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Consumers Want to Connect

The world is increasingly impersonal, with self-checkout, automated answering services, social media, and online shopping. It would be easy to assume consumers don’t care about a personal touch anymore. It turns out that’s not true. 

An article from McKinsey & Co. states, “The Next in Personalization 2021 Report reveals that companies who excel at demonstrating customer intimacy generate faster rates of revenue growth than their peers. And the closer organizations get to the consumer, the bigger the gains.”

What does that mean for selling online? Here are a few things you can try:

• Connect with your customer with a welcome video. 
• Include parts staff directory with a fun fact and photo about each to make them memorable.
• Utilize live chat with a person, not a bot!
• Show accessories on the vehicle for better understanding and visualization. 
• Send personal follow-ups and thank you messages.

Dealership service advisors have the opportunity for upward mobility. With a high school diploma and some automotive education or experience, you can begin your career as a service advisor with a clear path for advancement. 

From there, becoming your dealership’s top service advisor will increase your salary and put you on the path to climbing the ladder. Whether your plan is to become the top service advisor—and maybe, eventually, a service manager, or even a general manager—it starts with excelling in your current role. 

In an ideal world, your dealership supports your advancement and offers continuing service advisor training to help you improve. If that’s not the case, there are things you can do to create your own success. 

Follow these dealership service department best practices to become the top service advisor in your store by 2023!

The growth of electric vehicles is only increasing, and this growth will touch every department in the dealership. 

Specifically, the service department. 

Electric vehicles have fewer mechanical parts, which means fewer after-sales service appointments. And while consumers will undoubtedly continue to have maintenance issues, electric vehicles will significantly lessen foot traffic in the service department.

Welcome to your new role as an integral part of dealership operations! 

Fixed operations are enhanced by the service manager working hand in hand with the parts department. The service lane can generate new revenue, boost CSI scores, and increase accessory sales when run properly. 

As the service manager, you’ll become the most indispensable aspect of a well-run store. You’ll wear many hats, and be required to change them often. Here are some tips to ensure your success!

The check engine light in a car is a warning sign of an underlying problem. Objections are no different. They’re a sign to point you to the actual problem.

Every day, car salesmen and women do mental gymnastics to get a car sold. At first, it can be strenuous and stressful—so practicing overcoming objections will make you more skilled. Before long, you'll be flipping over that balance beam with grace.

Selling accessories at the point of sale can also bring objections. Learning to bend without breaking in this arena offers enormous payoff. Within 90 days of purchase, 80% of your customers will accessorize their car. You can be sure that they’re going to buy accessories somewhere. 

Learn to overcome these common objections and get that cash back in your pocket.

The internet sales department got the surprise of a lifetime in 2020, becoming center stage overnight. 

The automotive industry is changed forever, and so is the role of the internet sales manager. As car sales continually evolve, internet sales managers can focus on the basics to remain competitive: getting more leads and an excellent staff to pursue them. 

Here are five tips for running a successful department in 2022.

Did you know the number one reason people quit their job is poor company culture? When you're in management, you can set the temperature in the workplace environment and lead by example. 

Whether you've just landed a job as a dealership sales manager or been in the role for a while, it's good to assess your leadership skills. So check out these ten tips to make you a better dealership sales manager!

Brent Mason graduated from the University of Georgia during the 2007 recession and picked up a job selling cars. While his degree was in Business Management, he enjoyed the competitive environment more. By the time the recession lifted in 2009, Mason had worked his way up from salesperson to New Car Sales Manager. 

A few months into the job, Mason began to have problems. The peers he once worked alongside had become his employees, and the power dynamic was difficult to navigate. He found himself being walked all over by some and despised by others. The paperwork was mounting, the stress was incredible, and ultimately, he quit before his 90-day evaluation. 

What caused the rise and spectacular fall of this ambitious young man? He stumbled into several common pitfalls of sales managers and never recovered. Don’t let it happen to you. Avoid these mistakes to take your career from barely surviving to thriving!

The efficiency of the parts department is only as good as the tools and systems you utilize. When you have the right software, your job is ten times easier. Take a look at what's available to you and see where you can make improvements. 

Many people don’t realize what a stressful job parts managers have. 

Between the meticulous details, constant inquiries, cross-departmental conflict, and varying personalities on staff, it’s no wonder the parts manager keeps Goody’s Powder in their desk. 

It doesn’t have to be that bad. Parts managers, consider this a virtual hug. Take control of your department by overcoming these four headaches.