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Money Motivation

Do you enjoy it small, or would you love to increase the size of your paycheck?  Coordinators round the world are being asked this question every day.  No one likes a sub-par paycheck.  If we can agree there, then I would like to share some action steps you can take that will be sure to enlarge the numbers in your bank account.

The first thing we have to realize, understand and embrace; is that as internet coordinators “WE ARE IN SALES!”  The individuals who do exactly this in life (not just in our business) are the ones who prosper.  In order to be successful here, every day on the phone we must sell three things…and here they are:

1. Ourselves
2. The Dealership
3. An Appointment with the Dealership.

When we make or receive a call, we have to be the most friendly, /excited, /knowledgeable business person in our galaxy; and then we must sound like it. What do real business people do?  First off, they always know the name of the person with whom they’re speaking.  If you catch yourself asking “by the way, what is your name?” more than sixty seconds after your greeting, then you might be guilty of being unprofessional.  When people are preparing to spend (especially large amounts), they want to talk to professionals…don’t you?  In addition to the old rebuttal, we need to internalize: How about this, if we don’t handle our calls in the most professional manner possible, we could NEVER expect people to buy vehicles from us...OK?

“Here at XYZ Motors”…Do you find yourself using this sentence starter?  You could be selling your dealership.  This is exactly what you want to do if you are truly money motivated.  Think of it this way: a dealership is worth lots of money right?  If I constantly sell the dealership…then over time I’ll make lots of money…it’s that simple.

How do we sell appointments you say?...Good Question!  The easy answer is to sell the aforementioned products extremely well.  If we do a great job of selling the dealership and ourselves as a package, the appointment is a synch…unproblematic.  However, we do understand appointments to buy cars aren’t selling like hotcakes these days; so here are a few extra incentives you can put on the table for your prospects.

Tentative appointments:

People seem to be more afraid than ever of commitment.  Appointments give the impression of rigidity, so what can we do to flip the connotation?  Use the word tentative to soften the word appointment.  Statistics show that American people keep sixty percent of their commitments…no matter how strenuous.  What does that tell us?  We should just get our customers to agree to show up, then follow up.  (The OH-SO important follow up…which deserves its own article entirely…as it shall have.)

Talk to your personal phone trainer or internet director about helping the customers to understand the benefits of setting appointments verses just popping by the establishment.  Dealerships are once again worth millions and should be treated with respect.  As doctors, lawyers and realtors, so are car guys.  Maybe we could title them something a bit more astute like:…“Vehicular professionals”…I’m taking suggestions.

Either way, having a more professional approach to our jobs will help us to grow our compensation.  I’ll leave you with an old saying from the old See-Do-Get wisdom vault, “If we wanna get paid more, then we gotta do more for what we get paid for.”  Think and comment about it…THANKS!  Until next time, go out there and sell more cars, more profitably, more often!!!

Since the Declaration of Independence was signed over two hundred years ago, our brave service members have continously fought for what this country has always stood for: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. In 2011, our service men and women are even braver than ever. Today, 11.11.11. Veteran's Day, we salute them. Thank you. Join us at Dealer Synergy in remembering and honoring our service men and women.

If you're looking to do a little more on this Veteran's Day, I suggest checking out ServiceNation, a website geared towards helping our service men and women.

I’ve always loved the great coaching icons of American professional and college sports,  Lombardi, Landry, and Wooden, for what they taught us about playing the game the right way and not only winning, but winning Championships.

 What they taught their players about character and leadership also applies to business and perhaps to none as much as our own American franchised retail auto business.

While each of these coaches approached the game differently and had different coaching styles, they all built championship-winning teams. They took men of different temperament, skill levels, game experience, motivation, and discipline and molded them into champions and winners through consistent application of Process, Accountability, and Motivation to Excellence.

 John Wooden was the master of Process, and led his teams to four perfect 30-0 seasons, 88 consecutive wins, and 10 NCAA championships from 38 NCAA consecutive tournament wins! John Wooden, who taught what counts in life – and in the game, is what you learn after you know it all.

 He taught that fundamentals– mastering game processes and building character in his players– always brings a huge return to any team (whether it is on the gridiron or showroom floor). In his book They Call me Coach, he taught coaches to “Manage the Game...not the Score.”

 That lesson is very relevant to our business. If we manage our game (showroom floor) and not the scoreboard (sales board at month end), all of the success we desire will come our way. If we focus on process and not the end-result, we will have our head in the game and crush our competition.

If we focus on our Test Drive, Product Presentation, Manager TO, Service Walk, and Follow Up percentages, we will be running our store like John Wooden would run it, and we will be on our way to 88 consecutive wins and 10 NCAA championships...

Vince Lombardi was the master of Motivation, creating champions through excellence, determination, and commitment. He took over a losing Green Bay team that already had seven future Hall of Fame players on it and found the greatness in those players that had not yet surfaced.

After losing his first playoff game, he committed to his team that they would never lose another one. They won every playoff game they faced thereafter. Lombardi believed that you played every down as if it were the one play that would change the outcome of the game. How many times do we take a play off as a sales team (not calling the customer from last night that might still buy a car from you)?

As a leader are you constantly looking for ways to motivate your staff to be as determined and committed as a Lombardi team? Who is your team’s head coach and motivating force in your drive to excellence?

Tom Landry brought a unique form of Accountability to the Dallas Cowboys for 29 years as their head coach, creating “America’s Team” in the process. He compared management in business to a head coach by his belief that our job as managers (just like a head coach) is to “Get your people to do the things they DON'T want to do, so they can get the things they want in life.”

His players did not want to run wind sprints, practice in the snow and mud, or watch game film that showed poor decisions and missed blocks. He had to force them to do those things so they would be ready on game day to “beat an opponent who did not have that extra speed needed to win a game of inches.”

Do your salespeople want to make be-back calls or prospect their database for in-market customers? Do you make them do the things they DON'T want to do in order to get the things that they want? If Landry were running your showroom, you bet he would!

Consider these gridiron kings infused Process, Accountability, and Motivation in their leadership styles. Are you leading the charge in your dealership by combining all of these elements into a single unique management style that will lead your team to 88 straight wins --and never lose another playoff game while you are steering the ship?

Every coach and every team wants to win championships – but just a few are willing to do what it takes to make that dream a reality. Set your mind today to lead your team to victory and become the Master of your own Gridiron.

http://www.dealersynergy.com

Who should be running my internet department or bdc?

This is another question I am asked from dealers all over the country — and the dealers who don’t ask me this question really should. While I acknowledge the fact that there are many different types of dealerships, please have an open mind to what you are about to read.

First, I am sure that we are all aware that 88 to 98 percent of people go online before they ever step foot into the dealership. We also know that social media is the No. 1 form of communication in this country. The problem that I continue to see, however, is that many dealerships in this country still don’t view the Internet or business development department as a “real” department.

Too many times I walk into dealerships and you can immediately feel the tension in the air; it’s an “us vs. them” mentality. There is dissention on the floor, frustration, anger and even sabotage — not to mention disrespect. I often hear the same thing from Internet coordinators, managers, directors and BDC reps; they are neither appreciated nor respected, and are treated as the “stepchild” in the dealership, and that goes from the dealer to the GM to the GSM, all the way down the food chain.

And, as we all know, perception is reality. If the dealer feels this way — that the manager of the department isn’t a “real” manager — they aren’t going to have an idea of who the right person is for the job, or what type of a pay plan to put together. They might not give this manager authority in the dealership. They might only make this person a “manager” in title only.

They also might put in place the wrong people. They have people who aren’t working out on showroom floor, so they give them a shot in the Internet department. Or, they might hire someone computer savvy because they feel that qualifies them to run an Internet sales department. Dealers also hire young people because they feel they can relate to the prospects better. These are all wrong strategies. The Internet Department or BDC in the dealership should be a major department, on a level with the new, used, finance and fixed ops departments. We are focusing on Internet “sales” department, but it goes deeper than that (Internet sales, service, parts, body shop, finance,

aftermarket, leasing, fleet, special finance, etc.).

Here are some facts: The average dealership delivers approximately 100 units new and used a month. An average dealership has approximately 10 salespeople, a finance manager, a sales manager and either a GSM or GM. All of that goes into selling about 100 units. Now, I have dealers who tell me that they want to sell 50, 100 or 150+ units per month from their Internet department, but they don’t want to treat the department as more important than the other departments or profit centers in the dealership. Furthermore, they want to put in place the wrong type of person to manage and run the department. They don’t want to pay the Internet sales director like the other “real” managers in the dealership. They also do not allow them to have any “real” manager authority, but they will put all of the responsibility on that person’s shoulders.

So, what exactly is the right profile? Who should run an Internet sales department? First and foremost, you want to make sure you have a person who is an automotive sales manager, or at the very least have someone who is a great sales consultant and closer with the potential to be a great sales manager with the proper training and support. Let’s go deeper: If you are trying to run a department that delivers more than 100 units a month online, you should have at the bare minimum a great sales manager, or even a GSM or GSM-caliber person running that department. Answer this question: Would you ever have a non-salesperson run your entire dealership, or even be a GSM at your dealership?

You want a sales manager in that department who can drive the momentum in that room. You want someone who can put a deal together and can even desk a deal if necessary. You also want to have someone who will be respected by the other managers and the showroom sales force — not just by the Internet department.

So, how in the world do you expect to deliver that number of units without having the caliber of individual I just outlined? The argument is that dealers need someone to manage the Website, take pictures, create videos, get testimonials, handle I.T., take care of the CRM/ILM, handle online reputation management, SEO, VSEO and all other forms of digital marketing. I agree 100 percent — all of that needs to be taken care of. However, I do not think that the Internet sales director or Internet sales manager should be that person, especially when you are trying to deliver 100+ units per month from the department. You should either hire a person to do those jobs, or outsource those duties. Anything else is not going to be as productive in the long run. They are, at a minimum, two different jobs.

Don’t freak out if you are a current Internet sales or BDC director and don’t fit the profile I just mentioned. And don’t freak out if you are a GM or dealer who just hired someone who doesn’t fit the profile outlined in this article. I would say, if they were the “right” individual who you believe in, get that person training on product knowledge, I would have them get certified as a sales consultant from your OEMs and I would get them certified as a sales manager by your OEMs. If you have to invest time, money and training to get the department head at the level of any other department head in your organization, it is what it is. If you don’t, you will suffer.

The bottom line is that having the right Internet sales / BDC director is crucial to the success of the dealer’s online initiative. If you have any questions about this article or if you would like some examples or ideas of ways to ensure your department’s success, feel free to e-mail me or call me.

Sean V. Bradley is the founder and CEO of Dealer Synergy, a nationally recognized training and consulting company in the automotive industry.

I just came across a very interesting article in Dealer Marketing Magazine regarding a recent study exploring the impact of social media as it relates to the car buying process and I want to share with you some of the findings and discuss how it can help your dealership's social media strategy.

Shopping for a Car

Basically, the study found that Facebook is playing a fundamental role in the entire car buying process. For example, 84% of new car buyers use Facebook. If your dealership doesn't have a Facebook Fan Page, you're missing out on a boatload of customers. Additionally, the study also found that 38% of car buyers will use social media to research their next vehicle purchase. However, that's not even what stuck out to me. Get ready: 1 out of every 4 car buyers are using social media to discuss their recent car purchase. That's not all.

After Leaving the Lot

A staggering 58% of car buyers are either posting a comment or status update on their Facebook page about their new vehicle. It's not just Facebook either. Many car buyers are utilizing twitter to discuss their new vehicle and the dealership they bought it from (33% and 28% respectively). If your dealership hasn't got involved in social media, then you're missing what your customers are saying about you. Essentially, you're being left out of the conversation.

I could go on and on giving you stat after stat, but it'll just sound redundant.

What to make of all of this?

This study tell us that instead of going straight to the dealership, many shoppers, more specifically new vehicle buyers, are researching online. It's not just the dealership's website the consumer is visiting. No, rather, they are checking out the dealership's Facebook page to research and see what current offers they have (i.e. Honda Civic for special lease offer this weekend).

If you don't have a Facebook page or Twitter account? Well, it's simple. You're losing out on a potential customer. Not to mention, you're missing out on engaging with your customers and managing your online reputation, regardless if they're saying something good or something bad about your dealership.

What do you think of these statistics?

Sean V. Bradley, CEO of Dealer Synergy is giving away $2,000 CASH FREE (NO B.S.) to the Lucky Winner(s) - Automotive Internet Sales

In their "Automotive Mobile Site Study", J.D. Power & Associates found that the use of smartphones for vehicle shoppers has increased exponentially. For example, they found that compared to 2010, those who used their smartphones to access automotive information increased by a staggering 40 percent.

Additionally, J.D. Power and Associates also found that 30% of male car shoppers use their smartphone when browsing for a new car. On the other hand, however, only 18% of women revert to their smartphone when looking to purchase their next car. Not surprisingly, the study also concluded that collectively shoppers 40 years of age and younger use their smartphone 26% of the time, while those 40 years of age and older only use their smartphones 21% of the time. It doesn't stop at smartphones, however.

Thanks to the emergence of tablet devices such as Apple's iPad and Blackberry's Playbook, vehicle shoppers aren't limited to just using their smartphones. During their study, J.D. Power discovered that many vehicle shoppers used a tablet device (iPad, Playbook) to access automotive websites. Men used a tablet device 22% of the time, while women only used a tablet device 16%.

Arianne Walker, director of Automotive research at J.D. Power & Associates had this to say following the study: "While the proportion of vehicle shoppers who use smartphones to visit the Internet during the shopping process is still relatively small, it is expected to continue to grow during the next several years, which will shape the way automotive marketers will need to design their mobile sites and apps."

If you're still not convinced that smartphones are changing the vehicle buying process, take this into consideration: the 40 percent increase in automotive website visitation on smartphones is greater than the use of gaming (27%) and social media (17%).

As more and more car dealerships move their attention towards smartphone shoppers and invest in their own mobile app, the number of smartphone vehicle shoppers is only going to increase.

What do you make of this study?

Fan figures leave marketers at a loss when judging campaign effectiveness

Companies and marketers realize that amassing fans and followers is not the be-all, end-all of social media marketing. Yet the challenge remains how to measure success beyond counting these metrics.

Data from the August 2011 Chief Marketer “2011 Social Marketing Survey” found that only 26% of marketing professionals saw amassing total followers as an aim for social media marketing. More popular goals included driving traffic to a website (66%), generating sales or leads (48%), and identifying and addressing brand fans (47%).

So what have marketers been doing to reach these goals for social media outreach? The most popular tactic among survey respondents was including a social sharing button in emails or on a company website, with 69% of respondents saying they did that. Additionally, 59% offered unique content for social media fans and followers, 58% had a Facebook “like” button on their websites and social pages, and 54% posted videos to social video sites.

Despite the fact that the goals and tactics used by marketers focus on engagement, measurement tactics still focus on numbers. Chief Marketer found that 60% of respondents counted the number of friends, followers and likes as a leading method of measuring social media marketing success. Additionally, 39% highlighted sharing, forwarding, retweeting and posting brand content, while 35% said they track qualified leads from social media.

The way marketers measure doesn’t quite match up with their goals for social media, and the Chief Marketer study touched on that. The data found that only 13% of respondents thought they were very effective at measuring social media campaigns, while 47% said somewhat effective, 28% said not very effective and 12% said not at all effective.

By looking at the specific tactics marketers are using, they can measure consumer engagement with content by tracking sharing activity. By monitoring brand sentiment and CRM activity, they can see how social activities impact business results. These social tactics can give insights into how to rate social media marketing efforts without relying on just counting fans.

Today, Consumer Reports really gave it Ford regarding the Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus. (More on that here) It is pretty surprising given the success Ford has had over the last few years, growing in reliability and quality with not only their vehicles, but also their technology. 

Anyway, I checked out Ford's twitter feed, which is the most active in the entire auto industry, and they linked to a discussion forum on their website. The topic was : "Tell us why you love Your Ford Explorer."

I just thought that was a really smart social media and reputation management technique.  Here's that tweet.

http://www.dealersynergy.com

Popular sharing platform AddThis just celebrated their fifth birthday and to mark the occasion they’ve released an infographic that takes a look at social sharing trends based on their five years of experience.

The AddThis infographic covers everything from the peak hours and days that people share so when people click, the top sites in terms of social growth, and more. The stats are based on AddThis’ experience with 1.2 billion users, 10 million domains and 70 languages. Some of the highlights include the following statistics:

•9:30am EST is the peak hour for sharing
•Wednesdays are the peak days for sharing
•The most users click on content two minutes after it’s shared
•Twitter as seen the top growth of all time, in terms of sharing