Internet Manager Advice

[davidmoon]

I'm not sure I'd be happy working the floor, but I'm confident that I could make appointments and get fair prospects in the door and excited about their visit. Closing would be a personal strength anytime soon.

It sounds like every dealership is a little (or a lot) different. And perhaps my experience would scare (OK, maybe a little) a Internet Manager who might not be doing as much as they could to utilize the Web, video, social media and other online channels to generate prospects and sales. I'm not trying to be arrogant, but my world has always been focused on finding the prospect and hoping that sales doesn't screw it up. And the last five years has been a tough industry to attract (for various reasons.) At least people need vehicles -- hooray!

I'm learning a lot here, and getting up to speed with the industry.

 

[davidmoon]

Well, I've sent off a few resumes to various local dealers. I'll keep you abreast IF anyone contacts me back.

Just reading through here, and other resources online, I see it's a different world with very different methods of getting noticed and evoking leads online. And again, it seems like each dealer has a varying commitment to online engagement. Just doing some local searches on automobiles in Chattanooga has lead me to who's really getting it. Our local Mercedes dealer's Website won't load ... Some interesting stuff.

 

[davidmoon]

Well, I've finally been able to secure a face-to-face interview with the local BMW dealer on Friday. Out of most of the dealers in Chattanooga, they seem to have a really clean reputation. Here's the ad. The base is listed at $22,000 - $30,000 a year plus bonuses. Any thoughts? Of course, I'm worried about the low base coming from a mostly salaried history, with a 1% - 10% year end bonus.

BMW of Chattanooga. Is seeking an experienced eSales/eCommerce Team Leader who is motivated by success with a personal desire to both go above and beyond customer expectations and make a significant contribution to the productivity and effectiveness of the BMW of Chattanooga Internet Department. The Internet Team Leader will be responsible for a wide variety of tasks including fielding sales leads, communicating with customers to sell and deliver vehicles, ensuring all of our systems are running and operating efficiently, managing our dealership's factory website and internal networking systems, dealing with vendors, submitting reports to Dealer Principal and interviewing potential new hires as the department expands. The Team Leader will also be responsible for seeing that each staff member shares the up-to-date reality regarding the retail industry and the Internet as it exists today and a variety of other assigned related duties.

Ideal candidates must be self-motivated, have a good understanding of sales and the concept of selling, be naturally effective on the phone, genuinely like automobiles and have a desire to be helpful to clients. Applicants need to possess good communication skills, the ability to multi-task, have good time management skills and the ability to learn and adapt quickly. Applicants should demonstrate the ability to prioritize assignments, effectively manage resources and staff to accomplish goals, have an excellent attendance record, capably handle competitive priorities, be a good listener, enjoy hands on participation and bring excellent managerial skills to the table.

This is a full-time employment opportunity with benefits. Professional references are required..

 

[davidmoon]

A quick follow-up ... it was a good interview -- a little over an hour long with a tour of the facilities. I'm waiting to hear back. Probably one of the better dealerships as a consumer (or professionally) that I've been in.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Looking good David! Keep us in the loop and let us know how it goes.

 

[Ryan Thompson]

A quick follow-up ... it was a good interview -- a little over an hour long with a tour of the facilities. I'm waiting to hear back. Probably one of the better dealerships as a consumer (or professionally) that I've been in.

Nice one Dave!! Curious to know what kind of questions YOU would ask the dealer during the interview. It seems to me like you are a pretty bright guy and would be ready to hammer them with some qualifying questions to see if they really do........get it.

 

[davidmoon]

Thanks guys. Without getting into too much detail, really they need someone who can rally the sales team, apply best practices and process, track data accurately and make the team accountable for the online (and phone) leads. I'm thinking ... that's the easier part. As a marketer, my mind is off onto ... how can they turn more of the leads into appointments and sales, and how to get more leads once a baseline of their current efforts has been established.

It's a good organization, and they are thinking in the right direction a step at a time. Most of my questions were answered with, "We don't do that yet." Their Website is a basic DealerSkins template, which doesn't really pop against their competition. I'm a big believer in pumping up the local brand. Luckily for them, their competition also seems to be behind in their online efforts. I found it painful a few years back when I was trying to inquire about vehicles online.

I have a follow-up email in today -- so we'll see what happens.