Archive for December, 2011
True Car and ZAG – Cyber Bandits or Good for the Business? Automotive Marketing
Posted by Ralph Paglia in Automotive Digital Marketing, Automotive Retail Management, Automotive Sales, Car Dealers, TrueCar - ZAG on December 29, 2011
True Car and ZAG – Cyber Bandits or Good for the Business?
Jim Ziegler Guidance: Ten Areas We Need to Concentrate on to Bring This Monster to It’s Knees…
1. Government investigation of ALL Data Aggregators taking consumer information from dealers’ DMS. Sadly enough, dealers who do business with TrueCar are exposed to liability charges. Cut off all access to unecessary data, no matter who takes it from the dealers DMS and make it illegal to “resell identifiable consumer data” and “transactional data”.
2. If anyone takes financial transactional data, they expose the dealer that allowed it to violations, especially if it is passed on to other vendors or shared.
3. Educate Consumers to what they’re doing with their information…
a. You buy a car from a dealer, do you really want your personal information, and maybe
even your financial information, passed along and sold and shared by “God knows who?”
b. These People Charge the Dealer $300 which the dealers have to build into the deal
c. Your Privacy and the Security of your Information could theoretically compromise your identity if you do business a company that takes data from the dealership.
4. Educate Investors and potential investors they could possibly be mislead if anyone is telling them this is a safe investment because of all of the dealers pushing back, associations pushing back, and government regulators in many states coming after TrueCar’s business model as NOT compliant, in some cases they’re saying it is Not Legal.
5. AMEX, USAA and all of their affiliates do not want the bad consumer relations this push back is creating with their members and customers.
6. Cancel your dealership’s Affilation with TrueCar. Tell people with certificates YOU don’t honor TrueCar and you feel the company is NOT reputable. Educate consumers as to perceived data exposure if they buy from a TrueCar dealer.
7. Make the dealers selling at huge losses take all of those deals. Big problem right now is too many Nissan Dealers and others are taking huge losers to get the factory money. The TrueCar reverse-auction business model will continually push those numbers down until the factory money is non-existent. Consumers need to hear from many dealers, “We don’t do TrueCar”
8. Keep calling your National and State Dealer Associations demanding they get involved and stay involved… No excuses.
9. Get the Manufacturers into the game. If GM, Ford, Toyota, and other majors change the rules about how we advertise and do business to protect the dealers, we can cut off their ability to set pricing. So keep it up at every dealer meeting. Call your Dealer Council Members and protest to your factory reps.
Tell the manufacturers, if they want showroom and facility improvements, we need the ability to make fair profits.
10. Tell everyone you know. Educate other dealers and industry people. Watch the Painter interviews…I believe this the first time a vendor has publicly announced they intend to bring down the dealers and hijack our business, taking our profits and starving us out with our own data. Painter has said manufacturers and dealers should bankrupt and he, in his God-like way” will control distribution.
When their Yahoo Deal kicks in we need to stand firm and “Just Say No” we don’t honor TrueCar deals.
via Automotive Digital Marketing Professional Community.
TrueCar Insider Information – Automotive Digital Marketing Professional Community
Posted by Ralph Paglia in Automotive Digital Marketing, Automotive Retail Management, Automotive Sales, Car Dealers, TrueCar - ZAG on December 17, 2011
It seems to me that the real problem that dealers should have with TrueCar/ZAG is not as much the disclosure of transaction prices in the now infamous bell shaped curve at TrueCar.com, but instead, the insidiousness of trying to predict who will buy a car from a dealer ANYWAYS and then charge that dealership $300 for a vehicle sale that TrueCar did not actually facilitate. I said to Scott Painter during our phone call that if he is successful in enrolling 10,000 dealers he will have in fact implemented a tax on every new vehicle sold for $300 that TrueCar collects. Three dealers in each geographic area that TrueCar defines, and the leads go to the dealer that would have been most likely to sell that car even if TrueCar was not involved… Paying for sales a dealership would have made anyways!!!
How Dealers United works – Automotive Dealership Cost Control
Posted by Ralph Paglia in Automotive Digital Marketing, Automotive Retail Management, Car Dealers, CRM, Email Marketing, eNewsletter, Social Marketing on December 13, 2011
When considering the Dealers United value proposition, there are at least two important points to identify and evaluate:
1. What is the problem being solved?
2. Who are the principals and can they be relied upon to deliver?
In the case of Dealers United, the problem the company seeks to solve is fairly easy to understand, it is simply one of economics and purchasing power… Large buying groups have the economic clout to drive lower costs, while individual businesses are relegated to serving the quest for higher gross margins by the supplier. Dealers United will give the single point and smaller privately owned groups the ability to access mega-group buying power.
So, the real question is really one of do you trust and have confidence in the leadership of Dealers United? I (for one) have dealt with Jesse Biter for several years and have found him to be smart, trustworthy and a man of good conscience with strong business ethics and a sense of morality that is based on simple “Right or Wrong” dynamics, rather than being guided by selfish reasons or greed. Do I trust Jesse Biter? Yes, I do…
In my professional opinion, there is no reason why every independently owned dealership and smaller dealer group in America should NOT join Dealers United, and many valid reasons why they should. Use the links provided to watch the Dealers United video…
Autobytel, Dealix, Edmunds, KBB – Automotive Digital Marketing Professional Community
Posted by Ralph Paglia in Automotive Digital Marketing, Automotive Retail Management, Automotive Sales, Car Dealers, CRM, Email Marketing on December 8, 2011
Dear Autobytel, Dealix, Edmunds, KBB
Jerry Thibeau – Early Monday morning I start receiving e-mails from third party lead providers thanking me for submitting my information. The e-mails were on the same vehicles I shopped on TrueCar. Coincidence, I think not! Now here is where it gets interesting, my data had been corrected to reflect my current e-mail, and my current phone number. I also started receiving phone calls from dealers. I am guessing my information could have been taken was from the DMS of the dealership where I last purchased my Infiniti. My questions to you, where did my lead originate from and how did you get my information?
The Probability of Accountability – Automotive CRM
Posted by Ralph Paglia in Automotive Digital Marketing, Automotive Retail Management, Automotive Sales, Car Dealers, CRM on December 5, 2011
The Probability of Accountability
Joe Webb “reveals” the hidden truth behind the BS that masquerades as a CRM installation in most USA based car dealerships… This article could have also been titled “The PROBLEM Of Accountability”. I can attest to the fact that what Joe observed is something I have seen on far too many occasions in dealerships I was assigned to visit for CRM installation purposes back when I worked for The Reynolds and Reynolds Company, but is also a painful reality of what we see up to this day. These sorts of false accountability systems were destructive 8 years ago, and remain destructive to this day.
The good news is that most BDC’s and slightly fewer Internet Sales Teams do not engage in such shenanigans because they do not have the luxury of putting their names on deals that they did not bring into the dealership (for the most part).
The bad news is that regardless of the systems you put in place, employees will usually figure out a way to game the system… For example, the nonsense I see of dealers blocking access to Facebook only results in the use of smartphones for this purpose and their employees bringing in their own laptops. In other words, technology does not prevent or provide accountability as much as it gives owners and managers a false sense of security that policies are being followed.
Use the link provided in order to read the actual article written by Joe Webb…
Playing Keep Away – Joe Webb Video
Posted by Ralph Paglia in Automotive Digital Marketing, Car Dealers, Humor, ZMOT on December 3, 2011
JOE WEBB VIDEO: Another funny and insight producing video vignette by Joe Webb that shines a light on one of the many ways digital marketing ignorant people in car dealerships chase away many thousands of dollars in gross profit and dozens of units sold each month… You gotta watch this clip! Use the links provided.
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Automotive Marketing Professional Community Blogs- How to Boost Your Recall Completion RateToday one of five vehicles on the road are under recall. This year alone there have been 46 million vehicle owners notified of a recall; seven million of which are not related to the Takata airbag issue. Recalls represent a significant revenue opportunity for dealership service departments. Whenever a customer comes in for a recall repair, there’s an oppor […]Scot Eisenfelder
- Hello, is It Me You’re Looking For?I frequently write about how, in my opinion, dealerships would be wise to expand their thinking and change attitudes towards recall customers … and not just recall customers, but all customers The customer experience is key to building customer loyalty, increasing referrals and securing repeat business. It is also one of a dealership’s most important diffe […]Chris Miller
- Don’t Miss Revenue Opportunities!!It is widely known that Service is the lifeblood of all dealerships and, in many cases, keeps dealerships financially in the black. With the inundation of service requests by consumers, largely due to the increasing amounts of recalls that we’ve seen in the last few years, service departments are finding it more difficult than ever to accommodate all of the […]Andy Church
- Can You Sell Cars On Facebook Marketplace?Since Facebook has exploded, businesses have all rushed to capture their audience’s attention and leverage the platform’s marketing potential. In the beginning, gaining business exposure on Facebook’s platform was relatively inexpensive. As Facebook continued to modify its algorithm to appease its users and better monetize the platform when it went public, F […]Todd Smith
- BLACK BOOK HISTORY ADJUSTED VALUATIONS NOW INTEGRATED INTO DIMONT’S CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT SYSTEMSVehicle Values With Historical Performance Can Greatly Increase Accuracy in Claims Adjustments Black Book, a division of Hearst that provides industry-leading used vehicle valuation and residual value forecast solutions, today announced its History-Adjusted Valuations (HAV) data and resources will be integrated into an interface with DIMONT, one of the lar […]Black Book
- August Auto Lease Prices Increase By Up To 54% On Several VehiclesSeveral Brands Increase Lease Prices by up to 54% on Vehicles of All Sizes as New Model-Year Units Enter Showroom; Interest Rate Hikes Take Effect Wantalease.com, the nation’s first online car lease marketplace for new lease deals, reports the latest update on new lease offerings for the month of August. Several automotive brands significantly raised prices […]John Sternal
- Happy customers grow your CSIIntuitively speaking, customer satisfaction and customer experience are the drivers of increased profitability at your dealership. Just think of it: if your customers are happy, they will bring you more business. In most cases, this is a fact, and car dealers often report to see the connection between the two parameters and the successful outcome. However, p […]Thomas F. Jung
- In Dealer Reviews, Women Rate Female Sales Consultants Higher Than Male ConsultantsDecrease the Gender Gap and Increase Revenue Changing Culture, Changing Tides Women are buying 45% of all vehicles at new car dealers today. Further, whether purchasing for herself or as part of a couple, this market segment retains 100% of the “veto power” at the dealership. Still, less than 1 in 10 front-line positions are held by women. Does it matter if […]Anne Fleming
- How to Manage the Aftermath of a Fatal AccidentAutomobile accidents are traumatic no matter how complicated they are. However, when someone is killed as a result of the accident, matters are more troubling for drivers and passengers of both vehicles as well as for surviving family and friends. If you have been involved in a fatal car accident, here are some steps that you should take to seek resolution. […]Rachelle Wilber
- Is the Pre-Qualification Game Losing You Sales?The sheer volume of leads many dealerships receive can be overwhelming. And, not only do they have to respond (hopefully quickly) to any new leads, they are also expected to follow up with those leads with a “buy or die” mentality. I can guarantee you that whoever is responsible for following up with leads can quickly be overwhelmed by their to-do list in th […]Brett Sutherlin
- The 3 Most Important Components of Your SEM StrategyFor all of its complexities, the core of a successful paid search campaign is simple: Create the right ad. Deliver it to the right person. Make sure it’s at the right time. You will quickly discover the details of the campaign — when you work with a strategic agency — through the use of other tools to understand local searches. By understanding what queries […]Dane Saville
- Reason to buy your car from at an automobile dealershipBuying a car is fun and exciting at the same time. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first one or the tenth, a new car gives you ripples especially when you get the one you have always dreamt of. However, you must choose wisely where you to buy your car. Most people do want to buy from a dealer. It is the most excellent option that comes with numerous bene […]Rahul Paul
- Automakers want to Make Your DIY and Independent Repairs IllegalThere was a time when a person could grab a toolbox and head out to the garage to handle everyday vehicle maintenance and repairs. As computers have largely overtaken management of components, even assessing the most basic issues requires the use of a sophisticated and expensive diagnostic equipment. Batteries are tucked away so deep into some vehicles that […]Ben Jansen
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- Values Remained Stable Last WeekWelcome to this week's edition of Black Book Market Insights, with in-depth analysis of used car and truck valuation trends and insights straight from the auction lanes. Click here to download the full report. This week’s Market Insights Report illustrates how three-year retention rates on Compact Cars have staged a remarkable turnaround in 2018 compare […]Black Book
- Three Merchandising Best Practices to Maximize Inventory TurnIn my last blog, I discussed how dealerships can lose significant profit by failing to merchandise vehicles efficiently. Simply put, you can’t sell something nobody knows you have. And, with thousands of competing vehicles available to car buyers online, a stock photo or “photo coming soon” placeholder just doesn’t cut it – it won’t get your inventory into c […]John Wingle
- Know the Rules before Driving Cars in SwitzerlandA large number of modern-day individuals, who have lately planned a vacation in Switzerland can indulge in a large number of amazing activities here. Starting from admiring the breathtaking natural surroundings to relishing a series of delectable dishes and enjoying varied exciting adventurous sports, the list of options simply does not seem to end. Many tou […]Rahul Paul
- The Nexus Between Stock Prices and Natural Disasters: Buy at Pre-Landfall Prices Get Windfall ProfitsI’m by no means a Wall Street Wiz. The stock market is booming right now, but it’s never been a viable option for me because I’ve never had any real interest in it. With that said, I did notice something that may actually be somewhat of a hedge against riskier investments no one has ever thought of...or maybe not. I’m not saying it’s a “sure” thing, but it m […]Kelly Kleinman
- 5 Ways to Optimize a Car Dealership WebsiteAs with any business in the 21st century, your website is the most important bridge between you and your customers. This is especially true if your business is a car dealership, given that a whopping 80% of customers looking for a new car start their search online. This means that for dealerships to succeed, a successful digital strategy is imperative. Since […]Roger Kalinowski
- Affinitiv Completes Acquisition of Caldwell & Kerr Enterprises to Create a Full-Service Automotive Marketing PlatformStrategic partnership enhances digital capabilities for combined customer base Chicago, IL- September 17, 2018- Affinitiv announced today the strategic acquisition of Caldwell & Kerr Enterprises. Affinitiv, an industry leading provider of customized, omni-channel owner retention programs and innovative service lane software solutions, will combine with C […]Scot Eisenfelder
- How to Boost Your Recall Completion Rate
