By all accounts, as long as a supply of eligible vehicles is available, the growth in certified pre-owned (CPO) sales numbers is predicted to follow recent growth patterns of approximately 21% per year. Consumers are becoming more aware of, and confi

Imagine a dealership that only tracks closing ratios against write-ups. That team may or may not be doing a solid job. If the write-up percentage against walk in traffic is good, then the team is performing. If the write-up percentage is poor, the de

I was recently on a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil doing a used car school for Fenabrave (Brazil’s NADA). On the way to Brazil, while waiting in line at the food garden in the airport, I met a gentleman from Germany also traveling to Brazil. He and I st

What dealers can expect through the arbitration process By the time you read this article, the deadline for Chrysler and General Motors dealers to seek a reinstatement of their franchise pursuant to new federal legislation may be near or already pass

The Federales mess up again When I first stated following this development, I was reminded of a bad joke, modified to be (as much as I despise it) politically correct. “How many consultants does it take to change a light bulb”? Ten, one to hold t

Dave Parrott, 52, Internet sales manager for Global Imports BMW-Mini in Atlanta, the top-selling BMW store in Georgia and No. 1 in the Sonic Automotive Group, says an eye toward continuous improvement, adoption of the best available technology, and a

Juan Teran, the 42-year-old sales director for Dewey Ford and Dewey Dodge Jeep, both located in rural Ankeny, Iowa, takes his inspiration where he can find it. He freely admits to converting from a typical “bricks and mortar” car guy to an Intern

Incoming National Automobile Dealers Association Chairman Ed Tonkin is a second-generation dealer from Portland, Oregon, who says he wants to help reshape NADA into a more efficient organization and involve more of the 62-plus directors around the co

I find simply observing processes to be quite constructive. Sometimes just stepping back and carefully viewing how methodology is being carried out, yields the discovery needed to solve agonizing evils — and can be more effective than all the p