My Internet Manager is Boring
By: Stephen Stauning
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I'd like to share a story about a couple of dealers I recently had the pleasure of meeting at a 20 Group I was addressing. Dealer A, we'll call him Alan from Alan's Toyota, was complaining about how his store's prospects seemed to only be interested in price and that they couldn't close more than six or seven percent of their Internet leads. Dealer B, we'll call him Bob from Bob's Toyota, was complaining that his Internet Manager hasn't put his dealership on Facebook or Twitter yet.
According to Bob, his 20-group buddy Alan was "rocking" on Facebook. Their Internet Manager was "ahead of the curve" and really had Alan's Toyota "poised for great things now and in the future." Bob also shared with me that his own Internet Manager was "boring."
When we reviewed Alan's Toyota online, sure enough, they had more than 300 Facebook fans and over 100 Twitter followers. Reading over some recent messages on Facebook revealed that Alan's Internet Manager was very busy creating clever content for those who had connected with his dealership.
What's Your Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream?
During the prior month, Alan's Toyota was actively engaged with their community online; even posting fun and interactive content like a poll on favorite ice cream flavors that had 15 responses, and another asking Facebook fans which color they preferred on the RAV4. While 6 of the 10 responses suggested colors not available on the 2010 model, everyone who contributed seemed to be enjoying the interaction.
Bob's Toyota had done nothing fun or interactive that month. They did, however, close 15 of every 100 email leads they received for a total of 68 units sold on just 455 leads. Alan's Toyota continued to be faced with "price-only" prospects and sold just 45 units on 712 email leads.
Boring is Good
It seems, Bob's boring Internet Manager made sure his department was properly staffed (they had five fulltime sales reps managing the 455 leads). Additionally, he ensured that his team was following a strict process and that they sent a compelling broadcast email to their entire prospect database. Alan's Internet team struggled with fickle prospects, continued turnover issues and a per-person unit sales total of just 9 compared to Bob's 13.6.
Boring, at least for today, is good. While it remains to be seen whether Alan's foray into Facebook will pay long-term dividends, it is clear that Bob's boring Internet Manager's focus on the basics is paying off today.
Call me shortsighted, but I'll take the basics over the unproven any day. The good news for Bob is that his team has built a great base from which to grow. Alan's Internet team, on the other hand, has an identity crisis and very little on which to build.
(In the interest of full disclosure: while the dealer examples above are real, the names and brands sold have been changed to protect one of the two dealerships from embarrassment and ridicule.)
This article originally appeared on Digital Dealer Magazine's Website.
Steve Stauning is the founder of pladoogle.com and a principal in the marketing services consulting firm Kain-Stauning. He is the former ecommerce director of the Asbury Automotive Group, and prior to that he spent several years overseeing the development of web-based products for automotive dealers at Dealer Specialties and Reynolds & Reynolds.
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