WIN a free trip to the 2008 Synergy Sessions in New Orleans!

[Brian in Etown]

Jeff,
I am looking at my submission as a car deal, last dealer wins.
I am still kicking around some ideas and trying to come up with a real solution for the "Ultimate Workshop", I have to admit some of the ideas have been pretty good.

 

[Joe Pistell]

I wrote a whole piece on the 20group idea and lost it in a PCcrash. It's like Richards but has a focus. I don't have much time so I write this real quick.

CRM, the tool from Hell.
Everyone is frustrated with CRM and each CRM platform has its own issues. Speaking personally, I am a R&R user and I know that I am using only 60% of the tool. The rest of it lies around in dark places that I can't find after hours and hours of looking.

A Solution?
Well... We all know it ain't coming from the vendors!
Use DS to form CRM 20 groups. Groups are created by CRM vendor use and then into non-competing areas. The whole "healing" process lives or dies on a good and clear discussions guidelines so that the discussion has focus.

DS could inform each CRM vendor to put their best instructor/support person on a plane and have them waiting in the lobby incase the group needs help. Any intelligent CRM sales manager would also see the leverage to offer "aid and assistance" to frustrated users of competing platforms. Take that one step further, CRM vendors should pay the host to "set up shop" and pitch their wares.

As a followup, DS could provide a website for each team. Social items like names, photos, backgrounds would be the teams front page. The web platform would have a meeting calander, blog and link them into the CRM vendor group that they belong to. CRM vendors would profit from the "focus group" data stream. The web platform should support webx Meetings and the CRM vendors should gladly sponsor that expense (or their competitor will). CRM vendors best customer service reps should participate to keep the dialogue going.

Topics:
--Day to Day use
--Is your Daily Work Plan filled with junk?
--Understanding the admin side (aka contact schedules from hell)
--Create a campaign quickly (aka Data Farming)
--Reporting
--Pimp my CRM emails and letters.
etc...

DS profits because they stay center stage trying to create a solution to an industry wide problem via social networking. It's almost web 2.0.

Hope this helps,
Joe

 

[Joe Pistell]

quick thought:
CRM vendors should make a screen recording video showing us how to quickly execute a task. Customer Stories

Quick Examples:
--Add a new rep
--Remove a rep
--Add a new manager
--Import a new reps client list
--Give an employee authority to "see" other employees info (i.e. assist FI mngr)
--Create then Track a campaign
and on and on and on...

A message board would work best, video at the top, a string of comments would follow. What a great feedback mechanism for CRM vendors!

Add to that a place where users can request a "task video" from the CRM Vendor. If the vendor does not support the group, then give the group the tools to do it themselves (and hopefully a leader will step in!)

If I was shopping for a CRM, I would use this community platform to do research.

If I am a CRM vendor that has many weaknesses (they all do) and I have no intention of spending $$$ to improve it, I HATE VISIBILITY & I HATE THIS IDEA.

dare to dream...
Joe

 

[Dan Madux]

I normally just read here, but a friend of mine emailed me a link today to a site that he thought i should share with everybody i know.

i'm not as worried about it as he is, but i can see how the internet is continuing to change the way we all sell cars.

the site is www.dealerdrop.com - i personally think the more people who see my dealerships name, the better off i am. he disagrees. i'm just concerned about inaccurate info

 

[Sean V. Bradley]

Thanks everyone for giving us your suggestions. We have already created an outline but are adding to it. Every time we get awesome ideas like from you all.

Here is a quick update...

I have just added a speaker named Danny Alkassmi. Danny has a company called RBI (www.rbipro.com). What is amazing for me about Danny Alkassmi is that he was the very first Internet training class I ever attended. He had a program called I-Net and was on tour for AutoByTel almost 9 years ago. Anyway, Danny and I have stayed in touch over the years and we recently got together and decided it would be a great opportunity to work together. Danny is going to bridge the Internet conversation with the Showroom. Not only is Danny an expert in Internet sales but he is also and expert for showroom, GSM, GM and Dealer Principal training. (Among other amazing accomplishments is a former Dealer Principal). Danny is going to be speaking on Showroom sales... After you get your Internet prospect into the showroom etc...

My goal is to have a really diverse program. We have some of the traditional experts from the major companies but I am proud to say there are some truly first ever presenters in an event like this such as:

* Franklin Covey
* Danny Alkassmi (RBI Pro)
* Royal Administration

** We will have a dealer panel with some of the top Online dealers in the US...As well as Jeff Kershner

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday and thank you again for your suggestions, please keep them coming!

One last thing... If we were to give away prizes there, what would you all like?

Here is where we are at so far:

* Autographed copy of the 7 habits of highly effective people by Dr. Stephen Covey!
* Video Flip Cameras
* IPod Touches

What else would be fun or cool or useful?

I look forward to hearing your ideas-

 

[Chad Polk]

Location of these events is everything and New Orleans is a great. Other locations that I have seen good turn-out are: Las Vegas (everyone wants to go to Vegas and airfare is cheap), Dallas (central location for all and good night life), Miami (beach and parties, what more could you want).

Here are some other emerging topics in the auto industry:
- Trends with internet marketing in auto industry

- Emerging technologies in marketing and selling online

- Define online marketing

- What is a conversion?

- What is a landing page? What is targeted content?

- What is PPC? Should I do Google, Yahoo, MSN, or all?

- Do you have a press kit? What can a press kit do for me? Free publicity.

- Does your dealership or dealership group have a non-profit foundation?

- eBay Motors, more than just an auction site. What is eBay Motors Local Market? How can I get eBay Motors to work? Why do I need an eBay Store?

- How much is presentation worth? (pictures, descriptions, layouts, etc)

- Define web properties and what they mean to my dealership

- What is social media marketing?

- What does a blog have to do with my dealership?

- Why is a YouTube channel good for my dealership?

- What are social networks for car buyers (carfolks.com, DealerRater.com, AskPatty, MyDealerReport)?

- Why do online press releases?

- Co-branded press releases with vendors and/or partners

- Why do I need lots of dealership photos online (flickr, snapfish, ofoto)?

- Social Networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, female specific websites)

- Community Portals (frisco-online.com, 360 corridor)

-Standardizing email footers across the dealership

- Standardizing voicemail greetings across the dealership

- Old School vs. New School – Defining the lifecycle for a successful internet department

- Shaping the future of car shopping: completing a car transaction online

- Comparison pricing and comparison shopping

 

[Eric Miltsch (blog)]

Sean -

Any of the books Jeff has on this site would be nice give-aways - or just a Barnes & Noble Gift card to pick out your fav.

Chad's list rocks too; I'm always interested in hearing/sharing best practices - I've hit just about every item on his list as well...always tweaking & looking for improvement.

Hearing just one new item that could spark an entire new wave of activity is worth it for me...

 

[Link]

Trying to see if my schedule will allow me to attend. The topics offered seem to be exactly what is needed in our industry. Since there seems to be a wave of popularity for video and it's uses, would the sessions be taped and available via podcast or youtube?

As the "unofficial" Internet Sales Director of my store (one of several hats), I wish to extend thanks to Jeff for maintaining this site. The information gained has been very useful and I enjoy visiting.

Link Robertson

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Anyone else? Comeon...don't get discouraged. Share your feedback, you never know. This is a great opportunity to get to a conference for FREE! Take Sean up on his offer and share your ideas!!

Jeff

 

[Lindsey Roder]

Sean,

I'd like to see a workshop on email marketing and how dealers are effectively using email to market to their sales and service customers.

I have yet to find a tool, CRM or otherwise, that seamlessly integrates email marketing into the current customer database. At least, there are no tools in the automotive industry that I have found that can track open rates, unsubscribes, delivery rates, click throughs, AND fully manage your permission based marketing AND also integrate with CRM and DMS. I would love to hear what everyone else is doing with this. Right now, I have several different software programs - CRM to manage customers, email marketing tools to track open rates, subscribes and clickthroughs, and HTML editors to create the emails.

Strategies for increasing email open rates, sending valuable content that increases conversion and the "whitelisting" debate - i.e. vendors guaranteeing they are "whitelisted" with the ISPs.

I also am always interested in the SEO and SEM discussion and the debate between doing it yourself on adwords and hiring a consultant to buy the keywords and manage your account for you. And is it worth the cost to build landing pages and microsites than to just send Google CPC ads right to your own website or homepage.

Also, what about the future of marketing- designing our websites and emails on mobile platform for iphones and blackberries? Anyone currently doing this?