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Have you wondered why you are noticing your customers vehicles with Walmart oil filters, Pep Boys (proline oil filters) aftermarket airfilters etc. When you are performing your vehicle inspections and reviewing your technicians notes from the FREE 27 point inspection, you see a laundry list of reccomendations and the technicians state "They arent gonna buy anything". Well guess what they are buying and they are spending money. JUST NOT FROM YOU!

The messege Iam trying to get across is someone is doing a better job at educating there customers and marketing their services. You could give me all the exscuses in the world, from they are national, they have a larger budget, they are PROBALLY CHEAPER!  Are they? Did you text,email,call your customers with the latest and greatest specials. Do you know what your competition is selling there services for. Do you have a "SANDWHICH BOARD" with your prices and what they entail in your waiting area vs your competitions pricing. Did you explain to your customers how important it is to utialiaze factory oil filters and components to maximize the value of there vehicles.

Example: Ford TSB 06-4-7  Engine ticking and knocking once vehicle reachs operating temperature. One of the first steps to diag'n the concern is making sure the vehicle has a MOTORCRAFT FACTORY OIL FILTER. As aftermarket filters do not have a check valve designed for that application and the aftermarket filters have been known to come apart and cause the engines cam phaser to fail. If your vehicle is out of warranty a very costly repair  $3000+ dollars.

Not only are you probally more inexpensive and offer a better product, you are also creating a customer for life. Your homework assignment today is to call 7 of your competitors in your local area(within 25miles) oil changes, tire rotations, mount and balance, larger factory reccomended service, alignments.  How did they answer the phone, how fast are they willing to get you in...did they say come in now...did they offer a shuttle ride....did you get a voice mail.....Do all these call from a cell phone as most dealers have caller id and won't take or handle your call. Once you gather all that information...NOW LET YOUR CUSTOMER KNOW WHY THEY SHOULD ONLY COME TO YOU....

Example : Fords "WORKS" special for the 4th quarter of 2010. Oil change, Tire rotation, multipoint inspection for $29.95!!! (Factory Parts) Factory Trained Tech....

Jiffy Lube was  $38.95 for there "signature" service which incls....oil and filter(aftermarket penzoil filter) washer fluid and a vacuum.  (AFtermarket Issues)  $7.00hr oil change tech....

As a customer I would extremely upset with my selling dealer if I didnt recieve notification via Social Networking, Email, Text...phone call.....  Get aboard or get passed in 2011!

Richard A. Browne

Fixed Ops Trainer/Consultant

Toyota Sale Search

Jacksonville Hyundai Searches

OEM Compliance With Sub-Domains

Automotive SEO Conference

Do you want to learn more about digital marketing?   Come out a few days early before NADA and attend the 2011 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference February 1-3, 2011 which is right before the NADA Convention in San Francisco.

Register online at: http://www.digitalmarketingstrategies.org.

The conference has attracted some of the top speakers and educators in the automotive industry and if you are looking to lock in a successful digital marketing attack in your PMA in 2011, you need to be in attendance.

One of the most challenging OBJECTIONS you my have to overcome in the automotive world from fixed ops to showroom sales is employees. I recently had to overcome that challenge for a large dealer group. Stores in large municipal area with multiply dealers aka competition in the area don't seem to have that issue as you see in this industry one person is here one day and down the street the next. I am not here to talk about retention today. I am here to offer some advice to the dealers in the midwest and dealers in a small market with limited population.

As a professional fixed ops trainer and consultant one of my biggest fears is creating a POWERFUL program and not having the adequate staff to utiliaze my program. Offering HR help has allowed me to offer a all inclusive Fixed Ops program. Here are some tips to help you/help yourself.

• Craigslist is a powerful tool and free
• Word of mouth, offer a "Bonus" to your current staff, I am sure they may have a friend of 2
• Open Houses..Advertise on your Front lawn, this may sound crazy but it works.. A sign stating HIRING NOW in front of your dealer. Small market don't utiliaze the social networking or chose not to as they are sometimes a older community that still reads the newspaper everyday with there coffee.
• Indeed.com is a great tool/try to pull some talent from a distance..
• Local High Schools and Tech Schools.../donate a junk car to the vocational school?create a buzz
• Restaurants.. Have you ever gone out to eat and had a fantastic experience...why not interview him/her why your eating...(I cultivated one of my best service consulants that way)
• Call your competition and if the phone is answered and your call is handled perfectly...why not have them work for you..
• What is your local "free for sale guides" In rural areas, such as farm based communities are always buying and selling items, put a detailed description of what you are looking for yet KEEP IT SIMPLE.
• Of course look for employees out of work do to downsizing as alot of industry has pulled out of smaller communities, advertise it that way..(example: Did you work for Chysler or Avon etc...we want to talk to you) and advertise in once again the local free guides along with local news print.

These are a few tips when Social Networking is not a option. When the pool is small you have to go back to basics and become a sleuth. I LOVE SOCIAL NETWORKING AND IT IS THE FUTURE......ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.

Regards,

Richard A. Browne

Fixed Ops Trainer/Consultant

PRICE PRICE PRICE....Well take a look at these numbers!!  AutoUSA is a lead source provider to 4000+ dealerships nationwide! 

http://www.imakenews.com/autosuccess/e_article001976082.cfm?x=bhTC7kM,b7Wgd1Lp

VERY interesting article...look at what MOST dealerships recognize as the main reasons for growth (where is PRICE at on that list?!?).  This why it is so very important to not only be online, but also have a GOOD reputation and reviews by our customers that we deal with everyday!  Make sure that when our internet customers close thier eyes and invision your dealership(s)...what do they see?  An untrustworthy place to do business? or a fun and easy place to purchase their next vehicle???

You must have a "difference" in the way you do business and treat customers...rather than be the Badger Salesman (see the "Fun Stuff" Group if you have NEVER seen the badger!) 

A proven better solution to "buying more 3rd party leads" - as the article suggested dealers are doing moving into 2011 - we all know that generating our OWN leads is a much more successful operation in overall closing ratio, not to mention name exposure and exclusivity. 

If you need any help with your Digital Marketing, Social Media, Online Reputation, and/or overall exposure on the Internet, please don't hesitate to contact me personally for a FREE Synergy Session, and a customized digital solution for your dealer group!  Happy New Year to everyone!!

Andy Fedo

VP of Training

andy@dealersynergy.com

As I sit down to write this post, I’m reminded of a situation where I once had to break the news to the owner of a dealership that he needed $1 million cash infusion to keep his store running. He’d been doing things the same way for years and it cost him dearly. The signs of demise were always there, predictions were made, but he chose not to act.

It’s a similar story with Social Media and online reputations for dealerships today. Doing things the same old way will not cut it in this new economy. The following is a list of my top 6 Social Media predictions for dealerships in 2011.  Some points could be considered wishes but hey, a girl’s gotta dream, right?:

1. There will be more Adopters and less Adopt-Laters.  Dealerships will buy into the fact that a well-defined strategy for Social Media generates leads. It’s not about waiting for the customer to come through the door anymore. It’s about meeting the customer where they are and listening.  Everyone will become better for this.

2. Dealerships will realize they can’t do it alone. Social Media is part PR, part marketing, part advertising, part geek…with a twist.  The futility will become clear in the thought that Social Media and online reputations can be managed in someone’s spare time.  They’ll see that the Internet Sales Dept is there to field the leads that come from Social Media and that those sales professionals can’t do that when they’re struggling to find content to attract new buyers.

3. Dealerships will allocate 25% of their advertising/marketing budget to Social Media and Online Reputation Management. Ford did it in 2010 and they’re now the leader on Social networks.

4. Dealerships will stop “blocking” Social Media sites from their staff’s workstations. They’ll establish a clear Social Media policy and fear will no longer blind management’s ability to see the value in having employees–their ‘brand advocates’–share cool things about the store to their trusted networks. Management will understand that staff is already using Social Media on their phones and laptops so blocking is pointless. Sure, it’s a shift in the way we measure productivity but by using positive reinforcement and recognition, management will be able to drive employee enthusiasm. The benefit will be that when the staff shares their enthusiasm with customers, it’s contagious.

5. Dealerships will recognize that content rules. Social Media is not only about a new medium, it’s about new and more meaningful marketing messages. Here’s what killer content does:

• Attracts customers
• Educates buyers
• Establishes credibility and trust
• Builds buzz throughout Social Networks
• Inspires customers to love you
• Increases your PageRank in SEO

….and it generates word-of-mouth and quality leads!

6. Dealerships and managers will have the patience it takes to build a following on Social Media. We all remember how comfortable it was to sit with the print advertising rep each week, design our ads and watch the customers come in the door. Dealerships in 2011 will see that today’s customer wants to buy or service their car from someone they know, like and trust. They’ll accept that Social Media relationships take time to build and this will encourage more dealerships to start using Social Media and integrate it into their budgets for 2011.  The payoff is Customers for Life!

John Wannamaker, often considered the father of the modern department store and modern advertising was quoted about 90 years ago as saying “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.”

Unfortunately, this problem holds true for many car dealerships (perhaps not as dramatic as quoted by John Wannamaker). However, there is no question that advertising seepage and waste is one of the most pressing concerns for advertisers and reducing that ALONE should dramatically improve your advertising ROI without additional investments.

Therefore, as you plan your advertising strategy for 2011 what plans are you implementing to:

• Reduce the percent of advertising seepage?
• Find out which ‘half’ of your advertising investment is being wasted?
• Measure and track your advertising channels to determine which is NOT meeting your minimum advertising ROI requirements?
• Cost benefit analysis to determine how much say a 5% reduction in advertising seepage will mean to your bottom line?
• What specific strategies you can put in place to reduce advertising seepage?
• What specific strategies can you put in place to stay in touch and engage your existing customers?
• How do you plan to increase your parts, service and maintenance revenue with your existing customer base? 
•  Have you claimed Your FREE Google Local Places Listing and is it adequately optimized and mobile device enabled?
• Are you still advertising in the Yellow Pages? Do you know your marketing ROI for this channel?

Now, before we move on, let’s discuss WHY advertising seepage occurs. Let’s assume that you advertise only in the newspapers and Yellow Pages. You place your full page ad, with pictures of the cars you want to promote, your financing options, your phone or vanity #, address and website address. While this well and good, unless you have a short code keyword  or something that tie the two channels together, you will miss the % of your potential customers who prefer to use a mobile device to communicate and you are ignoring the largest growing segment of your potential target population.

According to EMarketer (Nov 2009), the % of mobile phone users is expected to increase at a rate of about 20% EACH year between 2008 and 2013 and as % of total US population, increase from about 16.7% in 2008 to 39.5% in 2013. In addition, according to Center for Media Research (Sept 2009), “80% of local media execs believe mobile will be the main distribution to consumers within 3 years”.

The New Multi-media Environment Calls For An Integrated Advertising Strategy.

Fortunately, there is a way for auto dealers to adopt this trend quickly, inexpensively and seamlessly into their current online and offline advertising strategies. The use of short code text messaging is already widespread. Adding this ONE keyword to all your advertising channels will vastly improve your response, leads and conversion rates.

Note that widely popular television shows such as “American Idol” and “Dancing With The Stars” give their viewers the option of calling or texting a vote to their favorite performer.

A catchy and memorable keyword in addition to a vanity # are a powerful combination to get your dealership’s name and brand message to consumers.

The multi-media car dealer will use their keyword, in the words of Thomas Hensey (Rhino Marketing), to “identify, find, touch and thrill” the target customer by offering them an incentive to text to their database. The dealer will then send the customer to their mobile website ad, featuring their specials, while at the same time sending that ad to YouTube and Social media.

In the process, the dealership builds a text messaging database of inquiries, leads, and customers for ongoing, periodic follow up. So long as the dealer continues to “touch and thrill” their database, they will be able to increase new sales, service and maintenance revenues.

The key to reducing advertising seepage and increasein sales and revenue is the ability to integrate ALL your advertising channels, and the short code keyword provides the dealer an inexpensive, quick and seamless way to do so. 

Michael Ofori is President of MVO & Associates, LLC, a multi-media advertising agency and can be reached at 978-631-0363  email mike@multimediaadvertising.biz

• more than 50% say that their attitudes towards a brand was shaped through Facebook
• 54% of them clicked "LIKE" on a brand fan page in previous month
• 38% have posted a comment in the previous month
• 30% shared the brand they followed with their network (love this WOM number)

• 56% watched a video on YouTube the previous 24 hours
• Hulu videos or shows were downloaded and watched by 19%
• 13% used a mobile device to watch a video
• and 21% found a different video source other than YouTube and Hulu.

A great question was asked just over 24 hours ago, and I would like some of our "phone ninjas" to give opinions on how they address the issue of "price" without giving a price...? As we know, we can create value in ourselves, and our dealership value package to make price not the most important thing in the whole mix if we have other things to offer to ensure it's the BEST DEAL! 

We also know that most customer won't be leaving the dealership with the exact vehicle that they originally inquired about, so chances are details about pricing, options, color, etc...are going to change a few times before our customer's buying process is over.  Having said that...

http://automotiveinternetsales.com/group/customerloyaltyownerretention

Please join the group and post any feedback/comments in the Group Discussion, and be sure to look at which other groups listed interest you!  Happy Selling!! (and New Year!)

Andy Fedo

VP of Training

andy@dealersynergy.com

www.dealersynergy.com

www.internetsales20group.com

NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE YOU WILL NEVER BE RICH.........KNOWLEDGE IS PRICELESS........BASING YOUR SUCCESS STRICTLY ON YOUR BANK STATEMENT AND HAVING THE TIME TO STARE AT IT...HAS ALLOWED OTHERS TO PASS YOU. DONT WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE, WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU DONT....KNOWLEDGE IS POWER PEOPLE.......

Lets Start 2011 out with a Bang....

Richard Browne

Fixed Ops Trainer/Consultant

Automotive Internet Sales Expert Sean V. Bradley is Speaking & Exhibiting at the NADA Convention in San Francisco February 2011
 
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sean V. Bradley, CEO and Founder of Dealer Synergy, a nationally recognized and award winning training, consulting and digital marketing company for the automotive industry has been selected to be a speaker at the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention in San Francisco being held on February 5-7, 2011.  This will be Sean V. Bradley's 3rd consecutive year as a Top Rated NADA Convention Speaker and Exhibitor. Sean and the Dealer Synergy team will be at Booth #4464N in the NADA Exhibitor Hall. Sean V. Bradley is one of the Automotive Industry's Pioneers for Video Search Engine Optimization. Sean was the first person to introduce Video Search Engine Optimization to the Automotive industry in 2006. Sean V. Bradley has spoken on the subject of Automotive Video Search Engine Optimization at all major events in the Automotive industry, including Digital Dealer, Synergy Sessions, NADA and NCM 20 groups as well as his previous two years as an NADA Convention Speaker.  As a matter of fact Sean V. Bradley has received some of the highest scores from NADA attendees year after year for both content of his workshop as well as Sean's ability to captivate his audience as a charismatic public speaker. 

The economy is coming back and it is coming back strong for the Automotive industry. Dealers are looking for new ways to sell more cars, more often and more profitably. There is NO better way than through Internet Sales and Digital Marketing / Social Media. Sean has evolved his powerful philosophy and digital marketing strategy of Video Search Engine Optimization to include "Social Media Search Engine Optimization".  Social Media is the #1 form of communication on the planet and Facebook is the #1 website on the planet. Properly trained, dealerships can take advantage of the POWER of Social Media and Search Engine Optimization to drive massive amounts of organic traffic to the dealership's website or focus sites.  So, when you combine the power and value of "Video Search Engine Optimization with the power and value of "Social Media Search Engine Optimization," the synergistic opportunities and results are amazing.

Sean V. Bradley is the #1 Automotive Internet Sales Trainer and Consultant in the industry with almost 12 years Automotive Internet Sales, Business Development and Digital Marketing experience. Sean is also a Certified FranklinCovey Trainer / Facilitator on the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" Curriculum, as well as a member of the National Speaker's Association (NSA). Sean V. Bradley is the creator of the www.internetsales20group.com (Internet sales 20 Group) as well as the "Cyber 20 Group" www.automotiveinternetsales.com.

NADA attendees can see Sean's Workshop on Video and Social Media Search Engine Optimization on the following days and times:

Saturday, February 5 11:00 AM Room: 2011 West

Sunday, February 6 11:00 AM Room: 2024 West

Monday, February 7 10:30 AM Room: 2011 West

The Dealer Synergy team will be available at Booth 4464N for demos as well as to answer any and all questions. Sean V. Bradley will also be at the booth conducting LIVE training on Automotive Internet Sales and Digital Marketing / Social Media.

Dealer Synergy, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an Award Winning Training, consulting and Digital Marketing Company. 888-379-6374

SOURCE Synergized Media

Happy New Year !! Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful New Year! 2011 is going to be a great year! Wishing everyone good health, success and happiness in the New Year. From my family to your family HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dealersynergy/3420894237/ I wanted to congratulate Rob Fontano on his recent cover story. I have had the opportunity to watch Rob evolve over the years and am excited for all of his success. Rob has been through several Dealer Synergy training workshops over the years. I have attached a Flickr link in the post of Rob Fontano and Football great Keith Byars (Formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins). I had Keith Byars as a guest speaker at one of my "Internet Director Immersion Programs" and as a guest speaker at NADA in 2009.

I think Rob came to my "Director Immersion Program" JUST FOR KEITH BYARS LOL! (It was his second Sean V. Bradley / Dealer Synergy workshop!

For all "Automtoive Internet Sales" members... you should really read his article and maybe even reach out to Rob on AIS... He is an awesome person and a great Internet Sales Professional!

Good memories my friend!! And I see that VSEO is working well for you too :)

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/e8e0b8bc#/e8e0b8bc/1 

In pulling up stats on random websites, I have seen a very definite trend in the past 30 days of visitors. Traffic is highest the first part of the week – Monday through Wednesday – then seems to taper off into the weekend. This surprised me, as I always thought people would spend time on the weekend shopping online. What this tells us is that you should focus your website special events (i.e. online-only coupons, internet specials, etc.) toward these times. Add this information on Friday, and update it every Friday, to make sure it’s there for those Monday shoppers. Go to your stats and find out what the most viewed vehicles are and incorporate them into this weekly rotation by making specials out of them. Throw up a Monday Service special or whatever day of the week that your Service Department is the least busy. A lot of people will wander the showroom or the lot while they wait for their vehicle to be serviced, and may find their next dream car in the process. I know there are a lot of vendors out there, who want to help you analyze your visitors, but you already have the most accurate one for your website – it’s your stats. Don’t get too caught up in yesterday’s stats or last week’s numbers.  Look at them over at least a 30-day period. This will help you gear your website towards your visitors and their shopping trends, so that you get the highest return for your efforts.

Sharing widget AddThis (), which is installed on more than 7 million domains and reaches more than one billion users per month, released an infographic Wednesday withsome interesting statistics about about our sharing habits.

Among the impressive numbers: 44% of shares occur through Facebook (), up 33% from last year (due both to the platform’s record growth and the release of the “Like” button, no doubt). Shares over Gmail () increased by 395%, outpacing StumbleUpon (), Facebook and Twitter (). Shares via MySpace () and Friendster () dropped 20% and 31% respectively.

While the data gathered from AddThis are by no means comprehensive, the percentages should be relatively accurate given the sample size and thenumber of sharing services supported.

What platforms do you use most often to share content online?

[source]

These girls rock! (and even Sponge Bob think so too!)  We just got done some great phone training, and I have to stop and say: Great job Kelly, Kassandra and Sarah in really taking advantage of the holiday season spending, stressing urgency to come to the dealership while the deals are unbelievable, and they are having a GREAT month going into the last few days!  These girls are very focused on their goals, and have truely MASTERED the process of making a great phone call, and having an answer for everything...and your results show! 

We also discussed how it has really been a great start of the last week in December for them, and they all understand that there are only a few more days to buy a car in 2010!  Don't let up now!!

I personally have sold 3 cars on New Year's Eve before, so don't take it lightly!  There is plenty of business to be done.  The party don't start until AFTER business hours, and what better way to bring in the new year with a NEW vehicle!! :)

Happy Selling, and I hope everyone has an exciting and safe New Year!

Andy Fedo

VP of Training

andy@dealersynergy.com

Hello All,

Just wanted to send out a reminder that the contest for all my fellow "Phone Ninja's" is going to end on December 31st, So please make sure you have submitted your best objections and rebuttals in order to win some great prizes. Just take a few moments and think of that 1 customer that really was hard to deal with and let us know how you were able to overcome their objections and get them into the dealership. So far I have received some great entries but I am still looking for some more. Hope everyone had a Wonderful Holiday and also that you have a WONDERFUL NEW YEAR! Lets work hard and make 2011 a GREAT YEAR!!!

Thank You,

Kristy Ehmann

Dealer Synergy

Kristy@dealersynergy.com

http://www.dealersynergy.com

New car sales expected to grow by 1.1 million in 2010 - Repost from NADA Newsletter / Dayton Daily News By Tim Tresslar, Staff Writer

Pent-up demand is driving new vehicle sales to their highest level since 2008, an auto dealers trade group said.

Sales of light vehicles, on the decline since at least 2006, have accelerated this year, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. Paul Taylor, an NADA economist, said Tuesday that NADA officials look for sales to reach 11.5 million vehicles this year. In comparison, new vehicles sales reached 10.4 million in 2009.

In 2008, dealerships sold 13.2 million new vehicles while in 2007 they sold 16.1 million, the NADA said.

Taylor said improvements in the stock market and pent-up demand created from consumers putting off purchases will push up car purchases next year.

The period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day tends to be one of the briskest for dealers, Taylor said. A combination of consumers armed with time off from work and cash given to them as gifts, along with heavy promotion by the auto industry fuel the increased demand, he said.

An upturn in the automotive industry is good news for Ohio, which remains one of the nation’s largest producers of motor vehicles. Additionally, Ohio’s new vehicle dealerships generate $17.8 billion in sales and employ more than 38,000, according to NADA figures.

Larry Taylor, vice president and general manager of Beau Townsend Ford in Vandalia, said his dealership is on track to sell 260 new and used vehicles in December, compared to 156 in December 2009. He also anticipates higher sales in the first quarter of next year.

He attributes the gains to pent-up demand by consumers, who have put off buying cars as long as possible, and by consolidation of local dealerships.

“I think I’m getting a bigger piece of a smaller pie,” he said.

Jeff Reichard, vice president of Reichard Buick GMC, said sales this year of Buicks have increased 17 percent while GMC sales have climbed 131 percent, compared to a year ago. December sales also are higher than the same month in 2009, he said.

Demand for the Terrain, a compact crossover SUV, and to a lesser extent the Acadia have helped drive gains in GMC’s sales, Reichard said Tuesday.

I was finally able to get caught up on some facebook data that was released earlier in the month. It really helps to identify what people are talking to others about and when they are talking! ... if you use facebook for business purposes,this is an article you really should review even though it might take more then just a few minutes of your day.

Check it out here and let me know what you think.

Over a foot of snow in Philadelphia!  Funday Monday....and back to work!  Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend, I know I had a very eventful 3 day weekend, and ready to finish the year strong!!  We have 5 days to get in all that we can...STAY FOCUSED!! :)

We just added "Groups" to the website, and will be continuing to better the website with some enhancements coming into 2011.  Click on the section on the bottom left side of the page, and take a look at some of the topics that interest you.  As always, I encourage comments, feedback and questions so we can all "synergize" to get better at what we do. 

I'm proud to say that not only will Sean Bradley be a featured speaker all 3 days at the NADA conference, but we will also be holding a MAJOR Press Conference with some exciting announcements for Dealer Synergy for the New Year!

http://www.facebook.com/seanvbradley

"Merry Christmas" & God Bless, from the Bradley Family! Have fun and BE SAFE :)