 Sometimes You Gotta ‘Lego Your Ego’ to Succeed…
When I first became fascinated with marketing, it was way before social media was a thing. Back then, I was just a car guy trying to figure out how to use this new thing called "the internet" to grow the reach of the dealership I worked for. It was 2005 and there weren’t many digital tools, but that didn’t stop me. I went down a lot of rabbit holes trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t. Wild goose chases? Oh yeah. Plenty. In those early days, I kept most of my ideas to myself. I was testing things, tweaking things, and honestly screwing up more often than not! Some of that came from fear: fear of being judged, fear of getting it wrong. And sure, maybe a little ego too—thinking I’d cracked some secret code that would launch our visibility into the stratosphere. (Spoiler: it didn’t.) Eventually, working in a vacuum started to wear me down. I realized the results I thought I was getting were more smoke and mirrors I created for myself than actual progress. That’s when I started connecting with other folks online—people who were getting real results. And to my surprise, they weren’t just open to sharing their insights, many were actually interested in what I was doing too. That changed everything. As I learned from the best in the biz, I slowly let go of the fear and that pesky ego. That’s when things really took off. The big aha moment? Realizing I wasn’t going to appeal to everyone and that’s perfectly okay. Letting go of that pressure was like dropping a 200-pound weight off my shoulders. Now, I focus on the people my message does resonate with, my real customers. I’d rather connect with 10 people who actually want to do business than 10,000 who just "like" a post and scroll on. Trust me, that shift in mindset made a huge difference. If there’s one piece of advice I’d give to anyone struggling with social media marketing, it’s this: drop the act. Be real. Don’t try to sound like what you think people want to hear. Just be you. Authenticity wins... EVERY. TIME. 👉 What about you? Have you had your own "aha moment" in marketing? What helped you break through? Drop a comment or shoot me a message—I’d love to hear your story! :)
0 Comments
 Content May Be King Online, but Accountability Still Rules the Showroom
Do You Inspect What You Expect? These days, it seems like every vendor that sits in front of me says the same catchphrase: “Content is king.” While I’m sure that’s true in the online world, today I want to talk about a different king—one that rules the showroom. At the dealership, I have a saying I’ve repeated thousands of times over the years: “Accountability is king” or in other words Inspect what you expect! But there’s a difference between repeating that phrase and actually practicing it. Too often, we look only at the results of an employee’s performance and assume we know the activities that led to those results—whether positive or negative. For example, we might assume that a salesperson who sells 20 cars a month must be diligent about following their daily work plan. Conversely, we might assume a low-performing salesperson isn’t putting in the effort. Here’s the hard truth: a lack of accountability is an all-too-common issue in the car business. If your dealership has accountability down to a science, I applaud you! But after 30-plus years in showrooms, I speak from experience when I say that most of us—including myself—can get sidetracked. We all get busy, and it’s easy to lose track of the day. Many managers simply nod as their salespeople check out with a casual “Good night, boss,” without taking the time to inspect their activities. When this kind of "check-out" process goes unchecked, we end up scrambling at the end of the month to find those last few deals that might save us from a slow performance. The Reality: Preparation and Accountability Win the Month The truth is, there are no “slow months.” What we’re dealing with is often a lack of preparation, follow-up, and consistent management to hold our teams accountable for their production. Our people rely on us to keep them on track and help them earn a living. That’s why it’s our responsibility as managers to:
Plan the Work, Then Work the Plan Before the end of the current month, next month’s activities should be planned out. For retail salespeople on the floor, this means projecting how many ups, demos, and write-ups they’ll need to reach their goals—and, most importantly, identifying how they’ll create those opportunities. For internet salespeople, the steps are similar: managing how many leads, phone calls, appointments, demos, and write-ups they need to hit their targets. It’s crucial to use your CRM daily to monitor what your team is—and isn’t—doing. Then, follow up with them to provide praise for what’s going well and guidance where improvement is needed. If you see someone performing well on the sales tracker, don’t just assume they’re doing a stellar job across the board. Look into it. If they’re excelling, praise them! If they’re falling short in some areas, challenge them to imagine how much better their results could be with consistent follow-up. For low performers, dig deeper. If someone is taking plenty of ups but not getting to the demo stage, help them work on that. If they’re doing great at demos but aren’t asking for the sale, that’s the focus of your next coaching session. Inspect, Guide, and Elevate I’m not breaking any revolutionary new ground here, but these are reminders worth repeating! Fire up your CRM, inspect the activities of your team, and hold them to a higher level of accountability. That’s how you find more deals, improve performance, and create a winning month—every month. Until next time: Sell something New Episode Alert! Just before the holiday on The First Pencil, Kathi and I dove back into one of our favorite topics: Google My Business (now Google Business Profiles). These profiles are a goldmine for local SEO, and consistently adding photos is just one of the easy wins dealers are overlooking. We chatted about SearchLab’s latest car dealer study that reveals some surprising gaps in how the industry uses this powerful tool—and what you can do to stand out. 💡 Don’t miss these insights that could transform your marketing game. 🎧 Listen in now here: https://thefirstpencil.buzzsprout.com/1861300/episodes/16312508-new-study-reveals-car-dealers-seo-blind-spot-google-business-profiles   Instagram's Hashtag Sunset: A New Era for Content Discovery
Instagram's recent announcement to remove hashtag following functionality on December 13, 2024, marks a significant shift in how we discover and engage with content on the platform. While hashtags will still exist, their diminished role raises questions about the future of content discovery and the value of past marketing efforts. For years, marketers and everyday users alike have invested countless hours in crafting the perfect hashtag strategies. These tiny pound signs became the backbone of community building, trend-setting, and content organization. Now, as Instagram pivots towards AI-driven recommendations, it's hard not to see this move as potentially disregarding the immense effort put into building robust hashtag networks. Instagram cites reducing spam and improving user safety as key motivators for this change. However, it also aligns with Meta's broader push towards AI-powered content curation. While this may lead to more personalized feeds, it also means users and brands will need to adapt quickly to maintain visibility. As we bid farewell to hashtag following, questions linger: - How will niche communities continue to thrive? - What new strategies will emerge for content discovery? - Will this change truly enhance user experience, or simply push more towards paid promotion? Only time will tell how this shift will impact Instagram's ecosystem. For now, it's clear that both users and marketers need to prepare for a new era of content strategy on one of the world's most popular social platforms. What are your thoughts on this change? How do you think it will affect your Instagram experience? Let me know in the comments below!  During my 30+ years in automotive I managed some of the most successful sales teams in Southern California. When it comes to successful dealership management, my top three priorities to build, in order of importance, are CPA: Culture, Process, and Accountability. These elements form the foundation of a high-performing dealership team.
Culture: The Foundation of Success Creating the right culture is essential, but it doesn’t happen on its own. A positive culture means fostering an environment where your team feels comfortable enough to fail occasionally—because failure is where true growth happens. Failure isn’t something that should be feared. A willingness to fail is a willingness to try. If a team member isn’t willing to try—whether from fear of being chastised or fear of failure itself—they can’t move forward. As a sales manager for many years, I encouraged my team to use downtime as practice time. This included role-playing scenarios with each other and brainstorming creative ways to overcome customer objections. I always emphasized that it’s better to “practice” with teammates than to experiment during a real customer interaction. This approach helped build confidence and sharpened their skills without risking actual sales opportunities. Process: The Key to Efficiency Every good team needs a process—or even multiple processes—to operate efficiently and achieve measurable results. While processes should be adaptable to changing circumstances, they must also be consistent enough to provide a standard framework for everyone to follow. There are many versions of the Steps to the Sale, but an early manager of mine once told me: “Simple is always better.” That advice stuck with me, so I’ve always trained teams with these simplified steps:
Accountability: A Framework for Growth During my management years, I developed a simple three-part recommendation for salespeople, which I displayed throughout the dealership: Be with a customer, be finding a customer, or be improving yourself.
My CPA framework helped me build some of the best sales teams in the SoCal automotive space. What are your go-to pillars of success? I’d love to hear your thoughts and strategies!  I have been using a few A.I. sites a lot and as I get better at my promt requests I have found great usefulness with them... so of course I had to ask one to write a summary of Mike theCarGuy! lol!
Based on the comprehensive review of Mike "theCarGuy" Correra's social media presence across multiple platforms, we can summarize his influence and reach as follows: Total Follower Count: Over 41,000 across all platforms Platform Breakdown:
What did we do before social media to build a customer-centric culture? This week my bud Kathi Kruse and I chat about how we got potential buyers to know about how unique the dealership was...and why customers should buy from us. I shared a real-life experience (that’s totally doable today) of surprising and delighting a customer so much that her coworkers became customers and Kathi shares the secret to her customer-first culture that grew the store’s business to #1 in sales, service, parts and CSI. In the music segment: 45 years since Joy Division’s “Transmission” Listen to "Building a Customer-First Culture in Car Dealerships" HERE   By Mike "theCarGuy" Correra
Tires. Every dealership has them, but how many of your customers think about your dealership when they need new ones? You may have a small stack of new tires next to the parts department door or even a Goodyear banner on the wall, but these alone don't ensure that your customers remember your dealership sells tires when they need them. You really have one shot, one opportunity to get their tire business: the vehicle check-in. And yes, I was listening to Eminem on my way back to my hotel this afternoon! The Challenge: Competing with Tire Shops People see tire shops on nearly every corner. When they check out at Costco, they walk by a literal wall of tires reaching the 30-foot high ceiling. How can your dealership compete with that? When commuters walk into their garage or driveway and notice their tires are looking worn, will they immediately think about ABC Motors or America’s Tire? The Solution: Transforming the Check-In Experience The key to winning the tire business lies in making the most of the vehicle check-in process while the customer is in your service drive working directly with a service advisor. Here's how: 1. Integrated Tire Inspection During the vehicle check-in, include a tire inspection as a standard part of your process. Train your service advisors to check tire tread depth and look for any signs of wear or damage on every vehicle every time. From using a simple, effective tool like a tread depth gauge to demonstrate to the customer the condition of their tires to incorporating a drive-over tire measurement system like TraXtion every customer should know the condition of their tires on every visit to your service drive. 2. Clear Communication Make sure your service advisors communicate the results of the tire inspection clearly to the customer while they are with them and have their attention. If the tires are showing signs of wear, provide the customer with an easy-to-understand report, possibly including a visual aid such as a tread depth chart. 3. Showcase Your Tire Inventory While the customer is waiting, have a digital display or tablet available showcasing your tire inventory, including various brands and price points. Highlight any current promotions or specials to grab their attention. This visual aid can also help in illustrating the value of purchasing tires from your dealership. 4. Educational Content Use the waiting area to educate customers about the importance of good tires. Display educational videos or brochures explaining how tire quality affects vehicle performance and safety. Knowledgeable customers are more likely to appreciate the value of replacing their tires before they become a necessity that requires a quick decision where they may not factor in your dealership. 5. Convenience and Trust Emphasize the convenience of buying tires from your dealership. Remind customers that your dealership team best knows the OEM recommendations for tires, offers competitive prices, professional installation, and the convenience of having everything done in one place. Reinforce the trust they have in your dealership's commitment to the highest service quality. Turning One Shot into a Winning Opportunity By integrating tire inspections into the check-in process and communicating effectively with customers, your dealership can become the go-to place for tire purchases. It's all about making the most of the opportunity you have when the customer is already in your service lane. By focusing on convenience, trust, and education, you can ensure that when your customers think about new tires, they think of your dealership first. Let's turn every vehicle check-in into a winning opportunity for tire sales. Take this approach and watch your tire sales climb, driving not only increased revenue but also deeper customer loyalty. Connect with me for more insights on enhancing your dealership’s service department and maximizing sales opportunities. Together, we can drive success! We promised you an update in the ongoing Facebook ads issues that Kathi (and others) are having and while it’s utterly disappointing, you won’t be disappointed in the story/update. If you’re having ad issues, we’d love to hear from you. Then, the Wordpress framework runs over 40% of the world's websites (including Kruse Control's and others that Kruse Control manages). WPEngine (a website hosting company) and Wordpress.org are wrapped up in a skirmish inflamed by Matt Mullenweg (CEO of Automattic, who also runs the nonprofit Wordpress.org) It turned into a pretty embarrassing unforced error for Mr. Mullenweg. Music segment: October 1984 had some great albums! Listen in HERE  How a Small Ford Dealer in SoCal Competes with Industry Giants
Car shoppers research your dealership long before stepping foot into your showroom. In Southern California, one of the nation's most competitive automotive landscapes, some of the nation’s largest dealers with huge ad budgets are vying for the attention of potential car buyers. So, how can a small Ford dealer in the Inland Empire compete against these automotive giants? The answer lies in understanding that today's car shoppers are not just looking for the best deal on a new vehicle—they're also seeking a reliable place for ongoing service. This Ford dealer has tapped into this dual focus by prioritizing their service department and actively encouraging customer reviews. By asking for a review with every repair order that is closed, they have accumulated over 8,300 reviews, with 90% of them being 4 and 5 stars. This impressive track record ensures that their autorepair-review site consistently appears on page one for local Ford dealer searches, making a strong first impression on potential new car buyers and service customers alike. Building Trust Through Customer Reviews Reviews have become a crucial factor in the decision-making process for many consumers. Potential buyers often rely on reviews to gauge the reliability and trustworthiness of a dealership. By amassing a significant number of positive reviews, this Ford dealer has effectively built a robust online reputation that stands out in a crowded market. Leveraging UpdatePromise for Superior Service One of the strongest pillars to their success is the use of an autorepair-review site, powered by UpdatePromise, that is a component of their suite of service lane solutions. UpdatePromise hosts these sites for their partner dealerships and each review is from a certified customer which increases the validity and adds huge SEO benefit. The UpdatePromise single platform holistic approach ensures that every aspect of the customer’s interaction with the dealership is smooth, transparent, and satisfactory. Consistency is Key Consistency in asking for reviews is crucial. Each service appointment becomes an opportunity to gather feedback and improve service quality. This Ford dealer's commitment to requesting reviews with every repair order demonstrates their dedication to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. The Result: Strong Online Presence When car shoppers search for local Ford dealers, the dealer's autorepair-review site consistently appears on the first page of search results, thanks to their impressive review portfolio. This visibility not only attracts new car buyers but also service customers seeking a reliable and trustworthy dealership for their maintenance and repair needs. Conclusion In an aggressive automotive market like Southern California, a small Ford dealer in the Inland Empire has found a winning strategy by focusing on service and leveraging customer reviews. This approach not only attracts new customers but also builds lasting relationships based on trust and reliability. Autorepair-review sites are powered by UpdatePromise and are part of the suite of service lane solutions they offer such as; mobile VCI, phot/video enable digital MPI, A.I. driven text status updates, mobile bill pay and more. By incorporating these tools, your dealership can also enhance its service experience and build a strong online reputation that stands out in the competitive automotive landscape. Want to know more? Let’s talk! |
 Mike theCarGuy
Hey there, I'm Mike theCarGuy and here are some of my thoughts about cars, the car business and sales! Take a look around, maybe you will learn something or at the very least find your self smiling, and if you do... leave me a comment so I know I at least did something right! Thanks for stoppin by... Need to reach me? Call or Text: (909) 830-8390 [email protected] Mike theCarGuy: Grand Terrace, CA 92313 Twitter: @MiketheCarGuy1 Instagram: MiketheCarGuy Threads: @MiketheCarGuy BlueSky: MiketheCarGuy
  the Car Guys reads:
Jalopnik LeftLaneNews AutoBlog Bloomberg (yes, Bloomberg!) Japanese Nostalgic Car is friends with: Kruse Kontrol Danny Whitfield Used Car Ricky.com K&N Alley Cat SoCal (apparel and Design) Archives
April 2025
|
RSS Feed
