• What are you saying to the public?

Have you investigated all of your review sites? For example:

• Google Reviews
• Yelp
• Edmunds
• Cars.com
• Yahoo
• Yellow Pages
• Dealer Rater
• Judy’s Book
• City Search
• Merchant Circle
• BBB

Are you even responding to people that are leaving reviews about your dealership, positive or negative? And if your dealership is responding, is it with the right message? A negative review can turn into a positive review with the right response and action(s) taken.

How about the paradigm of the dealership? I travel all over the country and work with thousands of dealerships and what I have found astounds me! I sit with Dealer Principals and listen to their explanation of their organization. I listen to their:

• Mission Statement
• Vision Statement
• Social Responsibility Statement
• Core Values and Principles

I listen to how proud they are of their organization(s). I listen to the AMAZING things they do in their community. I hear about altruism, integrity, dedication, respect, love, honor, tenacity, success and more.  But what I SEE is usually COMPLETELY different from what I hear, and that is a problem! Perception is reality and what people “perceive” is their reality. Dealers might have a strong vision, mission, values and value package, but if it is NOT conveyed to the managers, sales consultants, service writers, technicians, BDC reps, receptionist etc… then it is LOST mission.  As a matter of fact, when I go onsite to dealerships, one of the first things that I ask managers and employees is “What is the organization’s mission statement”? “What is the vision”? And almost ALL of these people have no idea that a mission statement even exists in their organization.  And of the few people that knew that there was a mission statement, they had no idea what it actually was. Sadly enough, this is true for some General Mangers too. There are GMs that have no idea what the Mission Statement or The Vision Statement is. How in the world is the organization going to personify the “vision” of the Dealer Principal if no one is even aware what the vision is? How can the organization perpetuate the momentum of the Dealer? It is difficult to say the least, unless that is EVERYONE is on the same page.

The way it should work is:

• Dealer Principal or GM states the Mission, Vision, Values / Principle, Value Package Proposition (Why Buy From Us).

• THEN and only then does the dealership find vendors and employees that align with the dealership’s vision, mission and values.  A lot of times, dealers “Frankenstein” vendors, just trying to sell cars. They also hire people at random without consulting the blue print and guidelines set by the mission statement.

• Make sure that EACH of the following communication mediums; website, email templates, voice mail templates, advertisements, social media etc, are all set up with the Dealer’s vision, mission and values clearly evident. Does the homepage of your website recite the mission?

• You want it to be that when a prospect or a client engages your dealership in ANY way what so ever, it is crystal clear “Who” the dealership is and what the dealership’s unique value package proposition is.

Your brand is sacred, your word is your bond and your reputation is everything.

If you believe that statement, then you need to make sure your dealership not only knows and understands the organization’s statement, but it is also perpetuating the vision, value and mission of the Dealer Principal / GM through actions, not just words.

If you have any questions about this article or if you would like some free advice on how to create a Mission, Vision and Value Statement please email or call me.

http://www.internetsales20group.com

Automotive Internet Sales Interviews TrueCar & Responds To Joe Webb & Brian Pasch...

It seems that there was a negative post about TrueCar recently, http://www.dealerknows.com/is-this-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-truecar/ Joe Webb of Dealer Knows published the post and then a lot of people in the industry started to jump on the band wagon of the negativity. One of those people was Brian Pasch of PCG.
I have a problem about what was said and the people saying it. Especially when TrueCar is the TITLE sponsor for AutoCon... How can you tell dealers that they are great and good enough to be a title sponsor and then say they are wrong or bad out of the other side of your mouth...

So, I wanted to set the record straight. The first part of this video is ME and MY opinion of the situation. And the second part (the majority) of the video is the ACTUAL GoTo Meeting interview with Ken Potter, VP Of Dealer Development & Mike Timmons, Executive VP of TrueCar. Automotive Internet Sales.cm had the opportunity to sit with TrueCar and get their feedback and official position on the situation.

I normally DO NOT get involved in these situations BUT... Ken Potter has been a friend for over 12 years now and I do not like people attacking him unfairly. He is an integrity based individual. And I do not feel that TrueCar is doing ANYTHING wrong with their policy for "Write Offs" on their leads...

I am ALWAYS open for conversation if you want to reach me. Please email me at seanb@dealersynergy.com or call me on my cell 267-319-6776

http://www.internetsales20group.com

The Alpha Dog, Jim Ziegler wants you to sign up now for the 4th National Internet Sales 20 Group, November 12, 13 and 14 in Los Angeles California BEFORE It Sells Out.

Jim even gives his personal phone number and invites Dealers to call him directly for details.

The Internet Sales 20 Group is going to be Epic!

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Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley - The Power Of "Thank You"

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Sean V. Bradley & Internet Director, Matthew Sears Discuss Autotrader & Conventional Marketing / Advertising...

Automotive Internet Sales recently had Internet Sales Director, Matthew Sears at corporate headquarters in New Jersey. We sat down with Matt and answered some of his questions about "Traditional" Marketing and Advertising. Sean talked about the importance of Internet advertising. When 92-99% of prospects are going online BEFORE they step foot into the dealership... It becomes a no-brainer and combine that with the fact that Internet advertising is LESS than $200 per car, where as traditional is over $600 per car in advertising as per NADA.

For more information and training videos, goto http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com