I have had the privilege in my automotive career since 1971 to see a lot of old brands go out and a lot of new brands come in, with many model changes.  I, like many of you out there, suffered in 1980/81 with a Chrysler franchise and all the problem

I have had the privilege in my automotive career since 1971 to see a lot of old brands go out and a lot of new brands come in, with many model changes.  I, like many of you out there, suffered in 1980/81 with a Chrysler franchise and all the problem

Well, I’m certainly glad I am. It’s interesting to me hearing people talk about going green, new technologies, and that we need to take items and use them more frugally, etc., etc. When I was growing up we had milk bottles delivered to the door (

Last October at the Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas keynote speaker Chip Perry,  the CEO of AutoTrader.com, addressed a capacity crowd of dealer principals, GMs, parts managers/directors and e-commerce personnel declaring  d

Hello gang, welcome to spring.  Jim Ziegler and I started out writing in the first issue of Dealer magazine and I’m proud to say that I’ve been with you every issue since.  But, there comes a time in everybody’s life when they need a little h

It’s interesting to me that in this day and time, as knowledgeable as we have become due to the advent of software, we still can’t seem to put a handle on who should price our used cars, how we should price our used cars, or what (software) shoul

An economic warning to the US dealer It is now spring of 2011 and we are experiencing a thaw from one of the harshest winters on record. The temperatures are rising and the days are getting longer. We are also beginning to see green sprouts after a l

Twenty years ago, branding and marketing decisions were easy. Think about it: Who bought your radio and television advertising? Who approved and often appeared in your commercials and print ads? Who approved your outdoor signage? If you were a single

In the car-buying process, there is a gaping chasm between the consumer’s expectation and their experience. The best practice Internet dealer does everything possible to narrow the gap. The data is clear: the customer wants a good price, communicat