As with nearly every New Year, I am looking forward to the challenges, successes and even failures that will come my way in 2011. These collective experiences are what define us both personally and professionally, and I welcome each of these with ope

One of my favorite dealer clients once said to me, “All I get is ‘What,’ stuff all day; I’d like to see some ‘Why’!”  He went on to explain that he only gets reports of what is wrong: expenses are high, we’re out of cash, we’re los

After speaking with a group of dealers on the benefits of incorporating social media into the marketing mix, one dealer posed this question: “From your perspective, what role does a web site play in advertising?” My response? “Your website is y

It is stating the obvious to assert that core systems such as your Digital Response Management (DRM) system, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, dealer web sites, inventory management system, vehicle locator system and dealer management sy

There is a place on the Internet that the largest search engine in the world sends people before they get to your website. It is called Google Places and reflects the importance Google is placing on local search. Google Places is a profile for your b

In a recent article in Reader’s Digest, the readers were advised to contact the Internet manager at a dealership to get a good deal. I was pleased to see the recommendation since I’ve been a long time proponent of this as a management position an

Close your eyes. Right now. Close your eyes. Okay, open them. I just realized you wouldn’t be able to read the rest of the instructions. After you close your eyes, I want you to put yourself in the shoes of your customers. Share their mindset. I kn

I recently gave a webinar on Zen time management to controllers and office managers. Over the years I’ve created various technology tools to enable controllers to get more time in the day by downloading from their DMS to Excel. This webinar opened

So, you’ve been assigned the responsibility to write the vehicle comments on behalf of your store. While this may be Internet Sales 101, it is more than apparent that dealers can use a refresher course now and again. As I research dealership after