Category: EFG Companies

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Dealership Marketing EFG Companies

Auto Dealership Marketing: Positioning Your Dealership for More Online Leads – Part One: Research and Monitoring

Today begins a two-part series on improving auto dealership marketing and online lead generation by both researching and actively working to improve your dealership’s online presence and reputation.

Part One of this series will suggest steps to take to determine how your dealership looks online and what potential customers are saying about you and your industry. Part Two will detail methods to turn reviewers or commenters into a solid online sales lead.

Let’s start by exploring where your dealership currently stands in search engine results and customer review sites. Gauging the temperature of what potential customers see when they search your dealership is the first step in determining if you are primed for online leads.

Leverage the Power of Search Engines

 What do the search engine results tell your potential buyer when they Google your dealership or the kinds of vehicles you sell? Have you Googled yourself lately?

If you’re not ranking well in the search results you need to make SEO a priority in your monthly marketing spend. EFG has found that even the smallest efforts on behalf of our clients have a big impact in SEO. We took one client from non-existent in search results to appearing on the first page, and for some keywords, in the number one search return, just by updating content, meta information and navigation. Remember, 64% of customers used a search engine to research the cars they bought last year, before ever setting foot in a dealership.  If your website isn’t easy to find, you’ll lose the business to someone whose website has the right SEO strategy in place.

Utilize New Techniques in Social Media Monitoring

 Do you remember when YouTube used to be a place where people stored their personal videos? And now it’s the second largest search engine? Your online customer is creative with how they search for information and it goes beyond Google. EFG has helped clients understand the importance of video and how little effort it takes to build an online video library. Do you perform walkarounds with your sales team? Why not video them? Have you ever captured a first time car buyer’s excitement about their new car? You don’t have to purchase a light kit and professional video equipment – the iPhone you might be holding in your hand is sufficient, or a small flip camera.

Both Facebook and Twitter have released more sophisticated search capabilities in 2011 that make it easier for users to more readily track customer feedback.

Facebook recently updated its search options to include filters, allowing users to search public status updates of personal profiles. If someone’s talking about you on Facebook and they’ve got a public status update – your potential customer can find it there.

Twitter also enables users to search public tweets in the same way a search is conducted on Google. Visit search.twitter.com and type in your dealership’s name. If a user has mentioned you, their tweet will appear in the results below. Twitter Search is also a great way to locate potential sales leads. Consider searching for phrases such as “I need a new car” to find users who are actively online and Tweeting about their car search.

So why is social media monitoring important? Again, consider the customer’s perspective. If a person is pricing out Chevy cars in Phoenix and sees mulitple users complaining about your dealership, they may choose to go with another option. A bad online presence means lost leads.

Have questions about researching how your appears dealership online? We’d be glad to help.

Please feel free to contact us or join our social communities for more information.  And stay tuned for Part 2 of this series, where we’ll cover tactics car dealers can use to improve and better capture online leads.

 

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Dealership Training EFG Companies F&I The Transcend Group

F&I Training: Four Ways to Keep the Customer Engaged

A crucial part of F & I training is learning how to keep customers engaged while they’re in the finance office.  At EFG Companies, we recommend offering extensive training to your new staff to make the process as efficient and productive as possible.

Every aspect of the sales process should focus on the importance of building a relationship with the customer rather than simply trying to push a sale.  The time spent in the finance office is no exception.  The first step is to make sure that you are always mindful of respecting the customer’s time.  Offering F&I services should be done efficiently so that the customer doesn’t lose interest before the products or services are even offered.

  1. Ask a series of simple questions to determine which products or services best fit the customer’s needs, and focus on those rather than overwhelming the customer with a detailed description of everything.
  2. Offer the customers a variety of options that fit their driving habits and needs.
  3.  Clearly explain how each option could benefit the customer in the long term, based on their identified needs.  This is another opportunity to build a lasting, trusting relationship with the customer.
  4. Before you attempt to respond to any resistance, listen and clarify the objection, make sure to justify your point based on their specific circumstances

It is critical that dealers select the right F&I products for their dealership in order to maximize dealership profitability.  As the innovators behind the award-winning Hyundai Assurance program, our industry-leading assortment of products includes everything from Vehicle Service Contracts to our Drive Forever Limited Lifetime Powertrain Protection. 

For more information about EFG Companies, feel free to contact us or join our social communities.

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Dealership Training EFG Companies F&I

EFG Companies to Partner with New York Times Best-selling Author, Grant Cardone

The innovators behind the award-winning Hyundai Assurance program, EFG Companies, and international sales expert, trainer and New York Times best-selling author Grant Cardone announced today a new strategic partnership in which Grant will create online training material for EFG’s programs, beginning with EFG’s Drive Forever powertrain program.

When dealers sign up for Drive Forever, they will receive an initial install training course from Grant.   EFG will then conduct ongoing, individualized programs to enhance the ongoing impact of top sales performance in dealership.

By partnering and co-marketing our products and training services, our goal is to facilitate increased auto dealership profit and higher customer satisfaction. We will better enable dealers to improve sales and leadership skills, drive sustainable performance improvement and increase in-dealership engagement.

“With the start of the year-end share war upon us and a tough 2012 ahead, dealerships are looking to supplement their teams with the best training and tools available. We are privileged to have Grant’s endorsement of the Drive Forever program,” stated John Pappanastos, our CEO. “This long-term relationship combines his unrivaled training and our ongoing engagement to exponentially drive higher profitability for both of our client bases.”

“I’ve consulted for players in the automotive industry and provided practical tools to maximize opportunities, achieve goals and develop the skills necessary for phenomenal success,” said Grant Cardone.  “EFG has an incredible reputation and track record of dealer success, built upon 34 years of insight into consumer purchasing behavior of auto protection products.  I look forward to working with them to take their results to a whole new level.”

To learn more about Grant Gardone and his incredible sales expertise, please visit his website and YouTube channel. For more information about EFG Companies and our extensive range of products and services, feel free to contact usand join our social communities.