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Branding, Communication and Process For Dummies (AKA All Of Us) In Time For NADA

If education, reinforcement, results and transparency are the benchmarks of success why are we all not more successful than we are right now? More often than not, in our beloved industry, what has been around for a long time is considered as accepted or the norm and what is new is rejected with rare exception. At the end of the day we're branders and communicators entirely and inextricably linked to the success or failure of process. Well, we need a wake up call.

Recently there has been a barrage of articles on everything from social media must do's for car dealers to self-indulgent bantering among dealership consultants, from incessantly republishing authoritative sources to fill pages and drive traffic to kicking dead horses and old ghosts. And who are we kidding? The whole industry has to wake up to new ways of doing business, engaging consumers that control content, delivering more value than flash to dealerships, learning more than preaching and finally…wait for it…stop talking about what you don't understand.

So what's the difference between ignoring technology because management says "you can sell without it", the Barracuda firewall encasing your dealership is controlled by a corporate yes man who thinks that every 10 minutes on Facebook is one unit lost and your so-called vendors swear they're "all over it" and getting passed by like a 911 GT3 in 6th gear? Not much unless you truly desire to be in business and profitable over the next 24 months.

Every piece of real data out there shows the same thing: brand, communication and process control your path. Not advertising. Not high-pressure salesmanship. Not displacing your cranium under the warm sand. Brand is shared. Communication is shared. Process doesn't need to be shared but without it you won't remember where the brand and communication go (even if you've got really good hair, a tan and bling to win over GMs and dealer principals with).

So, when's the last time you went through your website (and saw keyword stuffing and out-of-date optimization)? Checked out your templates (and saw that they didn't have links in your signature block)? Really customized your 'newsletter' (that is the same as everyone else's)? Checked, double-checked and then triple-checked your third-party lead sources (unless you have no issue with them showing 80 leads and 315 phone calls when you're positive that the real number is half that)? Do you truly know what your site analytics show? How are those inbound links working for you? And your press releases? When was the last blog post you did?

Today I overheard a salesperson getting educated at a dealership. Rather than say trained, we'll go with that. He was asked not to say "welcome to (name of dealership), my name is (his name), how can I help you?". It was explained that by putting the showroom guest in the position of being 'helped' that they will feel put off or less empowered and it was better to offer assistance by saying "how can I assist you?".

Let's not kid ourselves any more. Many in automotive retail need HELP and those that ask will get it from the best sources the industry has to offer, as long as they're willing to go with the new. As you check out all that has to be offered in Orlando this weekend, where is your help going to come from?

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

February 10, 2010 by Gary May 0
IM@CS Announces Accomplished Automotive E-Commerce Marketing Executive Jim Elliott As Newest Team Member

In response to further growth and significant prospects for 2010, IM@CS has expanded its consulting team and increased coverage with a Detroit base in addition to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, CA, and Detroit, MI (PRWEB) January 4, 2010 — Interactive Marketing and Consulting Services (IM@CS) president Gary May was pleased to announce on December 31, 2009 the addition of Jim Elliott to the growing IM@CS team. Elliott, who comes with over 20 years with Ford Motor Company in addition to Web 2.0 startups, will be responsible for dealership and OEM consulting as well as business development for the company. His Detroit-based location also adds flexibility in accessing clients quickly and facilitating increased coverage.

Jim Elliott is known as a pioneering innovator in the areas of e-commerce, sales, marketing and channel management, primarily in the automotive industry. With an interest in collaborative and innovative environments and a special interest in online community start-ups, Elliott’s specialties include e-commerce, interactive marketing, 6-Sigma Black Belt, independent franchised distribution channel management, business development and other hands-on experience in spearheading business.

“I have known and worked with Gary May for most of the past decade, and I lept at the chance to work with him. Gary and I share a passion for winning on the web for our clients in a way that enables them to both grow revenue and reduce costs. Smart dealers know that the web is evolving quickly and they can now empower themselves to compete better digitally. IM@CS brings the tools and strategies to enable them to do just that.”

As an e-commerce executive, Elliott led SmartAuction website management and development of strategic site changes for the online B2B vehicle auction with GMAC. His field expertise, highly developed with Ford Motor Company, continued as Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for Roush Performance vehicles and parts throughout eight states and four Canadian provinces. Elliott has built trusted relationships with dealers in many regions across North America through personal integrity and delivering results.

“Having worked in the past with Jim, he has always struck me as one of the more thoughtful, intuitive marketers. His forward-thinking approach and diligent review of opportunities that have translated to success in very large organizations will easily transfer into our company as well as accelerate our comprehensive services and growth.”

IM@CS, a full-service online branding/marketing, sales coaching and process consulting firm, has offered best practices in online media, Web 2.0, interactive content and targeted marketing since 2007. Clients include leading edge dealerships, automotive manufacturers, portals and service providers. IM@CS also serves other large consumer-facing businesses including real estate, specialty markets and unique/high-end services.

Visit www.imacsweb.com today. Call 310-377-6481 or info(at)imacsweb(dot)com for more information or
contact IM@CS at P.O. Box 3789 Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274

# # #

Contact Information
Julia Murphy
Interactive Marketing and Consulting Services
http://www.imacsweb.com
(310) 377-6481

Online Web 2.0 Version
You can read the online version of this press release here.

January 7, 2010 by Gary May 0
This Is What Happens When You Do It Right

It's not every day that you come across as example of what you're preaching, especially when it's in the automotive world. To be brutally honest, it almost never happens around social media, blogging, websites and the like. And then, just like in the movies, a kid gives you hope. This is not a typical post at all for us but this much-needed fresh air deserves credit.

A jaunt down dealership social media lane today will reveal about 85% plus of franchises screaming "buy here" and all sorts of offers, incentives, links to inventory and other huge no-no's. Finding stores that are actually talking with the public is so rare you'd think that, even considering the poor reputation car dealerships have, all hope of being real humans was gone.

Enter Scott Mitchell and his online brand: www.IAmAudi.com, or @I_Am_Audi on Twitter. After following his social media moniker for a while, I ventured to his site/blog and was even more impressed. Not being a client (nor his Audi store in Oregon) and never having met, his content comes across purely and without a drop of pretentiousness. This is interesting considering the Audi history, massive brand awareness of late and knowing how aggressive they're being in (old school) offline marketing and (new school) online marketing, Scott's property could have screamed "Audi Is King'.

Rather you get taken along on a ride (drive) through Audi's past, present and future. The articles are engaging and have purpose. With a fair balance of statistics, news, photos and '4 ring' passion, there's not a list of current incentives or begging you to come in to the store.

Have a question about Audi? Find this site or his Twitterperson and you feel like you're going to get an answer without having to sit around a showroom for 20 minutes, let alone have a salesperson hounding you for the 'best deal of the year'.

And outside of the link to and map location of the dealership employing him (kudos to that general manager!) there's not an ad, money generating link or anything else that hints at outside-interest-ladened affect. Folks this might be the wholly grail. Look, listen and learn because there's a new resource around.

Great job Scott, welcome to the 'gets it' club…oh, are you on Facebook?

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

January 5, 2010 by Gary May 0
Customer Relationship Management: It’s The Message, Not Software That Sells

Three vendors, multiple pitches, agonizing internal conversations, budget decisions, integration, contract, training and the big fat check (every month). Now: simply turn it on and have it send messages for you and you win! Right? Wrong!

How in the world are we continually convinced that a solution 'in the box' is the right one for our multi-million dollar businesses?  Are most dealers now buying software and technology the same way that we've bought DMS for the past 20 years?  We have Dell build our own laptops down the finest detail, change the covers on our cell phones so they're more 'us', put 20's on our otherwise stock cars, and wear clothes that says 'me'. But we send out messages to everyone that's the same and expect them to respond, let alone come in, buy and refer? What a joke!

Here's a clue: if it takes more work and you don't see the results immediately, you're probably heading in the right direction. Why would you send a message (email, text, direct mail, etc) to someone that has a F-150 XLT from your store an offer for a $29 oil change that has small print disclaiming the offer is for 4-cylinder cars? How about sending someone that just leased a new Lexus IS250 from your dealership three months ago an offer that's $40 less per month or that has $1,000 less drive off for the same payment?

If you want to use CRM, treat it like a CRM tool by segmenting your customers in your database, updating regularly, creating different campaigns (start with something difficult, let's say like whether they're male or female) and start with unique messages and offers. It might even work!

Do you use your CRM, an eNewsletter and a company that markets specifically for declined service follow ups (if not more vendors)? Since you've created your own mess, at least hold each vendor responsible to running consistent (non-concurrent) uniquely-branded content that offers readers something that they won't likely want to ignore. What's meant by ignore? If you statistics show supposedly great open and click rates and you don't see a relative increase in traffic, people are likely ignoring your messages.

Have you started using social media as a CRM avenue? Think about it this way: do you believe that you have more customers opening your newsletter (with the same content as everyone else in your PMA) or using Facebook regularly? Don't answer out loud, but why don't you put your current, and archived, newsletters with a link on your Facebook Fan Page and every time you update, all of your followers get it in their feed and emai?

Instead of spending $10,000 a month on direct mail with a 2-6% open rate, send them via Twitter, Facebook and Plaxo for practically $0 and schedule the offers to be sent on specific dates, specific hours and with exact details. Considering that likely under 5% of direct mail is actually integrated into all marketing, your social media CRM efforts will pay huge dividends with less effort. Remember not to forget the most important part, the message.

If you believe that Customer Relationship Management is still about advertising, be prepared to have your (rear end) handed to you by more dynamic, engaged dealerships that have embraced the digital CRM revolution in addition to their CRM software. If the emails you send out to leads don't even have a link to your favorite reputation management site, links to your social media profiles and at least a 'why to buy' item like an intro video or photos of the car they will likely buy, you need to stop and really think over your CRM plan.

Treat Customer Relationship Management as its name implies rather than the 'other' CRM: customer-regardless mumble-jumble. Oh, and one more point: never stop asking questions. It's what you do when you stop talking and start listening.

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

November 1, 2009 by Gary May 1
Reputation Management: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

This post should really be titled: Reputation Management: Can't I Just Ignore It? It's amazing that another year, and some great social media presentations, has passed with dealers still not understanding that they live and die by their reputation. They know it, they don't understand it. Or else everyone would be tackling their Achilles' heel.

It wasn't too long ago that dealers knew their customers by name, would give up their own car if a client's died on the way home, attended the events they sponsored and generally made sure their name (and brand) was sterling. Then came the 'glut years' of the mid-80s to about two years ago. Dealers practically printed money for 20 years or so and then the dance ended.

Volume, massive profits, huge staffs and even traffic have mostly gone in the same direction as reputation: downhill. With the exception of some forward-thinking and consumer-focused retailers, it seems apparent that our industry is completely fine with negative reviews on top of the other diminishing returns already listed. If there is one thing you do around social media, please let it be reputation management.

You may not be ready to tweet, post, share this, stumble upon anything, digg or have a bunch of fans, but chances are you are concerned about something other than how many other dealers sold cars out of your PMA. About 3/4 of the public will now now shop you based on other consumer write ups!!!!!! That should be enough to make any business owner or manager go online
and start participating in something other than fantasy football
leagues (not saying that anything is wrong with that!).

Maybe you don't realize how simple (read: it may not be easy but it's painfully simple) it is to participate, get everyone on board at your store and improve your results, or how quickly fewer than a handful of poor reviews can absolutely kill your business. You do have a choice no matter which way you go.

If you haven't been to Google, DealerRater or Yelp lately, it's time you did. Most of the traffic to your online store has been or will be viewing the comments others have made about you. And do it now. I've been talking with a large dealer in Los Angeles for four months who still hasn't decided to invest time, resources or effort in one of the greatest opportunities for more traffic, greater customer confidence, referrals (remember those????) and just plain common sense. I don't know what's stopping them and I don't know what's stopping you.

Just remember that there are three things that never work in the car business: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. It's time you got up to speed on your online reputation and got a little more social. Maybe then we can get back to minting money again…

Best practices: Professional Insight, Power Results

October 18, 2009 by Gary May 0
A Week In Vegas Automotive Style (In A Few Paragraphs)

It's the conference time of the year for the automotive biz and this last week didn't disappoint. Having attended both the first-ever DrivingSales Executive Summit and the venerable JD Power Internet Roundtable it was clear, to some degree, as to what the leaders are looking for, discussing and sharing.  My first observation? Not enough dealers were present.

Nobody is trying to hold one group more accountable than the other and while budgets and money are tight, our industry moves at retail not at the supplier, vendor, media or marketing levels. Yes we need to have product that is appealing, ways to communicate effectively about it, means to get people buying the product (hello banks…), staying up with the breakneck speed of technology and keeping the general public excited. All those things aside, it's your good 'ol neighborhood retailer that gets the metal to move.

So, the DSES at the Hard Rock had two days to get the dealers that want to be in front in the best possible position with data, technology, new capabilities and compelling roundtable conversations. For a first-time event, it seemed to have hit its mark. With an agenda that covered current market data, SEO and relevant trends, new technologies and vendor offerings, analytics and social media, what was really impressive was the 'how to' part of the summit. Real conversations with real people answering the tough questions.

Networking is great and does has its immense value (including to this author) but the in-the-trenches, getting your hands dirty stuff is what moves the needle for any business. When someone is interested in doing something, they usually want to know the how, why, when and where. It was refreshing to be a part of the event put together by Charlie Vogelheim and Jared Hamilton.

DSES' range of speakers was atypical and that was a breath of fresh air. Compete's Skip Streets couldn't handle the glaring lights beaming down on him but the content prevailed. It was wonderful to get to hear BlueKai's new approach to media buying and consumer targeting from Dave Armitage. The presentation given by Driverside and R.L. Polk was very different considering it dealt with the back end of the retail business: service. Chris Brogan (New Marketing Labs) and Aaron Strout (Powered) quite frankly gave the road map to the industry without strings: customers, social media, branding, listening, content and value.

Switch gears to an event that I've been participating in since the first one back five plus years ago: JD Power's Internet Roundtable at Red Rock. Well attended by the OEMs, agencies, service providers, portals and dealers. The IRT has changed some over the past few years but it has lacked the 'punch' that it had a couple ago with the breakout roundtable discussions. One undisputed aspect: Everyone's socks were knocked off by Jim Farley's session Thursday morning, period. I've never heard more compliments and conversation after a speaker, ever. And if you haven't taken note of Ford's digital efforts over the past year, maybe you should.

In attending (and participating via Twitter) in a number of other sessions,the content seems to have drifted from subject at times but the speakers knew the craft from the social media, to the leads presentation to the media integration panel. Bar none, the crowd needed to be involved during or, at a minimum, after the sessions. The 'juice' comes from squeezing the *&$%!)#$% out of people and the occasional challenge to their stance.

Where JD Power's event always drives immense dividends for our industry is the lunches, dinners and hallway banter. I've always enjoyed taking part especially considering their influence and reach and, whether or not they are liked and appreciated at any given time, the company's heritage: focus on the customer. Hopefully our industry continues to listen considering consumers control everything today.

The IRT organizing team deserves props for getting social media on the agenda again but it still doesn't get the representation it deserves considering it makes up (along with online marketing and websites) the majority of automotive traffic now and for the future.

What both events need: more dealer participation, more dealer participation and maybe some more dealer participation. The media pays attention to SAAR, manufacturers, balance sheets, production, trends, bailouts and a whole lot of other things that have nothing to do with saving an industry. if you'd like to argue whether the magic number is 11.5M units or 13.1M, that's fine. Just as long as we're helping those that sell the cars in the first place.

The progressive dealers need to be up on stage talking about how they've changed their business and what ways they're moving forward. There may be a day in the near future in where the retailer is just as important as the company paying $20,000+ to speak or that changing up the agenda to showcase an undiscovered nugget is more relevant than some OEM's marketing exec giving the same presentation about their (somewhat) radical approach to marketing for the 20th time. (disclaimer: not talking about Mr. Farley here).

So this latest round of automotive Vegas-ness goes in the record books. Thank you DrivingSales Executive Summit and JD Power Internet Roundtable for having platforms that brought hundreds of thousand of dollars into Sin City. Now the question is: who has the guns to not make it a year until the next time the industry can learn?

Who can drive the education and engagement in the next 90 days without the trip, hotel, expense account and wad of one dollar bills (ooops, did I say that?).

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

October 17, 2009 by Gary May 1
Come On! What’s Social About A Price? Nothing!

After tip-toeing around this subject
for most of the year, it's time to take a more direct approach.  With more
car dealers using "social' media these days, seeing the overwhelming
amount of non-conversations are staggering!  A quick visit to the majority
dealer accounts on Twitter and Facebook reveal the following:

  • use of what are supposed to be social sites and
    services for essentially 'unpaid' advertising
    • The home of the $199 lease
    • Largest volume dealer in the
      area
    • Amazing inventory
    • More models arriving daily

  • use of auto-follow and auto-retweet programs to 'simplify'
    building followers
    • 30-day old accounts with
      2,000+ followers
    • Retweets of Automotive News
      articles
      • Consumers can't access as
        it's subscription only, and why share?
  • limited contextual links and content
    • video links are exclusively to
      store's site or YouTube inventory/walk-arounds
    • Using same links over and over
      with only slight modifications


Here's the hint that will hopefully get you to use social media for what it's
intended for: it's called social for a reason.  There is absolutely
nothing remotely social about car prices, lease specials, inventory, and 'buy
here!'.

Social is about conversation, influence, sharing, participation and ultimately
growing your virtual community.  And take note: this happens after
time.  It's organic and you have to learn.  It's not about control,
rants (although those can be fun in moderation), telling, limitation or
virtually throwing the keys on the roof.  Nobody cares about 100 tweets
telling how much you'll promise to save them, less the fine print.

Share funny stuff, eye-opening stuff, cool videos, first-to-market stuff,
did-you-know stuff, share fun events, invite people over to do things for free
and ultimately build a relationship around having conversations.  You'll
be amazed at how many customer service situations you can remedy, how many
times you can correct someone's misunderstanding about a capability or spec on
a vehicle and ultimately plant some seeds so that, when it's time, you already
have a customer that doesn't give a rat's behind that you are giving away gross
on "1 car at this price'.

So take some time and learn, understand and start participating instead of just
posting.  Just participating in social media doesn't give you any passes
or kudos.  Be real, be original, be compelling and be relevant.  If
you know you're market, friends, followers and customers, chances are you'll be
more successful.

Dealership staff: Don't talk to people.  Talk with people.  Listen to
people.  Create a valid, unpaid following that is interested in what you
share.  Be fun.  Be intentionally unintentional.

Go ahead, dare to be unique and different.  You might just end up being really social…

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

 

September 3, 2009 by Gary May 1
First Of The Month Syndrome: You’re Not Starting Over

Month end is behind you, save for those few deals that are going to be back-dated to August 31. Hopefully with C.A.R.S. you didn't need to do that. Now it's a whole new month and you're thinking "I'm at zero, clean sheet of paper, time to hit my numbers!"  Since we know so many people that do that, there must have been one parent in all of our families that, when we were infants, whispered in our ears "you'll think like you'll get paid, you'll start over on the 1st, you'll scurry like hell to get everything done on the last day of every month". Man, talk about a dysfunctional     family!

So here you are, 20-40 years later, convinced that a calendar determines your effectiveness and runs your life.  While nobody is here to tell you it's not how you get paid, quotas are set, assessments are handled and forecasts are created, quit thinking that way.  You're not starting over.

Especially in today's Internet-based world, the first of any month is just another day to tackle the 30-100 leads in your queue.  You can let the management and executives control the way a company operates but you don't have to be controlled by a calendar.  When you remove yourself from that process, your vision grows and you can see things in better perspective.  Again, don't start a revolt or fight the way your GM runs your store.  Just start to believe there's people (your customers) that work and believe in a 365-day world.

When you start planning beyond 30 days, in reality most folks hope on 30 and plan less, you can better see marketing effectiveness, referrals building, many leads actually taking 5-12 weeks to buy (rather than ignoring them until the week before and finding out they bought elsewhere), track trends and cycles, even bring customers back for parts, accessories, warranties and more!

If you truly believe that your number is 'zero' when the last month expires and the new one starts, maybe look at how you're holding yourself back.  It might just be your condition, but for those that can change, it might be the most fun you've ever had at a dealership…and possibly the most money too!

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

September 1, 2009 by Gary May 1
What Will You Focus On Tuesday After Clunkers Shuts Down? Start Inviting Your Customers In Again…

Imagine, if you can, that business becomes painfully slow. Sales, traffic, even service, is down anywhere from a little bit to 'oh-my-gosh-how-can-we-survive?' slow.  Then try really hard to imagine some gift-from-above program from an unannounced source drives a bunch of customers to your store for a few weeks.  Then…the program ends abruptly.  At the same time, consider that you expected the program to end at any time so you are not completely surprised by the news that the masked crusader and his money left town.

What will you do the next business day? How prepared you are, how well you communicate with prospects and customers alike, how creative you are and where you know your business comes from will dictate if Tuesday is satisfactorily busy or if it is just like another day before all the loads of Monopoly money arrived.

Most people we've heard from consider C.A.R.S. a blessing with all of the traffic and sales it generated, as well as a genuine pain in the butt.  Of course!  If you had the program to do for yourself, would you have done it any differently?  You absolutely would have.  So why are you going to be twiddling your thumbs come Tuesday?  What program you run is up to YOU, every day.

Now, that's not to say that you're going to be able to come up with $4,500 of "it'll get here someday" funds on nearly half of the deals you do next week or any other day.  However, it's entirely up to you how to drive people off of their scared little (and big) duffs and into your business.

It's not up to the factory, it's not up to the million-dollar advertisements, it's not up to the region or your 20-group and gosh-forbid it's definitely not up to the government.  Don't you want them out of your business…not in it?  What happens in your business, positive or negative, is up to you, your brand, your staff, your effort and your planning.

So when the here today-gone tomorrow spigot of funds is finally turned off by someone making a lot more than you with nicer benefits than you have and a pension you can't even dream about, get back into the habit of making your business happen.  Less business?  Get a bigger piece of a smaller pie!

Can't figure out how to make it work?  Ask someone for help or at least tell the receptionist that you're not "away from your desk all day" and that you'll start taking meetings again.  Business doesn't happen from thin air, it takes a lot of work and some good consistency.  And sometimes it takes outside ideas folks, as painful as that might sound to some 20-year plus veterans.

Besides, whether you call it natural selection, survival of the fittest or one of a myriad of other expressions that refer to 'business better then usual', it is always best when you're the master of your domain rather than waiting for the next shot in the arm.

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

August 20, 2009 by Gary May 1
A Season Of Events: Will It Be Boom Or Bust?

We're on the cusp again: in the next 90 days we're looking at events including DrivingSales Executive Summit, JD Power Internet Roundtable, Dealer summit, Synergy Sessions, Digital Dealer, Auto Training Events and more.  The more dealers that we hear from, the more we hear the same thing: "show me the beef!!".  What's the message?  Drive value for the industry, especially the dealers, or don't bother inviting me to the same old thing!

Today, more than ever, it's a "what have you done for me lately" world in retail.  Dealers need information, partners, cooperation, support and solid direction.  By the same token, dealers need to get off their duffs and start really using all of their tools.  Not buy more and do the same thing.  Dealerships that move forward will do so because they understand their market, their brand and their opportunities.  Not because a piece of software or the factory will just feed them customers all day long.

Our industry is filled with some great providers, vendors, consultants and leaders.  It's hard to know that when, for the most part, the same ones are featured redundantly wherever you look.  It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that, once you drop your two grand to spend a few days away from the dealership, a true learning and sharing experience is had.  Each session should be compelling for everyone attending and it should lead to change.

Here's a concept: event follow up.  If there's a session on social media and 250 people are in the room, everyone should have a follow up about 10 days later with a brief questionnaire, offer of assistance and a general "to keep on track" message.  Headed up a panel on mobile marketing?  Where's the text message thanking people in attendance a week after the event with a unique offer with a reminder of best practices?

And here's the hook: the speakers and promoter will do it for no additional fee.  Sorry overpaid (oops, nicely paid) folks, it's time to give back.  Without the dealers in business, it's hard to collect the "non-negotiable" $150-200 per hour.  Ready for another noble concept: the more customers we keep in business, the more customers we'll have.

SImply having a 'next event in the series' because you said you would is no justification for actually having one.  No doubt we all love to network, gallivant about with industry friends and colleagues over pricey dinners and drinks, hit some balls around on a course you don't get to do so normally and plenty of other arguments for the break from reality.

What changes dealership operations over a 60- to 90-day period is really what at stake.  Pushing the needle forward is an absolute necessity right now.  Speakers, vendors and organizers setting the bar, delivering on expectations and then making sure dealers can execute is the only realistic invitation to an industry starved for sales and results.

So will we be looking at one of these nicely-promoted events truly being a conduit for change or only a way from some folks to take home a profit (again) and some 'at a boy's?  The way that we've done things is not the road forward.  That's not the sole responsibility of the event promoters, but it would sure be nice if someone changed the channel…heck, how about changed a lot of minds…

A season of events: let's make sure that people take back more than photos…

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

August 14, 2009 by Gary May 0