- Jan 19, 2010
- 34
- 2
- First Name
- Andy
I wasn't sure what category to set this up in, but I wanted to open the floor to something I hadn't seen discussed much here since I joined.
Again, I apologize for my lack of experience, but I am wondering how you guys have your department set up and how you operate daily.
For me, it is a one man show. I answer all of the incoming leads, schedule appointments, manage our sites and 3rd party merchandising, custom comments, craigslist listing, handle all of the follow-up tasks and phone calls, and am now getting into the social networking, blogs, etc. as well as reviewing vendors, lead sources and the overall direction of the department. Not to mention that in 3 months I will have completed two site re-designs.
When I set the appointments, they work with one of three sales people who are allowed to work my customers because of CSI scores, certification, etc. and we split the commission which is a big part of my pay plan.
We aren't a huge store...I will probably run around 20 units a month (those are on appointments that I set not walk-ins who saw the car on the internet and work with a sales-person) and hope to grow quickly from there. My boss really wants me to get an assistant to handle more of the administrative things. The problem is that I am very protective over everything I do and I don't trust anyone else to do follow up, work plans without pencil-whipping, merchandising, custom comments, and answering leads because I think that the real challenge to internet is getting them in the door in the first place.
If I had an assistant, I could deliver full units instead of splitting the deals and I would probably have a better income. The commissions make up a big part of my pay plan.
I am particularly interested in hearing from those who do about the same volume I do but I am sure I can get some ideas from people in bigger stores as well. I know bigger stores have more than one "Internet Guy". I am concerned that if I delegate the wrong responsibilites that things will fall apart and I won't have the response time, generate as many leads, etc. if I am not at the wheel.
I don't want to have to decide if it's best if I deliver more units personally or if the department generates more sales. My pay plan sort of puts me in that position right now though.
My boss dosen't want anyone in the sales staff counting on internet deals to hit their numbers. He wants internet to be a seperate roof-top. The problem is that right now, it's one guy under that roof-top.
Anyone operate with an assistant or have someone test-drive and handle delivery with their customers so that your response times, etc. don't get bad?
I have only been doing this a couple of months and only ever met one other internet manager and she did it about the way I do it....feeding appointments to sales people.
Do you work your own customers when they arrive or flip them to a sales person?
Anxious to hear your thoughts...
Again, I apologize for my lack of experience, but I am wondering how you guys have your department set up and how you operate daily.
For me, it is a one man show. I answer all of the incoming leads, schedule appointments, manage our sites and 3rd party merchandising, custom comments, craigslist listing, handle all of the follow-up tasks and phone calls, and am now getting into the social networking, blogs, etc. as well as reviewing vendors, lead sources and the overall direction of the department. Not to mention that in 3 months I will have completed two site re-designs.
When I set the appointments, they work with one of three sales people who are allowed to work my customers because of CSI scores, certification, etc. and we split the commission which is a big part of my pay plan.
We aren't a huge store...I will probably run around 20 units a month (those are on appointments that I set not walk-ins who saw the car on the internet and work with a sales-person) and hope to grow quickly from there. My boss really wants me to get an assistant to handle more of the administrative things. The problem is that I am very protective over everything I do and I don't trust anyone else to do follow up, work plans without pencil-whipping, merchandising, custom comments, and answering leads because I think that the real challenge to internet is getting them in the door in the first place.
If I had an assistant, I could deliver full units instead of splitting the deals and I would probably have a better income. The commissions make up a big part of my pay plan.
I am particularly interested in hearing from those who do about the same volume I do but I am sure I can get some ideas from people in bigger stores as well. I know bigger stores have more than one "Internet Guy". I am concerned that if I delegate the wrong responsibilites that things will fall apart and I won't have the response time, generate as many leads, etc. if I am not at the wheel.
I don't want to have to decide if it's best if I deliver more units personally or if the department generates more sales. My pay plan sort of puts me in that position right now though.
My boss dosen't want anyone in the sales staff counting on internet deals to hit their numbers. He wants internet to be a seperate roof-top. The problem is that right now, it's one guy under that roof-top.
Anyone operate with an assistant or have someone test-drive and handle delivery with their customers so that your response times, etc. don't get bad?
I have only been doing this a couple of months and only ever met one other internet manager and she did it about the way I do it....feeding appointments to sales people.
Do you work your own customers when they arrive or flip them to a sales person?
Anxious to hear your thoughts...