AutoSuccess addresses the specific, researched needs of new car and light truck dealerships by providing entrepreneurial, cutting-edge, solution-based editorials to increase dealership profits and reduce expenses AutoSuccess, magazine, sales, new, used, selling, salespeople, vehicle, dealer, dealership, leadership, marketing For similar content visit http://www.autosuccesssocial.com/

1. 2011
MAY

3. Advanced Registration Required
® Only $495
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Tune-Up Your Digital Marketing Strategy
We will be hosting regional PCG Pit Stop® events:
June 11 & 12 Chicago
July 9 & 10 Austin For additonal conference
July 16 & 17 Los Angeles dates visit:
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WWW.PCGPITSTOP.COM
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Agenda:
Sat 2:30 Registration Opens Sun 8:00 General Session
Sat 3:00 Exhibit Hall Opens Sun 8:30 - 12:00 Workshops
Sat 4:00 Technology Showcases Sun 12:00 Lunch with Keynote
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Sat 7:30 Dinner with Keynote Sun 5:00 General Session
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The PCG Pit Stop® Program includes workshops on:
Sell More With Social Marketing Improving CRM Processes
Lead Management in Your BDC Google Adwords ROI
Google Places Optimization Automotive SEO
Microsites and Landing Pages Fixed Operations Marketing
Mobile Websites and Apps Integrated Advertising Solutions
Implementing Dealer Chat Call Tracking and Monitoring
Questions call Carrie Hemphill at 732-450-8200 x2

6. THE #1 SALES-IMPROVEMENT MAGAZINE FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE PROFESSIONAL
AutoSuccess Magazine is published monthly at 3834 Taylorsville Rd., Building A, Ste. 1B Louisville, KY 40220; 502.588.3155, fax 502.588.3170. Direct all subscription and customer service inquiries to 877.818.6620 or info@autosuccessonline.com. Subscription rate is $69
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Susan Givens, Publisher Thomas Williams, VP & Creative Director Dave Davis, Editor & Creative Strategist Brian Ankney, Account Manager Susie Horne, Account Manager
John Warner, Sales-Improvement Strategist
sgivens1@autosuccessonline.com design@autosuccessonline.com ddavis@autosuccessonline.com super6@autosuccessonline.com shorne@autosuccessonline.com
jwarner@autosuccessonline.com
feature solution
leadership solution
marketing solution
sales & training solution
nosTaLgia: The new goLden nuggeT of sociaL Media
increase your MonThLy organic web Traffic froM
The MobiLe revoLuTion is bigger Than The inTerneT
if you work at a dealership – whether you’re the dealer principal or you’re a
Measuring conversion infLuence in auToMoTive
onLine negoTiaTion brings ouT The True buyers
generaTing The greaTesT iMpacT on your profiT
More changes at google in the Last 6 Months Than in the Last decade
recenT deveLopMenT iMpacTing deaLerships:
i have an inTerneT deparTMenT. now whaT?
and saLes in The shorTesT aMounT of TiMe
salesperson – There’s something important you need to Know
how using Third-party references can help you sell More
TsunaMi’s waKe Leaves chaLLenges
do you Know who you are hiring?
becoMing is beTTer Than wishing
why you are The brand, sTupid!
do noT de-brand your sTore
an interview with chadBaker & patHayes
“a cusToMer once ToLd Me...”
how to evaluate a screening solution
creaTe a river of Leads
saLes educaTion Today:
for The auTo business
adverTising channeLs
The reality vs. The ideal, part 2
2,500 To 25,000 visiTs
googLe’s +1
32
30
42
26
28
10
16
22
36
24
40
38
08
34
14
18
MattBaker
scottJoseph
TracyMyers
MarshBuice
MarkTewart
brianPasch
seanv.Bradley
genaeGirard
richardf.Libin
LonLeneve
shaneBoland
reeseSpivey
TroySpring
susanGivens
shelleyMcBride
richardWinch
12
0
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4

8. SusanGivens sales & training solution
The MobiLe revoLuTion is
bigger Than The inTerneT
It’s hard to ignore the numbers. Mobile always accessible. For this reason, consumers buy from their dealership. “We get a lot of
marketing is exploding into the mainstream at are using them to find product information, leads from our app for a fraction of the cost of
a much faster clip than even the dizzying pace comparisons, pricing and retailers who give Internet leads,” said Brian Benstock, co-owner
set by the Web’s emergence during the last them a reason to visit their dealership rather of Paragon Honda and Acura, the No. 1 Honda
decade. Globally today, more than one billion than the competition’s. and Acura dealer in the world.
people are accessing the Internet with some
sort of mobile device. Morgan Stanley projects The Internet fundamentally changed “Our mobile app is advertised on all of our
more than $119 billion in commerce will be how consumers bought vehicles and how newspaper ads, in our service department and
conducted over mobile devices by 2015 — dealers sold them. Now the mobile market it’s a great selling point for salespeople in
that’s only three and a half years from now. is the sequel that will have an even bigger the showroom. The app has generated a big
impact because of its rapid growth rate and increase in Website, Facebook and showroom
Currently, 93 percent of the 307 million accessibility to consumers everywhere they go. traffic,” said Mike Adler of Laurel BMW, one
people living in the U.S. have a mobile Last year alone there was a 32 percent increase of AutoNation’s 207 dealerships.
device. Of those, 40 percent are estimated to in mobile Web browsing and a whopping 90
have smartphones, mobile Internet devices or percent increase in mobile app users. “Industry Two apps that help customers shop and buy are
mobile-Web-enabled phones. Do the math: studies show approximately 17 percent of the Car Factor and Car Price Hero. Car Factor is
That’s an “addressable” audience of 122 U.S. mobile audience are ‘auto-intenders’ — the No. 1 most downloaded automotive app in
million users this very minute. As smartphones people who will buy a new car over the next the world and it has a four-star user rating, the
decrease in price and increase in functionality, six months. With 20 million auto-intenders in highest consumer rating of any auto app in the
many experts say the large majority of the mobile universe and one of three of them App Store. The app lets consumers build and
consumers will have smart phones within the using a mobile device at some point during compare vehicles, view reviews, get pricing
next 12 to 16 months. What is more impressive their vehicle search process, car dealers need and much more. A newly patented app, Car
is how often cell phones are used to research to capture this market,” said Sean Wolfington, Price Hero, also gives consumers the ability
and shop. Unlike computers, cell phones are owner of www.Tier10Marketing.com. to scan the bar code on a vehicle’s MSRP
sticker and get an instant guaranteed low price
To help put on every vehicle in the dealer’s inventory.
the world of “Dealers can advertise that they can provide
mobile users Instant Guaranteed Low Price quotes in 60
into perspective, seconds or less,” said Chad Collier, president
consider these facts: of Consumer Driven Solutions, the makers of
eBay has one sales the CarFactor and Car Price Hero app.
transaction via a
mobile device every The Car Price Hero app will be made available
second; mobile to the 60+ million Costco, AAA and Navy
users bought more Federal Credit Union members through their
than 72,000 burgers auto buying programs that sold more than
in 72 hours via 300,000 vehicles last year, more than any
Groupon mobile retailer in the world. “Affinity Auto Group
coupon apps. dealers who are participating in the Costco
Auto Program, AAA and Navy Federal will
While most dealers be able to participate in the national Car Price
do not have a plan Hero auto program using the Car Price Hero
to take advantage mobile application,” said Jeff Skeen, CEO
of this huge of Affinity Auto Group, the company who
opportunity, some manages the auto buying programs.
of the top dealers
are using mobile Dealers are also using iPad and mobile apps
marketing to attract, to help salespeople promote the dealership,
sell and retain vehicles, finance, accessories and service.
more customers for “Since most customers research online
a lot less money before visiting a dealership, they often
than traditional know more than most salespeople about
advertising. the vehicle they are considering, and this
knowledge gap can hurt a salesperson’s
Some dealers are credibility,” said Jim Hughes, co-founder of
using mobile apps IntellaCar. IntellaCar’s app helps salespeople
to make it easier quickly access product benefits that are
for customers to tailored to the customers’ hot buttons (safety,
08 autosuccessonline.com

9. performance, comfort, convenience, etc.), appointments and view specials,“ Adler added.
walk-around videos, pictures, videos about
the dealership, certified programs, leasing, It is imperative that the automotive industry quickly embraces mobile commerce. The rate at
finance products, accessories, introduction to which technology is affecting consumers and dealers is unprecedented. “A lot of dealers took a
service and more. ‘wait and see’ posture when the Internet first arrived, but it seems like they are reacting faster this
time around,” Wolfington said.
“When used properly in the sales process,
The writing is on the wall. Mobile marketing is huge. Consumers are eager for the next ‘”cool” app
these showroom apps help salespeople increase
and want to do business with dealers who get it. Dealers cannot afford to take their time getting up-
their closing ratios, average gross profits and
to-speed like they did with the Internet. Dealers must be ready with a clear mobile strategy that ties
CSI because they can answer questions quickly
into their existing marketing plan. The cell phone is certainly not a fad; it’s not going anywhere and
while also building value in the dealership
will only increase in time and reach. Don’t get left behind.
and the products they sell,” said Bruce Polkes,
Hughes’ partner at IntellaCar. Dealers are also Susan Givens is the publisher of AutoSuccess. She can be contacted at 877.818.6620, or by
giving service customers access to these apps e-mail at sgivens1@autosuccessonline.com.
on iPads in the service lounge where they can
view videos about additional services like car
detailing, dent removal and even new and used
vehicle specials.
Does your DETAIL DEPARTMENT
Hundreds of dealers are using mobile apps
look like this?
to retain and resell to their customers. After
buying or servicing their vehicle, customers
can get a free app that makes their ownership
experience more pleasant and provides a free
channel of communication from the dealer to
the consumer’s cell phone. Dealers give free
mobile apps to their customers that allow them
to schedule appointments, buy accessories, view
their owner’s manual, get roadside assistance,
find their vehicle in a crowded parking lot and
receive alerts when the parking meter expires
or when their kids are going beyond the speed
limit. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of
what mobile devices provide. All of these tools
improve the customer ownership experience,
It COULD look like this...
satisfaction and loyalty when the dealer uses the
app to deliver service reminders, recall notices,
lease-end tutorials, equity alerts and specials
that bring the customer in more often for
service, repeat sales and referrals.
“Customers love to use the CarFinder tool
to search for vehicles for their family and
friends on their phone because it is so easy
and cool,” said Garland Webb, co-owner of
www.DealerAppVantage.com, the maker of the
ownership and retention app that has the most
active users. Organize your Detail Department & Boost Productivity
“Dealers like AutoNation, Penske, Asbury, Sonic, DETAIL PLUS will provide you with increase productivity, reduce chemical
Hendrick, JM Lexus, Paragon Honda/Acura and everything you need to help improve & supply costs, reduce labor costs,
others are using the app as a referral tool because your Detail Department’s appearance, and improve work quality.
their customers can show off by building a car on
their cell and then connecting their friends with
DETAIL PLUS can Provide you with:
the dealer in seconds,” said Ed Louis, co-owner
of www.DealerAppVantage.com. • Consulting • Personnel Selection
Dealers are using apps like these to improve • Shop Design & Layout • Management Training
the customer experience and to create a channel • High-Tech Equipment • Technical Training
to communicate with their customers for free
anytime, anywhere. “We use free mobile texting Call us today for a No-Obligation Consultation
to our customers to say ‘happy birthday,’ invite
them to dealership events and to promote all our P.O. Box 20755 Portland, OR. 97294 Tel: 503.251.2955
profit centers,” Benstock said. Fax: 503.251.5975 email: detailplus@detailplus.com
TOLL FREE: 800.284.0123 WWW.DETAILPLUS.COM
“Customers love to use the app to make service
the #1 sales-improvement magazine for the automotive professional 09

10. MarshBuice leadership solution
becoMing is beTTer
Than wishing
Everyone has wishes — winning the mega successes and a string of failures, but you must gifts, you can change anything. “If you don’t
million dollar lottery, tossing a penny in the have an unshakeable belief that in the long run like how something is going for you, change
wishing well, even rubbing on Aladdin’s Lamp you will become what you are working for. it. If something isn’t enough, change it. If
and making three wishes. We have seen wishes There are four pillars to help you stay on track something doesn’t suit you; change it. If
come true when people from all walks of life toward your goal and help you become all you something doesn’t please you, change it. You
become instant millionaires. can be: don’t ever have to be the same after today. If
• becoming Takes Time you don’t like your present address, change
In today’s social world we watched the modern Grow into what you wish to become. Get the it — you’re not a tree,” reminds legendary
day rags-to-riches story of YouTube sensation microwave theology out of your mind and Jim Rohn. Become a lifetime student of your
Ted Williams go from homelessness to develop a mindset of an oven; it takes time YOU-niversty.
“heaven” in just a few short days. Ted held up to warm up and will work more efficiently
a sign on the side of the road that said he had once the desired temperature is reached. No Whatever you “wish” to “become” begins
a God-given talent. His voice is so smooth, it athlete made it to the hall of fame by his or now, not tomorrow. Leonardo da Vinci’s
would even make Don LaFontaine (the movie her name alone. It took hard work — pushing advice rings true 492 years later after his
trailer guy) blush with envy. Suddenly, every themselves to the limit, learning how to death: “Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water
company clamored in hopes of having his overcome failures and a long-term objective to loses its purity and in cold weather becomes
brass pipes promote their product. Like most become world class. frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of
people whose fortunes have changed instantly, the mind.” Choose not to walk around and
Ted’s heaven turned into his own personal • becoming requires you W.I.S.H. (“What If Something Happens?”)
hell, spiraling him from fame to family feuds, to be attractive I have news for you: It won’t. The Be-Back
to rehab; the weight of his past and present If you want to become befitting of success, you Fairy will not show up and sprinkle be-back
causing him to revert to his old, bad habits. must attract it. Remember success is reciprocal dust all over prospects with 700 credit scores,
Most lottery winners end up worse than before — attractiveness attracts success. The same nor will the Up-Bus crash in front of the
winning; a large percentage of them losing is true for negativity and defeat. You are what dealership ejecting disoriented, credit-worthy
everything and becoming bankrupt and even you think, eat, say and do. customers wishing to sign paperwork and
homeless in just a few short years. not negotiate. Instead, believe that what you
• becoming Takes discipline choose to be will come to you. To become
Long-term success is attributed to becoming You cannot get away from this one. This requires you to BeCOME:
who or what you desire to be instead of is the main reason why many people quit.
wishing which can have the life span of lit Motivational icon Zig Ziglar said, “Most be clear with what you want to achieve.
flash paper. Author Darren Hardy illustrates people fail in their dreams not from lack of
becoming with that of a thermostat. Set your ability, but from lack of commitment.” If own up to your decisions and tweak the
temperature as high as your expectations and you want to become a better parent, get out results good or bad — you don’t have to
your opportunities will adjust accordingly. An of debt, lose weight, be a master closer or a live with results.
oven doesn’t suddenly get hot, it takes time to better communicator, it requires you develop
heat up to the desired temperature; so too are a regimen in order to improve your skill Make a move. Don’t just sit there and
your successes. in that particular area. Think of discipline wish for something different.
as encompassing the very word; become
A wish is a want or desire without the legs a disciple in what you wish to become encourage yourself and others. Success
of action. It only takes a thought to create a (DISCIPLinE). comes by positive affirmation.
wish, but a wish can vanish if no action is
taken. Everyone has had a wish while taking a • becoming Takes responsibility
shower; it is the one who dries off and seizes You are accountable for what you become.
those opportunities of becoming his desires The economy, weather, your childhood or
Marsh Buice is the sales manager of Mark
who succeeds. Many find it difficult to become Martians on Mars have nothing to do with Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep. He can be
who or what they want because it takes a long- who you want to be. You are in complete contacted at 866.535.5006, or by e-mail
term perspective. There will be short-term control of you. When you recognize your at mbuice@autosuccessonline.com.
10 autosuccessonline.com

12. The Marc Heitz Auto Family boasts three locations in and around Oklahoma City, housing nine American-made brands
between rooftops — with their showcase being the group’s new Chevrolet store. Built completely “green” in 2008, the Chevy
dealership inventories more than 1,000 new and used vehicles. The Marc Heitz Auto Family prides itself on a loyal customer
following, community involvement and an incomparable team of professionals dedicated to customer service. We sat down
with General Manager Chad Baker and Internet Director Pat Hayes to reveal the strategy credited for creating the No. 1 Chevy
Dealer, the “Biggest Little Ford Dealer,” and the most customer-centric Cadillac Dealer in Oklahoma.
autosuccess: Tell us about the Marc heitz auto family; as: how many sales do you average per month?
what brands do you carry? cb: In March we sold just over 500 cars between all three locations, with
chad baker: Marc Heitz Auto is truly a story rooted in family. approximately 175 coming from online customers. That was a record for us.
Marc’s grandparents owned the Heitz Dairy Farm in Northeast
Norman and his father managed a Norman grocery store for 30 years. as: 35 percent internet sales is huge from an already
They taught him that the people in his community are a businessman’s impressive month. what do you attribute that to?
most valuable asset. He took those values as he first entered the cb: I would say it is a combination of hard work, good process and
automobile industry at 19 years old, where he learned at an early age superior technology. We have a centralized BDC that operates to
that satisfying customers and meeting their needs was the key to a inquire, check and follow through on our customer’s expectations, and
successful career. The Marc Heitz Auto Family was established just less that helps us every day.
than 10 years ago with three physical locations, serving nine lines of
vehicles; Chevrolet, Ford, Cadillac, GMC, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep as: how did you find the “right person” to run
and Ram Trucks. Marc continues to live in Norman, Oklahoma with his a bdc of this scale?
wife, Pamela and their four children. cb: Our BDC is run by Pat Hayes. It was a difficult process to find
the right person, even through a national search and a few hired
as: you have an amazing store at the chevy location; professionals. We found Pat in Virginia with a great foundation of BDC
give us a quick tour. knowledge and a tremendous track record of success. We recruited
cb: We designed this facility to not only sell vehicles, but to be a real him on the spot. He helped us narrow down our list of vendors
destination for our customers and employees. It was built based on a considerably and made some dramatic changes by replacing multiple
few simple principles: kids, pets, community and cars. From a distance, pieces of technology with one integrated platform. Putting those
it looms as a huge log cabin, exactly the motif I had in mind when we recommendations into action has reduced cost and increased revenue.
engaged our architect. It is friendly, rustic and compelling.
as: pat hayes, tell us about your experience;
As a pet lover myself, the Chevy store features two dog parks to engage where were you before coming to Marc heitz?
owners and keep them entertained while waiting for service. We also pat hayes: I’ve been in the car business for 11 years, first in sales and
have three playgrounds — one inside and two outside — for the rest of then in Internet sales. I had the opportunity to setup an Internet department/
the family and a 40-foot-tall waterfall feeds a 4,500 gallon fish tank in BDC for a smaller multi-store group, giving me my first chance to forge a
the middle of our showroom. Customers come in just to get a peek. BDC hybrid; combining the concepts of a centralized BDC with that of an
Internet department so that the sales staff would handle the customer from
We have several “green” features that we consider a big part of start to finish. It is the same system that I run today.
our commitment to the community. Designing and sustaining an
environmentally sound site is an important part of representing what is From there, I ran the Victory Automotive group, with 20+ locations that
possible when conducting business in the 21st century. The Marc Heitz annually grew between 10 to 15 percent using an adapted version of
Auto Family are pioneers in this area with power generated by windmill, this system. I made the move to the Heitz family in 2010, a personally
natural rainwater irrigation and solar glass efficiency, just to name a few. fulfilling endeavor. I am really excited about our progress to date. We
We are always working on leaving a smaller carbon footprint. face new challenges daily and are eager to solve them.
We host many community events, from dog costume contests, as: what differences have you found between the Marc
Jamba Sales and our annual Corvette shows, to bands playing in our heitz family and other groups?
amphitheatre. We love to serve and continue our role as an active ph: One of the most obvious things that differentiates Heitz from
member of our community. any other dealership is the state-of-the-art facility and the progressive,
productive environment. This place is an amazing destination store and
as: if you had to choose one thing that has contributed to provides an experience truly second to none. Our success is due to loyal
your success more than any other, what would that be? customers created by a unique culture, enhanced internal management
cb: Above all, it boils down to one thing: “Do the right thing all the and external marketing through technology.
time because it’s the right thing to do!” Our entire team approaches
each day with this mission statement. We strive to meet each of our as: so you made some changes in technology.
customer’s perceptions and expectations as our reality. Thanks to this Tell us about that.
philosophy, we have a high number of repeat customers. ph: One of my first challenges was finding a centralized BDC with

13. and inventory management to give our sales team a best in class total
solution. They provided all that and more. It seemed to be a very good
fit and, looking back, it was the right decision.
as: was it an easy change?
ph: Change is never easy, and this was a huge change! But the payoff
was well worth the effort. We’ve set records in sales from the Internet/
BDC team since we launched.
One of the most important aspects of the transition was our Websites.
We now have tools as part of the CRM and Website integration that
the capacity to cover nine brands at three locations. The existing CRM positively impact our day-to-day business and ROI. The immediate
would not allow me to manage a BDC to its full potential. To really result is the visibility I now have to a customer on my Website at
look across our stores, my team had to use multiple logins and screens. a granular level. We can see a customer step foot into our virtual
As you can imagine, the process was neither efficient nor effective showroom and know that they will never slip through the cracks
in our daily operations; two things that are tantamount to success. because their data is captured and follow up happens automatically.
Something had to change. With full integration, we can even evaluate our efforts to re-engage lost
customers and strategically tailor our plan to close sales.
We started the search for a new technology partner and a system that
would maximize my team’s productivity. We interviewed numerous This intuitive marketing applies not only to sales but also our service
vendors and saw a few things we liked, but in the end, it came down department. For example, we used to spend thousands of dollars with
to one company that could not only help us with the CRM but also various re-marketing companies sending out e-mails and print mailers.
consolidate the eight vendors we had into one integrated system that With live Website traffic analysis and reporting, we can now focus on
encompassed our BDC, CRM, ILM, Websites, inventory management, what works and truly calculate an ROI. Now we can e-mail market to the
service CRM and marketing efforts — no small task! customer and watch the actual clicks from the e-mail to our Website live.
My personal focus includes all customers, not just digital customers, as: That sounds very focused.
and that has presented another challenge in itself. The main change ph: We have found that we actually do a better job of marketing to our
we’ve implemented is the Hybrid BDC — allowing dedicated Internet customers than most of the “marketing companies.” We’re utilizing the
salespeople to be in place and ready to respond, helping to have the campaign functionality in our new system to generate, execute and then
customer and the main salesperson interacting together in real-time link sales and service marketing campaigns to our database.
and early on. This design builds trust immediately and satisfies the
customer’s demand to identify their salesperson during a sale. The If you really think about it, who knows our customers better than we
ability to maintain follow up sometimes gets put aside. This hybrid do? It’s just common sense that we are best able to market to them.
really succeeds in filling those unavoidable gaps. Our CRM is set to We have been able to decrease our advertising budget because we are
automatically queue the right ad campaign with an associated budget, much more precise in our message and we know what is working on an
then shows measurable results with no user interaction, leaving my busy almost real-time basis.
sales staff to focus on meeting the buyer’s expectations with face time.
as: have you seen an increase in website
as: it looks and sounds like your stores are up to date traffic and conversion?
with the newest and the best. how much of your process is ph: Our visitor count has doubled on our Websites in less than a year
technology based? and opportunities for both service and sales continue to grow. We are
ph: Technology is a critical component of everything we do; we very close to a 20 percent closing ratio — an objective we work towards
recognize and respect it as the cornerstone in growing a successful daily. Website visitors have increased from about 10,000 per month to
dealership. Because of this and our all-digital business and accounting now almost 20,000.
offices, we’ve had to solicit technology that would be simple yet
extremely versatile. Our new CRM provider helps us tremendously Live Website traffic monitoring with VinLens lets us study our
in this area due to their all-in-one software that can be accessed from customers’ behaviors, allowing us to better tailor our SEO and SEM
anywhere Internet access is available. budgets to be more precise in our marketing spend. We analyze which
pages track the most visits and which calls to action attract the most
In particular, all of our sales transactions run through this application; conversions. Using that data, we can revise the customers’ Website
from the time our customers meet us online through to the business office, experience based on what they want. This gives us a chance to
we have one unified platform that we utilize for all our sales, service and strategize and develop specials based off of what really resonates with
technology needs. Phone calls, e-mails, text messaging and more — our the customer. I can’t imagine speaking to a lead now without having this
new provider plays a vital role in every format we use to communicate information. Getting leads from third parties now seems cumbersome
with our customers in the 21st century. The moment data enters our and, quite simply, not as accurate.
radar, it all completely digital. We have the capacity to scan and create
complete digital signatures of everything we do and most importantly, our Another competitive advantage is the notification from our CRM when
customer’s records are protected with maximum security. lost customers revisit our Website. This, combined with the marked lost
sales process, gives us the opportunity to breathe new life into a whole
as: so you chose to partner with vinsolutions? group of customers that we may never have attempted before. It’s been
Tell me how you made that decision. a game changer.
ph: It was not an easy choice. I had heard good things and seen a few
For more information about Chad Baker, Pat Hayes or the Marc Heitz
articles in AutoSuccess so I decided to learn more about the company. Auto Family, visit www.MarcHeitz.com.
I made a detailed list — I called it my “wish list” — and went about
the process of asking questions of the VinSolutions team and dealers For more information about VinSolutions, contact the CSO, Sean
that were currently using them. I wanted a cloud-based system that was Stapleton. He can be contacted at 866.240.1996, or by e-mail at
also mobile compatible. I wanted to consolidate CRM with Website sstapleton@autosuccessonline.com.

14. RichardF.Libin leadership solution
saLes educaTion
Today:
PART 2
E
The reality vs. The ideal
When working in a challenging sales First they are educated in the classroom and
environment, as dealerships are finding given knowledge of the laws, cars, safety
themselves in today, an educated sales force is and other topics. Then they are taken into the
a must. When people were spending without a field with an instructor where the education
second thought in a hot economy, a lack of basic continues behind the wheel. Parents or other
skills could be overcome. These days, however, licensed drivers continue the education until ffective change
it’s critical. Last month, we began the discussion
of a manager’s role in this education process.
the student takes and passes a test. If a driver
forgets some of what they learned (aka, gets a
is not something you do
Today, let’s take a look at the concrete steps ticket), they are sent back to school. In some to people; it’s something
managers need to take to make this happen. states, every few years, drivers are required you do with them. Our
to take a new test based on new information job as managers is to
Education changes behavior by giving people and laws they should have learned, ensuring
the knowledge and skills they need to be that the education continues. help people win. If our
successful. It is a process that must be led by salespeople win, our
and participated in by managers. It cannot be Do sales managers follow the same format
done alone. Effective change is not something with their employees? Most do not. If
customers win, we win
you do to people; it’s something you do with anything, they have their teams memorize and the dealership wins.
them. Our job as managers is to help people a bunch of information the customer cares
many of the old ideas still work but are under-
win. If our salespeople win, our customers little about and tells them they are ready.
utilized. Education does not necessarily mean
win, we win and the dealership wins. When Managers must help their salespeople develop
finding something new — the latest trend. Start
everyone wins, management is an enjoyable an attainable projection of their goals, which
with and stick to the basics.
and profitable experience. becomes a roadmap guiding them to success.
This comes through well-planned and
Keep it relevant
Think about how students learn to drive. consistent education. Without this, it is like
If someone wants to work in construction,
telling a driver to
should you teach them how to paint a mural or
go to a specific
to build a wall? Authentic learning — learning
location simply
that is functional and meaningful — is most
by heading west.
likely to occur when the problem, issue or topic
Unless they have
is tied to the salesperson’s job responsibilities
a roadmap, they’ll
and goals. Include a series of experiences,
never arrive at the
conversations and activities that allow
destination.
salespeople to learn in the context of answering
the question, “Why is this relevant or important
get involved
for me in my job now and in the future?”
Managers must
actively participate
Make it practical
in their team’s
Education, above all else, needs to be practical.
education. They
If the content is not linked to the salesperson’s
should model
day-to-day tasks, the return on investment
behavior, observe,
will be low. It is important to thoroughly
coach and continue
understand the challenges that staff face and
to provide new
build an educational program to guide problem
information on a
solving and/or suggest solutions.
daily basis. They
have to involve
Done this way, education includes four distinct
their teams so they
elements: gaining knowledge, practicing or
understand the
applying the knowledge, integrating feedback
goals, and gain the
and coaching to enhance performance. Keep in
information and
mind, there is no future in any job; the future is
processes needed to
in the person who holds the job. By providing
attain them.
continuous opportunities for education —
not simply providing quick-fix training —
never stray
managers will reap the rewards of successful
from the basics
salespeople who cultivate loyal clientele.
Most businesses
don’t suffer from a
lack of new ideas. Richard F. Libin is president of APB-
They suffer because Automotive Profit Builders, Inc. He can be
they lack the contacted at 866.450.6853, or by e-mail at
understanding that rlibin@autosuccessonline.com.
14 autosuccessonline.com

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