What does a marketing budget look like for a dealership? If you’re like most people I talk with, you’re having one of two reactions. The first reaction I get is that when I say the word “budget” the first group says, “No! Not a budget!” However, when I mention a budget to the second group they say “Yes, a budget! Where has this been my whole life?” A budget is simply giving us permission and [...]

I was recently working with one of our Dealer Success Group members, and they asked the question “How do I know WHEN to spend our marketing money?” That is a great question because the seasonality of a dealership can dramatically affect when you spend your marketing money. Here are three important factors to keep in mind. Have a good understanding of your room for growth This is a process we call forecasting, which in simple [...]

“Do you have a marketing plan for the year?” That’s the question I recently asked dealers during a Dealer Success Group meeting. Sure, it seems simple, but if you have ever dipped your toe into the world of marketing, you know that there is a lot more complexity to the question than meets the eye. I got my start with marketing when I was in college and did an internship at Starlight Children’s Foundation, a [...]

My husband and I recently had some of our friends over for dinner. We were enjoying Kansas City barbeque on our porch while all the kids played in the yard. Through the course of the evening, we talked about a lot of things ranging from our kids, our plans for the next month and the TV shows we had been watching.  Before long, our conversation turned to the subject of work. There was one topic [...]

Should I Add A Second Location? Part One Business is booming, loyal customers are keeping you busy, and you ask, “Is it time to expand?” While there are a lot of factors that come into play regarding the question, and there is no one right answer for every situation, my general response when asked by the dealers we consult with is a resounding “No!” I say that based upon my experiences over the last couple [...]

Sure, you know you need to have meetings with your team but how in the world are you supposed to do that in the crazy world of a dealership? As we work with dealers, we find there are a few different meetings that need to happen. 1.Management Meetings You may be the only manager in your dealership, or you may be an owner with multiple managers. Whatever the case, it is important that you set [...]

One of the greatest headaches of any owner or manager is a difficult employee. A difficult employee can take something you love and turn it into something you dread and make a negative impact on your other employees and customers.  So why do you have difficult employees and what can you do about it? The problem has not been addressed. As we work through the issues owners and managers have with difficult employees, we find [...]

January 12th is a holiday that the majority of people participate in whether they know it or not. It’s called Quitters’ Day. Yes, you read that right, you have probably participated in Quitters’ Day. This is the day when most people quit on their New Year’s Resolutions. Only 12 days in and people are done. Ouch! Statistics show that only 9 percent of people accomplish their New Year’s Resolution. That means, at some time throughout the [...]