Pub. 11 2012-2013 Issue 3

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S 25 new jersey auto retailer W W W . N J C A R . O R G LOOKING AHEAD  continued on page 27 F irst and foremost, the dealer principal must take an active role in making sure e-success happens. That means going beyond stated intentions and actively supporting the Internet department. I’ve found that dealers with successful, profit-driving Internet sales departments have five things in common. They invest in the proper technology: These dealers use the same due diligence in choosing Internet-related products and services as they do when buying products and ser- vices for fixed operations. They emphasize return on investment more than expense: These statements should sound familiar: “These leads are expensive,” “Maintaining this website is too expensive,” and “Customer relationship management software is way too expensive.” A dealer principal or primary decision-maker must realize that cutting corners isn’t always cost effective. In fact, cutting corners can actually cost money in front- and back-end gross, F&I income and service business. Their opinions of Internet buyers are based on research rather than opinion: These statements may also sound familiar: “Low gross,” “Looking to steal cars,” and “Not serious buyers.” Those statements represent how many dealers view online shoppers. If you don’t see the value, then your actions to attract Internet buyers won’t be effective. This also ap- plies to decision-makers who don’t verbalize their negative feelings. They invest in training Internet personnel: Internet staff or personnel manning the business development center are arguably the most undertrained people in the dealer- ship today. Many staffers are assigned to the Internet department simply because they know how to send and receive e-mails. It is irrational to put untrained employees on the frontlines to face hundreds of potential customers amonth. How can you rationalize spending thousands of dollars a month for leads, CRM software and a website, but not spend anything on training? What message are you sending to an Internet professional starving for support? They understand the value of metrics and ac- countability: Expected results can and should be measured. Stop going with your gut and use those measurements when selecting lead providers and website vendors. Also use that data when deciding who will man your Internet department. Looking Ahead To E-Strategies In 2013 BY CORY MOSLEY, MOSLEY AUTOMOTIVE TRAINING I’m often asked at dealerships, seminars and 20 Group meetings what is the key element of success for selling cars online? My answer is always the same: