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| As selected by Activengage |
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Should you encourage or discourage your employees from using Social Media while at work in your dealership? The truth is that - when given direction and incentive - employees can serve as your best marketers! This is a great post about leveraging your employees' Facebook pages.
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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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The Good News: Selling Isn't Dead. The Bad News: Your Dealership May Be. Read on to learn why this is, and how to keep from becoming a victim.
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| How-to’s by industry experts |
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 Get Customers on the Lot Without Crossing the LineMany complaints and legal actions against auto dealers are the result of the way vehicles are advertised. According to a joint survey by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA), and North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI), the number one consumer complaint has been misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars. Many dealers run into trouble with their advertising when staff members or outside vendors are not aware of the countless federal and state laws that regulate advertising. Here are some practical tips on how to avoid advertising violations: • Never assume that advertising agencies or representatives know all the laws and regulations governing advertising compliance. • Be aware of all advertising that your staff participates in. • All advertising, whether printed, broadcast, internet or otherwise, should be in plain language, clear and conspicuous and non-deceptive. • Be sure that everyone understands that Bait & Switch is a commonly-cited advertising offense and must be avoided. • If you are not sure about an advertisement, you should have it reviewed by a qualified professional – it may end up costing quite a bit less than a legal action. • Be conservative in your advertising and understand that your intent is not relevant as far as the law is concerned.
Jim Radogna is President Dealer Compliance Consultants, Inc. and can be contact at info@dealercomplianceconsultants.com or 619-284-0240. Click here to read the entire blog.
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INDUSTRY NEWS IN THE LAST 24
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 Ford's Profit the Biggest in 12 Years A $2.6 billion profit for the 2nd quarter allows Ford to repay $7 billion of debt and cut interest by more than $470 million. CEO Alan Mulally sees weaker second half for 2010 as economy slows, but 2011 will be stronger. Detroit News, July 24, 2010
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 Mass. 'Right to Repair' Bill Could Cause Ripples in Auto Shop Market Dealers, unions, auto parts companies, repair shops and automakers are all on the same team to fight a bill passed in Mass. senate that requires disclosing all diagnostics and software provided to dealerships. Lobbyists are battling to defeat bill before final vote. Detroit News, July 25, 2010
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 Lexus Risks Ceding Decade-Long Lead to Mercedes, BMW A recent rash of recalls could lead to Daimler AG overtaking Toyota's status as maker of best-selling luxury brand this year for the first time in ten years, says truecar.com's Jesse Toprak, with cumulative effect to show up in the second half of 2010. Bloomberg.com, July 23, 2010
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Jerry has personally trained well over 10,000 dealership personnel during the last seven years. While visiting dealerships, Jerry will often get on the phone and start scheduling appointments with customers, thus earning him the nickname, "The Phone Ninja."
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Daily clicks to increasing dealer revenue & profits
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 OPENLANE iDEAL Open Seller Program Boosts Dealer to Dealer Sales OPENLANE, Inc, leading North America online auction company, continues its record-breaking sales year, with best ever U.S. open auction and Canadians sales. Recent expansion of OPENLANE’s "iDEAL Open Seller program" throughout Canada, providing dealers with the freshest online inventory available in a more efficient and timely manner, creating a significant boost in dealer-to-dealer sales. For more information visit OPENLANE or call 866.969.0321 or email dealer_info@openlane.com.
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 Autobytel is Exclusive Partner with NAMADAutobytel joins with NAMAD to help minority dealerships sell more cars, more cost-efficiently as exclusive third-party lead provider, "to help member dealers thrive in the digital economy,” said Autobytel President and CEO Jeff Coats. Programs include iControl; Autobytel’s pay-for-performance Used Car Program; lead treatments such as Rapid Response, Email Manager, and Custom Messaging, as well as Autobytel’s in-dealership Internet Process training. Visit NAMAD or Autobytel for more information.
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 Keeping Customers Cool Pays Off! OneCommand will help you host a service clinic to fuel significant increases in satisfaction, traffic and revenue! Hosting an A/C Clinic in your Service Department is just one example and a perfect way to help your customers stay cool while your sales and service business heats up! Last year, a PA dealer hosted an AC Clinic and generated 349 ROs for $64,000 in service revenue and 6 vehicle sales! Get your AC Clinic started today! Request more info or call 800.211.7614.
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| How-to’s by industry experts |
 Make the Most of Your in-House Warranty Administrator
You may discover he or she is one of the lowest paid and lowest trained employees in your entire dealership. Their job function is generally viewed as clerical in nature, but in a warranty audit, all eyes are upon this person -- responsible for between hundreds of thousands and millions of your dollars every month. From the manufacturer’s view, functional training for this person stopped about 10-15 years ago. So they are pretty much self-taught. In the final installment of a 3-part series on Warranty Compliance, the writer discusses the scope of the in-house Warranty Administrator. Click here or click on the image for some fascinating insight into what this administrator should, or should not, be doing!
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| auto dealer sales & marketing |
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 Cobalt Presents:
"Social Media in the Automotive Industry"
Cobalt's approach to social media is to focus on maximizing a dealer's return on investment by keeping the cost of participation low, leveraging social interactions proven to work in the automotive industry and providing metrics to objectively value its contribution to the dealer's business. This four-page look at the social media trend and how it is impacting the automotive industry focuses on the important elements in establishing a social media strategy and provides helpful guidance and tips. Sign up to download now. For more information, contact Ann Johnson of the Cobalt Group at 206-219-8260 or ajohsnon@cobalt.com.
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| bringing sales into service and service into sales |
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 Service Department -- Key Player on Your Team
There was a time when dealerships either felt the need, or were required by automakers, to revamp their showrooms and make them more presentable to potential customers. Well, now the same level of thinking has invaded the Service Department of dealerships as more and more of them begin to accept the fact that service department profits are no longer at the 'bottom' of the bottom line. Working on the design of your service department could be the most important thing you do this year! So click here or click on the image for a great article "Maximizing Technician Productivity and Service Department Profitability" (enter title in search line) by John Rylee to give your dealership a lift.
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| driving technology in and around the VEHICLE |
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 Avoidance Maneuver Technology Prevents Near-Miss For DriversTested Emergency Steer Assist makes stopping a cinch
Continental's Emergency Steer Assist (ESA) helps the driver avoid collision with a stationary object, and keeps the vehicle on the optimum trajectory during the avoidance maneuver. Without ESA, drivers would need about 30% more distance to avoid a collision.
The technology interacts with other technologies already available and on board some production vehicles, such as electronic stability control (ESC), electric power steering, electronic air suspension, and actively steered rear axles. The key to ESA, according to Bernd Hartmann, Chassis Systems Advanced Engineering manager in Continental's Chassis & Safety Division, is the integration of sensors. “The main breakthrough came with this idea to combine [existing] chassis systems with surrounding sensor systems to make it intelligent,” he said. “Everything that we’re doing depends on the surrounding sensor system.” Click here or click on the image to read more about this life-saving technology!
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| how to make & keep your DEALERSHIP environmentally responsible |
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 Carbon Fibre -- Electric Cars Will be Made Stronger and LighterCarbon fibre tends to be more costly than steel, or even aluminum, for now, but this material will prove to be a safer more durable material for electric cars of tomorrow. Carbon fibre is actually 30% lighter than aluminum and 50% lighter than steel, and it has proven to be extremely tear-resistant. So BMW will begin using it with its new plug-in electric car to be launched in 2013. The process is fascinating -- with the use of molds, heated and pressured to produce the contours. Even more fascinating, the whole process is completed in minutes -- all done by robots! Click here to learn more. Then click on the image for a first-hand look at the 2013 BMW carbon fibre EV.
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More Top 10 Blogs
