The Eureka! Link

[Ryan Leslie]

Not sure why, but this thread feels like trying to chase a single spaghetti noodle through a 5 gallon pot. Joe wins "most relevant" comment in my opinion. Without an introduction there cannot be a consummation. All points of significant influence have to be considered, not just what the customer "remembers" or is willing to give up at the time they are asked if you are trying to calc ROI on a source.

The last thing a customer does is important, but is it more important than everything else they did along the way? Still waiting on that study that shows what the customer really does for 6 months leading up to the purchase. Where you at Polk?

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Head up - we have several moderation to this thread of comments. Discussions were getting a little heated and headed in the wrong direction. It's always interesting to how quick a conversation can be taken down another road.

Let's continue on with the The Eureka! Link.

 

[joe.pistell]

Lightenup,

I disagree.

#1). Reps can't interview ups for lead sources without the shopper feeling like they are giving away secrets.

#2). Shoppers who are ups have spent 19hours on sites all over the internet, and have taken weeks and months to become an up. Any interview of an unsold up looking for lead source info is prone to significant error.

Don't reinforce the status quo. Challenge it! My BOB gateway suggestion creates a new opportunity.

 

[Craig Belowski]

Like Uncle Joe I was on vacation myself and my wife hates my online addiction.....that being said, WOW! Eureka, Uncle Joe 52 comments and 10 reactions (even after some trimming) !

"DealerRefresh....The whole thing is real " Uncle Joe

Nice work man, lots of good reading here.

 

[Craig Belowski]

Like Uncle Joe I was on vacation myself and my wife hates my online addiction.....that being said, WOW! Eureka, Uncle Joe 52 comments and 10 reactions (even after some trimming) !

"DealerRefresh....The whole thing is real " Uncle Joe

Nice work man, lots of good reading here.

 

[lightnup]

Joe, in your last paragraph you write, "....They’ve invested time and energy into drilling thru classified pages, finding the best choice. The auto shopper who is ready to buy has to visit the dealer(s) in person."

I rest my case.

You also wrote: "what of the lack of shopper visibility (which is the CORE problem of AT and Cars)?"

IMO, that's why shoppers like AT and Cars... shoppers want to be able to do their research, view inventory and narrow their choices without having to become visible. They have plenty of opportunity to reveal themselves through email, phone call or chat. 70% don't do that. Instead, they get in their car and go to the dealership.

You wrote: "Reps can't interview ups for lead sources without the shopper feeling like they are giving away secrets."

Joe - Don't reinforce the status quo - challenge it. Would you refrain from asking if they heard your radio ad or saw your TV ad? Haven't you heard a receptionist answer the phone with, "Are you calling about our sale?" Mentioning to a walk-in customer that more of your advertising budget is going to numerous Internet sites so that shoppers are better informed when they come in, and then asking for help in judging whether those efforts are being seen and, if so, on which site(s) is not asking them to give away any secrets. In fact, asking implies transparency on the dealer's part. Not asking the question implies that you hope they didn't see your (lower) Internet price... which is a whole different topic.

 

[joe.pistell]

Lightenup,

I am sorry to speak boldly, but, you have shown me that you have zero dealer management experiences to fish from.

For example, You suggest that we teach 25,000 dealers how to train their reps to ask better questions. ...I pause with a puzzling look.... Are you kidding me? Then it hits me. You're lost in the land of rainbows and unicorns, not burning gas and get'in them over the curb. Lightenup, forget teaching them marketing queries, we're 18months into Jerry T's Phone Ninja training and they still suck.

In addition, the real thrust here is simply a mental exercise in exploring digital marketing opportunities from existing traffic. The idea is to challenge the platform to produce more ROI. This should be a never ending project for AT and Cars.com.

I was really hoping for a great intellectual challenge from you. From your reply, I am sorry to say, replies have little value to this thread.

 

[lightnup]

Joe - Not to ask better questions (which couldn't hurt), but to ask the darn question in the first place, which you think will alienate the walk-in customer somehow. You want more shopper visibility from your online marketing but don't want to ask the shopper that's right in front of you if they were online. Whatever.

I get a lot out of your many posts Joe and you offer many thought provoking ideas. However, apparently you are so used to never being disagreed with that you feel anyone with a differing opinion is incapable of intellectually challenging you or offering any value to your thought processes. In this thread alone, you've suggested that both Alex and I live in the land of unicorns and rainbows. Must be nice to be the only one rooted in reality. I can only aspire to your level.

BTW, over a decade of dealership new & used management experience under my belt, putting cars over the curb, burning gas, in the street, down the road. Been there, done that successfully.

 

[lightnup]

Joe - Not to ask better questions (which couldn't hurt), but to ask the darn question in the first place, which you think will alienate the walk-in customer somehow. You want more shopper visibility from your online marketing but don't want to ask the shopper that's right in front of you if they were online. Whatever.

I get a lot out of your many posts Joe and you offer many thought provoking ideas. However, apparently you are so used to never being disagreed with that you feel anyone with a differing opinion is incapable of intellectually challenging you or offering any value to your thought processes. In this thread alone, you've suggested that both Alex and I live in the land of unicorns and rainbows. Must be nice to be the only one rooted in reality. I can only aspire to your level.

BTW, over a decade of dealership new & used management experience under my belt, putting cars over the curb, burning gas, in the street, down the road. Been there, done that successfully.

 

[D. Rawls (blog)]

Thank You Lightenup;

As a tribute to your apparent understanding that Joe is defying the ideal of 'socialization' in the fashion by which he has tried to bully across only his own perspective, I share with you the following link. It probably makes sense to you, and to other open-minded professionals trying to intelligently discuss the idea of how to increase ROI for offerings from products like those of AT and Cars.

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