Have you seen iTap Menu?

The best thing about the DealerRefresh forums are of course all the conversations happening day in and day out. Some of the best conversations start with a simple question about a new product or offering.

Within the thread “Dealer Desking Favorites“, one of our members JamieS linked to a new desking company – iTap Menu. I was curious so I made a few phone calls and introduced myself to the founder Shawn and sat through a demo of their cutting edge product.

I like it! A alot!

Not only did I sit through a product demo of iTap Menu but also spent some additional time asking Shawn a few questions.

Jeff – Shawn, Why does the industry need yet another F&I menu?

Shawn – Because the existing providers created a product that simply doesn’t work in the manner it was designed to.

An unchangeable piece of paper full of text, first and foremost, will not convince someone to increase their monthly payment by $60-80/month. Second, the actual “structure” of the menu is not conducive to selling products.

Why are we presenting four columns labeled after metals from the periodic table and, with no real meaning to the customer, lightly decreasing each column in products and payments from left to right? And finally, 99% of the time, the customer doesn’t want one of the options exactly as created, so now what?  You can’t change a piece of paper…unless you have a Sharpie and your DMS handy to re-calculate the requested changes.

Jeff – What about the F&I Managers that use a menu and produce good numbers?

Shawn – It’s not because of the menu, I know that. I’ve been asked this before.  Thirteen years of consulting and observing F&I departments in over 500 stores confirmed it.

Talented people with a dealership committed to F&I…a culture and history of success, with solid Sales Managers, trained Salespeople, motivating pay plans, and the right set of products. That’s what has made these F&I Managers successful. The paper, four-column menu is simply a by-product of that success. Ask the real F&I professionals. They stopped using the current menu as we know it years ago. And the ones that still do essentially use it to create dialog and negotiate payments with the customer. They aren’t feature/benefit/closing.

With a four-column menu and the way it’s structured, that process isn’t possible. This isn’t my opinion. It’s a fact. Look at it. It’s ugly! Would you personally buy anything from it?  Hell no.

Jeff – How is iTapMenu so different from your competitors?

Shawn – First of all, look at it.  It’s incredible. Look at the menu screen.  It was designed by artists, not developers. Apple inspired artists at that.  100 out of 100 people would agree there’s no comparison in the visual experience vs a paper menu.

The customization is also a HUGE difference.  You can move products in and out of options with an immediate change in the payment, you can change the term and rate, increase the down payment, and discount products right on the fly on the iPad.

I envision the F&I Manager using iTap on the showroom floor or sitting next to the customer in their office and actually letting the customer use iTap.  Giving the customer some power will change how they view the F&I Manager, the dealership, and the overall experience.  And, they’ll buy more products because they’re well informed about the products through iTap’s videos and statistics AND they’ll develop a sense of trust because they are involved in the decision.  No more shell games.

And finally, the structure of the menu is different.  I laugh at four column menus and how they’re structured to decrease the products and payments from left to right.  We’re basically stating we understand there’s no way you’re going to buy the first option, so “pretty please” have some interest in one of these less expensive options.  It would be like asking someone to buy a car for $20,000 but then immediately offering them to buy it for $19,000 or $18,000 or $17,000.  Gee, wonder which one they’re going to choose?

With iTap, it simply doesn’t work that way.

Jeff – Shawn, thanks for your time today. You mentioned that you would be attending NADA 2012 but you would not have a booth. How would one contact you for more information?

Shawn – you can of course visit our website at www.itapmenu.com or give me a call at 317-696-6396

Why Do We Need Another F&I Menu? is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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There are some basic expectations I have after doing this for for a while:

1. No one will believe 100% of what I say
2. People assume I’m always selling

So what does that mean?  It means that the best way for me to be sure I”m taken seriously is to present 3rd party data.

Dealer.com partnered with GfK Automotive and DriverSide to study the impact of social on the purchase process.  If you don’t know GfK, Search “Automotive Purchase Funnel”.  Good chance they come up first because they created this term.  They call nearly every OEM a client, and provide research and training based on the funnel model.  They’re a global research firm specializing in automotive data.  Another way to say it: They go out and actually talk to auto consumers.  Pretty good idea.

So What??

I am a social networker.  Have been for years.  The result is a lot of “gut instincts”.  Relying on gut instincts is many times the same as assuming.  We all know what happens when you assume…

Here are some things that I learned from the study that I think you’ll find valuable too:

Don’t think Social Media is used to research cars?

38% of those interviewed in the study indicated that they would be using social resources to research their next purchase.  What kind of research?  Everything from price to features to finding a dealership.

Be that consumer for a second.  Can you find any of this info on your own facebook page?

The benefits far outweigh the risks

Why would I get a facebook page?  That’s just another place for people to talk trash about me.

Ever heard someone say that?

27% of those surveyed said that they used or will use facebook specifically as part of their purchase process.  Of that 27%, 44% said that they had personally posted a comment about a brand or model on facebook.  And guess what?  82% of the content they posted was positive.  That’s right, people can be nice too.  Lesson:  The benefits far outweigh the risks.

The little things make all the difference

In the group who said they used facebook in their buying process:

• 57% said that seeing an ad or promotion for a brand or vehicle “liked” by a friend or family member would impact their consideration of that brand or vehicle
• 52% said that just seeing someone check in on a location based service (foursquare, Gowalla, facebook places etc..) would impact their consideration.

What does this mean?  It means that we are quickly moving beyond the days when having a facebook page is enough.  Believe it or not, we are in an age where you do have to manage many channels in order to be an effective marketer.

People who are loyal use social media more

Create more loyal customers.  Why?

- Those who are dealer loyal are 14% more likely to use social media as part of their new vehicle ownership experience.

• 70% of folks who are brand loyal use facebook weekly compared to 60% of those who are not brand loyal.
• 49% of those who are dealer loyal indicate they will use social media to research their next vehicle vs. 38% of the overall base.

So.  Want more people out there saying great things about you?  Want to earn more referral business?  Ready to try a new conquest strategy?  Put more money into the post-purchase experience than you do today.  How?

Some dealers have owners’ clubs.  A BMW dealer might have an open invitation for a quarterly 3 series owner get together.  Drivers come to the store for a BBQ, swap stories, learn a bit about their cars, maybe drive the new 3 series… this is the type of stuff that drives social content.  There are a million ideas like these out there, just ask around.

Finally, this one is a heartbreaker

Only 17% of the folks interviewed said they had been asked to “Like” a dealers’ facebook page.  81% of those people followed through.  Tell me again why your fan acquisition strategy costs so much?  Couldn’t your salespeople just ask every buyer?

Ask yourself doessocialmatter.com?  Download the study and find the info that matters most to you.

Does Social Matter? is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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It’s impossible to be even a casual DealerRefresh reader and not have come across a ZMOT discussion over the last year or so.

For those of you still assuming that ZMOT is that new kosher malt beverage soon arriving in a delicatessen near you, the Zero Moment Of Truth (ZMOT) is that marketing concept guru’d by Google’s Jim Lecinski, formatively describing modern shoppers’ purchase decision making process through the digital funnel of online social interactions, peer reviews, product ratings, video, etc.

The actual term ZMOT is a play on the terms used in an older Proctor and Gamble study describing the First Moment of Truth (FMOT), and of course if you have a First, you’ll need a Second (SMOT). So we have a whole lotta Moments of Truth here, and if you’d like more information, go ahead and Google them yourself!

Not too many of us dealer-minded people get too caught-up in all this fancy- shmancy marketing lingo.

ZMOT? THERE’S AN UP ON THE LOT!! And herein lies the origin of WMOT….

For a moment, let’s assume that I’ve mastered the art of ZMOT. I’m Facebook’ed out the wazzoo…. Hundreds of positive ratings averaging 4.8. Live walk-around videos on all of my Used Cars, 22 actual pictures of my entire New Car Inventory, funny and accurate descriptions: perfect merchandizing. Traffic is lining-up at my door to do business with my store – they love us!!

The door opens, and there it is:

“Kin I hep yuz?” with a full face-full of some combination of garlic, cheese and cigarette smoke that instantly dries your eyeballs and singes your nose hairs.

We’ve just witnessed WMOT: the dealership’s Worst Moment Of Truth. In this case, it’s the realization that all the efforts and dollars put into attracting a client have just been nullified because Stinky Pete doesn’t use mouthwash and never learned to shake hands.

The very interesting thing about WMOT is that there can be many in one dealership, and one dealer’s WMOT may not apply to another dealership. Our people can be our WMOT. Our lack of process can be our WMOT. Our attitude can be our WMOT.

The real problem with WMOT is that it can cancel the best ZMOT. It just doesn’t matter how well you market your goods and services if your people, process, and attitude stink.

Now this is a blog, and by a blog’s very nature, we are going to attract the ilk comfortable discussing digital issues and best practices, technology, and the latest and greatest of everything. But at the risk of sounding like the old timer I’ve become, I’m going to ponder the world (and maybe write a follow-up article or two) where DP’s, GM’s, GSM’s, SM’s, ILM’s, etc., work under a valance of balance. Where the “modern” GM realizes that a hand-shake and eye contact is just as important as Google (Sorry Jade!). Where the ability to put a client at-ease is regarded as highly as the ability to generate 50 leads from the website. Balance is the key to eradicating WMOT.

Anybody catch the Pro-Bowl the other night? All those All-Stars… all those Zillionaires… do you know that the 1st day of training camp every year they concentrate on getting into and getting out of their stance? Yes… the most basic of basics…. How to stand, squat, and step.

Surprised to learn that the Elite focus-on, emphasize and practice the basics?

Is there a lesson there?

Can you recall a WMOT in your experience?

What is Your Dealer’s WMOT! is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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Now that we’ve covered the why and how, let’s talk about where to recruit the 1.7 million Gen Y employees in the workplace today.

Obviously, the best ways would be to write a small indie film about a car dealer that premieres at the Sundance film festival, and/or have Obama visit your company.

But if that’s not an option, here is the place to start.

Craigslist – Craigslist is the Gen Y job hunting mothership. The average Gen Y’er spends hours a day on Craigslist as it is, and job seekers use it more addictively than any, refreshing the job listings like a recreational sport. The sheer volume, the real-time updates, and the cost-free nature make this site job-hunting catnip for my generation.

Additionally, while the “Sales/Bus Dev” job category might seem like the most natural place to post your listing, don’t be afraid to consider other categories. Many Gen Y’ers instinctively abhor the idea of sales or being a “salesman,” but we absolutely love “Marketing/PR” or “Business/Management.” Think carefully about the job duties and desired qualifications you’re looking to fill, and categorize based on those, not by industry. Note: If you do go after a less traditional job category, don’t be vague about what kind of business you are in. Be very upfront that it’s a car dealership and that you’re just looking for some diversity. You may find you’re rewarded for your honesty.

Facebook ads – Why wait for Gen Yer’s to find you? Message them where they live: on Facebook. While my generation is self-trained to tune out traditional advertising (thank you, Safari Adblocker), Facebook ads are the exception. With their highly-targeted capability, their clever and creative messaging, and their “lifestyle” feel, Facebook has really cracked the code for creating advertising that is relevant, interesting and appealing to Gen Y’ers.

For the same reasons, Facebook ads are a recruiter’s dream. You can target by education, geography, age, interests, and much more. Try targeting for some terms like “cars” or “automotive,” as well as terms like “entrepreneurship” “business opportunities” and “job.” Make sure to include an eye-catching image and an enticing call to action.

Linkedin – No matter how cool your ads are, chances are most Gen Y’ers just won’t ever stumble across them. Why wait for them to come to you when you can go to them? Gen Y’ers love getting recruited, and it allows you to handpick the cream of the crop, rather than weeding through a massive pile of applications. You can target by industry-specific keywords, software skills, or even employment status-terms like “Looking for” and “Seeking” are LinkedIn code for “unemployed.”

Referral Incentives – Gen Yer’s are all about connections, and this is especially true when it comes to our careers. Our post-grad cycle goes something like this: graduate, apply to every CEO position at the world’s best companies, accept defeat, become an Outback Steakhouse waitress, and then at last, alert every single person in your social circle that you are looking for a job-help!

Knowing this, exploit my generation’s beloved peer pressure for the positive by incentivizing your employees to refer their friends, their friend’s kids, etc. Monetary bonuses, gift cards, free lunches, or even extra days off are all great ways to get your employees excited about making referrals. If you can’t afford huge prizes, just make it fun by spotlighting referrers in company meetings or holding friendly competitions to see who can refer the most people.

Make yourself discoverable – Last but not least, it’s all about inbound marketing, and Gen Y recruiting is no exception. If you’ve got a competitive payment structure or a sweet company culture, expose those things on your website, your company Facebook profile and your Youtube channel. Encourage your employees to leave you good reviews on Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.com). Then, sit back and watch the good job juju roll in. You get back what you put out, so create an attractive inbound space and I guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

And if you need help writing that Sundance script, I know an awesome writer;)

Have you tried any of these Gen Y job hunting techniques? How did they go?

Gen Y Hiring Part 2: Where to Recruit Gen Yers is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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Charity + Super Bowl + Cars.com = a quick newsworthy post.

Cars.com has a cool charity promotion their running with their Super Bowl ad. Dealers are of course encourage to participate.

What’s it about?

Car.com will be giving the massive audience of Super Bowl XLVI the power to make a big difference in the lives of kids and young adults through its “Cars Cares” campaign.  During the Super Bowl this year, when the Cars.com commercial airs, viewers who use the popular Shazam App to tag the ad will earn $1.00 for one of seven charities in contention for a maximum $100,000 donation from the site.

How very generous of Cars.com.

The maximum $100,000 donation will be given to the charity which receives the most votes on the Cars.com Facebook page between January 26 and February 13.  Eligible organizations were selected for the work they do to drive confidence in kids.

Each organization has a unique focus on educating youth and providing programs and services that drive self-esteem, positive decision making and healthy behaviors

“It was important to us to identify organizations whose culture and values match our own and to give our community a voice in deciding which organization should be the recipient of our first Cars Cares donation.” - Mitch Golub

Votes can be cast daily through February 13, and the winning organization will be announced on Monday, February 20, 2012.

The charities are:

• Adopt-A-Classroom helps underfunded teachers by providing them with community partners and funding to purchase the tools, materials and supplies they need to help students learn as effectively as possible in today’s classrooms.
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation works to address one of our leading public health threats – childhood obesity. Through its nationwide efforts the Alliance works to positively affect places that make a difference to a child’s health: homes, schools, doctor’s offices and communities.
• Cameras For Kids Foundation brings the gift of photography to underprivileged teenagers living in foster facilities across the United States. By use of digital cameras, these teenagers build up confidence, self-esteem, artistic talent and gain a skill set by learning about the fundamentals of photography through workshops, photo shoots and Fine Art Photography Exhibits.
• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) inspires children to be lifelong readers by delivering free books and literacy resources to underserved children from birth to age 8. Through the dedication of more than 400,000 volunteers nationwide, RIF motivates children to follow their dreams and achieve their full potential.
• SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) empowers teens to stand up for positive, healthy choices.  SADD students work to keep their peers safe and help them avoid making destructive decisions around underage drinking, drug use, risky and impaired driving, and teen violence and suicide.
• Scholarship America believes that every student deserves an opportunity to go to college regardless of their financial status, and since 1958 has awarded more than $2.7 billion to 1.8 million students across the country.
• VH1 Save the Music is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education programs in America’s public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education. Since 1997, VH1 Save The Music has provided $48 million worth of new musical instruments, donated to more than 1,800 public schools in more than 100 cities around the country, impacting the lives of more than 1.8 million public school students.

So Sunday during Super Bowl XLVI, be sure to have your Shazam App loaded and ready!!

Cars.com Super Bowl Charity – You’re Encouraged to Participate! is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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During a recent management retreat, a colleague introduced the group to the Internet’s fastest growing Social Networking site, Pinterest.com. Pinterest (pronounced pin-terest, not pin-interest) has burst onto the Internet with growth rates we haven’t seen since Facebook. Traffic has jumped to almost 11 million visitors in mid-December, nearly 40 times where it was only six months ago. Pinterest is now in the top 7 social networks on the web, with 59% of its users being women ages 25-44.

During the brief demonstration I watched, I initially didn’t understand the mission of the site, or rather, why it would drive consumer eyeballs. I learned that you needed to “apply for admission” which could take weeks, or you could find another Pinterest user and have them invite you. Just like learning about every other social network, you’ll never truly understand it until you immerse yourself (which is what I did). While I was figuring out the value proposition Pinterest offered, I also showed the site to my wife and her sister. Their instant addiction caused me to embark on a journey to find out more about this site, and potentially how it might help my customers (you, the car dealer).

If you visit the site, you will notice that the majority of content relates to food, home decorating, crafts, and child-related ideas. I took a stab at creating a man’s version of the site, including my interests in cool cars, vintage guitars, and outdoor barbecuing. I was pleasantly surprised that when I searched for related “Pins” and “Boards”, I found there were many others with similar interests.

Pinterest is all about pictures, not so much about words. When you find an interesting picture on the web, you “Pin” the picture and it is attached to your profile. You can also have “Boards”, which are subject-related collections of Pins. I have Boards for “Cool Cars”, “Vintage Guitars”, etc. Every time I find a picture of a cool car, I “Pin” the picture and put in on the “Cool Cars” Board. You can also “Re-Pin” someone else’s Pin, which propagates that content across the web. You can also simply “like” someone else’s Pin, which just shows you liked it, but didn’t feel compelled to Re-Pin it.

Since a major component of a dealer’s social marketing strategy should be to build a social network, and join in on the conversations, I would think a progressive dealer would start a profile for their store, and simply “Pin” new or used car photos for special or unique items. You might also “Pin” pictures of cool aftermarket or OEM accessories, perhaps alone or as part of a customer’s vehicle. You should be careful not to be too self-promoting, or you will be unlikely to attract many followers. Instead, only show the very new, or very special, models or products, and simply try to create interest. Creativity attracts interest on the site, by adding unique titles and high-quality photographs; you can increase the traffic to your profile. Be forewarned, Pinterest has rules where they discourage overt self-promotion, and you wouldn’t want to start your experience getting blacklisted.

You could also search the site for related “Pins” for makes/models that you carry, and “Re- Pin” those items and maybe add a comment with your thoughts. Again, don’t add a comment that could be in any way considered self-promoting but instead add an interesting fact about the benefits of the car’s make/model. You should also begin “following” other Pinners with similar interests, or anyone who starts following you. Like all social media sights, networking is key. Another idea would be to use your knowledge and statistics about the users on the site, and gear some of your boards to them. For example, since the majority of Pinterest users are women, create Boards that appeal to women and direct them back to your profile to increase views of your Boards.

You could create a Board for your local community with pinned pictures of your community involvement, Little League teams you’ve sponsored, and your passion for your surroundings. You could create a Board with pictures of cool home garages, pictures of interesting driving destinations, or even pictures of vehicle interior customizations. Once again, creativity is key on this site.

The goal is to create Boards that reflect the personality and culture of the dealership, and the interests of the owner. As in all social marketing programs, you are trying to personally connect, in many cases one-on-one with other people with similar interests. If they feel a personal connection with you, they may eventually decide to become your customer, since people like doing business with friends.

I’ll admit, it took me a while to get my hands wrapped around this new site, but the growth stats are incredible. Effective Digital Marketing Strategy says to promote your business where people are spending their time online, so Pinterest definitely fits the bill. This site will force you to be a little more creative, and a little more subdued in your approach, but the exposure and payoff in the long run should be worth it. Chances are most dealers will read this article and move on, so your opportunity to be an early entrant could give you a nice head start.

Good luck, and please let me know how I can help!

Should Dealers Have Interest in Pinterest? is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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According to Google Trends, email is more popular than beer, Lady Gaga, McDonald’s and American Idol… but not sex.

Email continues to be one of the most cost-effective ways of staying connected with your customers, but it only works if you have your customers’ active email addresses (and their consent).

Here are 12 ways you can invite your customers to share their email with you.

1. Have you spiffed your advisors lately?
Run a promotion with your advisors and pay them $1 for each email address collected. Whatever percentage of emails that are collected during the promotion should be a good benchmark for the percentage that can be collected after the promotion.

If a $1/email sounds too expensive keep in mind that you’ll spend anywhere from $.68 to $1.25 in costs to mail a letter once you factor in time, paper, envelope, toner, and postage.

2. How about spiffing your customers?
Offer your customers an incentive to join such as a special service discount or enter them into a drawing for an iPad. If your emails and newsletters offer helpful, valuable content then your customers will stay with you once the incentive is over. Note: the best way to make sure you are getting the customer’s active email address is to email them the incentive or the registration confirmation rather than just handing them a coupon.

3. Facebook Sign-ups
Do something with all that traffic you’re sending to your Facebook page and invite people to sign-up for your newsletter by including a sign-up form on your page. Use your wall posts and updates to reference upcoming newsletters and link to your subscription center.

4. Get more mileage from your website
Add a sign-up form to your most popular webpages. Make the signup easy to find and easy to complete. One dealer website required customers to create an account and then log in through that account in order to join their list… way too much effort for most customers. You might consider adding customer testimonials on your signup page to let new subscribers know what your current subscribers think of your emails and newsletters.

5. Make every form a sign-up form
You have forms on your website to request test drives, request details on a vehicle, contact you, etc. These forms are already asking for the customer’s name and email. See if you can add a checkbox and an invitation to join your email list as well.

6. Make the love last after dealership events
If you’re hosting new owner clinics, chamber mixers, and other community events at your dealership where people are registering their attendance, include a sign-up option with the registration. Let them know by joining your email list you’ll be able to keep them informed of other upcoming events.

7. Put the post office to work for you
Send a postcard (cheaper and more effective than a letter and envelope) to customers inviting them to go green and join your email list.

Make sure you highlight what’s in it for them for joining. Caution: don’t let an email preference eliminate postal mailings. One dealer I know setup their CRM so when a customer opted to receive the dealer’s information by email, it marked the customer as Do Not Mail. Almost overnight they lost the permission to send postal mailings to a big chunk of their database. By the time the mistake was caught months later, they couldn’t separate which customers specifically didn’t want mailers from those that just preferred email.

8. Would you like fries with that?
Your F&I people, BDC callers, the cashiers, as well as your service advisors all have your customer’s attention either in-person or when they are on the phone with the customer and usually while the customer’s account information is open on the computer. Use this opportunity to ask the add-on question “Would you like to receive (insert manufacturer) updates and service coupons by email?” That approach usually gets a much more favorable response than the typical “Can I have your email address?”

9. At your service…
How many people do you have sitting in your service lounge right now? How many people go through there each day? Give them something to do rather than just watch old episodes of People’s Court on TV. Add a computer station with some nice signage inviting people to register. By using a computer terminal or an iPad, you don’t have to worry about typos or the data entry challenges that come from illegible writing on sign-up forms. Plus, you avoid this conversation: “What are those slips of paper in that box in the corner?” “Oh, those are our email signups from last month/year that I haven’t had time to enter yet.”

10. As long as you’re going to kill a tree:
How many pieces of paper go into the hands of your customers each day? Repair estimates, service receipts, finance contracts, business cards and service reminder mailers are probably just a few. Why not add a line to the bottom of your printed materials inviting people to join your list and the online address they can sign-up at?

Remember to tell them what the benefits are so they want to sign-up.

11. What’s black, white and read all over?
How about using a QR code that takes a visitor directly to your email signup page? These can be printed on everything from business cards to window stickers. Then, it is as easy as: point, shoot and sign-up… just make sure your webpage is optimized for mobile viewing. And while I don’t have any scientific evidence to support this, I do think it makes you look a whole lot cooler than a signup form on a clipboard.

12. Avoid taking one step forward and two steps back.
OK, this tip is less about getting subscribers and more about not losing the ones you have. Make sure the content you are sending is of value to your customers. For example, if you bought a house last year, do you want your real estate agent to email you new listings each month? Give people content that educates and entertains and you’ll keep them coming back for more, as well as sharing with their social network… which can lead to more sign-ups.

What process have you implemented to acquire more email addresses at your dealership?

12 Ways to Get More Connected to Customers in 2012 is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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I recall 15 years ago having conversations with dealers regarding the importance and necessity of deploying a dealer branded website. Today, dealers are now battling that same argument around the deployment of a dealer branded consumer mobile website / application.

Are dealer branded consumer apps a necessity or a nuisance?

Importance of mobile

With over 4.5 billion mobile subscribers in the US alone, dealers would have a hard time finding an argument against the importance of deploying a mobile strategy. As a key touch point that connects consumers to businesses, dealers need to consider that deploying a dealer branded consumer mobile app in their dealership is not only a necessity but also a cost effective way of increasing customer loyalty and ultimately driving repeat business.

Why are consumer apps important?

Nielsen Ratings reports that 44 percent of mobile subscribers in the US use smart phone technology. Of those, 71 percent own either an Android or iPhone device. Moreover, for the first time ever, mobile app usage in the US has surpassed desktop and mobile web consumption. Consumers are spending more time within mobile apps than ever before – nearly 2,555 minutes more per year. This is a clear statement to all dealers to get in the game. Be active. Stay connected to your customers. Be mobile.

Why will consumers use dealer branded apps?

Consumer trends show us that businesses continue to compete for consumer mindshare and ultimately, space on their smart phone. In fact, iPhone users download an average of 40 new apps each year, Android users download 25 and Blackberry users download 14 annually, respectively.

The top downloaded apps across all operating systems include: Facebook, Pandora, the Weather Channel, and Google maps. This is not surprising since consumers are interested in not only downloading but spending time in applications that are user-friendly and help make their life easier.

What dealers should look for when deploying a consumer app?

If mobile is important and consumers are actively using mobile apps, then it is clearly a necessity for each dealer to consider the best way to deploy this technology within their dealership.

Recent industry examples have helped to define what dealers should look for in a consumer mobile app. Ultimately, dealers should select a provider that can offer both convenient and on-demand channels of communication for their customers. Dealers should select a mobile app that includes not only a smart phone vehicle information application, but a two-way communication channel between dealer and consumer.

Today, relevant consumer mobile apps involve making information that used to be stuffed into the glove box available at a consumer’s fingertips. This information includes: general vehicle information, vehicle operations, maintenance and even warranty details. Connecting to real-time smart phone critical functionality, such as Google Maps, camera or QR scanners, help make the application necessary for daily use.

More advanced mobile apps include the ability to calculate loan payments, schedule maintenance appointments and evaluate vehicle trade-in values. For dealers this is a win-win. Imagine the ability to not only maintain real estate on a consumer’s mobile device but also track that usage. This will provide the ability to know if a consumer is shopping for a new vehicle.

Call to action

The time is now to start investigating how consumer mobile app technology fits into your marketing strategy and customer lifecycle management process.

What do you think – are dealer branded consumer apps a necessity or a nuisance?

Dealer Branded Consumer Mobile Apps – Necessity or a Nuisance? is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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Last month we helped promote the DrivingSales vendor ratings CONTEST, so of course we would highlight the winners.

It was great to see a few DealerRefresh members in the winning circle. A quick Congratulations to our good friends Aaron Holland, Larry Whitson, and Jeff Collins for winning the Driving Sales weekly contest drawing and receiving a $100 Amazon gift card each!

But big winner of the MacBook Air is  Michael Baker from Antioch Auto Center! <– some juice for ya

Mike will be receiving a brand new, straight from the store, 11-inch MacBook Air. Mike, you’re going to love it! I’m typing out this post on my 11-inch MacBook Air. Be sure to check out this thread once you have that baby fired up for our members suggestions on what apps to get for your new MacBook Air.

The DrivingSales vendor ratings is catching on, as I quote Mike – “I have totally used your Vendor Ratings to look up other vendors and products that we might want to use”

The prizes and contests are one thing, and we have a lot of discussions here on DealerRefresh Forums about different vendors and services,  but it’s also great to have an additional organized place where dealers can see how other industry services stack up against each other in one place.

Thanks to all the DealerRefresh members that have helped contribute to the DrivingSales vendor ratings. Remember, you can rate your vendors all year long – once per quarter for each vendor. Each review makes the database more robust and better informs dealer
decisions.

Again, congratulations to Mike Baker as the grand prize winner of a brand new MacBook Air!

DrivingSales Vendor Ratings Contest Winners Are… is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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When a dealer client asks me what CRM vendor I prefer, I first ask them what is it about their current CRM they’re married to that they don’t like.

Why isn’t that relationship working out?

Could it be they don’t value it enough?

Maybe they don’t invest as much time and energy into it as they could. Sometimes, though, it is that the technology is not doing the job that it should. It breaks down too often, won’t communicate with every other software, or do the little things in the relationship that a CRM should.

A great CRM, in a way, is like my wife.

Simply put, they keep your house in order. They track EVERYTHING. They remember EVERYTHING (often to the dismay of others). They communicate with all the different parties and keep the relationships you have with others open and honest. They alert you by the minute, by the hour, and by the day as to what you should be doing with your time. They are a living, walking, breathing To-Do List.

If you want to know when someone’s birthday is, they know. Do you want to remember what you said to someone three weeks ago, somehow they remember. How do you know that person? They can tell you. When do you have to call someone, write someone, email someone… they remind you to do it.

Let’s face it, a dealer without a great CRM (much like me without my wife), will naturally forget everything that needs to be done. All of the tasks to be completed will never be without that guardian angel in your corner (and in your ear).

They’ll clean up after you. They’ll do chores for you. Save you time. Send out communication on your behalf. Sign your name on the letters. They’re your trusted calendars. All the information you have ever shared with it, it has stored. Forever. Somehow miraculously, it can recall every detail you’ve given it (and even some you didn’t give it.)

A great CRM (like my wife is to me) truly makes you a better (sales) person.

If you have that type of CRM in your store, hang onto it. Treat it right. Pay attention to it. If you don’t have a CRM that does the little things to make your life exponentially easier, maybe it is time to take a close look at your relationship with that vendor and cut the ties.

While everyone tells you about the horrors of trying to find that perfect someCRM, when you find the right fit (as I have), they make everything you do that much easier. You’ll try so much harder to give it what it needs as well. You’ll go above and beyond at every instance to involve it in every deal at every point. It is a partnership. They make you a more successful you. In a simple-to-understand, yet overused term, they complete you.

Are you complete with your CRM?

A Great CRM is Like My Wife is a post from: Internet sales manager training

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