Are Internet Specials like Pulling Teeth?

[Alex Snyder]

Hello, my name is Alex and I've been handling Internet specials my automotive group since 2001.

Every month there are 10 or more franchises I have to create sets of specials for, and I really enjoy it! However, I really can't stand how hard it is to extract information from the stores who I make these specials for. You see, I don't actually come-up with the prices, payments, or rates; I lend a hand in those things, but I create the art and messages. Usually, I get these things done within the first week of a new month, but today is July 16th and I finally got all July ads completely posted yesterday. This was a particularly bad month for stores getting information to me, and it blows my mind because this just helps them sell more cars.

Am I the only one with this frustration?

It is as if the stores know they have a bad tooth, and want it out, but just don't want to go through the pain of having that bad tooth pulled.  Once the tooth is out, everything is better and the pain is gone.

What have I done in the past to make this process better?

• Created a form that I emailed out on the 1st of each month with a due date
  
• Made every sales manager accept a calendar event in his/her Outlook/Exchange account
  
• Sent email reminders every other day until I had all specials
  
• Visited and called the stores to push them
  
• Sent an email showing who the good stores were and the bad stores, CC'ing their bosses...this was actually the most effective
  
• Among other things

I know we are structured differently than most dealerships, and I also know this is more of a "people problem", but I'm curious if anyone has a decent process for getting things done in this area?

On a side note, we have some stores that are excellent at getting information to me (our BMW store is incredible and Toyota does a great job), but I think it is because those stores have people who enjoy flexing their creative brain-muscles.

It goes back to the left-brain/right-brain theory.  So, this is a "people-problem" based on a struggle for creativity, but it certainly doesn't mean people need replacing.

Or does it?

 

[Brian in Etown]

Blog about them until they give in Alex!
I feel your pain and I have to give you credit for coming up with some very compelling specials.

 

[Mitch]

Alex, I think you're suffering from a popular illness known as "Every Sales Manager in this industry is a lazy idiot". I think that's how it's pronounced.

You're not alone, and furthermore, think about how frustrating it is for Dealer Principals when they realize that all the ad meetings they went to at the beginning of the month with their agency - all the budgeting, positioning, brainstorming - goes out the window when the agency faxes over the form requesting the week's ad cars.

You think the SM does any research? Visits a competitor's website to see what they're offering? Analyzes their recent store traffic to see which cars are driving people away due to payment? Do you think they would ever think of asking the agency what the other dealers' ads are running? Nope. They spend about 5 minutes intentionally putting together an ad that doesn't take risks or go beyond the norm (you wouldn't want the DP to find out you dared to be adventurous, right?).

The Dealer spends huge sums of money on empty advertising templates (websites, print ads, etc). By the time the opportunity gets to the desk, it's free advertising. Free opportunities. You are asking the desk what they want to do with their free opportunities, and their response across the entire nation is "I don't have time for that... I got cars to sell." Then they go back to eating their sandwich.

All I can say is keep learning, stay optimistic, and eventually people like you will be putting SM's out on the street where the only job they'll be qualified for is door-to-door cutlery sales.

 

[Scott at TAV]

I would give them the form the last week of the month. At the risk of sounding harsh, I wouldn't pay them the month's commission until they submit the form. I would present the idea to management as if the company paid $4000 for a full page ad and when you opened the paper it said...Sorry, nothing this week-check back soon! There is no reason your company should be paying money for your salary and the website AND still pay those people-use their money instead if they can't get the job done in time.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

"I don't have time for that... I got cars to sell." Then they go back to eating their sandwich.

LOVE IT!! So true So True.

 

[Frank Davis]

I have a used car manager that is on top of specials every week, he is always in my office asking what can we do to drive more traffic, if I ask him for specials he finds the cars, has the lot porter line them up outside so we can take pictures if need be. He is the best, Now, new car manager is another story, he says he is going to do it and ,,,,,,,,,well I guess he just forgets

 

[Steven Isakson]

Do not forget about the sales manager that uses the old idea of invoice less holdback less all rebates less everything else. Great job of cutting our throats.

 

[Jeff Larsen (blog)]

Kudos Alex on your past efforts of communication with management to speed-up the internet advertising process to help them sell more cars and put more money in their pocket through your knowledge and hard work.

How about putting past results in front of them from your previous efforts? I think we can all agree that management is all about ROI from any money or time spent towards advertising in the dealership, correct?

Examples:

"Based on this last incentive you created, here is the traffic/sales/profit the store generated from that. With a few minutes of your time..." OR

"Great, understanding you will contact me with this information in the next day, just sign (or read receipt) that we had this conversation to cover myself. The owner/GM has been questioning why his customers were not notified of this special via email/website specials..."

I recently showed the results from some free ATC new vehicle special ads and my manager was happy to oblige.

And Kershner... be nice! Sales managers get hungry too!

 

[Joe Pistell]

Back-in-the-day I was a Yellow Pages sales rep, a once a year sales call. There is no sense of urgency; Decision makers would drag their feet.

YP management creates false deadlines before the real deadline to force advertisers to set appointments and make commitments because everyone would wait till the final hour. It works.

Many of us do this with our service depts. "I need it by 8am Tuesday" when the delivery is on Wednesday.

I say, get aggressive with your slackers and set early deadlines, create a sense of urgency and become a pain in the a**. This is the world they live in, so you might as well turn up the heat and toss them into the fire.

Joe

 

[Amy]

HI. Edmunds.com (incentives & rebates tab) is a great resource to find the regional new car offers....the info is usually posted by the 5th....I often go there instead of waiting on my dealers when i am putting their vehicle specials online. Its not a perfect solutuion but it does work in getting info to consumers.

Autotrader.com has great new vehicle specials that you can plug into your website. they are easy to manage and look great. just a thought....