EasyAutoSales Blog » car dealerships

Interview with Rhett Blanchard President of Blanchard Hyundai

Will Fleiss — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:24:09 +0000

We’re very excited about this next interview with Rhett Blanchard, the President of Blanchard Hyundai in Asheville, North Carolina. Rhett provides some great insights into the auto sales business, as well as specific advice on running a successful car dealership.

If you’d like to be interviewed for our Car Dealer Interview Series tweet us @EasyAutoSales or shoot me an email at will(at)easyautosales.com.

1. Rhett, can you tell us a little bit about Blanchard Hyundai?

We opened the doors about 3 months ago, as North Carolina’s newest
Hyundai dealer. Prior to this, we were Asheville Dodge, a Dodge dealership that we have owned and operated for the last 12 years. We are a member of Keffer Automotive Group out of Charlotte, NC who owns or operates over 25 stores in the Southeast. We have since sold the Dodge point to the local Chrysler-Jeep dealer and are exclusively a Hyundai Dealership. The transaction was virtually seamless. The day that Chrysler announced bankruptcy plans was the very day that we received our first Hyundai vehicles.

2. Can you give us some background on your own automotive career? Why did you get into the business and what do you like about selling cars?

I started selling cars during college at a Nissan dealership in the Charlotte Area and was immediately hooked. The daily interaction with people and trying to both meet the customer’s needs and still sell something was a huge draw. If you don’t love people, you will fail in sales, period. After college I was recruited by Keith Hawthorne who at the time was the General Manager at Keffer Dodge to do finance there. That was an amazing experience with a lot of high energy exceptional people who really have molded my career and helped me grow. I was later promoted to Sales Manager and then General Manager at out new location in Asheville. The thing that I enjoy most out of the automotive business is the daily interaction with the customer and our employees.

3. What has been the biggest challenge your dealership has faced in 2009? How has your dealership adapted to meet this challenge?

The biggest challenge we have had to face in 2009 is the fact that we are switching from a domestic product that doesn’t have a high customer perception, to an import brand that is very highly thought of. We are still struggling with inventory stocking levels, what to stock and the most effective marketing strategies. The staff was very lean as a Dodge Dealer, it seems that we went into this recession first. We have actually had to hire additional staff and get them up to speed on the new product. Of course with Hyundai, we are anticipating a huge sales lift with the government CARS program.

4. Do you do anything special to ensure your shopper’s dealership experience is a good one?

Our people are paid on customer satisfaction. I believe that your pay plan IS your job description. I think that is best reflected in our repeat and referral percentage of business every month. I also try to make sure that we are priced competitively in the market, so they don’t have to pay extra to do business here. We have several managers and sales people who have been here for a couple of years. I also believe that customer satisfaction begins with employee retention. When the customer comes back into the store for a second vehicle and sees a number of familiar faces, that is reassures them of their experience being a good one.

5. What are some unique marketing tactics Blanchard Hyundai is doing to get more people in the door?

We are not doing any print at all. All of our marketing is electronic. We have several annual radio contracts, as well as local personalities driving our vehicles and doing our commercials. Internet is becoming a bigger part of our budget now with the new product. We are sticking our feet in the water in buying some leads as well as some Google Ad words. Because we are “new” we had another Grand Opening and did a weekend with remotes and a cash tube. Hectic, but worth it.

6. What are your most effective online marketing channels and how do you measure their success?

Our most effective online channels are third party sites like Autotrader.com and Cars.com. We update them daily and re-price new and used inventory weekly. They both have very effective integrated reporting tools that we monitor. These sites are spending extraordinary amounts of money to bring visitors to them, so if your aren’t there, you really aren’t reaching the market. Our organic leads have a much higher closing percentage, and a much smaller funnel. Our own website continues to be our number 1 online medium as well as the Manufacturers’ site and leads.

7. How involved is your dealership with social media? What kind of success, if any, have you seen from this medium? Are there any obstacles preventing you from getting more out of online tools like Twitter and Facebook?

We have both a twitter account and a facebook fan page. I think that the biggest misconception about both sites is the corporate media strategy employed by other dealers and vendors. It seems that a high number of companies on twitter employ strategies to get the highest number of followers regardless of interest. If these are people who are not in your market, or will not ever transact with you then what is the point? Our goal is to cultivate a group of followers with common interests and a regional location, so that when we have a marketing message or service special, I can get some traction. I end up blocking most companies feeds from my twitter account that continually spam, or try to get me to sign up for more followers. Our strategy is quality over quantity. Very much like our customer service strategy, we want loyalty throughout a buying cycle, not a good survey score 1 time.

Thanks for your time Rhett! If you have any further questions for Rhett please leave them in the comments. Hopefully we can keep the interview going. You can also find Rhett on Twitter @Bhyundai.

Find us on twitter @EasyAutoSales if you’d be interested in doing our next interview.

Interview with Donna Beasley of the Courtesy Automotive Group in Conyers, GA

Will Fleiss — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:34:40 +0000

We’ve been a bit busy getting ready for our site’s relaunch, but we’re back with a solid dealership interview from Donna Beasley, Business Development Center Specialist at the Courtesy Automotive Group in Conyers, Georgia. Donna was kind enough to answer a few questions about how Courtesy’s dealerships are adapting to the challenges of the automotive marketplace

1. Donna, Tell us a little bit about Courtesy Hyundai and your own career in the auto industry?

Our company is the Courtesy Automotive Group. We have three dealerships, Ford, Lincoln/Mercury and Hyundai located on a large campus in Conyers, Ga. My response to the following questions are reflection of the company-wide response and not just Courtesy Hyundai answers. I’m actually a new comer to the auto business (1 year), but have an extensive (over 10 years) background in marketing. I started in Sales and was promoted to run the Business Development Center 8 months ago.

2. As a result of the recession, what expenses have you cut from your daily operation? What new programs have you added to your daily operation?

Like all dealerships we have had to do some belt-tightening including laying off some employees. Operationally, we are pretty much the same. In fact our owners have invested in remodeling some aspects of the dealership. We have a new and improved quick lane, accessories store and refreshed the look of one of our main showrooms.

3. Has your attitude towards the marketing budget changed? Has it shifted more and more online?

Our marketing efforts have definitely included a stronger online presence, including improved websites, entry into social media, advertising on online car sites, like autotrader.com. In fact, the web is driving 60% of our leads right now. We still do traditional media, TV and Newspaper but its not driving business like it use to. One thing that is driving leads our way are the car specific magazines like, Car Smarts Magazine and Just Cars Magazine. We have had good success with those.

4. What are some of the biggest concerns you have when buying leads?

Whether there is going to be a return on the investment. So often, several dealerships in the same area are getting the same leads.

6. What are your thoughts on online reputation management?

Its important. We monitor what consumers are saying about us with Twitter and Google alerts. I find some company’s like Ford, are doing a great job of building both their Brand online and managing their online reputation. Some others are moving at a slow and easy pace. As far as our dealerships go, with all the bad news in the car business, its important to promote and build both our offline and online reputation. We must instill confidence in our customers and prospects that they can count on us to be here to service their automobile needs.

7. What can dealers do to adapt as many people start shifting their shopping patterns towards online research and browse?

Our experience is that the shift has already happened. Almost all of our customers, even those that walk-in to our showroom have researched their vehicle options online before they step thorough the door. This includes seniors. Sometimes a customer knows more about the vehicle than the salesman, because they have been researching their dream car for weeks and know every single detail about the vehicle. We have adapted by improving our website: www.courtesyatlanta.com to make the customer’s online shopping experience better, including providing better photos, and navigational ease, we have a dedicated internet staff, and we communicate with our customer base via email marketing on a more consistent basis.

Thanks for your time Donna! If you have further questions for Donna please ask them in the comments. Hopefully we can keep the interview going. You can also find her behind the Courtesy Hyundai Twitter handle @HyundaiAtlanta. If you’d like to be interviewed for our dealership interview series find us on Twitter @EasyAutoSales or shoot me an email at will(at)easyautosales.com.

Interview with William Bryant of Steve White VW Audi Dealership

Will Fleiss — Fri, 29 May 2009 02:51:31 +0000

Steve White VW Audi Dealership - Greenville, SC

For the inaugural interview of our Car Dealer Interviews series we’ve had the pleasure of talking with William Bryant of Steve White VW Audi dealership in Greenville, SC. We asked him a few questions about his experiences in the auto sales industry and what it’s like to be a dealer in today’s economy.

William provided some great insight and advice that we hope you will find useful. I think you’ll agree with us when we say, Mr. Bryant is wise beyond his years. If you would like to be included in our Car Dealer Interview series, please drop me an email at will (at) easyautosales.com or twitter us @easyautosales.

1. William, tell us a little bit about Steve White VW Audi and your own career in the auto industry?

I started out selling cars at a Nissan dealership. I think I was the youngest guy they’d ever hired. I was going to college at the time and kind of fell into it. Next thing I knew I had truly found my passion. My other passion was computers and the internet, so when I heard we were getting internet leads and doing nothing with them, I jumped at the opportunity to take it all over. All of a sudden I’m doing over 20% of the store volume on my own! Since then I’ve moved to Steve White, who has a real vision for the internet’s place in a dealership, and consistently do over 30% of the sales volume… and it’s growing every day!

2. How has your dealership been specifically affected by the current economic situation?

Like everyone we braced for the worst. We expected down numbers of at least 15% or more, most dealers around us are down 30% or more. But, actually the last 5 months now we’ve been UP in business around 8% over the previous year. So actually I’d have to say business is good.

3. What expenses have you cut from your daily operation? What new programs have you added to your daily operation?

We cut out programs that weren’t performing well so that we can enhance what we already have. We cut out several thousand dollars worth, and have actually been able to redirect some of that into more long-term and service enhancing programs… Like our e-newsletter, live chat, and paid search. All have proven very well worth it, and very good at improving our store image; which at the end of the day adds value to the customer and brings them back for more. We like to keep them on our site.

4. Has your attitude towards the marketing budget changed? Has it shifted more and more online?

The budget has definitely gone more online, we do spend a little on radio. We took our TV money and advertised on the TV station’s website, and that yielded good success (actually picked perfect timing, during a BIG bank robbery we were all over the news site’s pages, and got a lot of leads in then haha). Dropping back though to doing most of our advertising online helps us to enhance what works and lose what doesn’t on the fly. Which is a must for dealers right now with the way things are changing.

5. What are your thoughts on online reputation management? Are online reviews of dealers the next IT thing?

That’s a good question and one I’m curious about. To be honest with you, it all depends on the medium in which the reputation is being managed. Naturally, a bad review anywhere will hurt you. But if it comes off some website that’s not that well known, it’s not nearly as detrimental as physical word of mouth. However we’ve found that positive reputation built over social networking sites like Facebook really help build our reputation. Customers are being exposed to positive comments from previous customers daily, which is huge. We hear a lot lately “I’ve heard good things about you” which really counts. On the flip side, it makes it ever more important to make sure customers don’t have a bad experience with how virally news like that can travel! This recent story about one of our competitors proves that http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/747298.html

6. What are your thoughts on the future of dealerships as many people start shifting their shopping patterns towards online research and browse? What can dealers do to adapt?

People will always research, I think we’re already to the point to where if you don’t AT LEAST have a good website and aren’t seen on third party sites, you’re missing the boat big time. Actually I think we’re past that point. You should go ahead and shut your doors because your competition has already sold to your customers. It’s all about convenience, and what’s more convenient than the internet? The average dealer has a nice website and is listed on every major site out there. The progressive dealers are stealing your customers via social networking and eBay. I think those dealers also have a more loyal customer base because of their high level of interaction with their customers.

People have short attention spans these days. Dealers need to do everything they can to stay in front of their customers 24/7. Not just for sales, but mostly for also fixed ops. That’s why our business is growing while everyone around us is shrinking or closing. Makes a difference, don’t it?!

This is great stuff William! There is no doubt that a lot of dealers out there could learn a lot from you. Thank you for your time. If you have any comments for William please feel free to leave them in the comments section below. We look forward to keeping the interviews going… Again, if you would like to be included in our Car Dealer Interview series, please drop me an email at will (at) easyautosales.com or twitter us @easyautosales.

You can also find William and Steve White VW Audi on Twitter: @wbryant and @SteveWhiteVW

The Importance of Accurate Data Entry for Car Dealers

Wei Yang — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:46:38 +0000

Every now and then, I run across a dealer on our website that was sent to us via a feed that contains inaccurate contact information. Whenever this happens, there’s a good chance that opportunities for leads are lost for all vehicles under this dealer. While this is something we can try to fix locally, the way most feeds are setup requires dealers to fix the information at the source. Whether you are currently exporting your data to us or not, it is important that you fill out your information correctly in your management system so your online marketing efforts are not wasted.

With regards to vehicle data I do run across some dealers that do not list the vehicles correctly with regarsd to make and model names. Again, these vehicles are sent to a special closet on the web and are most likely not put on display like their rule following cousins. If you use inventory management systems to keep track of your inventory, please make sure you use standard make and model names that will be easily understood by other web services.