Why Are Dealers Not Completing Their Staff Pages With Photos?

This is just a short rant, but I see this all the time. If you go to a dealer's website, and look at the "Meet our Staff" page you might see something like this: A single name and phone number, and possibly an email address, with a big black silhouette where a photo should be. Sometimes there will be just a single person as a contact, sometimes you can see multiple black silhouettes filling the page. How have you not gotten around to adding a photos yet? My guess is that some dealers do not think that is important. I think this sets the stage...

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3 Ways Technology Drives Dealers to Succeed

I’ve worked with automotive manufacturers and dealers for more than 20 years, and the same challenges surface over and over again. Corporate teams struggle to successfully roll out new programs and initiatives across their network of highly dispersed dealerships. Dealers feel inundated with information from the corporate office, and lack the support and tools needed to succeed. And the field gets to play mediator, stuck in the middle of that strained OEM/dealer relationship. Last October, we stepped in to help one national auto brand solve these...

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Western Funding Launches New Program for Dealers

BY: Admin LAS VEGAS — Western Funding, a specialized automotive finance company focusing on subprime credit, has announced its Triple Pay program. With the launch of Triple Pay, dealers have the opportunity to build a portfolio of accounts that allows them to share in the profits of each deal made. The launch of this program allows dealers to build a bankable portfolio and receive three different types of payments on the same deal — upfront checks, near portfolio closing and back-end payment streams. In order for the dealer to get their...

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Selling Value vs Price

As a sales professional, please realize the difference in selling value vs price. If you are selling a value-based product against a price-based product, trying to compete on price is a recipe for an unfulfilling sales career. People who make purchasing decisions primarily on price will encourage a bidding situation between competitors. When selling value, you can avoid bidding situations by establishing your value proposition early in the sales appointment with a discovery question about their intentions: “Is the lowest investment your only...

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Edmunds study finds texting can be key for dealerships

By: Automotive News Text messaging with buyers can be a useful tool for dealerships, according to a new study from Edmunds.com. “Texting will by far be the most dominant mode of communication in the future,” said Edmunds President Seth Berkowitz. Edmunds acquired startup texting technology CarCode in October and now offers the service to dealers as a mobile app that facilitates texting between sales associates and potential customers....

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Annual Cost to Own a Vehicle Falls 2%, AAA Finds

ORLANDO, Fla. — Declines in gas prices and finance charges related to auto loans helped drive a nearly 2% decline in the annual cost to own and operate a vehicle, which, according to AAA’s 2015 Your Driving Costs report, came in at $8,698. This study examined the cost of fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, license and registration fees, taxes, depreciation and finance charges associated with driving a typical sedan 15,000 miles annually. The study noted that drivers can expect to spend 58 cents for each mile driven, or nearly $725 per month,...

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Chrysler to Offer Free College to Dealership Employees

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA US) will now offer employees of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT dealerships the opportunity to earn a college degree through Strayer University’s Degrees@Work program, developed in collaboration with the automaker. The new Degrees@Work program will enable employees of participating dealerships to earn no-cost college degrees and help FCA US dealerships attract top talent, improve the skills of existing employees and significantly increase employee retention, officials said. “Many of...

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Texas Dealers Could Face Fines Over CarGurus Business Practices

By Brittany-Marie Swanson AUSTIN, Texas —The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement Division issued a cease-and-desist letter to CarGurus and the Texas Automotive Dealers Association (TADA) last week, stating that it will take enforcement action against dealerships if the automotive shopping site does not revise its advertising practices within 30 days. At issue is the way CarGurus lists the prices of used vehicles on its website, including projected savings below market value and price drops. “… A savings claim or discount offer is...

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