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Find Your Motivation 

Today, I'm diving deep into the entrepreneurial mindset and what it means to be truly successful. There is more to being a successful business owner than money, and am sharing his own personal experiences to help you decide what your driving force for success is.

Tune in to the all new Think Tank Tuesday to learn the three successful phases all businesses experience and to learn how you can avoid losing the entrepreneurial spirit that so many others have.

This is the Missing Piece to Profit

The automotive marketplace is over-saturated, but don't panic. There's an additional revenue source you can implement now to boost profits.

On this week’s Hard Facts, Samantha has the strategy for capitalizing in your own backyard AND the rest of the nation. Are you ready to increase your revenue by $30,000 per month? It's easy if you pay attention.

The word is out, Google has done away with ads on the right hand side of search engine results pages, instead opting for four ads at the top of the page instead of three and only seven ads on the first page instead of eleven. While this has sent many into a panic, these Google AdWords changes, while important, may not require additional action from businesses using the platform. If anything, a watchful eye will be most important in the days to come.

Most search engine marketing campaigns at this point should be utilizing ad extensions, constantly working to improve quality scores and continually trying to have ads land at the top of the page. While there are now less ads on the first page of search results on Google, the top four ads may now display extensions when possible, instead of just the top one or two. This means that ads that may not rank in position one might still get a lot of additional real estate in search results.

A negative side effect of the change may be increased cost per click. Businesses should watch their PPC spend to make sure that their bids are making sense with respect to their goals as well as their positioning in Google search results. Companies should make sure that the stiff competition for the top four positions doesn't drive their average cost per click up.

At the end of the day, these important Google AdWords changes may do damage to poorly run campaigns, but could also provide additional juice to well-optimized campaigns with active management. What are some ways you are dealing with the changes to AdWords?

Make These Changes to Stay on Top of the Google Search Page

On Feb. 19, Google changed the look of their search page, decreasing the number of available advertising spots.

This week on Hard Facts, learn which ad spots are completely removed, which positions have changed, and the algorithm Google will now use to determine your ad’s position. See how this change can actually help you sell more cars for less money instead of running your budget dry.

This week we are having a look at relationships with women customers. Traditionally, after women buy their car, they come into your store for mandatory service visits or for a recall. It's a bit like a Yo-Yo effect. What do more meaningful and ongoing interactions with women look like? A dealership might offer free car washes or birthday oil changes? What about a “happy anniversary this-is-the-day-you-bought-your-car-here-and-we-appreciate-you” tire rotation? These are opportunities to build relationships with women customers and for her to keep you top of mind.

Innovative Engagement and Enrichment
Innovative digital tools like Women's Car Guide provides touch points to cultivate and build a trusting relationship with your female clients that keeps you in a fluid relationship, while providing educational tips to women+families.

A woman may just buy a car every 5-8 years, but she uses it several times a day. Content in the Women’s Car Guide can be seen as a trusted resources all year round by emailing her articles that are relevant to her. Or, they can be used in newsletters to all your subscribers. The mobile responsive Women’s Car Guide integrates into your website to showcase lifestyle and life-stage articles.

It improves time spent on a dealer’s website. Content also auto-posts to the dealer's Facebook page. Reviews are also integrated to showcase transparency with this emerging market that relies on authentic feedback.
Click to see Women's Car Guide.

In the world of connectivity, click here to learn how to stay top of mind with your women shoppers.

You don’t have to wait for a shopper to fill out a form before you reach out. Learning the shopper's body language lets you start the conversation earlier in the buying process and become the go-to authority first.

This week, Samantha shows you how to use a shopper's digital body language to engage that person much earlier in the buying process. 

While looking for specific long tail keywords that convert for the lowest cost is imperative in any PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaign, automotive PPC has an extra set of issues to deal with. Many times, potential zero moment clients still use basic terms to search out and ultimately purchase a vehicle.

SEM (Search Engine Marketing) approaches are often geared towards avoiding basic one or two word keywords, instead opting for laser specific long tail terms that indicate buying signals. Unfortunately, this becomes a tad more nuanced when dealing with automotive PPC because many customers will perform an extremely basic search looking for the nearest dealership in order to see its available inventory, and ultimately submit a lead and purchase a vehicle. Thus, while no true buying signals might be present in a given search, clients may still use those broad queries in search engines to find places to purchase.

Another issue frequently arises because manufacturers and competing dealerships realize what kind of searches drive interested traffic to their website and begin bidding on many of these terms, driving up the cost of advertising on search engines. To combat this, dealerships should consider the match types being used on each keyword, what kind of targeting they’re doing and how they can perhaps make their ad copy stand out a bit more.

Finally, many of the search terms used in automotive PPC are the same used when researching a vehicle. If a dealership can include vehicle reviews, specifics and related inventory on their landing pages and/or vehicle detail pages, they have the chance to retain researchers and convert them to shoppers.

Most dealerships cannot afford to miss out on traffic for certain search terms, even if they are a tad more broad than many PPC managers would feel comfortable bidding on. Often, decisions have to be made in an automotive PPC campaign regarding campaign focus – given a limited budget, a tightly focused campaign can do a lot more in a short period of time for simple popular terms than a more general campaign. What are some ways you all account for broad search terms that might mean sales?

This week, hot-off-the press, we’ve got the 2016 U.S. Women’s Car Dealership Report, showing how progressive car dealerships make a difference in the experiences of women and families. This national report shows what is important to women when shopping, buying and servicing their vehicles.

The information in this report is drawn from over 4,000 women’s reviews and opt-in surveys. Using the reviews, Women-Drivers.com generates a Women Satisfaction Index® (WSI Score), ranging from a high of 5.0 to a low of 1.0. The surveys are used to delve deeper into women’s shopping, buying and servicing experiences.

This information is specifically generated from dealerships certified through Women-Drivers.com based on the customer reviews. These progressive, forward-thinking dealers use the company’s platform to improve sales and service experiences for their women clients. Dealers who participate, continually evaluate the data an consumer intel they receive to ensure they maintain high scores, knowing women rely on reviews almost twice as much as men.

Download the 2016 US Women's Car Dealership Report

“Unlike other 5-star review sites, we give women the opportunity to write quick reviews and then opt-in to a 25-question survey, which 9 in 10 women nationally participate in” said Anne Fleming, President of Women-Drivers.com. “Our platform empowers women to respond in an honest and productive way, thus, helping certified dealers evaluate and improve the customer experience. This data helps dealers take the guesswork out of marketing and selling to women."

Certified Women-Drivers.com Dealers receive an average satisfaction score of 92%, which is 23% higher than non-certified dealers. Women rely on reviews 50% more than men, so having positive ratings has a direct impact on a dealership’s building trust and the bottom line.

Women have a variety of options when shopping for a car and have an array of information available. It is always in a dealer’s best interest to understand how to engage women, and tune their strategies to maximize this buying segment’s interest.

Click here to read the full Press Release about the 2016 US Women’s Car Dealership Report.

How You Can Go Live Today!

Are you a salesperson or a business owner who wants a new way to market for free? Then watch this week’s Think Tank Tuesday.

This new strategy includes:

• The next tool to market for free: Facebook Live Video.
• How to use this new streaming service to sell more.
• Why it’s better than any other streaming service.

And the best comments get a free membership to our Coffee Mug Strategies!

Make sure your site is accessible and resourceful to your clients.

Many dealers aren’t taking advantage of using content as a way to generate sales. On this week’s episode of Hard Facts, Samantha is covering how you can start implementing action items that will not only increase the resourcefulness of your site but will increase your SEO as well.

Facebook Live, Meerkat, and Periscope: Which Service is Best for You?

Facebook just launched its new live video service to compete with Meerkat and Periscope. How does this new tool stack up? How do you use it to engage car shoppers? Is it worth your time? Find out on this week’s Hard Facts.

Not every dealership and buying experience is the same, so why should you settle for a homepage that is exactly like the rest? Having one that stands above the rest helps to ensure your name, brand, and business stand above the rest.

Reason number one: dealerships are everywhere. This means their websites are everywhere as well. You need to give customers something they will remember and bring them back to you when they are ready to purchase. If you are sticking with your run of the mill website provider because “it’s good enough” or because “it’s just a website”, then you’re missing out on leads and customers.

Create eye catching web panels with outstanding offers to drive customers to view your inventory. Doing more than only using web panels found on your brand manufacturer website helps create a sense of urgency for your customers. It will also make you memorable.

Many of our clients have opted to incorporate a video into the header of their homepage in addition to their web panels. I know what you’re thinking: it sounds kind of busy. Wrong. This gives you the opportunity to further showcase your inventory and your dealership.

Reason number two: what makes you stand above the rest? Why should customers buy from you instead of the guy down the road? Show your customers why you’re better and why they should only come to you.

Showcasing your inventory front and center will certainly propel you ahead of the crowd. Whether you do this by utilizing a featured inventory scrolling feed or by using a quick inventory search tool, implementing features that make browsing inventory easier and quicker for your customers creates a lasting memory for them.

You shouldn’t have to settle for a website that is exactly like the rest. A plain white background with blue letters, given to you by the company you essentially settled for isn’t going to give you a big enough push ahead of the rest. Why? Because this is all they offer any of their clients.  

 We understand you have to make sure your brand is showcased front and center, but that doesn’t mean you should blend in with the same manufacturer dealership down the road. Your dealership identity is just as important.

These are only a few reasons from our list. If you feel like you’re missing out, we should talk. 

What Are The Elements?
What are the various elements in creating great chemistry with women visiting your dealership? The good news? Half of all women buyers shop at only one (1) dealership. The bad news? 6 in 10 women report that once they leave a dealership and didn’t buy, they never return there. YOU HAVE A SMALL WINDOW TO MAKE AN OUTSTANDING IMPRESSION.

Download The Dealership Periodic Table and review this with your executive staff and sales, service and BDC advisors. Lets review these closer:

Chemistry Matters

1. Website

Today’s shopping starts long before a woman walks in. What chemistry are you creating with your Internet, Facebook and Twitter presence? Is your site appealing & personal? Is it engaging? How about reviews – are they easy to find? Don’t forget to show various demographics. Have value-add content. And, certainly you site should be mobile responsive.

2. Social Media

Social media keeps your message current. Daily posts show that your dealership is actively engaging. Be a trusted resources by providing educational, lifestyle and life-stage content. Reviews by women for women will bring great results, too; women rely on reviews more than men.

3. Advertising

Be sure to offer women-centric ads that speak to what matters - like safety and practicality. Think of ways to differentiate your store from the competition. How do you show a woman and her family that you are the better choice? Your advertising should speak of engagement and service.

4. Store Environment

When a woman arrives, her perception forms instantaneously. Aesthetic chemistry matters. Flowers, artwork, fresh paint and a warm environment add comfort. Another important aspect is a balanced workforce – it reflects that you are heading into the future.

5. Sales

Your sales advisors have the task of engagement. A good impression is mandatory, and goes beyond appearance and friendly demeanor. Women demand a respectful, trusted advisor who is interested in finding the best car for her. How well does your team understand the nuances of Emotional Intelligence? Advisors should be able to detect frustration and concern, which means they must be excellent listeners, too.

6. F & I

Here, she is dealing with a new person, altogether. If she perceives she is being coerced or her questions aren’t being answered to her satisfaction, she can become uncomfortable; that can unravel the entire buying experience. Keeping it easy, be patient, and be a solution provider.

7. Service Drive

Here she will again interact with a new group of people. This critical relationship delivers revenue to your dealership for 5-8 years, and is a lifeline. Getting a car serviced is rarely a welcome task, so it is important to take steps to ensure convenience and comfort. A courtesy vehicle is a must, as well as a comfortable waiting area with Wi-Fi. Dealerships that build great chemistry go beyond the standard – they provide healthy snacks & beverages, PlayStations and child play areas as well as workout rooms and business lounge. Educational videos and seminars help retain and engage clients.

8. Reputation

Larger dealerships have a Director of Customer Experience that takes a true pulse of your customer’s journey and charts course corrections if necessary. They solicit fair and authentic reviews, thanking and acknowledging your customer’s contribution. Be sure to use reviews by and for women in your advertising, outbound emails, web site and social media.

9. Your Ideal Buyer

Last but not least is the chemistry of an ideal woman buyer. Not all buyers will fall into this category, but you and your staff have a real say here. With your dealership’s help, she can be confident and comfortable throughout. She can drive away in a car that she loves, feeling satisfied and excited. She can feel empowered knowing she has a thorough understanding of her car and your ongoing commitment to her satisfaction. If she has a question, she knows exactly who to call.

If I took over your company, here's what I would do immediately.

I get asked this a lot: what would I do if I were running your dealership? And I always know the my first move with every single dealership.

My changes will:
– Have customers asking about value, not price
– Turn your salespeople into consultants
– Make your dealership a community resource, not just a storefront
– Raise you above the competition without cutting profits