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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet




December 2006                                          Effective Online Automotive Sales           VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                             Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet
CONTENTS                         The Intelligent Approach to Challenges Big and Small

Interview with Ralph             The Dealix Dealer Newsletter recently sat
Paglia of Courtesy               down with Ralph Paglia, CRM/e-business
Chevrolet                        director at Courtesy Chevrolet, consistently
Third Party Auto
                                 one of the top Chevrolet dealers in the
Sites: the Trusted               country. A well-known expert in online
Source for Online Car            automotive sales, Ralph shared so many best
Buyers                           practices with us that we decided to publish
                                 his advice over the course of two issues. In
Want to Sell More                this first installment, Ralph talks about
Cars More Efficiently?
                                 adapting to market trends and competing with
Ask Gilbert: Getting             the imports.
Buy-In from the GM
What Drives “Dealer
                                 Dealix Dealer Newsletter (DDN): Thanks
Satisfaction”?
                                 for taking the time to share some of your
                                 experience in online auto sales with our
The Annual “Bad                  readers, Ralph. According to a recent survey by Cobalt and RL Polk, 56% of new
Leads” List                      car leads wound up as sales; but only 8% of these sales took place at the
Metro Areas with the             dealership where the lead was first submitted. On top of this, 34% of these
Fastest Close Times              buyers wound up with a different model - and frequently a used car. In your
of Q3 2006                       opinion, why is this happening? What can dealers do to make that original sale?
Internet Training and
Industry Reminders
                                 Ralph Paglia (RP): At Courtesy Chevrolet, we handle over 5,000 leads per
                                 month, and we get those leads from a wide variety of resources - so we are
Previously in the                uniquely positioned to spot trends in the nature of these leads. What we’ve seen
Dealix Dealer                    is an evolving landscape of lead generating business models and strategies that
Newsletter                       have contributed to the “Fickle Prospect” syndrome.
View a Movie to See
How Dealix Can Help              My explanation of why so many leads wind up elsewhere is simple. Over the past
You Sell More Cars               10 years, shopping online for a car has become mainstream, and so many
                                 customers are submitting multiple leads to multiple dealers simply because it’s so
SUBSCRIBE                        easy to do. If a single customer submits five leads to five different dealers
                                 representing five different brands, then 80% of those dealerships will experience
                                 a perceived failure to close the sale. However, we still need to keep in mind that
                                 with Internet leads, the cost per sale is generally lower than with traditional
                                 advertising. Where before, we could assume that car buyers were viewing many
                                 different ads and different brands in newspaper ads, with Internet leads – we can
                                 actually measure that behavior. Consumers love choice.

                                 On the other hand, seeing new car leads ending up as used car sales is nothing
                                 new. It’s just that the explosion of Internet leads is making it much more visible.
                                 Those of us who grew up selling cars have long known the value of switching a
                                 new car buyer to a used car. “Switch to get rich!” we used to say - referring to


http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht (1 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:09 AM]
Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet

Subscribe to the Dealix          the greater gross potential on the sale of used vehicles.
Dealer Newsletter.
Enter your email                 Now let’s look at the question of lead defection to competing products. The
address in the box               number of cars sold each year in the US has been holding steady at around 17
below and we'll add
you to the list:
                                 million. With lead volume increasing at the same time, it’s inevitable that the rate
                                 at which dealers lose leads to other brands will increase.

                                 Don’t think my point is that dealers should be comfortable with high loss rates.
                                 But you have to look at the causes behind these rates and figure out where you
    Add        Remove            can have an impact. For example, at Courtesy Chevrolet we’ve recently modified
  Submit                         our lead management processes to acknowledge the reality that most leads wind
                                 up buying a different car from the one they initially said they wanted. We’re now
                                 following up with a second round of price quotes for certified pre-owned vehicles -
                                 quotes selected based on the lead’s original inquiry and any information collected
                                 by the Internet sales specialist.

                                 DDN: Given the huge array of choices buyers are presented with online, it’s easy
                                 to understand a certain amount of fickleness. But one thing we’ve learned in our
                                 research is that a dealer’s ability to connect with online buyers exerts a powerful
                                 influence over where and what they wind up buying.

                                 As a very successful dealer, you’ve no doubt developed some really effective
                                 ways to make this connection. This is probably all the more true, since you’re
                                 doing very well selling a domestic brand at a time when domestics are a tougher
                                 sell. What advice would you give to domestic dealers who are struggling to
                                 improve their Internet business?

                                 RP: At the risk of giving away the secret sauce, I’ll tell you that one of the most
                                 effective ways for domestic dealers to increase sales is to aggressively pursue
                                 buyers who are considering Asian brands and competing domestic brands. We
                                 take great pride in convincing Toyota and Nissan buyers to consider a Chevy. We
                                 use search engine marketing to target customers shopping for competing brands.
                                 We bid for keywords related to these brands, and we place our ads on sites
                                 devoted to these brands. Targeted campaigns of this kind can push Corolla
                                 buyers to consider a Cobalt, Sequoia buyers to consider a Tahoe, and so on.

                                 Something else we do that makes an enormous difference is using a “triage” lead
                                 management process. Instead of making random or round-robin assignments, we
                                 assign leads to a specific Internet sales specialist based on the leads’
                                 characteristics and that sales specialist’s historical strengths. Then we have a
                                 customer service representative in our BDC contact every unsold lead 72 hours
                                 after it comes in, in an attempt to get the customer to visit the dealership. Then,
                                 a third person follows up three days later, if there is still no appointment
                                 registered in our CRM system. Multiple interactions early in the process ensure
                                 that we win our fair share of deals with buyers who are deeper in the sales
                                 funnel. Involving additional people in those interactions serves as a safety net
                                 that keeps leads from slipping through the cracks.

                                 Dealers have to stay focused on a basic fact that’s part of everything we do at
                                 Courtesy Chevrolet: anytime you can replace randomness with a process that’s
                                 geared to a desired outcome, you have a greater opportunity to optimize sales
                                 results.


                                 We’ll continue our conversation with Ralph Paglia next month.


http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht (2 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:09 AM]
Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet

                                 [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Published by Dealix Corporation                                         Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer
Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved.                                                       Newsletter
The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members
and anyone who has expressed interest in our services.
To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the
subscription box appearing within the newsletter and
choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links
below.




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Effective Online Automotive Sales




December 2006                                   Effective Online Automotive Sales                VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

                                    NEWS

                                    Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet
                                    The Intelligent Approach to Challenges Big and Small

                                    The Dealix Dealer Newsletter recently
                                    sat down with Ralph Paglia, CRM/e-
                                    business director at Courtesy Chevrolet,
                                    consistently one of the top Chevrolet
                                    dealers in the country. A well-known
                                    expert in online automotive sales, Ralph
                                    shared so many best practices with us
                                    that we decided to publish his advice
                                    over the course of two issues. In this
                                    first installment, Ralph talks about
                                    adapting to market trends and
                                    competing with the imports.

                                    [FULL STORY]



                                    Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online
                                    Car Buyers
                                    Interview with KBB’s Manager of Automotive Partners Sherrell
INSIDE                              Kovach
Interview with Ralph
Paglia of Courtesy                  There’s no doubt about it: with the Internet, today’s car
Chevrolet                           buyers have a wealth of options at their finger tips. OEM
Third Party Auto Sites:             websites, dealership sites, and independent, third party auto
the Trusted Source for              sites all promise the quintessential “user experience” to entice
Online Car Buyers
                                    car buyers into their worlds. While having your own website
Want to Sell More Cars              has become a necessity for today’s dealerships, and no one is
More Efficiently?
                                    going to say no to subsidized leads from their OEM, the best
Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-
In from the GM
                                    third party auto sites continue to win the hearts of consumers
                                    as a “trusted source” for information - and a great source of
What Drives “Dealer
Satisfaction”?
                                    leads for dealers. We spoke with Kelley Blue Book’s manager
The Annual “Bad Leads”
                                    of automotive partners, Sherrell Kovach, who talked about
List                                why this is, and how premium third party auto sites continue
                                    to be on the cutting edge when it comes to consumer
                                    experience and lead generation.

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Effective Online Automotive Sales

Metro Areas with the
                                    [FULL STORY]
Fastest Close Times of
Q3 2006
Internet Training and
Industry Reminders                  Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently?
Previously in the Dealix            Check Out this Movie to See How You Can
Dealer Newsletter

View a Movie to See                                               What’s the remedy for the sales
How Dealix Can Help                                               challenges that dealers are
You Sell More Cars                                                facing today? Connecting with
SUBSCRIBE                                                         as many car buyers on the
Subscribe to the Dealix
                                                                  Internet as possible. Dealix
Dealer Newsletter. Enter                                          helps you do this by bringing
your email address in the
box below and we'll add
                                                                  you the Highest Quality Leads in
you to the list:                                                  the industry, Superior Service,
                                                                  and Dealer Control FeaturesSM.
                                                                  Now we have even more great
                                                                  ways to help you sell more
    Add        Remove
                                                                  vehicles more efficiently. Click
  Submit
                                                                  here to see a short movie
                                                                  on Dealix's award-winning New
ARCHIVE                                                           Car Leads Program, and learn
Effective Online                                                  more about the provider that
Automotive Sales                    dealers rated Highest in Overall Dealer Satisfaction in the
November 2006
                                    2006 J.D. Power and Associates Dealer Satisfaction with
Effective Online
Automotive Sales
                                    Online Buying Services StudySM. View the Flash movie.
October 2006
Effective Online
Automotive Sales
September 2006
                                    Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM
Effective Online                    How to Save Your Internet Leads & Your Department
Automotive Sales                    by Gilbert Chavez
August 2006
                                    Gilbert Chavez is Internet director
[MORE]                              for the Phil Long dealerships of
                                    Colorado, the largest privately-
       Visit us at:
                                    owned dealer group in that state.
 www.dealix.com                     Many dealers turn to Gilbert for
  to see how dealers                advice about their dealerships and
   rank the new car
     lead providers                 how to be successful with Internet
    and to get more                 sales. Gilbert frequently shares his
  success strategies
    from experts in                 responses with the Dealix Dealer Newsletter. Here's the latest.
   online auto sales.
                                    [FULL STORY]




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Effective Online Automotive Sales


                                    What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”?
                                    Interview with J.D. Power's Senior Analyst Min Cho

                                    In September, J.D. Power and Associates (JDPA) announced the results of its
                                    2006 Dealer Satisfaction with Online Buying Services StudySM, and in the
                                    October issue of the Dealix Dealer Newsletter, we spoke with former JDPA
                                    senior director Dennis Galbraith and senior analyst Min Cho to learn more
                                    about the study's findings. This month, we continued the conversation with
                                    Min Cho to gain a better understanding of the factors that make up “dealer
                                    satisfaction.”

                                    [FULL STORY]



                                    The Annual “Bad Leads” List
                                    Even with State-of-the-Art Scrubbing, the Jokers Keep Coming


                                    Since we first published our list of
                                    "bad lead names" in the Dealix
                                    Dealer Newsletter back in November
                                    2001, Dealix’s lead scrubbing
                                    technology has become more
                                    efficient, so our real people quality
                                    team rarely has to deal "up-front
                                    and personal" with questionable
                                    leads that come through our
                                    system. Yet, in keeping with
                                    tradition, our Dealix sales reps, and
                                    even some of our dealers, continue
                                    to send us bad lead names, or
                                    "leads that lead no where,"
                                    throughout the year. So, without
                                    further ado, here's the 2006 list of
                                    really bad leads - and no doubt, they're all in the market for a
                                    Dodge Viper.

                                    [FULL STORY]




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Effective Online Automotive Sales


                                    Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006
                                    Top Dealers Beating the Average by Weeks

                                    What are they putting in the water in these ten metro areas? Two weeks or
                                    less - that’s how quickly, on average, they’re closing their Internet leads. It’s
                                    the result of a combination of factors, no doubt, including strong leads, skilled
                                    salespeople, and finely-tuned sales processes.

                                    [FULL STORY]



                                    Internet Training and Industry Reminders
                                    Upcoming Workshops

                                    Cobalt's Breakfast of Champions Workshop Series -
                                    What to look forward to in 2007

                                    Click Full Story for details.
                                    [FULL STORY]



                                    Previously in the Dealix Dealer Newsletter
                                    November 2006

                                    "Owner Marketing” via Email Marketing

                                    Bergstrom Automotive: United When It Comes to the
                                    Internet

                                    Holding on to Slippery Leads

                                    Fine-Tune Your Online Used Car Business: Generation Y

                                    Vehicles Generating the Most Leads in Q3 2006


                                    October 2006

                                    Anderson Auto Group: High Sales in Rural Markets

                                    2006 J.D. Power and Associates Dealer Satisfaction with
                                    Online Buying Services StudySM

                                    10 Best Practices for Responding to Phone Leads

                                    Email or Phone? Don’t Let the Customer Decide

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Effective Online Automotive Sales



                                    Stop Internet Leads from Slipping Away

                                    The Value of Trade-Ins

                                    Dealers, Factories Spending Less on Print Ads, More
                                    Online

                                    Make the Customer Come to You

                                    Top Internet Teams of Q3 2006


Published by Dealix Corporation                                          Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix
Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights                                                    Dealer Newsletter
reserved.
The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members
and anyone who has expressed interest in our services.
To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the
subscription box appearing within the newsletter and
choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links
below.




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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet




December 2006                                          Effective Online Automotive Sales             VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                             Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet
CONTENTS                         The Intelligent Approach to Challenges Big and Small

Interview with Ralph             The Dealix Dealer Newsletter recently sat
Paglia of Courtesy               down with Ralph Paglia, CRM/e-business
Chevrolet                        director at Courtesy Chevrolet, consistently
Third Party Auto
                                 one of the top Chevrolet dealers in the
Sites: the Trusted               country. A well-known expert in online
Source for Online Car            automotive sales, Ralph shared so many best
Buyers                           practices with us that we decided to publish
                                 his advice over the course of two issues. In
Want to Sell More                this first installment, Ralph talks about
Cars More Efficiently?
                                 adapting to market trends and competing with
Ask Gilbert: Getting             the imports.
Buy-In from the GM
What Drives “Dealer
                                 Dealix Dealer Newsletter (DDN): Thanks
Satisfaction”?
                                 for taking the time to share some of your
                                 experience in online auto sales with our
The Annual “Bad                  readers, Ralph. According to a recent survey by Cobalt and RL Polk, 56% of new
Leads” List                      car leads wound up as sales; but only 8% of these sales took place at the
Metro Areas with the             dealership where the lead was first submitted. On top of this, 34% of these
Fastest Close Times              buyers wound up with a different model - and frequently a used car. In your
of Q3 2006                       opinion, why is this happening? What can dealers do to make that original sale?
Internet Training and
Industry Reminders
                                 Ralph Paglia (RP): At Courtesy Chevrolet, we handle over 5,000 leads per
                                 month, and we get those leads from a wide variety of resources - so we are
Previously in the                uniquely positioned to spot trends in the nature of these leads. What we’ve seen
Dealix Dealer                    is an evolving landscape of lead generating business models and strategies that
Newsletter                       have contributed to the “Fickle Prospect” syndrome.
View a Movie to See
How Dealix Can Help              My explanation of why so many leads wind up elsewhere is simple. Over the past
You Sell More Cars               10 years, shopping online for a car has become mainstream, and so many
                                 customers are submitting multiple leads to multiple dealers simply because it’s so
SUBSCRIBE                        easy to do. If a single customer submits five leads to five different dealers
                                 representing five different brands, then 80% of those dealerships will experience
                                 a perceived failure to close the sale. However, we still need to keep in mind that
                                 with Internet leads, the cost per sale is generally lower than with traditional
                                 advertising. Where before, we could assume that car buyers were viewing many
                                 different ads and different brands in newspaper ads, with Internet leads – we can
                                 actually measure that behavior. Consumers love choice.

                                 On the other hand, seeing new car leads ending up as used car sales is nothing
                                 new. It’s just that the explosion of Internet leads is making it much more visible.
                                 Those of us who grew up selling cars have long known the value of switching a
                                 new car buyer to a used car. “Switch to get rich!” we used to say - referring to


http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:13 AM]
Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet

Subscribe to the Dealix          the greater gross potential on the sale of used vehicles.
Dealer Newsletter.
Enter your email                 Now let’s look at the question of lead defection to competing products. The
address in the box               number of cars sold each year in the US has been holding steady at around 17
below and we'll add
you to the list:
                                 million. With lead volume increasing at the same time, it’s inevitable that the rate
                                 at which dealers lose leads to other brands will increase.

                                 Don’t think my point is that dealers should be comfortable with high loss rates.
                                 But you have to look at the causes behind these rates and figure out where you
    Add        Remove            can have an impact. For example, at Courtesy Chevrolet we’ve recently modified
  Submit                         our lead management processes to acknowledge the reality that most leads wind
                                 up buying a different car from the one they initially said they wanted. We’re now
                                 following up with a second round of price quotes for certified pre-owned vehicles -
                                 quotes selected based on the lead’s original inquiry and any information collected
                                 by the Internet sales specialist.

                                 DDN: Given the huge array of choices buyers are presented with online, it’s easy
                                 to understand a certain amount of fickleness. But one thing we’ve learned in our
                                 research is that a dealer’s ability to connect with online buyers exerts a powerful
                                 influence over where and what they wind up buying.

                                 As a very successful dealer, you’ve no doubt developed some really effective
                                 ways to make this connection. This is probably all the more true, since you’re
                                 doing very well selling a domestic brand at a time when domestics are a tougher
                                 sell. What advice would you give to domestic dealers who are struggling to
                                 improve their Internet business?

                                 RP: At the risk of giving away the secret sauce, I’ll tell you that one of the most
                                 effective ways for domestic dealers to increase sales is to aggressively pursue
                                 buyers who are considering Asian brands and competing domestic brands. We
                                 take great pride in convincing Toyota and Nissan buyers to consider a Chevy. We
                                 use search engine marketing to target customers shopping for competing brands.
                                 We bid for keywords related to these brands, and we place our ads on sites
                                 devoted to these brands. Targeted campaigns of this kind can push Corolla
                                 buyers to consider a Cobalt, Sequoia buyers to consider a Tahoe, and so on.

                                 Something else we do that makes an enormous difference is using a “triage” lead
                                 management process. Instead of making random or round-robin assignments, we
                                 assign leads to a specific Internet sales specialist based on the leads’
                                 characteristics and that sales specialist’s historical strengths. Then we have a
                                 customer service representative in our BDC contact every unsold lead 72 hours
                                 after it comes in, in an attempt to get the customer to visit the dealership. Then,
                                 a third person follows up three days later, if there is still no appointment
                                 registered in our CRM system. Multiple interactions early in the process ensure
                                 that we win our fair share of deals with buyers who are deeper in the sales
                                 funnel. Involving additional people in those interactions serves as a safety net
                                 that keeps leads from slipping through the cracks.

                                 Dealers have to stay focused on a basic fact that’s part of everything we do at
                                 Courtesy Chevrolet: anytime you can replace randomness with a process that’s
                                 geared to a desired outcome, you have a greater opportunity to optimize sales
                                 results.


                                 We’ll continue our conversation with Ralph Paglia next month.


http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:13 AM]
Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet

                                 [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Published by Dealix Corporation                                         Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer
Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved.                                                       Newsletter
The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members
and anyone who has expressed interest in our services.
To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the
subscription box appearing within the newsletter and
choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links
below.




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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers




December 2006                                          Effective Online Automotive Sales              VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                             Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car
CONTENTS                         Buyers
                                 Interview with KBB’s Manager of Automotive Partners Sherrell Kovach
Interview with Ralph
Paglia of Courtesy
Chevrolet                        There’s no doubt about it: with the Internet, today’s car buyers
Third Party Auto
                                 have a wealth of options at their finger tips. OEM websites,
Sites: the Trusted               dealership sites, and independent, third party auto sites all
Source for Online Car            promise the quintessential “user experience” to entice car buyers
Buyers
                                 into their worlds. While having your own website has become a
Want to Sell More                necessity for today’s dealerships, and no one is going to say no
Cars More Efficiently?
                                 to subsidized leads from their OEM, the best third party auto
Ask Gilbert: Getting
                                 sites continue to win the hearts of consumers as a “trusted
Buy-In from the GM
                                 source” for information - and a great source of leads for dealers.
What Drives “Dealer
Satisfaction”?
                                 We spoke with Kelley Blue Book’s manager of automotive
                                 partners, Sherrell Kovach, who talked about why this is, and how
The Annual “Bad
Leads” List                      premium third party auto sites continue to be on the cutting
Metro Areas with the
                                 edge when it comes to consumer experience and lead
Fastest Close Times              generation.
of Q3 2006
Internet Training and            Dealix Dealer Newsletter (DDN): Thanks for taking the time
Industry Reminders               to share your perspective on why third party auto sites are so
Previously in the                important for dealers, Sherrell. Why do you think consumers
Dealix Dealer
                                 choose third party auto sites, and do you see their role changing
Newsletter
                                 in the coming years, as dealerships continue to improve their
View a Movie to See
How Dealix Can Help
                                 own websites?
You Sell More Cars
                                 Sherrell Kovach (SK): Third party auto sites allow the
SUBSCRIBE
                                 consumer to receive unbiased information and education, not
                                 only about the car they are interested in, but others that may
                                 compare. Furthermore, a consumer is given the opportunity to
                                 choose a myriad of dealers either by name, distance, etc. to
                                 accommodate their needs. While this may bother dealers at first,
                                 the fact is that consumers love choice - just like they like to shop
                                 at auto rows or auto malls. And, choice attracts more car buyers.
                                 KBB averages 10-13 million unique visitors per month who are
                                 browsing new and used car value information – this is something


http://news.dealix.com/e_article000707708.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 4) [1/11/2007 9:34:15 AM]
Effective Online Automotive Sales: Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers

Subscribe to the Dealix          dealers want to tap into.
Dealer Newsletter.
Enter your email
address in the box               In order to keep car buyers coming back, third party sites need
below and we'll add
you to the list:
                                 to provide a superior consumer experience. For instance, we
                                 ensure that what consumers get is: 1 – intelligent and data-
                                 driven, with a fresh intuitive interface focused on usability, easy
                                 navigation, dynamic content, and the latest interactive Web
    Add         Remove           applications. These include virtual showrooms, product specs,
  Submit                         side-by-side comparisons, and third-party reviews. And, 2, we
                                 have a customer-centric focus. Effective Internet strategies that
                                 identify and convert consumers are not enough. This must be
                                 supported by a comprehensive approach to service the buyer
                                 throughout the customer life-cycle. Continually providing new
                                 products and services and acting as a resource helps to nourish
                                 the relationship, which ultimately keeps consumers coming back,
                                 and increases the performance of the site and brand.

                                 The other thing consumers like about third party sites is that
                                 they don’t feel a heavy pressure to buy, just the satisfaction in
                                 knowing that they, the consumer, have been helped through
                                 phase 1 of the car-buying experience and with any luck, phase 2
                                 will go as smoothly. And, because of this no hassle experience,
                                 sooner rather than later, they’ll find themselves driving home in
                                 their brand new car.

                                 More and more dealers will unavoidably shift to the Internet
                                 because of the efficiencies it provides, and because this is where
                                 the customers are. They need state-of-the art websites, and they
                                 also need leads from third party sites.


                                 DDN: How are third party auto sites, like KBB, able to generate
                                 such high quality, ready-to-buy leads?

                                 SK: In order to create a strong lead, it’s imperative to, not only
                                 be recognized as the “trusted resource,” but to create a feeling
                                 of comfort to the consumer, so there is no hesitation when
                                 they’re asked to provide their personal information. As well, you
                                 need to empower the consumer to do their own research and
                                 further define their own wants. Once a lead is submitted, it is
                                 imperative for both the third party site and the lead provider to
                                 “scrub” that lead – ensuring the information is genuine and
                                 accurate, and, most importantly, delivered to those dealers who
                                 are ready and willing to assist the consumer to their fullest

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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers

                                 capabilities.


                                 DDN: From the vantage point of KBB, what constitute a strong
                                 lead?

                                 SK: A strong lead, or a high quality lead, is submitted by an
                                 active in-shopper buyer. The shopper has made it far enough
                                 through the funnel to know what they want and where they are
                                 willing to go to buy it. The more specific a lead is, the higher the
                                 probability that it will close. But it’s up to the dealer to meet the
                                 challenge of satisfying their new customer and turning a great
                                 lead into a sale.


                                 DDN: How does a third party site like KBB measure its
                                 effectiveness?

                                 SK: There are a variety of ways to measure effectiveness and
                                 whether we’re meeting consumers’ needs. Surveys are the most
                                 common these days; and there is also consumer satisfaction
                                 indices, such a CSI scores, partner testing, and shared
                                 information with others in the industry. For example, we get
                                 feedback from Dealix that your dealers are closing their KBB
                                 leads. Plus, on an individual basis, through visitor feedback and
                                 simple word of mouth, we know we’re doing a good job.


                                 DDN: Dealers today know that Internet customers are better
                                 informed. Is this a blessing or a curse?

                                 SK: Oddly enough, I find these days that many consumers try to
                                 stump the sales person. I’m not quite sure if this is a negotiation
                                 tactic, but nonetheless, with the amount of information available
                                 on the Internet, it happens. So, it’s imperative for dealers to
                                 know all the “ins and outs” of the cars they sell. The dealerships
                                 I see flourish typically hold “walk-around” contests with their
                                 sales people every month so they’re fully prepared for the
                                 educated consumer. So, an informed customer can be a
                                 headache for a dealer who is unprepared; or, they can represent
                                 an easier sale to a dealer who is prepared, because they already
                                 know what they want.




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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers

                                 DDN: How does KBB describe its overall purpose? You serve
                                 dealers, you serve car buyers, and you provide pricing
                                 information. How do you sum up your mission?

                                 SK: Kelley Blue Book has been, is, and will continue to be the
                                 facilitator of the transaction. It only strengthens our brand and
                                 culture to understand all aspects of the industry, by working
                                 hand-in-hand with everyone from the OEMs, to dealers, to third
                                 party providers like Dealix. In the end, you have cars and
                                 dealers, and we have buyers. But first and foremost, we’re
                                 focused on benefiting the consumer.

                                 While revenue is vital, the consumer experience is essential. Our
                                 data, products, and services are received by an audience who
                                 trust the information via the source from which they are
                                 receiving it; not only as an educational tool, but as a purchasing
                                 tool. This is why Kelley Blue Book is the trusted resource.

                                 All said and done, it’s imperative to recognize and appreciate
                                 that the consumer is the backbone of all industries, and the
                                 automotive industry is no different. To confirm that a consumer
                                 has been well informed, been given the proper data, and has
                                 received a superior customer experience will not only lead to a
                                 smile, but that smile will undoubtedly lead to word-of-mouth
                                 endorsements - which is good-as-gold advertising to be passed
                                 on for years to come.
                                 [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Published by Dealix Corporation                                          Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer
Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved.                                                        Newsletter
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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently?




December 2006                                         Effective Online Automotive Sales              VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                            Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently?
CONTENTS                        Check Out this Movie to See How You Can

Interview with Ralph            What’s the remedy for the sales
Paglia of Courtesy
                                challenges that dealers are facing
Chevrolet
                                today? Connecting with as many car
Third Party Auto
Sites: the Trusted
                                buyers on the Internet as possible.
Source for Online Car           Dealix helps you do this by bringing
Buyers                          you the Highest Quality Leads in the
Want to Sell More               industry, Superior Service, and
Cars More Efficiently?
                                Dealer Control FeaturesSM. Now we
Ask Gilbert: Getting            have even more great ways to help
Buy-In from the GM
                                you sell more vehicles more
What Drives “Dealer
                                efficiently. Click here to see a short
Satisfaction”?
                                movie on Dealix's award-winning
The Annual “Bad
Leads” List                     New Car Leads Program, and learn
Metro Areas with the
                                more about the provider that dealers
Fastest Close Times             rated Highest in Overall Dealer
of Q3 2006                      Satisfaction in the 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Dealer
Internet Training and           Satisfaction with Online Buying Services StudySM. View the
Industry Reminders
                                Flash movie.
Previously in the
Dealix Dealer                   [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
Newsletter
View a Movie to See
How Dealix Can Help
You Sell More Cars

SUBSCRIBE




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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently?

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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM




December 2006                                         Effective Online Automotive Sales              VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                            Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM
CONTENTS                        How to Save Your Internet Leads & Your Department

Interview with Ralph            Gilbert Chavez is Internet director for
Paglia of Courtesy
                                the Phil Long dealerships of Colorado,
Chevrolet
                                the largest privately-owned dealer
Third Party Auto
Sites: the Trusted
                                group in that state. Many dealers
Source for Online Car           turn to Gilbert for advice about their
Buyers                          dealerships and how to be successful
Want to Sell More               with Internet sales, and he frequently
Cars More Efficiently?          shares his responses with the Dealix
Ask Gilbert: Getting            Dealer Newsletter. Here’s the latest:
Buy-In from the GM
What Drives “Dealer
Satisfaction”?
                                Dear Gilbert,
The Annual “Bad
Leads” List
                                I have been working in our Internet sales department for two
Metro Areas with the
Fastest Close Times
                                years, and have been director for six months. There was
of Q3 2006                      a revolving door of directors for quite some time. I was the top
Internet Training and           Internet sales rep for over a year, and they convinced me to
Industry Reminders              take the helm - after I turned them down a couple of times. To
Previously in the               be honest, I was reluctant at first because there is a hell of a lot
Dealix Dealer                   of work to do, there was high turnover, and I was concerned
Newsletter
                                about the level of support for what we wanted to do
View a Movie to See             from management.
How Dealix Can Help
You Sell More Cars
                                Now, I have two other Internet reps in my department. Our
SUBSCRIBE                       numbers have been respectable since I took over. The problem
                                is - our owner, who is also the GM, has ordered me to cancel all
                                my third party leads. Our return on these leads has been good.
                                My total cost was $500 for one lead source, and we averaged
                                $2,500 gross. I do better with the leads from my dealership's
                                website and our factory leads, but I’ve found that having a
                                varied diet of as many good leads as we can get is the key to
                                more sales. But, our store sales across the board have been
                                down for both new and used. However, my GM has not slowed
                                down his print, radio, or TV spend. He goes way back with his

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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM

Subscribe to the Dealix         newspaper rep, and, really, I think he keeps these things more
Dealer Newsletter.
Enter your email                out of fear and habit than anything. I seriously do not want to
address in the box              lay off my team. What can I do to save my department and
below and we'll add
you to the list:                convince our GM that the Internet is the wrong place to cut our
                                ad budget?

                                Thanks,
    Add        Remove
  Submit                        Down, But Not Out


                                Dear Down,

                                When times get tough, people tend to stick with methods they’re
                                comfortable with. Your boss sounds a little like Charlie Brown’s
                                friend Linus with his security blanket, or a dateless person at
                                home alone on a Saturday night, eating a tub of ice cream. The
                                blanket isn’t going to protect Linus, the ice cream won’t help a
                                lonely person get a date (probably just the opposite), and
                                traditional advertising isn’t going to fix your dealership’s slow
                                sales. Your GM would resist cutting back under the best of
                                circumstances. He’s going to resist even more in the current
                                situation because traditional advertising is familiar and
                                comforting. It’s the only way he knows to bring people into the
                                showroom.

                                You’re facing an uphill battle, my friend. You’re going to need a
                                solid plan to win this fight and may have to pull a Beastie Boys:
                                “You gotta fight for your right to party!” Before you begin, look
                                at it from your GM’s perspective. Business is slow, and he has to
                                cut costs somewhere. In his mind, the Internet is the easiest
                                place to do it – it’s still seems new and experimental. Other
                                managers may be pushing him to advertise more in their
                                departments, and they may be pulling him away from the
                                Internet to protect their own budgets.

                                I have always said the greatest thing about Internet sales is
                                that it's measurable - and the worst thing about Internet sales is
                                that it's measurable. In other words, you can’t hide poor
                                performance. On the other side of the coin, traditional media is
                                often difficult, if not impossible, to measure the true ROI on.

                                When you sit down with your boss, lay it all out in dollars and
                                cents: what you’re paying for leads, and what this outlay is

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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM

                                bringing in. Remind him that this is incremental business -
                                business your dealership wouldn’t otherwise get – and might lose
                                to competitors who are being more progressive. Show him that
                                you can look at your budget with a cold eye: compare the ROI
                                you’re getting from different providers and offer to ax any that
                                consistently don’t cut the mustard - just like Britney cut off K-
                                Fed!

                                And don’t stop at past performance. Ask him for 90 days to
                                prove that your team’s sales process works so well that third
                                party leads are a no-brainer. Get that commitment and then
                                really crank it. If there are any kinks in the process, this is the
                                time to iron them out. Your team should be especially
                                cooperative, given that the department’s existence may be on
                                the line.

                                Car guys might not like to admit it, but we like being “closed.”
                                Your GM is a salesperson at heart, and he’ll appreciate the effort
                                you put into closing him. So, find your common ground, present
                                the features and benefits, build value, and go for the close!
                                Remember, most sales are won or lost in the first five minutes,
                                so make it good right from Jump Street!

                                Good luck and good selling,

                                Gilbert
                                [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Published by Dealix Corporation                                        Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer
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Effective Online Automotive Sales: What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”?




December 2006                                          Effective Online Automotive Sales             VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                             What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”?
CONTENTS                         Interview with J.D. Power's Senior Analyst Min Cho

Interview with Ralph             In September, J.D. Power and
Paglia of Courtesy               Associates (JDPA) announced
Chevrolet                        the results of its 2006 Dealer
Third Party Auto
                                 Satisfaction with Online Buying
Sites: the Trusted               Services StudySM, and in the
Source for Online Car            October issue of the Dealix
Buyers                           Dealer Newsletter, we spoke
                                 with former JDPA senior
Want to Sell More
                                 director Dennis Galbraith and
Cars More Efficiently?
                                 senior analyst Min Cho to learn
Ask Gilbert: Getting             more about the study's
Buy-In from the GM               findings. This month, we
What Drives “Dealer              continued the conversation
Satisfaction”?                   with Min Cho to gain a better
                                 understanding of the factors
The Annual “Bad                  that make up “dealer
Leads” List
                                 satisfaction.”
Metro Areas with the
Fastest Close Times              Dealix Dealer Newsletter
of Q3 2006                       (DDN): Thanks, Min, for
Internet Training and
                                 taking the time to speak with
Industry Reminders               us. To get us started, can you
                                 remind our readers of the main
Previously in the                areas of dealer satisfaction
Dealix Dealer                    that were explored by the survey? How did you determine the relative
Newsletter                       importance of these areas?
View a Movie to See
How Dealix Can Help              Min Cho (MC): The survey measured dealer satisfaction in four key areas:
You Sell More Cars               Business Generation, Dealer Support and Service, Lead Transmission, and Fees.
                                 Each of these, in turn, was broken down into other components. None was
SUBSCRIBE                        assigned any particular level of importance in advance; rather, we used a
                                 statistical technique called regression analysis to calculate how important each
                                 was based on the extent to which it predicted dealers’ assessment of their overall
                                 satisfaction. This technique makes it possible to determine the proper weight to
                                 assign each factor, with a very high degree of accuracy. So, dealers were able to
                                 let us know what matters most to them.

                                 DDN: Business Generation was far and away the most important factor,
                                 accounting for 53% of overall satisfaction. According to the survey, what were
                                 the factors comprising Business Generation?

                                 MC: Lead quality and lead quantity accounted for 30% and 28%, respectively, in


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Effective Online Automotive Sales: What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”?

Subscribe to the Dealix          this particular area. The fact that online leads represent incremental business
Dealer Newsletter.               was a close third, with 26%. Gross profit margin accounted for the final 15%.
Enter your email
address in the box               DDN: The lesson, then, would seem to be that giving dealers as many quality
below and we'll add
you to the list:
                                 leads as they want goes a long ways towards helping them be successful. But I
                                 see Dealer Service and Support was also important. What are the key factors
                                 here?

                                 MC: 22% of overall dealer satisfaction derived from satisfaction with service and
    Add        Remove            support. In other words, the inherent strength of the service isn’t enough to
  Submit                         make dealers happy; they need technical support (40%), regular contact (32%),
                                 and training (28%) to use the service effectively and be able to perceive its true
                                 value.

                                 DDN: Lead Transmission was the third-most-important factor, but this and Fees
                                 were much less important to dealers. How would you explain this?

                                 MC: Yes, Lead Transmission and Fees came in third and fourth, respectively,
                                 accounting for 13% and 12% of dealer satisfaction. As a category, Lead
                                 Transmission was comprised of two more specific factors: speed of transmission,
                                 which represented 66% of dealer satisfaction in this area, and amount of
                                 information transmitted, which represented 34%.

                                 One way to think about this is in the context of the high importance dealers
                                 assigned to lead quality, in the Business Generation category. It makes sense
                                 that lead freshness and the amount of information leads include are two different
                                 forms of lead quality, and that both contribute to business generation. But
                                 perhaps dealers are more tuned in to the general concept of lead quality, and
                                 less to the specific attributes that comprise it.

                                 DDN: What can we conclude about fees? Are they as unimportant as the study
                                 suggests?

                                 MC: Fees accounted for 12% of overall dealer satisfaction. That’s not
                                 insignificant, but you’re correct - it’s not a huge consideration, either. One
                                 possibility is that fees take on more importance in specific situations, such as
                                 when dealers are struggling to capitalize on their third-party leads. Otherwise, if
                                 dealers get their leads at a competitive price and enjoy an ROI in line with
                                 expectations, they’re less inclined to view fees as critical to their satisfaction. At
                                 the end of the day, what matters to dealers are sales and a solid return on their
                                 marketing investment. It’s their expectation that their online buying services will
                                 help them achieve those ends.

                                 [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Published by Dealix Corporation                                         Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer
Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved.                                                       Newsletter
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Effective Online Automotive Sales: The Annual “Bad Leads” List




December 2006                                        Effective Online Automotive Sales               VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                            The Annual “Bad Leads” List
CONTENTS                        Even with State-of-the-Art Scrubbing, the Jokers Keep Coming

Interview with Ralph
Paglia of Courtesy
Chevrolet
                                Since we first published our list of
                                "bad lead names" in the Dealix
Third Party Auto
Sites: the Trusted              Dealer Newsletter back in November
Source for Online Car           2001, Dealix’s lead scrubbing
Buyers                          technology has become more
Want to Sell More               efficient, so our real people quality
Cars More Efficiently?
                                team rarely has to deal "up-front and
Ask Gilbert: Getting            personal" with questionable leads
Buy-In from the GM
                                that come through our system. Yet,
What Drives “Dealer
                                in keeping with tradition, our Dealix
Satisfaction”?
                                sales reps, and even some of our
The Annual “Bad
Leads” List
                                dealers, continue to send us bad lead
                                names, or "leads that lead no
Metro Areas with the
Fastest Close Times             where," throughout the year. So,
of Q3 2006                      without further ado, here's the 2006
Internet Training and           list of really bad leads - and no
Industry Reminders              doubt, they're all in the market for a
Previously in the               Dodge Viper.
Dealix Dealer
Newsletter
                                Al Bino
View a Movie to See
                                Angie O'Plasty
How Dealix Can Help
You Sell More Cars              Anne Teak
                                Aziz Nowarranty
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                                Barb Dwyer
                                Borden Drousy
                                Bjorn Liar
                                Brighton Early
                                Colin Response
                                Constance Noring
                                Dan Saul Knight
                                Harry Mouval
                                Iona Ford


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Effective Online Automotive Sales: The Annual “Bad Leads” List

Subscribe to the Dealix         Isabelle Ringing
Dealer Newsletter.
Enter your email
                                Jim Shortz
address in the box              Joaquin Closet
below and we'll add
you to the list:
                                Joe King
                                Joy Rider
                                Lisa Carr
                                Lynn O. Liam
    Add        Remove           Marsha Mellow
  Submit                        Maude L.T. Ford
                                Mike Easter
                                Minnie Van Driver
                                Neera Nuff
                                Ophelia Payne
                                Olive Yew
                                P. Brain
                                Phil R. Upp
                                Rick Shaw
                                Shanda Lear
                                Sue Flay
                                Tristan Schaut
                                Vishnu Verhere
                                Yvonne Apeesamey


                                Happy Holidays to you, from all of us at Dealix and The Cobalt
                                Group.

                                Annual Bad Leads Lists, a Retrospective:

                                2005

                                2004

                                2003

                                2002
                                [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Published by Dealix Corporation                                  Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer
Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved.                                                Newsletter
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Effective Online Automotive Sales: The Annual “Bad Leads” List




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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006




December 2006                                          Effective Online Automotive Sales               VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                         Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006
CONTENTS                     Top Dealers Beating the Average by Weeks

Interview with Ralph         What are they putting in the water in these ten metro areas? Two weeks or less - that’s
Paglia of Courtesy           how quickly dealers in these areas, on average, are closing their Internet leads. No
Chevrolet                    doubt, it’s the result of a combination of factors - including quality leads, highly skilled
Third Party Auto
                             salespeople, and finely-tuned sales processes. It’s even more impressive when we
Sites: the Trusted           consider an industry-wide stat: of 1.1 million leads studied, 42% closed within 30 days
Source for Online            and 68% closed within 90 days.[1] These dealers are lopping weeks, if not months, off
Car Buyers                   that figure.
Want to Sell More
Cars More                    The advantage dealers in these areas are reaping by closing sales fast is a big one.
Efficiently?                 Studies show that closing quickly is a critical part of preventing brand, and dealership,
                             defection. Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping, you know - and so do customers.
Ask Gilbert: Getting
Buy-In from the GM
What Drives “Dealer                          Metro Areas with the Fastest Closing Times
Satisfaction”?                                                                                       Average Closing
The Annual “Bad                    Q3 Rank                              Metro Area                    Times in Days
Leads” List                           1               Washington, DC - Baltimore, MD                       12
                                      2               San Francisco – Oakland - San Jose, CA               12
Metro Areas with the
Fastest Close Times                   3               Los Angeles – Riverside - Orange County, CA          13
of Q3 2006                            4               Chicago, IL - Gary, IN - Kenosha, WI                 13
                                      5               Boston-Worcester, MA - Lawrence, NH                  13
Internet Training
and Industry
                                      6               Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL                            13
Reminders                                             New York-Long Island, NY - Northern New
                                        7             Jersey                                                14
Previously in the
                                                      Philadelphia, PA – Wilmington, DE -Atlantic
Dealix Dealer
                                         8            City, NJ                                              14
Newsletter
                                         9            Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX                        14
View a Movie to See
                                        10            Dallas-Fort Worth, TX                                 14
How Dealix Can Help
You Sell More Cars

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                             The Metro Areas with the Fastest Closing Times Ranking is based on the average time it
                             takes dealerships in the major metro areas of the U.S. to close their Dealix Internet
                             sales leads. Results are derived from phone surveys of consumers who submitted
                             leads during the third quarter of 2006. The closing time period begins on the day the
                             dealer receives the lead and ends on the day the consumer says he or she bought the
                             vehicle. The smallest sample size per metro area was 100 surveys. This study was
                             conducted by Dealix Business IntelligenceSM.


                             [1] 2006 Automotive Industry and Dealership e-Business Performance Study by The
                             Cobalt Group with R.L. Polk.



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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006

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Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved.                                                            Newsletter
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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Internet Training and Industry Reminders




December 2006                                          Effective Online Automotive Sales                       VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                             Internet Training and Industry Reminders
CONTENTS                         Upcoming Workshops

Interview with Ralph
Paglia of Courtesy
Chevrolet
                                 The Cobalt Group Presents the Breakfast of Champions
                                 Workshop Series
Third Party Auto
Sites: the Trusted
Source for Online Car
Buyers                           2006 Seminars
Want to Sell More                December 12th                 Indianapolis, IN       Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
Cars More Efficiently?
Ask Gilbert: Getting
                                 2007 Seminars
Buy-In from the GM
What Drives “Dealer              January 9th                   Phoenix, AZ            Sheraton Cresent Hotel
Satisfaction”?
The Annual “Bad                  January 16th                  Miami, FL              Embassy Suites Ft. Lauderdale
Leads” List
                                 January 23rd                  Houston, TX            TBD
Metro Areas with the
Fastest Close Times              February 13th                 San Diego, CA          TBD
of Q3 2006
                                 February 20th                 San Francisco, CA      TBD
Internet Training and
Industry Reminders
                                 March 6th                     Seattle, WA            TBD

Previously in the                March 13th                    Nashville, TN          TBD
Dealix Dealer                    March 20th                    Westchester, NY        TBD
Newsletter
                                 April 10th                    San Antonio, TX        TBD
View a Movie to See
How Dealix Can Help              April 17th                    Jacksonville, FL       TBD
You Sell More Cars
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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Internet Training and Industry Reminders

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Effective Online Automotive Sales: Previously in the Dealix Dealer Newsletter




December 2006                                          Effective Online Automotive Sales             VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                             Previously in the Dealix Dealer Newsletter
CONTENTS                         November 2006
Interview with Ralph             "Owner Marketing” via Email Marketing
Paglia of Courtesy
Chevrolet
                                 Bergstrom Automotive: United When It Comes to the
Third Party Auto
Sites: the Trusted               Internet
Source for Online Car
Buyers                           Holding on to Slippery Leads
Want to Sell More
Cars More Efficiently?
                                 Fine-Tune Your Online Used Car Business: Generation Y
Ask Gilbert: Getting
Buy-In from the GM
                                 Vehicles Generating the Most Leads in Q3 2006
What Drives “Dealer
Satisfaction”?
The Annual “Bad                  October 2006
Leads” List
Metro Areas with the
                                 Anderson Auto Group: High Sales in Rural Markets
Fastest Close Times
of Q3 2006
Internet Training and
                                 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Dealer Satisfaction with
Industry Reminders               Online Buying Services StudySM
Previously in the
Dealix Dealer                    10 Best Practices for Responding to Phone Leads
Newsletter
View a Movie to See              Email or Phone? Don’t Let the Customer Decide
How Dealix Can Help
You Sell More Cars
                                 Stop Internet Leads from Slipping Away
SUBSCRIBE
                                 The Value of Trade-Ins

                                 Dealers, Factories Spending Less on Print Ads, More
                                 Online

                                 Make the Customer Come to You

                                 Top Internet Teams of Q3 2006


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Effective Online Automotive Sales: View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help You Sell More Cars




December 2006                                       Effective Online Automotive Sales                VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12

HOME                           View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help You Sell More
CONTENTS                       Cars
Interview with Ralph
Paglia of Courtesy
Chevrolet
Third Party Auto
Sites: the Trusted
Source for Online Car
Buyers
Want to Sell More
Cars More Efficiently?
Ask Gilbert: Getting
Buy-In from the GM
What Drives “Dealer
Satisfaction”?
The Annual “Bad
Leads” List
Metro Areas with the
Fastest Close Times
of Q3 2006
Internet Training and
Industry Reminders
Previously in the
                               [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
Dealix Dealer
Newsletter
View a Movie to See
How Dealix Can Help
You Sell More Cars

SUBSCRIBE




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Dealix Ralph Paglia Automotive Marketing Interview Part1

  • 1. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet CONTENTS The Intelligent Approach to Challenges Big and Small Interview with Ralph The Dealix Dealer Newsletter recently sat Paglia of Courtesy down with Ralph Paglia, CRM/e-business Chevrolet director at Courtesy Chevrolet, consistently Third Party Auto one of the top Chevrolet dealers in the Sites: the Trusted country. A well-known expert in online Source for Online Car automotive sales, Ralph shared so many best Buyers practices with us that we decided to publish his advice over the course of two issues. In Want to Sell More this first installment, Ralph talks about Cars More Efficiently? adapting to market trends and competing with Ask Gilbert: Getting the imports. Buy-In from the GM What Drives “Dealer Dealix Dealer Newsletter (DDN): Thanks Satisfaction”? for taking the time to share some of your experience in online auto sales with our The Annual “Bad readers, Ralph. According to a recent survey by Cobalt and RL Polk, 56% of new Leads” List car leads wound up as sales; but only 8% of these sales took place at the Metro Areas with the dealership where the lead was first submitted. On top of this, 34% of these Fastest Close Times buyers wound up with a different model - and frequently a used car. In your of Q3 2006 opinion, why is this happening? What can dealers do to make that original sale? Internet Training and Industry Reminders Ralph Paglia (RP): At Courtesy Chevrolet, we handle over 5,000 leads per month, and we get those leads from a wide variety of resources - so we are Previously in the uniquely positioned to spot trends in the nature of these leads. What we’ve seen Dealix Dealer is an evolving landscape of lead generating business models and strategies that Newsletter have contributed to the “Fickle Prospect” syndrome. View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help My explanation of why so many leads wind up elsewhere is simple. Over the past You Sell More Cars 10 years, shopping online for a car has become mainstream, and so many customers are submitting multiple leads to multiple dealers simply because it’s so SUBSCRIBE easy to do. If a single customer submits five leads to five different dealers representing five different brands, then 80% of those dealerships will experience a perceived failure to close the sale. However, we still need to keep in mind that with Internet leads, the cost per sale is generally lower than with traditional advertising. Where before, we could assume that car buyers were viewing many different ads and different brands in newspaper ads, with Internet leads – we can actually measure that behavior. Consumers love choice. On the other hand, seeing new car leads ending up as used car sales is nothing new. It’s just that the explosion of Internet leads is making it much more visible. Those of us who grew up selling cars have long known the value of switching a new car buyer to a used car. “Switch to get rich!” we used to say - referring to http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht (1 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:09 AM]
  • 2. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet Subscribe to the Dealix the greater gross potential on the sale of used vehicles. Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email Now let’s look at the question of lead defection to competing products. The address in the box number of cars sold each year in the US has been holding steady at around 17 below and we'll add you to the list: million. With lead volume increasing at the same time, it’s inevitable that the rate at which dealers lose leads to other brands will increase. Don’t think my point is that dealers should be comfortable with high loss rates. But you have to look at the causes behind these rates and figure out where you Add Remove can have an impact. For example, at Courtesy Chevrolet we’ve recently modified Submit our lead management processes to acknowledge the reality that most leads wind up buying a different car from the one they initially said they wanted. We’re now following up with a second round of price quotes for certified pre-owned vehicles - quotes selected based on the lead’s original inquiry and any information collected by the Internet sales specialist. DDN: Given the huge array of choices buyers are presented with online, it’s easy to understand a certain amount of fickleness. But one thing we’ve learned in our research is that a dealer’s ability to connect with online buyers exerts a powerful influence over where and what they wind up buying. As a very successful dealer, you’ve no doubt developed some really effective ways to make this connection. This is probably all the more true, since you’re doing very well selling a domestic brand at a time when domestics are a tougher sell. What advice would you give to domestic dealers who are struggling to improve their Internet business? RP: At the risk of giving away the secret sauce, I’ll tell you that one of the most effective ways for domestic dealers to increase sales is to aggressively pursue buyers who are considering Asian brands and competing domestic brands. We take great pride in convincing Toyota and Nissan buyers to consider a Chevy. We use search engine marketing to target customers shopping for competing brands. We bid for keywords related to these brands, and we place our ads on sites devoted to these brands. Targeted campaigns of this kind can push Corolla buyers to consider a Cobalt, Sequoia buyers to consider a Tahoe, and so on. Something else we do that makes an enormous difference is using a “triage” lead management process. Instead of making random or round-robin assignments, we assign leads to a specific Internet sales specialist based on the leads’ characteristics and that sales specialist’s historical strengths. Then we have a customer service representative in our BDC contact every unsold lead 72 hours after it comes in, in an attempt to get the customer to visit the dealership. Then, a third person follows up three days later, if there is still no appointment registered in our CRM system. Multiple interactions early in the process ensure that we win our fair share of deals with buyers who are deeper in the sales funnel. Involving additional people in those interactions serves as a safety net that keeps leads from slipping through the cracks. Dealers have to stay focused on a basic fact that’s part of everything we do at Courtesy Chevrolet: anytime you can replace randomness with a process that’s geared to a desired outcome, you have a greater opportunity to optimize sales results. We’ll continue our conversation with Ralph Paglia next month. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht (2 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:09 AM]
  • 3. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht (3 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:09 AM]
  • 4. Effective Online Automotive Sales December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 NEWS Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet The Intelligent Approach to Challenges Big and Small The Dealix Dealer Newsletter recently sat down with Ralph Paglia, CRM/e- business director at Courtesy Chevrolet, consistently one of the top Chevrolet dealers in the country. A well-known expert in online automotive sales, Ralph shared so many best practices with us that we decided to publish his advice over the course of two issues. In this first installment, Ralph talks about adapting to market trends and competing with the imports. [FULL STORY] Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers Interview with KBB’s Manager of Automotive Partners Sherrell INSIDE Kovach Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy There’s no doubt about it: with the Internet, today’s car Chevrolet buyers have a wealth of options at their finger tips. OEM Third Party Auto Sites: websites, dealership sites, and independent, third party auto the Trusted Source for sites all promise the quintessential “user experience” to entice Online Car Buyers car buyers into their worlds. While having your own website Want to Sell More Cars has become a necessity for today’s dealerships, and no one is More Efficiently? going to say no to subsidized leads from their OEM, the best Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy- In from the GM third party auto sites continue to win the hearts of consumers as a “trusted source” for information - and a great source of What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”? leads for dealers. We spoke with Kelley Blue Book’s manager The Annual “Bad Leads” of automotive partners, Sherrell Kovach, who talked about List why this is, and how premium third party auto sites continue to be on the cutting edge when it comes to consumer experience and lead generation. http://news.dealix.com/index000152060.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 5) [1/11/2007 9:34:12 AM]
  • 5. Effective Online Automotive Sales Metro Areas with the [FULL STORY] Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006 Internet Training and Industry Reminders Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently? Previously in the Dealix Check Out this Movie to See How You Can Dealer Newsletter View a Movie to See What’s the remedy for the sales How Dealix Can Help challenges that dealers are You Sell More Cars facing today? Connecting with SUBSCRIBE as many car buyers on the Subscribe to the Dealix Internet as possible. Dealix Dealer Newsletter. Enter helps you do this by bringing your email address in the box below and we'll add you the Highest Quality Leads in you to the list: the industry, Superior Service, and Dealer Control FeaturesSM. Now we have even more great ways to help you sell more Add Remove vehicles more efficiently. Click Submit here to see a short movie on Dealix's award-winning New ARCHIVE Car Leads Program, and learn Effective Online more about the provider that Automotive Sales dealers rated Highest in Overall Dealer Satisfaction in the November 2006 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Dealer Satisfaction with Effective Online Automotive Sales Online Buying Services StudySM. View the Flash movie. October 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales September 2006 Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM Effective Online How to Save Your Internet Leads & Your Department Automotive Sales by Gilbert Chavez August 2006 Gilbert Chavez is Internet director [MORE] for the Phil Long dealerships of Colorado, the largest privately- Visit us at: owned dealer group in that state. www.dealix.com Many dealers turn to Gilbert for to see how dealers advice about their dealerships and rank the new car lead providers how to be successful with Internet and to get more sales. Gilbert frequently shares his success strategies from experts in responses with the Dealix Dealer Newsletter. Here's the latest. online auto sales. [FULL STORY] http://news.dealix.com/index000152060.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 5) [1/11/2007 9:34:12 AM]
  • 6. Effective Online Automotive Sales What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”? Interview with J.D. Power's Senior Analyst Min Cho In September, J.D. Power and Associates (JDPA) announced the results of its 2006 Dealer Satisfaction with Online Buying Services StudySM, and in the October issue of the Dealix Dealer Newsletter, we spoke with former JDPA senior director Dennis Galbraith and senior analyst Min Cho to learn more about the study's findings. This month, we continued the conversation with Min Cho to gain a better understanding of the factors that make up “dealer satisfaction.” [FULL STORY] The Annual “Bad Leads” List Even with State-of-the-Art Scrubbing, the Jokers Keep Coming Since we first published our list of "bad lead names" in the Dealix Dealer Newsletter back in November 2001, Dealix’s lead scrubbing technology has become more efficient, so our real people quality team rarely has to deal "up-front and personal" with questionable leads that come through our system. Yet, in keeping with tradition, our Dealix sales reps, and even some of our dealers, continue to send us bad lead names, or "leads that lead no where," throughout the year. So, without further ado, here's the 2006 list of really bad leads - and no doubt, they're all in the market for a Dodge Viper. [FULL STORY] http://news.dealix.com/index000152060.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (3 of 5) [1/11/2007 9:34:12 AM]
  • 7. Effective Online Automotive Sales Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006 Top Dealers Beating the Average by Weeks What are they putting in the water in these ten metro areas? Two weeks or less - that’s how quickly, on average, they’re closing their Internet leads. It’s the result of a combination of factors, no doubt, including strong leads, skilled salespeople, and finely-tuned sales processes. [FULL STORY] Internet Training and Industry Reminders Upcoming Workshops Cobalt's Breakfast of Champions Workshop Series - What to look forward to in 2007 Click Full Story for details. [FULL STORY] Previously in the Dealix Dealer Newsletter November 2006 "Owner Marketing” via Email Marketing Bergstrom Automotive: United When It Comes to the Internet Holding on to Slippery Leads Fine-Tune Your Online Used Car Business: Generation Y Vehicles Generating the Most Leads in Q3 2006 October 2006 Anderson Auto Group: High Sales in Rural Markets 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Dealer Satisfaction with Online Buying Services StudySM 10 Best Practices for Responding to Phone Leads Email or Phone? Don’t Let the Customer Decide http://news.dealix.com/index000152060.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (4 of 5) [1/11/2007 9:34:12 AM]
  • 8. Effective Online Automotive Sales Stop Internet Leads from Slipping Away The Value of Trade-Ins Dealers, Factories Spending Less on Print Ads, More Online Make the Customer Come to You Top Internet Teams of Q3 2006 Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights Dealer Newsletter reserved. The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/index000152060.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (5 of 5) [1/11/2007 9:34:12 AM]
  • 9. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet CONTENTS The Intelligent Approach to Challenges Big and Small Interview with Ralph The Dealix Dealer Newsletter recently sat Paglia of Courtesy down with Ralph Paglia, CRM/e-business Chevrolet director at Courtesy Chevrolet, consistently Third Party Auto one of the top Chevrolet dealers in the Sites: the Trusted country. A well-known expert in online Source for Online Car automotive sales, Ralph shared so many best Buyers practices with us that we decided to publish his advice over the course of two issues. In Want to Sell More this first installment, Ralph talks about Cars More Efficiently? adapting to market trends and competing with Ask Gilbert: Getting the imports. Buy-In from the GM What Drives “Dealer Dealix Dealer Newsletter (DDN): Thanks Satisfaction”? for taking the time to share some of your experience in online auto sales with our The Annual “Bad readers, Ralph. According to a recent survey by Cobalt and RL Polk, 56% of new Leads” List car leads wound up as sales; but only 8% of these sales took place at the Metro Areas with the dealership where the lead was first submitted. On top of this, 34% of these Fastest Close Times buyers wound up with a different model - and frequently a used car. In your of Q3 2006 opinion, why is this happening? What can dealers do to make that original sale? Internet Training and Industry Reminders Ralph Paglia (RP): At Courtesy Chevrolet, we handle over 5,000 leads per month, and we get those leads from a wide variety of resources - so we are Previously in the uniquely positioned to spot trends in the nature of these leads. What we’ve seen Dealix Dealer is an evolving landscape of lead generating business models and strategies that Newsletter have contributed to the “Fickle Prospect” syndrome. View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help My explanation of why so many leads wind up elsewhere is simple. Over the past You Sell More Cars 10 years, shopping online for a car has become mainstream, and so many customers are submitting multiple leads to multiple dealers simply because it’s so SUBSCRIBE easy to do. If a single customer submits five leads to five different dealers representing five different brands, then 80% of those dealerships will experience a perceived failure to close the sale. However, we still need to keep in mind that with Internet leads, the cost per sale is generally lower than with traditional advertising. Where before, we could assume that car buyers were viewing many different ads and different brands in newspaper ads, with Internet leads – we can actually measure that behavior. Consumers love choice. On the other hand, seeing new car leads ending up as used car sales is nothing new. It’s just that the explosion of Internet leads is making it much more visible. Those of us who grew up selling cars have long known the value of switching a new car buyer to a used car. “Switch to get rich!” we used to say - referring to http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:13 AM]
  • 10. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet Subscribe to the Dealix the greater gross potential on the sale of used vehicles. Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email Now let’s look at the question of lead defection to competing products. The address in the box number of cars sold each year in the US has been holding steady at around 17 below and we'll add you to the list: million. With lead volume increasing at the same time, it’s inevitable that the rate at which dealers lose leads to other brands will increase. Don’t think my point is that dealers should be comfortable with high loss rates. But you have to look at the causes behind these rates and figure out where you Add Remove can have an impact. For example, at Courtesy Chevrolet we’ve recently modified Submit our lead management processes to acknowledge the reality that most leads wind up buying a different car from the one they initially said they wanted. We’re now following up with a second round of price quotes for certified pre-owned vehicles - quotes selected based on the lead’s original inquiry and any information collected by the Internet sales specialist. DDN: Given the huge array of choices buyers are presented with online, it’s easy to understand a certain amount of fickleness. But one thing we’ve learned in our research is that a dealer’s ability to connect with online buyers exerts a powerful influence over where and what they wind up buying. As a very successful dealer, you’ve no doubt developed some really effective ways to make this connection. This is probably all the more true, since you’re doing very well selling a domestic brand at a time when domestics are a tougher sell. What advice would you give to domestic dealers who are struggling to improve their Internet business? RP: At the risk of giving away the secret sauce, I’ll tell you that one of the most effective ways for domestic dealers to increase sales is to aggressively pursue buyers who are considering Asian brands and competing domestic brands. We take great pride in convincing Toyota and Nissan buyers to consider a Chevy. We use search engine marketing to target customers shopping for competing brands. We bid for keywords related to these brands, and we place our ads on sites devoted to these brands. Targeted campaigns of this kind can push Corolla buyers to consider a Cobalt, Sequoia buyers to consider a Tahoe, and so on. Something else we do that makes an enormous difference is using a “triage” lead management process. Instead of making random or round-robin assignments, we assign leads to a specific Internet sales specialist based on the leads’ characteristics and that sales specialist’s historical strengths. Then we have a customer service representative in our BDC contact every unsold lead 72 hours after it comes in, in an attempt to get the customer to visit the dealership. Then, a third person follows up three days later, if there is still no appointment registered in our CRM system. Multiple interactions early in the process ensure that we win our fair share of deals with buyers who are deeper in the sales funnel. Involving additional people in those interactions serves as a safety net that keeps leads from slipping through the cracks. Dealers have to stay focused on a basic fact that’s part of everything we do at Courtesy Chevrolet: anytime you can replace randomness with a process that’s geared to a desired outcome, you have a greater opportunity to optimize sales results. We’ll continue our conversation with Ralph Paglia next month. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:13 AM]
  • 11. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706890.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (3 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:13 AM]
  • 12. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car CONTENTS Buyers Interview with KBB’s Manager of Automotive Partners Sherrell Kovach Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet There’s no doubt about it: with the Internet, today’s car buyers Third Party Auto have a wealth of options at their finger tips. OEM websites, Sites: the Trusted dealership sites, and independent, third party auto sites all Source for Online Car promise the quintessential “user experience” to entice car buyers Buyers into their worlds. While having your own website has become a Want to Sell More necessity for today’s dealerships, and no one is going to say no Cars More Efficiently? to subsidized leads from their OEM, the best third party auto Ask Gilbert: Getting sites continue to win the hearts of consumers as a “trusted Buy-In from the GM source” for information - and a great source of leads for dealers. What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”? We spoke with Kelley Blue Book’s manager of automotive partners, Sherrell Kovach, who talked about why this is, and how The Annual “Bad Leads” List premium third party auto sites continue to be on the cutting Metro Areas with the edge when it comes to consumer experience and lead Fastest Close Times generation. of Q3 2006 Internet Training and Dealix Dealer Newsletter (DDN): Thanks for taking the time Industry Reminders to share your perspective on why third party auto sites are so Previously in the important for dealers, Sherrell. Why do you think consumers Dealix Dealer choose third party auto sites, and do you see their role changing Newsletter in the coming years, as dealerships continue to improve their View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help own websites? You Sell More Cars Sherrell Kovach (SK): Third party auto sites allow the SUBSCRIBE consumer to receive unbiased information and education, not only about the car they are interested in, but others that may compare. Furthermore, a consumer is given the opportunity to choose a myriad of dealers either by name, distance, etc. to accommodate their needs. While this may bother dealers at first, the fact is that consumers love choice - just like they like to shop at auto rows or auto malls. And, choice attracts more car buyers. KBB averages 10-13 million unique visitors per month who are browsing new and used car value information – this is something http://news.dealix.com/e_article000707708.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 4) [1/11/2007 9:34:15 AM]
  • 13. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers Subscribe to the Dealix dealers want to tap into. Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email address in the box In order to keep car buyers coming back, third party sites need below and we'll add you to the list: to provide a superior consumer experience. For instance, we ensure that what consumers get is: 1 – intelligent and data- driven, with a fresh intuitive interface focused on usability, easy navigation, dynamic content, and the latest interactive Web Add Remove applications. These include virtual showrooms, product specs, Submit side-by-side comparisons, and third-party reviews. And, 2, we have a customer-centric focus. Effective Internet strategies that identify and convert consumers are not enough. This must be supported by a comprehensive approach to service the buyer throughout the customer life-cycle. Continually providing new products and services and acting as a resource helps to nourish the relationship, which ultimately keeps consumers coming back, and increases the performance of the site and brand. The other thing consumers like about third party sites is that they don’t feel a heavy pressure to buy, just the satisfaction in knowing that they, the consumer, have been helped through phase 1 of the car-buying experience and with any luck, phase 2 will go as smoothly. And, because of this no hassle experience, sooner rather than later, they’ll find themselves driving home in their brand new car. More and more dealers will unavoidably shift to the Internet because of the efficiencies it provides, and because this is where the customers are. They need state-of-the art websites, and they also need leads from third party sites. DDN: How are third party auto sites, like KBB, able to generate such high quality, ready-to-buy leads? SK: In order to create a strong lead, it’s imperative to, not only be recognized as the “trusted resource,” but to create a feeling of comfort to the consumer, so there is no hesitation when they’re asked to provide their personal information. As well, you need to empower the consumer to do their own research and further define their own wants. Once a lead is submitted, it is imperative for both the third party site and the lead provider to “scrub” that lead – ensuring the information is genuine and accurate, and, most importantly, delivered to those dealers who are ready and willing to assist the consumer to their fullest http://news.dealix.com/e_article000707708.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 4) [1/11/2007 9:34:15 AM]
  • 14. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers capabilities. DDN: From the vantage point of KBB, what constitute a strong lead? SK: A strong lead, or a high quality lead, is submitted by an active in-shopper buyer. The shopper has made it far enough through the funnel to know what they want and where they are willing to go to buy it. The more specific a lead is, the higher the probability that it will close. But it’s up to the dealer to meet the challenge of satisfying their new customer and turning a great lead into a sale. DDN: How does a third party site like KBB measure its effectiveness? SK: There are a variety of ways to measure effectiveness and whether we’re meeting consumers’ needs. Surveys are the most common these days; and there is also consumer satisfaction indices, such a CSI scores, partner testing, and shared information with others in the industry. For example, we get feedback from Dealix that your dealers are closing their KBB leads. Plus, on an individual basis, through visitor feedback and simple word of mouth, we know we’re doing a good job. DDN: Dealers today know that Internet customers are better informed. Is this a blessing or a curse? SK: Oddly enough, I find these days that many consumers try to stump the sales person. I’m not quite sure if this is a negotiation tactic, but nonetheless, with the amount of information available on the Internet, it happens. So, it’s imperative for dealers to know all the “ins and outs” of the cars they sell. The dealerships I see flourish typically hold “walk-around” contests with their sales people every month so they’re fully prepared for the educated consumer. So, an informed customer can be a headache for a dealer who is unprepared; or, they can represent an easier sale to a dealer who is prepared, because they already know what they want. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000707708.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (3 of 4) [1/11/2007 9:34:15 AM]
  • 15. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers DDN: How does KBB describe its overall purpose? You serve dealers, you serve car buyers, and you provide pricing information. How do you sum up your mission? SK: Kelley Blue Book has been, is, and will continue to be the facilitator of the transaction. It only strengthens our brand and culture to understand all aspects of the industry, by working hand-in-hand with everyone from the OEMs, to dealers, to third party providers like Dealix. In the end, you have cars and dealers, and we have buyers. But first and foremost, we’re focused on benefiting the consumer. While revenue is vital, the consumer experience is essential. Our data, products, and services are received by an audience who trust the information via the source from which they are receiving it; not only as an educational tool, but as a purchasing tool. This is why Kelley Blue Book is the trusted resource. All said and done, it’s imperative to recognize and appreciate that the consumer is the backbone of all industries, and the automotive industry is no different. To confirm that a consumer has been well informed, been given the proper data, and has received a superior customer experience will not only lead to a smile, but that smile will undoubtedly lead to word-of-mouth endorsements - which is good-as-gold advertising to be passed on for years to come. [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000707708.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (4 of 4) [1/11/2007 9:34:15 AM]
  • 16. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently? December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently? CONTENTS Check Out this Movie to See How You Can Interview with Ralph What’s the remedy for the sales Paglia of Courtesy challenges that dealers are facing Chevrolet today? Connecting with as many car Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted buyers on the Internet as possible. Source for Online Car Dealix helps you do this by bringing Buyers you the Highest Quality Leads in the Want to Sell More industry, Superior Service, and Cars More Efficiently? Dealer Control FeaturesSM. Now we Ask Gilbert: Getting have even more great ways to help Buy-In from the GM you sell more vehicles more What Drives “Dealer efficiently. Click here to see a short Satisfaction”? movie on Dealix's award-winning The Annual “Bad Leads” List New Car Leads Program, and learn Metro Areas with the more about the provider that dealers Fastest Close Times rated Highest in Overall Dealer of Q3 2006 Satisfaction in the 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Dealer Internet Training and Satisfaction with Online Buying Services StudySM. View the Industry Reminders Flash movie. Previously in the Dealix Dealer [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Newsletter View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help You Sell More Cars SUBSCRIBE http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706297.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:18 AM]
  • 17. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently? Subscribe to the Dealix Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email address in the box below and we'll add you to the list: Add Remove Submit Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706297.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:18 AM]
  • 18. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM CONTENTS How to Save Your Internet Leads & Your Department Interview with Ralph Gilbert Chavez is Internet director for Paglia of Courtesy the Phil Long dealerships of Colorado, Chevrolet the largest privately-owned dealer Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted group in that state. Many dealers Source for Online Car turn to Gilbert for advice about their Buyers dealerships and how to be successful Want to Sell More with Internet sales, and he frequently Cars More Efficiently? shares his responses with the Dealix Ask Gilbert: Getting Dealer Newsletter. Here’s the latest: Buy-In from the GM What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”? Dear Gilbert, The Annual “Bad Leads” List I have been working in our Internet sales department for two Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times years, and have been director for six months. There was of Q3 2006 a revolving door of directors for quite some time. I was the top Internet Training and Internet sales rep for over a year, and they convinced me to Industry Reminders take the helm - after I turned them down a couple of times. To Previously in the be honest, I was reluctant at first because there is a hell of a lot Dealix Dealer of work to do, there was high turnover, and I was concerned Newsletter about the level of support for what we wanted to do View a Movie to See from management. How Dealix Can Help You Sell More Cars Now, I have two other Internet reps in my department. Our SUBSCRIBE numbers have been respectable since I took over. The problem is - our owner, who is also the GM, has ordered me to cancel all my third party leads. Our return on these leads has been good. My total cost was $500 for one lead source, and we averaged $2,500 gross. I do better with the leads from my dealership's website and our factory leads, but I’ve found that having a varied diet of as many good leads as we can get is the key to more sales. But, our store sales across the board have been down for both new and used. However, my GM has not slowed down his print, radio, or TV spend. He goes way back with his http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706574.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:22 AM]
  • 19. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM Subscribe to the Dealix newspaper rep, and, really, I think he keeps these things more Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email out of fear and habit than anything. I seriously do not want to address in the box lay off my team. What can I do to save my department and below and we'll add you to the list: convince our GM that the Internet is the wrong place to cut our ad budget? Thanks, Add Remove Submit Down, But Not Out Dear Down, When times get tough, people tend to stick with methods they’re comfortable with. Your boss sounds a little like Charlie Brown’s friend Linus with his security blanket, or a dateless person at home alone on a Saturday night, eating a tub of ice cream. The blanket isn’t going to protect Linus, the ice cream won’t help a lonely person get a date (probably just the opposite), and traditional advertising isn’t going to fix your dealership’s slow sales. Your GM would resist cutting back under the best of circumstances. He’s going to resist even more in the current situation because traditional advertising is familiar and comforting. It’s the only way he knows to bring people into the showroom. You’re facing an uphill battle, my friend. You’re going to need a solid plan to win this fight and may have to pull a Beastie Boys: “You gotta fight for your right to party!” Before you begin, look at it from your GM’s perspective. Business is slow, and he has to cut costs somewhere. In his mind, the Internet is the easiest place to do it – it’s still seems new and experimental. Other managers may be pushing him to advertise more in their departments, and they may be pulling him away from the Internet to protect their own budgets. I have always said the greatest thing about Internet sales is that it's measurable - and the worst thing about Internet sales is that it's measurable. In other words, you can’t hide poor performance. On the other side of the coin, traditional media is often difficult, if not impossible, to measure the true ROI on. When you sit down with your boss, lay it all out in dollars and cents: what you’re paying for leads, and what this outlay is http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706574.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:22 AM]
  • 20. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM bringing in. Remind him that this is incremental business - business your dealership wouldn’t otherwise get – and might lose to competitors who are being more progressive. Show him that you can look at your budget with a cold eye: compare the ROI you’re getting from different providers and offer to ax any that consistently don’t cut the mustard - just like Britney cut off K- Fed! And don’t stop at past performance. Ask him for 90 days to prove that your team’s sales process works so well that third party leads are a no-brainer. Get that commitment and then really crank it. If there are any kinks in the process, this is the time to iron them out. Your team should be especially cooperative, given that the department’s existence may be on the line. Car guys might not like to admit it, but we like being “closed.” Your GM is a salesperson at heart, and he’ll appreciate the effort you put into closing him. So, find your common ground, present the features and benefits, build value, and go for the close! Remember, most sales are won or lost in the first five minutes, so make it good right from Jump Street! Good luck and good selling, Gilbert [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706574.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (3 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:22 AM]
  • 21. Effective Online Automotive Sales: What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”? December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”? CONTENTS Interview with J.D. Power's Senior Analyst Min Cho Interview with Ralph In September, J.D. Power and Paglia of Courtesy Associates (JDPA) announced Chevrolet the results of its 2006 Dealer Third Party Auto Satisfaction with Online Buying Sites: the Trusted Services StudySM, and in the Source for Online Car October issue of the Dealix Buyers Dealer Newsletter, we spoke with former JDPA senior Want to Sell More director Dennis Galbraith and Cars More Efficiently? senior analyst Min Cho to learn Ask Gilbert: Getting more about the study's Buy-In from the GM findings. This month, we What Drives “Dealer continued the conversation Satisfaction”? with Min Cho to gain a better understanding of the factors The Annual “Bad that make up “dealer Leads” List satisfaction.” Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times Dealix Dealer Newsletter of Q3 2006 (DDN): Thanks, Min, for Internet Training and taking the time to speak with Industry Reminders us. To get us started, can you remind our readers of the main Previously in the areas of dealer satisfaction Dealix Dealer that were explored by the survey? How did you determine the relative Newsletter importance of these areas? View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help Min Cho (MC): The survey measured dealer satisfaction in four key areas: You Sell More Cars Business Generation, Dealer Support and Service, Lead Transmission, and Fees. Each of these, in turn, was broken down into other components. None was SUBSCRIBE assigned any particular level of importance in advance; rather, we used a statistical technique called regression analysis to calculate how important each was based on the extent to which it predicted dealers’ assessment of their overall satisfaction. This technique makes it possible to determine the proper weight to assign each factor, with a very high degree of accuracy. So, dealers were able to let us know what matters most to them. DDN: Business Generation was far and away the most important factor, accounting for 53% of overall satisfaction. According to the survey, what were the factors comprising Business Generation? MC: Lead quality and lead quantity accounted for 30% and 28%, respectively, in http://news.dealix.com/e_article000707370.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:24 AM]
  • 22. Effective Online Automotive Sales: What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”? Subscribe to the Dealix this particular area. The fact that online leads represent incremental business Dealer Newsletter. was a close third, with 26%. Gross profit margin accounted for the final 15%. Enter your email address in the box DDN: The lesson, then, would seem to be that giving dealers as many quality below and we'll add you to the list: leads as they want goes a long ways towards helping them be successful. But I see Dealer Service and Support was also important. What are the key factors here? MC: 22% of overall dealer satisfaction derived from satisfaction with service and Add Remove support. In other words, the inherent strength of the service isn’t enough to Submit make dealers happy; they need technical support (40%), regular contact (32%), and training (28%) to use the service effectively and be able to perceive its true value. DDN: Lead Transmission was the third-most-important factor, but this and Fees were much less important to dealers. How would you explain this? MC: Yes, Lead Transmission and Fees came in third and fourth, respectively, accounting for 13% and 12% of dealer satisfaction. As a category, Lead Transmission was comprised of two more specific factors: speed of transmission, which represented 66% of dealer satisfaction in this area, and amount of information transmitted, which represented 34%. One way to think about this is in the context of the high importance dealers assigned to lead quality, in the Business Generation category. It makes sense that lead freshness and the amount of information leads include are two different forms of lead quality, and that both contribute to business generation. But perhaps dealers are more tuned in to the general concept of lead quality, and less to the specific attributes that comprise it. DDN: What can we conclude about fees? Are they as unimportant as the study suggests? MC: Fees accounted for 12% of overall dealer satisfaction. That’s not insignificant, but you’re correct - it’s not a huge consideration, either. One possibility is that fees take on more importance in specific situations, such as when dealers are struggling to capitalize on their third-party leads. Otherwise, if dealers get their leads at a competitive price and enjoy an ROI in line with expectations, they’re less inclined to view fees as critical to their satisfaction. At the end of the day, what matters to dealers are sales and a solid return on their marketing investment. It’s their expectation that their online buying services will help them achieve those ends. [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000707370.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:24 AM]
  • 23. Effective Online Automotive Sales: The Annual “Bad Leads” List December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME The Annual “Bad Leads” List CONTENTS Even with State-of-the-Art Scrubbing, the Jokers Keep Coming Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet Since we first published our list of "bad lead names" in the Dealix Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Dealer Newsletter back in November Source for Online Car 2001, Dealix’s lead scrubbing Buyers technology has become more Want to Sell More efficient, so our real people quality Cars More Efficiently? team rarely has to deal "up-front and Ask Gilbert: Getting personal" with questionable leads Buy-In from the GM that come through our system. Yet, What Drives “Dealer in keeping with tradition, our Dealix Satisfaction”? sales reps, and even some of our The Annual “Bad Leads” List dealers, continue to send us bad lead names, or "leads that lead no Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times where," throughout the year. So, of Q3 2006 without further ado, here's the 2006 Internet Training and list of really bad leads - and no Industry Reminders doubt, they're all in the market for a Previously in the Dodge Viper. Dealix Dealer Newsletter Al Bino View a Movie to See Angie O'Plasty How Dealix Can Help You Sell More Cars Anne Teak Aziz Nowarranty SUBSCRIBE Barb Dwyer Borden Drousy Bjorn Liar Brighton Early Colin Response Constance Noring Dan Saul Knight Harry Mouval Iona Ford http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706759.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:27 AM]
  • 24. Effective Online Automotive Sales: The Annual “Bad Leads” List Subscribe to the Dealix Isabelle Ringing Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email Jim Shortz address in the box Joaquin Closet below and we'll add you to the list: Joe King Joy Rider Lisa Carr Lynn O. Liam Add Remove Marsha Mellow Submit Maude L.T. Ford Mike Easter Minnie Van Driver Neera Nuff Ophelia Payne Olive Yew P. Brain Phil R. Upp Rick Shaw Shanda Lear Sue Flay Tristan Schaut Vishnu Verhere Yvonne Apeesamey Happy Holidays to you, from all of us at Dealix and The Cobalt Group. Annual Bad Leads Lists, a Retrospective: 2005 2004 2003 2002 [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706759.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:27 AM]
  • 25. Effective Online Automotive Sales: The Annual “Bad Leads” List http://news.dealix.com/e_article000706759.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (3 of 3) [1/11/2007 9:34:27 AM]
  • 26. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006 December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006 CONTENTS Top Dealers Beating the Average by Weeks Interview with Ralph What are they putting in the water in these ten metro areas? Two weeks or less - that’s Paglia of Courtesy how quickly dealers in these areas, on average, are closing their Internet leads. No Chevrolet doubt, it’s the result of a combination of factors - including quality leads, highly skilled Third Party Auto salespeople, and finely-tuned sales processes. It’s even more impressive when we Sites: the Trusted consider an industry-wide stat: of 1.1 million leads studied, 42% closed within 30 days Source for Online and 68% closed within 90 days.[1] These dealers are lopping weeks, if not months, off Car Buyers that figure. Want to Sell More Cars More The advantage dealers in these areas are reaping by closing sales fast is a big one. Efficiently? Studies show that closing quickly is a critical part of preventing brand, and dealership, defection. Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping, you know - and so do customers. Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM What Drives “Dealer Metro Areas with the Fastest Closing Times Satisfaction”? Average Closing The Annual “Bad Q3 Rank Metro Area Times in Days Leads” List 1 Washington, DC - Baltimore, MD 12 2 San Francisco – Oakland - San Jose, CA 12 Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times 3 Los Angeles – Riverside - Orange County, CA 13 of Q3 2006 4 Chicago, IL - Gary, IN - Kenosha, WI 13 5 Boston-Worcester, MA - Lawrence, NH 13 Internet Training and Industry 6 Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL 13 Reminders New York-Long Island, NY - Northern New 7 Jersey 14 Previously in the Philadelphia, PA – Wilmington, DE -Atlantic Dealix Dealer 8 City, NJ 14 Newsletter 9 Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX 14 View a Movie to See 10 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX 14 How Dealix Can Help You Sell More Cars SUBSCRIBE The Metro Areas with the Fastest Closing Times Ranking is based on the average time it takes dealerships in the major metro areas of the U.S. to close their Dealix Internet sales leads. Results are derived from phone surveys of consumers who submitted leads during the third quarter of 2006. The closing time period begins on the day the dealer receives the lead and ends on the day the consumer says he or she bought the vehicle. The smallest sample size per metro area was 100 surveys. This study was conducted by Dealix Business IntelligenceSM. [1] 2006 Automotive Industry and Dealership e-Business Performance Study by The Cobalt Group with R.L. Polk. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000707339.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:28 AM]
  • 27. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006 Subscribe to the [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Dealix Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email address in the box below and we'll add you to the list: Add Remove Submit Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000707339.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:28 AM]
  • 28. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Internet Training and Industry Reminders December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME Internet Training and Industry Reminders CONTENTS Upcoming Workshops Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet The Cobalt Group Presents the Breakfast of Champions Workshop Series Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers 2006 Seminars Want to Sell More December 12th Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis Marriott Downtown Cars More Efficiently? Ask Gilbert: Getting 2007 Seminars Buy-In from the GM What Drives “Dealer January 9th Phoenix, AZ Sheraton Cresent Hotel Satisfaction”? The Annual “Bad January 16th Miami, FL Embassy Suites Ft. Lauderdale Leads” List January 23rd Houston, TX TBD Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times February 13th San Diego, CA TBD of Q3 2006 February 20th San Francisco, CA TBD Internet Training and Industry Reminders March 6th Seattle, WA TBD Previously in the March 13th Nashville, TN TBD Dealix Dealer March 20th Westchester, NY TBD Newsletter April 10th San Antonio, TX TBD View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help April 17th Jacksonville, FL TBD You Sell More Cars May 8th Denver, CO TBD SUBSCRIBE May 15th Orlando, FL TBD May 22nd New Haven, CT TBD June 12th San Jose, CA TBD June 19th Portland, OR TBD July 10th Dallas, TX TBD July 17th Philadelphia, PA TBD July 24th St. Louis, MO TBD August 7th Los Angeles, CA TBD http://news.dealix.com/e_article000699551.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:32 AM]
  • 29. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Internet Training and Industry Reminders Subscribe to the Dealix August 14th Detroit, MI TBD Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email August 21st Baltimore, MD TBD address in the box below and we'll add you to the list: Click Here to register for any of these sessions. Or, call (800) 557 -7915. Add Remove Submit [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000699551.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:32 AM]
  • 30. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Previously in the Dealix Dealer Newsletter December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME Previously in the Dealix Dealer Newsletter CONTENTS November 2006 Interview with Ralph "Owner Marketing” via Email Marketing Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet Bergstrom Automotive: United When It Comes to the Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Internet Source for Online Car Buyers Holding on to Slippery Leads Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently? Fine-Tune Your Online Used Car Business: Generation Y Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM Vehicles Generating the Most Leads in Q3 2006 What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”? The Annual “Bad October 2006 Leads” List Metro Areas with the Anderson Auto Group: High Sales in Rural Markets Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006 Internet Training and 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Dealer Satisfaction with Industry Reminders Online Buying Services StudySM Previously in the Dealix Dealer 10 Best Practices for Responding to Phone Leads Newsletter View a Movie to See Email or Phone? Don’t Let the Customer Decide How Dealix Can Help You Sell More Cars Stop Internet Leads from Slipping Away SUBSCRIBE The Value of Trade-Ins Dealers, Factories Spending Less on Print Ads, More Online Make the Customer Come to You Top Internet Teams of Q3 2006 http://news.dealix.com/e_article000699550.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:35 AM]
  • 31. Effective Online Automotive Sales: Previously in the Dealix Dealer Newsletter Subscribe to the Dealix [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email address in the box below and we'll add you to the list: Add Remove Submit Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000699550.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:35 AM]
  • 32. Effective Online Automotive Sales: View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help You Sell More Cars December 2006 Effective Online Automotive Sales VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 HOME View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help You Sell More CONTENTS Cars Interview with Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet Third Party Auto Sites: the Trusted Source for Online Car Buyers Want to Sell More Cars More Efficiently? Ask Gilbert: Getting Buy-In from the GM What Drives “Dealer Satisfaction”? The Annual “Bad Leads” List Metro Areas with the Fastest Close Times of Q3 2006 Internet Training and Industry Reminders Previously in the [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Dealix Dealer Newsletter View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help You Sell More Cars SUBSCRIBE http://news.dealix.com/e_article000699549.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (1 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:37 AM]
  • 33. Effective Online Automotive Sales: View a Movie to See How Dealix Can Help You Sell More Cars Subscribe to the Dealix Dealer Newsletter. Enter your email address in the box below and we'll add you to the list: Add Remove Submit Published by Dealix Corporation Click here to Tell a Friend about the Dealix Dealer Copyright © 2006 Dealix Corporation. All rights reserved. Newsletter The Dealix Dealer Newsletter is sent to Dealix members and anyone who has expressed interest in our services. To unsubscribe, enter your email address in the subscription box appearing within the newsletter and choose the Remove option. Or, just click one of the links below. http://news.dealix.com/e_article000699549.cfm?x=b8ylmVJ,b4bG84ht,w (2 of 2) [1/11/2007 9:34:37 AM]