Hello Friends,
First I want to give you a little background so maybe you can better understand why I'm asking this, and I trully need the best advice and opinons I can get. Sorry for such a long post. Oh and excuse any typos if you will. The spell check wouldn't work for some reason
I have been in the auto business for seven years now. I started by pownding the pavement like everyone else, and made more money than I ever made in my life. I was hungry and it showed through my persistance. Previously, when I was in school, I studied computer software and Internet marketing for a short period of time. So one day I decided to implement my skills with the Internet into my newly found career. The dealer I was working for, which was a GM dealer pushing 120 -150 new and used a month, was receiveing leads but nothing was being done with them. So I started to do some research and teach myself how to properly handle Internet leads. To make a long story short. I succeded. I built an Internet Department at the dealership I was working for and it was very successful. When I left there were four Internet Salespeople and then myself, the Internet Manager. However, I still sold cars as well. Plus I did all the other work, working with vendors, keeping up with the newest software to implement, website maintenance, etc. Eventually I realized that my position should be dedicated to the "other work" I was doing. I saw the potential impact a true Internet Director could have on a dealership as a whole....not just sales, rather sales, body shop, parts, and so on. Now let me backtrack just a little. I made a lot of money selling cars. So this position I was proposing needed to make me as much money if not more. The GM didn't see the value in it even though he knew how successful the department I built had become. I figured he didn't want me to stop selling.
Anyways, that dealership was the first I ever worked for and after six years I left and went to another dealer 30 miles away that I had been in talks with. This dealer I currently work for and does about the same in volume and is also a GM dealer. They wanted to start and Internet department, and they were very behind schedule. So I took the job and things have been going good. Slowly but surely the department is once again beginning to grow. I am doing the same thing as I was at the other dealership, but eventually I want to have three Internet Salespople and myself the Internet Director that oversees the department. There are so many benefits to a structre like this and someone like myself that understand this online market can bring in a nice ROI for the dealership, and not by physically selling cars. Rather, implementing and maintaining the right process for my internet salespeople, doing manager follow ups on unsold leads. Implementing key stratigies throught the year to produce more sales. Coming up with a good marketing plan for our service department and parts department. I've heard that today's successful dealers have this type of "Internet Director" and he is payed like every other manager in the store. My pay plan is based off of how many "Internet Sales' we have in the month which I get a bonus for each different level, and the cars I sell I'm payed the regular salesman pay plan. I just think it's to much work to sell cars and do all the "other stuff" required for this position and if anything I'm hurting my pay, and the dealer is not going to get the best ROI he can. Before I ask my questions let me say this: When I was hired I received full backing from my GM and GSM which I know is very important. This month is my 90 day mark and we have went from 5 or 6 Internet lead sales to 15 to 20. They want 30 to 60 which I was at 35 to 45 at my old dealership so I know it can be done. So my questions are:
Am I right about this position?
Should a true Internet Director be payed just like any other manager?
What type of pay plan is resonable?
What other job duties could an Internet Director take on?
First I want to give you a little background so maybe you can better understand why I'm asking this, and I trully need the best advice and opinons I can get. Sorry for such a long post. Oh and excuse any typos if you will. The spell check wouldn't work for some reason
I have been in the auto business for seven years now. I started by pownding the pavement like everyone else, and made more money than I ever made in my life. I was hungry and it showed through my persistance. Previously, when I was in school, I studied computer software and Internet marketing for a short period of time. So one day I decided to implement my skills with the Internet into my newly found career. The dealer I was working for, which was a GM dealer pushing 120 -150 new and used a month, was receiveing leads but nothing was being done with them. So I started to do some research and teach myself how to properly handle Internet leads. To make a long story short. I succeded. I built an Internet Department at the dealership I was working for and it was very successful. When I left there were four Internet Salespeople and then myself, the Internet Manager. However, I still sold cars as well. Plus I did all the other work, working with vendors, keeping up with the newest software to implement, website maintenance, etc. Eventually I realized that my position should be dedicated to the "other work" I was doing. I saw the potential impact a true Internet Director could have on a dealership as a whole....not just sales, rather sales, body shop, parts, and so on. Now let me backtrack just a little. I made a lot of money selling cars. So this position I was proposing needed to make me as much money if not more. The GM didn't see the value in it even though he knew how successful the department I built had become. I figured he didn't want me to stop selling.
Anyways, that dealership was the first I ever worked for and after six years I left and went to another dealer 30 miles away that I had been in talks with. This dealer I currently work for and does about the same in volume and is also a GM dealer. They wanted to start and Internet department, and they were very behind schedule. So I took the job and things have been going good. Slowly but surely the department is once again beginning to grow. I am doing the same thing as I was at the other dealership, but eventually I want to have three Internet Salespople and myself the Internet Director that oversees the department. There are so many benefits to a structre like this and someone like myself that understand this online market can bring in a nice ROI for the dealership, and not by physically selling cars. Rather, implementing and maintaining the right process for my internet salespeople, doing manager follow ups on unsold leads. Implementing key stratigies throught the year to produce more sales. Coming up with a good marketing plan for our service department and parts department. I've heard that today's successful dealers have this type of "Internet Director" and he is payed like every other manager in the store. My pay plan is based off of how many "Internet Sales' we have in the month which I get a bonus for each different level, and the cars I sell I'm payed the regular salesman pay plan. I just think it's to much work to sell cars and do all the "other stuff" required for this position and if anything I'm hurting my pay, and the dealer is not going to get the best ROI he can. Before I ask my questions let me say this: When I was hired I received full backing from my GM and GSM which I know is very important. This month is my 90 day mark and we have went from 5 or 6 Internet lead sales to 15 to 20. They want 30 to 60 which I was at 35 to 45 at my old dealership so I know it can be done. So my questions are:
Am I right about this position?
Should a true Internet Director be payed just like any other manager?
What type of pay plan is resonable?
What other job duties could an Internet Director take on?
