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Interview with Marvin Grimm, VP and GM of RPM, Autobytel |
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VP and GM of RPM |
Autobytel |
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About Marvin Grimm: As Vice President and General Manager of Retention Performance Marketing (RPM®) Marvin Grimm oversees all aspects of product development and operations, and also manages and directs the sales force for Autobytel Inc.'s award-winning solution.
Grimm joined Autobytel in 2001 at the inception of the RPM program. During his tenure, RPM has become one of the fastest-growing products in Autobytel's history. He has helped secure relationships with major OEMs, including Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Infiniti, Toyota, KIA, Scion, and GM.
Grimm has also worked in sports marketing, handling promotions for major events such as the Super Bowl and World Series, and in software development.
About Autobytel: Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), a leading Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing, advertising, data and CRM products and programs. It's estimated that every 7.5 seconds an American car shopper requests a vehicle through Autobytel, which owns and operates the automotive websites - Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, Car.com, AutoSite.com, Autoahorros.com, and CarTV.com. This automotive research and buying network reaches millions of car shoppers each month as they make their vehicle buying decisions, generating billions of dollars in sales for dealers.
Contact Info: MarvinG@autobytel.com
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Ted: What’s happening to dealer customer retention and loyalty in today’s world of instant access to availability of vehicle information, prices, etc? How does Autobytel help dealers keep customers?
Grimm: Today’s consumers are constantly turning to the next big thing and customer loyalty does seem like a thing of the past. But it doesn’t have to be. While technology is partly responsible for the decline of brand loyalty, it also offers unparalleled opportunities for enhancing customer loyalty, and nowhere is this more evident than in today’s dealership.
Autobytel’s Retention Performance Marketing (RPM®) program helps dealers build customer loyalty through the fixed operations department. Customer segmentation is a key component of RPM, which means we help dealers get the right message to the right customer at the right time.
Ted: Would you tell our readers a bit about the tools and features that Autobytel’s RPM offers?
Grimm: The RPM system automates communication with new and returning customers through advanced customer segmentation and personalized communications that are delivered according to the customer’s preference, including email, phone, personalized Web pages or direct mail.
Personal Web pages are growing more and more popular because they provide the customer with the power to see information about their vehicle in real time including vehicle service history and maintenance schedules. The Web also gives dealers the power to target each customer with special service promotions.
RPM dealers also have access to powerful reporting tools allowing them to see which customers were solicited via promotions and when, as well as to quickly adjust to see who should be on the week’s service drive.
Ted: Give me a few words that describe your leadership style.
Grimm: Well, I know my style isn’t “lead with an iron fist.” I strive to make informed decisions, be they minor or major, based on research and listening to my team, account managers, and the dealer community.
I try to be a good listener above all. From listening to dealers about the system and their needs to listening to concerns among the RPM team.
Ted: How did you get started in this business?
Grimm: I have to give credit where credit is due: my wife! She submitted my resume for a sales position, and I began my current career path by calling dealers to try and set appointments for them to review and consider purchasing a customer retention system.
While doing that and listening to dealers it occurred to me that administering the customer retention program seemed like the real need, not simply providing the tool.
Ted: What keeps you up at night?
Grimm: I think about what’s next in the service industry and what our dealers need. It’s our job to keep innovating for dealers so they can remain competitive and keep customers happy.
Ted: What do you like to do when you're not working?
Grimm: I’m a big fan of Frisbee golf, and I’m always up for body surfing in Huntington Beach, California. Family time is the best – family, Frisbee golf AND body surfing, now that’s a great day!
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Tim Weaver, VP Marketing and New Product Development, Dealix Corporation |
Find out how many serious car buyers from the most popular and respected auto sites on the Web are in your market, instantly.
Try the Dealix On-Demand Lead Estimator
Serious car buyers from Yahoo Autos, MSN Autos, Edmunds, KBB, AOL Autos, NewCarTestDrive, IntelliChoice, Woman Motorist, AutoTrader, ConsumerGuide, IntelliPrice, ABC, plus 100’s more are in your market.
Click here to find out how many are in
your preferred sales territory. |
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FedFleet 2006 |
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June 20 - 22, 2006
Los Angeles Convention Center (Conference Site)
Westin Bonaventure Hotel (Host Hotel)
Los Angeles, CA
800-315-4333
www.fedfleet.org
Why you ought to attend FedFleet 2006
- Premier 2006 event for all entities concerned with federal motor vehicle fleets
- Sponsored by GSA Office of Policy, GSA Fleet Program, and Federal Fleet Policy Council
- Group represents federal, state, and local government agencies who coordinate policy for fleets
- See and hear Bob Lutz from GM -You will be charmed, informed honestly on what is really going on at GM, and you will have great stories to tell at the office when you get back home.
Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites
404 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, California 90071
Phone (213) 624-1000
Fax (213) 612-4800
Cool Downtown Hotel: Largest hotel in Los Angeles, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites offers access to the heart of the financial district. You can walk to the Convention Center, Staples Center, museums, shopping, and some very nice restaurants.
So What does FedFleet 2006 have to offer you?
Your Position: If you manage a fleet owned by a government agency or your company is focused on government fleet biz, you have to be in Los Angeles for 4 days and take it all in.
Your Head: Plenary sessions and 40 educational training sessions--plus just walking-talking to 50 or more companies in the exhibit hall will give you plenty of reasons to convince your agency boss that you need to attend and get current on what is going on with fed fleets.
Your Connections: You will have ample time to schmooze and network and get to Hollywood and Universal Studies, plus see the new downtown Los Angeles. Check out off-site activities at the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau web site at www.lacvb.com
Your Per Diem: Daily Per Diem Information for Los Angeles as of October 2005: Lodging $104.00 plus most meals
Who is going to be there for FedFleet 2006?
- Federal, State, Local Government Fleet Managers
- Local Vehicle Coordinators, Operations and Maintenance Managers
- Private Industry Partners interested in Federal Motor Vehicle Programs
- Vehicle Manufacturers
- Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Infrastructure Providers
- Management Information and Automated Systems Providers
- Procurement Officials
- Personal Property, Transportation and Travel Managers
To register: http://www.fedfleet.org or call the FedFleet help line at 1-800-315-4333 or send an email to help@fedfleet.org.
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Bert Boeckmann - Driving Force of Galpin Ford for 53 Years |
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Herbert (Bert) Boeckmann II has been the driving force of Galpin Ford for 53 of the 60 years the dealership has sold cars in the bustling San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles. Bert joined Galpin Ford at age 22 on August 19, 1953. Four years later, he was company general manager. Since joining Frank Galpin’s tiny Ford store in the mission town of San Fernando, Bert Boeckmann has made the dealership national Ford sales champion list for a dozen years in a row and become what many fellow dealers call a “dealer’s dealer.” He did this, says 76-year old Boeckmann, by creating a “Galpin Culture” among his 1,100 employees – 160 of whom are salespeople. Knowing the team is No. 1, in the face of what Boeckmann calls “horrific competition throughout the L.A. market,” stokes a desire to stay on top, he explains. Though Boeckmann owns the company and Frank Galpin is no longer alive, Bert says his “lack of ego” kept him from changing the company name. Besides, the Galpin name is well-known in the community, synonymous with deals that are straight forward and where word-of-mouth stays positive. Boeckmann says the company is unique in another way: It has not used prices in its new-car display ads for 15 years. Sons Beau and Brad are Galpin Motors vice-presidents, and the company has expanded into other parts of California, but the core campus in the valley thrives as headquarters of a Legend.
Boeckmann says: “We do things differently here on the Galpin campus – things that have boosted our customer satisfaction ratings to the very top. Besides that, we’re the Ford store for the stars. Jay Leno, Nicholas Cage bought Ford GTs from us, and Lee Iacocca dropped in for a visit last week.”
Management sound byte: “We have a motto: Do it right! Give your best! Help one another! Our mission is to maintain a standard of excellence unequaled in the automotive industry. Our governing principles center around integrity, continuous improvement and continuous commitment.”
Contact: Bert Boeckmann can be reached at Galpin Ford, 15505 Roscoe Blvd., North Hills, CA 91343 818-787-3800 at www.galpinford.com or at president@gogalpin.com.
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Fred Adcock Rejoins Nissan |
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Fred Adcock has rejoined Nissan North America as Atlantic Regional Sales Chief. He had previously been Executive Vice President in charge of sales, marketing and public relations at Subaru. The North Carolina native joined Subaru in 1988 as Regional Sales Operations Manager in the Atlantic region after stints in retail and wholesale at Ford Motor Co. and Nissan. A Nissan spokesman said he worked for the automaker in the 1980s in field sales in the Atlantic region.
www.nissanusa.com
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Laura Burkhart Joins Jumpstart |
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Jumpstart Automotive Media recently announced the appointment of Laura Burkhart to the newly created position of Director, Partner Management. In this new role Burkhart will work closely with Jumpstart's family of Web site publishers to create effective advertising programs for automotive marketers who are targeting car shoppers.
Burkhart brings more than 13 years marketing, sales, and account management experience to Jumpstart. Most recently, she served as Senior Account Director, Strategic Accounts at DoubleClick from 2005 to 2006 and before that she was Senior Account Director, Agency Vertical in DoubleClick’s New York, Chicago, and San Francisco offices from 1999 - 2005. Prior to DoubleClick she held marketing positions with KPMG. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, holds a B.S. in Business from University of the Pacific, and resides in Oakland, CA.
www.JumpstartAutomotiveMedia.com
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Asaf Farashuddin to Shape Strategy at Visteon |
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Visteon Corporation recently appointed Asaf Farashuddin as Vice President, Corporate Strategy. Farashuddin was most recently Executive Director and global leader of corporate strategy for Cummins Inc. Farashuddin will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mike Johnston and, as a member of Visteon's global leadership team, will be responsible for shaping corporate strategy and promoting the company's long- term growth.
Prior to Cummins, Farashuddin held a number of corporate strategy positions at Lucent Technologies, including Director of Strategy and Business Development for Lucent Worldwide Services, Director of Corporate Strategy for Lucent Inc, and Senior Manager of Mergers and Acquisitions for Lucent Asia Pacific in Hong Kong and China. Before joining Lucent he was a consultant with The Boston Consulting Group. He has also worked for Charles River Associates and Pacific Bell. Farashuddin holds a B.A. in Economics and Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College, an M.A. in Business Administration from Stanford University.
www.visteon.com
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Jeff Martin Moves Up at CENTRIX Financial |
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Jeff Martin has been named National Sales Manager, Credit Union Markets for CENTRIX. Martin joined CENTRIX in January 2004 and has led the company's credit union sales and relationship management regionally in the Western United States. In his new role he will manage the credit union business development team nationally.
Martin has 25 years experience in the financial services industry, joined CENTRIX in January 2004 and has led the company's credit union sales and relationship management regionally in the Western United States.
www.CENTRIXFinancial.com
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A.R. Sales, ADESA |
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ADESA Inc's Board of Directors recently appointed Angel Rodolfo (A. R.) Sales as President and Chief Operating Officer. Sales will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the ADESA Inc family of companies as the company continues its efforts to operate with a one-company focus and coordinate operations. He has been a member of ADESA Inc's Board of Directors since May 2004 and served on its audit committee and corporate governance and nominating committee. Sales will remain on the Board.
Sales was most recently Managing Director of Odyssey Corporate Finance, LLC, a corporate finance and strategy consulting firm. From 2002 to 2003, he was COO of Best Access Systems, Inc. He retired in 2001 from his position as President of Roll Coater, Inc. and Senior Vice President at ArvinMeritor, Inc, a global parts supplier to the automotive industry. From 1987 to 1990, he was Vice President and Treasurer of The Upjohn Company. He has a Bachelor's Degree and an MBA in Finance from Indiana University.
www.adesa.com
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Don Beyer Taking the Helm at AIADA |
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Don Beyer is being thrust into the chairmanship of the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA), as current Chairman Don Hicks steps down on June 1. Serving as chairman-elect, Beyer, 55, was scheduled to be at the helm in 2007. A multifranchise dealer in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, Beyer is a Democrat, relatively rare among dealers. An AIADA statement said Beyer will serve an abbreviated term until February 2007.
Don is a former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and has served the driving needs of motorists in Northern Virginia for more than 27 years. Don Beyer Volvo is currently ranked No. 1 in Volvo’s Central Region of more than 100 dealers, is the top pre-owned select Volvo dealership in the country and touts the nation’s best parts inventory.
www.aiadalists.org
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Honda Unveils Major Expansion Plans: |
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“One for the Road’ seeks each week to find, feature, and share a quote from a leading automotive executive that is really timely, insightful, and substantive.
"If you aim for where the Japanese are right now, and hope to get there in three years, the target is going to be long gone by then."
- Christopher Richter, auto analyst, CLSA Asia Pacific Markets
Sourced From: The Wall Street Journal, May 18, 2006
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