Rich Dealers placed No. 628 on the overall list and No. 70 in the Advertising and Marketing
category for registering a three-years sales growth of 583% between 2008 and 2011.
Companies on the 2012 Inc. 5000 were ranked according to percentage revenue growth when
comparing 2008 to 2011.

“We’re excited to make the list. It’s a testament to our mission of helping our clients make their
businesses and lives more ESP—Enjoyable, Simple and Prosperous,” says Vee. Miller added,
“This year we helped dealers realize record profits and increased productivity, resulting in a
better quality of life. In return, we’ve realized the same benefit. Rich Dealers is thrilled to rank
among the top growing companies in the U.S. It’s an honor!”

“Now, more than ever, we depend on the Inc. 500/5000 companies to spur innovation, provide
jobs, and drive the economy forward. Growth companies, not large corporations, are where the
action is,” said Inc. Editor Eric Schurenberg.

The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the
economy—America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Rich Dealers ranked amongst such
powerhouses as Publix Supermarkets, CDW, Levi Straus, KIND, Yelp and Facebook.
The 2012 Inc. 5000, unveiled today on Inc.com, serves as a unique report card on the U.S.
economy. Companies that ranked among the 2012 Inc. 5000 list thrived through three of the
toughest years this economy has seen in living memory. The Inc. 5000 are responsible for
creating more than 1 million jobs since their founding, making the list perhaps the best example
of the impact private, fast-growing companies can have on the economy. Complete results of
the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by
industry, region, and other criteria, can be found on Inc.com.

About Rich Dealers:

Founded in 2004, Rich Dealers is a Customer Attraction Agency with a proven, scientific
approach to help automotive dealers attract customers and increase net profit.
Rich Dealers’ founders, Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller, provide a complete marketing,
management and productivity system for creating a rich life and an amazing business to retail
automotive dealers nationwide.

###

CONTACT: Jamey Holder, 407-275-8667, Jamey@goodgravity.com

In addition to Licensee’s initial agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement at the time of the execution of the Rich Dealers Success Commitment and Authorization form, each time Licensee or its employees, agents or contractors opens any package containing marketing and advertising materials made available by Licensor Licensee hereby renews its agreement and intent to be bound by the then current terms and conditions contained below.

Licensee acknowledges that this Agreement contains, among other things, provisions concerning VENUE, CHOICE OF LAW, LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY, LIMITATIONS OF WARRANTIES AND WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.

BACKGROUND

Licensor has developed, continues to develop, and owns the rights in and to: (1) that certain mark “For the People” concerning automobile dealership marketing and operations; (2) copyrights and know-how in and to advertisements and related creative materials, and media placement and purchase methodologies. Licensor also owns and operates a consulting and information business for automobile dealers known as “Rich Dealers Institute.”

Licensee engages, and has, for a substantial time prior to entering this Agreement, engaged, in the automobile dealership business. Licensee is also a member in good standing of the “Rich Dealers Institute,” desires to use the Materials and Mark and has agreed to abide by the terms and conditions of the “Rich Dealers Institute” code of ethics.

AGREEMENT

NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

1. License to Mark and Materials.

1.1 License Grant with Limited Exclusivity. On the terms and conditions set forth herein as of the Effective Date and for the Term (as defined in section 1.5), Licensor hereby grants to Licensee a non-transferable license to: (A) use the Mark and the Materials (both as defined on below) solely: (1) within the Territory (as defined on Success Commitment and Authorization Form) and (2) for, and directly in connection with, securing customer prospects for the automobile dealership doing business at the Location in accordance with the Code of Ethics; and
(B) to make derivative works of the Materials (the “Derivative Works”) only by adding information specific to Licensee’s business operations or otherwise modifying the Materials to meet and comply with all of the legal, regulatory, contractual and other requirements and obligations applicable to Licensee and its business and advertising operations; and (C) to copy and make reproductions of the Mark and the Materials for use solely in connection with the activities described in (A) above; provided that: (1) any third party engaged to make any copy or reproduction or otherwise utilize any Mark or Material for the benefit of Licensee (a “Licensee Vendor”) shall be advised, in writing by Licensee, that the Mark and the Materials and the copyrights and other intellectual property therein are the sole property of Licensor; and (2) Licensee shall notify Licensor, in writing, of the name, contact information and dates of utilization of each Licensee Vendor no later than the date Licensee first engages such Licensee Vendor concerning any of the Mark(s) or the Materials; ((A) and (C) being the “Licensed Rights”).

Licensor shall not grant any third party the right to exercise the Licensed Rights in the Territory during the Term. Licensee shall be responsible for and timely pay all costs incurred in connection with the exercise of the Licensed Rights. “Mark” means “For the people” and any other trademark(s), trade name(s) or service mark(s) that Licensor, by written notice from Licensor specifically referencing this Agreement, makes subject to the terms and conditions hereof. “Materials” means those advertisements and related materials described on Exhibit A hereto together with any of the foregoing that Licensor, by written notice from Licensor specifically referencing this Agreement, makes subject to the terms and conditions hereof. Licensee shall exercise the Licensed Rights in good faith strictly in accordance with the Code of Ethics so as to maximize the value of and goodwill associated with the Marks and the Materials and not to damage or otherwise negatively affect the value of the Marks or the Materials.

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1.4 Limitations. The Licensed Rights do not include the grant to Licensee of any right to engage in any other activity relating to any other intellectual property of Licensor or concerning any Mark or the Materials, including, without limitation: (A) modification, amendment or enhancement; or (B) the right to adopt or utilize any mark that is deceptively similar to, or would cause confusion with, a Mark. Licensee acknowledges the Licensor has not made, and will not make, any determination or representation or warranty that the use of the Mark(s) or the Materials, in whole or in part, complies with or is permissible by Licensee and LICENSEE IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING THAT THE EXERCISE OF THE LICENSED RIGHTS, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, AND OPERATION OF LICENSEE’S BUSINESS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CODE OF ETHICS ARE IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE LEGAL, REGULATORY, CONTRACTUAL AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO LICENSEE.

1.5 Licensor Property. Licensee agrees and acknowledges that the Mark and the Materials shall at all times remain the sole and exclusive property of Licensor and that the use of the Marks shall inure to the benefit of Licensor, and Licensee waives and relinquishes any and all interests or rights Licensee may have or hereafter acquire therein in favor of Licensor.

2. Term and Termination. The term (the “Term”) of this Agreement shall commence on the date indicated on the Success COmmitment and Authorization Form and continue until the earlier of the time that: (A) Licensee is no longer a member of Licensor’s “Rich Dealers Institute” program (the “Program”), for any cause or reason whatsoever; (B) Licensee terminates this Agreement by written notice to Licensor; or (C) ninety (90) days after written notice from Licensor this it is terminating the Program. Licensor may terminate Licensee upon written notice for cause. Upon a termination of this Agreement for any cause or reason whatsoever, Licensee shall: immediately cease exercising the Licensed Rights, including, without limitation, the utilization of any Mark(s); and refrain from expressing (or causing others to express) to any third party any derogatory or negative opinions or statements concerning Licensor, its business operations, products and services, officers, directors, employees, the Mark and the Materials.

3. WARRANTIES. EXCEPT FOR THE EXPRESS WARRANTIES SET FORTH HEREINBELOW, LICENSOR MAKES NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY; ANY WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE; ANY WARRANTY CONCERNING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INFRINGEMENT; OR ANY WARRANTY THAT ANY OF THE MARKS OR MATERIALS CAN BE LAWFULLY UTILIZED BY LICENSEE IN ITS BUSINESS OPERATIONS. Licensor warrants only that the Materials were independently created and developed by or for Licensor.

4. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. EXCEPT FOR INFRINGEMENT OF LICENSOR’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS OR OTHER ECONOMIC DAMAGE, OR INJURY TO PROPERTY. EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THIS SECTION REFLECTS AN INFORMED, VOLUNTARY ALLOCATION OF THE RISKS (KNOWN AND UNKNOWN) THAT MAY EXIST IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, THAT SUCH VOLUNTARY RISK ALLOCATION WAS A MATERIAL PART OF THE BARGAIN BETWEEN THE PARTIES, AND THAT THE ECONOMIC AND OTHER TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT WERE NEGOTIATED AND AGREED TO BY THE PARTIES IN RELIANCE ON SUCH VOLUNTARY RISK ALLOCATION.

5. Restrictive Covenant. Licensee and each person participating in the Rich Dealers Institute on behalf of Licensee (collectively being the “Restricted Parties”) hereby each agree that none of them shall: (A) ever: (1) disclose or allow any person or entity to have access to any Confidential Information (as defined below); or (2) make any use, commercial or otherwise, of any Confidential Information, except solely during the Term of this Agreement in connection with the exercise of the Licensed Rights or the operation of Licensee’s business; and (B) for the Term of this Agreement and a period of two (2) years after the termination of this Agreement, by whatever means and without regard to cause, not engage in, carry on, otherwise participate in, or have any interest in any group, organization, facility, venture or other entity or arrangement which engages in or carries on, providing marketing and advertising coaching or consulting services or advertising creative materials to car dealers (the “Business”) or any business activity substantially similar, in whole or in part, to the Business, whether as an employee, owner, sole proprietor, shareholder, independent contractor, partner, member, agent, officer, director or otherwise, in the United States; and (C) solicit, hire, compensate or engage as an employee, agent, contractor, shareholder, member, joint venturer, or consultant, whether or not for consideration, any of Licensor’s employees, subcontractors, or former employees. “Confidential Information” means the proprietary and non-public information of Licensor, including Licensor’s know-how and trade secrets disclosed in connection with the Rich Dealers’ Institute programs and materials.

6. Entire Agreement, Waiver and Modification, Captions and Partial Invalidity. This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding of the parties concerning the subject matter of this Agreement and incorporates all prior negotiations and understandings. There are no covenants, promises, agreements, conditions or understandings, either oral or written, between them relating to the subject matter of this Agreement other than those set forth herein. No purported waiver by any party of any default by another party of any term or provision contained herein shall be deemed to be a waiver of such term or provision unless the waiver is in writing and signed by the waiving party. No such waiver shall in any event be deemed a waiver of any subsequent default under the same or any other term or provision contained herein. Except as set forth below, no alteration, amendment, change or addition to this Agreement shall be binding upon any party unless in writing and signed by the party to be charged; provided that the foregoing shall not be deemed to apply to the terms and conditions of the Program. The captions and paragraph letters appearing in this Agreement are inserted only as a matter of convenience. They do not define, limit, construe or describe the scope or intent of the provisions of this Agreement. If any term or provisions of this Agreement, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, shall be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement, or the application of such term or provision to persons or circumstances, other than those as to which it is held invalid, shall both be unaffected thereby and each term or provision of this Agreement shall be valid and be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law.

7. Notices. Any consent, waiver, notice, demand, request or other instrument required or permitted to be given under this Agreement other than day-to-day business communication shall be in writing and deemed to have been properly given upon: (A) actual delivery if hand delivered; (B) the next business day after transmission by overnight express courier service (e.g., Federal Express), freight prepaid to the address for such party set forth herein; or (C) three (3) business days after being sent by certified United States mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, to the address for such party set forth herein. Either party may change its address for notices in the manner set forth herein.

8. Applicable Law, Jurisdiction, Venue and Forum. This Agreement shall be construed and governed under and by the laws of the State of Florida for contracts entered and to be performed within the State of Florida. The parties agree that, except for third party actions, exclusive venue for any legal action authorized hereunder shall be in Orange County, Florida, and jurisdiction shall be vested in the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in and for Orange County, Florida, or the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division, as the case may be. Both parties agree not to contest the venue set forth herein and not to contest the exercise of personal jurisdiction over the parties by any of the foregoing courts. The parties hereby waive all rights concerning the exercise of personal jurisdiction of them by the foregoing courts.

9. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THE PARTIES HEREBY KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVE ALL OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE RIGHTS TO A TRIAL BY JURY ON ANY AND ALL ISSUES PERTAINING TO OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, THE MARK AND THE MATERIALS.

10. Attorney’s Fees. In the event any litigation, mediation, arbitration, or controversy between the parties hereto arises out of or relates to any of Sections 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 3, 4, 5, 8 or 9 of this Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover from the other all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees, expenses and suit costs, including those associated with appellate and post-judgment collection proceedings.

11. Survival. Sections 1.4, 1.5, and 3 through 10 shall survive the termination, cancellation or expiration of this Agreement by whatever means for whatever reason.

Jim and Travis

John Palmer

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About ProMax Unlimited

ProMax Unlimited is cutting-edge technology for dealers who choose to be ahead of the curve.

Here are just a few of our company milestones -

• Introduced the industry’s first special finance system in 1995
• Launched the first totally web based system two years ahead of the rest of the industry
• In January 2008 we introduced the only completely integrated compliance package on the market

With ProMax Unlimited you’ll be able to streamline your sales process, improve your productivity and increase profits more easily than ever before. It’s easy to use, yet powerful enough to handle your entire sales process, and guarantee accuracy every step of the way.

From CRM to desking to inventory to reports, ProMax Unlimited has all the tools you need to run your dealership.

With your ProMax Unlimited system you will also receive our commitment to superior customer service. We visit your dealership, consult with your team, and support your sales process. As a ProMax Unlimited user you’ll receive answers to your questions and technical assistance whenever you need it. And you will always hear a human voice on the other end of the line, not a computerized menu!

1.     Tie into a local weather event (i.e. hail storm, snow storm, etc)

2.     Tie into a big local story

3.     Tie into big local celebrities

4.     Tie into big national TV shows

5.     Tie into big national celebrities

6.     Tie into big national movies

7.     Tie into government or economic events

8.     Tie into holidays

9.     Tie into a personal life events

10.  Tie into pop culture

And here are the WORST 10 reasons for making an offer or having a sale:

1.     Trade in event

2.     Sign and drive event

3.     March Madness

4.     Truck Month

5.     Really Big Sale

6.     Red Tag Sale

7.     Inventory Clearance Event

8.     Monster Sale (when there’s no monsters on the loose)

9.     September To Remember

10.  Year End Clearance

Sometimes miracles really do happen...like when Elvis appears on your toast!

Do you have a washer and a dryer at your house? How long have you had them? Do you remember the last time you replaced them? Why did you replace them? Did the old ones break? Did you move into a new house?

Usually the purchase of a washer and a dryer (and many other things in life) revolve around events…like a break down, an accident, moving into a new house. Nobody really WANTS TO replace their washer and dryer. They replace it because they HAVE TO. Same goes for hot water heaters, roofs, carpet and a thousand other mundane items required in life. People replace these items for logical reasons. Usually because they have to.

Imagine for a moment you’re sitting in a soft, leather recliner one Sunday morning, sipping coffee, flipping through the paper. Out falls a flyer for an appliance sale. Pictures of high-tech washers and dryers adorn the pages, with prices and interest rate promotions and free delivery offers popping off the page in starbursts. Now…since your current washer and dryer are working just fine…would you pay any attention to this flyer? No. Why not? Because you’re not in the market. And no matter how good a deal that ad promises, you’d just toss it aside, or put it in the birdcage. It’s invisible to anyone who isn’t shopping for a washer and dryer at that moment.

Now compare that appliance ad to a typical car ad. Pretty similar, really. Pictures of product, starbursts with prices or payments, interest rate offers, fine print. But to somebody who isn’t shopping for a car, that ad is invisible. Just like the appliance ad was to you. Prices, payments, features, selection, rates, rebates…these things only matter to shoppers.

The Difference Between The Car Business & Other Businesses

THANKFULLY, there’s a big difference between cars and appliances. But most dealers haven’t considered this difference and aren’t using it to their advantage. Consider this: Do people wait until their old car is broken down or in an accident before they buy a nicer, newer car? Not usually…otherwise there would be no used car market. Do they wait until they HAVE TO get a better car? No way! So what motivates somebody to buy a nicer, newer car, if not logic or necessity?

The answer is simple, but very important. People buy cars because of emotional reasons. They want to feel safer, more important, more comfortable, more cool. They want to change the way other people look at them and think about them. Ultimately a car is an extension of our ego. Your washer and dryer are not. In fact, nobody has any idea what kind of washing machine you have – because it’s hidden away in your laundry room.

But a car is parked right outside in the driveway, or in the parking space at work, on display for the whole world to see……..and judge you by. The reality is: EVERYBODY WANTS a nicer, newer car than the one they have right now. But 98% of the population ISN’T ACTIVELY SHOPPING. So typical car advertising is completely invisible to them.

All The Customers Are Hiding In Plain Sight!

But all the dealers in your market are scrapping over the 2% of the population that is actively shopping. It’s a contest to see who can buy the most ads, who can scream the loudest, who can offer the lowest price, who can dream up the biggest gimmick. It’s a battle for the attention of the shopper. The BIG problem is that when the shoppers show up, the profit goes down. These days shoppers are arming themselves with tons of information. Many of them have stumbled across a web site that’s told them exactly what you pay for car, minus holdback, minus dealer cash. And they’re prepared to leave you without a dollar in profit. No fun.

The BIG Secret

Herein lies the biggest opportunity in the car business. While everybody else is screaming and fighting over the 2%, you can peacefully, efficiently and easily speak to the 98%….the people who aren’t shopping, BUT REALLY WOULD PREFER to drive a nicer, newer car than they have now. In most cases, there’s just a simple problem standing in their way, which you can easily overcome.

And voila! You’ve created a customer out of a “non-intender” (someone who had no intention of buying a car right now)…and these are the best customers, because they haven’t done all that research, they haven’t shopped 8 other dealerships and they’re primarily interested in having you solve their problem —- not give them the lowest price.

By letting all the other dealers beat each other to death and busy themselves merchandising vehicles, you can retire from the commodity game and become a respected and trusted advisor, a problem solver, a hero. And make a healthy profit in the process. And have an endless pool of buyers to draw from. You’ll never run out of the 98%.

Wait – did we say, “cutting edge?” Oh, this must be another article about the Internet right?

Wrong!

This is not about the internet at all. It’s about what the Internet has caused and why the traditional approach of hard-sell advertising isn’t as powerful as it used to be. For those of you who are doing hard-sell type advertising you are going to be shocked and nervous. For those of you who never embraced a hard-sell marketing approach you’ll be three steps behind and we suggest you pack your parachute and hold on tight.

The Internet has caused a massive change in the dynamic of our customers. They think differently today then they didn’t just three, two or even one year ago. They are more educated and because of that they demand and respond to information-based, value-driven marketing rather than the traditional hard-sell advertising tactics we’re used to using in our dealership marketing programs.

Some of you right now are raising the victory flag exclaiming, “Finally the hard-sell days are over,” and others are weeping over its grave while still others are trumpeting the coming of our marketing savior, spending all their time and energy moving their entire operation online, believing that the Internet is the second coming of Christ.

First of all, the Internet is just a tool, just another medium like newspaper, radio or TV. And one where price is king and the gross is low unless you really know how to use it.

Secondly, hard-sell advertising isn’t dead – it’s evolved. It’s grown a third leg and wings. That’s what good marketing concepts do. They are shape-shifters…chameleons. So what’s the reincarnation of hard-sell?

Education Based Marketing

Author and expert copywriter Robert Bly remarks that, “Traditional marketing approaches, especially hard sell, don’t work well on the Internet or with consumers in the information/Internet age. To get readership and response, marketers have to create marketing messages that look, feel, and sound like objective, unbiased, useful information.”

So, why does education based marketing work radically better than traditional marketing?

Because traditional automotive marketing is all about the dealership, the vehicles and the features and no one really gives a rat’s butt about that.

Education based marketing is about solutions. Solutions to problems your customers face right now that they want to alleviate. A well planned and executed education based marketing strategy delivers a much needed cure to the pain your prospect is suffering.

If you can give your prospects the information they need to eliminate their problem and ultimately provide them with a clearly defined set of steps to take you will win their business. You will become the expert in their eyes and they will flock to you and price concerns will be secondary to the solution they seek, making your profits soar to new heights.

But there is one caveat.

You must give your prospects a way to get this information easily and without obligation. You must believe in the concept we call giving value first. We’ve all heard of added value or value after the sale. But that’s easy. That’s for wimps! In today’s competitive marketplace you MUST deliver value upfront and your marketing (if done properly) should be your first touch-point and should start the cycle.

The value first concept is nothing new. It’s age old and timeless. It’s based in the law of reciprocity that states that others will reciprocate in-kind based upon the way you treat them. The world gives you what you give the world. Ultimately you are rewarded for the value which you bring to the marketplace.

Robert B. Cialdini, author of The Psychology of Persuasion explains, “One of the most potent weapons of influence around us is the rule for reciprocation. The rule says that we should try to repay, in-kind, what another person has provided us.”

Many of our hard-sell brethren are probably asking, “Where’s the hard-sell in all this?”

Ahhh…that is a good question. You see it’s really a beautiful thing. The hard-sell sneaks in though the back door…unnoticed when your prospect’s guard is down.

What could be better than that? When has hard sell ever flown in “under the radar?” Maybe in the 80s, but that was a looong time ago.

Image a bobcat sneaking into your tent unbeknownst to you, and you only realize it’s sitting there licking its chops and sharpening its claws once you’ve closed up the tent and zipped yourself up in your sleeping bag.

It’s a little too late – you’re getting a butt-whoopin’ no matter what you do. That’s that same way education based marketing works, except your prospects ask that bobcat to come inside the tent thinking it’s a harmless little kitty cat.

This is cloak and dagger marketing…the kind of stuff that affects people emotionally but sneaks up on them logically. We know that all buying decisions are based on emotion and backed up with logic. But the Internet has screwed up people’s brains, especially when it comes to car buyers. They are seeking the logic first.

So through education based marketing we give them the logic and they invite in the emotional pitch and close. It’s really a perfect marriage and a sound system when you think about it.

But it’s not all fun and games. It’s not that easy. There are lots of pitfalls and trip wires that can derail your success and keep you from reaching the goal – more ups, better quality ups, increased sales and profits.

The most effective point of differentiation

With all this in mind, over the years we’ve experimented with and refined multiple points of diffdifferentiation for dealerships. The final results are in: the single most effective point of differentiation is the “Expert Differentiation.” That is, positioning yourself and your dealership as trusted advisor rather than product pusher. As expert problem solver rather than merchant. The difference is astounding! And education based marketing is the perfect compliment to this incredibly powerful differentiator.

The phone and the group are inundated with dealers desperately seeking sound advice so they don’t make a costly mistake. Some get the advice in time and avoid falling victim and others become prey but seek solace in our Rich Dealers family and us. Either way we get to see and analyze the trends.

In this article we’d like to give you a peek behind the curtain and shine some light on four of the most commonly made sales and marketing mistakes.

You may be asking yourself why we would spend time writing an article like this. The reason is simple. It really irritates us to see honest, hard-working, sincerely ambitious dealers (like many of our successful Rich Dealers) be taken advantage of by “opportunity grabbers” or by their own lack of knowledge about good sales and marketing practices.

Read on and you’ll have the information you need to make better decisions and save yourself a lot time, energy, frustration and cash.

Spray And Pray Marketing: This is one of the biggest and most costly mistakes we see. It’s a marketing related mistake and it’s simply about HOW and WHERE you spend your marketing dollars.

Everyone wants the best ROI but, frankly, most dealers have no clue how or where to spend their marketing dollars for maximum result. They completely lack a PROVEN strategic plan.

Good marketing is not always intuitive and often defies our ego and emotional choices. Because of this, we constantly make the wrong choices because the right choices don’t “feel” right.

Most dealers are doing what we call “Spray and Pray” marketing. They spray a little bit of marketing in a lot of different places and pray something works.

Generally something does work but no one is really sure what worked and why. So we just keep repeating the ugly cycle that contains a huge amount of waste. This waste leads to frustration and a general malaise about marketing.

The secret here is simple but not easy. Dominate one media first and then add additional. Which one do you start with? That’s easy, the one that gives you the best ROI. Fight the urge (it will be very strong) to move on to the next media until you’ve completely dominated the one you are in.

Parasitic Paydays: Through some unfortunate series of events a dealer realizes that using paid sales teams is the only way they can drive traffic, make sales, hold gross and pull out their month so they do them every month. They are basically held hostage by these events.

It’s like a drug and it’s just as addicting. But being hooked is a mistake and can even be deadly. Don’t get us wrong. We think these big events and traveling teams have their place in the sales and marketing mix but our warning here is about becoming reliant or even worse, dependent on them.

A reliance on these sales is due to a lack of duplicatable marketing and sales systems. That’s what these teams bring to the table…a proven and duplicatable sales and marketing systems. But you don’t need them. You can create and profit from your own system.

Here’s why your system is necessary and better than relying on sales teams… CONTROL. You need to be in control of your people, your processes and your customers. When you lack control your employee moral decreases, your numbers decrease, your CSI decreases and your customers get screwed. It’s a slippery slide that can end in disaster.

We’ve had to rescue many dealerships from this nearly fatal disease and it’s not an easy task. The DT’s from this addiction are painful but necessary and life is good on the other side. We promise.

Long Term Lock In: This seems to be a popular one in our world. Vendors and big media companies want to lock you into long-term contracts. There are so many products, services and media options available to dealers and many of them are really, really good. Some are not so good and others are good but not right for a particular store.

I don’t know of any one-size-fits-all-stores solution. Which begs the question, why so do many of these companies try to lock dealers up front into long-term contracts?

Companies should deliver value. They should provide not just good, but amazing service. They should have a relationship with their customers. They should care and you should feel that they care about not just the business you’re giving them but about YOU.

Companies should be confident in their product’s ability to be useful and valuable. This confidence should be strong enough to offer that service on it’s on merits eliminating the need for a long-term contract.

The companies and products they offer should be held accountable to deliver quality enough to keep you happy just as you have to do to keep customers coming back to your dealership. You don’t make the customer sign a contract that says he has to by his next 5 cars from you. That’d be criminal, a violation of his freedom. Hummm… have you been violated?

We’re big proponents of staying with things that work. You should be too. The ability to stick to something that works is a success principle missed by many. The point is don’t lock yourself into big contracts. It’s a big mistake and always bites you on the tail end. Choose companies who confidence is bigger than their contracts.

High Tech Hypnosis: Talk about a trend that’s sweeping the nation; the online/digital marketing craze is in full effect. If it’s tech, it’s hot, especially in the automotive industry.

In general, the majority of the dealers we work with are not technology experts or gear heads. But they fear being left behind or missing the boat on the next big opportunity. Dealers are hypnotized by the allure of the bright, shiny, new Internet.

This is a dangerous combination and one that is being exploited big time. Just because it has an e, i or 2.0 in the name doesn’t make it a profitable place to spend your hard-earned marketing dollars.

There’s a reason why some media have been around forever. They’re proven winners. They’re reliable. Some things on the Internet are viable marketing channels that are good for a dealership and your net profit. Others are effective but not necessarily good for you and many just plan stink.

Many industries that rely heavily on testing and measuring and direct ROI have been moving away from digital marketing and back to putting their money in traditional media. This is because their testing has proven that their most profitable, serious and valuable customers are coming form more proven media. The digital media brings a more fickle, low committed, over researched and more price conscious customer.

The Internet is a great tool for consumers to shop for the lowest price on a commodity and compare options and prices at their leisure and no pressure. It’s completely logical but sales aren’t made logically. Selling a car is emotional and a dealership doesn’t just sell cars, they should provide so much more.

Our dealers aren’t in the business of selling commodities for the lowest possible price. Our dealers work hard to provide their customers with truly valuable services, experiences and provide solutions that transcend just selling them a cheap car.

Don’t get caught up in the excitement of the digital movement. Let each opportunity prove itself. If you don’t understand the tech product or service you’re being pitched or aren’t sure what it does or can do for you, get an independent consultant to give you a recommendation and explain what you’re looking at.

Remember, the Dominate principle we talked about earlier still holds true when it comes to the Internet. The Internet is just another media outlet to be leveraged for profit. It’s not a new business for brick and mortar car dealers. It’s a tool to further a build the business you already have.

http://tinyurl.com/jtlive

In fact, we’ve been working on a brand new, never-before-seen-or-heard presentation in which we’re going to reveal some of our most coveted marketing secrets.

At the end, we’ll show you how to double the profit at your dealership in the next three months by getting out of the car business. Seem crazy? Yes, but it’s true.

If you’re tired of duking it out in the commodity marketplace, where price is the only determining factor…

If you can imagine selling cars and having fun again, while working with grateful buyers who are happy for you to make money…

Then this is where you need to be.

Click here to get registered: http://tinyurl.com/jtlive

The Boot Camp will be held on April 16th-18th at the Hilton Orlando. It’s a hands-on skills based training program that covers the most important elements of automotive digital marketing strategies: social media, blogging, video, link building, content creation and SEO.

The boot camp is perfect for General Managers and Internet Sales Managers.

The coolest part is that you’ll receive prep materials in advance of the class and come fully prepared to engage in actual demonstrations. You can use your own accounts during the classes so that you can continue your progress after the Boot Camp.

All the details can be found online, and we’ve arranged a nice discount for our friends. Go on and check it out now. This is not something you want to miss.

Click here ===> http://tinyurl.com/jtlive

See you there,

Get the full brochure here:

We are constantly working and refining success strategies and marketing ideas like these to help our private clients and members get more done and have a business and life that more ESP – Enjoyable, Simple and Prosperous.

Now we don’t expect you to spend all your time immersed in marketing and refining success strategies the way we do on a daily basis.

BUT we do expect you to take the advice we give you because we’re boiling it down for you and hopefully making you think about things you wouldn’t have thought about otherwise, challenging you to do things you wouldn’t normally do and making your brain work in ways it doesn’t naturally.

The Closest Money Strategy is something so simple and so critical to your marketing and sales success but we don’t know if we’ve mentioned here in this column before. We at least know we haven’t made a BIG enough deal about it here.

We are only going to be scratching the surface of this concept here…but today it is essential and if you aren’t doing this you need to start immediately leveraging this opportunity for speed!

What we’ve identified recently is a honey-hole for dealers that quite possibly could be the closest money for you.

So I’m sure you’re asking yourself…”Jim & Travis, what are you talking about??”

We’re talking about effectively and systematically collecting your prospects’ and customers’ contact information—including email address and leveraging it fully. That means MEANINGFUL communication sent frequently so you can build authentic relationships with your customers.

Many people who market online understand this concept. But many dealers we encounter do not get the power of this. You need to be actively creating & using a database. Your database is GOLD!

Most dealerships collect their customers’ contact info when they buy something and some do a good job at keeping it current and in a usable state but most don’t even do that. But just as important as keeping your customers’ data you also need to keep your prospects’ information.

If a lead calls up on the phone or an up shows up on the lot you must have to have a system that collects their information. Ever notice how when ever you buy anything at RadioShack they always ask for your full address? They collect the information vigorously.

At the very least you want a prospect’s email address and their permission to send them stuff in the future. It is imperative and can quadruple the effectiveness of your marketing and significantly impact your bottom-line. At best, you want full contact information so you can mail, email and phone them.

So here’s the big question…

How do you get all the info? You need to have a system that allows you to get at least the email of every prospect that calls, comes into your location or that you run into in public. You need something to exchange for their permission to market to them in the future. No one is really going to give you their most valuable possession (their attention and time) for nothing.

So if you are going to have a chance at getting them to give you their contact info and in turn their attention and permission to create an open dialogue and relationship you better have something they want.

We recommend using valuable information and the concept of giving value first.

We’ve all heard of added value after the sale right? We think that is NONSENSE… You are rewarded for the value you deliver to the marketplace in conjunction with what you do potentially better than anyone else. And you have to deliver that value FIRST – Before a sale is ever made.

That’s how you get people’s attention and permission and create relationships and customers for life. That’s how you create raving fans that recommend you and talk about you to others. That’s how you get more referrals than you can handle and that’s how you can harness the power of that elusive, best-marketing-on-the-planet-because-it’s-free, Word Of Mouth Advertising.

But it all starts with aggressively pursuing and making it TOP priority to collect the contact info (especially email) of all the prospects you ever come in contact with. With email you can market to them for free in the future.