department - Blog - Automotive Internet Sales - BDC - Free Training Resources2024-03-28T10:51:35Zhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/departmentMake Money Mondays with Sean V. Bradley - 'Message to Dealer Principals' - Automotive Saleshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/make-money-mondays-with-sean-v-bradley-message-to-dealer-principa2014-02-24T12:59:18.000Z2014-02-24T12:59:18.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never" ></param>
<param name="src" value="//www.youtube.com/v/Wra7teFWyec?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" ></param>
<param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" ></param>
<param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param>
<embed wmode="opaque" width="560" height="315" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="//www.youtube.com/v/Wra7teFWyec?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a> 856-546-2440</p>
<p>Make Money Mondays with Sean V. Bradley - 'Message to Dealer Principals' - Automotive Sales</p>
</div>STOP Believing The B.S. About Your Internet Sales Department Or BDC NOT Being Able To Make A Minimum Of 120 Calls Per Day Per Rep!https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/stop-believing-the-b-s-about-your-internet-sales-department-or-bd2014-01-04T00:03:33.000Z2014-01-04T00:03:33.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/p-danzBEzSc?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" ></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never" ></param>
<embed wmode="opaque" src="//www.youtube.com/v/p-danzBEzSc?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param></object><br />
<a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a> 856-546-2440<br />
<a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com">http://www.dealersynergy.com</a>
<p>STOP Believing The B.S. About Your Internet Sales Department Or BDC NOT Being Able To Make A Minimum Of 120 Calls Per Day Per Rep!</p>
<p>Most dealerships on a daily basis hear excuses from their Internet Sales Department, BDC or their Sales Team in regards to how many phone calls they can ACTUALLY make in a day. I have said it for almost 15 years that an Internet Sales Coordinator, BDC Rep AKA an appointment setter can and should make a MINIMUM of 120 calls per day. BOTTOM LINE, PERIOD but YET, there are dealers that ALLOW their employees to be COMPLACENT in MEDIOCRITY. That is right… they ALLOW Mediocrity. Please watch these videos over and over again. PLEASE go to the search bar on this site and search "Power Hour". This is NOT the first time I have done this and VIDEO RECORDED THE RESULTS. It happens ALL THE TIME!!</p>
<p>All I have to do is put up a $100 Bill… tape it to the wall and BOOM!!!! I SHATTER THE Mediocrity. I shatter the myth that they can't make all of those calls… I SHATTER their FEAR THAT THEY CAN'T do it. BOOM!</p>
<p>PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW Mediocrity in your stores or in your life.</p>
<p>If you would like to discuss this video or how I can help you obliterate Mediocrity in your Internet Sales Department, BDC or Showroom. Please feel free to call me or email me-<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/lyLs4a5KeDQ?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" ></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never" ></param>
<embed wmode="opaque" src="//www.youtube.com/v/lyLs4a5KeDQ?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param></object></p>
</div>Where Dealership Culture Meets the Bottom Linehttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/where-dealership-culture-meets-the-bottom-line2013-11-29T18:20:19.000Z2013-11-29T18:20:19.000ZDanny Beniteshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/DannyBenites<div><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CtvVENtAM8w?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p></div>Average Gross Profit: Yesterday's Measuring Stickhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/average-gross-profit-yesterday-s-measuring-stick2013-11-27T00:30:00.000Z2013-11-27T00:30:00.000ZDanny Beniteshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/DannyBenites<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SzKC1Bd8RJI?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Video Archive: The First Ever Internet Department...https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/video-archive-the-first-ever-internet-department2013-11-06T22:30:00.000Z2013-11-06T22:30:00.000ZDanny Beniteshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/DannyBenites<div><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8NPzLBSBzPI?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" width="560"></iframe><p>This scene was the inspiration for my blog, "<a rel="nofollow" href="http://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/my-lean-mean-lead-handling-machine?xg_source=activity" target="_self">My Lean, Mean, Lead-Handling Machine</a>". You're spending a lot of time and money on lead providers, SEO, SEM, website goodies, etc........Are Lucy and Ethel handling your leads? Why go to all of this trouble and expense if you are not serious about training. This clip is one of the funniest moments in television history. When you think of those little candy chocolates as $3000-$4000 missed car deals, it's not that funny.</p><p>If this reminds you of your Internet Department, then pay close attention to every word you hear at Internet Sales 20 Group.</p><p>Who's your Danny?</p></div>2013 Special Finance Benchmarks - ALL Dealerships Should Consider a DEDICATED Special Finance Departmenthttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/2013-special-finance-benchmarks-all-dealerships-should-consider-a2013-11-03T04:31:28.000Z2013-11-03T04:31:28.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474270?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474270?profile=original" width="290" class="align-full"></a></p>
<p>The 2013 Special Finance Benchmarks were announced at the Used Car University Subprime Conference, held last month in Las Vegas. To no one’s surprise, after analyzing tens of thousands of special finance (SF) transactions, the performance benchmarks increased in nearly every aspect of operation from 2012 to 2013. In some cases, the numbers came in at or above all-time highs. These upticks certainly demonstrate an aggressive and competitive battle for market share among auto finance companies.</p>
<p>The chart here supplies all the key metrics that comprise the Used Car University benchmarks, which are calculated at the 75th percentile levels. The following will delve into some of the most important metrics dealers typically look at daily.</p>
<p><strong>Volume and Conversion Rates</strong><br> We begin with deal volume and the general makeup of dealers’ SF businesses. While both franchised and independent dealers enjoyed a general uptick in volume, franchised dealers grew at a rate of slightly more than 10 percent — all based on new-vehicle sales. In 2012, new vehicles comprised 34.7 percent of a franchise dealer’s SF volume. In 2013, that ratio grew to a whopping 40.8 percent, which shows the strong influence of the captives’ subprime efforts. And their impact on the market is being felt all the way down to “Tier 4” SF customers.</p>
<p>And as unit volume increased, so did both the conversion ratio of showroom opportunities and deal gross profit. This year, franchised dealers converted 37.9 percent of the SF opportunities that made it into their showroom. They did slightly better than independents, which converted just less than 33 percent of their opportunities into sales.</p>
<p>Conversion of most lead types improved in 2013, especially third-party leads. Franchise dealers converted nearly 11 percent of their third-party leads, while independents converted nearly 10 percent — both significant improvements from 2012 and the past four years.</p>
<p>Internet leads also converted well. Independents delivered 14.9 percent of all SF leads they received from their websites, while franchised dealers delivered 14 percent of their leads, just a tick off from last year. <br> Phone conversion increased as well. As a group, franchised and independent dealers converted in the mid-13 percent range of all incoming SF phone calls.</p>
<p>One metric absent from this year’s benchmarks is the credit-hotline lead, where customers dial a toll-free number to apply for financing. Such leads have been a staple in the SF segment since the early 1990s. This year, however, marks the first time that an insufficient number of dealers reported credit-hotline usage, making the category’s results statistically irrelevant. Results from the few dealers who reported using credit-hotline leads were all over the map, making it impossible to set a benchmark.</p>
<p><strong>Gross Profits</strong><br> Gross profits on SF deals soared this year. Unlike the last two years, when there were significant differences in vehicle (front-end) gross profits between franchised and independent dealers, gross profits in 2013 came in close enough to set a single benchmark: $2,235 per SF vehicle sold. F&I (back-end) gross profits did continue to see a significant variance. The franchise benchmarks dipped ever so slightly to $1,056 per SF vehicle sold, while independents improved gross again to $763 — still far short of the franchised dealer mark.</p>
<p>Adding the front and back ends together, total deal benchmarks for 2013 come to $3,291 per SF vehicle sold by franchised dealers and $2,998 for independents. That’s a significant increase over 2012 and the past five years.</p>
<div>
<a href="http://www.autodealermonthly.com/article/photos/104886/shifting-into-high-gear/1324.aspx" title="Click for larger view"><img class="wrapImageCMS" src="http://www.autodealermonthly.com/dm_images/articles/M-Goebel-1.jpg" border="0" width="500"></a>
</div>
<p></p>
<p><br> <strong>Marketing Spend</strong><br> For the second consecutive year, SF advertising expenses still remain inefficient compared to past years. Franchised dealers actually reduced their ad cost per vehicle sold to $436, while independents crept up to $360. Additionally, ad expenses as a percent of gross profit still dropped for both sides due to the significant increase in deal gross profits.</p>
<p>Investment in advertising media varied significantly between franchised and independent dealers. Franchised dealers, who spend more money overall, tend to direct more of their ad budgets toward broadcast and digital than independents. They drive the customer to the phone or dealer website and then work leads through a call center or business development center (BDC). Only 11.5 percent of all the total opportunities received by franchised dealers are customers who walk into the dealership. As for independents, more than one in four customers walk into their stores before first contact.</p>
<p>Results also revealed that franchised and independent dealers amped up their broadcast media spends this year. Forty-four percent of franchised dealers spend money on radio advertising, and for those who do, that medium represents 73 percent of their entire SF advertising budget. TV is also in play. It’s used by nearly one in three franchised dealers, representing 54 percent of their ad budgets.</p>
<p>Whether franchise or independent, one thing is for sure: The numbers add up to increased success and penetration into the subprime credit market. While deal conversion and gross profits have not quite returned to 2007’s peak levels, they are not far off. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see SF benchmarks reach all-time highs in 2014</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.autodealermonthly.com/article/story/2013/09/shifting-into-high-gear.aspx">http://www.autodealermonthly.com/article/story/2013/09/shifting-into-high-gear.aspx</a></p></div>Accounting Test: Keeping Internet Departments Honesthttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/accounting-test-keeping-internet-departments-honest2013-10-31T02:00:00.000Z2013-10-31T02:00:00.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><div><br />
<table cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="http://www.autodealermonthly.com/article/photos/104895/a-web-of-lies/1350.aspx" title="Click for larger view"><img class="wrapImageCMS" src="http://www.autodealermonthly.com/dm_images/articles/M-greenway-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Your website provider should be able to provide you with a monthly report that lists the number of hits your site has garnered, the sources of those hits, how long the average visitor spends on your site and what they are visiting on your page." /></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Your website provider should be able to provide you with a monthly report that lists the number of hits your site has garnered, the sources of those hits, how long the average visitor spends on your site and what they are visiting on your page.</p>
</div>
<p>Most dealerships now have an Internet department. Some stores have gone full speed by appointing an Internet manager, hiring representatives to follow up on leads and creating an advertising budget. Other stores have approached the digital age more cautiously, just dipping their toes into the vast pool of online media.</p>
<p>I visit dealerships across the country, and there seems to be no similarity at all in how Internet sales are handled and accounted for. Some dealers think they are maximizing their online sales revenue just by answering every e-mail and chat request.</p>
<p>There is a lot more to it. It just depends on how much money, time and resources you are willing to commit to the project. Full speed or not, from an accounting standpoint, it may make sense to set up a separate department to manage the income and expenses you derive from online sales. Here’s a six-step plan:</p>
<p><strong>1. Hack Your DMS</strong></p>
<p>It should be very simple to set up a new department on your dealer management system (DMS). Assign your new department a number and name, set up income and expense accounts and assign them a factory financial statement line number so they show up on your monthly financial statements. This step forces you to decide how you are going to track your Internet sales, as most factory charts of accounts don’t have separate accounts set up for Internet sales, cost of sales and expenses.</p>
<p><strong>2. Track Your Sales</strong></p>
<p>To properly track your Internet sales, you must set up separate sales and cost-of-sales accounts for each model of new vehicles you sell. Do this for your used inventory as well. If you don’t track these sales, cost of sales and gross profits separately — whether on a spreadsheet or in your accounting software — so you can subtract them from your financial statements, you will probably not have a clue if the money you are spending for this department is worth it.</p>
<p><strong>3. Establish Your Structure</strong></p>
<p>Decide whether your Internet personnel should handle the lead all the way to the finish line or hand the lead over to one of your regular salespeople. If it changes hands, you have to decide how you want to record the deal on your books. If not, note each Internet sale on the deal jacket so accounting knows which sales account to record it in, where to post the commission and where to list other costs associated with the sale.</p>
<p><strong>4. Separate Your YTD Expenses</strong></p>
<p>Once you have the department and the general ledger accounts set up, you can move the year-to-date (YTD) expenses from the accounts you have posted transactions to all year to the new accounts. That will allow you to start your department analysis in the current month.</p>
<p>Once you begin posting the sales and cost-of-sales accounts separately, you can easily see whether your Internet department is profitable. Make sure you allocate the correct payroll costs for the personnel working in this department. It should be based on the percentage of time they are spending there. Now you can calculate the average gross profit per unit sold, the commission or cost to sell it, and the variable expenses associated with it — the same as you would with your new- and used-vehicle departments.</p>
<p>Make sure you have set up accounts for Internet-centric expenses such as website design, in-store Internet usage, monthly web hosting maintenance fees, search engine optimization and lead-management software costs, not to mention your manager and sales representatives’ salaries and commissions.</p>
<p><strong>5. Separate Your Fixed Expenses</strong></p>
<p>If you really want to do it right, you should be allocating some of your semi-fixed and fixed expenses to the Internet department. How much is up to you. This can be a real pain to analyze and allocate, so you may want to have the department up and running for a while before you take this step. Your office manager or accounts payable expert can probably tell you which expenses pertain to your new department.</p>
<p>For the most part, your largest expenses are going to be personnel and electronic media software and usage fees for each click, etc. These are the ones you need to pay the most attention to, as they are variable and controllable costs. If the cost of each sale is larger than the revenue you are generating, you will need to decide how to drive more people to your site that may buy, or start reducing some expenses so the department is not a drain on your dealership’s profits.</p>
<p><strong>6. Order Your Reports</strong></p>
<p>The profitability of any department depends on performance. Your Internet manager should track how long it takes to respond to a lead and how many leads are closing as actual sales. Your website provider should be able to provide him or her with a monthly report that lists the number of hits, the source (e.g., Google search terms), how long the average visitor spends on your site and whether they are visiting different departments.</p>
<p>With the right information at hand, you should be able to compute your cost for each lead and unit sale. Better yet, you can make intelligent decisions on how to improve your website, your inventory mix and your process for handling Internet leads.</p>
<p><strong>Under Review</strong></p>
<p>Once you have set up new accounts for the income and expenses generated by your Internet department, you can determine whether the department is profitable. If it isn’t, you need to act fast. Look at your site from the perspective of a potential customer and ask yourself the following questions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Is your site graphically appealing and easy to navigate?</li>
<li>Does it look as nice as your competitors’ sites?</li>
<li>Is your inventory easy to find?</li>
<li>Are your vehicles listed with good photos, videos and descriptions?</li>
<li>Are your online prices competitive for your market?</li>
<li>Do you know how many of the same vehicles are for sale in your market area?</li>
<li>Do you make it easy for customers to contact you?</li>
</ul>
<p>Source - <a href="http://www.autodealermonthly.com/article/story/2013/10/a-web-of-lies.aspx?utm_campaign=Enews-20131029&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter">http://www.autodealermonthly.com/article/story/2013/10/a-web-of-lies.aspx?utm_campaign=Enews-20131029&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter</a> </p>
</div>My Lean, Mean, Lead-Handling Machinehttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/my-lean-mean-lead-handling-machine2013-10-30T13:28:30.000Z2013-10-30T13:28:30.000ZDanny Beniteshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/DannyBenites<div><p><i><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474297?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474297?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></a></i></p>
<p>Hi, my name is Johnny Dealer. I spend my mornings listening to incoming sales calls from the previous day. I then, go into a deep depression. I guess I am like most dealers, but today, I'm going to do something about it. I am going to create a system that will eliminate missing all of these opportunities. I am about to create a Lean, Mean, Lead-Handling Machine.</p>
<p>Here is how I'm going to do it.</p>
<p>First, I'm going to TOTALLY commit to my new lead department. I am going to commit finances, facilities, training, equipment, and most importantly, PEOPLE. I am going to hire a real-life Manager to run this department and I'm going to pay this person just like the rest of my managers. After all, this department is every bit as important as the others in my dealership. I know that the future of this department is wholly dependant on MY buy in. I AM IN!</p>
<p>What am I going to call this department. BDC? Internet Department? I think I am going to call it the Appointment Department. That is the most accurate name I can think of, plus, calling it the Internet Department only makes me feel more techno-ignorant. I want these employees to know that the appointment is the objective. We'll hand them of to specialists when they get here.</p>
<p>I want to make this Lean, Mean, Lead-Handling Machine to run smoothly and most importantly, be reliable. I can't have it breaking down at inopportune times. I think I'll begin with my people. I'm going to take my time and only hire the best and pay them well. Training? Of course. I think I'll do this in two stages. First, I'll get my hands on the best phone scripts and email templates in the industry. We will train them relentlessly until they can recite them in their sleep. After that, I will teach them our incoming lead concepts. 1. We got what you want. 2. You got what we want. 3. You're special, we're special. (see my article, "Incoming Calls are as Easy as 1,2,3.) I want my people to not only memorize the word tracks, but I want them to UNDERSTAND the content and CONVEY the motivation to the customer.</p>
<p>This machine is beginning to take shape.</p>
<p>Now, I must set up a process that works for everyone. Everyone in my store needs to know this process, inside and out. When a lead comes in, who takes it? At what time do they turn it to a Manager? Can they discuss price? If not, who then? How about follow up? When and how often do they get back with a customer? Do they do it by phone, email, video, or in person? When do they stop trying? I will make sure that ALL of these questions are answered in my process.....my WRITTEN process. How can I expect my people to perform if they are not clear on my vision.</p>
<p>I spend a fortune on tools in my service department. Every time I turn around, my manufacturer has generously shipped and billed a new piece of equipment that is now needed to work on the new models. In my new Appointment Department, I'm not going to cut corners on their tools. They are going to need their own area, with fast computers, great phones with headsets, and a great CRM. The equipment and resources they have are a reflection on my commitment to this department.</p>
<p>How can I make this machine consistent? If I dump a specific number of leads into my machine, how can I be sure of exactly how many car deals will come out the other side? This will boil down to tracking and expectations. I have learned over the last 30 years, that if you want to see numbers increase, simply track them. What are my expectations? I guess I will leave that to the experts. I want to set appointments with 60% of my fresh leads and 40% of my leads that are a week old or more. 50% of them will show. I want to sell 45% of the appointments that show up. I know everyone has different numbers that work for them, but these work for me.....for now. That leads me to "expectations". I know that my people will perform to their expectations. It is MY job to not just manage people, but manage their expectations. I promise make my expectations so clear that they become their expectations.</p>
<p>When my machine is built and running effectively, I vow to soup it up. You know, like a turbocharger. I can start getting innovative with video appointment confirmations, fancy .pdf proposals, bringing in trainers, hiring phone coaches, data mining, lead screening, video search optimization, email marketing, social media promotions, and the like. Heck, my new machine will even be able to handle service leads!</p>
<p>If is a big two-letter word. But...</p>
<ul>
<li>IF I manage this department with the same vigor that I manage my Finance Department, Sales Department, or Service and Parts Departments, it will succeed.</li>
<li>IF I dump 300 fresh leads into my new Lean, Mean, Lead-Handling Machine, then, it will produce 180 appointments, 90 of them will show up, and 40 of them will buy. This does not even include re-hashing my lost opportunities from the last several months!</li>
<li>IF I continue to commit to my new department, every time I dump 100 new leads into my machine, I will get 13 more sales.</li>
</ul>
<p>My mission is simple now......Find more leads to feed the machine!</p>
<p>Who's Your Danny?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>PS - My apologies if your name is, in fact, Johnny Dealer. Any negative references to this name is strictly coincidental, especially if you actually live on 123 Elm Street, Anytown, USA. or work at ABC Motors.</i></p></div>Having a great time training with Anthony Alagona...https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/having-a-great-time-training-with-anthony-alagona2013-10-24T17:12:21.000Z2013-10-24T17:12:21.000ZChelsey Deckerhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/ChelseyDecker<div><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474795?profile=original" target="_self">script.wma</a></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Practicing script training having a great time. Learning a lot of different things.</p></div>The Video Voicemail - R.I.P. Boring, typical, and ineffective VOICEMAIL MESSAGES...https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/the-video-voicemail-r-i-p-boring-typical-and-ineffective2013-10-15T00:32:08.000Z2013-10-15T00:32:08.000ZDanny Beniteshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/DannyBenites<div><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hmykr3VUGoE?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p></div>How to increase your appointment show rate by 15%+....Guaranteed.https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-increase-your-appointment-show-rate-by-15-guaranteed2013-10-11T19:45:48.000Z2013-10-11T19:45:48.000ZDanny Beniteshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/DannyBenites<div><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PouUITzbyuI?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p></div>Take Our Survey for a Chance to Win $300!https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/take-our-survey-for-a-chance-to-win-3002013-09-11T14:43:36.000Z2013-09-11T14:43:36.000ZJosh Vajdahttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/JoshVajda<div><p>It's that time again! AutoUSA is collecting responses to its annual Fall Internet Marketing survey. Sales Managers, Sales Directors, Internet Sales Managers, BDC Managers, Internet Directors, General Managers, dealer principals and others involved in auto dealership Internet Marketing are invited to participate.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The survey is just 15 questions and will take less than 15 minutes to complete. When all responses are collected, we will randomly select one survey participant to receive a $300 Visa gift card. But you can't win if you don't answer the questions! Please click on the link below to get started, and in less time than it takes to finish your cup of coffee, you will be entered into the prize drawing. In order to be eligible for the prize, you must work at a dealership and be a resident of the U.S. or Canada.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thank you so much for your time and participation!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Click here to get started:<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AutoUSAFall2013AIS">http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AutoUSAFall2013AIS</a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474163?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474163?profile=original" width="175" class="align-left"></a></p></div>BEWARE of YOUR Internet Or Business Development Department Infrastructurehttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/beware-of-your-internet-or-business-development-department-infras2013-06-21T04:30:00.000Z2013-06-21T04:30:00.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p dir="ltr"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473993?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473993?profile=original" width="318" class="align-full"></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>BEWARE of YOUR Internet Or</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>Business Development Department Infrastructure</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>For more than nine years, I have traveled the country conducting consulting and training for approximately 500 dealerships, and before that I worked on the front lines for five and half years. I have tracked trends, patterns, common situations that effect dealership’s success, and what is crystal clear is that region, franchise or demographics don’t matter. I want to share some revelations I have identified that will help you sell more cars, more often and more profitably.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Dealerships are</span> <span>not</span> <span>staffing their Internet or business development department the right way. I see the same thing over and over at dealership after dealership. For example, dealers will have 500 leads in their CRM and have one or two appointment setters working those leads — or</span> <span>worse</span><span>, they have</span> <span>no</span> <span>appointment setters. They just rely on showroom consultants to handle all of those leads.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Let me just dive into my concerns in this scenario, beginning with having too few appointment setters. This doesn’t work because there are</span> <span>far</span> <span>too many leads to be handled for only one to two appointment setters. Understand that you only have an 11 to 14 percent connection ratio from phone call attempts. I train clients to make 120 calls per day, no exceptions. However, we find that the average dealership’s appointment setters are making only 50 to 75 calls per day.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Let me break this data down for you:</span></p>
<p></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>On average, 50 call attempts will</span> <span>only</span> <span>convert to five to seven conversations. Does that sound productive for an eight-hour day? Of course not. With two appointment setters each making 50 calls, they will have 10 to 14 conversations for the entire day. Remember that is</span> <span>only</span> <span>10 to 14 conversations out of 500 leads. Leads mean opportunities to do business. These prospects</span> <span>are in the market</span> <span>but we do</span> <span>not</span> <span>engage them?</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Even if your people were making 75 calls each. One rep’s connections would be seven to 10 conversations and two rep’s connections would be 14 to 20 connections. That’s still inadequate compared to the lead volume.</span></p> </li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Now, let’s discuss the scenario of having</span> <span>no</span> <span>appointment setters and just utilizing your showroom sales consultants. The average dealership has approximately 10 sales consultants, and they have lots of responsibilities as well as ways for them to sell an automobile. Let’s look at the eight different ways a showroom sales consultant can sell an automobile:</span></p>
<p></p>
<ol>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Walk-Ins</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Be-Backs</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Phone-Ups</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Internet</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Referrals</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Prior Customers</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Service</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Prospecting</span></p> </li>
</ol>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Lets be honest: I believe the vast majority of automotive sales consultants do not engage the full eight ways to sell an automobile and even if they do, the majority do not do it consistently. But, let’s pretend for a second that they do. How can the average sales consultant handle their full sales responsibilities</span> <span>plus</span> <span>handle the 50, 75 or 100</span> <span>fresh</span> <span>Internet leads they receive per month? If an appointment setter — who does not have to do a product presentation, demo drive or a delivery — only makes 50 to 75 calls per day and converts only five to seven conversations per day, how many phone call attempts do you really think your sales people are making?</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Exactly.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Let’s add another crazy, but important, variable called the residual flow factor. That means the “carry over leads.” Remember that the average Internet prospect is approximately 45 to 90 days. So, if you receive 400 leads in the month of June and you sell 40 units, it doesn’t end there. Just because you close your month doesn’t mean that all of those 370 other leads that didn’t buy are garbage. On the contrary, those are actual working (“cooking”) opportunities. So, let’s say that out of the 370 remaining leads, 200 are still active and viable opportunities. You will start <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">July 1</span></span> with 200 “carry over” leads, plus you will receive an additional 400 “fresh” leads for a total working lead opportunity of</span> <span>600 leads</span><span>. This is known as your residual flow factor.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Now, let me give you the “secret formula” to success. I have numerous nationally recognized client success stories. Clients using this formula have graced the cover of every major automotive magazine, including</span> <span>AutoSuccess</span> <span>(The most recent would be Alan Vines Automotive, in the September 2012 issue).</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Alan Vines Automotive has five appointment setters:</span></p>
<p></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Five coordinators X 120 calls per day = 600 calls per day</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>600 calls per day X five working days = 3,000 calls per week</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>3,000 calls per week X 4.3 weeks in a month = 12,900 calls</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>12,900 calls X 12 percent connection ratio = 1,548 connections with prospects</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>1,548 connections X 25 percent appointment made ratio = 387 appointments</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>387 appointments X 60 percent appointment show ratio = 232 appointment shows</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>232 appointment shows X 42 percent close ratio = 97 units delivered.</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>97 units delivered (as documented in the cover story)</span></p> </li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Alan Vines Automotive receives 600 to 700 fresh leads per month and has a residual flow factor of 800 to 900 working leads.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>My final point is that your Internet sales appointment setters should</span> <span>not</span> <span>be doing anything other than dealing with fresh and carry over Internet sales leads. The only exception is if you have them take incoming phone-ups.</span> <span>That</span> <span>is perfectly in alignment with the system. Do not, however, have them working on:</span></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Unsold showroom traffic</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Service</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>CSI</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Data Mining</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Credit</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Getting lunch, coffee, etc.</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Taking pictures</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Greeting</span></p> </li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>If you think your one or two appointment setters (if you even have them) can work 300 to 500 fresh Internet leads</span> <span>plus</span> <span>do any or all of these things, you are wrong. If your dealership has these efforts tasked to the Internet appointment setter, I suggest that you delegate to someone else, hire BDC appointment setters or accept mediocrity.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>If you have any questions or comment about this article,</span> <span>or</span> <span>if you would like me to personally review your Internet or BDC infrastructure with you, please feel free to e-mail or call me.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Sean V. Bradley is the founder and CEO of Dealer Synergy, a nationally recognized training and consulting company in the automotive industry. He can be contacted at <a target="_blank">866.648.7400</a>, or by e-mail at <a href="mailto:sbradley@autosuccessonline.com" target="_blank">sbradley@autosuccessonline.com</a>.</span></p></div>"How To Grow Your Internet Department" - OVER 500+ Car Dealers Attended This FREE KPA Webinar Todayhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-grow-your-internet-department-over-500-car-dealers-attende2013-02-21T02:30:17.000Z2013-02-21T02:30:17.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/60133179" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://www.internetsales20group.com">http://www.internetsales20group.com</a></p>
<p>What you need to know to developing and evolving the Internet Department at your dealership.</p>
<p><span class="webinar-head"><span class="webinar-head"><span class="wbn-full-description">We are going to review 4 different Internet Departments that went from 20-30 units online to over 100, 150 and even 210 units per month online and onto the covers of AutoSuccess Magazine, Digital Dealer Magazine And Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine!</span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>We will dive into the Dealer Synergy's Award Winning Process and "4 P" Philosophy</li>
<li>Show you the proper way to "set-up" a brand new department, fix a broken department, or evolve a successful department the next level</li>
<li>Explain to you the power of the Internet Sales 20 Group Composite & "Synergy"</li>
<li>And more...</li>
</ul>
<p>"How To Grow Your Internet Department" - OVER 500+ Car Dealers Attended This FREE KPA Webinar Today</p>
</div>Internet Sales 20 Group - "Department Staff & Human Resource Management" - Internet Department / BDChttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/human-resources2012-12-12T20:21:23.000Z2012-12-12T20:21:23.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/55465264?badge=0&color=ff9933" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/55465264">Internet Sales 20 Group - Chicago - Department Staff & Human Resource Management - Ralph Paglia</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user10000721">Dealer Synergy</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.internetsales20group.com">http://www.internetsales20group.com</a> </p>
</div>Wi-Fi, The New Marketing, Advertising Channelhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/wi-fi-the-new-marketing-advertising-channel2012-12-03T18:45:01.000Z2012-12-03T18:45:01.000ZRoosevelt Gisthttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/RooseveltGist<div><p>The term wif-fi does not have a meaning. It is a shortened name given by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, the group which ensures compatibility between hardware devices that use the 802.11 standard. Wi-Fi is used for high-speed connections (10 Mbps or greater) to laptops, desktops, smartphones, tablets and any other wireless device located within proximity indoors or within several hundred yards outdoors. <br/> <br/> Wi-fi service providers are networking cities and other areas with a high concentration of consumers. These location networks are called "hot-spots" and access can be free or fee based. The original wi-fi service providers had no idea this technology would have such broad appeal and acceptance by even small businesses owners. Blacksburg, VA was one of the first cities wired with free wi-fi for the entire city.<br/> <br/> Some wi-fi service providers use their sign-up page as new space for advertisers in hot-spots in airports, train stations, shopping malls, hotels for example. <br/> <br/> With such high level of use by wireless device owners can wi-fi become the next successful marketing and advertising channel? Most businesses, that offer free wi-fi, provide the hot-spot as a tool to keep shoppers in the business longer in hopes of getting sales for products and/or services offered.<br/> <br/> What if a business with free or secure wi-fi had a cost effective means to place opt-in ads for all users of the wi-fi service? That would mean the business owner could control advertising of its products to all shoppers casually using the wi-fi for Internet surfing and make more sales. <br/> <br/> As a dealer would you expand your wi-fi to an advertising tool for more sales opportunities? If so, <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.anproximitymarketing.com" target="_blank">ANProximityMarketing</a> has the exclusive rights for such a service in the U.S. Call 571-235-6538 and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://couponsoffersanddeals.com/advertise.asp?Loc=ais" target="_self">sign-up now</a>.</p></div>What’s Your Dealership’s Average Front-End Gross Per Vehicle?https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/what-s-your-dealership-s-average-front-end-gross-per-vehicle2012-10-17T18:04:59.000Z2012-10-17T18:04:59.000ZJosh Vajdahttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/JoshVajda<div><p>This is the third in a series of blogs I’ve been writing on metrics: in my last blog we discussed the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/what-percentage-of-your-store-s-sales-is-generated-by-internet?">average percentage of sales</a> in dealerships that can be attributed to Internet leads. This week, I’d like to talk about average front-end gross per vehicle.</p><p> </p><p>In a recent survey we conducted, we asked dealerships representing all types of makes and models:</p><p> </p><p>These were the two questions related to front-end gross in the survey:</p><p><b>1) What is the average front-end gross per vehicle sold in the showroom (floor sales) in your store?</b></p><p><b> </b></p><p><b>2) What is the average front-end gross per vehicle sold in the Internet department in your store?</b></p><p> </p><p>We wanted to first quantify the difference between gross from showroom sales and Internet sales, and we wanted to compare the averages of stores in different “performance brands.”</p><p> </p><p>Here are the survey results:</p><p> </p><p>• 29% of respondents said the average front-end gross per vehicle in the showroom is > $1,300</p><p>• 15% of respondents said the average front-end gross per vehicle in the Internet department is > $1,300</p><p> </p><p>At the same time:</p><p>• 9% of respondents said the average front-end gross per vehicle in the showroom is < $800</p><p>• 21% of respondents said the average front-end gross per vehicle in the Internet department is < $800</p><p> </p><p>It’s clear there’s quite a disparity between averages in the showroom and the Internet department. We consulted David Kain of Kain Automotive on this question, because he believes (and the survey results reflect this), that most Internet salespeople tend to discount too soon. This tendency leads to lower front-end gross averages in the Internet department.</p><p> </p><p>Regardless of what your dealership’s average gross per vehicle (PVR) is, the goal is for the showroom and Internet department averages to be the same. Why is this important? The higher the gross per vehicle, the higher your ROI and profits are.</p><p> </p><p>We compared answers from dealerships making seven times or more ROI on their Internet spend, to those making three times or less ROI on their Internet spend, regardless of make or model. The results were compelling:</p><p> </p><table border="1" cellspacing="0" width="680"><tbody><tr><td width="148" valign="top"><p>Internet Department ROI</p></td><td width="148" valign="top"><p>Showroom PVR > $1300</p></td><td width="148" valign="top"><p>Internet PVR > $1300</p></td></tr><tr><td width="148" valign="top"><p align="center">< 4x</p></td><td width="148" valign="top"><p align="center">21%</p></td><td width="148" valign="top"><p align="center">7%</p></td></tr><tr><td width="148" valign="top"><p align="center">> 6x</p></td><td width="148" valign="top"><p align="center">58%</p></td><td width="148" valign="top"><p align="center">44%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>So how can you increase your average front-end gross per vehicle, as well as get the Internet department gross in line with the showroom gross? Here are a few tips:</p><p> </p><p>1) Always provide the customer with choices and carefully review leads for model selection and trim levels. If you’re quoting your customer the loss leader or base model and they want the luxury model, then you’re setting them up for a price expectation way lower than is reasonable.</p><p>2) Just like when you’re face-to-face with a customer, focus on building value in the vehicles. Customers want to know what they’re buying is worth the money, and you have the opportunity to explain why the price is what the price is</p><p>3) Don’t be tempted to immediately give a discount, and be wary of programs that send inventory selections to customers with quotes designed to beat your competition or that are loss leaders. Big discount quotes make the customer believe all vehicles can be significantly discounted.</p><p>4) Mystery shop your competition from time to time on key vehicles to ensure you’re pricing your vehicles to market.</p><p>5) Consider location. If a customer is close to you, then price in the convenience of shopping with you. If the customer lives 20 miles away and has to drive past multiple competitors in order to get to your store, you may be more aggressive in your pricing.</p><p>6) Set the rules in the Internet department based on what vehicles are selling for in the showroom. If they know the ‘floor’ price, you’re less likely to have a significant discrepancy between the showroom and the Internet gross.</p><p> </p><p>What other tips do you have to raise the average front-end gross per vehicle, and more importantly, to increase the averages in the Internet departments to be more in line with showroom averages?</p></div>A General Manager of a Toyota Dealership with 35 Years in the Automotive Sales Industry Talks About Internet Saleshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/a-general-manager-of-a-toyota-dealership-with-35-years-in-the-aut2012-08-23T09:42:14.000Z2012-08-23T09:42:14.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nIblw856xm8?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com/">http://www.dealersynergy.com</a></p>
<p>A General Manager of a Toyota Dealership  with 35 Years in the Automotive Sales Industry Talks About Internet Sales</p>
</div>Bennett Chevrolet is Promoting From Within Their Dealership For An Assistant Internet Sales Director... Here are the "rules"https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/bennett-chevrolet-is-promoting-from-within-their-dealership-for-a2012-06-29T17:41:55.000Z2012-06-29T17:41:55.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never" ></param>
<param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r-0JhCZMaIQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" ></param>
<param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" ></param>
<embed wmode="opaque" width="560" height="315" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r-0JhCZMaIQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param></object><br />
<a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com">http://www.dealersynergy.com</a></p>
</div>Q & A About Starting a BRAND New Internet Department (From Scratch)https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/q-a-about-starting-a-brand-new-internet-department-from-scratch2012-04-19T19:51:39.000Z2012-04-19T19:51:39.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-4">Q & A About Starting a BRAND New Internet Department (From Scratch)</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-4">I had a great conversation with a NEW Internet Director. She was a "rep" but this is a whole NEW venture in becoming a NEW Manager etc... </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-4">Q - Where to start: </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-4">A - You want break it down to 4 main elements, Products, People, Process & the Promotions.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-4">Products-</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Department will be inside the showroom, deeply tinted, blinds for privacy.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">5 workstations PLUs to for future evolution (You are going to want to make sure that you INCLUDE an ISC in the mix).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Computers... Do you have dual monitors, head sets, What are you going to do for Digital Media? I suggest a separate computer for videos, pictures, articles etc... Maybe an external hard drive.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">VAuto, </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">ILM / CRM - Dominion... AVV Webcontrol. Mac Haik will be designing its own CRM (Microsoft CRM). </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Need Scripts, Templates, Voice Mail, Automation, Integration</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Reputation Management </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Social Media </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Video / Photos </span></li>
</ul>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(This is just 1 of the "4 Ps")</span></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-4"><br /></span></p>
</div>Durran Cage, Former Chrysler OEM & Current Automotive Internet Sales Director in Tennessee Talks Special Financehttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/durran-cage-former-chrysler-oem-current-automotive-internet-sales2011-12-28T15:56:43.000Z2011-12-28T15:56:43.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never" ></param>
<param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DUZST6pCXuw?version=3&hl=en_US" ></param>
<param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" ></param>
<embed wmode="opaque" width="560" height="315" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DUZST6pCXuw?version=3&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param></object></p>
</div>Automotive Internet Sales Coordinators & Director Discuss Difficult Situations on the Phone with Internet Prospectshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/automotive-internet-sales-coordinators-director-discuss-difficult2011-10-19T15:29:11.000Z2011-10-19T15:29:11.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><object codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" height="315" width="560"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never" ></param>
<param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VUdCVUxVy2o?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" ></param>
<param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" ></param>
<embed wmode="opaque" allowfullscreen="false" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VUdCVUxVy2o?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="never" height="315" width="560" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param></object>Automotive Internet Sales Coordinators & Director Discuss Difficult Situations on the Phone with Internet Prospects
</div>Special Finance ONLINE - Re-Post from AutoSuccess Magazine August 2011- Written by Sean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/special-finance-online-re-post-from-autosuccess-magazine-august-22011-08-11T17:24:29.000Z2011-08-11T17:24:29.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com">http://www.dealersynergy.com</a></b></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/seanvbradley">http://www.twitter.com/seanvbradley</a></b></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/seanvbradley">http://www.facebook.com/seanvbradley</a></b></p>
<p align="center"><b> </b></p>
<p align="center"><b>Special Finance Online</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p>Special finance is back — I am seeing all over the country that sub-prime sales are up. More and more banks are approving people with bad credit and no credit. Special finance is not just for used car dealerships and buy-here pay-here dealerships. Special finance is for <i>every</i> dealership, even highline stores can benefit from sub-prime deals. More than 50 percent of the United States has less-than-perfect credit. So, if you are not <i>actively</i> and <i>proactively</i> taking advantage of special finance, you are missing the boat. Dealerships that are successful with special finance boast grosses averaging of more than $3,000 per copy.</p>
<p>Now that I have your attention, let’s focus on something very special — “special finance online,” where special finance meets the Internet. We know that more than 89 percent of Americans go online <i>before</i> they ever step into the dealership for some type of research. That goes for people looking for a bad credit/no credit car loan. Most dealerships in 2011 are doing unsatisfactory in their Internet departments; <i>most</i> dealerships’ Internet sales departments or BDCs are non-functioning or unprofitable. The bottom line is that most dealers are still struggling with automotive Internet sales, so it would seem absurd for most dealerships to worry about any <i>other</i> form of Internet sales. That fact, however, is in <i>your</i> best interest. There is a huge opportunity with “special finance online.” It is like the Wild Wild West. Since no one really has dominated special finance online, which means the door is wide open for you and your dealership.</p>
<p>Here is what you need to do to dominate special finance online:</p>
<ul>
<li>First, create a “special finance” Website like <a href="http://www.autocreditapprove.com/">www.autocreditapprove.com</a> – Make sure it is NOT <a href="http://www.abcmotors.com/">www.abcmotors.com</a> / we do bad credit / no credit. You want to make it a complete separate entity, as if you have your own special finance lead source provider site.</li>
<li>Make sure that you have the proper “onsite” SEO done to your site. Title tags, descriptions, anchor text, alt tags, key words, site map, and so on.</li>
<li>Make sure you set up a separate Google Places page for your new special finance company, fully set up with unique content.</li>
<li>Set up Google Alerts.</li>
<li>Create an online reputation strategy for your sub-prime site. Google Reviews, Dealer Review Boost, Dealer Rater, Car Folks, Edmund Reviews, Yelp, etc.</li>
<li>Create a campaign of “focus” (microsites) — one site for each relevant category.</li>
<li>Create a Video Search Engine Optimization (VSEO) campaign.</li>
<li>Set up a full special finance social media campaign/strategy (along with social media SEO)
<ul>
<li>Facebook</li>
<li>Twitter</li>
<li>Tumblr</li>
<li>Flickr</li>
<li>YouTube</li>
<li>MySpace</li>
<li>WordPress Blog</li>
<li>Create a powerful search engine marketing campaign (Pay Per Click)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Basically, you are going to build a special finance site and think of it as a brand new dealership. In the same way that you are going to dominate automotive Internet sales, you are going to dominate special finance online. The idea is to make sure that when <i>anyone</i> searches for <i>anything</i> at all related to bad credit/no credit auto loan in your area (and surrounding areas) they will find your sub-prime site. You are going to be the “Autotrader” or the “Cars.com” for special finance online in your area.</p>
<p>You might be asking how is this possible? It’s simple: Everyone is <i>asleep at the wheel</i>. Again, most dealerships are struggling on how to simply survive with automotive Internet sales, special finance online is not even on their radar.</p>
<p>If you have any questions about this article or you would like me to assist you for <i>free</i> in starting your special finance online campaign, please call or e-mail me.</p>
<p> </p>
<i>Sean V. Bradley is the founder and CEO of Dealer Synergy, a nationally recognized training and consulting company in the automotive industry.</i>
</div>How Many Phone Calls Can and Should Your Internet Department Make? - Written by Sean V. Bradley -AutoSuccess Magazine July 2011https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/how-many-phone-calls-can-and2011-07-08T15:10:32.000Z2011-07-08T15:10:32.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p align="center"><b>How Many Phone Calls Can and Should Your Internet Department Make?</b></p>
<p align="center"><b> </b></p>
<p>Here’s a question I hear a lot at my Internet Sales 20 Groups: “How many phone calls should my department make per day?” This question is huge, because simply dialing the phone can dramatically change the outcome of your dealership’s Internet Sales. Your dealership’s Internet Department and BDC are, after all, a number’s game. Let me break it down for you:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li>The <i>more</i> people you dial, the <i>more</i> people you get on the phone.</li>
<li>The <i>more</i> people you get on the phone, the <i>more</i> time you can execute your phone process or sales script.</li>
<li>The <i>more</i> people you engage on the phone, the <i>more</i> appointments you can set.</li>
<li>The <i>more</i> appointments you set, the <i>more</i> appointments you can confirm.</li>
<li>The <i>more</i> appointments you can confirm, the <i>more</i> people show up.</li>
<li>The <i>more</i> people show up, the <i>more</i> people will buy vehicles.</li>
<li><i>More</i> vehicle sales equals <i>more</i> money for <i>everyone</i> — both the dealership and you.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>I know that  this might sound too easy to be true, but it really is this simple: <i>If you dial phones more, you will sell more vehicles</i>. I have been doing automotive Internet sales and business development for more than 12 years now, and that has proven to be the case over and over again all over the country. Doesn’t matter what type of franchise you have or how big your organization is — math is math.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Let’s go a little deeper. I have dealers who tell me over and over that their Internet sales coordinators, BDC reps, and appointment setters are only making 50 to 60 calls per day, and that is like pulling teeth from them. They complain that they can’t make any more calls — <i>it’s impossible.</i> Or, they don’t have anyone to call, or they are worried that they are calling too much, or that people are mad at them for calling too much, or countless other excuses for mediocrity.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here are some important statistics:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>• 55 percent of communication is visual perception and body language</p>
<p>• 38 percent of  communication is tone and inflection</p>
<p>• Only <i>seven percent</i> of communication is text or the words that we use</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This means with Internet prospects, it makes a lot of sense to escalate the e-mail to the phone call and the phone call to the appointment. The appointment builds the relationship, product presentation and demo drive, and all this builds value.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The average Internet prospect is searching five to seven other dealerships and or Websites (this can be same franchise or other franchises). That means five to seven other dealerships are following up sending e-mails and leaving voice mails.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <i>average</i> connection on a phone call attempt is 11 to 14 percent. That means if you dial 50 attempts you are <i>only</i> going to reach five to seven people. Think about that for a moment: If you have <i>full-time</i> appointment setters, BDC reps and Internet coordinators and they work an eight to nine hour day, they are only connecting with five to seven people? That is <i>not</i> enough at all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On average, you will close 25 to 33 percent of the people you actually get on the phone. That means if you attempt to call 50 people, you will get five to seven people on the phone, and from those you can expect to make about one or two appointments. That is <i>nowhere close</i> to being enough.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Let’s just use a safe and realistic 50/50/50 closing ratio. If you make two appointments per day, five days per week, that’s 10 appointments per week, or 40 appointments per month. Out of 40 appointments per month, about 20 people will show up and about 10 people will buy vehicles.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Our clients are making 120 phone calls per day per rep. Out of the 120 attempts, they are connecting 11 to 14 percent, which means they speak with 14 to 17 people. They are converting 25 to 33 percent to appointments, which gives us between four and six appointments per day per rep. Let’s say they make five appointment per day, five days a week, for 25 appointments per week or 100 appointments per month. Of those, 50 people will show up for the appointment and they will deliver 25 units.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now that I have your attention, how do you get your department to actually <i>make</i> these phone calls? Its simple: accountability. Do <i>not</i> let them accept mediocrity. They will give you every reason, why they <i>can’t</i> do it. You have to encourage them they <i>can</i> and they <i>will</i>. For a sure-fire way to prove it to them, however, have them go through the “Power Hour.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The “Power Hour” is a contest you will have with your team. Put some type of bonus, prize, or gift up for the winner. Here are the rules: For one <i>straight</i> hour, your people are going to make as many Internet sales calls as possible. Whoever makes the <i>most</i> Internet Sales phone calls wins the bonus. At the end of the “Power Hour,” you calculate how many phone call attempts everybody made, and then add them together and divide them by the number of people who participated.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For example, I just did this very exercise today at a Ford / Mazda dealership in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A couple of weeks ago, they were kicking and screaming that they couldn’t make more than 50 calls per day, per rep. I put out a $100 bill for a “Power Hour” prize. They have four appointment setters and an Internet director. Here are the results:</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li>20 Calls</li>
<li>28 Calls</li>
<li>36 Calls</li>
<li>42 Calls</li>
<li>53 Calls</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>They made 179 calls in one hour, for an average of 35.8 calls per rep.  Now, multiply 35.8 phone calls times 6.5 working hours in a day (that’s taking out breaks and lunches), and you get 232.7 calls in a day. Now, that might seem crazy, but the math doesn’t lie. I’m not suggesting that they should be making 230+ calls per day per person, but  I am saying that they can sure as heck make a <i>lot</i> more than 50 calls per day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The reality is that they were killing themselves making phone calls because they wanted to win that $100 bill. They had the <i>desire</i>, the <i>want</i> and the <i>need</i> to make a <i>lot</i> of calls. The end result for this dealership was that they all were floored at the end of the exercise when I broke down the math to them. They could not believe how many calls they were able to make in one hour.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I have been doing the “Power Hour” exercise for more than seven years now and it works every time. If you have any questions about this article, or you would like me to e-mail you the video of this exercise and the exit interview of this exercise, please e-mail or call me and it would be my pleasure to send it to you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In conclusion, you need to make sure that your team is dialing the phone. An Internet sale is <i>predominately a phone sale</i>. Just think about the math. Remember you only have a 11 to 14 percent connection ratio. Everyone will tell you the hardest part of Internet sales is simply getting the prospect on the phone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>Sean V. Bradley is the founder and CEO of Dealer Synergy, a nationally recognized training and consulting company in the automotive industry. He can be contacted at 866.648.7400, or by e-mail at <a href="mailto:sbradley@autosuccessonline.com">sbradley@autosuccessonline.com</a>.</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpyJj4MV-ds">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpyJj4MV-ds</a> </i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gCVyJLdJVQ&feature=relmfu">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gCVyJLdJVQ&feature=relmfu</a></i></p>
</div>Sean V. Bradley explains "Why Scheduling is SO IMPORTANT in an Internet or BDC Department" (Internet Sales 20 Group)https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/sean-v-bradley-explains-why2011-04-04T20:15:14.000Z2011-04-04T20:15:14.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" height="349" width="560"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never" ></param>
<param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ul8E0-BPAyI?fs=1&hl=en_US" ></param>
<param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" ></param>
<embed wmode="opaque" allowfullscreen="false" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ul8E0-BPAyI?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" height="349" width="560" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param></object></p>
<p><a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com">http://www.dealersynergy.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.internetsales20group.com">http://www.internetsales20group.com</a></p>
</div>"Feel, Felt, Found" Automotive Internet Sales Objections, Expectations & Rebuttals - Sean V. Bradley / Dealer Synergyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/feel-felt-found-automotive2011-01-31T18:49:46.000Z2011-01-31T18:49:46.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/seanvbradley">http://www.facebook.com/seanvbradley</a></p>
<p><object codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="640" height="385"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never" ></param>
<param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LYZTyOhWQQ0?fs=1&hl=en_US" ></param>
<param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" ></param>
<embed wmode="opaque" allowfullscreen="false" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LYZTyOhWQQ0?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" width="640" height="385" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param></object></p>
<p>"Feel, Felt, Found" Automotive Internet Sales Objections, Expectations & Rebuttals - Sean V. Bradley, CEO of  Dealer Synergy and creator of AIS</p>
</div>Interview with Whitney Willis Snow - Internet Director of Willis GM & Winner of AIS's "Dealership of the Month" Award December 2010https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/interview-with-whitney-willis2010-12-01T19:29:22.000Z2010-12-01T19:29:22.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a href="http://www.internetsales20group.com">http://www.internetsales20group.com</a></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Interview with Whitney Willis Snow - Internet Director of Willis GM & Winner of AIS's "Dealership of the Month" Award December 2010</p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">(READ the FULL Interview UNDER the IMAGE :)</p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1472868?profile=original"></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 20pt"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000">Automotive Internet Sales “Dealership of the Month” goes to…</font></font></span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000">Willis Automotive of Smyrna Delaware</font></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000">Willis Automotive of Smyrna Delaware are killing it on the Internet! They literally rose from the ashes and turned their organization around in some dark times. Willis Automotive of Smyrna is part of the Willis Automotive dealer group. They have 3 stores, Willis Automotive of Smyrna, Willis Ford and Willis Automotive of Middletown. They started their Internet initiative about a year and a half ago, right in the middle of the automotive collapse. As a matter of fact, they were one of the GM dealerships to get a letter. They lost their Chevrolet Franchise in Middletown Delaware. But this group did not let the economy beat them. They regrouped and created a NEW strategy and persevered through difficult times and are now set to reap all of the rewards from all of their hard work and tenacity. We are going to interview the Internet Director, Whitney Willis Snow-</font></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS-</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">First off, congratulations Whitney to you and your team! You just closed November 2010 with 48 units! That is AMAZING. You went from 5 units on the Internet and losing a franchise to 48 units and almost $100,000 GROSS in 30 days! I am so proud of you and very excited to share in your success.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Thank you, but it is a huge team effort. I am blessed to work with such an amazing group of people.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Whitney, your full name is Whitney Willis Snow… So, I am assuming you are an owner…?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000">WWS – We have a family business for over 60 years now… My mother, father, uncle, brothers etc… This is literally a family business. A small dealer group with 3 stores. I am the Internet Director and the youngest of the family in the business.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Tell us about the organization…</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Simple, we are a family owned dealership with a ton of integrity. As I mentioned we have been in business for 6 decades and are very active in our community. Our reputation is everything to our family. How we treat our people… not just or prospects or clients, but how we treat our employees and each other. We strive to do the absolute best we can possibly do each and every day.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">How were you engaging the Internet?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Not very much at all… We didn’t really have a strategy, no real dedication or commitment to the Internet as a “department”. As a matter of fact, when I first started working the Internet at our dealership I would simply email the prospect back once and then “hand over the lead to a salesman”.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Ok, what changed and why…?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS -</span></b><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">We decided to actually build a “real” department with a strategy, focus and put resources behind it.We hired Dealer Synergy to assist us in creating the Internet Sales strategy and Standard Operating Procedures. We hired a new web design company to re-design our dealership website. We then focused on driving a lot more traffic to the dealership organically with SEO, VSEO and Social Media as well as buying leads from 3<sup>rd</sup> party providers.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS-</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">What was the most challenging thing for you and the fledgling department?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">That is easy… “Teaching an old dog new tricks” LOL! No, seriously… getting this accepted by the showroom floor and the sales managers. It was VERY difficult in the beginning. We had so many people that were pessimistic, resistant, non-cooperative even to the point where we felt like people were purposely trying to sabotage the department. It was crazy! I felt like, here we were, dumping a ton of resources trying to grow the business and help everyone… from salesmen to managers, but there were people that felt like we were taking away from them, or that they knew how to do things better.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">How is that possible?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">As I mentioned, this is a family owned dealership. Our staff has been here for a very long time. We don’t have a lot of turn over. Everyone just needs to realize to get a bigger “piece of the pie”, the “whole pie” needs to grow! We are all working towards the same goal!</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">What happened with the Middletown store?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Bottom line is during the whole automotive economic collapse GM sent us a letter and we lost one of our Chevrolet points. It was very hard because we have been in business for such a long time. But we decided not to shut down the dealership, we turned it into a Pre-Owned and NAPA Car Care Dealership.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">How has the Internet affected your dealership business?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Point Blank… the new Internet Department SAVED us from losing our business. NO Exaggeration… The units we have been selling out of the Internet Department kept the doors open.I don’t think we could have survived the automotive economic situation without our Internet Department. We have increased internet volume and gross each month. As a matter of fact we have also increased the dealership’s total volume of sales as well as the dealership’s total gross profit.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS-</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">How is everyone at the store now a days with the department…?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS-</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">MUCH BETTER… there is a lot of more communication, a lot more appreciation for the department and a lot more respect for not only the department but for all of the team members in our department.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS-</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">How many people are in your department?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS –</span></b><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">There are 4 Internet Sales Coordinators (Phone Ninjas / Appointment Setters), my Assistant Director,<a name="_GoBack"></a> and myself for a total of 6 people in the department.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">What are the biggest challenges for your team?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The same, I’m sure, as all internet departments… handling people</span></font> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings">J</span></span> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><font face="Calibri">dealing with price, objections in general, attitudes, etc…</font></span></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Any advice?</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS-</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Absolutely… be prepared. We have a plan of action for EVERYTHING. Phone Process, Email process… objections and rebuttals and of course “What If” process… What if this happens, what if that happens… what if, what if, what if… you have to be prepared for everything and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Sharpen the saw. That is why we are part of the Internet Sales 20 Group (</span></font></font><a href="http://www.internetsales20group.com/"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><font color="#800080" face="Calibri">www.internetsales20group.com</font></span></a><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri">) and very active on</font></span> <a href="http://www.automotiveinternetsales.com/"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><font face="Calibri">www.automotiveinternetsales.com</font></span></a></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">AIS –</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Yes, you are! Congrats on winning the Dealership Video Testimonial!! That was AWESOME!!</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri">Anything else you would like to add to the readers?</font></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">WWS-</span></b> <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Yes… Don’t let ANYONE tell you that you can’t do something! Don’t let ANYONE discourage you from your goal/mission. You can do anything you put your mind too!</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri">** Also, if anyone wants to call me directly for any advice or questions, it would be my pleasure. I believe in Synergy and in the whole Internet Sales 20 group concept. With that being said, if you HAVE any IDEAS or resources that you think are worthwhile that can help me to continue growing my department…PLEASE feel free to contact me and let me know!</font></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></p></div>