Scope of the Internet Director

[ddavis]

The Internet is the most effective and cost efficient marketing tool ever employed by a dealership. As a marketing tool we are able to influence consumers at the point of their research.

I have always given equal consideration to the marketing. Getting customers to our website and how our products are presented there and on third party sites is of paramount importance but at the dealership level we have a sales force which requires attention.

I have always believed that marketing and sales management are of equal importance. I am amused by dealerships that select an Assistant Sales Manager to run the internet department because nobody else wants it. A good internet department should provide the lion’s share of the business. Why would any dealership relegate this to the least experienced manager unless their marketing efforts are not providing the bulk of the business? Let’s say that the dealership has the stud manager running the internet department. How far should he go into the deal? Should his responsibility be just to get the customer in to the door or should he desk the deal as well?

 

[DealerMarketing]

IMO..they are not enough hours in a day for just one person to be that responsible.

 

[joe.pistell]

The Internet is the most effective and cost efficient marketing tool ever employed by a dealership. ...[snip]... Why would any dealership relegate this to the least experienced manager unless their marketing efforts are not providing the bulk of the business?....

Management is surrounded with Internet Shoppers, yet, denies their significance.

This survey, done at delivery, reveals the internet stealth shopper to anyone that dares look at the results.
http://forum.dealerrefresh.com/f43/uncle-joes-make-over-diary-1683-13.html#post19931

 

[ddavis]

Joe, we know that over 65% of consumers, that have done their due diligence, will not email or phone the dealership and simply show up. We all feel the pain.

Most dealerships are fragmented into two groups, the floor and the internet department. The floor is usually the largest group and they tend to handle customers as we did twenty years ago. Floor salespeople have always done a poor job of qualifying customers and this often results in a disconnect with the customer. The same problem exists when an internet salesperson goes to the desk for a locate or a payment. "Just get 'em in". Anyone that has worked in an internet department for more than a month knows that it is more difficult to control an internet prospect than someone sitting in front of you.

The utopia would be a dealership that doesn't differentiate between internet customers and those in the dealership. In practice, I haven't witnessed the "internet dealership". Until this happens, I am posing the question because of the issues that internet departments face working through the desk. It would also make the internet department more accountable for their contribution to P&L.

 

[Agrrip]

The Internet Director will NEVER be effective or successful without the backing of all management at the dealership! Effective internet directing is not just up to the Internet Director...In my opinion, the Internet Director's main job is to get buy-in from the other managers to ensure their team(s) follow the internet philosophy...and, to keep their head above water with all of the new product roll outs and trends facing the cyber world.

 

[ddavis]

The Internet Director will NEVER be effective or successful without the backing of all management at the dealership! Effective internet directing is not just up to the Internet Director...In my opinion, the Internet Director's main job is to get buy-in from the other managers to ensure their team(s) follow the internet philosophy...and, to keep their head above water with all of the new product roll outs and trends facing the cyber world.

Joseph,

I hear "buy-in" used often. You can have "buy-in" if everyone decides to do nothing. I watched a competitor cancel all of their display advertising to spend $20k on PPC to bring customers to a marginal website. They had buy-in. Now, they have a complete new staff.

In the initial post, I was suggesting that the internet department be a little more autonomous.

 

[Agrrip]

Joseph,

I hear "buy-in" used often. You can have "buy-in" if everyone decides to do nothing. I watched a competitor cancel all of their display advertising to spend $20k on PPC to bring customers to a marginal website. They had buy-in. Now, they have a complete new staff.

In the initial post, I was suggesting that the internet department be a little more autonomous.

Well, you also need a good bit of competency and level headedness! Buy-in only works if you are on the right path...So, I fully agree with you there.

I also agree with you on autonomous. And at my dealership, our internet department is. However, I still have to rely on the New and Pre-Owned sales managers to keep preaching the magical tune of accurately sourcing walk-ins so that I can ensure that the dealerships money buys the best leads from month to month. To get Sales Manager buy-in, I need GSM and GM buy-in.

 

[ddavis]

Most New Car Managers sit at the desk waiting for a salesperson to bring them a deal. They break the monotony by deciding where to get lunch. It is a rare organization where you see the sales managers doing one on ones, calling the logs, conducting walk-around presentations, trade walks and even coming off the desk 100% of the time to close a deal.

If this sounds like your sales desk, God knows you will have adequate time to discuss a buy-in.

A GM once told me, "don't bore me with the geek shit". "How many are you going to sell and how much is it going to cost". He did his part to keep the idiots out of my business.

I don't think Directors need a buy-in from anyone beyond the GM or GSM though the rest would be a plus. If you are successful you REALLY need the GM guarding your back.

 

[john.quinn]

Welp, what is the real problem here? Shouldn't we ask that? You touch on the problem: the "Internutters" are foreign; the people at the desk have not matriculated through this new "culture" and don't know how to react/interact with them.

Why not? Ask yourself how "visible" the process is to management. They are used to managing what they see, right? Customer on the floor is with Joe Sales Guy -- manager can see that. How do they see the Internutters?

If it was easy for managers to have visibility into the process -- the goings-on of cyberspace -- would it be different?

If you argue "Yes," then you have a clear direction to pursue: make is easy for management to have visibility into the process. You then just have to answer "how."

 

[ddavis]

OK John, we have passed out the #1 pencils and wide lined paper, what's next?