Unstoppable salespeople use many ways to keep themselves on track. Post-it notes on mirrors, cars, desks; screen savers on computers; charts and graphs for constant feedback. Messages on their PDA's; pictures representing their targets. They surround themselves with their dreams and make it their focus everyday.
During Ford Motor Co.'s annual meeting, Ford shareholder Gordon Diehl of Setauket, N.Y., told Ford CEO Alan Mulally that he had visited several Ford dealerships in his area and he wasn't impressed.
"Much to my dismay," he said, "the quality of the dealerships ranged anywhere from very poor to mediocre at best, and I was just wondering what you're doing ... to improve the standards of these dealerships."
Mulally said that a key element of the company's plan was to improve the profitability of dealerships by improving the number of sales per store. "It's a very high priority for us," he said. "Our dealer network is tremendous but we have overcapacity."
Today, the Bush Administration proposed aggressive fuel economy targets for automakers that would take effect beginning in Model Year 2011. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) recognizes the substantial impact that this national standard, if adopted, would have on both reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and limiting greenhouse gas emissions from new vehicles.
NADA commends U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters, for moving quickly to exercise the authority Congress established this past December when it enacted the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Continue reading "Dealers Applaud Speedy Implementation of National Fuel Economy Standard"
At this week's meeting talk about your overall business strategy and where its focus has been. Have you devoted more time and energy to bottom-line growth: through trimming expenses, scaling back operations and reducing services to customers and employees. Or has your focus been on top line growth: increasing productivity, expanding operations and creating new profit centers and jobs? Bottom line growth certainly has its place in business. But you can't shrink your way into greatness. Bottom line growth won't deliver the competitive advantage you need in the long term, because most everyone has gotten better at cutting costs the past few years. Cutting jobs is hard work, creating them is genius. Where are you spending your time and how will it eventually affect your competitive advantage in the marketplace? Consider the following points to stimulate thinking on growing your business: not just cutting it or maintaining it:
Continue reading "You Can’t Shrink Your Way into Greatness - by Dave Anderson" »
The presidential candidates may be touting a gas tax holiday, but Chrysler is offering new car buyers a card that locks in the price of gasoline and diesel at $2.99 a gallon for three years.
On
Monday, the U.S. automaker announced a month-long “Let’s Refuel
America” program, which looks designed to lure new car buyers into its dealerships
— it gives buyers of most of its vehicles at Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge
dealerships a card that can be used for purchases of gas or diesel
fuel, locking in the price at $2.99 a gallon for three years.
Continue reading "Chrysler Touts Gasoline Deal To Win Buyers"
NADA is offering dealers an opportunity to get up-to-the-minute, practical information on IRS issues affecting the retail business through a Web-based seminar addressing breaking news on dealer tax issues.
“This is a rare opportunity to learn directly from the IRS about dealer-specific tax developments that have occurred even since our last IRS seminar held in February at the NADA Convention,” said Paul Metrey, NADA director of regulatory affairs, who will moderate the online discussion.
Continue reading "New Seminar Focuses on Tax Issues Affecting Deal"
Chrysler LLC's top executives have a vision for the automaker that in some ways defies much of what has defined being one of Detroit's Big Three.
Their Chrysler will be smaller. It will forge more alliances with other automakers and parts suppliers to gain access to new technology and to make better use of its manufacturing capacity. It will build fewer, but better, cars and trucks that meet changing consumer demands. And it will be profitable.
U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg proposed spending more than $1.2 billion over five years to aid domestic automakers as they spend billions themselves to comply with new fuel economy standards.
He also proposed a rewrite of the tax code that could be worth as much as $3.5 billion to Detroit's Big Three automakers in annual tax rebates.
Continue reading "Knollenberg Proposes $1.2B Aid For Big 3" »
Automotive Careers Online is NADA’s dedicated job board—and the automobile retailing industry’s exclusive resource for online employment connections.
Just launched, Automotive Careers Online is a brand new benefit of NADA membership. Only NADA members may post jobs—for a fraction of the cost of commercial boards and newspapers that don’t necessarily reach the dealership audience.
To learn more, post jobs, and search listings, visit www.automotivecareersonline.com.
When you become successful the natural tendency is to embrace the things that got you there. This seemingly logical thinking can present several problems because while some aspects of what you did to get to where you are will help elevate you to where you want to go, there are other components may actually inhibit your climb to the next step. Here are a couple of examples that illustrate how past success can work against you:
Continue reading "Two Dangers of Embracing Your Success - by Dave Anderson" »
Scott Piechocinski roamed the rows of a CarMax dealership in Charlotte, N.C., on a recent afternoon, searching for something small to replace his son's 2001 Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle.
He's not alone: As gas prices marched higher and now top $3.50 per gallon across the nation, car buyers across the country increasingly are abandoning SUVs and pickups in favor of smaller crossovers and cars.
Continue reading "Demand For Small Cars, Crossovers Soar Along With Gas Prices"
Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally may be pulling a repeat: Turning around the No. 2 U.S. automaker in the same way that he helped revive Boeing Co., the world's second-largest aircraft maker.
Ford yesterday reported a $100 million first-quarter profit after analysts had forecast a loss. Ford shares gained the most since November 2002 as Mulally maintained his pledge to restore the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker to profit in 2009.
Continue reading "Ford's Mulally May Repeat Boeing Success at Automaker"
The Ford Motor Company said on Thursday that it earned $100 million in the first quarter, after a loss in the same quarter a year ago, a surprising improvement amid a slump in the United States market that has cut sales of lucrative trucks and sport utility vehicles.
The company also warned of the possibility of more cuts in its work force.
Time is more important than money. You can get more money but you cannot get more time. Squandering time is one of a leader's most costly mistakes. It robs his organization of results; his people from development; his family of attention and himself of esteem. Following are five basic principles to help you make more effective use of your time:
Continue reading "How to Maximize Your Time! - by Dave Anderson" »
A new study by Cars.com and Experian Automotive has indicated that even though customers are increasingly aware of certified pre-owned vehicles when they're shopping for a car, they remain confused between OEM and dealer certification programs.
Additionally, it found that there are unique marketing opportunities for the manufacturers to highlight their unique program benefits.
Continue reading "Cars.com, Experian Study Highlights Best CPO Practices"
Kim Fenske drives a bus in Colorado by day, but when he's not working, he zooms around the mountains in a 2007 Toyota Prius.
Fenske, an attorney by training who has also worked as a forest ranger, was an environmentalist long before hybrid cars like the Prius hit the market. In the early 1990s, he ran unsuccessfully for the Wisconsin state legislature on a renewable energy platform.
General Motors Corp said on Wednesday it would realign North American sales and marketing management and announced that a former Nissan North America sales chief would lead one of the four new broad retail channels.
GM said the changes to align its eight brands into four brand channels would reduce complexity and improve its focus, with all of the leaders reporting directly to North American sales chief Mark LaNeve.
Continue reading "GM Revamps Marketing, Hires Ex-Nissan Executive"
Nissan Motor Co. said Monday it will make a new small car designed by Chrysler LLC and Chrysler will make a full-size pickup truck designed by Nissan.
The agreement is part of a growing relationship between Chrysler and the No. 3 Japanese automaker as they attempt to adapt to markets buffeted by the economic slowdown and rising gas prices.
Continue reading "Chrysler, Nissan To Make Each Other’s Vehicles"
A few seats remain open for the Dealer Candidate Academy (DCA) for successors and the General Dealership Management (GDM) classes, which are scheduled to start next month at the NADA Dealer Academy.
The DCA class begins on May 5, and the GDM class begins on May 19. All classes will take place at NADA headquarters in McLean, Va.
The Dealer Academy program comprises six one-week class sessions - one week every other month - with each session focusing on a different area of dealership operations. The initial session focuses on financial management, the next two on fixed operations (parts and service), the following two on variable operations (new and used), and the final session on overall dealership management.
For more information or to enroll, call (800) 252-6232, #5, or (703) 821-7216 (in Canada).
