‘Tis the Season
With this year’s Thanksgiving in our rearview mirror and the holidays just down the road, I think it is time we industry folks talk about what we are thankful for. As I’ve been holiday shopping - or as it is known in the politically incorrect world of the Webb household “Christmas shopping” - I see a nation who isn’t scared of spending their hard-earned dollar. Gift-giving is going strong and online orders are already blowing away numbers from past years. (Now if only we gave to charities as generously as we do our distant family.) All of this money being thrown around should make us grateful to work in an industry where we not only provide a necess

Healthy Branding For Your Dealership
Do you know anyone that has a cold?  How about the flu?  Have you heard any news reports on the H1N1 virus? If you are looking for a new promotional marketing item for your car dealership, let me suggest small tubes of branded hand sanitizer. With cold and flu season in full swing, this item is a bulls-eye for positive branding of your dealership. I’ve been known for my In

It Doesn’t Matter How Much, You Can’t Afford Not Going All Out On The Web
With the end of the year quickly approaching and a focus on getting as many cars sold as possible, it’’s also the only time you have to make sure your plan is right for your web presence in 2010.  We’re talking about a plan.  If you don’t have one, it’s time do something that will really move the needle for you. It’s a bit of Branding 101, Internet 102, Process 201 (we’ll say that since you’ve likely hired a more traditional “get them excited to do more of the same thing after the excitement of yelling at them wears off in 3 days” trainer although not in a while) and a number of other ‘class’ sounding names

What Did Thanksgiving Do For You?
If you’re in sales, chances are you needed the Thanksgiving day break.  Badly. If things are good or not-so-good, the day off allows you at least to decompress.  If you’re in automotive, many would say that the break is more than deserved.  You should return with two things: the day off and something new. Too often we take the greatest chance to improve and dismiss it with a focus on the short-term gain.  Will you return simply energized or with new, more aggressive goals and a dedication to really build your brand?  It’s not only the things we’re thankful for, it’s also the things you plan on being thankful for. If you sell, are you doing

How to use Google Wave
A lot of people are beginning to play with Google Wave - even some of us within the car dealer social network community. Many are confused as to what it is, what it does and how it can help you. In a nutshell, it can be whatever you need: A clunky chat-room, a private workspace to share rich content or something even more engaging by using installable gadgets such as napkin, brainstorming and HTML… I like the simple features over other sites like Basecamp. A Google Wave iPho