Automotive Advertising Agencies Must Promote Training To Help Them Sell More Cars And Services

To train – or not to train – is not the question according to automotive advertising agencies who understand the importance of investing in the people part of the sales and service process by providing training before, during and after the sale.  Training has often been considered as an afterthought by auto dealers who have enjoyed the luxury of having more customers than cars with a never ending supply of salespeople and service writers who earned a higher than average income for their efforts.  Today’s consolidating auto industry has changed the math for auto dealers who now have to deal with shrinking sales volumes, reduced profit margins and the resulting loss of a ready willing and able sales and service staff whose incomes have been reduced along with dealer profits. Automotive advertising agencies have always been tied to their auto dealer clients bottom line – whether they knew it or not – and today’s automotive advertising agencies are realizing that their areas of responsibility do not stop at the front door of the auto dealership.  Automotive advertising plans geared for the Internet using digital marketing platforms coupled with internal sales and service processes powered by integrated technologies provide efficiencies that allow auto dealerships to operate with reduced budgets and support staff in sales and service. Unfortunately, many auto dealers and automotive advertising agencies have been operating with the false sense of security that the people aren’t as important as the technology and/or the processes that they have applied to replace them.   That is as untrue today as it was yesterday. People still like to do business with people that they like and human nature has survived on the world wide web.  The real solution for auto dealers forced to operate with fewer sales people and service writers is to train them in the use of the new technology, however, not at the expense of training them in understanding human nature and proven old school best practices to sell a car.New technologies and automotive advertising applications include training solutions that offer efficiencies similar to other sales and service processes that have been applied to reduce expenses for auto dealers.   However, even the best training system can’t teach someone to be a nice person and/or to place their customer’s interests ahead of their own.  These applications must be coupled with people skills that are best hired vs. taught and they start before the sale or even the hiring of the sales person or service writer ever begins. Internet based applications like Hire The Winners help human resource departments sort through applicants in the hiring process.  Their focus is on personality traits and people skills surfaced in a series of videos posted on a site that is linked to help wanted ads.  This screening process allows the auto dealer to determine how the applicant will react to various real world scenarios in the sales and service process.  Applying this filter before investing in training and lost sales opportunities caused by a bad hire provide an R.O.I. that can be easily verified with improved employee retention, C.S.I. / S.S.I. scores for the dealership and incremental increases in sales and service productivity by a well screened employee.Similar advantages in training during the sales and service process can be applied by applications like DealerMouth that allow sales and service staff to promote themselves through their own websites hosted – and monitored – by the auto dealer to promote best practices.  This ongoing training by senior management compliments the desire by the automotive advertising agencies to extend the reach and frequency of their online automotive advertising messaging beyond the auto dealerships websites and or third party automotive advertising platforms.  Training by example is a proven practice that can be applied on the internet super highway in the virtual showroom much like it used to be applied in brick and mortar facilities.Newly developing applications focused on enhancing the sales process with integrated training components are also in development.  Applications designed for kiosk, desk top and even mobile platforms promise to support sales and service staff before, during and after the buying and shopping experience for customers.  Providing sales people and service writers with best practices and word tracks to enhance the customer experience during their sales and/or service presentation will empower the staff by offering them relevant information to help the customer make a buying decision.  In addition to increasing their individual productivity on a real time basis, there is a residual benefit of training the sales and service writer who will be better able to apply and retain the information built into their more consistent presentations to their customers.  Automotive advertising agencies are tasked with evaluating new technologies and automotive advertising applications to provide more for less for their auto dealer clients.  The presumption that these technologies can – or should – replace people in the process is misguided if it doesn’t increase the productivity of the people that remain.  Training will increase the R.O.I. that auto dealers receive from their staff.  More importantly for automotive advertising agencies is that training will directly impact the auto dealers bottom line which is certainly part of the job description for automotive advertising agencies in today’s challenging auto industry.       

Affordable and Effective Kitchen Improvements

Are you getting tired of how your kitchen looks right now? If you think that having a kitchen renovation at a time like this will cost you a lot of money, you are mistaken. There are a lot of things you can do to give your kitchen a makeover but without burning a hole in your pocket. Check out these tips for a nicer kitchen.1.Cupboards – a nice fresh paint in your cupboards and drawers can instantly give your kitchen a face lift. A new color alone can have a really drastic effect in your overall kitchen. It can light up your kitchen or have a warm ambiance, your choice. Paints are not that expensive plus you can play with the colors as much as you want.2.Counter tops – If you have a chip in your counter, then it’s time to buy a new one. But don’t worry because counter tops need not be expensive. There are affordable laminates that are available in the market today and these work well in replacing your chipped counters.3.Kitchen Islands – kitchen islands are very popular right now because they can provide you a lot of things for a relatively cheap price. A kitchen island can serve as an additional working area, a counter top, eating area, and storage area all in one. And they can come in wheels. It’s easy to pick the right one for you that fits in your budget because there are a lot of models and designs to choose from.Who says that having kitchen improvements need to be expensive? Minor alterations in your kitchen can do wonders for its overall appeal and can have a really refreshing look. If you want your kitchen to have a fresh new look this coming holidays, you can try one or all of these tips.

The 10 Most Influential Internet Marketers (Part 2)

This article is Part 2 of a subjective list of the ten most influential Internet marketers. Like in part 1, I could have easily included more than ten marketers, but I had to draw the line somewhere. So, once again, if you don’t see your favorite Internet marketer on the list, please don’t be offended. I purposely excluded individuals who are known primarily for one particular talent. For example: Copywriting and SEO.Instead, I wanted to sing the praises of those individuals whom are known as great marketers – first and foremost. And while this list is subjective, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to argue against any of the selections included on the list, as they are all proven excellent and have stood the proverbial test of time.I have to admit, I caught quite a bit of flak, because I didn’t include Perry Marshall on my list in Part 1. This time around, he tops my list.——————————————————————————-1. Perry Marshall helps companies grow sales and eliminate waste with highly targeted web traffic, marketing and publicity.How? By helping clients develop automated sales & marketing processes. The integration of timeless direct marketing principles with 21st century media and technology produces astonishing results.He also helps companies who sell sophisticated products & services quickly and predictably acquire new customers – without the humiliation of competing only on the basis of price.Perry Marshall also publishes information on state-of-the-art marketing methods for company owners, managers, marketers and sales people, as well as providing training, seminars and coaching based on experience and proven methods.To my knowledge, Perry Marshall is the first marketer to publish a book about Google AdWords.His “Definitive Guide to Google AdWords,” which is considered by many to be the bible of the various AdWords publications on the market, helps you to improve click rates, understand which words to use for match-types, lower advertising expenses and thereby increase your overall total returns on your pay-per-click advertisements.Perry Marshall is an engineering graduate who drifted into sales. Among other things, Marshall designed speakers for Advent, Acura, Ford, Honda, Mazda and Chrysler when he worked at Jensen from 1993-1995.2. Willie Crawford’s rise to the top is legendary. Willie Crawford was a poor black child who overcame welfare, mental limitations from within and cultural limitations from around him, to become one of Internet marketing’s ultimate good-guys and heroes. He began by selling cookbooks on the Internet, then teaching others to develop their own products and build successful online businesses. Willie’s products include electronic books, several print books, audio and videotapes, DVDs, live internet marketing workshops featuring top speakers from across the U.S., and many other items.Today, Willie Crawford is an Internet marketing legend, corporate president, published author, seminar speaker and host, tele-seminar speaker and host, retired military officer, karate black belt, network marketing trainer, and lifetime student of marketing. In addition to having written and published a best-selling cookbook, “Soul Food Recipes Learned On a North Carolina Tobacco Farm,” and a best-selling inspirational biography, “Git Off The Porch,”Willie has written over 250 articles on building a successful Internet-based or home-based business.Willie’s now uses his marketing expertise to help develop massive enterprises such as television shows and building homeless shelters (through White Dove Press, LLC, where he’s Senior Executive Vice President).3. Shelley Lowery: Before launching her Internet career, Shelley Lowery was employed by Worthington Industries, a Fortune 500 company, where she was a “Production Scheduling Coordinator.” That’s where she discovered her true passion for business and computers.She quit her job in 1995, after ten years of employment, to pursue her dreams and launch her full time Internet business. She has been through all of the trials and errors of web design and development, Internet marketing and promotion, writing a weekly publication and running a full time Internet business and now shares her experience with her visitors.Shelley’s articles have appeared in hundreds of electronic and print publications including Microsoft Direct Access, Internet Magazine, SiteProNews, Jayde WebProNews, Active Internet Marketer and many more.Web-Source.net is owned and maintained by Shelley Lowery, President of Brajusta Publishing, Inc., a direct marketing company located in Lewis Center, Ohio, specializing in providing instructional electronic books, software and publications.4. Michael Wong is an internationally recognized internet marketing expert, and the author of a leading SEO book, numerous marketing tips, and reviews of marketing tools and ecommerce software. Michael’s impressive accomplishments include:* Starting one of his first web sites for less than $500, back in 1998. his company was acquired 18 months later for a “considerable” sum by iBoost Technology, which was backed by SoftBank; the same venture capitalists that funded the likes of Yahoo! and ETrade.* Selling over 5,000 domain name registrations in a joint-venture with a well-known domain registrar.* Generating over one million referrals for partner sites over a six month period.* Selling over $1 million worth of online advertising in 2 months on top internet web properties.* Generating millions of dollars in sales for his businesses, clients and joint-venture partners.* His optimization of the iBoost network generated over 2,000 top 30 rankings across all major search engines, which produced an additional 400,000+ monthly visitors and 8 million monthly page views.* Has written and published three books on search engine marketing.* Has had dozens of articles published in various respected internet marketing and web development web sites and newsletters.5. Armand Morin is one of the most well known Internet Marketers in the world today. Having started online in 1996, his personal online businesses alone have generated over $25,000,000 in online revenue since then. This doesn’t include the millions of dollars his students have produced from his teachings.Armand has taught tens of thousands of people his amazingly unique and proprietary Internet business building principles and strategies which work without fail for every single business who has implemented them.Each year Armand appears at live business trainings and seminars all over world.It’s not uncommon to see Armand share the stage with other world famous marketers like, Mark Victor Hansen, Robert Allen, Dan Kennedy, Jay Abraham, Alex Mandossian, Joe Polish, Jay Conrad Levinson, Mike Litman, T. Harv Ecker and many many more.Armand Morin’s straight to the point teaching style which has the unique ability literally transform any business in 90 minutes or less has made him a requested speaker not only in the USA, but he also has a huge constituency in other parts of the world such as, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and in Singapore.He has helped thousands of people from all walks of life to increase and enhance their online businesses through automation with his highly acclaimed “Generator” brand of software which is used by tens of thousands of people in 101 different countries.If you ever get the opportunity to see or meet Armand Morin live at one of the many seminars or trainings he speaks at, by all means do whatever you can to do it. I can assure you, you won’t regret it.6. Declan Dunn is the founder of the only Internet Marketing System proven in companies large and small, The Right Now Marketing System, which empowers businesses globally online. Right Now Marketing has helped many small businesses as well as larger companies, such as American Express, Network Solutions, Priceline, One World Live, JingleGram, Intel, Office Max, PBS, ABC, Travelocity and Toshiba.Right Now Marketing is drawn from Dunn’s 10 years of experience creating results for clients of all sizes. Instead of theories, Right Now Marketing plugs you into the same system used by the Fortune 1000′s to dramatically improve sales.Dunn’s impressive accomplishments include:* Created lead process which drove almost $10 million in assets for dollars a lead within 4 months, driving users from online inquiry to offline meetings with financial planners.* Increased Fortune 1000 acquisition 2000% in 1 year through tested, proven strategies.* Doubled sales of top technology company’s affiliate program through strategic positioning and development of a testing system.* Generated 1 million registrations in 90 days for a client targeting quick conversion through its affiliate network.* Created automated affiliate marketing system that generated over $500,000 per year with 1 employee managing the network part-time.* Selected to present at major industry conferences held by JupiterMediaMetrix, Iconocast, Inman’s, ClickZ, AffiliateSummit, and many other international conferences because of ability to put Internet marketing into plain, simple English.* Developed educational site as part of Master’s Project in 1994 which still reaches over 4 million students and teachers per year today, based on the same marketing principles used at Dunn Direct Group.7. Jonathan Mizel is editor of The Online Marketing Letter, the longest-running business publication in the short history of the Internet.He’s a partner in Cyberwave Media, Inc., and has consulted with thousands of Internet entrepreneurs.He’s generated millions of dollars in sales for thousands of clients and customers like Microsoft, Intel, American Express, and BMG Music Club, and served as Campaign Strategist for http://MyPoints.com (now owned by United Air Lines) in 1998 and 1999.Jonathan has produced dozens of e-books, videos, marketing courses, and seminars since he got online back in 1991, including The Marketing Rollout Course, Test and Track your Online Ads, and The Secrets of Google AdWords. All are available free to newsletter subscribers.8. Jim Edwards is a well known Internet marketer, speaker, writer, and author of many successful e-books. His e-books generally cover topics on Internet marketing. One of his most popular e-books is “33 days to Online Profits,” which he co-wrote with Yanik Silver.Jim Edwards is also a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new e-book that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs…”Turn Words Into Traffic” reveals the secrets for driving Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links… without spending a dime on advertising!Jim Edwards’ latest product, called “Mini-Site Creator Home Study Course,” is a comprehensive audio and video course that teaches you exactly how to create your own moneymaking “Mini-Sites” from scratch. The course comes with many bonuses and extra features, including free HTML software, free hosting, and numerous pre-designed web templates.9. Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking web sites…and he’s only been online full time since February 2000!He believes almost everything people have been taught about making money online is completely wrong. His Internet success techniques only require a simple web site and you don’t even need to know how to put up your own web page. (In fact, Yanik still doesn’t know HTML).He is the author and publisher of several best-selling marketing books. Yanik specializes in creating powerful systems and resources for entrepreneurs to enhance their businesses.10. John Reese is an Internet Marketing pioneer that has been actively marketing online since 1990. John created one of the first autoresponder services on the Internet in 1994. Since that time he has created and launched over 110 projects online.One of these projects was a free photo-hosting service for eBay users that John started in 1998. This service (due to a powerful Viral Marketing “twist”) became one of the Top 500 sites in the world for web traffic in only 10 months after it was launched. This little service used to consistently produce in excess of $100K/month in affiliate commissions from a variety of affiliate programs. Not bad for a service that John created for less than $350.During the past 7 years, John has been actively involved with eBay. What started out as just an entertaining way to buy things, quickly turned into a lucrative business. John steadily became an expert at using eBay and figured out many strategies for producing profit from their site on a consistent basis. He recently produced a DVD training product to teach others how to start and run a successful eBay business from home.