Profitable pieces
WHY A SOUND STRATEGY FOR SELLING PARTS ONLINE CAN BE A HUGE EARNER FOR YOUR DEALERSHIP. It was a phone call that I won’t ever forget, and it seems like it was just yesterday. It was from a friend of …
Category: Columns
Washroom wisdom
WHY ONE PARTICULAR DEALERSHIP FACILITY CAN HAVE BIG IMPACT ON YOUR CUSTOMERS. Pants down and echoes all around — yes, this is the space that exposes our basic vulnerabilities. So why are we ignoring the bare essentials of bathroom design? …
Digital strategies
CANADIAN AUTO DEALER TALKS TO KEY PLAYERS IN THE INDUSTRY AND GETS THE LATEST WORD ON THE STREET AS IT RELATES TO THE AUTO BUSINESS. If there’s one thing you can say about the auto business, it is the fact …
When information is power
ARE YOU MAKING THE MOST OF AVAILABLE DATA TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS? We live in an age where information truly is power. Much has been written recently about “Big Data” and how that is changing the way we do …
Where your hard ROI doesn’t fit
Dennis Galbraith, director of DrivingSales Data, says that in some cases, dealers need to look beyond measurable financial returns when it comes to making investments. I keep hearing bold talk about hard ROI justifications for things like branding and even …
F&I scrutiny
In the first of a two-part series, one of Canada’s top sales trainers, Chris Schulthies looks at how F&I pay plans can actually have a negative impact on the business office Every pay plan in a dealership needs to be …
What is technician training costing you?
Training represents a huge tax on the bottom line, but it needn’t be Getting penalized for being smart In most industries, bright, well-trained staff at the top of their profession get recognized and remunerated for their high skill levels, or …
The art of conversation
A high-tech Florida-based firm enables dealers to form successful Internet relationships with their customers via a time-honored form of communication — talking As human beings, we are by nature social creatures. We like to engage with one another, take part …
Smart shop
Building your service shop the right way will enhance technician retention and boost productivity Over the years, our team has been fortunate enough to visit hundreds of dealerships and speak with dealer principals and general managers across North America and …
Lingering labeling logic
Why making changes to a physical window sticker might not be the most effective way to educate consumers about vehicle fuel economy One year ago in the April 2012 edition of Canadian auto dealer I wrote an article related to …
Maintaining communication
Learning how to identify problems and effectively solve them Despite your best efforts to provide quality customer service, customers will be displeased from time to time. But don’t simply accept ongoing dissatisfaction as an inevitable part of doing business. Instead, …
Succession and consolidation: Is there a connection?
Why the trend for acquisition is being driven by market conditions Back in 1997 we first surveyed the Canadian dealership community on the topic of succession. At that time, when we examined overall Canadian demographics, we saw this baby boomer …
