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| As selected by Activengage |
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Delivering the WOW factor at your dealership has continued to become more difficult as dealerships continue to raise the bar. This post is a great idea starter.
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A true salesperson will figure out how to win 'lost' business the next time around. If you treat them like a customer, they may in fact become a customer in the future.
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Is Social Media the next big thing, just another lead generator or worse just a big waste of time? Keith Shetterly posted a great blog that will really get you thinking.
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| How-to’s by industry experts |
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 A Clean, Well-Maintained Car is Worth MoreKeeping your car clean will significantly help preserve its overall value and fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment, according to the Car Care Council. Polishing your vehicle once every six months and washing it once a week prevents the buildup of damaging chemicals and dirt that may harm the vehicle's finish. While cleaning a car is the most basic procedure in car care, it does deserve some thought. • The first step in cleaning the car is to wash it. Give it a good rinsing from top to bottom, including the wheels and inside the fenders. Always clean the tires and wheels before washing the body, and don't use the same mitt for both. • Use a good tire cleaner with a stiff brush, to improve your tires' appearance even if you don't have white sidewalls or white letter tires. • Next, clean the wheels with a wheel cleaner that removes the brake dust, which often blackens the front wheels. Application of these cleaners vary, so be sure and follow the directions on the container. • Now it's time to wash the body. Use a product sold specifically for automobiles. Starting at the top, wash one section at a time, thoroughly rinsing away the soap. Work your way down toward the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle. • To rinse, remove the spray nozzle from the hose. Starting at the top, let the water cascade down the surfaces of the vehicle. • To avoid water spotting, dry with a chamois or other product made for this purpose. • Now is an excellent time for waxing, which not only protects the finish but also makes subsequent washing easier. Once the surface is clean, apply the wax, following the manufacturer's instructions for application of the product.
A Clean Car is Cool! For more information, please visit www.carcare.org.
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INDUSTRY NEWS IN THE LAST 24
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 Tesla Bets on Electric Car's Future Tesla Motors puts itself on the Nasdaq trading board as TSLA, counting on huge interest from the American buying public in electric vehicles. A federal tax credit of $7,500 per vehicle will help allay buyer costs, but the Model S sedan, planned for 2012 launch, is expected to sell for $57,000. We wish them good luck! Detroit News, June 29, 2010
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 June Car Sales Remain Weak, Edmunds.com Forecasts Edmunds.com forecasts June SAAR's rate to be 11.2 million, down from 11.6 million in May, but a 16.6 percent increase from June, 2009 -- still an indication that the auto and economic recovery is slow but sure. June sales figures should be out by Friday. Edmunds Auto Observer, June 25, 2010
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Have you ever wondered just how to go about setting up an e-mail newsletter for your business? What vendor should you use? What's the sign-up process like? Do you have to be a technical genius to make the newsletter look good (and get people to read it)? Get answers to these questions, and more...
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Daily clicks to increasing dealer revenue & profits
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 NADAguides.com Offers 2010 Model Data Pricing and information for 2010 model vehicles is now available at NADAguides.com. Dealers can access info through the website. Pertinent information is updated daily, including wholesale, retail and asking price data, and is reflective of current and forecasted market conditions using advanced analytical tools and making it invaluable to dealers. Visit NADAguides.com for more information.
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 OPENLANE Expands North American OperationsOPENLANE announced today that it is expanding its footprint and capabilities in North America by adding new features to its online wholesale auction site in the U.S and by launching a new site in Canada ( OPENLANE.ca). Contact at Canadian email or U.S. email for more info. Enhancements include: • Completely redesigned Vehicle Detail site • Upgraded Search and Bid/Buy Confirmation pages • One-screen web-listing page
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| How-to’s by industry experts |
 Capture a Bigger Slice of the Accessories Pie
A 9-month IZMOCARS study reveals what buyers are thinking and how to market your products so that new-car purchasers will come to you for their accessories’ needs. How does a 500% gain in accessory revenue-per-vehicle sold sound to you? In these transitional economic times, when dealerships are relying more on the income coming from their parts and service departments, learn how you can cash in on dollars that are otherwise going to independent stores and online mail-order outlets. Click here or click on the image to learn how to take advantage of powerful, built-in marketing solutions!
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| auto dealer sales & marketing |
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 What is Your Social Media Policy?By Kim ClouseEvery dealership needs to have a clear and simple policy regarding social networks like Facebook or MySpace. The first step should be to call a meeting specifically to discuss the process and policy of the company. Make this meeting mandatory so that everyone clearly understands the process, policy and the consequences for breaking the rules. Do a bit of research online beforehand. Find a few examples of social network content, both positive and negative. Be ready to share it with the team to show them the potential damage this could cause for them personally and for the dealership. Start off on a positive note, make it fun, consider having lunch brought in, and ask team members what they are doing now on these sites. Keep them involved. Moderate the discussion and lead the theme towards some of the potential dangers. Now you can bring out the negative posts you found and distribute copies to the attendees. Follow- up meetings are needed to monitor progress. Make sure every new employee understands the program and ask them for ideas they may have too. Be sure to include the company e-commerce and social marketing review policy in your new-hire package. A business is not a democracy, but if you give people the responsibility and authority to be engaged in the process you will have a committed and loyal team. Kim Clouse, member of the the Executive Team of Carfolks and an industry trainer, consultant and mentor to some of the top performing dealerships in the South, can be reached at 205.300.8246. Click here to read this article in entirety.
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| bringing sales into service and service into sales |
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 Nissan Launches National Wholesale Parts Rewards Loyalty Program
Nissan North America (NNA) has launched a national wholesale parts loyalty program on behalf of its Nissan and Infiniti dealer networks. Designed to increase original equipment manufacturer (OEM) collision and mechanical parts sales, the "Rewards Loyalty" program allows independent body shops and repair facilities to earn points that can be redeemed for more than 3,000 premiums selected from an online catalog. Once Nissan and Infiniti dealers enroll in the Rewards Loyalty program, they select the wholesale mechanical program and collision repair network facilities they wish to include (participation is free for the shops). Shops receive a monthly Nissan/Infiniti Parts Reward email statement with their points balance, points activity and participating dealer promotions. Click here for more info on the program. For more info on Advantage visit www.advantageDS.com.
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| driving technology in and around the VEHICLE |
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 What Will Traffic Look Like 10 Years From Now?Future of the Car: The Urban Commute, 2020
Here are just a few technologies that will make future automotive adventures free of traffic jams, fender benders and fruitless hunts for parking spaces. You'll want to "read more... "Traffic Probes: Taking a cue from crowd-sourced navigation on GPS-equipped smartphones, networked cars will act as probes, delivering real-time traffic, weather and accident data. Sticky Lanes New satellites will allow cars to pinpoint their position within an inch. That “lane-specific” level of accuracy can help cars “snap to” a digitally mapped lane like a slot car on a track when a driver daydreams or falls asleep, even on the snow-covered or poorly marked roads that confuse today’s lane-departure cameras. Smart IntersectionsTwenty percent of all crash fatalities and 40 percent of accidents occur at intersections. Smart intersections will communicate with cars, beaming them visual and audio collision warnings, and even taking direct action to slow or stop vehicles and prevent offenders from running red lights entirely.
Parking Lots that TalkTomorrow’s networked cars and parking lots will tell each other when and where a spot opens up, saving drivers from wasting precious time and gas while circling the block. Drivers can beeline to open slots, or head to work and let the car park itself—and then call the car to come fetch them at day’s end.
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| how to make & keep your DEALERSHIP environmentally responsible |
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 Fill 'Er Up, Please -- With ElectricityThe electric car future path is strewn with challenges, not the least of which will be how to keep these vehicles charged up and running. Charging stations and equipment are the next big hurdle the U.S. government is attempting to address. Even the thought of running out of steam has coined a new phrase -- range anxiety. As one blogger writes: "How long will it take to "fill-up". I have an electric golf cart that takes several hours to recharge. If you are on the road, are you supposed to pull into the recharge station, hook up and wait for a few hours before you can proceed? Click here to get in on the discussion and then click on the image for a close-up look at EVs today!
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