Auto Retail News

I was consulting in a mid-sized GM dealership one evening. The service manager and I were looking through carefully prepared pre-write packets (menu, history, pre-write, recalls, MPI, and notes), to determine how well the service advisors had pre-loa

These are complex times for leaders. Our sense of decency continues to come under siege from an array of antagonists: indifferent and entitled workers, a generation that embraces no behavioral absolutes, and from courts and governments that treat rel

“In order to know where you are going, you have to know where you are.” “In order to grow, you have to know.” “What you treasure, you measure.” No matter how you say it, automotive industry experts all agree that you have to track the num

Every few months, I ask one of my law partners to share with you the issues they are seeing in their area of our motor vehicle dealer practice. This month, Rob Byerts, describes the myriad of regulatory and compliance issues with which he is assistin

Ford’s new plan for Lincoln Here we go again. Another manufacturer plan for its dealer network that invariably leads to more dealers being strong-armed into spending money or giving up their franchise. As of the date I write this column, Ford has a

Since manufacturers are only building on demand, are you aware that you could probably pile up all the gold in the world solely on the empty spots in your new car lot? The reason why gold is so valuable is because the total supply of world gold could

Now is the perfect time to begin planning for expense reductions in 2011 if you haven’t already done so. From the supplier and expense side of your business, if you are like most dealers, you have the following facts to contend with: Active managem

As we head into the holiday season, this is the perfect time to get focused on creating a more effective advertising message and media plan. I’d like to suggest a two-pronged program that will help you define both: focus groups and message manageme

Being in the industry for 26 years, I’ve had the privilege of talking to, working alongside with and managing some of the best sales people in country. Through the years, I’ve compiled a list of the common characteristics of this elite class of p