Your CRM is One of Your Best Employees

Every dealer has a few great employees, but few dealers think of their CRM as one of them. Here are a few reasons you should feel otherwise:

1. Your CRM does exactly what you tell it to do. Deviation leads to defects and hinders timeliness. Your CRM doesn’t deviate. It says what you want it to say when you want it to say it, and it even knows who should receive the message through the media you choose.

2. Your CRM works 24/7. Your CRM is a dutiful soldier. It is ready anytime to receive that after-hours lead and respond. It can record those Sunday afternoon phone calls. In the middle of the night, it gets all your data cleaned up and synced with your DMS. It also sends broadcast e-mails, loads the letter queue and prepares prioritized daily work plans so your teams are organized and focused.

3. Your CRM can be in multiple places at once. When your CRM is integrated into your profit streams, it is covering all the points of contact. It can simultaneously handle walk-ins, phone ups, Internet leads, service lane traffic, the body shop, parts counters and the accessories store. It accepts data from all points concurrently. A good CRM unifies activities throughout the organization and can be a single looking glass into all areas of the dealership.

4. Your CRM is personable. It delivers a personalized message to an infinite number of customers at all the critical moments in the shopping process and ownership cycle. It reminds your customers when it’s time for service, asks for their feedback and thanks them for their business.

For more tips from Greg Wells, Partner, Kain Automotive Internet & BDC Training and Consulting, click here.  Greg can be reached at Greg@KainAutomotive.com.

Analysts: Fleet Sales Mask Low Demand
While fleet sales serve an important purpose for Detroit automakers, they could account for a good portion of June sales figures (expected out tomorrow), masking weak demand from retail customers. Still, June sales expected to be up 13 percent from June, 2009.
Detroit News, June 30, 2010

ALG Delves into Resale Implications of Mercury Discontinuation
Recent ALG Residual Value Report indicates that when a brand is cut from an automaker, it usually loses 2-3 points in the first year and 3-5 points in 36-month retention. In addition, macro-economic indicators are less favorable for Mercury than some other discontinued brands.
AutoRemarketing, June 30, 2010

US Auto Sales Seen Slowing with Recovery in Doubt
With June sales figures out today, George Pipas, top sales analyst for FoMoCo, says consumers are holding off on buying cars due to two main economic factors -- concern over employment growth and income growth -- which has its effect on all household spending in the U.S.
MSNBC.msn.com, June 30, 2010

Quality Survey Could be Toyota's Wake-up Call
It could be that Detroit efforts to improve quality are finally paying off. Detroit automakers are topping this year's Initial Quality Study conducted by J. D. Power and Associates. Of the Detroit automakers, Ford is the big winner.

Why Your Car Dealer May be a New-Fashioned Sexist
Dealers still prefer to sell cars to men rather than women. Men it seems are interested in the superficial and are more likely to return to the showroom quickly as they are easily bored with their cars. Women, on the other hand, shun style for more practical features.

iATN® Poll Reflects Optimism About Auto Repair Business
A survey conducted by the International Automotive Technicians' Network reveals most shops expect an increase in business for 2010. Just over 16% of the respondents expect a "dramatic" jump. Only 14% said there would be a decline.

AddOnAuto Helps Dealers Succeed

izmocars, a leading Internet business solutions provider for the auto retailing industry, studied 120+ dealerships that were using the company's AddOnAuto (AOA) in-store accessory solution with tremendous success -- seamlessly integrating accessories shopping and financing with the car purchase and eliminating need to carry excess inventory or contract 3rd-party reselles and installers. More info at www.izmocars.com.

Dealers: Access Inventory & Leads Outside the Store

The Liquid Motors Mobile Portal Service will allow dealers to access their inventory and their leads and lead generating activities in real-time away from the dealership. making access and lead response times greatly improved from any Internet-enabled mobile device -- offering new-found freedom off the lot. at auction, etc. Contact Liquid Motors for more info.

Fiserv Enhances Automotive LOS for Ease & Productivity

Fiserv, Inc, the leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, announces enhancements to the Automotive Loan Origination System (LOS) to provide lenders with improved functionality and help them better serve their customers. Simple, easy-access format, provides real-time access to key data throughout the entire funding process. For more information visit www.fiserv.com.

Understanding the Differences Between SEM and SEO
By Peter Martin

Two of the top buzz terms in today's business industry are Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). What are they and how can they make your company more successful? SEM is the broad term that describes all of the processes used to promote online marketing that increases your website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEM includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising, and Content Advertising. The question is which form of marketing under the broad spectrum of SEM is best for your company? Will PPC or SEO bring more success to your company? Let's take a look at both of them.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising. When you choose PPC, you create your ad and choose keywords related to your business. When a consumer searches on Google, your ad appears above or to the right of the organic (free) listings.  You are advertising directly to a specific audience who is already interested in you, and you don't pay to display your ad. You only pay when someone clicks on your link.

Search Engine Optimization is the process of getting your company's website at the top of the search engine results page. Because 95% of consumers never click to the second-page of results, it is imperative to achieve first-page placement in order to be successful. SEO is where the future of online marketing lies. Most companies are using this online marketing tool and recognizing it as the only tool to achieve optimal, first-page placement on Google.

SEO can make a difference for your company. If you're speculating about employing an expert in SEO, the sooner you do it, the better. A superior SEO firm can help improve and redesign an existing site or launch a brand-new site that is search engine-friendly from start to finish. Utilizing the key to online marketing—SEO—can be more web traffic, sales, and ROI for your company.

Peter Martin, President of Cactus Sky Communications, can be reached at 941-907-4132 or peter@cactusskyemail.com. Click here to read this article in its entirety.

Successful service departments typically earn high net profits  - the guideline is 20 percent - while providing a value that exceeds customer’s expectations, says Jim Bernardi of AutomotiveDealersNetwork. Achieving quality work is only half the battle. The other half is the customer's perception of the work and establishing fair but competitive prices for the work that will bring customers coming back again and again. Click here or click on the image to gain more information on tools you can use that will put your service department over the top!

Video Game Chips Help Drive Traffic Management
 
By embedding a "super" microprocessor from video games into our vehicles, research engineers could take traffic management to a whole new level of efficiency. Research will focus on integrating data ito the vehicle and onto roads to help drivers reduce accidents, reduce driver tension, road congestion and emissions related to stop-and-go traffic. Fascinating stuff! Increased computing power leads the way to a whole new frontier stretching from local to global transportation systems. Click here or click on the image for some interesting reading!

5 Simple Steps to Improved Gas Mileage

Being environmentally in tune doesn't have to include trading in your current vehicle for a hybrid or EV. Instead, you can help your customers keep their cars properly maintained for optimum performance. The Car Care Council has a 5-step program to help protect the environment and save money at the pump. Click here for a print-out of the council's program to help drivers "go green". And then click on the image for a few pointers on environmental awareness.