PCG Consulting Services

2013 Automotive SEO Study Features Pasch Rucker and Miltsch

admin — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 20:44:47 +0000

The dates for the six study webinars, included in the 2013 Automotive SEO Study, are set! Starting Tuesday July 23rd at 2:00 PM, PCG will host a webinar every week, on a Tuesday all the way through the end of August.

The graduation “event” will the the 1st Annual Automotive SEO Think Tank on September 4th, 9:00 am – Noon at the Aria Hotel & Casino. This will be held in conjunction with AutoCon 2013 which starts that afternoon.

The Automotive SEO Think Tank meeting will be open only to study members and will give everyone an opportunity to showcase their successes, ask questions from industry experts, and work out any challenges they had in a group setting. An amazing culmination of education and training.

Register For The 2013 Automotive Study

The study is open only to employees of car dealerships. The webinars are every Tuesday at 2:00 PM so it will be easy to remember when you need to log into the webinar.

This study is free but it requires an investment of your time and a commitment to attend six weekly webinars. If you would like to be a part of the 2013 Automotive SEO Study, you must join this community. You must complete your profile and also upload a photo for your profile.

After your profile is complete, you need to send an email through this network to Brian Pasch. You will be placed on a waiting list and approved via email. Once PCG hits 100 dealership employees, the study will be closed. The study is not open to automotive vendors.

So what are you waiting for, get registered and send an email to be placed on the list. Registration is available here: http://www.automotiveseostudy.com

I look forward to welcoming you to the study group!

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Consulting

732.672.2356

Google

Cars.com Now Integrated Into ROI-BOT Dashboard

pcgadmin — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:48:06 +0000

Brian Pasch, CEO of PCG Consulting, has announced that dealer reporting from Cars.com will be integrated into the ROI-BOT dashboard. Cars.com joins a growing list of automotive vendors that support data transparency, portability, and executive level central reporting to increase the visibility of the ROI that their services provide to dealers.

Specifically, ROI-BOT will increase the visibility of the ROI generated by Cars.com by integrating and displaying the statistics and metrics that are available to Cars.com clients. Car dealers will be able to better organize, present, and visualize their data and Cars.com provides a key element in pursuit of a single-login solution for dealers.

Car dealers will be able to track lead data from e-mail, phone, chat, and prints for Cars.com as well as the number of times their vehicles appeared in search results. Furthermore, ROI-BOT will also give dealers information such as users requesting details on vehicles, dealer directory searches, and videos viewed. Dealers will also be able to track other important metrics with a breakdown and comparison of ROI to other lead sources and services

ROI-BOT is a single-login solution for car dealers to visualize their key data metrics for search, social, chat, advertising, reputation management, call tracking, third party classified sites, CRM performance metrics, and much more. ROI-BOT provides even greater value for dealers that own multiple franchises since the software provides enterprise reports.

To learn more about this integrated automotive dashboard, contact our team at 888-710-2249 or visit http://www.roi-bot.com.

Twitter for Conquest

admin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:00:45 +0000

By Kristen Chiarello

Conquest strategies are a fantastic way to gain new customers who may have lost faith in a former dealership or perhaps had a negative experience at a local auto repair shop.

So why are you not using Twitter this way?

Create a Twitter Conquest Strategy

To begin, follow this link: https://twitter.com/search-home

Click on the Advanced Search option and begin to look for keywords that are relevant to you.

For example:

Here are some results:

Reach out to these people with offers, a simple conversation or maybe you can share a simple oil change video that your dealership created.

You can also use this to thank people who have had a service at your dealership and extend an offer to them to help ensure they stay loyal.

For more social media strategy ideas, contact our team at PCG Consulting and we’ll be more than happy to guide you through the process. Give us a call today at 877-804-1109 or contact us online!

Why Are Dealers So Obsessed With Speed?

admin — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:57:38 +0000

By Edward Shaffer

My wife and I recently started binge watching the first four seasons of Breaking Bad on Netflix. While we are currently obsessed with the adventures of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman producing copious amounts of methamphetamine, this article is not about

Photo Credit: www.amctv.com

that kind of speed. It is about our obsession, as dealers, with response time.

Actually, it appears that most of this obsession is fueled by the OEMs who have been fed a steady and unhealthy diet of “data” which has convinced them that the single most important element in converting internet leads into sales is response time.

I am here to tell you that it just ain’t true. Furthermore, it is probably the number one cause of lost opportunities in Internet Sales Departments and BDCs across the country today.

The inspiration for this post came from the recently published “Cars Online 12/13,” Capgemini’s annual global automotive study in which they ask consumers what they want in the car buying and ownership experience. I credit their 08/09 study as playing a significant role in the evolution of my personal understanding of automotive consumers and crucial to the shaping my views of internet lead handling to this day.

Interestingly, as I reviewed the 08/09 study I was struck by the singleness of focus on response time without any mention of what I have come to believe is the true measure of success in initial response. That success measure, response quality, is the essence of the truth in the statement – first contact can make (or break) the sale. Thankfully the 12/13 study addresses the issue head on and the data could not be more compelling.

While consumers definitely still expect a timely response, it is the definition of “timely” that has OEMs setting unrealistic expectations for response times. According to the study, “Seventy-four percent of the respondents said they would ‘go elsewhere’ if they did not get a timely response from an online request to a dealer or OEM (compared to 68 percent who said the same last year).”

Here is the kicker: “by ‘timely’ 54 percent meant ‘four hours or less’ (faster than last year).”

Four hours!!

I was recently working with a dealer who alerts the General Manager whenever response time exceeds 20 minutes and further has tied compliance with that goal to the compensation plan of the team responding to leads. While I applaud the effort, what the BDC Agents told me is that it forces them to send pre-fabricated initial responses devoid of personalization to avoid disciplinary action and the financial consequences. And I don’t blame them! if my pay plan was similarly structured I would probably do the same thing!

The study goes on to say that “Eighty-one percent of the respondents said they would ‘go elsewhere’ if they did not get a high quality response from a dealer or OEM (up from 76 percent in 2011).” This is the shocking figure I want to let sink in. Eighty-one out of every one-hundred leads will cross you off their list if you fail to deliver a high quality response.

As we learned earlier, over half the population defines ‘timely’ to include responses within four hours of lead submission, a point which I am sure some you would like to debate. Similarly, there are certain to be differences of opinion about what elements constitute a ‘high quality’ response. My personal opinion is that it is absolutely crucial to address any and all direct or implied questions posed in the lead, including transparent pricing.

The 2011 Cobalt eShoppers Study, another excellent resource, shows that two out of three shoppers were not invited to test drive and that 70% never received a price quote when requested. Additionally, more than 43% of those responses failed to answer the direct questions posed in the leads. As Pinkman might say “This place is falling apart, yo!”

Capgemini’s conclusions:

Digital leads are good leads. “Quick wins” can come from a timely, quality response to digital leads.
It’s hard to believe that some OEM and dealers still struggle in this area.
Excellent IT systems and tools are sub-optimized if the dealer’s lead management process is sub-par.
OEMs and dealers should collaborate on developing and implementing best practices for lead management and for post implementation monitoring.

I especially like the third point. “Sub-optimized” and “sub-par” are read like code for “a waste of time and money.” The underlying cause of these poor quality responses is unrealistic response time goals. OEMs are data driven and it is far easier to measure a response time than it is to measure the quality of that response.

Consumers are not demanding these unrealistic response times and are rewarding dealers who provide higher quality responses – it is time that OEMs and dealers recognize these facts and work together to make the necessary changes in their process and accountability systems to achieve truly outstanding results.

You can learn more about how to deliver consistent, high quality initial responses and many other aspects of handling leads in the digital age in our new book “Selling Cars in the Digital Age” which was released at the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference in Orlando. Visit http://www.sellingcarsbook.com for more information or to order your copy today.

Gubagoo For Auto Dealers

admin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:32:57 +0000

What is Gubagoo and why should car dealers care? PCG Consulting is always on the lookout for new products or services that can help dealers sell more cars. PCG Consulting hosted a webinar on April 11, 2013 with Pete Orlando from Gubagoo and Brian Pasch, CEO of PCG Consulting.

The 80 minute webinar recording is available below so that you can see how Gubagoo differs from other chat and incentives products offered to car dealers. PCG Consulting does not sell Gubagoo nor do we receive commissions for referrals.

Invest In Your Dealership With An Audit

PCG Consulting helps dealers save money in many ways. One popular service is a digital marketing audit. PCG will review your marketing budget, inspect vendor reports, and check the processes supporting the dealership’s marketing investments. The audit is a great way to make sure that your marketing dollars are being fully leveraged to sell cars at a lower cost per sale.

If you would like to discuss an audit with our team, contact Mike Lizza at 732.450.8200.

Internet Battle Plan To Feature PCG Consulting’s Brian Pasch

admin — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:44:48 +0000

PCG Consulting’s Brian Pasch is headed to Detroit to partake in Jim Ziegler’s acclaimed Internet Battle Plan. The conference will land in Michigan April 16-18, 2013 and will feature some of the top automotive industry speakers in the country. Brian will close Day Two of the conference with his presentation titled “Paid Search – Five Reasons Why Your Marketing Strategy Isn’t Increasing Car Sales.”

Brian’s paid search secrets will help dealers determine what is preventing them from having record setting months on a consistent basis by leveraging both traditional and digital advertising channels. His presentation will focus on five reasons why car dealers’ marketing strategies have peaked in their effectiveness to sell more cars. There are many key questions that will be answered including:

How can I measure the effectiveness of my advertising dollars to sell more cars?
What is missing from my marketing arsenal that will add incremental car sales?
Is social media really an important element to increase car sales?
Where are my advertising “weak spots” that my competition does not want me to know about?
Why are consumers purchasing from my competitors?

Brian Pasch To Present At 2013 Internet Battle Plan

Internet Battle Plan will also feature some of the most well known speakers from national automotive conferences. Brian will join Rachel Haro, David Regn, Jim Flint, Kendall BIllman, Paul Potratz, Gary May, Ed Parkinson, Myril Shaw, Yogao Paramo, and, of course Jim Ziegler during the three day long conference. Ford Motor Company’s Scott Monty will present the Opening Keynote and is sure to set an exhilarating tone for this Detroit event.

All attendees will walk away with their own battle plan that will help their dealership’s increase sales and profits. Click here to register or visit http://www.internetbattleplan.com for more information about this not to miss conference.

Brian Pasch To Present At 2013 Innovative Dealer Summit

admin — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:42:20 +0000

PCG Consulting’s Brian Pasch is well known in the automotive industry for being a top thought leader and influencer. His knowledge of the industry combined with his expertise in the digital marketing field has helped him create and grow his companies. As the CEO of PCG Consulting, he is devoted to helping dealerships across the globe learn and implement the most up to date strategies and tactics.

Brian will bring his impressive knowledge to the 2013 Innovative Dealer Summit in Colorado on March 19 and 20. Not only will he lead a workshop titled “Identifying the New Metrics for Success in Digital Marketing,” he will also present one of the closing general sessions.

Innovative Dealer Summit To Feature Brian Pasch

As the CEO of PCG Consulting, Brian has provided vendor neutral advice to dealerships to help them create comprehensive marketing strategies in the digital world. In addition to running the business, Brian travels to speak at 20 groups, conferences, workshops and more.

In addition to his renowned speaking appearances and award winning company, Brian has authored two books aimed at helping car dealership’s with their digital marketing strategies. ‘Unfair Advantage’ and ‘Selling Cars in the Digital Age’ are both geared towards helping readers outline their strategy and process to help them sell more cars.

Register today for the Innovative Dealer Summit in Colorado. It’s not too late to join Brian Pasch and other industry leaders during this important two-day event!

Brian Pasch To Speak at 2013 Automotive Boot Camp

admin — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:51:35 +0000

The pace of change in the automotive retail industry has not slowed and neither has the need for hands on skills training for dealership personnel. First Class Educators is proud to host the 4th Annual Automotive Boot Camp in Philadelphia, May 14-16th. The 2013 Boot Camp curriculum is design to provide skills training on the most in demand area such as:

Social Media Engagement & Content Marketing
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Google Adwords & Digital Advertising
Google Analytics & Data Reporting Analysis
CRM Processes, Templates, and Lead Nurturing
Developing and Measuring A Digital Marketing Strategy
Internet Sales & Equity Mining Processes
Mobile Websites and Marketing
Online Video Marketing, Branding, and Advertising Techniques
Service Marketing & Retention Strategies

The workshops will build the skills dealers need to strengthen and enhance their current processes which will facilitate selling more cars and increasing customer satisfaction. The workshop leaders are the most knowledgeable mentors and experts in the industry. The 2013 Automotive Boot Camp will feature 36 workshops and five keynote presentations.

The automotive team from Google has committed to have representatives at Boot Camp participating in the workshops and general session. Attendees will be able to inquire about the latest trends in search marketing direct from the source!

Automotive Education Certificates

Attendees that complete three classes in specific skills building tracts, will be presented with a certificate at the end of the conference. This format was a big hit when it was introduced at last year’s Boot Camp experience. The learning tracts give dealers to confidence that their investment in education is taken seriously by all attendees.

All attendees will receive copies of the presentations for the workshops at Boot Camp to enhance their implementation of new ideas and processes when they return. Video recordings of the workshops are permitted so attendees are encourage to bring their own video cameras. General session speakers will be recorded and posted on the Boot Camp website after the conference ends, available to attendees only.

Boot Camp Fitness Program

Rick Ivone, Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and Life Coach will be leading the morning fitness program, starting at 6:30 am each morning. Rick will be bringing his team with him for an impactful program that will energize attendees for their day of learning and networking.

Rick’s program is one of the highlights for attendees that are committed to their health and well being. Rick has traveled the world learning from health and fitness experts and is called upon to coordinate personal fitness programs as well as city fitness events like the one pictured above, in Red Bank New Jersey. Don’t miss Rick’s dynamic training techniques and motivational messages each morning at Boot Camp.

“Selling Cars in the Digital Age” Now Available in Paperback or PDF

admin — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:00:35 +0000

February 5, 2013 (Eatontown, NJ) PCG Consulting Inc., is excited to launch its first book, “Selling Cars in the Digital Age,” today. The release of the book is during the first day of the 2013 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC).

“Selling Cars in the Digital Age” outlines the structure, strategy, and processes needed to sell more cars in a time where a high percentage of consumers are using the Internet to research and purchase a vehicle. The authors bring both retail automotive experience to the book as well as the latest digital marketing strategies that are helping dealers connect with consumers who are more educated then ever in the history of car sales.

About the Book

Co-authored by Brian Pasch, Marc McGurren, Glenn Pasch and Edward Shaffer, “Selling Cars in the Digital Age” guides dealers through the proper steps needed to create and implement new strategies with one bottom line: selling more cars. From training techniques to new phone and email scripts, the book outlines action plans for dealers to put into place at their dealerships.

DMSC attendees will be the first ones to be able to get a copy of this book, which is ideal for dealers who desire to increase their sales and profits. “Our new book is the most complete blueprint for success in an Internet centric sales environment. Dealers are experiencing significant increases in sales after following the recommendations by our team,” commented Marc McGurren, a partner at PCG Consulting.

Order Your Copy Online

“Selling Cars in the Digital Age” can be ordered at http://www.sellingcarsbook.com/order-the-book/ and is available in paperback or electronic PDF form.

Dealers who are looking to train their sales organization on the best engagement and follow-up strategies should make this new book required reading.

“The positive feedback from the automotive community has exceeded our expectations” noted Marc McGurren, co-author. “This is the blueprint for closing Internet sales consistently over 20%, which would be double what the average dealer in the United States sees each month.”

Marc McGurren Is Coming To The 2013 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference

admin — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:54:29 +0000

This February, Orlando, Florida will host the annual Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC). Just prior to the NADA Convention & Expo, this exhilarating conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport from February 5 to the 7.

Unique to the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference, hosted by First Class Educators, is their overall focus and group of speakers who all have one common goal: to help dealers sell more cars. There are no pitches or sales seminars during DMSC; only interactive, hands-on workshops that are focused on teaching dealer employees in attendance how to improve their digital marketing strategies.

For 2013, there will be many companies in attendance leading workshops and keynotes, some of which will not even be presenting at the NADA Convention & Expo. Attendees can look forward to seeing presenters from Google, Facebook, TrueCar, AutoTrader, Kelly Blue Book and more. PCG Consulting is proud to have partner Marc McGurren lead a workshop titled “Dealer Success: How a Toyota Dealer Went From Selling 55 To 140 Units Per Month In Just 6 Months.”

Marc McGurren To Help Sell More Cars During DMSC 2013

Marc’s informative workshop will show attendees PCG Consulting’s step-by-step process for how they helped a Toyota dealer virtually triple their sales. While doing this, the dealer also increased web traffic, doubled their closing ration and ultimately made $100,000 more each month.

Recently, Marc teamed up with Brian Pasch, Glenn Pasch and Edward Shaffer to write a guide titled, “Selling Cars in the Digital Age.” DMSC attendees will be the first ones to be able to get a copy of this book, which is ideal for dealers who desire to increase their sales.

DMSC 2013 is capping off at 250 attendees and spots are filling up fast. Be sure to register now to reserve a spot and get started on the path to helping your dealership sell more cars.

Visit http://www.digitalmarketingstrategies.org/registration/ to register or call First Class Educator’s Carrie Hemphill at 908-601-6475.

Brian Pasch To Lead Three Workshops At Digital Marketing Strategies Conference

admin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:40:37 +0000

First Class Educators is hosting the annual Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC) in Orlando, Florida in February. Just prior to the 2013 NADA Convention & Expo, this exciting conference will be held on February 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport. What sets DMSC apart from other conferences is the unique setup of workshops and speakers that are devoted to helping all dealerships in attendance sell more cars. It is guaranteed that everyone who attends this conference will leave with great knowledge and a refreshing perspective for how to run their dealership.

There will be many big name companies leading keynotes and workshops during DMSC 2013, some of which will not even be presenting at the NADA Convention & Expo. Facebook, Google, AutoTrader, Kelly Blue Book, TrueCar and many more will all be on hand and ready to teach workshops throughout the three day conference. CEO of PCG Consulting, Brian Pasch, will be hosting three critical Google Analytics workshops throughout the conference.

The three-part workshop series is important for dealerships who are interested in measuring the ROI of their digital marketing strategies and investments who are eager to master Google Analytics. Not only will Brian Pasch be on hand to teach all in attendance, he will be accompanied by a leading industry expert that will explain how to practically apply Google Analytics to help those manage car dealerships.

Key Google Analytics Workshops At DMSC By Brian Pasch

Brian’s three Google Analytics workshops are as follows:

“Google Analytics Part I – Segmenting Your Data For Better Marketing Analysis”
“Google Analytics Part II – How To Attribute Influence To Website Traffic Using Napkin Math”
“Google Analytics Part III – Creating Custom Reports To Guide Your Business”

Any dealer employee who has the desire to master Google Analytics and put their knowledge towards helping their dealership should not miss these workshops.

DMSC 2013 is capping off at 250 attendees and spots are filling up fast. Be sure to register now to reserve a spot and get started on the path to helping your dealership sell more cars.

Visit http://www.digitalmarketingstrategies.org/registration/ to register or call First Class Educator’s Carrie Hemphill at 908-601-6475.

Nominate New Products & Services For A Spotlight Award At NADA 2013!

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:51:45 +0000

There’s just a few more weeks till the annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention and Expo takes place in Orlando, Florida. During the 2013 convention, PCG Consulting will recognize the five most innovative products and services that will be launched with Spotlight Awards. Recipients of these prestigious awards are forward thinking vendors that are constantly raising the bar in the automotive digital marketing field.

Of the five awards given, the top product of service will be named the “Best In Show” and will receive a special award.

Every vendor at the 2013 NADA Convention and Expo will be considered but PCG Consulting is allowing all vendors to fill out an early application to ensure their product or service will be reviewed. Every submission is private and kept confidential, so vendors won’t have to worry about information being leaked prior to the convention.

2013 Spotlight Awards At NADA Convention & Expo

Last year, PCG Consulting was honored to award five pioneering vendors for their outstanding products and services. AutoAccelerator won for their Mobile CRM for iOS and Phone Ninjas took home an award for their PSI Coaching System. ADP/Cobalt won for their Flex Website Technology and Dominion Dealer Solutions was honored for their Be Back Mobile App. Dealer.com was the final winner and also took home the “Best In Show” award for their Total Control Dominator Ad Platform. Click Here To Apply for a Spotlight Award.

We encourage all vendors to submit their products for consideration before the 2013 NADA Convention & Expo. We also wish to see vendors, dealers, and automotive professionals at the 2013 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference in Orlando, just before 2013 NADA.

Google AdWords Recognizes 2012 AWA Winner With Highest Customer Satisfaction Award

admin — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:42:17 +0000

Haystak Digital Marketing, a premier paid search management platform for car dealers, has earned the Google AdWords™ Premier SMB Partner Award for Highest Customer Satisfaction. The award capped off a year of recognition that included an Automotive Website Award from PCG Consulting for being the Top Rated Multi-Channel Advertising Solution.

Brian Pasch, CEO, PCG Consulting, congratulated Haystak on their multi-award winning year saying that they company had truly earned both prestigious awards and that the recognition given by Google is a “coveted recognition.”

Haystak started as a search marketing platform for auto dealers by Moore & Scarry Advertising. Its widespread success quickly turned the product into a company, Haystak Digital Marketing, now a worldwide leader providing comprehensive digital marketing services for dealers.

The Google AdWords™ Premier SMB Partner Award was based on the feedback of their small business customers across the US and Canada. The PCG Consulting Automotive Website Award winners are selected after a rigorous testing and evaluation from the staff at PCG Consulting. PCG is a leading consulting firm that assists car dealers with best practice solutions for business operations and marketing.

Help! My Appointments Aren’t Showing Up!

admin — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:42:17 +0000

by Michael Lizza

We all know that for the most part it is easier to sell an appointment verses a fresh up. Appointments allow for dealers to plan their day, and project what sales will be. As a manager of a Honda store selling six to seven hundred vehicles a month, I was constantly working to generate more and more appointments so that we set the day up to be a success.

So you have perfected your strategy to increase appointments and your Internet team has more leads than they can handle. Great! Your phones and computers buzzing with leads should always be considered a good thing. What I notice both from my own automotive retail career as well as my visits to dealers all over the country is that appointments are not being properly followed up with.

Dealers must get out of the mindset that once an appointment is set, that it is a done deal. It is imperative to follow up several times between when the appointment is set and when the appointment is due to arrive in your showroom.

Follow Up On All Appointments

A very successful method is having the Internet and/or Sales Manager personally following up via phone and email on all pending appointments. Recently, I had been working with a dealership that was wondering why they are not seeing appointments show up in their showroom. I worked on looking at the process after the appointment was set.

What I found was that by making the manager call and send a personally written email, a 15% increase in shows during the initial 5-6 business days using this method was achieved.

Try this approach and see your show rate rise. A potential customer will love the personal attention and will instantly feel that they are not just someone that the dealer is “going through the motions” with. Tell the customer that you personally will ensure a smooth experience, and that you will be prepared for them at the time of their appointment.

Clients that are making the appointments typically do this to save time – and give you time to prepare for them! So keep setting those appointments and follow up just like your days back on the sales floor.

PCG Consultant Joins Millions for Movember Moustache Mania

admin — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:31:53 +0000

There’s been a new trend that has exploded across the nation recently – the moustache trend. Moustaches are now being seen on everything from coffee mugs and drinking glasses to necklaces and clothing. But in the month of November, they start to appear on the normally clean-shaven faces of the men of America and around the world.

A month-long moustache mania, better known as Movember, was created to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, specifically testicular and prostate cancer initiatives. “Movember” 1^st is started clean-shaven, and for the rest of the month these men (known as Mo Bros) work relentlessly to maintain their facial hair to create the finest moustache they can muster to raise awareness about the importance of men’s health.

Movember began in Melbourne, Australia and has grown to become a global movement that has inspired more than 1.9 million people from all over the world to participate with different types of campaigns. One of the many people inspired by Movember is PCG Consulting’s very own Nicholas Casci.

PCG Consulting Team Member Participates in Movember

While subconsciously stroking the beard attached to his Movember ‘stache, Nicholas explained the motivation behind participating in Movember.

“Well, it was equal parts laziness and peer pressure. After the hilarious videos Marketing Manager Steve Murphy made for Movember last year, I assumed that most of the guys in the office would be participating. When PCG’s power was finally restored a week after Hurricane Sandy and we returned to the office, I was amazed to see that somehow every guy in the office managed to find somewhere to shave during the blackouts, except Tony Freda who is a certified Whisker Wizard,” he said.

But on a more serious note, his personal motivation for participating is manifold.

“Movember allows us to participate in something that’s uniquely male: don’t clip the lip, and be sure to get checked every year,” said Casci.

“For me, the severity – and preventability – of these diseases first hit me when I saw the testicular cancer episodes of The Tom Green Show back in the 90’s. Like a lot of guys, we thought we were too young to receive a terrible diagnosis like that. But unfortunately since then, I’ve had a roommate get a scare with a benign cyst and a 26-year-old family friend who has lost a part of him simply because they didn’t get screened every year,” he concluded.

Whether you are capable or not of raising awareness via facial hair, you can participate in Movember and help raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer and testicular cancer initiatives by donating today. Programs funded by Movember campaigns consist of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the LIVESTRONG Foundation, Awareness & Education, and a Global Action Plan. You can learn more about Movember and the benefits of this movement by visiting http://us.movember.com/.

Make the Most Out of Your Dealership Contest or Giveaway

admin — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:10:25 +0000

By Kristen Chiarello

I often come across dealers who are running creative contests or sponsoring wonderful giveaways, whether it’s for a charitable cause or just giving away tickets to a big local event.

These sort of efforts are excellent for branding, showing your community spirit and the charitable side of the dealership.

People love winning free stuff, and knowing that you are a business that gives back.

These types of promotions can and should be promoted using traditional outlets, social media platforms and in-store marketing materials.

While all of this is great, what more can you get in return for your investment?

How about having the thousands of people who register and vote become part of your remarketing audience?

Utilizing Remarketing to Spread the Word About Your Business

Remarketing is a powerful, low cost way to stay engaged with your target audience. Presenting them with highly relevant ads and offers across the Web — and making sure your brand is top of mind when they’re ready to buy.

Additional benefits include the collection of the contact information for those people who enter to win.

How to make this happen:

Have a contest/giveaway specific microsite built that is engaging and user-friendly.

Have people register to enter and visit the site to vote for the winners. The site should also make it easy for entrants to share their entry information on their personal social media platforms.
Let people vote to choose the top 5/10 entries with the final decision left up to a random drawing conducted by the dealership.
Once the site is created it can be modified to adjust to new contests/giveaways that you are going to run.
Chose a relevant and easy to remember URL for the microsite. (Example: delaershipcontests.com)
Make sure it is something that can apply to a variety of giveaway and contest so that people can retain it and will check back to see if you have started something new.
Create official rules and have someone moderate the site daily to ensure the site is running well.

You can then use your new “contest” remarketing audience to help promote the newest give away/content.

Don’t forget to create a 15 second video pre-roll to promote the contest giveaway as well!

Do you need help getting a solid plan in place for a successful contest or giveaway? Have any questions about the best way to organize the microsite creation process, or need some insight on the most effective strategy for utilizing remarketing and video pre-roll to promote? Contact us here at PCG Consulting and we’ll be more than happy to guide you through the process. Give us a call today at 877-804-1109 or contact us via our website by visiting http://www.pcgconsultingservices.com/contact/.

Tune Into the Facebook Channel

admin — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:50:45 +0000

by Kevin Mahon

Do any of these statements sound familiar?

“Facebook doesn’t sell cars”
“I don’t have time to do all that Social Media stuff”
“I can’t dedicate staff to something with no ROI”

I’ve heard many dealers whine about Facebook, Twitter, etc. I’m sure you have too. More incredibly, when I do a consulting assessment for a potential client, I still come across dealers whose Facebook efforts stopped the day their page was created. They obviously don’t perceive any value there.

Social Media and ROI

I’ve read many blogs and articles that try to explain the ROI of Social Media, in order to allay the fears of so many people in the auto industry who are stuck in a straight-line, cost-to-benefit mentality.

To anyone who shares this thought process, I say this: think of Facebook as a (not-so) new TV channel with good ratings. Would you dismiss such a TV channel out of hand as an advertising option? Probably not. More accurately, if you knew that consumers would be flipping channels and they’d come across your channel now and then, would you want it to be just a blank screen with your name on it? Doubtful.

A Cultural Phenomenon

Let’s take a step back. What exactly is Facebook? To me, it is an incredible cultural phenomenon. Unlike many other “online sensations,” Facebook has shown staying power, and more importantly, it has proven appeal across all age groups. My 15-year-old nephew is a dedicated Facebooker; so is his 53-year-old mother. Facebook is a flexible palette that multiple generations are using to color their lives and social interactions.

To boil it down even simpler: people are spending a lot of time on Facebook.

Facebook: A Very Popular Channel on “The New Television”

One of my PCG Consulting co-workers recently expressed an interesting thought: when television first came along in the U.S., the concept of people sitting at home watching a box was NOT immediately accepted. Many businesses, when encouraged to advertise on this new medium, didn’t bite. “How many people are REALLY going to sit and watch this thing?”

Fast forward to today. Take out the word ‘television’ and replace it with ‘Internet.’ It’s a very similar situation now. It’s more complex and multi-layered, in my opinion, but still similar. Even after the broad acceptance of the Internet over the past 15 years, we have the following statistic:

People are now spending more time online than they are watching TV*…but businesses are only spending 19% of ad budgets online**.

Advertisers are behind the curve here. If you want your marketing message to be seen, you have to be where the eyeballs are. Right?

Here’s another statistic:

For all time spent online on “social media”, 65% is spent on Facebook***.

Eyeballs are online. And many eyeballs online are on Facebook. 138 million per month, to be exact, in the U.S. alone.

By dismissing Facebook as some kind of waste of time, or something to do in the future, you are saying that your website is a strong enough presence on the Internet. But think of it: your website is only one TV channel on the Internet…one among thousands and thousands of other TV channels online that attract eyeballs. And let’s be honest: only consumers who are ready to buy a car are spending any time at all on your “channel”.

A brown paper bag and crayons

Facebook, on the other hand, is one of the TV channels on the Internet where people are spending a LOT of time. I’m not advocating spending ad dollars directly on Facebook; that is every dealer’s decision. But what I AM strongly advocating is devoting the necessary resources to create and maintain a robust Facebook page and presence. The Internet is a visual medium, and a neglected Facebook page is akin to letting my 6 year old create an ad using a brown paper bag and crayons.

If all of your marketing includes simple call-outs for Social Media (e.g. Facebook logo on all of your advertising), many consumers will eventually end up on your page. You want to be ready with an interesting, visually appealing page, not a long-neglected empty frame with tumbleweeds blowing across the screen. We make sure that every client we work with doesn’t make the mistake of taking Facebook too lightly.

Mad Men is a cool show. But it’s not the 1960s anymore.

As we know, television grew into the dominant visual advertising medium of the 20^th century. The advent of cable television broadened its reach and the number of channels to choose from, for both consumers and advertisers. The Internet is the new TV, and there are already thousands of channels established there. If Facebook is the equivalent of one of the old, traditional TV networks (CBS, NBC, ABC)…don’t you want to impress the millions of viewers there?

*Forrester Research study, 2010

**Borrell Associates, 2010

***North America Business Review

Stop Giving Your Social Media Managers The Wrong Monkeys

admin — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:12:26 +0000

By Brittany Richter

In 1974 the Harvard Business Review published an article by William Oncken Jr. entitled “Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?”

In short, Oncken wrote about how the relationship between Manager and Subordinate involves the passing back-and-forth of monkeys. “Monkeys” refer to issues or problems that need to be addressed. For example, if the Subordinate is working on a project and runs into a roadblock and asks his or her Manager for assistance, the monkey has left the subordinate’s back and is now on the manager’s shoulders. Oncken explained that these monkeys can be passed back-and-forth, subsequently wasting valuable time. If you want to read the full article, you can check it out here.

This is what is happening in dealerships when it comes to reviews. I am seeing it time and time again; the social media or digital marketing coordinators are being blamed for the lack of online reviews. Management is passing the Online Reviews Monkey to the wrong team.

Would you blame your sales team for the OEM recalling a vehicle? Would you blame your service technicians if your BDC department didn’t follow up on service leads? Then why are you blaming your digital team for the lack of online reviews?

Positive Digital Presence is Not Asexual

This person (or team of people) who manages your social or digital marketing is most likely not in a customer-facing position, which means they are the wrong person (people) to get reviews. Online presence is not asexual. It does not automatically create more positive online presence. It needs to be supported and encouraged by the on-site experience in the dealership.

The Right Monkeys for Your Social Coordinator

Your social media or digital marketing coordinator should be monitoring reviews, responding to them and broadcasting the positive ones to your social networks. Beyond that they should be, with management, educating the sales and service teams about the importance of collecting reviews and what these teams need to do in order to get more reviews.

Get Your Sales and Service Teams Involved

Stop blaming your social media or digital marketing managers. Stop passing the monkey from your back to theirs, and instead pass it from theirs to your sales and service teams. These teams are the ones who interact with customers, foster the positive customer experience and help the customer come to a decision and make the sale.

It is the members of these teams that need to mention it at delivery, make it personal and hand over the postcard.

Manage the Monkeys the Right Way

Work with your internal social media and digital marketing people to educate and motivate your sales and service teams. Explain to these teams that a stronger digital presence means more leads and more ups, which means more sales opportunities for them. Added bonus: if their name is mentioned in some of these reviews, people may come in asking for them, helping them hit their monthly goals.

Start by apologizing to your social media or digital marketing people for giving them the wrong monkeys. Then work with them on a plan for getting your sales and service teams involved. Then watch the reviews roll in.

Need some help getting everything into place and figuring out a strategy? Contact PCG Consulting today! You can even get a free assessment to see what kind of opportunities exist for your dealership.

The Impact of Online Reviews

admin — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:30:41 +0000

by Melanie Ferrato

You spend thousands of advertising dollars to create stimulus. You also advertise your business digitally with a website, online coupons, remarketing banners and internet pricing, but getting your loyal and happy customers to write a review for you is not a priority? Well, I’m here to tell you just how important it is.

Did you know that 83% of car shoppers used the Internet to research vehicles and 79% used search to research a dealer? Did you also know that 28% of consumers changed their dealership selection based on a dealer review?

According to the 2011 Automotive Buyer Influence Study conducted by Polk and AutoTrader.com the Internet was the most influential source leading to the dealer. And with 18.2 sources being used by the typical automotive shopper 97% of these shoppers were influenced during the Zero Moment of Truth [Google/Shopper Sciences - ZMOT Industry Studies 4/11].

The Importance of Your Dealership’s Online Reviews

With statistics like these it is important for every business to understand how online reviews can make an impact. Good reviews can potentially help expand your overall results for an increase in leads but also for dealership and brand loyalty. Encouraging a satisfied customer to write about their experience will help to connect their positive experience with other consumers looking for a similar experience and will likely help create customer loyalty.

Think about it, would you go on a family vacation to a resort where people have complained about the service? Would you buy a new smartphone without comparing other products? I know I wouldn’t. So when it comes to an investment like buying a new car the experience of other consumers is extremely important.

Don’t underestimate the power of the consumer’s voice. And always keep in mind that the average consumer will go to what they consider a reliable source when researching online.

If you want loyal customers that will help increase your brand awareness, tell their friends and family about their positive experience and continue to choose you over your competitors, make sure you are encouraging them to spread the word about the excellent service they received!

Are you interested in learning more about the impact of your dealership’s online reviews? Contact PCG Consulting for a free assessment! It’s time to take charge of your online reputation management.

Better Attitudes, Better Environment, Better Results!

admin — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:27:19 +0000

by Michael Lizza

It is no secret that the automotive industry can and frequently allows itself to be consumed by a pressure cooker type of business model. As a true believer that in order to be a successful and effective part of a business, you must feel good about where you work and what you are doing. This belief is one that can be paralleled across hundreds of different types of industries, and the automotive retail industry is certainly not excluded.

As a successful automotive sales professional both on the general employee as well as the managerial level, I can truly say that my attitude at work definitely was connected to my productivity. I have never met a person in sales that did not want to close deals, and build a strong reputation. As a salesperson it is essential to focus your energy away from casual water cooler banter and refocus on what your goals are for that day, which presumably is to sell cars!

I was always taught that it is most beneficial to be part of the change and not a contributor to the problem. Nothing in life is just given to us; we must work and constantly be bettering ourselves to be progressive. Your dealer has given you a phone, a desk, warm leads, and a roof over your head. The dealer is not charging you for these luxuries, yet of course has expectations. Wouldn’t you?

Increase Work Ethic With a Positive Environment

Embrace what you do, and be proud of it. When you receive a lead, look at it as if you were looking the client right in the eye. Your positive attitude will show in your emails, your attire, your voice on the phone, and your mannerisms on the sales floor. You are in business for yourself, and have no bills to pay to keep the lights on at work. Wake up everyday like you are unlocking the front door to your own dealership. Customers are out there, and they are waiting for a refreshing person like you! People will likely purchase or at least respond to follow-up to those people that they like and have a connection with.

As a Manager, the constant pressure to see results can certainly get to you. I was once told that “it is not the effort, it is the result”. This is a very tough love type of concept. As a manager you will explore many different types of business generating tactics. Some will work and others will not. What you as a manager must always remember is that you are being watched, and your attitude is being mimicked.

You set the tone of the showroom. The better you treat your staff, the harder they will work for you. The harder your staff works, the better the results. You must get to know your team, and work to optimize their talents. It is all about balance as a manager. I encourage positive reinforcement, blended with strong communication of the business goals. Create a team atmosphere, and let the sales staff know that you cannot do it without them and that you mean business. They will feel vested in the company initiatives, feel that there is mutual respect, and feel an obligation to not disappoint.

Better Attitudes, better environment, better results! It is about getting back to the basics sometimes. Now go and sell some cars, and enjoy doing it!

Additionally, if you need help improving your BDC or internet departments, be sure to give us a call here at PCG Consulting! We’d be happy to provide you with an assessment and help your team handle leads better and improve your bottom line. Call us today at 877-804-1109!

Six Things to Look For in an Automotive Social Media Tool or Service

admin — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 18:13:41 +0000

By Brittany Richter

What To Look For In an Automotive Social Media Tool or Service

As an automotive dealer or dealership employee, the good news is that you have a wealth of great vendors and platforms to choose from. The bad news is that deciding which one is the best fit for your dealership can be tricky.

Here we have outlined a list of our top areas of concern when looking in to automotive social media vendors for our clients. Whether they will be managing your social media for you, or be providing you with a tool to help you manage it yourself, there are a few things you may wish to consider. We suggest taking a look at this list and ranking the items based on importance to you and your team. Use your prioritized list as a guideline when assessing your options.

Branding: Is the content that you post branded with the logo or tagline of the vendor or platform you are using? Small, unobtrusive logos are fine, but long names, taglines or bright-and-shiny logos can detract from your content, make it look automated or turn off your audience. Your vendor deserves credit, but you want to make sure it looks seamless with the social media platforms you are posting to.
Flexibility to add (and remove) content: Does the third party provider or platform tool give you the flexibility to add (and remove!) content? As a dealer or dealership employee, you know your dealership’s company culture best. You’re the first to know when a new sale, service or promotion is available, so you should have the ability to remove irrelevant or false information or add updates whenever you please. After all, these profiles are extensions of your business, so you want to have some say and control over the content.
Google+: Arguably the newest game-changing social platform, Google+ is becoming increasingly salient in terms of both SEO and social presence objectives. If the platform or service limits you to Facebook and Twitter, this may be something to consider.
Monitoring/Alerts: The best platforms and tools include a monitoring capability. Monitoring web presence, seeing what people are saying and researching what is out there on your brand takes time, effort, and energy. These tools and platforms seek to make your life easier, so this is key. Check to see if there are tools to make it easy to keep an eye on your brand online.
Scheduling: Even if you’re of the school of the thought that automated social media is not the way to go, scheduling posts ahead of time can keep you organized, save you time, and make sure that those important announcements make it to your customers. Find out whether you have the ability schedule posts with your potential vendor. Facebook has an internal scheduler, but so far the other platforms do not.
Photos/Videos: Are you able to upload photos and videos of your choosing? Photos and videos are at the core of social media and studies have shown that content containing photos and videos receive the most engagement. If the provider or tool doesn’t allow for the uploading of photos and videos of your choosing, you may wish to reconsider.

If you’re in the market for an automotive social media vendor tool or service, prioritize the list above and use it as a guide for assessing your options.

Having trouble keeping all of the balls in the air? Does the thought of choosing yet another vendor seem daunting? Give us a call for a free assessment. If you like what we have to say, let us do the juggling so you can get back to work.

Let the Friendly Competition Continue!

admin — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:26:00 +0000

by Kristen Chiarello

Now is an ideal time to create and optimize 2013 vehicle model walk arounds to help promote your brand and the qualities of the individual models in search.

Videos are rewarded well in search and these videos are an excellent way for your sales team to step up and become a video star. This is just another way to help promote themselves as the progressive, helpful and highly trusted sales person that people recognize, trust, and want to buy from.

With over 50,000 current views I would say Dianne would be in the minds of people in her territory who are considering purchasing a Mazda CX-5.

And yes she will sign autographs!

Take the time to speak to your sales people to see who would like to stand out and start to build themselves a digital referral network of their own.

Also check in-house to see who might have some video producing knowledge. You would be surprised at the talent lurking in the dealership which will remain hidden unless you ask.

Get assistance with this and many other types of video strategy by reaching out to PCG Consulting by calling 877-804-1109 today!

Automotive Website Awards Winners Announced For 2012

admin — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:24:58 +0000

The fifth annual Automotive Website Awards (AWA) took place in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 5, 2012 at the Aria Hotel and Casino. The ceremony kicked off AutoCon 2012, a three daylong automotive conference unlike anything seen before. PCG Consulting was on hand to personally hand out the awards and congratulate the winners.

A panel of experts chose the recipients of the prestigious automotive awards, which are the industry’s highest honor for vendors and suppliers. Before the ceremony took place, PCG Consulting’s CEO Brian Pasch stated, “We’re honored to bring our annual awards ceremony to AutoCon 2012. The vendor and dealer communities that will be united at this powerful event will energize the AWA awards ceremony; hundreds of automotive professionals will be in attendance.”

Brian was right in stating that hundreds of automotive professionals would be attending AutoCon 2012. With over 600 in attendance, the AutoConnections Conference and Exposition is already a hit.

PCG Consulting Honors Automotive Website Awards Winners

Awards for Website, Mobile, Website Add-On, Chat, Marketing Software, Social Media, Reputation, Equity Mining and Customer Feedback as well as the Lighthouse Award were all distributed during the ceremony on Wednesday night. The breakdown of the awards are:

Pinnacle Website Platform Winners:

Cobalt, an ADP Company
Dealer e-Process
Dealer Fire
Dealer.com
VinSolutions

Peak Website Performance Winners:

ClickMotive
DealerTrack | eCarList
eBizAutos
IzmoCars
KPA | TK Carsites

Website Rising Stars:

Motortrak
Kukui
Driving Force

Most Promising Technology:

Dealer.com – CRM
Dominion Dealer Solutions – Dealerskins Adaptive Websites
Car-Mercial – Video Ad Network

Top Rated Mobile Website:

Advanced Mobile
Dealer e-Process
ClickMotive

Top Rated Mobile App:

DealerSocket CRM
Advanced Mobile

Top Rated Website Merchandising Tools:

Hooklogic
AutoMark
Dealer e-Process

Top Rated Chat Solution:

Contact At Once!
ActivEngage
Client Connexion

Top Rated Multi-Channel Advertising Solution:

Dealer.com
Cobalt, an ADP Company
Haystak

Top Rated Social Media Tool:

Dealer.com

Top Rated Reputation Management Tools:

Cobalt, an ADP Company
Dominion Dealer Solutions
Dealer.com

Top Rated Equity Mining Software:

Dominion Dealer Solutions

Customer Support:

DealerFire

Overall Satisfaction:

Contact At Once!

Customer Service Superstar:

Kathy Barth of Contact At Once!
Maria Espinoza of Dealer e-Process

Lighthouse Award – JD Rucker of KPA

Congratulations to all of the winners!

JD Rucker Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Lighthouse Award

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:25:03 +0000

JD Rucker was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). JD was recognized this year for Lighthouse Award.

The 2012 Automotive Website Award ceremony was held at the Aria Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Over 600 automotive industry professionals attended this prestigious awards ceremony, which identifies the most innovative technology and software solutions for automotive retailers.

This year, 41 awards were presented to companies and individuals that represent innovative solutions for car dealers in the areas of website design, mobile technology, social media, proactive chat, merchandising tools, CRM, reputation management, advertising, customer service and industry thought leadership.

JD Rucker of KPA was recognized with an AWA for Lighthouse Award. PCG Consulting congratulates JD Rucker for being recognized above his peers in this competitive category.

The AWA is the highest recognition for individuals and companies that assist the automotive retail industry to operate more effectively. The honorees are selected after a rigorous testing and evaluation from the staff at PCG Consulting. PCG is a leading consultancy firm that assists car dealers with best practice solutions for business operations and marketing.

The AWA ceremony was held in conjunction with AutoCon 2012, which exceeded all records for first year attendance at an automotive conference. AutoCon has set itself apart by offering an innovative conference format with an all-inclusive attendee package that has changed the dynamics of automotive conferences.

PCG Consulting has created a 2013 Automotive Buyers Guide and Reference Book, which documents the 2012 AWA winners and supporting documentation for their choices. Electronic copies of the book can be download on Apple iTunes and Google Play on October 1, 2012.

Printed copies of the 2012 AWA Buyers Guide and Reference Book can be ordered for $50 a copy by contacting Nicholas Casci at PCG Consulting at 732-450-8200. Shipping charges will be added to your order based on the number of copies ordered.

About JD Rucker:

JD Rucker is the Director of New Media at KPA LLC. JD is responsible for overseeing the direction of digital marketing for the TK Carsites product line for automotive dealerships as well as for non-auto dealer clients under the Hasai brand. He has personally optimized over 150 individual websites and coordinated the optimization of 1000 websites. JD is recognized in the industry as the foremost authority on automotive SEO and is a renowned social media expert.

JD formerly served as the Internet Manager for an automotive dealer group in Oklahoma City, OK where he was responsible for the creation and management of a high volume internet marketing department. Working in this capacity, he acquired his knowledge of SEO before branching out and optimizing other dealers and websites.

Kathy Barth Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Customer Service Superstars

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:22:17 +0000

Kathy Barth, Contact At Once!, was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). Kathy was recognized this year for Customer Service Superstars.

Kathy Barth of Contact At Once! was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Customer Service Superstars. PCG Consulting congratulates Kathy Barth for being recognized above her peers in this competitive category.

About Kathy Barth:

Kathy Barth is an Account Executive at Contact at Once! Contact At Once! pioneered the use of live chat in apartment advertising, enabling property managers and leasing agents to increase lead volume from current advertising and website investments, while maximizing efficiencies for existing staff. Businesses that utilize Contact At Once! chat and Mobile Text Connect typically experience an increase in online conversions of 25% or more. Over 10,000 companies currently rely on Contact At Once! to connect with potential buyers and sellers.

eBizAutos Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Peak Performance Websites

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:21:01 +0000

eBizAutos was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Peak Performance Websites.

eBizAutos was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Peak Performance Websites. PCG Consulting congratulates eBizAutos and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

The AWA is the highest recognition for companies that assist the automotive retail industry to operate more effectively. The honorees are selected after a rigorous testing and evaluation from the staff at PCG Consulting. PCG is a leading consultancy firm that assists car dealers with best practice solutions for business operations and marketing.

About eBizAutos:
The leading provider of award-winning, managed digital marketing services for dealers.
Thousands of franchise and independent car dealerships use eBizAutos either as their primary online marketing solution or as an effective way to generate qualified leads from sources not offered by their current content management system provider. Two of the nation’s five largest dealer groups use eBizAutos as their preferred partner for websites and Internet marketing.

DealerFire Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Overall Customer Support

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:18:07 +0000

DealerFire was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Overall Customer Support.

DealerFire was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Overall Customer Support. PCG Consulting congratulates DealerFire and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About DealerFire:

DealerFire is a custom automotive web design and internet marketing firm that caters specifically to the automotive industry. With a decade of experience comes true industry knowledge, performance and innovation. From large automotive dealer groups to independent dealers, we’ve been providing custom automotive website solutions since 1999.

Unlike our competition, we custom design and search engine optimize every aspect of our websites. We are results driven and our work speaks for itself. Above and beyond outstanding design and functionality, our core focus is customer support. Our commitment to customer service is proven with each new custom website we build. Every call is answered by a qualified support technician, no call centers or service ticket numbers

ClickMotive Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Peak Performance Websites

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:15:53 +0000

ClickMotive was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Peak Performance Websites.

ClickMotive was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Peak Performance Websites. PCG Consulting congratulates ClickMotive and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About ClickMotive:
ClickMotive is the only company to deliver the powerful combination of website design, video, and dynamic search – in a single product, on a single platform, for one low cost, using 100% in-house technology. Led by the former owners of Third Coast Media and the former Vice President of RWS, ClickMotive combines powerful tech savvy with years of experience at all levels of the automotive industry.

Dealer.com Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Pinnacle Platform Websites

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:15:20 +0000

Dealer.com was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Pinnacle Platform Websites.

Dealer.com was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Pinnacle Platform Websites. PCG Consulting congratulates Dealer.com and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About Dealer.com:

Dealer.com helps auto dealers and manufacturers market to potential customers by building websites and integrated solutions that together drive the industry’s most comprehensive and effective online marketing platforms. These platforms significantly lower the cost of customer acquisition, enhancing dealers’ efficiency and profitability. Today, Dealer.com is the auto retailing industry’s technology and market share leader, working with 80% of the top 125 dealer groups, recognized by Automotive News.

Dealer e-Process Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Pinnacle Platform Websites

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:11:59 +0000

Dealer e-Process was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Pinnacle Platform Websites.

Dealer e-Process was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Pinnacle Platform Websites. PCG Consulting congratulates Dealer e-Process and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About Dealer e-Process:

Dealer e-Process is always on the cutting edge of the latest new technology in web design, SEO, and SEM for the automotive industry. While there are a plethora of website building companies for car dealers to choose from, Dealer e-Process is truly a cut above the rest. Despite the fact that they recently won the 2009 ASMA Leader Award for SEO (which speaks volumes for their reputation), Dealer e-Process continually strives to achieve excellence in three main areas when it comes to website production and maintenance: user interface, search engine optimization (SEO) and customer service.

Driving Force Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Website Rising Stars

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:10:40 +0000

Driving Force was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Website Rising Stars.

Driving Force was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Website Rising Stars. PCG Consulting congratulates Driving Force and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About Driving Force:
Driving Force Marketing is a comprehensive design and web services company that is dedicated to providing our retail automobile dealer clients with unique, functional and user-friendly web sites, technolgies and services designed to maximize traffic, increase sales, and distinguish our clients from their competition. All of our sites come with our comprehensive DealerCare services

KPA Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Peak Performance Websites

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:07:23 +0000

KPA was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Peak Performance Websites.

KPA was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Peak Performance Websites. PCG Consulting congratulates KPA and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About KPA:

KPA is a dealer services and Internet marketing provider for over 4,000 automotive, truck, and equipment dealerships and service companies. KPA provides consulting services and software for three industry-specific product lines: Environment & Safety, HR Management, and Internet Marketing.

AutoMark Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Top Rated Website Merchandising Tools

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:06:40 +0000

AutoMark was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Top Rated Website Merchandising Tools.

AutoMark was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Top Rated Website Merchandising Tools. PCG Consulting congratulates AutoMark and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About AutoMark:
Automark Solutions was forged out of a shared vision of the stake-holders in three different companies effectively serving automobile dealers nation-wide and the frustrated ecommerce director of a highly successful dealer group. Each brings a unique skill-set and industry perspective which combined provides the domain expertise necessary to empower our innovative and game-changing offering.

First, take the disjointed technologies; digital marketing investments and social media strategies, and integrate them into one comprehensive and easily maintained solution-set. Second, align them with the consumer’s informational needs at each stage of the purchase funnel and implement the marketing campaigns necessary to reach, capture and convert them. Lastly, deliver it all using a model that dramatically reduces the dealer’s customer acquisition cost per unit sold. In other words: we’ll provide the technology and marketing necessary for you to sell more vehicles online or you don’t pay us.

Dealer e-Process Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Top Rated Mobile Website

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:02:47 +0000

Dealer e-Process was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Top Rated Mobile Website.

Dealer e-Process was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Top Rated Mobile Website. PCG Consulting congratulates Dealer e-Process and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About Dealer e-Process:
Dealer e-Process is always on the cutting edge of the latest new technology in web design, SEO, and SEM for the automotive industry. While there are a plethora of website building companies for car dealers to choose from, Dealer e-Process is truly a cut above the rest. Despite the fact that they recently won the 2009 ASMA Leader Award for SEO (which speaks volumes for their reputation), Dealer e-Process continually strives to achieve excellence in three main areas when it comes to website production and maintenance: user interface, search engine optimization (SEO) and customer service.

Advanced Mobile Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Top Rated Mobile App

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:55:09 +0000

Advanced Mobile was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Top Rated Mobile App.

Advanced Mobile was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Top Rated Mobile App. PCG Consulting congratulates Advanced Mobile and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About Advanced Mobile:
Founded in 2006, Advanced Mobile, LLC has become a leader in providing turn-key mobile web search, mobile marketing and custom smart phone applications to various vertical markets. The Company’s core competency is “mobilizing” inventory data and making it searchable from any mobile device, while generating high quality leads for our clients. For over twenty years, the principals of Advanced Mobile have been in the forefront of interactive telephony services. The company has assembled a team with an unparalleled track record of proactive service and consultation after the sale to ensure optimal product implementation and strategy execution.

Cobalt, an ADP Company, Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Top Rated Multi-Channel Advertising Solution

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:51:14 +0000

Cobalt, an ADP Company, was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Top Rated Multi-Channel Advertising Solution.

Cobalt, an ADP Company, was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Top Rated Multi-Channel Advertising Solution. PCG Consulting congratulates Cobalt and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About Cobalt, an ADP Company:
Cobalt, a component of the ADP Digital Marketing group of ADP Dealer Services, provides digital marketing solutions to a majority of US automotive dealers and manufacturers, and is North America’s leading provider of automotive marketing services. For over 17 years, Cobalt’s mission has been to help automobile dealers and manufacturers increase their retailing effectiveness and profitability. The organization offers a comprehensive set of highly effective and efficient marketing solutions and services, delivers seamless shopping experiences to consumers, and high quality sales opportunities to dealers.

Dealer.com Recognized with 2012 AWA Award: Reputation Management Tools

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:49:03 +0000

Dealer.com was selected this year by PCG Consulting to receive a 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA). The company was recognized this year for Reputation Management Tools.

Dealer.com was one of the finalists this year being recognized with an AWA for Reputation Management Tools. PCG Consulting congratulates Dealer.com and their employees for being recognized above their peers in this competitive category.

About Dealer.com:
Dealer.com helps auto dealers and manufacturers market to potential customers by building websites and integrated solutions that together drive the industry’s most comprehensive and effective online marketing platforms. These platforms significantly lower the cost of customer acquisition, enhancing dealers’ efficiency and profitability. Today, Dealer.com is the auto retailing industry’s technology and market share leader, working with 80% of the top 125 dealer groups, recognized by Automotive News.

Friendly Competition Can Help Your Dealership

admin — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:15:19 +0000

by Kristen Chiarello

As automotive consultants we are continually asking dealers to do things that might be out of their “natural realm”, such as asking customers to write reviews and make a video review.

In turn it may not be natural for them to help their teams see the value in these strategies. Often the difficulty comes because the direction to get these tasks accomplished is pushed down instead of being ingrained as a culture at the dealership.

So how to start to make this cultural shift?

Well one thing that can help is installing a bit of “friendly competition”

Take a look:

If I were looking to buy a Hyundai, I might be asking for Melissa, would you?

Research Confirms the Need to Treat Online Shoppers Differently

admin — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 15:35:26 +0000

by Kevin Mahon

It’s well-established that the Internet has turned the car-buying process on its head. Auto shoppers, once completely at the mercy of dealers for many of the details involved with buying a new vehicle, are now empowered with as much information as they can handle.

The numbers tell the story: 77% of auto shoppers use the Internet as part of their buying process (for those age 49 and below, that number is 85%). The Internet drives more traffic to dealerships than all other advertising media combined. Internet shoppers visit 50% more dealerships than auto shoppers who don’t go online.

And the most telling stat of all: 25% of all auto shoppers not only vehicle-shop online, but also submit an Internet request.

Why is that so important? Because these shoppers have different expectations, desires and needs…and if you don’t serve them well, you won’t get their business. Basic math tells us that success will be hard to achieve if your business processes aren’t designed to meet the needs of a full one-quarter of your prospects.
So how are Internet submitters different from other auto shoppers? They:

Expect better-than-average treatment
Dislike sales pressure even more than your average auto shopper
Expect to spend less time in your dealership during the buying process
Are very sensitive to how a dealer responds to their Internet request
Have a strong desire to deal with the same salesperson from the beginning of the process to the end

I suppose you could classify this group as “high maintenance.” And you might be right. But if you choose not to try to satisfy these shoppers, you’ll be losing a lot of business to your competitors.

On the plus side, when you DO give these people what they want, the research shows that they are the MOST SATISFIED group of auto shoppers around. Which likely means you’ve got a good chance to keep this customer for years to come, if you continue meeting their needs.

In conclusion: if you want to stay ahead of your competition, then make sure your BDC, Internet, and sales processes have a structure that can handle Internet submitters with care. Otherwise you risk losing a full 25% of your prospects.

* Statistics from the JD Power study: Online Auto Shoppers: Who Are They and How Do You Meet Their Needs?

Building the Ultimate Lead Follow Up Strategy

admin — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:30:04 +0000

By Benjamin Freedman

Do we talk price or not? How often should we follow up on new leads? Should we call or email first? These are just a few of the many questions we are asked at PCG Consulting on a daily bases. The answer is simple; be pleasantly persistent.

Being pleasantly persistent is the key to success for any BDC or Internet Sales Department. Let’s face it, the Internet customer shops online because they want to avoid the hassles typically associated with the car buying process. In order to attract the client and keep them engaged, your dealership must utilize a follow up strategy that provides information, yet sparks engagement.

Implementing the perfect lead follow up strategy is like operating a manual transmission. Imagine phone calls being the accelerator and email communications being the clutch. If you don’t have the perfect combination of clutch and accelerator, your vehicle will stall, correct? Same goes with the interaction with your Internet customer.

What does your lead follow up strategy say about your dealership? Are you being pleasantly persistent or excessively overbearing? Do your online visitors receive as attentive service as your fresh unsolicited prospects? If you hesitate to answer these questions, or simply do not know the answer, then let’s talk. At PCG Consulting, we are building profitable dealerships.

PCG Consulting Inc. Welcomes Ed Shaffer

admin — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:29:05 +0000

PCG Consulting, Inc. is welcoming their newest member, Ed Shaffer, to the team. Ed joins the team as a BDC Consultant.

PCG Consulting, Inc. provides vendor-neutral recommendations for products and services that can assist dealers to increase sales and profits. The new company was formed to meet the needs of car dealers who need assistance in creating effective processes, measurement standards, and intelligent reporting for their business operations.

Ed joins the team with ten years of automotive Internet sales experience. Ed got his start in the car business selling new vehicles with Park Place Lexus in Grapevine, Texas in October of 2002. He spent time on the sales floor and transitioned into the Internet Department in the summer of 2003. During his time at Lexus he received the New Car Sales Consultant of the year award in both 2004 and 2005, holding the dealership record for most vehicles delivered in a single month and achieving Master Certification with Lexus.

As the Lexus Internet Sales Manager he is credited with crafting the internet sales process system now used throughout Park Place Dealerships and moved into the Internet Business Development Manager role in the summer of 2007 to implement that process across their 8 rooftops and 13 luxury import brands.

As the IBDM for Park Place Dealerships, Ed gained experience in many areas, including websites, vehicle merchandising, SEO, SEM and reputation management, though his primary focus has always been on Internet sales process. Utilizing techniques developed during his tenure as a beginning-to-end process sales consultant, as well as those learned by attending numerous industry conferences, he is passionately dedicated to helping dealers improve. He is also a member of the AutoTrader Dealer Advisory Board, the Edmunds.com Dealer Council and a frequent poster on various automotive forums (username“eddyshaf”).

Ed continues the direction brought by the other members at PCG Consulting with a conviction that achieving success is accomplished by providing the highest level of customer service not only to the team, but to their customers and future customers as well! He will be based in Atlanta but travel across the country to assist car dealerships.

PCG Consulting is lead by partners Brian Pasch, Glenn Pasch and Marc McGurren.

The PCG Consulting team will be presenting the fifth annual Automotive Website Awards (AWA) at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on September 5, 2012 at 6:00 pm directly after the opening ceremony of the AutoConnections Conference & Exposition (AutoCon 2012). Join the team at AutoCon 2012 in Las Vegas from September 5-7.

Five Ways to Improve Your BDC

admin — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:00:04 +0000

By Julie Chisum

Have the best templates. When is the last time you updated the email templates in your CRM? Chances are, it’s been too long. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you make important adjustments to them:

Does every template add value to the prospect that will be reading it? Having compelling, valuable information in each email will help you stay on the prospect’s list of possible dealers they want to do business with. You have two goals with email: to compel the prospect to respond and to not get crossed off their ‘list.’
Does every template have perfect spelling, grammar and formatting? There is no excuse for having unprofessional templates so have at least 3 people (some outside the automotive industry) proofread your content on every template and send some test emails to yourself (and a friend) to ensure all the formatting is correct. You don’t want prospects to get an email that says,

“Dear Mr. [insert name],

Thank you for your interest in [Blank] dealership. I received your purchase request on the [unknown] Honda and will be emailing you all the details of price and availability in the next few business hours.”

Follow every email with a phone call. There are several important reasons to have this strategy. One reason is to let the prospect know you just sent valuable information to their inbox. You can’t get the ball rolling if they never see your response, so remind them to please check their spam or junk folders. Another reason to follow every email with a call is so you have something of substance to say. Even if you have to leave a voicemail (which you usually will!), you know exactly what to say. This will have you sounding professional, prepared, and better than your competition that is leaving a message without compelling information. Your goal here? Get the prospect to call you back so you can set that very important appointment.

Here is an example:

“Mr./Ms. ________, this is __________ from _________ dealership. I am trying to reach you regarding the purchase request you submitted on _________ for the ____________. I just sent you a detailed email outlining __________. Please check your inbox or spam folder. You can respond by phone, email or text so we can set up an appointment. My name again is _____________ and my number is ______________. Thank you.”

Become an expert at leaving voice mail. Why is this important? Think about the things that bother or annoy you when you listen to your own voice mail messages. For many of us, having messages that are too fast, too long or too boring, make us push the delete button.

Here are a few tips for leaving great voice mail:

Clearly state your name and dealership at the beginning.
Give the short reason for your call.
Provide your phone number (slowly).
Let the prospect know they can text you.
Offer an appointment day and time.
Less than 20 seconds is best.
Practice, practice, practice

Have a detailed game plan every day. Without a great schedule, too many distractions can get in your way of success. By knowing what you need to accomplish each hour, you stay on track, which means you reach your goals on number of phone calls, number of appointments set, and not letting any prospects slip through the cracks. Here are some ideas on what to accomplish throughout the day:

Beginning

Listen to all voicemail and prepare responses.
Know what you will say if you have to leave a message.
Read all email messages that are in your mailbox. Prioritize the order in which you need to respond, based on information you need to gather.

Turn on chat, as soon as you are ready to be on duty.

Middle

Review all of your appointments for the day. (Is the sales person taking the appointment prepared and have you communicated important information to make the appointment a success?)
Check the CRM to ensure a manager has confirmed your appointments for the day.

Call all no shows from the day before.

End

Complete all daily tasks in the CRM and do your best not to cherry pick. (If you don’t know how to respond to a customer, ask for help.)
Verify several times daily to see if appointments have arrived
Have great transitions to sales people

Check out with your manager – meet to review what worked, what didn’t

5. Begin Equity Mining. Use your CRM to mine your sold database for those customers approaching the end of their lease or financing term. The idea is to let them know they can get into a newer vehicle for a payment that is close to the monthly payment they are currently making. Depending on the current size of each of your dealership’s databases, this could easily be done one to two times a week and not take up too much time.

STEP 1: Search your database for the customers whose lease or finance term is ending in 60 days.

STEP 2: Call and/or email these customers with a friendly message.

Example: “There are quite a few incentives available right now that could help you get into a newer vehicle for a similar payment to the one you currently have. Would you like to schedule some time to come in and have our manager appraise your current vehicle? Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are great days for this. Do you have any time this week?”

BDC: Think Outside of “The Net”

admin — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:00:48 +0000

By: Benjamin D. Freedman

I was on an airplane recently heading home from a client visit and felt compelled to write about something that I am very passionate about: the Business Development Center, or BDC for short.

When you hear the term BDC, what comes to mind? You’re probably thinking about Internet leads and scripted phone conversations. But I bet you’re not thinking about the other initiatives this department can handle–with the proper guidance and strategy.

Take a few moments and ask yourself these questions:

Am I focused on attracting consumers currently in the market or am I focused on customer retention?
How do I allocate my monthly marketing budget and what is my return on the marketing dollars spent?
What is the value of a customer in both fixed and variable operations?

I have your mind thinking now don’t I? You can say yes, it’s okay. While it’s okay to attract new business using both traditional and digital marketing strategies, the vehicle sales with the highest gross profit and ROI lie within that highly regarded, under-utilized computer system known as your CRM.

Now, let’s go back to that original thought. When I mentioned BDC, did you think CRM, customer retention and marketing? I didn’t think so. By using PCG’s unique program and hands-on training techniques, dealerships across the country are unlocking their BDC’s potential and seeing huge increases in both their variable and fixed operations.

2012 Automotive Website Awards Preview – What’s Hot

admin — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 13:00:01 +0000

In just a few weeks automotive industry leaders will gather in Las Vegas for the 2012 Automotive Website Awards (AWA). The awards ceremony is part of the open day activities of AutoCon 2012, the newest fall conference dedicated to educating and inspiring the automotive retail industry.

PCG Consulting has been actively testing, reviewing, and participating in live demonstrations for products that will be considered this year. As we are finalizing our selections and completing the 200+ page awards book and automotive vendor resource guide, a few trends are emerging.

Flexible Website Design Tools

Dealers will have more tools to customize their websites; the degree of customization will vary based on the supplier’s philosophy. In one camp, website developers believe that providing deep customization will give dealers the freedom to create a compelling brand experience. The other camp believes that if dealers are given the ability to change too much of the website design, they will make choices that will hurt engagement and conversion.

Regardless of which side of the argument you take, this year AWA candidates are providing dealers with the most flexibility over website design and function. Most dealers will trust their website supplier to create the base design but it is our opinion that having the ability to change website content on the fly, without assistance from the supplier, is the perfect balance.

Website design tools are “standardizing” in the form of a library of widgets that can easily be dragged and dropped into place on a blank page, or onto a series of page templates. Some of the best user interfaces we reviewed this year make it simple for even the novice to create stunning custom pages. Who has the best interface? Attend the 2012 Awards Ceremony to be the first to find out!

Better Reports and Analytics

Dealers are getting more sophisticated in regards to digital marketing and have been demanding better reports and tools to see the ROI of their online investments. A number of companies this year have responded with first class “dashboard” tools that initially present data at a very high level and allow dealer to drill down into detail if desired.

We welcome this renewed focus on simplified reporting with greater instant visibility for key business metrics. We expect to see even more integrated reporting in the years ahead as website data, mobile activity, CRM lifecycles, and offsite data are combined into a simple data warehouse where intelligent reports can be generated.

Leveraging Consumer Shopping and Activity Data

Leveraging data generated from offsite consumer shopping behavior as well as from activity on the dealer’s website is becoming a mainstream reality. Software tools and platforms will be giving dealers deeper insights into the interests and personality of consumers when they decide to connect with the dealer in the First Moment of Truth (FMOT). Knowing which websites consumers visited, keywords they used to shop, and the Vehicle Detail Pages (VDP) they viewed prior to contacting the dealer will assist the success of the initial response.

The second stage of integrated data will be the personalization of website content based on consumer behavior on and off the dealer’s website. This feature was not demonstrated by vendors submitting this year but I am confident that by next year, we will start to see how “Big Data” will be used to create a customized shopping experience for consumers.

Paid Search Budgets On The Rise

Another trend this year is greater integration and efficiencies for paid search campaigns across desktop and mobile devices. As dealer Google Adwords budgets increase the need for better reporting, engagement, and conversion tools are being offered by vendors to maximize this marketing channel. Website platforms that do not support replaceable “session” phone numbers, a rich mobile experience, and A/B testing will lose their relevance to dealers who are shifting more dollars to paid search campaigns.

Social Strategy and Reputation Management

Social Media Marketing (SMM) and Internet Reputation Management (IRM) are becoming mainstream processes for dealers. More and more dealers have created a staff position to manage their social media campaigns and monitor their online reviews.

This year we have been surprised on how tools to support these functions at the dealership level have matured. We are strong advocates that dealers have a proactive customer review strategy in place, yet so many dealers have less than 20 reviews on Google+ Local. Automated tools and in-store merchandising are two of the fastest ways to increase online reviews yet so few dealers have made the investment.

The latest tools that we researched this year will provide dealers with a compelling ROI which will entice them to finally put the technology and processes in place to have a strong online reputation during the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT). With online review influencing over 25% of consumers who purchase a car, dealers cannot afford to ignore this influencing channel.

New Discoveries

There are a number of companies that are part of the AWA review process for the first time and a handful that are new to the automotive industry. These “wild cards” will add spice to this years AWA ceremony as they introduce innovative products to disrupt the marketplace.

There are also some new products introduce by industry heavyweights that throughly impress our review team, so stay tuned to see who comes home with the cherished 2012 AWA trophies. If you would like to attend the AWA Awards Ceremony, visiting http://www.AutoCon2012.com for registration details. Dealer Principals can register for all AutoCon 2012 conference activities for free.

See you in Las Vegas.

Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Consulting
732.672.2356

http://www.pcgconsultingservices.com

Digital Warrior Academy Lands In Texas July 24-25

admin — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:51:49 +0000

If your dealership is struggling to manage their BDC, Internet, Call Center, and other departments, make no hesitation to join PCG Consulting on July 24 and 25 at the Hilton DFW in Grapevine, Texas. The Digital Warrior Academy will provide a personalized workshop experience in which attendees will receive hands on learning experiences that are tailored to their dealerships.

With a 3:1 student to teacher ratio, every attendee will get the attention they crave and deserve. During the two day long Academy, topics that will be covered include BDC and Internet department optimization, advance phone skill training, how to get the most out of your existing lead pool, and more. We will also focus on creating a more positive culture within your dealership for an overall happier and friendly environment.

Right from the start, the experts at the Digital Warrior Academy will evaluate your dealership so you will get the most from our two-day event. The experts will mystery shop your website by email, phone shop your dealer with the help from The Phone Ninjas, compile a complete analysis of your dealer website, and even perform an SEO/SEM analysis of your dealership on Yahoo and Google.

Digital Warrior Academy To Offer In-Depth Training For BDC

Top-notch speakers for July’s Digital Warrior Academy in Grapevine, Texas include Marc McGurren, Jerry Thibeau, Brian Pasch, Julie Chisum, and Ben Freedman. These incredible speakers will provide attendees with the most up to date information.

PCG Consulting’s Marc McGurren and Julie Chisum will be available to provide specific strategies that cater to the needs of your dealership. They will offer innovative ways to hire and acquire great new talent and help to identify the right structure for your BDC. In order to maximize contact with Internet leads, Marc and Julie will help you to implement more effective email and phone strategies.

By utilizing Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton’s book “How Full Is Your Bucket,” we’ll also show you how to create a more positive department and organization. All of these necessary skill-building workshops will help you close more sales from existing leads.

Sign up for the Digital Warrior Academy in Grapevine, Texas on July 24 and 25. Classes are filling up quickly so be sure to reserve your spot today! For more information and to register, please visit http://www.digitalwarrioracademy.com/registration/.

Marc McGurren and Brian Pasch are Voted Among Top Ten Speakers at Innovative Dealer Summit

admin — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:04:47 +0000

Brian Pasch

Brian Pasch, CEO, PCG Digital Marketing and Marc McGurren, Partner, PCG Consulting, have been voted two of the top ten speakers of the 2012 Innovative Dealer Summit Conference. This is the third year that Pasch has been rated a top speaker and McGurren’s first time speaking at the conference.

Brian’s keynote address, ‘Put Your Marketing Budget on a Polygraph Test,’ demonstrated how dealers could discover the true ROI of their marketing investments. Dealers learned new analytic tools to better understand which investments are returning the most profitable results.

Marc McGurren

McGurren’s workshop, ‘People, Passion, Principle, Process & Paying Attention – One Dealer’s Road Map in Becoming One of the Top GM Internet Dealers in the Country,’ outlined the best BDC processes to help dealers create effective processes, measurement standards, and intelligent reporting for their business operations.

The Innovative Dealer Summit is considered one of the premier leadership functions for dealer advancement. Summit attendees included dealer principals/owners, general managers, senior dealership managers and directors, Internet sales managers, business development managers, F&I managers, key dealership leaders, sales leadership, advertising and marketing consultants, controllers and other key decision makers.

Attendees learned the latest in innovative technologies from seminars devoted to 30 emerging, compelling topics during the two-day conference. Topics included Internet strategies regarding search engine optimization, dealer reputation management, social media marketing, lead generation and follow-up, and more.

AutoCon 2012 to Host Automotive Website Awards Ceremony

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:08:28 +0000

The fifth annual Automotive Website Awards, presented by PCG Consulting, will be presented September 5, 2012 after the opening ceremony for the AutoConnections Conference & Exposition (AutoCon 2012) at the Aria Resort & Casino. The Automotive Website Awards (AWA) are the industry’s highest honors for automotive vendors and suppliers.

Bringing the two events together makes it possible for dealers to take advantage of the newest and most exciting automotive conference and watch live to see which of their suppliers walked away with a 2012 AWA.

“We’re honored to bring our annual awards ceremony to AutoCon 2012,” said Brian Pasch, CEO of PCG Consulting. “The vendor and dealer communities that will be united at this powerful event will energize the AWA awards ceremony; hundreds of automotive professionals will be in attendance.”

AutoCon 2012 attendees receive complimentary admission to the AWA awards

The 2012 AWA Ceremony will be on September 5, 2012 at 6:00 PM. Attendees to AutoCon 2012 are advised to arrive into Las Vegas on September 5th by 1:00 PM so that they can check-in to the hotel and be ready for the opening General Session at 4:30 pm.

Vendors who have product for consideration for an AWA should contact Nicholas Casci 732.450.8200 ext. 47 or go online to http://www.automotivewebsiteawards.com for more information.

About AutoCon 2012

The AutoConnections 2012 Conference and Expo series (AutoCon 2012) will bring together the best in automotive retail thought leadership along with the best speakers and solution providers in the industry.

AutoConnections 2012 will connect dealers with the strategies, tools, people and inspiration for the greatest competitive advantage in the automotive retail marketplace.

Best Automotive Mobile Apps to Be Recognized With 2012 Automotive Website Award

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:41:26 +0000

The 2012 Automotive Website Awards have expanded to include recognition for the best mobile applications for car dealers. PCG Consulting, a vendor-neutral automotive consulting company, will announce the 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA) winners September 11, 2012 in Las Vegas.

Dealer branded mobile apps help dealers to gain valuable real estate on consumer mobile devices. The 2012 AWA study is looking for mobile apps that best support CRM, fixed operations, reputation management processes, and vehicle merchandizing to change the way dealers do business.

The fifth annual Automotive Website Awards ceremony offers automotive website and technology vendors the opportunity to be recognized for excellence in one of seven categories: best website platform, best mobile website, best mobile application, best marketing software, best website add-on software, best automotive classified sites and best social media marketing tools.

For more information on submitting an application for a Best Mobile Application award, please visit http://www.automotivewebsiteawards.com/award-applications/best-mobile-app

Automotive Website Awards Are A Sign of Excellence

Winning an Automotive Website Award is a sign of excellence and dedication to providing the automotive community with the leading tools and latest innovations that allow dealers to compete in a highly competitive online marketplace. Previous winners have stated that the award helped position their company as a premier provider in their category.

“We have won the Pinnacle Platform award for a second consecutive time in 2011. This award allows us to leverage our company as one of the very best in a space that is crowded with over 75 car dealership website providers. The fact that award is given from PCG, an independent expert in the industry is truly icing on the cake. At the end of the day, it’s always easier for a dealership to consider your services when you have won the top award that all website providers were part of. “ –David Page, Dealer e Process

The purpose of the AWA study and subsequent awards program is to recognize the leading vendors from the automotive community and to provide car dealers with an unbiased evaluation of automotive technology and tools. This year’s published study will include a review of over 70 technology vendors as well as over 160 pages of valuable information regarding automotive website platform choices, search marketing performance, design, technology, social media and mobile applications. The report is the industry’s reference guide for the best in automotive website technology, design, mobile, search marketing and social media tools.

Vendors interested in submitting their technology for review and consideration should contact Nicholas Casci at 732.450.8200 ext. 47 or go online to http://www.automotivewebsiteawards.com for more information.

2012 Automotive Website Awards To Recognize Best Mobile Website

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:26:09 +0000

PCG Consulting will announce the 2012 Automotive Website Award (AWA) winners at the 2012 AutoCon Conference September 5, 2012 in Las Vegas. The fifth annual awards ceremony offers automotive website and technology vendors the opportunity to be recognized for excellence in one of seven categories: best website platform, best mobile website, best mobile application, best marketing software, best website add-on software, best automotive classified sites and best social media marketing tools.

For this year’s ‘Best Mobile Website Platform’ award, the AWA study team is looking for the best design and technology that will engage consumers on mobile platforms.

For more information on submitting an application for a Best Website Platform award, please visit http://www.automotivewebsiteawards.com/award-applications/best-mobile-website/

Automotive Website Awards Signal Excellence

“Dealer.com is very pleased to have been honored the last two years with the Automotive Website Awards. Our single focus is to develop best in breed solutions for our dealer clients so they can more easily attract and service their customers. The Automotive Website Awards signal to our clients that they’ve made the right choice choosing Dealer.com. “ –Alex Snyder, Dealer.com

Napa Valley Executive Retreat For Car Dealers

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 02:11:21 +0000

I am pleased to invite Dealer Principals, General Managers, and Dealership Executive Managers to the Napa Valley Executive Retreat on September 15th and 16th, in the beautiful Napa Valley.

First Class Educators is hosting this special event for dealership executives this fall and I will be one of the featured speakers. I love wine and the Napa Valley so this is a perfect match for me!

Conference speakers include:

Stuart Avery Gold, COO of Republic Tea Co.
Brian Pasch, CEO of PCG Digital Marketing
Tom Baldwin, former CEO of Morton’s Steakhouse
Peter Leto, Google JumpStart Team

In addition to these pre-announced speakers, there will be a number of industry roundtables created to connect attendees with thought leaders from our industry. Additional speakers will be announced to registered attendees only.

The conference is limited to 50 dealership owners/executive managers and their guests. The format of this “un-conference” is designed to energize leaders on strategic branding, marketing, and sales insights from successful entrepreneurs.

Event Sponsors

The Napa Executive Retreat will be sponsored by seven industry partners that want to invest in the leadership of automotive retailers. Sponsors can only bring their CEO/CFO/CMO so the event will truly be a peer to peer educational and inspirational event.

The conference format and pricing can be found on the event website:
http://www.napaexecutiveretreat.com

The Napa Experience For 50 Dealers

Since only 50 dealers can attend, reservations will be honored on a first come basis. I have been asked to consult on the afternoon wine tours and the evening wine dinners, and I can assure you that this will be a First Class event. I’ve been collecting California wines for over 25 years and have many great inside connections.

Anyone interested in a little Scarecrow Cabernet with dinner? You Snooze, you lose on this limited seating event. Contact Carrie Hemphill, Executive Director of First Class Educators to reserve your tickets.

You can reach Carrie at 908-601-6475.

I hope to see you in the Napa Valley this fall.

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Brian Pasch