Smarter Dealer's Blog

Is A We-Owe An Implied Warranty?

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:22:00 +0000

If you want to give a we owe document to your customers, make sure to consult your dealership’s attorney. You want to make sure that your document contains disclaimers that it is a "we owe', and in no way an implied warranty.

Never Stop Learning by Grant Cardone

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Sat, 21 May 2011 21:41:00 +0000

Did you know that the most successful CEOs are reported to read an average of 60 books a year? Compare that to the average American worker who reads an average of less than one book a year and makes 319 times LESS income.
read more...

How many books have you read lately?!

ATTENTION DEALERTRACK USER!

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:07:00 +0000

Check with your IT Guys! (especially ADP users)
Wanted to share with everyone, in case you didn't get this in your InBox

ATTENTION DEALERTRACK USER!

In order to offer you the highest performance, most optimized
experience on DealerTrack, we are sun-setting support for Internet
Explorer 6.

If you or others in your dealership are currently using Internet
Explorer 6, or an earlier version:

Please download and install Internet Explorer 8 by clicking the
Upgrade Now button on this page at the Microsoft site:

http://cts.vresp.com/c/?DealerTrackInc./9101cb4a2b/5a788fc34d/2e0f2f6cbb

We appreciate your participation in helping achieve the best possible
DealerTrack user experience.

If you have questions or require technical support, please call us at:
1.877.357.8725.

Note: Depending on your connection speed, it may take several minutes
to download and install IE 8.

2010 Milwaukee Auto Show

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:34:00 +0000

The 2010 Greater Milwaukee Auto Show starts now!
Click here for a discount coupon for the show!
Approximately 30 manufacturers will be represented, a great way to see what's out there in the car industry. Let us know if you're attending!

What is SET? (Southeast Toyota)

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:29:00 +0000

I have been asked, especially after the ABC News story, who is Southeast Toyota, what is SET?
Well, here is some info on SET and the SET dealers:
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is the world's largest independent distributor of Toyotas and Scions. SET is based in Deerfield Beach, Fla.
The company's vehicle processing facilities distribute cars, trucks and vans, parts and accessories to more than 173 independent Toyota dealers in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and North and South Carolina.
SET dealers sell approximately 20 percent of all Toyotas sold in the United States.
Other divisions help maintain the company's market leadership: Port and Inland Processing, Parts Supply and Distribution, and Vehicle Transportation. Read more:

Southeast Toyota Dealers Pull ABC Ads

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:14:00 +0000

Southeast Toyota dealers (173, in five southeast states) have pulled their commercials off ABC TV local affiliates, upset with the "excessive stories on the Toyota issues" and coverage of Toyota safety problems by ABC News. Read More...

Toast to 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:36:00 +0000

Well, the last few years were a struggle for most in the Auto Industry.
What will 2010, and the new decade bring?

Trying to be an optimist, as always, I've been focusing mostly on the Positive Press, and the end of 2009 brought alot more "good news":

Ford reported a net income of nearly $1 billion in the third quarter and forecast a "solidly profitable" future.

GM - first sales gain in nearly two years reported. And hundreds of the dealers who lost their franchises last year could get them back.

Volkswagon is forecasting twice the sales in the US over the next few years.

Subaru, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Jaguar/Land Rover, Toyota, Honda, Nissan,VW, BMW all posted an increase in sales volume for Dec. 09 vs Dec. 08. Read More...

Think (Norwegian electric car maker) to build a green car assembly plant in Indiana.

In the Credit World, some positive news as well: Leasing seems to be coming back, interests rates are low, and there were increases in both the number of approvals, as well as loans contracted by finance sources.

All across the industry, Business Models and Business Plans had to be re-evaluated.
Lower fixed costs mean dealers and automakers can be profitable at a reduced selling rate.

Projected Sales are looking pretty good, with 2010 bring 12million, and 14million+ by 2012

2010 U.S. Sales Estimates
J.P. Morgan 12million
TrueCar 12million
CSM Worldwide 11.8million
Edmunds.com 11.5million
J.D. Power 11.5million
PricewaterhouseCoopers 11.4million

We can find either positive or negative information everywhere we turn.

Let's all try to look at the glass as "Half-Full", and Toast to 2010!

Cash for Clunkers to end

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:35:00 +0000

Cash for Clunkers program to end on Monday.
Applications for rebates will not be accepted after the Monday deadline, administration officials said, and dealers should not make additional sales without receiving all the necessary paperwork from their customers. Dealers will be able to resubmit rejected applications after the deadline.

Auto dealers' association advises members to play it safe and avoid Cash for Clunkers deals this weekend.

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:52:00 +0000

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Despite the Obama administration's promises that any Clunker deals written this weekend would be honored, the National Automobile Dealers Association is advising its members to play it safe and not close any more deals until the program's fate is clearer.

FULL STORY

10 Things Dealers Need to Know about Cash for Clunkers

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:48:00 +0000

AIADA: Russ Darrow's "10 Things Dealers Need to Know about Cash for Clunkers"

7th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:41:00 +0000

Expect 50 to 60 exhibitors and are once again expecting over 400 dealership attendees in Nashville this fall. Done six of these now and have found the perfect balance of fulfilling both attendees’ and exhibitors/sponsors’ goals. There simply is no comparison or better value for your tight marketing/trade show dollars.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Wisconsin Dealers open 7 days a week?!

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:26:00 +0000

Wisconsin Dealers are currently closed on Sundays due to state law.
Legislation being proposed at the Capitol would lift the ban on the sale of automobiles on Sundays.

http://www.wrn.com/podcast/feed/A6AFFF9D-C09F-1E1C-6BE13276F8998390/article/316457CB-5056-B82A-372D84CC7E7F076F/audio/316458E4-5056-B82A-372B9AB3FE67D39E/sundayva051209.mp3

Dealers to close

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:17:00 +0000

Chrysler notified all US dealers about its plans to eliminate 25 percent of its retail showrooms and is seeking permission to terminate franchise agreements.
789 dealers were on the list, including 18 in Wisconsin. Braeger Chrysler-Jeep, Darrow Madison, Dodge City of Milwaukee, Don Miller, EVS Lomira, Lakeland Jeep, and more. To view the full list, click here.
GM is also planning to eliminate 1100 dealers.

Fun With Online Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:07:00 +0000

In one of my previous posts (Where has the fun gone?) I mentioned Josh Towbin, of Towbin Dodge, and his crazy Vegas info-mercial "the Chopper Show". Well, Josh isn't the only one...there are ALOT of dealers using video to have fun and sell cars!

Clay Auto Group says "Let's Get Naked!"

Naples, FL dealer John Marazzi Nissan has gotten in on it too, my favorite by Nick Del Negro Internet Sales Manager

Wisconsin's Russ Darrow Jr, president of the Russ Darrow Group, has now joined in on the "fun" with his new video Russ Darrow Raps?!

If you enjoyed these videos, and would like to see more, check out Smarter Dealer's MySpace page!

And remember...as Josh, himself says..."do what you love, love what you do."

Cardone Proposes Bill to Assist Auto Dealer

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:20:00 +0000

AUTO DEALERS CRITICAL TO YOUR CITY’S TAX REVENUE
by Grant Cardone

Retail auto dealers are critical and vital to the survival of your city, county, and state tax revenues. This country’s economy is ultimately more dependent upon the survival of your local auto dealer than even the much publicized auto manufacturers. Without dealers buying and selling product no plan to assist the manufactures will be successful.Auto dealers generate the much needed revenue to city, county and state budgets with some municipalities receiving as much as 30% of all tax revenue from the tax revenue generated from auto sales. Newspaper, TV and radio advertising are dependent upon the dollars auto dealers spend in order to fill their papers and ad time.Auto dealers represent main street-middle class America providing over one million managerial, mechanics, technicians and sales positions. These jobs range from minimum wage to very high paying management salaries including bonuses and commissions providing for incomes at the middle-class level that would not be otherwise available. read more...

Don't forget to get a copy the link to this article so you can forward it to your auto dealers and your state representatives so that auto dealers are properly represented in Washington.)

Don Jacobs sells Subaru

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:07:00 +0000

Don Jacobs Automotive Group sold its Subaru dealership in Waukesha to Wilde Automotive Group yesterday, the Milwaukee Subaru franchise was sold to Schlossman's Dodge City of Milwaukee last month. The group will now put all their focus on the Toyota showroom.

Wilde Automotive continues it's growth, with the addition of a new product line, and the company plans to build a separate showroom for the Subaru vehicles just to the north of Wilde Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge this summer. This, after the new Honda building completion in November, shows that the car business is not that bad for all. The group also has plans for a $10 million Honda facility in Madison, WI.

AIADA - New Chairman Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:02:00 +0000

The AIADA is holding the 39th Annual Meeting & Luncheon, January 26th, 2009, where Russ Darrow Jr. will be taking over as Chairman.

I was suprised that so many in the auto industry do not know what the AIADA is...and the best way for me to describe the association is "where politics meets the international auto industry."

AIADA was founded in order to increase awareness among the government and the public of the international nameplate automobile industry’s value to the U.S. economy. The association serves as an advocate for the industry before Congress, the White House and federal agencies. It focuses its lobbying efforts on federal issues impacting America’s international nameplate automobile dealers.

It has been a tough time for the auto industry, and most of the focus has been on the Big 3, but the international nameplates are very important too. There are many Americans employed by these manufacturers here in the U.S., and many dealerships carrying these brands.

Congratulations to Russ Darrow Jr. and best of luck with the duties at hand.

The auto industry lost a great dealer yesterday.

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:00:00 +0000

The auto industry lost a great dealer yesterday. Jack Safro died of a heart attack Monday night at his home on Pine Lake in Wisconsin. He was a great businessman who grew a successful dealer group in Wisconsin, including: Jack Safro Toyota (Wisconsin's 1st Toyota Dealer), Jack Safro Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Lexus of Brookfield, Lexus North Shore and Infiniti North Shore in Glendale. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Safro on several occasions, and he truly was one of the nicest dealers I have met. Friends who worked for him say he was the best to work for and to work with. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Jeanne, family, friends, and all the staff at his stores. He will be greatly missed by them and the community.

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:43:00 +0000

2008 ...was not a good year for the auto industry. (let's put it behind us)
2009...alot of dealers see this as a great opportunity, a time to take business away from their competition,

This is definitely the best time to review and change existing processes, review and/or change advertising, test new channels, and get back to the basics. As business begins to improve, let's not lose sight of what causes sales to go down, it is not always just the "economy", or "market" that affects sales. And, as many studies in the past few months have shown, many people went to dealers to purchase cars, and left the dealership for many different reasons.

Calling on stores of all different shapes and sizes, I am able to get a very good idea of what's going on in the Metro-Milwaukee area. Some dealers have been able to ride out the tough times, and some have not. The biggest change I have seen in the past years...the number of "professionals" in the industry. Alot of successful salespeople and managers have moved away from the showrooms, leaving a need for good, qualified, replacements. In 2009 I feel that dealers need to focus, more than ever, on training, processes, and support for their staffs, as well as re-evaluate advertising and media channels.

Best Success in 2009!

Justicia W

Smarter Dealer Solutions
justiciaw@smarterdealer.com
http://smarterdealer.com

"Where has the fun gone?"

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:35:00 +0000

I have had similar questions from dealers and their staffs recently, and it got me thinking..."Where has the fun gone?"...and "Why is it gone?"

Buying a car should be Fun! It's always nice to get new things, and especially when it comes to major purchases, it should be a good experience. Whether you're getting an automobile out of necessity, or for other reasons, a new vehicle should be something you're excited about. All to often, dealer staffs look at the whole process as routine, and their "job", and loose sight of the customer on the other side of the desk. This is a big deal to alot of them (first car...family on way...new job...), whatever the reason, it is a big deal, and let's recognize that! Especially now, when times are toughest for dealers, it may be harder than ever to put on the "game face" and "selling shoes" when they head to the dealership in the morning. I'd like to share some ideas here, for how to put the fun back into showrooms. Please add any ideas you have had, or share some experiences you may have had, as well.

I'll start by tipping my hat to Josh Towbin, of Towbin Dodge. Many who have seen him, or the King of Cars, on television, have never seen his Vegas info-mercial, or understand the true craziness that is "the Chopper Show". The one thing Josh focuses on his having fun, and it all starts with the staff. I probably wouldn't be crazy about a dunk tank at the dealership, but I do believe in making it fun...

"do what you love, love what you do."

Saturn has also made buying a car a celebration. Clients as well as Consultants appreciate the fun that is buying a car.

My suggestion: With the technology we have available to us, why not take a picture of the customer with their new car, and e-mail to them, for them to print, or to share with friends and family. And remember, referrals are a great source of free advertising, so put your .com and logo at the bottom of the photo.

Happy Holidays, and Have Fun!

Justicia

-- Smarter Dealer Solutions

justiciaw@smarterdealer.com
http://www.smarterdealer.com

ADM

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:35:00 +0000

A little background on Me

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:49:00 +0000

About Me : I began my automotive career on the floor in '92, with the intent to move into finance. I then became a sub-prime manager, and moved completely to F&I in '95. By 1998 I started working independently as a consultant to F&I, doing training, fill-in and computer set-ups/forms building for dealers on ADP. Over the years I've done alot of work with companies like JM&A, Resource & Zurich, and I began to see that the large dealer groups had companies to provide them with alot of tools and resources to help them be more successful and profitable. But what about the "little guys"? Small franchise stores and Independents seem to be looked over by alot of the companies, because they feel that more is better. And so, Smarter Dealer Solutions was born in 2008. I set up a finance department from scratch at a larger independent this spring, and realized that with the right tools, the little guys could deliver just as many used units as alot of the franchises. (in some cases MORE!) How could this be? Franchises have more lending options, better access to vehicles, customers reaching them through manufacturer's ad budgets, etc. In talking to clients, associates and friends in the biz, I realized that one of the biggest factors is how a dealer uses technology and digital marketing. I would appreciate any feedback in this area.

I'm also happy to report that in the last Wisconsin Report for Used Vehicle Sales, the top 50 had quite a few independents, 7 in the top 25 ytd!

So, as the New Year approaches, my goal for 2009 is to help as many "little guys" make it through these tough times as I can!

Hope everyone has a great holiday season, and best wishes for the new year.
Justicia

Promote the Internet Director into a much larger role

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:40:00 +0000

A good article on the changing role of the "internet guy" at dealerships, but that could apply to alot of other businesses, as well:

The death of the Internet Director

"To everyone on Dealer Refresh, there’s a very simple answer when it comes to marketing: the Internet.
However, let’s take “the Internet” in a different direction. We all know online advertising has further reach than traditional media and costs much less than traditional media as well. However, traditional media is still a very viable marketing tool. Television, radio, and even the newspaper still have a place in the marketing mix. The mix has just shifted."

Posted using ShareThis by JW
www.smarterdealer.com
justiciaw@smarterdealer.com

Where are customers looking for cars?

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:54:00 +0000

Where are customers looking for cars?

Recent studies find that 75-80 percent of auto buyers are using the web during their shopping process. The total amount of time spent online has increased, while the number of sites visited has remained relatively flat.

Please help me conduct my own polls on this topic, here on my blog: http://smarterdealer.blogspot.com

Thank You,

JusticiaW

Smarter Dealer Solutions
http://www.smarterdealer.com
justiciaw@smarterdealer.com

www.smarterdealer.com

noreply@blogger.com (Justicia W) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:06:00 +0000