CRM, ILM, Chat, Desking, Emails, Phone, SMS

Jerry Thibeau promoted a same-day free webinar on phone skills for automotive sales teams, offering to share the recording afterward for those who couldn't attend live. Participants expressed interest in attending or promoting the content, while one commenter emphasized that phone conversations are critical moments to quickly pitch services effectively. The thread highlights demand for phone skills training in dealership sales environments, though it lacks details about the webinar content or outcomes.

A dealer seeks solutions for integrating video into their CRM workflow to streamline customer communication, as the current manual process of recording, editing, and uploading videos is too cumbersome for high-volume operations. Community members recommend several third-party and native CRM solutions including Covideo, iMagicLab DealerCRM, VinSolutions, Dominion, and DealerSocket, with the original poster noting that while some options exist, their current contract limitations prevent an immediate switch. The key insight is that integrated video email capabilities are becoming standard features across CRM platforms, though dealers should evaluate these solutions carefully when their contracts come up for renewal.

A dealer inquires about experiences with Dealerpeak CRM software. One multi-store operator reports positive results after a year of use, highlighting strong integration capabilities across websites, CRM, and desking tools that enhance overall functionality. The takeaway is that Dealerpeak has improved significantly in recent years and offers robust multi-system integration for larger dealer groups.

# Summary Dave Erickson seeks guidance on resolving deal credit disputes between his dealership's floor sales and internet departments, which operate from separate buildings using incompatible CRM systems (ADP and Lead Manager). The discussion reveals that the core issues extend beyond CRM integration to include poor processes, unclear routing of phone leads, duplicate website properties competing for the same traffic, and lack of management oversight—with the key insight being that strong management, clear training, and proper processes are prerequisites for fairly allocating credit and preventing salespeople from fraudulently claiming deals they didn't work.

A floor salesman asks whether GM is transitioning to one-price selling based on TV commercials, prompting clarification that GM's "Total Confidence" promotion was a temporary campaign similar to past employee pricing initiatives, not a permanent shift in pricing strategy. The discussion reveals GM's current pricing landscape is fragmented with numerous discount programs (military, credit union, college grad, etc.), leading dealers to joke that one-price selling might actually simplify things. A key insight emerges that one-price models (Saturn, Oldsmobile) failed not because of fixed pricing itself, but due to inconsistent brand positioning and loss of perceived exclusivity—and that GM's current pricing pressure is eroding dealer profitability on new vehicles compared to luxury and import competitors.

# Summary This thread debates the proper role and autonomy of an Internet Director at a dealership, with participants arguing that internet sales represent the most effective marketing channel yet are often undermined by poor organizational structure and lack of management support. Key contributors identify that Internet Directors face challenges not just from their own responsibilities but from fragmented dealership cultures where floor salespeople and desk managers don't understand or properly handle internet-sourced customers. The core insight is that an Internet Director's success depends critically on GM/GSM backing and autonomy, combined with dealership-wide visibility into the online sales process—not merely getting "buy-in" from managers who may be incompetent or resistant to change.

# Summary Pete Jr., a new Internet Sales Director at a multi-brand dealership, seeks advice on gaining management buy-in to properly structure the internet department, but faces resistance from ownership who don't believe in BDC models and view internet staff as non-revenue-generating positions. The thread reveals that successful internet department implementation requires executive-level commitment; without buy-in from ownership and management, structural improvements and process changes will struggle regardless of data or effort. The consensus advice is to stay focused, present plans in management's language aligned with their financial goals, but recognize that some dealerships simply lack the appetite for change needed to make internet departments thrive.

# Summary A dealer inquires about Autobase/Dominion CRM after previously using it, asking whether it has improved since being acquired by Dominion. The discussion becomes dominated by a heated debate over the vendor's refusal to provide screenshots or self-guided demos without a sales meeting, with one user calling it a deal-breaker while others defend the vendor's consultative approach. A knowledgeable respondent clarifies that Dominion has modernized Autobase into a web-based system and praises its equity-mining capabilities, though the underlying tension about sales tactics versus customer preferences remains unresolved.

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Dealers discuss the significant time burden of month-end reporting, with Christine describing a three-day manual process that pulls staff from the floor, while Jarrett and others advocate for automated dashboards and real-time reporting solutions from vendors. The thread highlights frustration with inefficient data compilation and emphasizes that reporting should be an ongoing automated process rather than a labor-intensive monthly task. A key insight is that better CRM and reporting vendor tools could eliminate manual data entry and allow dealers to access current metrics instantly rather than spending days generating reports.

Phone Ninjas announced the winner of their Q2 sales coaching contest, which required a perfect 5.0 score and drew 118 entries. While some dealership managers expressed disappointment that their teams didn't win, Jerry Thibeau confirmed a Q3 contest will offer another opportunity for salespeople to compete for the prize. The thread demonstrates the competitive engagement Phone Ninjas generates among dealerships using their coaching program.

# Summary Dealers debate realistic sales expectations for an Internet Manager handling 150 leads per month, with consensus that 150 is too high a volume to manage effectively and that a 15-20% minimum close rate is reasonable depending on lead quality and process. The thread emphasizes that proper training, CRM systems, and lead management process matter more than raw lead volume, and that exceeding optimal lead counts (50-75 per month) creates diminishing returns through burnout and cherry-picking rather than increased sales.

# Summary A GM dealer seeking to replace their underperforming overnight BDC service (Overnight BDC/bettercarpeople) receives recommendations and context about lead response requirements. The discussion reveals that while GM no longer ties financial incentives to rapid lead response times, the manufacturer still monitors response metrics closely as part of dealer performance evaluation, making BDC services necessary despite frustration with the mandate. The thread concludes with a recommendation for Professional Answering Service as an alternative that maintains sub-2-hour response times using templated emails.

# Summary Dealership professionals discuss an embezzlement case involving $10 million stolen over six years, debating how such fraud goes undetected and questioning accounting controls. The conversation shifts to criticizing negative online commentary about dealers from consumers on AOL Autos, with participants dismissing these critics as uninformed and arguing their poorly-written complaints lack credibility or influence.

Jerry Thibeau was featured in an Edmunds article about phone training for car dealers, based on the company's analysis of actual dealer phone conversations. The discussion highlights a critical insight: poorly handled customer calls can destroy sales opportunities just as easily as good calls create them, underscoring the importance of dealer preparation and phone skills training.

A dealership manager struggles to get salespeople to use branded email templates despite their professional design and one-click accessibility, but community responses reveal a critical divide: while some advocate strict enforcement of templates for consistency and deliverability, experienced closers argue that personalized, short text-based emails with genuine engagement actually outperform generic templated responses. The emerging consensus suggests a hybrid approach—using templates for specific touchpoints (like auto-responders or follow-ups) while allowing reps to personalize initial outreach—rather than mandating templates across all communications.

A dealer asks whether other automotive professionals use customer profile or interview forms to systematically gather qualifying information during the sales process, noting that his sales staff has traditionally relied on informal questioning. A former Honda salesperson on his team recommended implementing such a form as an effective way to obtain crucial details about customer needs and budget while maintaining a conversational tone rather than making customers feel interrogated.

A dealer seeks advice on modernizing their CRM follow-up schedule for internet leads by incorporating videos and texts alongside traditional emails and calls, moving away from a five-year-old Reynolds system. A respondent recommends maintaining traditional contact methods (personalized email and phone calls) during the critical first 72 hours to establish two-way communication, with video content potentially added on days two or three rather than upfront. The key insight is that newer touchpoints should complement rather than replace proven early-stage outreach fundamentals.

The thread discusses whether dealerships should prioritize new leads arriving during the day (LIFO approach) over older overnight leads, with the rationale that fresh leads have a narrow window for a speed-based "WOW" response that overnight leads have already missed. The consensus supports this methodology, with participants agreeing that responsiveness to the most recent prospect is more valuable than maintaining queue order. The discussion is relatively light-hearted and doesn't explore counterarguments or lead-scoring alternatives in depth.

# Summary Dealers discuss an analyst prediction of 32% new car sales growth for May 2012, with skepticism about the timing of the forecast and recognition that the surge was driven primarily by Honda and Toyota recovering from tsunami supply disruptions. The conversation shifts to comparing specific vehicle performance, with dealers noting strong sales of the Honda CR-V and Accord, while debating whether the upcoming 2013 Nissan Altima could challenge the Accord and Camry's market dominance with its improved features and fuel efficiency.

# Summary Dealers reported that emails sent through ADP CRM were frequently landing in spam folders, prompting discussion about the root causes of poor email deliverability. The conversation revealed that ADP's limitations—including HTML-only default settings, inability to create plain-text templates, and sending all email types (bulk and transactional) from the same server—likely contribute to spam filtering, compounded by the shared IP infrastructure across all ADP CRM users. The thread concludes that dealers seeking better email delivery should consider outsourcing email marketing to specialized providers like Mailchimp while potentially reconsidering ADP CRM for transactional email.

# Summary A dealer proposes sending a blank email to unresponsive internet leads after 3-4 days to trigger curiosity and elicit a response, sparking debate about the tactic's effectiveness. Participants express mixed opinions: some dismiss it as likely being mistaken for a computer error, while others suggest it could work strategically as an early follow-up before leads go truly cold. The broader consensus emphasizes that the key to getting responses is providing genuine value and avoiding over-aggressive daily email blitzes, with successful ISMs using varied approaches like personalized questions, chat features, and thoughtful follow-up rather than gimmicks alone.

# Summary A dealer reported issues with ADP CRM failing to deliver emails to customers and asked the community if others were experiencing the same problem. The thread content was deleted, so the specific resolution or community responses are not available.