Documentation is the New Negotiation

By now, almost everyone recognizes the importance of pricing vehicles competitively. Almost every shopper has checked the Internet before they burn their $3 per gallon gasoline and valuable time and venture out into the marketplace. Unless your deale
Feb 9, 2010

All Roads Lead to Rome (Washington, DC)

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
Feb 1, 2010

Consumers Hold the Key to Continued Certified Pre-owned Sales Growth

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
Feb 1, 2010

How Can you Impact Conversion?

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
Feb 1, 2010

Ed Tonkin, NADA Chairman, Ron Tonkin Dealerships

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
Jan 10, 2010

Putting ‘Spiral Integration’ Into Play

About 10 years ago I wrote my first article in Dealer magazine on the concept of “spiral integration.” The objective is to utilize each advertising medium’s greatest strengths to complement and enhance the effectiveness of other mediums and pro
Jan 1, 2010