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The Step You Cut Out In 2009…Might Be You

Fact is, more often than not, when you cut corners in sales the one that is affected most is you.  It is also a fact of business life that we're replaceable, as I've experienced myself. Why is it then that most people don't typically go the extra mile, especially when it is so needed?

This is not to say that there are not plenty of go-getters out there. Today it is critically important to think about making the most of every opportunity, especially with fewer prospects and less marketing dollars. Here is a list of common mistakes when it comes to achieving sales success in a down market:

1. Customer assumptions (examples: won't qualify, didn't want the aftermarket wheels, etc)
2. Market assumptions (examples: should call prospects less, nobody will buy when stocks are down, etc)
3. Other assumptions (examples: every lead will be for the unit we don't have, every customer is a jack, etc)

Taking out critical steps and not following sounds processes is what leads to failure. It's not the lead, not the market, not the model and not the customer. Successful sales people always do more than it takes and live by process. Take the time to build for your success by taking every step necessary. Some ideas you may want to consider for a successful 2009:

1. Create a set of tasks that you achieve every day and make them habit
    Set 1: start of day list (nothing else gets done before this does)
    Set 2: process on every sale with a required sign off or completion checklist
    Set 3: accountability checks throughout the day (follow ups, contacts, management)
    Set 4: end of day list (prepare for the next sales day before you leave and have tasks written down)
2. State, write down and maintain goals
    A. Make them visible and be accountable to them daily, weekly and monthly
    B. Track so you're not surprised
    C. Have others challenge you and check on you (do this with those who are more successful)
3. Learn, learn, learn
    A. Pick up something new as often as possible, even daily (task, idea, expert advice, etc)
    B. Apply sound principals
    C. Check for success, if it's not working…drop it

If you can do at least the above items and don't cut out any steps, you'll not only likely be successful but chances are you'll have saved your own job. In working with dealers last year, at least one sales person at every client didn't know how to work their compensation backwards. In other words, they had no idea how to make the $5,000, $7,500, $10,000 a month they said they wanted to based on more than a simple desire and some idea of units. To top it off, they usually had very little to none of the steps above to guide them.

If you're ready to reinvest in yourself as well as reinvent yourself, the time is now, the reason is you, the purpose is to do what needs to be done and the end game is success.  If you don't want to be in sales, clearly don't want to work Internet
leads and have no desire to do anything but 'wait', you're definitely looking at one clear outcome.

Little steps lead to bigger ones. You learned that as a child and then lost it in the hustle-and-bustle of our world. Remember that walking is controlled falling, that's all. You can fall without failing. Do what it takes to do what you do better. Make 2009 a great year of successes…starting now. Go out there and be great!

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

January 2, 2009 by Gary May 0
Week At IM@CS: Chats With The Industry

With the year coming to a close, it was time for a bigger perspective break from our traditional focus on smaller companies. This is a look back a the bigger conduits that may not always have had the spotlight, considering the focus on the OEMs, economy and other reasons. IM@CS would like to give credit to the following:

HomeNet: If Jesse Biter and the team at HomeNet don't continue to impress, you're not looking. With everything else they're doing to make inventory 'that much better', they added their IOL community to the list of accomplishments. Then they polished off the year by getting Neal Gann on board…great work Jesse and the folks at HomeNet! http://www.homenetinc.com

DealerSocket: We continue to be impressed by their product, innovation and support. The industry is focussed on CRM now, but there has to be more than strong intent to help dealers succeed or put out a great campaign to solicit signups. Some of the smallest and largest dealers in the country rely on Jonathan Ord's company daily and they seem to be sold on the whole package and not an image, great stuff! http://www.dealersocket.com

Automotive Digest: Outside of the fact that their content has been finding its way into the inbox here for a long time, their content is relevant, compelling, easy to read and timely. Chuck Parker and the team of contributors and editors seem to focus on what dealers need most, especially in the online world. There a number of titles to satisfy nearly everyone on your holiday list!! Dealer Digest Daily is the IM@CS favorite. http://www.automotivedigest.com

We'll try to keep these updates weekly and ultimately have an area where you can get in touch with the vendors.

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

December 22, 2008 by Gary May 0
Don’t Worry About 2009…Unless You Have To

If there has ever been a time to realize the benefits of creating and executing on new strategies, it is the coming year. For those who went digital, got behind online completely, build their brand and reputation where the public actually spends their time, engaged their clientele via effective software and database activities, you will already have a great look into how your 2009 will sort out. Keep doing what you're doing and don't worry.

Now, if you haven't spent time assessing, looking at, determining and then executing your Interactive strategy, you have one decision with two options. And if you do opt for the 'stay in business' route, be prepared for a significant amount of technology this year, even simply from an integration standpoint. Things on the software, video, mobile and other aspects of marketing are going to accelerate.

Over the weekend, a number of conversations I was around included statements about newspapers, relevancy and readership, none of them positive. Separately, two people will be buying vehicles by March, their impressions already biased by sites they like. Others talked about past experiences being indicative of the future. Many people talked about making brand decisions based on the automotive industry coverage in the media, so I straightened those out at least. But overwhelmingly, people are using the web and not thinking about stepping foot in a dealership that is not in their specific scope of consideration.

Everything points to us having to do a better job attracting and connecting to our customer base online. It's winter, when is the last time you've had a banner ad on the local online traffic reports or weather updates on your local network news' website? Do you have links from local businesses' websites that have purchased vehicles from you? Even though we've focused a lot of attention on this lately: how many customers are providing online testimonials for you? (read: not many! Need ideas to get your customers to do that? here's one: ask them).

Your 2009 results will be based on what you are doing today and have been doing for the past few months. Those leads and customers are going to share their experience with others. The brand impressions people received months ago will undoubtedly affect who walks in your door tomorrow. There is no denying that your 2009 will be build on your ability to create a more significant presence in the areas where people consume media and data. Who's blogging, commenting and Twittering for you?

Challenge yourself to layout a plan for the first quarter that is web-based, create an environment of support throughout your entire store and get everyone to assist in deploying your new brand strategy. Get creative, become savvier, see yourself doing things that are not comfortable but will deliver results and ultimately take back ownership of your future.

There are a number of events that are dedicated to the Internet side of the business at the beginning of 2009. Commit to making those a part of your strategy and don't back out. Go the extra mile to figure out what you are going to do instead of being a victim of current circumstances.

Leave the worrying to others that don't take the time to invest in their future. Be confident in your direction and commitments. Spend your time and energy on things that deliver results rather than doubt. Thank you for reading this, now do something else online to further your business!

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

December 22, 2008 by Gary May 0
Live By Process or Die By Process: A Message To Management

Dealers/General Managers and General Sales Managers, this is where the accountability starts: You and Process. I've not yet entered a store where the Internet business excelled despite management (ok, for more than one month). Heading into 2009, you must understand all of the fundamentals, be able to speak to the critical points with ease, know your vendors along with holding them accountable and stay up on what's happening in your store as well as outside.

The opportunity to hide behind anything that keeps you from being engaged with your online identity, understanding what your (Internet) sales staff is doing, knowing how your leads are being handled and taking part in how you message all of your customers has to end. In order to lead, be able to influence your staff and hold meaningful conversations with your sales team you must:

    1. Embrace the web and your presence (likely for the same reasons you use the Internet)
    2. Immerse yourself in learning, reading and understanding technology and the tools
    3. Have complete transparency (logs, reports, analytics, vendor updates/meetings)
    4. Validate the use and effectiveness of the web in everything you do

Stores are managed top down, period. People have faith when their leadership does the things that matter, support and recognize them.  A few questions to ask yourselves:

   Do I:
    1. have a clearly understood web plan, marketing platform and the appropriate staff?
    2. read magazines, e-newsletters and industry information that informs and validates the efforts?
    3. take time to sit down with staff that handles my Internet business?
    4. clearly define goals that make sense and hold people accountable?
    5. support online efforts by staying in touch with both my staff and customers?
    6. know at all times what my online brand, messages and staff are doing to promote completely?

It is not enough to put up a website, buy leads, plug in a CRM and wait for customer to run in. Think like a customer, act like a customer, ask like a customer, shop yourself like a customer and task your staff like a customer. Then you must make sure that you have a viable process and support it. Not half way. Not three quarters of the way. All the way.

Failure is not an option when you understand, plan and execute. Process is a great thing that breeds results. Process also shows areas of failure, possible improvement and validates all of your efforts. Remember, you can have the latest and greatest of everything but it won't matter if you can't back it up.

Make it your goal to set all of these things in motion now so your 2009 is something to talk about. More customers will enter your store online now than will ever physically walk into your dealership. Make sure you are 100% confident that those people will see and experience exactly what you want them to. Then do it over and over again…oh, and change your website a bit regularly just in case they actually spend some time on it…

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

December 17, 2008 by Gary May 0
If You’re Living By Service…Don’t Die By Service

We don't touch on service much here…time for a little breather!

More dealers than ever are floating (or simply sinking slower) on the revenue from their service department. This trend should be supported with an overwhelming conviction to completely satisfy customers. The risk is just too large to lose clients both on the front and the back end of the store.

Things being what they are, it should come as no surprise that achieving such a goal is as far away as the next 20 walk-in customers. Equally as daunting, many service directors have had their budgets and discount capabilities slashed when exactly the opposite should be done. At the same time, it would be great to report that at least some budget has been thrown over to the web for marketing. But the jury that we could ask on that one was laid off.

Folks, don't kick the gift of traffic in the mouth! By the same token, don't give away the farm either. Instead live by balance, planning (yes, plan ahead, execute on the plan and don't change the ding-dang plan) and accountability. Make sure that your service marketing completely and clearly explains the benefits of servicing at your dealership, tangible perks (VIP club, fixed pricing or discounts, upgraded loaners, pick-up/drop-off, etc), guarantees and anything else that puts you up a level.

Get your customers to write up their positive experiences (and to offset the bad ones) on sites like DealerRater, CarFolks, MyDealerReport, Yelp, Google, etc. Provide maintenance clinics at your store (since you're already doing new owner events every one to three months, right?) to help your customers get more for their money and feature your parts and accessories. And then set up service scheduling on your site to make it easier for your customers (TimeHighway, XTime, UDC, MyCarPage).

This is not rocket science, it's customer sense. Over the past two days I've been told about two completely different examples related to service departments:

One via a friend in Michigan talking about his BMW. The service light came on, he called the dealership 30 miles away and the service writer informed him how to avert the visit (the 'fix' worked). He could have still had my friend drive to the dealership, get a complimentary inspection, spend time at the store with -insert a salesperson's name here-, and sent on his way with a $30+ charge. Instead they created a customer for life (with the exception that the service writer didn't get his email/text address, log the call in the CRM and create a GREAT follow up for the event).

The other you'll have to read for yourself here on Edmunds' Inside Line which is just plain astonishing.

Now is the time to go the extra mile, not cut off a few inches. There's nothing worse than stepping over a dollar to pick up a penny. Do what it takes to deliver the best experience everywhere in your dealership. And start with your next customer…

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

December 10, 2008 by Gary May 0
The Chicken Or The Egg? No…The Chicken AND The Egg

When you don't make one, someone makes one for you. If you make one too early, you may regret it.  It's the lifeline, the conduit, the facilitator and the support system making making things work: decisions. We are making decisions constantly in business. But are our decisions the right ones?

While this is not meant to second guess (or cause you to, slowing your business), this idea was put here to make you understand that decisions are based on options. Too often we hear expressions like "I had no decision" or "It's too hard to make a decision right now". If you are in business or your work for someone's business, it is your job to make decisions from a complete understanding of the options.

Now, not everyone has the time to completely research every option (I hear that from dealer principals and management regularly) and that is fair. But when opportunity knocks loudly and clearly, how you can not make a decision is one of the greatest mysteries in not just the auto industry, but any industry that is sales-related. No time to take meetings these days? Won't entertain vendors, sales reps and consultants? Watch the light at the end of the tunnel fade completely out.

When you lead, you get to take the advantage of time, less competition, more opportunity and other great benefits. There is also more risk but let's not forget why you're in business in the first place. Dealers that didn't ignore the Internet got a decent start.  Those who not only jumped on but got educated and leveraged web-based CRM, online marketing, SEO, SEM and other technology are, more often than not, reaping the benefits and mitigating their losses right now (unfortunately those who suffer from buy-it-and-dont-use-it-or-understand-it-itis don't qualify).

Now is the time to take the bull by the horns. Stop waiting, stop following. Start being part of the solution, the decision, the opportunity, the what's next! And guess what?

You get to have the chicken AND the egg…

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

December 5, 2008 by Gary May 0
A December To Remember? For A Lot Of Reasons

No matter how tightly or loosely your association with the automotive industry, this is a month of reckoning for so many reasons. But most are still in 'wait and see mode'. That just flat out can't be comfortable and it's not right, so why is it done?  If you'd had the proverbial crystal ball, what would you have done months ago (if not years)?

It is interesting to hear about some level of negative consumer sentiment or backlash about the Toyota 0% advertising. When was the last time the public's voice rallied against dealers communicating with them too much or trying to sell them cars they didn't want?

Not to rip off Lexus and their annual end-of-the-year ad blitz, but will this be a December to remember? Some stores are talking about a small lift in their traffic, some about people buying again and some are just happy to get clients responding via email. How do you keep the water flowing?

These are constants in what IM@CS teaches daily:

1. Put everything in the customers' terms
2. Ask questions
3. Validate the customer (while talking less)
4. Answer their questions and ask a new one (yes, keep the conversation going)
5. Demonstrate a real reason to buy
6. Promote value, advantages and benefits

Then ask yourself what your marketing says and remember that if you keep doing the same things, don't expect different results. In a meeting with a dealer service provider Tuesday, their entire (refreshing) approach was to understand their clients' needs better. Almost everything we talked about related to engagement. So…what are you doing every day to think about how you communicate and relate to your clients?

Don't pay more attention than your precious time allows to think about the economy, bailouts, cut backs, fewer units sales, etc. Nothing affects you more than the leads you're not responding to, the terse or lacking responses and messages you leave, the appointments you don't confirm and the time you don't spend learning how to do things better.

Find every reason to make this a December to remember for your own reasons, get out there and be great!

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

December 4, 2008 by Gary May 1
If My Ads Won’t Bring Them, Santa Will (and other misguided beliefs)

If the auto industry is living on one thing right now, it's hope. Not that hope isn't good, quite the opposite. But if your plan to drive traffic, sales and retention is based on the hope that people will see your ad, or that people will stop right off the freeway because your sign is there, please stop and think again.

Recently I was at a client, talking with a "non-Internet" salesperson. This person was complaining about the prospect of taking web leads since they were 'already responsible for about 600 orphans' in their system. Talk about kicking a gift horse in the mouth, but game on!

What you believe and what you perpetuate will, like it or not, manifest itself for you. Why is a person who contacts you via an email any less of a customer? Between 15 and 20% of Internet leads buy from the first store they contact. About 70% buy from a subsequent store. What are we doing or better yet not doing with our customers?

In a meeting last week, an OEM National Manager related a story about a neighbor of theirs. This person had submitted leads to all their area stores and was told by everyone that responded (not all did) that the request was for a vehicle that was not available in the entire region due to allocation not being built that way. Well, a dealer about 300 miles away got this person's next lead, found the car inbound to a dealer about 1,700 miles away, traded for it, shipped it in, the person flew in one way and drove their new car home (over 7 hours).

You could have the 'best' ads in the world (even online!), the 'best' inventory and even the 'best' facility, but you can't count on those to deliver customers (especially completely satisfied ones) to you…and neither will Santa (my sincere apologies to the jolly one).

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

December 1, 2008 by Gary May 0
Week At IM@CS: Chats With The Industry

Keeping up with the 'Joneses' in the industry is something that most people want to do, if not beat them. The issues are typically time, resources, knowledge and access. While I've been using many of the online resources for a while, it's not the case for the majority of our industry friends.  Also, there is a reluctance at different levels of the industry due to misunderstanding and ignorance.

Part of what IM@CS brings into clients is eliminating mistakes or the 'what not to do and why' as compared to simply telling people 'do this'. There are a few newer resources that address that in a great way, and they deserve plugs.

First and foremost, it is imperative to stay up-to-date with education from your vendors and use their products fully. Second, leverage the eNewsletters, webinars and events that are free to 'inexpensive' (defined by you or your dealership) run by companies including Automotive News, Cars.com, KBB, Automotive Digest, Ward's, Dealer Magazine and more.

Then you have access to sites that are community based and living on the real-life, day-to-day, cut-your-teeth edge in order to provide value where it's needed most.  Here's two that are prominent players and should be bookmarked:

AutomotiveDigitalMarketing – What can you say that hasn't been said about the prolific Ralph Paglia? Don't waste your time (sorry Ralph), just go to the website and immerse yourself in the groups, discussions, blog posts and more because these are the people (about 1,600) making it happen at retail every day. http://www.automotivedigitalmarketing.com*
*The fact that this post will end up on the site as well is not an additional endorsement and no, we're not being paid!

DrivingSales – Jared Hamilton started this site as a way to stay in touch with people he had taken NADA courses with. Still in beta (and a number of bugs to work out), this is another community that aims to be the knowledge base for folks starting and maintaining their digital presence, including vendor rankings, video interviews and more. http://www.drivingsales.com

Nothing is static about our industry anymore. Your success depends on accumulating an incredible wealth of knowledge, deciding how to move forward and then doing it. Both sites are testimonies that these communities must exist and are of significant value. And if you have an idea, comment and question, go ahead and get it out there. Chances are there's at least one other person that has the same.

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

November 23, 2008 by Gary May 2
Sharing The Pain, Silver Bullets And You

What is it that drives someone to perform? Along with the given family, friends, clients, bosses, partners and other tangibles and intangibles, it's simply that person's desire. Two things are clearly evident in the auto industry today: it's inextricably tied to the economy (if not one of the biggest drivers) and that companies reap what they sow, sometimes for an undeservedly long time. You can't change the economy but you can absolutely control what you do.

It's not rocket science to understand what separates a performer for an 'also ran'. While that may not be fair, it's reality. The winner always figures out a way to the desired result. They rise above circumstances and work on the cause side of the equation rather than the effect side. They also know that pointing a outward finger points three back at themselves.

Another wake-up call: even though the domestic auto manufacturers may not be building the most relevant cars in the world, the products sold by GM, Ford and Chrysler do not deserve the stigma attached to the cars from the 1980s until about 2000 or so today. If sentiment is the major indicator that it truly is, Detroit is still living the nightmare. In all fairness, however, I've seen more Traverse commercials in the past three months than I ever saw of 'Road To Redemption' ads.

What is it that continues to perpetuate that type of thought process today when products and services are truly better than ever? No one is impervious. Toyota is down around 50% over the past two months and layoffs there are eminent after the first of the year.

Sharing the pain is and will be one of the unfair realities (GM is holding incentive money from dealers for two weeks, which might bury more than a few stores) as is shortages of 'hot sellers' while your lot is filled with cars that don't move. And guess what…silver bullets just don't exist and likely never did.

So what can you do to change the perception of auto retail and service?  Quit letting the 'brands' dictate your actions and reactions. Build your own brand and reputation because people don't buy a Wrangler, Camry, Z, Malibu or Arnage from Jeep, Toyota, Nissan, Chevrolet or Bentley. They buy from you. Start staring at the front door less and start staring at your screen more (and then email and call more, too). Read what people are saying about you online and realize that's what everyone reads!

Start using the reports from your CRM, utilizing your analytics, update your website (including updating your staff photos that show people that are no longer there and not showing people that are), market your pre-owned inventory (you market it, not the third party sites), add video to your site, emails and follow ups, take more pictures of your happy customers at delivery, call a customer you haven't touched in 12 months…

Don't hold Honda or Subaru responsible for slow traffic and hold back
on expecting Mazda to deliver 24 more customers this month.  Think like, plan like, act like and then become a performer. You're the only thing between not having it happen and making it happen. Be more effective by doing above what is needed and you'll have everyone else thinking that your holster is loaded with silver bullets. Go on…be great!

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

November 21, 2008 by Gary May 0