I’m extremely excited to announce our June DealerTalk guest’s for Canada’s #1 source for car dealer webinars.

Kevin Gordon is one of the sharpest Canadian markeitng pros I have met in my travels. Kevin and his partner in crime Nicholas Williams, are going to take us through a journey of some Advanced Dealer Marketing Strategies!

This webinar will help you gain insights on how to effectively use content marketing in creating favorable online customer experiences, improving your business’ search results and in turn brand visibility, in addition to significantly increasing onsite conversion rates.

Sign up to learn about cost effective in-house custom content for landing pages and acquire tips on lowering Cost Per Click
You will learn:

•  Why custom content is essential to your successful website
•  Key components of an effective landing page
• How to lower your Google AdWords Cost Per Click
• Cost-effective advantages of building in-house landing pages

About Kevin Gordon:

Kevin Gordon, Managing Partner of Convertus, an online solutions provider for the automotive industry, is an international speaker and digital marketing expert. Kevin’s experience includes dealer education and training, vendor relationship management, website content creation and online reputation management.

Among his projects prior to creating Convertus was the development of over 35 websites for the Jim Pattison Auto Group across its 22 locations, which resulted in doubling organic visitors and leads generated in two years.

About Nicholas Williams

Nicholas Williams is an entrepreneur, international speaker and an expert in operations and digital marketing. Nicholas has a degree in commerce with a concentration in entrepreneurship and international business. He has vast expertise in operational efficiencies, leadership and customer experience.

His work experience ranges from his role as Operating Partner of a successful vehicle importation company to being the Director of Marketing of an international manufacturing firm, where he repeatedly lead the organizations to the digital success.

Sign Up for Webinar – HERE

Source April 2013 ComScore

When I started with Kijiji Autos in March 2011 we were doing the happy dance sitting around 4 Million Unique Visitors on a monthly basis.  This happy dance was a pretty small party, considering our Autos team grand total was 4 ( I was the fourth).

Fast forward to last month and WHAM-O, we crawled over the 5 million mark.  Now I know what you are thinking…. “That’s not fair, that includes all of those golf club and concert tickets users”.

Nope.  Not the case.

This number is specifically measuring the Autos section of Kijiji.ca.  Typically 40% (ish) of Kijiji visitors are looking for Cars and Trucks.

What is a Unique Visitor?

A Unique Visitor is a metric that measures a unit of traffic to a website.  In the chart above it is counting each visitor only once in April.

Source: ComScore

What a Webinar!!

Strathcom Medias’s Director of Training, Stuart Bendall took the DealerTalk Webinar series to a whole new level.

After 5 – 10 minutes I was laughing out loud and writing notes frantically…. this wasn’t another “the internet is going to be big” type of educatoin.

If you are responsible for the online merchandising of your dealership’s  inventory, this is a must watch.

More than 150 dealers from across Canada were tuned in for some playful banter and education from our favorite Brit.

Stuart has worked in a dealership.  He knows the struggles dealers face every day.

Today he basically gave away all of his secrets, and then some.  Who said there was no thing as a free lunch?!

Please find the entire 1 hour video for your viewing pleasure and also the slides below for quick reference.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @ryan_dealergeek for updates on the future episodes.

Some meat, some vegetables, potatoes….served on a plate. #dealertalk This is my favorite new description example.

— Craig Belowski (@ridederty) May 23, 2013

Watch the full video here:

Easily flip through the slides from Stuart’s presentation:

Don’t Miss Another Webinar!

Located at the top of the page

Yup that’s not a hairline crack

In this first “Random Rant”, I update The Dealer Geek Nation on where I’ve been hiding since March, and what’s on my mind.  I’m trying to make this happen with one large post, and I’m hoping I’m not too all over the place.

Also, I have decided to get more personal on The Dealer Geek and really use this blog as an online journal to reflect what I’m doing in the car biz on the regular.

Don’t worry this won’t turn into a pitch fest for my gig as Head of Sales at Kijiji Autos.  But, I do want to update you with what I’m up to @ Kijiji and add some commentary on products, services, and anything else I think you should know about.  Think of it like a Matt Cutt’s from Google type of blog.  Only I’m about 5% as intelligent.

Broken Wing

So as you can see, flipping the bird has became a serious challenge since I broke my middle finger over 6 weeks ago.  This men’s league semi-final playoff game accident really disrupted my work and personal life….. and of course producing content for The Dealer Geek.

For the first 3 weeks my hand was in a full cast, which meant my right hand was officially immobilized.  This was a serious pain in the ass.

So here is a couple things I’ve been involved with.

DealerTalk Conference March 7th

 

Hopping #dealertalk2013 becomes a yearly event! The info so far has been worth the investment! Still have the great @grantcardone to come!

— Brian Santos (@Brian_Santos_) March 7, 2013

Okay, where do I start.  Hmmmm.

Well first off, the DealerTalk conference put on by Kijiji Autos was the highlight of my career to date.

Scott Neil (Head of Verticals, Kijiji…. my boss)  and myself had been talking about throwing an event like this forever.

Finally we took the plunge and made it happen.  DealerTalk is for the dealers.  No hidden agenda.  One day of action packed educational content at a price that everyone could agree was fair ($99 early bird, $149 after).

Originally we had planned host the event at Toronto’s Sony Centre. After realizing it was probably overkill, we moved shop to the brand new Four Seasons Hotel.  Was it a good move ?

BIGTIME!

Dealers are still talking about how gorgeous the conference room was and that they felt like they were in Vegas.

Choosing the line-up was my main responsibility for the event.

It kinda felt like I was putting on a concert and was told to pick my 4 favorite bands.  Except they were Automotive Professionals.  Either way, still Rock Stars!!

Speakers Consisted of:

• Grant Cardone
• Paul Potratz
• Scott Monty
• John Edlemen

THX to @kijijiautosgreat event with over 320 attendees in Toronto #DealerTalk2013 @potratz@scottmonty@ryan_carchat24

— Grant Cardone (@GrantCardone) March 8, 2013

I’m going to share some photos and tweets and save my official review for the DealerTalk website/blog that is being created as we speak.

Follow me on twitter to get more real time updates on #dealertalk2014 – Twitter Handle.

Kijiji’s Scott Neil kicks it off

Paul Potratz starts the day off with a bang

Ford’s Global Head of Social Media, Scott Monty

Hanging out with Grant after his presentation…DOMINATE!

Jay Onrait and the boys. This guy is hilarious

My man Sach from Autodome on the air

Lunch at the Four Seasons was a hit

John from Haldimand Motors was the crowd favorite

EVO Summit

What a line up!

Just 4 days after the accident I had to jump on a plane to deliver my presentation for the EVO Summit in Vancouver.  This turned into a serious stress fest for me.  My fracture clinic exam was on March 28th and it was “non-negotiable” in terms of re-scheduling.  Translation…… I had to get my ass back to Toronto for a 10AM appointment the next day. Leading up to my trip in Vancouver, I had made some dinner plans with some dealers and was really pumped to get to meet some of our West Coast friends.  It was simply not meant to be. Immediately after my presentation I had to rush out of the event, jump in a cab, and catch my 4pm flight. So how was the event? The New Car Dealers Association of BC were super prepared and everything went off without a hitch.  Word on the street is the next event is this September in Whistler…. I’m in!! Shaun Raines from Driving Sales brought the house down as usual and delivered a very entertaining presentation.  This was the second time I saw Shaun speak and I consider him one of the most interesting and entertaining auto conference speakers on the circut.

Don’t miss me kicking off the 2013 eVo Summit in Vancouver tomorrow.@newcardealersbc #notsavingthebestforlast #freebeer — Shaun Raines (@shaunraines) March 27, 2013

My presentation was titled “The 3 Struggles of Classified Advertising” (Tweet me if you want a copy). Some of the content may have been a little too “101″ but it always receives the same feedback from dealers,

“Ryan, most of what you were talking about I already know.  However, we aren’t doing any of it.  Thanks for the reminder and refreshing our memory”

Of course I referenced my favorite dealership website Mohegan Lake Audi when it comes to my Writing Killer Descriptions examples.  Thanks to Darryl and the boys for bringing me out and to all the BC dealers that were in attendance.

What I need from you guys/gals

What do you want from The Dealer Geek? I feel that there are enough auto industry blogs out there giving you all the Google +, Big Data, and Facebook this and that education.

I really don’t want to turn this into a blog that shares the same content you can find on 5 other blogs (exact same articles….boring). This post was the first in a long time that was a blast to write. Do you prefer this type of blog writing? Me basically writing off the cuff?

Please use the comments and give me some suggestions & feedback.  If you have any Kijiji questions you can also hit me up on the Contact Page or Tweet me at @ryan_dealergeek

@ryan_dealergeek love the writing style! Keep it coming. Slowly but surely you are changing the Canadian Auto Industry!

— Sachin Raja (@sachinraja) May 19, 2013

Nope.  They hang up.  Lost and gone forever.

Dealers have long realized the significant value of a phone call.  That realization rarely translates to proactive management of phone processes though.  Most dealers laugh when phone mismanagement or lack of simple phone skills are brought up in conversation.  That topic is an area considered “unfixable” or “just the way it is.”

It’s not difficult to see how we got to this point.  Phone calls are a step removed from management’s view.   Phone conversations happen constantly, unexpectedly, and often out of view of others.  Call tracking technology has helped bring clarity to this area but many dealers still go with the “It’s just the way it is” mentality.  It doesn’t have to be like that.  Below I offer three simple ideas that will shed light on your phone processes:

1.) Take 30 minutes to review your current phone processes.  I’m not talking about phone skills, but instead your basic phone setup.  Understand where your phone lines are pointed and to whom. If a phone call rings to the receptionist and is passed along to a particular department, test this department’s phone line.  Confirm what actually happens to calls after hours.

Review each voice mail box to ensure they are actually set up with a friendly message.  If you have multiple extensions for numerous employees, test the extensions and confirm they are published correctly across your marketing.  Call tracking providers should act as consultants in this review, don’t hesitate to ask them for guidance.

2.) Identify where callers are left stranded.  Remember my example phone call from earlier?  The receptionist answered quickly but that doesn’t mean the caller, who was eager to learn more, actually reached someone who could help them.  To some extent, dealers are using my Step 1 to make sure that calls hit the dealership.  That’s a good start but I assure you dozens of calls were left stranded at your store last month.

Generally, it’s because the red hot shopper asks for a specific sales representative who is unavailable.  Other times it’s hanging up after being left on hold or passed around the dealership.  You know the receptionist who only works weekends?  They may not know how to handle / transfer calls properly and many are left stranded.  If you use a call tracking provider, ask if they offer any sort of reporting data on what happens after the call is answered.

3.) Own The Phone with simple metrics.  Emphasize asking for the appointment on every call and confirming these appointment requests with a set date and time.  Put up reminders in your BDC, bullpen, or sales office.

Once you make an appointment, call them the day of for one final confirmation and commitment.  In a dealership I visited recently, I noticed sprinkled throughout their sales offices were small pieces of paper that read “Every Appointment has a Date and Time.”  Make the phone a priority. Own The Phone.

While horror stories of customer mistreatment and painfully poor phone skills make headlines, these are really the minority.  What doesn’t make headlines are the little things like ensuring proper phone set ups, connecting customers to quickly to a person who can help,  improving appointment request ratios, and confirming appointments.  It’s these little things that will help you Own The Phone.

By: Mike Haeg

Mike Haeg is the Director of Business Development for Century Interactive, a phone call analytics company based in Dallas, TX.  Century Interactive works with thousands of dealers across the US and Canada by measuring their marketing efforts and improving their communication with prospects.  If you’re interested in learning more or would simply like to chat, give Mike a call at 888-593-0830, email at mike@centuryinteractive.com, check out centuryinteractive.com, or follow CI on Twitter @centinteractive.

“It’s very oldschool, it’s bad for business and to put it bluntly, it’s just being cheap – Kevin McKillip”

Your Turn

Why are dealers in 2013 still cutting corners? It can’t just be about being cheap! Share your thoughts below.

ps. I I-Framed the slideshow into this blog post…… sue me!

Grant Cardone is coming to Toronto March 7th; 2013 to speak to Canadian Car Dealers.

For those of you that don’t know, my 9-5 (usually later than that!) is managing the sales team at Kijiji Autos.

When I was given the opportunity to help organize our first ever Canadian Dealer Conference I was ecstatic.

Get this….. My role was to find the talent and book the speakers.

I’ve been a huge Grant Cardone fan for a long time, and really wanted to bring him to “the big smoke” aka Toronto,ON.

After speaking with many dealers and asking for feedback it was apparent Grant was one of the most desired keynote speakers.

When I approached Grant to headline the event he was all over it.

Mr.Cardone loves Canada.  Not sure if I remembered to tell him what the temperature would be.

Grant’s topic will be focused on helping car dealers “Dominate Their Market”.  Dealers looking to understand the newest and most effective elements to running a digital dealership need to attend this event.

How Much Does it Cost?

I know what you are thinking already.  My budget is tapped , I don’t have thousands of dollars to send my staff to an event like this.  Wrong!!!

Kijiji Autos has an early bird special for only $99 / per person! No strings attached.  Buy your tickets on the site today REGISTER.  Early bird tickets are good until Jan.31st (Don’t mind the flyer below).

More speakers to be announced! http://dealertalk.ca

This is only the start.  I will be making announcements on the blog as we add more speakers.  To buy tickets please visit http://dealertalk.ca

Follow @kijijiautos for updates and use the hashtag #dealertalk 2013

***UPDATE !!! EVENT LOCATION HAS NOW CHANGED TO THE FOUR SEASONS AS OF FEB.1 

Your Turn!

Use the comment box below to share any thoughts on this 1 day event. Hope to see you there!

This presentation went over pretty smooth in my opinion, considering it was our first time ever holding a webinar on Go To Webinar.

What does this webinar cover?

Anyone who has been reading my blog for any length of time knows how passionate I am about making your 2010 Chevrolet Impala get online consideration vs your neighbours.

This webinar takes a lot of the ideas I’ve shared in previous blog posts like:

• Back to Basics – Vehicle Descriptions
• What customers look for in their on-line descriptions

Watch the full 50 minute webinar here!

Writing Ads for Auto Classified Sites That Work from Kijiji Autos on Vimeo.

Sign up to my mailing list to be alerted on upcoming Webinars!

2013 is going to be a year that I am going to making a huge commitment to churning out fresh content on a regular basis.

If you enjoy webinars like these, be sure to get on the list so I can let you know when the next one is!

Please use the comment box below to give me feedback and also give me some topic ideas!

Is this even the same blog?

After reaching 2 years in the blogosphere, I felt that The Dealer Geek needed a fresh new makeover before we head into the new year.

A lot of people ask me how I can make a WordPress site look so unique and different then the Plain Jane “out of the box” blogs they are so used to reading.

Here is my secret…..

I have little to no website design skills.  Writing HTML code is something I really have no interest in learning.

What I love doing, is writing content that is going to help car dealers across Canada and the United States.  There are many different platforms you can use for your business’s blog but I’ve been very successful with WordPress, and more specifically the Thesis Theme.

MY REAL SECRET WEAPON IS A GUY NAMED BRENDAN WENZEL

I met Brendan through some online research I was doing on Contest Marketing.  It was actually my first ever blog post on TDG, you can read it here; “How to run a social media campaign with Contest Burner” (the only comment was from Grant Cardone).

Brendan is an on-line marketing whiz kid from the U.S.A. who has escaped the 9-5 grind and setup shop in Costa Rica.  There Brendan is obsessed with surfing every day and starting online businesses.

My obessions is producing content and helping dealers.  Brendan makes things kick ass on-line.  It was an easy decision to outsource the design.  I see too many car dealers with hideous blogs.  If you don’t have the time to learn web design, OUTSOURCE IT!

BRENDAN TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE DID WITH THE BLOG

 WHAT DID I CHANGE?

• Said goodbye to the old black and yellow for a cleaner look
• Updated sidebar to help navigate and find previous articles
• Added “Categories” to the Navigation Bar to help sort by topic
• Email Sign Up in the Navigation Bar to help build my email list
• Social Buttons in the sidebar look cleaner and more 2012

I really wanted to change the header as the flip cam, crappy old laptop, and BMW looked like it was designed in 1997.

They don’t even sell FLIP cams anymore!

For any new readers that want to see the old site , I was sure to take a snapshot before I changed over.  I didn’t hate the old site, I was just ready for a change.  A few readers say I should have kept the old look as it was very BOLD.

 THE DEALER GEEK ORIGINAL BLOG DEC 2010 – NOV 2012 R.I.P.

What do you think of the new site? I would love to hear some feedback in the comment box below.

A lot of dealers have been asking me how Social Media is supposed to help them sell cars.   Paul is the man on this topic, so I knew I had to reach out to him.  Let’s get these dealers some answer for once and for all!

Twitter feed was loving the webinar

I honestly thought Paul was going to run everyone through the Facebook Basics:

• Business Page vs Personal Page
• What to post
• Don’t be too spammy

WRONG!!!  What did he cover you ask?

You will have to watch the video below.  I will warn you that this is the 2nd webinar I have ever been involved with and when using Go To Webinar there are several moving parts (I think I’m almost there!).

The first 5 minutes is a bit annoying because one of the mics was on so you will hear some breathing.  After that it is smooth sailing.

I will be adding our first recorded webinar to the blog shortly.  You can see the slides here: Writing Ads for Autos Classified Sites

Thank you to all 130 dealers and marketing friends that stayed the full hour and were active in the discussion afterward.

What topics should we do in the future?

Please use the comment box below to let me know what webinar topics would interest you.  Don’t forget to sign up for updates, don’t worry I won’t spam you.  This will be one way to make sure you catch these live and can get in on the my favorite part…. Questions/Answers at the end.