100% Biased Opinions
But it isn’t fake news
We’re paying too much for new cars
Hey, Gang, we’re spending WAY too much on new cars. Put down your pitchforks, I’m not suggesting we STOP buying new cars. The opposite, in fact. Well, I guess technically I am saying we should stop BUYING cars. But, not in the way it sounds. Allow me to remind you kind folks about the LEASE. […]
What is your dealership’s product?
Our manufacturers and vendors can answer this question easily about their own businesses, but can the dealers? A product is a “thing produced by labor or effort. “A “thing” isn’t always something physically tangible. Before we jump into digital retailing, let’s get down to fundamentals. What is the product of a car dealership? This isn’t a question […]
Email is your biggest loss of business
We’ve always known about our phone answering problems, but I rarely hear anyone talk about what we’re saying to customers via car dealer email. Did you know that you can measure all sorts of things around email marketing and email responses to discover who is doing it well and who isn’t? My favorite is to look at the […]
Oh no. I’m a customer.
If one were to ask me what was the biggest life-changing event I’ve experienced I’m not sure I could say it was meeting my better half. Although she is certainly life changing, she wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for me becoming a car dealership customer. I was born a car dealer. My Grandfather founded the […]
Are you a horse trader?
Are you a horse trader or a retailer? That’s a weird question isn’t it? During our first days on the lot our manager didn’t give us a history lesson on the car business. He taught us how to follow the road to a sale and maximize profit. And maybe he, himself, didn’t know where the […]
Internet vs. Floor volume 57
This is a rant. It pisses me off to still see the sales floor referring to Internet customers and forms from the website as “Internet Department” things. When you still hear sales agents say “oh, that’s the Internet department” you know we have a problem. C’mon, people aren’t searching for your store in Alta Vista […]
Who built the damn thing?
What drives the decision to build a new pencil tool for car dealers? For many vendors, the answer is simple, money. Historically, car dealers are pretty big spenders when it comes to flashy new “solutions.” Many failed salespeople, ex-GMs, and other dealership rejects skulk over to the vendor side and tape together a half-ass product […]
I have to talk to my wife
Overcoming objections is Sales 101. Any statement, excuse, or mindset which prevents a car shopper from buying the car today is an objection. They range from legitimate hang-ups like not having the correct vehicle in stock, waiting for a tax return, or selling the current vehicle before buying a new one, to more obscure perceived […]