Automotive Retail BDC and Internet Departments - CRM Alone is Not Enough

Automotive retail is evolving before our eyes. Increased connectivity and the resulting changes in customer behavior are making it difficult for many dealers to keep up.

As one of the few BDCs that supports both Internet and automotive departments, we wanted to put together an informative post on what you need to succeed in this new business environment.

Our goal is to provide practical, actionable, and proven solutions for all of your CRM related needs by focusing on the dealership, rather than the customer.

Recruitment and Retention: Recruiting new employees will always be tough in any industry - automotive or otherwise. However, in a BDC, you need to focus on your onboarding process as well as yours and your employees' continued professional development needs. The longer you can keep people happy at the dealership, the happier they'll be with their job (and with you!). Not only do you want applicants who have good employee skills but also those who fit with your dealerships' culture.

Nurturing New Talent and Current Employees: The BDC/Internet department is a place for both new hires and your employees to grow. They should not just be part of the Internet department, but should also receive training that enables them to continue to grow in their current jobs.

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ARTICLE MARKETING ARTICLE TITLE: Automotive Retail BDCs Need an 'A' Plan - Result Driven Marketing Strategies Will Help Them Discover Customer Value and Market Their Store Locally and Globally [ARTICLE START]

I would like to address an issue that is impacting automotive retail, particularly as it relates to advertising.

First, a bit of history.

In the 80s and 90s, we were having a difficult time getting the clients to spend the money on advertising. The majority of them felt spending money on advertising didn't bring them enough return for what they spent.

When we couldn't achieve that point in our discussions with dealership management, we had to come up with an alternative plan. We developed what we call the "A" plan to position our clients in front of their customers by other methods. Therefore, if they didn't want to advertise they could still get in front of their customer base and compete using something else other than advertising dollars.

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ARTICLE MARKETING ARTICLE TITLE: Local Dealer Programs Are a Game Changer to the Automotive Industry [ARTICLE START]

As we move into 2014 for automotive, I'm seeing a major shift in the way dealers will promote their dealership locally and globally. As we speak, local dealer programs are being developed to help dealers market their product and services locally and on a global scale.

This new marketing strategy is addressing many of the common complaints that most dealers have had when it comes to attracting new customers. For example, each dealer wants to advertise on their own network of media and/or be in front of their customers as a preferred independent. But they have no idea how to do this, nor do they have the time or budget to spend money on advertising. So what are some solutions that dealers can use?

Today, you can use...

I'm in the process of building a "Park Tool" retail store. I've been spending most of my time researching product options for both offline and online marketing. I found that dealer-owned parking lots are just not cost effective for many dealers and their customers. However, I'm beginning to see why many more dealers are looking into this new concept in store locations for parking.

Many dealers want to increase the value of their parking lot and make it easier for customers to park their vehicles. We all know the importance of having a quality site for a parking lot, which is why you have many more options than just concrete. There are many different considerations when it comes to choosing a suitable parking lot type for your business that you should consider.

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ARTICLE MARKETING ARTICLE TITLE: The Automotive Industry Is Vulnerable - Al Qaeda Threatening US Auto Industry [ARTICLE START]

The auto industry was put on the highest of alert status by Al Qaida back in May. The terror group also issued a statement threatening attacks on the US auto industry and its shipments.

Al Qaeda Didn't Do It Alone...We believe that the motivation behind our concerns stems from the fact that there is an "industryification" of our military, which has resulted in a breakdown in discipline. In order to combat this growing problem, heavily armored convoys are required to travel with more security details than previously had been seen throughout history. These convoys are traveling tens of thousands of miles per day.

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ARTICLE MARKETING ARTICLE TITLE: Internet BDCs Now Have the Power of Decision Making [ARTICLE START]

The Internet BDC is revolutionizing the way that dealerships market themselves and manage customer contact strategies. In fact, they are now providing a higher level of service to both new and existing customers than ever before. With the success that comes with making strategic decisions as a team and having one point of contact, we have identified four emerging trends that will continue to be popular within Internet departments by dealerships in 2014.

The Internet BDC is revolutionizing the way that dealerships market themselves and manage customer contact strategies. In fact, they are now providing a higher level of service to both new and existing customers than ever before. With the success that comes with making strategic decisions as a team and having one point of contact, we have identified four emerging trends that will continue to be popular within Internet departments by dealerships in 2014.

Click here to view this Outlook on the full article.

ARTICLE MARKETING ARTICLE TITLE: Automotive Retail Is Not an Easy Business to Run [ARTICLE START]

The automotive retail industry is complex, but it doesn't mean that you can't make money in it. However, there are some very important points to keep in mind.

1. You have to have a clear and defined plan.

2. You have to know your customers and understand what they want and need.

3. Don't be afraid to invest in things that don't directly provide short term results, such as customer relationship marketing or employee training programs - they all add value in the long term, which will lead to more sales.

You might not see the immediate return on these investments; however, the long run benefits will make you a lot of money in the future.

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Conclusion

While the automotive retail industry is quickly changing and evolving, there are still a lot of things that you can do to attract new customers, build and grow your business. So let's review the top five keys and tactics that we want to point out so that you don't miss them.

1.) Promote and Advertise on Social Media

Social media will be an important part of any marketing plan for dealerships in 2014. Just like with any social network, platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn will give you a chance to reach a larger audience than you would get through traditional marketing channels.