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Chip Grueter · Aug 19, 2008

"so Mr. Kershner who owns that url today?"

William Perryman of Sharrett Automotive

Aug 19, 2008

so Mr. Kershner who owns that url today? I had a similar page myself
carsisell.com however I don't update anymore.

Aug 19, 2008

I've never stayed in one place long enough to see something I did 8 years prior (or even 3)

Aug 19, 2008

Jeff - very cool post about the stickers...forward thinking 10 years ago...nice.

Paul Rushing · Aug 14, 2008

@ Jeff - Getting them to pony up his $50K speaking fee may be the only reason he hasn't. :P

Aug 12, 2008

left one out:
Trying to stay within a budget for a project and instead of spending on worthy causes you skimp to stay under budget only to cause you more grief in the long run.
sorry just venting

Is the Government the only business that doesn't care about budgets?

Aug 12, 2008

Jeff told me about Tribes, and it is definitely on my shopping list!

Aug 11, 2008

Alex - great post. Seth has so many useful items for any business & marketing initiative.

If you want the opportunity to interact with Seth, and other like-minded people, buy his new book Tribes. Buying it will grant you exclusive access to his new social network: http://www.triiibes.com (its closed until October)

Alex Snyder · Aug 11, 2008

This is something Seth Godin posted on his blog yesterday. I thought it needed to be shared.

Link to the original article.

Patience.

Google was a very good search engine for two years before you started using it.

The iPod was a dud.

I wrote Unleashing the Ideavirus 8 years ago. A few authors tried similar ideas but it didn't work right away. So they gave up. Boingboing is one of the most popular blogs in the world because they never gave up.

The irony of the web is that the tactics work really quickly. You
friend someone on Facebook and two minutes later, they friend you back.
Bang.

But the strategy still takes forever. The strategy is the hard part, not the tactics.

I discovered a lucky secret the hard way about thirty years ago: you
can outlast the other guys if you try. If you stick at stuff that bores
them, it accrues. Drip, drip, drip you win.

It still takes ten years to become a success, web or no web. The
frustrating part is that you see your tactics fail right away. The good
news is that over time, you get the satisfaction of watching those
tactics succeed right away.

The trap: Show up at a new social network, invest two hours, be
really aggressive with people, make some noise and then leave in
disgust.

The trap: Use all your money to build a fancy website and leave no
money or patience for the hundred revisions you'll need to do.

The trap: read the tech blogs and fall in love with the
bleeding-edge hip sites and lose focus on the long-term players that
deliver real value.

The trap: sprint all day and run out of energy before the marathon even starts.

The media wants overnight successes (so they have someone to tear
down). Ignore them. Ignore the early adopter critics that never have
enough to play with. Ignore your investors that want proven tactics and
predictable instant results. Listen instead to your real customers, to
your vision and make something for the long haul. Because that's how
long it's going to take, guys.

Mar 15, 2010

Wow that really is a useful list. I know what I want to do but I can see it being useful for others. Loved it!

Chip Grueter · Aug 9, 2008

A new bookmarked site, thanks Jeff. I hadn't heard of Marketing Pilgrim before but just spent 2 hours reading through page after page. Wish I had known about the workshop.

Chip-

Aug 8, 2008

Hi Jeff. Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you got a lot out of the workshop.

It was a pleasure to meet you--and share a beer!

Andy

Aug 8, 2008

Thanks for the heads-up on Andy Jeff. You're absolutely right about not sticking solely to the Auto Biz for learning. If you're playing in the eCommerce side of this industry, there is a lot to learn, but most of that learning is not inside our own industry.

Feb 13, 2013

I send about 30 emails a day call about 40 to 50 businesses and also about 30 to 50 residences at night (I work midday to early evening) so I would like to know if anyone does.

Feb 13, 2013

Interesting the stats I would love to see would be if someone like myself hired as customer retention (customer ''service'') actually ends up bringing people to the dealership because we sparked interest just from calling. I am not a car sales person, was hired to contact past customers and see if they had service or warranty concerns or even if they owned the vehicle still and depending upon the answer see if anyone wants a call back about perhaps coming in and looking at a newer vehicle. We've been quite busy here lately and a number of used and new cars have been purchased but supposedly none of the ones my colleague and I called were any of these people. I smell dishonesty actually and not really getting much help in how to "dangle the carrot" to get them interested in a call should they actually wish to purchase, because they aren't telling us anything at all. I would also like to know the REAL stats of what happens when you send emails out to people who didn't know you can serve them no matter where they are in the province or city they are in (I'm in Canada) We serve Western Canada, and many people didn't think we did.

Jan 30, 2013

Interesting stats. The last post was a year ago. I hope you are still around. I am seriously considering beginning a car sales career, and am seeing dealerships with just floor sales people, who I suspect are also dialing the phone a good deal, as well as dealerships who have both floor sales personnel and Internet sales personnel. My guess is the Internet salespeople are dialing and emailing all day long, trying to get their prospects to come into the dealer where they can meet and then be sold face to face. Do you have any insight as to where I might be able to make the most income, strictly a floor sales guy, or one of the Internet sales guys? Any other input or suggestions? Thanks.

Dec 28, 2011

Interesting stats! The follow-up process is a tough one. Most sales people are just not trained in follow-up best practices or procedure. This is where BDC agents are a great benefit, allowing the sales crew to do what they do best...sell cars; while the BDC agents complete follow-ups and get people back on the lot. It can take more than 8 attempts to make contact with someone who visited your dealership. Getting in touch within the time that they are still looking for a new car is very challenging and time consuming. It's no wonder it's often neglected. It's a shame, there's a lot of opportunity in unsold showroom traffic.

As for the rest of the stats, I know 1st hand that a little improvement in all areas of the sales process make all the difference...and let's face it, if someone is on your showroom floor they ARE looking to buy a car.

Car buying is an emotional purchase. It's the 2nd largest investment that most people make. So if you're in denial and think that customer experience has no relevance to a purchase, think again guys!

Follow-ups and customer relationship building should be a department in itself, given the specialized way that these proceedures should be handled and the time and dedication needed to do it right!

Nov 6, 2009

I am a Stronghold Technologies alum', and I was the guy who used to spout those statistics (and many others) in training seminars every week, all across the country, to rooms full of automotive salesfolk. I did get questioned from time to time as to my sources, and I always said, "NADA..."

In actuality they were a collection of statistics that had been pounded into my head over the years from: Jackie Cooper, Joe Verde, Grant Cardone, John Traver, Al De'Sarro, and countless other speakers, trainers, sales managers, etc...

I WOULD like to know what the real numbers were, and how they've changed over the years. It would also be nice to be telling the truth when I'm quoting them to people who are paying me to.

Alan

Aimsmith · Aug 19, 2008

Gentlemen

Sorry...just my opinion based on 1000's of surveys of new car customers who say that 70 to 80% of the time the salesperson who sold them their car follow-up with them by phone. If the statement had not said "sold or not" ... no problem.

So what's wrong with properly citing sources if possible? Who is the author of the article?

Aimsmith

Aug 18, 2008

Aimsmith, you’re right to respond in the manner you have after reading these statistics. You probably operate in a corner of the world that really gets the importance of follow up and lives it every day so I’m sure the numbers don’t apply to you or anyone you’re associated with.

I’ve had exposure to these statistics as well and probably in the same context as you. Industry trainers cite NADA as their source and if you dig a little you’ll find that Chris Carey, then CEO of Stronghold Technologies, used the stat you’re questioning in a press release about a workshop he did at the 2003 NADA convention entitled “Turning Be-Backs into Buyers”.

I quote: “Cars dealers typically ‘capture’ or record information on barely half of the customers who come into the showroom. This poor capture rate severely affects the dealer’s ability to follow up with prospective customers and generate return visits to the dealership. In addition, according to NADA statistics, only 10% of prospective car buyers are contacted by dealer personnel. There is an opportunity for a dealership to improve the processes for capturing prospect information and for contacting these prospects, setting appointments, getting customers back into the showroom, and closing once they return to the dealership.”

Yup, the 90% stat is at least five and a half years old, but as was probably said when you first heard it, “If the number’s too high, cut it in half.” Bring the stat back to life by mystery shopping a few showrooms in your area. If you play informed consumer, not lay-down, you’ll find the challenges Carey cited, while possibly diminishing over the last few years, still exist.

Aug 16, 2008

Jeff,

This is great information and even if they are off by 10-20%, as you say, they do provide a huge opportunity. Can you share the actual publications of where you retrieved this information so we can all better digest it? I am particularly interested in the context as well.

Aug 15, 2008

Agreed Jeff,

It's a never-ending fight to get salespeople to follow-up.

Most of mine will tell you they perform better when I have my foot up their butts the most. Every time I ease off, the phone calls and ultimately sales, dwindle.

I, for one, will say it's at least 80%.

Aimsmith · Aug 14, 2008

I've seen these several times before and heard them mentioned at a recent training seminar. Never has anyone given definitive, proper credit to the source.

"Here are some general showroom statistics compiled from Nada studies and a few other sources/studies over the last several years."

Huh? The only comment appropriate here is that the stats are either very very old, when the carbiz was booming, or "massaged" in some way. Like this one: "90% of sales people DO NOT do any follow-up whether the customer purchases or not." Total nonsense, period.

Aimsmith

Aug 12, 2008

sorry about the repost, it was unintentional...

The stat that jumped out at me was the first one. 72% of customers tell their salesperson they are “just looking” at the initial greeting.

A constant challenge and opportunity for discussion with my clients occurs around tracking. It seems crazy to me that so many dealerships are asking "what brought you in today" to a customer that is "only looking" and basing $100k ad spends around their answer. I'd say they aren't "only looking" any more than "they just drove by."

Aug 12, 2008

Jeff,

Is there a source available for these stats? I love the percentages, but I 'd like to know who to credit them to.

Thanks,

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