The First Pencil: Recent Episodes
Kathi Kruse and Mike theCarGuy Correra
Mike The Car Guy Correra and Kathi Kruse are best friends, with many many years of retail experience in the car biz. We decided to get together every week and talk about the things that are important to us in the auto industry, and hope you’ll come along for the ride. We’ll cover industry stuff, social media, digital retail, all with a dose of our love for 80s/90s music. Join us!
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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!
Also:
Kris Kristofferson On Dating Barbra Streisand | David Letterman
Bono recorded a tribute message in Kristofferson’s honor on the U2 Twitter account.
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Got a question? Email either of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Not only are some dealers failing customers but they are failing themselves. The things we are witnessing now - the behaviors and lack of oversight - can only lead to trouble.
We went a little long on this episode but it’s a subject that is near and dear to us as car people.
Music segment:
Everything But The Girl - lead singers bday
“Take Me”
Stevie Nicks on SNL
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Got a question? Email either of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Kathi shares her experience fresh from evacuating the horse rescue after the Airport Fire got too close for comfort.
Then, we talk about the concerning data around car loan delinquencies, how we got here and what might be in store for banks, dealers and customers.
Music segment:
The Doors anniversary of getting kicked off Ed Sullivan The Doors - Light My Fire - Ed Sullivan Show 1967 (HD Remastered)
Docs:
Christopher Reeve documentary comes out Sept 21st in theaters. Streaming to follow soon after.
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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This week, Kathi and Mike cover the ground-shift that has happened and is happening with two of the largest companies on earth, Google and Facebook. Both platforms are under pressure to grow even bigger and all of us users are being left out in the cold, including millions of small business websites that have seen their traffic reduced by up to 94%.
Podcasts mentioned:
Adam Conover’s Factually: How Google Ruined the Internet
The Publisher’s Playbook: Google’s Helpful Content Update with Lily Ray
Music segment:
44 years ago: Jello Biafra/Dead Kennedys album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.
California Uber Alles
Holiday in Cambodia
Nzi Punks Fck Off
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Carrying the subject matter over from last week’s pod, Kathi and Mike cite examples where appreciation, recognition and specific training can go a long way for service advisors, who are the “salespeople in the service dept.”
Music segment:
August 27th Anniversary of the B52s second album, “Wild Planet”
Private Idaho
Radiohead Perform "Creep" Live on September 14, 1993 | Late Night with Conan O’Brien
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Got a question? Email either of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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In this special episode, Kathi goes solo in a conversation with her long-time friend, Laurie Down, an amazing customer service manager (who is currently working as a successful Service Advisor).
If you’re in the car biz, especially in Fixed Ops, you’ll enjoy hearing Laurie's real-time stories that reveal her credo that guides her approach to customers and why it's essential to treat all customers respectfully. Don’t miss this one!
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Got a question? Email either of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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We explore the trials and tribulations of attempting to advertise with Facebook. Warning: the endeavor may make you cough with frustration (like Kathi).
Then, we discuss dealership customer experience, particularly in the Service Dept. How are dealerships going to succeed in competing with independent repair shops and chains like Valvoline?
Kathi shares an update on her Automotive CFO to Go FREE “Dealer Financials Self-Assessment.” Here’s a link.
Music segment:
Elvis Costello - Peace, Love and Understanding (Live on the Letterman Show)
Documentary series: Murder in The Heartland
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Kathi and Mike explore the advantages of email (hint: there are many) but only with a strategic, consistent approach. "Email blast" is a term we've all heard but it's effectiveness is dubious. Spamming has a totally different meaning today than it did even 2 years ago and it’s easy to waste resources. Let's do email right!
Then we share a few stories about our days in retail that seem timely. Let us know what you think?
Music segment:
Patti Smith https://youtu.be/y6Wz3i_BYUc?si=hLLG8b1seQOYl4xL
The Pogues: Rum, Sodomy and The Lash (two songs that are Kathi's faves but the whole album is iconic.
A Pair of Brown Eyes
Dirty Old Town
Mike's choice if you're looking for a good 80s Movie: Better Off Dead
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Do short skirts equal leads?
Does hiring actors to pretend they’re employees send the right message to car buyers?
Does anyone else think this trend is not worthwhile? (ie: Does it pencil??)
Kathi and Mike discuss the poorly-conceived trend of dealers posting on TikTok and Instagram going for “viral” clicks (while likely not considering important business metrics that are always crucial to any marketing campaign).
Tim Bartz “The Ford Video Guy” does it right. We’ve said it before and we’ll keep saying it. Tim simply provides quality information for car shoppers that translates to sales.
Dealer Marketing Magazine has reinvented itself and the first issue includes Kathi’s insights for beginners who want to use AI for marketing.
Music segment:
Olympics: French metal! Gojira (please excuse the nonsense commentary spoken over their performance)
Elvis Costello, My Aim Is True
Song: Red Shoes
Faye documentary on HBO
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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- We miss Klout. Do you remember it? Social media nostalgia: it’s difficult to understand how we got here today, but boy, it sure used to be fun.
- Discussing fake followers and reviews: Fact - It’s always a bad idea.
- Highlighting Rand Fishkin’s insights on the decline of clicks, attribution, and traditional digital marketing methods. The way we've done digital marketing for 25 years is dying.
“In 7 minutes, I'm gonna try to show the future of what's working and why, combining 4 presentations I've been giving on stages the last few years into one comprehensive idea.” - Exploring the future of what's working and why, with a comprehensive look at digital marketing's transformation.
- Finally, we discuss the resilience of email marketing amidst digital changes and its continued efficacy in reaching customers.
Music:
Queen - Save Me (Live at the Montreal Forum, 1981 Remastered)
US Festival at Glen Helen Park
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Kathi and Mike share our insights on the latest of several disappointing changes to the Google Business Profile platform. Google Places > Google Maps > Google Local > Google My Business > Google has failed us all.
Google has a new core update coming in a “couple of weeks.” Let’s hope it corrects the myriad of issues created by the last two.
Then, we rant a little about Google search results, what’s causing the severe downturn in traffic to small business websites that produce high-quality content, what some are doing about it (hint: there’s not much to do except rant).
And finally, we laugh about the quality of AI images.
Link to Ed Zitron’s podcast: Better Offline
Link to Adam Conover’s podcast: Factually
Music:
Stewart Copeland’s birthday
Oingo Boingo live at The Ritz NYC 1985
Oingo Boingo at US Festival
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Kathi and Mike talk about the micro-actions we take everyday on social and other platforms that provide value to others. Dealers tend to only care about leads and sales, which are uber important, but there are other metrics in mix that can guide where we spend our resources.
Also, we are in the midst of an AI bubble. When will it burst? Who will be left without a clear path to utilizing the best parts of it?
Here’s the Podcast we reference in the discussion:
“The AI Bubble is Bursting w/ Ed Zitron” Factually Podcast with Adam Conover
Music:
Blondie Apollo Theatre "Dreaming" 1979
Australian 60 Minutes Interview - Deborah Harry & Chris Stein 2010
Alison Moyet’s (lead singer of Yaz in the 80s) new song - Such Small Ale (Radio 2 Piano Room)
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
👉Get Kathi’s ebook: “A Beginner’s Guide to AI for Automotive Retail 👈
This week, Kathi and Mike cover:
- The CDK fallout and who it’s falling on: updates on what’s happening in real time with the real people on the front lines
- Zero-Click Search: what it is and what it really means for anyone who isn’t a big brand.
- Google Business Profiles - are they still relevant?
Here’s a link to the SparkToro Zero Click Report. For every 1,000 searches, 360 go to the open web (ie: yours and other websites)
Music:
Romeo Void “I Might Like You Better If We Slept Together”
Here’s a recent interview with Debora Iyall of Romeo Void
Watch Raton 3 - Debora’s new band
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
👉Get Kathi’s ebook: “A Beginner’s Guide to AI for Automotive Retail 👈
At our core, we are car people. We are upset to witness what’s happening to our fellow car people at CDK dealerships. This fact is the driver for this week’s episode.
While the CDK cyber attack is causing major disruption to sales, service and parts, there will be even more challenging times ahead for the accounting departments at each store. They will be tasked with booking all the transactions, making them balance and collect all the monies owed.
Let this be a lesson for all the large vendors that don’t have their cybersecurity house in order. Lessons seem to repeat themselves in the car business and we hope this will be one time when actions will be strong enough to avoid anything like this happening again.
Kathi’s post she references in the pod: The CDK Cyber Attack Recovery Will Fall Squarely on The Accounting Office
Music segment:
Podcast: Three Castles Burning: Red Roses For Me with Spider Stacy and James Fearnely (from The Pogues)
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
👉Get Kathi’s ebook: “A Beginner’s Guide to AI for Automotive Retail 👈
This week we chat about Kathi’s trip to Vegas for NIADA where she spoke about online reputation management.
Then we share our thoughts on the CDK outage debacle and what it means for dealership personnel. (of course, the debacle was not over at the time of taping)
Mike recommends a Hulu documentary.
Kathi recommends a Netflix documentary series.
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Got a question? Email either of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
👉Get Kathi’s ebook: “A Beginner’s Guide to AI for Automotive Retail 👈
Let’s talk about the recent changes Google is making to search. It’s a wild ride and it’s not at all over yet.
Music segment:
Siouxsie Sioux B-day
Beach Boys documentary (thumbs down)
100 ft Wave documentary
👉Get Kathi’s ebook: “A Beginner’s Guide to AI for Automotive Retail 👈
Got a question? Email either of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
👉Get Kathi’s ebook: “A Beginner’s Guide to AI for Automotive Retail 👈
Why women dislike service departments = Failure to meet their needs
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence states that women represent between 65% and 80% of automotive service customers. This means the female customer experience is directly related to service department revenue.
Kathi and Mike the subscribe to the philosophy of awesome car dealer, Carl Sewell: “Treat every customer as if they are a guest in your home.”
We talk about the ways to make female customers feel good about coming into the store for service. With the data from the latest JD Power survey showing that customers are more and more turning to the large chains for quick maintenance needs, it’s never been a better time to introduce initiatives in the workplace to welcome female customers back.
5-Step Plan to Welcome Female Customers Into the Service Department
Music segment:
It’s Ian Astbury’s (from The Cult) birthday
The Clash: Combat Rock Album
Documentaries:
Rather
TLC Forever
👉Get Kathi’s ebook: “A Beginner’s Guide to AI for Automotive Retail 👈
Got a question? Email either of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Beyond the obvious homage to Bon Jovi in this episode's title - in honor of the new Bon Jovi documentary - Kathi and Mike discuss the fallout/repercussions of the last 3-4 years of dealer markups. Of course the market often required markups due to supply chain issues and low inventory, but what comes next is that customers who want to get into a new car are finding themselves buried in their trade. Are there any solutions for these customers now? What effect will this have on new car sales? Let’s get into it.
Go check out the documentary on Hulu and let us know what you think? (Kathi gives it two thumbs up)
Music segment:
Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart
White Stripes on SNL: Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground
Desert Sharks: Deeper
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life. It can also be the difference between you and the competition.
Kathi and Mike share some real time stories about employees that have gone the extra mile, and in the process made themselves memorable. We also share some examples of what happens when poor management, lack of training and a culture that doesn’t put the customer first is left to its own devices.
In our music segment:
Metallica: Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Ultravox: Reap The Wild Wind
Ultravox: Vienna (Live Aid)
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Spring is always a good time to review and reflect on what’s working for you, what’s not, and what needs more attention. Kathi and Mike share a few “Spring Cleaning” stories and best practices at the dealership.
Music segment:
Alanis Morrisette on David Letterman: You Oughta Know
Milli Vanilli documentary The bizarre untold truth behind the greatest con in music history
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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This week, Kathi and Mike share insights on Rand Fishkin’s SparkToro’s website traffic sources study. Some surprises, great data.
Then we talk about the valuable company assets known as social media business pages. It’s no longer simple or easy to retrieve them if you don’t have login credentials so we share our best practices for how to never find yourself in that position.
Weekend social media for good: Rand Fishkin’s wife, Geraldine DeRuiter is a James Beard award-winning blogger and author. Last Friday, she posted on Threads that her new book was given a terribly negative (even personal!) review by a New York Times critic. Then, over the weekend, something magical happened. It’s a fantastic example of how social media is still great for coming together to support someone and turn a bad review into a bestseller.
Geraldine on Threads (if you’d like to see how it all unfolded):
Geraldine’s book: If You Can’t Take the Heat (Kathi ordered it and her blog and first book are amazing)
Geraldine’s blog: The Everywhereist
Music:
The Jam’s last album “The Gift” released March 12, 1982: A Town Called Malice
March 1985: The first full album from a fav of Mike’s, The Sisters of Mercy was released.
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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As we witness every social media channel changing and shifting, so goes the user experience and behavior on each one.
Kathi and Mike try to make sense of the current state of social platforms, how to navigate the changes and what we can expect for the foreseeable future.
One thing that doesn’t change? The need for outstanding, relatable, educational content.
Music:
The Midnight Special TV Show
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Mike gives us a breakdown of the goings-on at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention from his view as an exhibitor.
As introverts, we both share certain traits (that are completely normal BTW) that make large groupings of people (like conferences, conventions) sometimes hard to navigate and are often draining.
In our music segment:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations were announced!
Mike and his wife went to see the movie about the Pet Shop Boys: Dreamworld
Check out Gary Janetti on Instagram.
Kathi highly recommends Ozark on Netflix if you haven’t seen it.
Check out Smartless podcast - we can all use a laugh and they deliver every single episode.
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Kathi and Mike are back with an episode to catch you up on what’s hip and what’s not in the world of using AI. We both come from dealerships so our perspective is different from that of a vendor’s. There’s a lot to learn and say about this exciting new tool but for now, here’s what we’re seeing as a practical way of incorporating AI to enhance operations without feeling overwhelmed by it all.
Netflix Documentary: The Greatest Night in Pop
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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The 2023 Cox Automotive Service Study reveals a significant shift in consumer preferences regarding vehicle service providers and customer experience. While dealerships historically led as the preferred choice, they are now facing increasing competition from general repair shops. This change is driven by a decline in consumer trust towards dealerships.
Music:
Mikes favorite Xmas song: The Waitresses: Christmas Wrapping
Remastered Joy Division Oct 1979 Apollo Theater Manchester UK
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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We’re back after a short hiatus. Thanks for listening!
In this episode, Kathi and Mike reminisce about their journey through automotive social media and online reputation management.
Music:
RIP Shane MacGowan/The Pogues
FairyTale of New York (1988)
The Dubliners and The Pogues (1987)
The Irish Rover
Here’s one with Joe Strummer (The Clash) (1987)
I Fought the Law
Documentary: Crock of Gold - A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan
RIP Geordie Walker/Killing Joke
Eighties
And Mike’s favorite: Love Like Blood
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Mike just got back from the Digital Dealer Conference in Las Vegas. We have thoughts.
Twitter, the platform we’ve loved for 14+ years, is officially dead. While both of us are still there, we are down to about 5% of the amount we used to be. Many sane users have been looking for a place to go. We’ve tried most of the new platforms and we think one has the best potential.
We also touch on AI prompts (ie: where the magic happens). This article is super helpful.
In our music segment:
Mike recommended this book: The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth
Kathi reflects on Club Lingerie, a small club on Sunset that was ground zero for a generation of music fans.
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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For some reason, Kathi and Mike have both been witnessing a lot of disturbing customer treatment lately. This week, we share a few stories and then discuss how that’s a losing proposition in today’s retail environment.
Then, we discuss why it’s important to have a written social media policy and some training to mitigate online crisis management.
And finally, Google Business Profiles are giving users another way to connect with their customers.
Music segment:
Midnight Special: Rick Derringer and Edgar Winter Group
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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One of the most important parts of social media strategy is to monitor comments. It can be as simple as taking a few minutes out of your day to review comments and respond where appropriate, or advanced as using online marketing and data analytics tools. All of it will provide valuable insights into customer sentiment, customer experience and perception of your brand.
In our music segment:
Bowie 11/16/73 on The Midnight Special youtube channel:
Space Oddity
Jean Genie
Duet with Marianne Faithfull: I Got You Babe
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Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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We can all agree that change is hard, right? It’s super easy to retreat into the comfort of old habits (we’re all guilty of it!). Change is often accompanied by uncertainty, discomfort, and even fear and so resisting seems like the easier route. But when we view large and small shifts as opportunities rather than setbacks, new worlds open up.
Kathi shares a bit about what’s happening on America’s public lands and the wild horses who live on them. If you’d like to know more and/or get involved, get in touch with Kathi (email below or via social media). No matter how small, your action helps save lives.
Our music segment:
Suburban Lawns
Janitor
Gidget Goes To Hell
Unable (live)
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Got a question (or two or three)? Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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You should consider your social media profiles as company assets. Don’t run the risk of losing them by giving outsized access to vendors. You wouldn’t give a vendor keys to the store so they can work on the vending machine, right?
Mike got a new mic!
Music segment:
The Cure
Elvis Costello
Got a question (or two or three)? Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
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Kathi and Mike believe delivering the very best customer experience is crucial to dealership profitability. When it comes to selling cars, not all customers are created equal. Some approach the dealership with a lack of trust and the expectation of an adversarial buying experience. Sometimes, people are just shady, which happens in any business that deals with the public. We share our insights on how to mitigate issues with tricky customers.
Kathi shares her latest update on the Facebook/Meta ads experience. It ain’t good.
In our music segment:
Belinda Carlyle’s birthday
Anniversary of New Order’s album Substance
Kathi’s hot movie tips:
The YouTube Effect (documentary)
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough (documentary on Netflix)
Painkiller (Netflix)
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Got a question (or two or three)? Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Kathi and Mike are car biz veterans. We strive to make the car biz a better place.
Mike shares his less-than-5-star dealer service experience and as with all things dealership customer related, we are inspired to share content ideas for service dept personnel and the marketers who love them.
Kathi shares her experience running the Hanaeleh horse rescue’s Hay Fundraiser on social media. She conducts these fundraisers three times a year and every time there are more changes that create obstacles for a successful result.
In our music segment:
RIP Paul Reubens AKA Pee-Wee Herman
Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo
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If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Got a question (or two or three)? Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Throughout this podcast, Kathi and Mike have shared techniques and tips on how to make social media effective throughout the entire sales process. It works well in building a pipeline, nurturing leads, giving and getting referrals and achieving sales goals.
The more things change, the more they remain the same. You can’t close the sale without connecting first.
Valuable content (that customers need and appreciate) is still at the forefront of getting noticed online. Kathi and Mike share why content is still so important and illustrate that fact with an awesome real-time example.
In our music segment:
RIP Sinead O’Connor. Sinead sang at Shane MacGowan's 60th birthday party in 2018. This comment on the video says it all: "She sings from the inside, and never cheats a single note. Her spirit transcends all that is common, small, and mean." It gives you the chills!
A Classical composer experiences Emerson, Lake and Palmer for the first time.
The Rob Squad reacts to ELP Karn Evil 9 Pt 2
Here’s JayveeTV getting emotional about The Seekers and their harmonizing. (It’s so nice to see!)
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If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Got a question (or two or three)? Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Car prices are coming down and dealers’ vehicle supply is going up. The problem now is that loans are harder to come by. Millennials and Gen Z can’t afford their car loans and it seems to be getting worse.
Delinquency rates on auto loans are hitting record highs: in May 2023, the number of severe delinquencies matched that of 2006, when Cox Automotive first started tracking these. All of this will cause major shifts in the way we’ve been doing business for the last 10+ years. Kathi and Mike provide insights and share the opportunities they see coming.
As operations change, the one constant is customer experience. It’s what will differentiate you from “just another car dealership.” Everything old is new again. Carl Sewell said in his book, “Customers for Life”: “Find out what the customer wants and give it to ‘em.” Kathi shares a story that illustrates the importance of listening to the customer.
Here’s the Automotive News article on Autonation’s Q2 results.
Here’s more info on auto loan delinquencies.
In our music segment:
Jack White purchased the first Elvis recording at Sun Records. Here’s his Instagram post about it.
Dogstar at The Roxy this week (features Keanu Reeves on bass). Videos thanks to Pamela Chelin, writer for Billboard, Spin, LA Times and more. Follow her on Twitter @PamelaChelin
Dogstar Video one
Dogstar Video two
Lollapalooza 1991 (the first one was in Tempe, AZ but then it came to Irvine Meadows in So Cal)
👉Sign up for Kathi’s newsletter here👈
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Now that many of us are starting from scratch on a few new social networks, Kathi and Mike discover that when you’re forced to start over with a clean slate, it’s easy to lose sight of the exceptional talents each of us have. “Stinkin’ thinkin’” gets the better of all of us sometimes so we wanted to share our own tips and tricks for not letting imposter syndrome get the upper hand.
In our music segment:
Live Aid happened on this day, July 13th, in 1985. It’s amazing how many bands contributed and wow, thank goodness they televised it so that we can bask in its glory all these years later, amirite?
👉Sign up for Kathi’s newsletter here👈
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Today (7/6/23) is the launch of Threads, Facebook/Meta’s answer to Twitter. Kathi and Mike had already explored it a bit and have a lot to share about it and the other new platforms that are popping up.
As things shift and decentralize in the social media ecosystem, it’s more important than ever to begin with a strategy that outlines the goals you want to achieve. Kathi and Mike share a few not-best-practices they’ve seen happening so that you can learn what not to do, too.
In our music segment:
Watch the Wham! Documentary trailer here.
Here’s the link to the Hard Fork Podcast Kathi mentioned.
Sign up for Kathi’s newsletter here!
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
To say there’s been changes in the car business is a colossal understatement. After the challenges from the pandemic, it seems as though dealership processes are all over the place…and that’s to be expected. But now that we are beginning to see a return to some norms, and customers are expecting an improved experience at the dealership, focused training and digital retail tools will get the flow going again.
Our friend, Tim Bartz:
Connect to Tim Bartz in all these places!
Tim Bartz/Long McArthur Ford YouTube
Check out the Cox Automotive Q2 Industry Recap
In our music segment, there are a couple new documentaries coming that you’ll want to check out.
If you’re a sick individual like Kathi and want to know more about 90 Day Fiance, click here.
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
There are consequences of social media behavior. Whether they’re good or bad is determined by you. We talk about it a lot but wow, it’s so crucial to think about how you want to be perceived.
Then we talk about ChatGPT and how useful it can be for creating social media content.
Kathi shares her insights with the latest Facebook push of short-form video. Lots of opportunity for those without a budget…even if it’s temporary.
In our music segment:
Mike is exploring the uncharted territory of being an Elvis Costello fan. Here’s the show he was watching: Elvis Costello in the Artist’s Den.
Kathi’s Twitter friend David Wild posted about his experience as an audience member at the EC show here in Los Angeles. You’ll want to watch ‘til the end.
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
This week, we dive into some real-time stories of customer experience at dealerships. Both of us have noticed a deterioration of general behavior within the interactions between dealership personnel and customers and we’re a little worried about where we go from here.
Takeaway: Be truthful with the customer.
Music:
- On SNL: Elvis Costello and the Beastie Boys -Radio,Radio
- Foo Fighters in Sept at Dana Point $825. Glad I got to see them when it didn’t cost so much!
- We’re sad to hear Mike Ness (Social Distortion) has throat cancer.
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Kathi and Mike welcome our friend, Kelly Wilson, who’s not only a top-notch dealership Marketing Manager and Internet Manager, but an awesome, high-producing Finance Manager. Kelly gives us a “boots on the ground” recap of the Dealer Knows Summer Camp.
We also talk about overcoming adversity, something that Kelly knows “a little bit” about. She’s a powerhouse of knowledge and enthusiasm.
Highlights:
- Do one thing.
- Simple marketing tactics that sell more cars.
- Employees want to feel valued, customers want to feel valued. With a tight labor market, certain practices are required.
-
AutoFam — Bill Playford, Jessica Ruth, Joe Webb, Gary May, Ryan Leslie, Renee Stuart, Brent Wees, Hunter Swift, and Dara Koenig - so much love and support!
Kelly is looking for her next opportunity. You can reach her on all the socials or her website: https://kellysuewilson.com/
Email her here: i.am.kelly.wilson@gmail.com
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Car dealers are bombarded by truckloads of vendors who each promise the world, and this is never more true than in the digital marketing and advertising space. Dealership personnel don’t have time to become digital experts so they depend on their vendors. But that dependency is only beneficial when there is trust built between the store and the vendor.
Changes are happening quickly and this brings challenges for the “bigger” digital marketing vendors. “Bigger” is not better when your vendor isn’t nimble enough to prepare and implement changes quickly.
Next, we talk about shady sales tactics that we thought were mostly gone, but are not.
In our music segment:
RIP Tina Turner
RIP Andy Rourke
Happy Birthday to The Modfather, Mr Paul Weller.
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Social media is changing dramatically and keeping up requires a focused effort. Kathi and Mike share examples of how stories differentiate you from all the online noise.
In our music segment:
Today (5/18/23) is the anniversary of Ian Curtis’ death. Ian was the lead singer and founder of Joy Division, a band from Manchester, England in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, lead guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after attending a June 1976 Sex Pistols concert.
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Gawd knows, we’ve all heard those worn out car sales tropes promising great success through some “easy” steps. The fact is, creating a lasting career in the car business is hard work and some of that hard work must be done on yourself. But where to start?
Self insight is super difficult to master, which is why so many avoid taking action. Mike shares how his simple experience of choosing a new pair of running shoes led to a discovery on how we limit ourselves to great things….and what can be done about it.
In our music segment:
INXS on SNL
Bitter Tears
Suicide Blonde
X coming to Pacific Amphitheater (with English Beat and Save Ferris)
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Have you been running any Facebook ads lately? Kathi shares her latest go-round with Facebook “Meta” ads (this time for Hanaeleh, the non-profit horse rescue she’s involved with), and you’ll want to hear the results because when you spend your hard-earned money to advertise, you should be able to know where your budget is going.
Then, Mike talks about a profit potential in Fixed Ops that’s been around for years and is currently being somewhat ignored. Lots of opportunities now that customers are keeping their cars 12.5 years on average.
In our music segment:
One of the greatest bands to walk the earth: X. Their first album, Los Angeles, has an anniversary and it was part of both our young lives. Check out a snippet here.
It’s also the anniversary of the US2 Festival, presented by Steve Wozniak, and it’s Mike’s all time fave. Here’s a cool video of the first day “New Wave Day.”
What can we say about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees except, Joy Division/New Order and The White Stripes were robbed. Simple as that.
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
It’s Springtime and that means new beginnings, fresh starts, and positive changes. When it comes to dealership operations, it’s the opportunity to update outdated processes that may be costing you money.
Join Kathi and Mike as we share some of our dealership process experiences, positive and not-so-positive. What we learned might inspire you to explore outdated things in your own world.
In our music segment:
Time is coming soon for the 40th anniversary of US Festival 1983. Here’s a Youtube video on “New Wave Day” with INXS, The Clash and many more.
Steve Wozniak, if you’re out there, please hear our plea to make a documentary about this awesome festival.
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
We are just a couple of car peeps spreading helpful tips when we see ‘em. Please allow us to tell you about Google Lighthouse (and the Google Lighthouse Chrome extension). You can use it to audit any website you want for free.
Spring is in the air(!) and we are here to remind you that it’s a good time to assess things. Clear up the clutter, so to speak.
We also share a tidbit about dealership controllers. They are the kingpin at every dealership and are usually misunderstood (and often taken for granted). Give one some love!
In our music segment:
Kevin M. Kruse on Twitter (thread)
Check out the US Festival 1983
George Jones and Tammy Wynette “We’re Not The Jetset”
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
We’re in the car business and maybe you are too. But even if you aren't, have you ever wondered what it’s actually like to buy a car online? And if you have, was your experience everything you imagined?
Kathi and Mike have a chat with their friend Anielka Gallo, who worked at car dealerships in the marketing dept and now freelances her awesome graphic designs. Get ready to hear about her realtime, right-now online car-buying journey and take away some ideas on how you can create a great customer experience.
Connect with Anielka on LinkedIn.
Take a look at Anielka and her cute doggie, Sammie at this link.
Watch the DJAM Doc: “As I Am: The Life and Times of DJ AM”
Watch Terry Kath Doc “The Terry Kath Experience”
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
For those of us who spend time on Twitter (even though it has seriously degraded since Elmo took over), the changes have not been positive. We would like our platform back and of course, that's not in the cards, which is why we must turn to self care. Self care in the form of a rant. Join us, won’t you?
Afterwards, we explore how dealerships can do this ONE thing to increase their social media visibility. And it doesn’t cost anything!
In our music segment:
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Greg Lake was one of the most talented musicians to ever live and he was also a super nice, gentle soul. Check out ELP at California Jam - it’s just Greg Lake and his 12 string. Don’t forget to read the comments! Still You Turn Me On
Here’s a link to info on Greg Lake's autobiography.
Here’s a link to one of Claude Taylor’s posts about the deers in his backyard, Hope and Sal.
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you. Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Kathi and Mike welcome back our friend, Bill Playford from Dealer Knows. We got to talking a few weeks ago about the sad state of automotive conferences and Bill is here to share some exciting news. Bill and his partner Joe Webb have been working hard to deliver a very different alternative that will likely change your mind about what a conference can be.
One of the many outstanding attributes in the Dealer Knows Summer Camp is that 10% of ticket sales is being donated to Autism Awareness orgs.
We also discuss the unfolding trend of selling cars to customers with negative equity. Negative equity is when you owe more on your trade-in than it’s worth, which is nothing new to car sales but this time ‘round, the numbers are and will continue to be much higher.
We discovered that Bill is our first 2nd-time guest! You can reach Bill here.
Check out the Something Was Wrong podcast Kathi was mentioning.
Check out the The Show: California Love documentary here.
Today is the anniversary of the Style Council’s first album: Cafe Bleu. Paul Weller is a freaking genius and as Kathi states on the pod, one can like The Jam AND The Style Council without any reservation whatsoever. Here’s Kathi’s fave song on that album.
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
Great content that people are interested in doesn’t have to be a chore. Social media is supposed to be fun (and profitable) but when you’re stressed and at a loss for what to post, it’s anything but fun. Implementing even a rudimentary strategy for social media content will greatly increase your chance of success.
Kathi and Mike discuss some of the techniques they’ve used (and still use!) that can help you not have that sinking feeling of “What the heck am I going to post on social media?”
In our music segment: It’s Women’s History Month and yesterday was International Women’s Day, so we share about some of our favorite female singers.
Here’s the video of Alison Moyet (from Yaz/Yazoo) singing “Only You” at the Burberry show in 2016. #chills
Podcasts Kathi mentioned:
Hard Fork
Pivot
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
We are back from a short mental health break just in time to discuss the sale of the last Cal Worthington store here in So Cal.
Kathi and Mike both grew up with Cal Worthington coming through their TVs (maybe you did too?). He was the OG car dealer and there'll never be another like him.
Yesterday was John Doe's birthday so we are celebrating by talking about one of our favorite bands: X.
It's hard to select a favorite X song so we chose our favorite X songs for today.
Kathi's is The Once Over Twice
Mike's is The World's a Mess It's In My Kiss
Check out: Michelle Mangione band.
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Mike and I haven’t really shared our views on the whole “Full Self Driving” saga that’s been causing so much harm to unsuspecting drivers and by extension the driving public. Today we break our silence to convey how happy we are that a recall was announced saying that FSD “may cause a crash.”
Then, we talk about a fool proof way to always have thoughtful content to post on social media. Hint: Memes, baby!
And finally, we share updates we’ve heard about some new social media platforms that are worth checking out.
In our music segment, it’s Peter Hook’s birthday. He’s the bass player from Joy Division and New Order and he’s one of Mike’s favorite dudes on earth. If you haven’t heard of Joy Division, or not heard their music, check out Unknown Pleasures.
Kathi's favorite Joy Division song is Love Will Tear Us Apart
And the performance of this song is epic too: Transmission
Also check out “Control,” which is a movie about Ian Curtis’ tragic life (founder and lead singer of Joy Division) and Joy Division’s history (directed by Anton Corbijn).
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you…and maybe have you on the show!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
We are so happy to have Justin Osburn on the show this week. Justin is a leader in our industry for many reasons and when you listen, you’ll see why.
Franchise or independent retailer, finding cars to sell is an art. Introducing BDC (Business Development Center) tactics can improve your success substantially and we talk with Justin about how to change and adapt to a new process that leverages our relationships online and offline.
Justin is also the founder of SmartGroups, 20 Groups Reimagined, which excites us because we’ve spent many years in 20 Groups and also speaking at them. A refresh of the concept just might get more dealers to join and get engaged!
In our music segment:
RIP the great Burt Bacharach
Mr Bacharach was a good friend and huge collaborator with Elvis Costello and here’s an example:
Austin Powers: “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach and Mr. Elvis Costello”
Justin's Bio:
Justin M. Osburn is founder and CEO of Automotive Reinsurance Concepts and
SmartGroups™: 20 Groups Reimagined. He’s a dealer educator and industry
speaker, and a self-described student of the auto industry. In addition to roles as a sales professional, F&I manager, general manager, chief operating officer and dealership owner, Justin served as retail 20 Groups moderator and consultant for the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association and was lead instructor for NIADA’s Certified Master Dealer course.
Justin is an Army veteran, a published author and a graduate of the Disney Executive Leadership Institute. He has served in local government as a city councilman and mayor pro-tem of Butler, Mo., and holds a patent for a door barricade used by schools to provide safe lockdown rooms for students and teachers.
Get in touch with Justin:
SmartGroups: smart20groups.com
Automotive Reinsurance Concepts: https://arcdealers.com/
Independent Dealer University: https://idutuskers.com/
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you…and maybe have you on the show!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
First, we discuss a little bit about how the car business stereotype is still alive and well. Both Mike and I have spent our careers fighting the stereotype and we think it’s time to fix it.
Then we cover ChatGPT and how we might be using AI today and in the future of the car business.
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot system that OpenAI released in November to show off and test what a very large, powerful AI system can accomplish. You can ask it countless questions and often will get an answer that's useful.
For an account with OpenAI, you can sign up HERE
If you just want ChatGPT, sign up HERE
Jon Loomer’s blog post about using ChatGPT for Facebook ads copy: HERE
Power Hitter’s Club: HERE
Listen to the HardFork podcast: HERE
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
It’s crazy to imagine but did you know that only a small fraction of the millions of US businesses use their Google Business Profile? Our guest today is Craig Darling of Darling Local and he’s on a mission to change that.
Google Business Profiles are the single best way to get noticed in Search...for FREE.
Craig is a long-time friend of ours. He was a superstar Chevy salesperson and ended his career in auto retail as an award winning General Manager. He set out on a course to own his own business while helping dealers create and maintain an online presence to attract customers.
Join us to get some of Craig’s AWESOME tips and advice. It’s definitely worth your time and might even inspire you to take action on your own Google Business Profile.
You will also want to join his free Facebook Group: The Agency Reboot: HERE.
You can reach Craig through his Darling Local website: HERE.
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
It’s a new year, and it’s a good time to review your social media strategy.
- What do you want out of social media?
- Do you have the resources to get there?
There are a thousand different ways you can use social media and we talk about taking a multi-pronged approach. Hiring a social media manager is the first step and then supplement their efforts with ads, training and content created by employees.
Kathi shares her insights from running the Hanaeleh Horse Rescue community and how those tactics can be emulated by dealership social media managers.
Key takeaway: Get people excited about your product and in doing business with you. They already know they can buy so help them choose to buy from you.
In our music segment:
We’ve been listening to Ska. 2 Tone Records was the leader: The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat and more.
Here’s a crazy vid of The Specials on a Belgian TV show in 1979: HERE
Here’s the video Kathi mentions of Emerson Lake and Palmer at California Jam in 1974: HERE
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
It’s a New Year! In this episode, we share our insights on Cox Automotive’s Jonathan Smoke’s predictions for 2023.
Having managed dealership operations for many years, we both feel strongly that challenges are coming - but nothing that we haven’t seen before. We are car people which means we always persevere through the tough times to come out on top.
Link to Cox Automotive Predictions 2023: HERE
In our music segment:
We each share a story of a concert gathering we attended that had, shall we say, extracurricular circumstances. If you’re a regular listener, you know that we both are products of Los Angeles’ punk/new wave scene and we’ve lived to tell about some of our antics.
Get in touch with us!
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
We stirred up some things with last week’s episode about building a community rather than an audience…and we loved it. This week, we invited our friend and amazing car guy, Bill Playford to pick up the conversation where we left off!
The invincible strength in relationships within communities leads to higher sales. Bill shares examples of how, when he was working at dealerships, this powerful tool can be deployed at the dealership level or at the salesperson level.
There’s a void right now in car people identifying and communicating why people should buy from them and taking the time to articulate your unique value is what will make you successful.
When you connect with people with similar interests, sales become an organic extension of that experience. These relationships break down barriers, they remove the friction that’s almost inherent in car buyers’ minds.
The goal is to get customers to buy from you, not just buy.
In our music segment:
Terry Hall (lead singer, songwriter, The Specials, Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield) has passed away suddenly from pancreatic cancer. It’s hard to miss the influence he had on Mike and Kathi’s teen years.
Here’s Terry at his best: “Too Much Too Young”: HERE
The Specials on Letterman in 2009: HERE
About Bill:
Bill Playford is Vice President and Partner at DealerKnows Consulting. As a fourth generation auto worker, Bill brings a unique automotive perspective, with a background in training, consulting, and process design at the retail, manufacturer, and technical supplier level.
Throughout the last fifteen years, Bill has worked with the likes of AutoNation, Asbury Automotive, Lithia Motors, BMW, Hyundai, Google, and a bunch of smaller dealerships you’ve never heard of. Throughout twenty-six states, and four provinces, he’s committed himself to helping dealerships bridge the gap between time-tested sales traditions and today's digital-first customer.
Bill resides near the Motor City with his brilliant wife, three gifted sons, a princess, two fancy cats, and a goofy dog. He holds an MBA from Texas Christian University and a BA in Political Science from St. Edward’s University.
Bill can be reached at bill@dealerknows.com or the handle wplayford across all the social mediazzz.
Get in touch with us!
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
We’ve all seen them. “Influencers” who have lots of followers, likes and comments on social media. Some do “live videos,” look super successful but in truth, only a small fraction of influencers actually earn a living. If you’re in car sales, or any sales really, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. But at the end of the day, what exactly do you have except a lot of noise?
In this week’s episode, we compare the value of building a community around yourself vs the instant gratification of attracting an audience. Which one will bring you more income? Which one will be an asset you own?
And speaking of community, here’s a Facebook LINK to Lou Dillon being a goofball. If you’re not on Facebook, here’s the post on Twitter.
Hanaeleh’s (where Kathi is involved with rescuing horses) Winter Hay Fundraiser is ON and even a small amount helps us reach our goal. Every dollar donated goes to the horses (all humans are volunteers).
Click HERE to donate using PayPal or debit/credit card: https://bit.ly/HanaelehHayFundraiser
About Hanaeleh: Hanaeleh is a 501(c)(3) (Tax ID 20-3255341) non-profit horse rescue operating in Southern California since 2004. We’re a Verified Rescue with Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and Platinum-Star rated on Guidestar.
We rescue all breeds and ages of horses, and after we rehabilitate them, we work to find them new loving homes. When horses are not adoptable due to severe neglect or abuse, we provide sanctuary for them to live out their days knowing they’ll always be loved and cared for.
We conduct three fundraisers each year - Winter, Spring and Summer - which are our MAIN FUNDING SOURCE to keep the rescue financially healthy...and to keep us saving more horses.
Get in touch with us!
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
You’re in for a treat. This week’s guest is Brent Wees. Brent is a wicked awesome speaker, coach and digital marketing strategist. He’s also been a friend of ours for over ten years. If you’ve ever seen him speak, you’ll never forget it. Brent’s energy is infectious and he’s here with us to share some of his tips on how to get chosen for a session speaker slot at the automotive conferences...and so much more!
No matter what your position is at the dealership, you have something to add to the discussion around the fast-moving, fluid changes that are happening in the auto industry. If you’ve ever considered giving a presentation, speaking at a conference or even creating a project that you need to present to the boss, Brent’s wisdom will enlighten you and help get you where you want to go.
Brent is also a major music lover (like us). We talk about punk - yesterday and today.
About Brent Wees: he is CEO and lead strategist of Idea Meet Plan. Get in touch with Brent HERE.
Get in touch with us!
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
We’ve been thinking a lot about the state of automotive social media. Both of us have witnessed so many years of salespeople and dealerships either ignoring the value of social or not taking action because of old limiting beliefs.
In this episode, we share some real-life examples of successful social media and some simple tactics that could help you get started…or get better!
Link to the Post.news waitlist - the new, promising social media platform: HERE Reminder: it’s in very early beta and many people have signed up for the waitlist. Be patient, it will be worth the wait.
In our music segment:RIP Christine McVie
Fleetwood Mac clips:
Over My Head: HERE
Tusk: HERE
Rhiannon: HERE
PS: I need Stevie’s hair and Lindsay’s kimono here. - Kathi
Yaz clips:
Alison Moyet sings at Burberry Show 2016: HERE
Don’t Go: HERE
Don’t Go Live 2011: HERE
Get in touch with us!
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
Did you know that Google has renamed Data Studio? (wait till you hear what they changed it to!). This on the heels of sunsetting our beloved GMB app and changing the oft-loved name - Google My Business - to Google Business Profiles. Kathi and Mike talk about the value in brands that we love and what happens when they change.
PS: Remember the Ford Taurus?
In our music segment:
Snippet of Howard Stern interview with Bruce Springsteen: HERE
Tears for Fears “Shout” HERE
Clip from “Real Genius” movie HERE
Get in touch with us!
If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Those of us in the car biz, who’ve worked ding to dong, helping the public buy the vehicle of their dreams, can be a tad cynical. Retail can do that to you, but it’s not something we try to be, and it happens over time through experiences.
What is “Modern Retail?” This is a term we’ve heard lately that defies logic. It’s a great word - Modern - but it seems more like a marketing term. We’re really interested in what it truly means for the customer.
In our music segment:
Everything But the Girl Instagram Post: HERE
Everything But the Girl: Take Me video HERE
Beastie Boys Story (documentary): HERE
Are you in the car business? Do you work at a dealership? We'd love to have you on the show!
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
The topsy-turvy world that is social media right now is causing a lot of people to review each platform’s privacy and data collection policies. TikTok has been singled out as a unique concern so we decided to look at some of the reasons to pause before you jump.
Kathi and Mike also talk about the precarious position some vehicle customers will be in during the coming months/years and how close attention to inventory levels is key.
Kathi’s blog post on 3 Questions to Answer Before Using TikTok for Car Sales HERE
In our music segment:
Joy Division “Shadowplay” HERE
Remastered “Love Will Tear Us Apart” HERE
Adam and the Ants "Kings of the Wild Frontier" HERE
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Our guest today is Mike Fitzpatrick, Founder of SmartTarget. Kathi and Mike have known Mike F. for over a decade. We all came from the car biz and found ourselves in the scary vendor world all at the same time.
And speaking of scary (it was Halloween just a few days ago), Google Analytics 4 has launched and we’d like to calm your fears. Mike F. is our Google Yoda and he explains what GA4 is all about and how you can create reporting in Google Data Studio that will completely transform your digital marketing ROI (Return on Investment).
BTW, we highly recommend Mike’s SmartTarget solution. He’ll build a Google Data Studio report for you and, with his proprietary inventory ad targeting, fine tune your marketing spend to save money. Find Mike HERE.
In our music segment:It’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction this weekend in Los Angeles.
Kathi shares two hot documentary tips:
1. Fugitive: The Curious case of Carlos Ghosn HERE on Netflix
2. God Forbid HERE on Hulu
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
This week, Mike shares the very disturbing update to Google Business Profile management that makes it even harder to manage multiple accounts. Oh, and where did the uber-important Photos metric go?
Kathi gives a short synopsis of Facebook’s Q3 earnings and the resulting 25% one-day drop in their stock price (which is a good indicator of how the world views Facebook’s future).
Kathi also shares the pitfalls of posting short-form video (a continuing story on her testing and results). Hint: you don’t want to miss this if you care about your content and where it’s ending up.
In our music segment:Great documentary series: Wahl Street (HBO series) HERE
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Social media is not a broadcast channel. It’s a two-way communication tool, which means you should be listening as much as you’re talking. Kathi and Mike discuss strategies for social listening and why it should be part of your overall marketing process.
But first, Kathi shares another update on her Facebook short-form video testing. She also provides some up-to-the-minute insights on the state of Facebook ads. Hint: it’s not pretty.
In our music segment: Oct 19th is International Ska Day!
The Specials: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Specials_(album)
Videos of great Specials songs: HERE
Madness: One Step Beyond https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Step_Beyond…
Videos of Madness songs: HERE
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Mike has been at a few conferences this week, spending time with car peeps and soaking up the latest trends…or maybe wanna be trends?
YouTube announced Handles a few weeks ago and they’re rolling them out now.
Kathi provides another update on the Facebook short-form video testing she’s been doing with the Hanaeleh Facebook and Instagram profiles. (click links to check out the profiles)
Music segment:
Debbie Harry and the Muppets video HERE
Jane Wiedlin's Instagram post HERE
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Those of us that have been in social media for awhile remember when Facebook Ads were introduced. We didn’t like it as users, but wow, it was pretty awesome for marketing. Coupled with how the algorithms were back then, and how your followers could regularly see your content, it was a combo that couldn’t be beat.
Fast forward to today and while Facebook still rocks for building an army of fans for your business, Facebook ads are often not as effective as they once were…and there are several reasons this is happening. We think it’s temporary.
Kathi and Mike discuss where we are with running Facebook/Meta Ads today. Meta is trying to combat the damage done by iOS14 (users opting out of ad tracking) and in this transition, we’ve lost a lot of control as experienced advertisers/media buyers. Automation is important but there’s a huge disconnect between the metrics Facebook provides compared to what advertisers need.
And Facebook/Meta certainly (famously) doesn’t provide any transparency at all. How are we to believe that Facebook knows best?
Next up, Kathi gives us another update on her Facebook “short-form” video testing on the Hanaeleh horse rescue page. She also found a solution for combatting the unwanted comments that come with “viral” videos. Check out the page HERE.
Check out Jon Loomer (Facebook Ads mastermind) HERE
Join Jon's Power Hitter Club HERE
Link to podcast we mentioned with guest Jon Loomer HERE
In our music segment: we love us some documentaries
Three words: Ronny James Dio
Dio: Dreamers Never Die HERE
Tears for Fears: Scenes From The Big Chair HERE
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE
This week, Kathi and Mike discuss what automotive social selling really is (hint: it’s not what some “auto influencers” are claiming). Using social media to establish yourself as an expert is key and you do this by building rapport with your followers. We’ll share some tactics we use to help you carve out your own network and sell more cars.
Kathi provides another update on the short-form video content she’s been testing on the Hanaeleh horse rescue page. It’s still getting massive reach but do you actually want that?
In the music segment:
Pet Shop Boys “West End Girls” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3j2NYZ8FKs
The Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in LA. We’re still going through it but this is a stand out:
Foo Fighters, Joan Jett and Travis Barker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsXdcJd9-Z0
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Are you outsourcing your social media? You’ll want to listen to Kathi and Mike spell out the pitfalls (yikes!) when you don’t pay close attention to what’s being posted in your name. We’ll also share some best practices so you don’t find yourself in the middle of a social media crisis.
Kathi provides another data/insights update on her Facebook page video content test. If you’re a creator or a business that’s been on Facebook for a while, short form video may be a good addition to your content strategy.
Link to the Twitter conversation we mention that started our rant on social media providers: HERE
Link to the social media managers category on Kathi’s blog: HERE
In our music segment:
White Stripes from the Basement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5wkTdVjE1s
Seven Nation Army in Glastonbury https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ehxW9MKRH0
Heaven 17 tour dates: https://www.ticketmaster.com/heaven-17-tickets/artist/735261
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
We’ve seen a disturbing trend happening and as car people, we feel we must try to stop the insanity. Remember: just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.
Think before you TikTok. It’s not just because your audience isn’t likely there but also because there are disturbing facts about how they capture your data. Click HERE to read Casey Newton’s reporting that we discuss.
Kathi shares another update on her ongoing Facebook/Meta video content test on the Hanaeleh page. It’s crazy and you’ll want to know more.
In our music segment:
INXS on SNL 1991:
Suicide Blonde (with harmonica!)
Bitter Tears
Click HERE for the Mystify Michael Hutchence documentary:
Click HERE for The Terry Kath Experience documentary:
Follow Eric Alper on Twitter HERE
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
So many changes.
Kathi provides an update on her Facebook video content testing. While the numbers continue to climb on her page’s posts, there is also more effort (ie: time) required to keep bad actors from commenting and messaging.
Mike revisits Google My Business Google Business Profiles and the recent changes he’s been seeing. Hint: somehow Google isn’t including photo metrics in their reporting. Is this just a momentary blip before things level out?
In our music segment:
Steely Dan - Aja documentary HERE
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
There was a certain dealership-produced viral video this week that showed the exact reason why, if you don’t know how to be funny, don’t try to be.
Kathi wrote about this debacle on her blog and there’s a link to the video in her post. Check it out HERE.
Earlier in the episode, Kathi and Mike discuss online reviews and why it's important to not just ask for them, but give them too!
Then, we get an update on an experiment that began a few weeks ago. Kathi’s began adding more video to the content mix on the Hanaeleh Facebook page. It continues to surprise.
In the music segment:
Seems like everything old is new again.
Dead Kennedys: California Uber Alles
Heaven 17: Fascist Groove Thang
Dead Kennedys: Nazi Punks Fuck Off
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
A few weeks ago in their earnings call, Facebook/Meta announced that they were changing the newsfeed to show about 30% more “discoverable” content. That means ads and content from people/pages you don’t already follow.
They also mentioned that video content will be given higher preference in the newsfeed. That got Kathi thinking about how to test it...and we have some results.
In this week’s episode, we share the results so far and discuss tips about video content, especially for car salespeople.
Music segment:
We talk about bands that broke up too soon.
Here’s the funniest SNL skit on Synchronized Swimming (and Thompson Twins are the musical guest!) https://archive.org/details/saturday-night-live-s-10-e-01-the-thompson-twins
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
According to a new Manheim Index report, used car market prices are down 3.6% in just the first half of August. New car inventory is still scarce and Jack Hollis, head of sales for Toyota Motor North America, says dealership inventory levels won't be able to grow at all until perhaps the third quarter of 2023, and are unlikely to ever return to their pre-pandemic levels.
What do you do with marketing and advertising during this tumultuous time?
Kathi and Mike share their insights on this question. We have always advocated being open to new tactics - there is a whole world out there waiting to hear from you and your employees.
We also share a special social strategy that is turning this mom and pop business into a major player with Pinterest, Google Business Profile and Twitter!
Check out the James Garner doc The Racing Scene HERE
In our music segment, we each tell a story of ONE of our memorable experiences at The Roxy (on Sunset here in So Cal).
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Don’t forget to checkout Kathi’s new online course “Social Media for Car Sales Masterclass.” Learn more about it HERE. Use the promo code VIP20 to get 20% off.
There seems to be a lot of “auto influencers” on social media right now. While getting attention is good, you always want to gain the right attention.
Kathi and Mike discuss the state of online automotive celebrities and what a regular car person can do to make a name for themselves, often with a small network, that blows “celebrity” out of the water.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Don’t forget to checkout Kathi’s new online course “Social Media for Car Sales Masterclass.” Learn more about it HERE. Use the promo code VIP20 to get 20% off.
Two BIG topics this week:
- What happens when the manufacturer requires a new dealer agreement for specific products and what you agreed to is coming back to bite you? In the past few years, due to many factors, the relationships between dealers and manufacturers have changed.
Kathi and Mike discuss a situation that’s happening in Australia, but dealers in the U.S. and Canada should be keeping an eye on how it unfolds.
Article we discussed about MBZ Australia is HERE
- You may have heard of Facebook/Meta’s focus on virtual reality called Metaverse. They are betting the farm on it becoming “a thing” and we’ll have to see how that pans out for automotive retail. Kathi attended an “Autoverse” webinar made especially for automotive retail and we discuss the, um, highlights?
Kathi’s LinkedIn post with her initial reaction to the webinar is HERE including a link in the comments if you’d like to watch the webinar replay…and are ok with giving up 45 minutes of your life you’ll never get back.
In our music segment, we talk about an underrated band, The Call. Check them out HERE
Get Kathi’s new online course “Social Media for Car Sales Masterclass.” Learn more about it HERE. Use the promo code VIP20 to get 20% off.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
This week, we welcome our long-time friend Josh Friedman as our guest. Josh is the New Car Sales Manager at CMA’s Colonial Chevrolet in Chester, VA.
Not only is Josh an amazing manager who’s truly doing cutting edge moves at his store and with his team…but he’s also a music fan like we are. Josh shares some of his great stories about punk in Washington DC back in the day (a long way from Kathi and Mike’s ‘hood in So Cal).
Links to the things we discussed:
The new proposed FTC rule for dealers: HERE
Josh’s project, the documentary Desolation Center: HERE
Salad Days: HERE
Punk in The Capital: HERE
Heavy Metal Parking Lot: HERE
Dave Grohl:
Sound City: HERE
What Drives Us: HERE
Jeff Krulik (director of punk documentaries): HERE
Punk and Tomatoes (Fear on SNL - a must watch!): HERE
Get Kathi’s new online course “Social Media for Car Sales Masterclass.” Learn more about it HERE. Use the promo code VIP20 to get 20% off.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
The car business labor market is very fluid right now and the age-old complaint about staffing - “You can’t find good people” - is about to really hit home for you (if it hasn’t already). With the workforce developing different reasons for work, and very different motivators, smart dealership managers are adapting by implementing new hiring practices and paying close attention to company culture.
Kathi and Mike share their insights of how to retain good employees during this challenging time, where people are leaving the workforce for online opportunities.
In our music segment: The Pogues and their leader Shane McGowan.
Documentary: Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane McGowan on Hulu HERE
Here’s what Rolling Stone said: Julian Temple’s portrait of the Pogues singer is a rambling, messy, wild, sad and inspirational doc — in other words, a fine tribute to its subject
Kathi’s new online course “Social Media for Car Sales Masterclass” is LIVE - you can learn more about it HERE. Use the promo code VIP20 to get 20% off. Got questions? Email kathi@krusecontrolinc.com or message me on social media.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Kathi and Mike welcome Tim “FordVideoGuy” Bartz to the show. Tim is the Internet Manager at Long McArthur Ford Lincoln in Salina KS. Both of us consider Tim a pioneer in today’s automotive retailing. He’s creating unique ways to deliver extreme value to customers and blazing a trail for others who know that social selling is the future of the car business.
You won’t want to miss Tim’s tips on how he has led his team to higher sales using live video, advanced engagement tactics and social media promotion techniques. Want to connect with Tim? Find him HERE
We also share insight into a very new Facebook concern for page managers.
Kathi’s new online course “Social Media for Car Sales Masterclass” is LIVE - you can learn more about it HERE. Use the promo code VIP20 to get 20% off. Got questions? Email kathi@krusecontrolinc.com or message me on social media.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
If you’ve got a Facebook Business Page, it’s likely changes are afoot again. We noticed some changes this week and we’d love to tell you about them. We also share ways to get more page visibility in unique ways.
Kathi and Mike then talk about the challenges of managing used car inventory today. Prices are in flux, moving very fast, and if you don’t pay close attention, you can find yourself underwater.
In our music segment: Mike learns that he might just actually like Elvis Costello.
A clip of the Beastie Boys with Elvis Costello: HERE
Elvis Costello on SNL in 1977: HERE
Kathi’s new online course “Social Media for Car Sales Masterclass” is LIVE - you can sign up HERE. Use the promo code VIP20 to get 20% off. Got questions? Email kathi@krusecontrolinc.com or message me on social media.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
How prolific are you when it comes to knowing the best route to take for social media? Sadly, many people flounder or completely miss the mark because they’ve not begun at the beginning. Their lack of social media strategy hands over the advantage to competitors.
This week, Kathi and Mike talk about all the ways to be better (great?) at social media if you make a strategy for yourself.
Music segment: we each pick one of our most memorable club experiences from the 80s…and give all the details!
Kathi’s new online course “Social Media for Car Sales Masterclass” is LIVE - you can sign up HERE. Use the promo code VIP20 to get 20% off. Got questions? Email kathi@krusecontrolinc.com or message me on social media.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Lots of talk about electric vehicles happening right now. Kathi and Mike discuss Tesla’s safety concerns after the release of a New York Times documentary on the dangers of self-driving technology.
We’re excited to see what’s coming from legacy auto manufacturers with EVs. As former retail peeps, we’re also curious how an EV sales operations model looks from a dealer’s point of view.
Check out this Daily Beast article with links to the “Elon Musk Crash Course” Doc on Hulu HERE. We highly recommend it!
One the music front:
More info about Yaz/Yazoo HERE
Check out the amazing video of Alison Moyet singing at the Burberry show HERE.
Kathi’s new online course “Social Media for Car Sales Masterclass” is LIVE - you can sign up HERE. Use the promo code VIP20 to get 20% off. Got questions? Email kathi@krusecontrolinc.com or message me on social media.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
The past few years have seen a lot of changes in the car business. From consumer preferences driving operations shifts to new business models to sell cars and data-driven advertising strategies to target car buyers.
The larger companies are contributing to the shift too, example: big names have pulled out of this year’s SEMA Show.
Digital data privacy laws and regulation are coming to the forefront and the two big players in digital advertising - Google and Facebook - are feeling it.
What does this mean for auto retailers? It’s going to get tougher to track people online.
In our music session:
Here’s a post about So Cal’s MV3 hosted by Richard Blade.
Here’s a MV3 spotify playlist.
Check out The Jam - Bingley Hall 1982 concert HERE.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Anyone who uses social media knows that it can be a minefield. In a world where everything we say and do is cataloged, wouldn’t you agree it’s crucial to pay close attention to what you say and do online?
This week, Kathi and Mike talk about why it’s so important to think before you post. Comment sections, posts, video - all the places you participate - are being scrutinized by potential customers. It’s crucial to have a game plan.
We also talk (rant?) about the sunsetting of the Google My Business app and what it means for all users. Hint: the numbers coming out of GMB profiles have dropped considerably, this after Google strong-armed each of us into focusing on promoting GMB just a few short years ago.
In a quick music section, we talk about one of our fave bands, Sparks - and brothers, Ron and Russell Mael.
Check out Sparks’ “Moustache” video (caution: you may feel like dancing).
Check out “The Sparks Brothers” documentary HERE.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
We’ve talked a lot about video use in so many different ways to sell cars. This week, Kathi and Mike welcome Michael Sampson. He’s Director of Sales at MinMax video enablement app for making branded videos.
As automotive retail continues to shift, driven by customer shopping and buying preferences, video is a way to stand out. We explore interesting ideas, tactics and processes that will help your store beat the competition.
In our music segment:
Watch The Style Council “Walls Come Tumbling Down” at LiveAid: HERE
Watch the documentary “Industrial Accident: The Story of WaxTrax! Records: HERE
Michael Sampson’s contact info:
Email: michael@minmax.co
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
With inventory being scarce and supply chain delays still a challenge, we’ve all been witnessing dealer markups. Market conditions often warrant markups but in some cases, the markups seem extreme. Either way, this practice is nothing good for the dealer body’s reputation - all you have to do is look at the comments when someone posts about their experience.
Kathi and Mike talk about the fact that some customers who bought their vehicles at markup prices are going to be buried in their vehicles. This means they won’t be getting out of those vehicles into new/newer vehicles any time soon. But it also means that they’ll need to service their vehicle for longer and that is an opportunity for Fixed Ops.
Speaking of opportunities, using video when communicating with customers is so HOT right now! Mike and Kathi talk about video tactics that salespeople, service advisors and other customer-facing employees can take to increase their visibility and foster loyalty.
On the music front…
Mike mentioned watching Anton Corbijn’s film “Control” about Joy Division. HERE is the link.
Kathi mentioned the Ben Fong Torres doc, “Like a Rolling Stone.” HERE is the link.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Today’s car sales professionals are finding themselves in this new environment called digital retail. While there are tools to help facilitate online transactions, many salespeople are interested in growing their own network to develop their future sales pipeline.
Using social media to establish relationships BEFORE customers are ready to buy is a key component of digital retail. If salespeople are waiting to meet the customer on the lot, it’s often too late because that customer has already established a connection with someone else.
Kathi and Mike discuss strategies and tactics for car sales professionals, and productivity techniques for management, on using technology to sell more cars.
On music, we discuss the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Inductees!
Check out Pivot podcast: HERE
Check out Something Was Wrong podcast: HERE
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Having employees with strong personal brands in your company is an opportunity, not a threat.
As dealership operations are being forced to change and adapt to today’s customer preferences, dealership employees are an asset that’s just beginning to be recognized.
Employees have firsthand experience with the retailers they work for because they live and breathe it every day, and they have in-depth knowledge that an average consumer does not.
Combined with an ability to present the organization through their own personal styles and stories, the content that employees can produce and the relationships they can build could exceed those delivered by "professional" influencers.
But all of this can be a very tricky endeavor so Kathi, Mike and Nathan share their insights on how to navigate this new, lucrative opportunity that’s pulling dealers further into the digital retailing environment by increasing their salespeople’s digital fluency.
A very warm welcome to our FIRST guest, Nathan Greenberg! You can reach him here:
Nathan Greenberg, CEO
www.Arkside.com
4200 Latham Street, Suite A
Riverside, CA 92501
Office: 951.579.4121
Promo Shop: arkside.shop
Nathan’s video (from 4 years ago!) that’s still relevant: Mammals don’t ask dinosaurs about survival
Our music topics this week:
Check out this very arty piece, Martini Ranch, “Reach”
Check out: The Specials with Amy Winehouse
More of The Specials:
A Message to You Rudy
Ghost Town
Rat Race
30th Anniversary Tour
And this very special Belgian television show performance from 1979
A deep dive into the origins of House of the Rising Sun (including The Animals’ version to listen to)
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
This week, Kathi and Mike talk through the events that may cause the great automotive dinosaur extinction. We aren’t holding our breath on that, but we’ve never really been this close.
In the music dept, we chat about our top three favorite nights at The Roxy (on the Sunset Strip, next to The Rainbow Bar & Grill - which has the most delicious food!).
Link to “The Dee Gees” (aka: foo fighters): “Shadow Dancing”
Link to the original Andy Gibb version.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Kathi and Mike discuss the latest used car financing offers and what they mean for the future business of retailers. The short term actions that are taken that adversely affect future business.
We also cover the benefits of salespeople utilizing their downtime to learn more about using social media to sell cars. There’s such an opportunity.
In our music segment, we discovered a new band! You can listen to this one song from The Mysterines HERE. If you like it, there are lots more!
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Digital retail transactions are the next generation in customer experience. Kathi and Mike discuss how caring for the customer’s needs is nothing new, and why that caring mindset will give dealers and their staff a running start in digital retailing.
Then we share a couple of sub-prime deal stories, of which we have thousands.
We also talk about some key findings in a new E-Lend digital retailing study regarding barriers to digital acceptance within operations. It’s quite interesting!
Link to the E-Lend study HERE.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Mike just got back from NADA and shares his insights.
Kathi and Mike discuss the welcome addition of new voices in the car business. Diversity and inclusion are finally being talked about, and with that, comes company culture and employee retention.
The Jam documentary “About a Young Idea”
The Style Council “Long Hot Summers” documentary
The Pogues’ “FairyTale of New York” (live version, RIP Kirsty MacColl)
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
This week, Kathi and Mike discuss the ever-evolving dealership model and how the partnership with the manufacturer seems to be evolving too. There doesn't seem to be the push-back that there once was to the franchise model, especially given shifting consumer preferences. We wonder how that will look as we go forward.
On the music front, we chat about our one favorite concert (we only choose one but we have many), and the details of those concerts that will forever be etched on our lives: Mike's was The Cocteau Twins and Kathi's was a string of 5 nights of Elvis Costello.
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
This week, Kathi and Mike talk about the changes that are happening right now in the Facebook Ads ecosystem and beyond…and strategies to consider going forward.
On January 19, 2022, Facebook said it would be removing some ad targeting features, including ones that focus on race, ethnicity or religion. They’ve actually expanded on their removal of targeting capabilities. Advertisers need to consider how those changes will affect marketing strategy, especially in a targetless world where third-party cookies that have tracked internet users for years are going away.
We touch on our love for Twitter and why it’s a unique platform for users. Automotive Twitter has been slow to the draw, but for salespeople it could be an interesting place to practice social media skills.
We have always believed that including salespeople and other team members in the social media/content creation effort can pay off huge. Now that reaching car buyers is getting tougher, is it time to tap into this amazing resource?
Great example of how car salespeople can leverage online reviews: Larry Henderson’s DealerRater profile HERE:
In our music segment, here’s a link to Amy Winehouse and Paul Weller duet: I Heard It Through the Grapevine HERE
Get in touch with us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Kathi and Mike build on last week’s discussion of the looming automotive online reputation debacle around MSRP markups and the potential for gouging. We are talking about it again because this week added even more weight to it.
Marking up MSRP right now is a gamble that some think is a sure thing. Consumers are wise to ALL the old tricks and as dealer advocates/former retail peeps, we are pleading with the industry to take a good look at their behavior and make a course correction.
Speaking of online reputation management, it’s crucial to have a plan. Here is a link to Kathi’s post about 5 Foundation Essentials for Online Reputation Management HERE
It was International Clash Day! We share our fave songs (even though all of their songs are our faves). Check out this must see documentary for fans: Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten HERE
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
Just when we thought we were gaining ground on dealership customer experience, somehow things have gone south. And we are digging ourselves a hole that will be difficult to recover from.
Kathi and Mike share their insights on how inventory shortages have turned some really nice dealers into places that no one wants to visit. Where all that hard-earned goodwill is fading fast.
Then, we touch on the latest FTC crackdowns on companies and their third-party vendors who post an aggregate of only 4-5 star reviews on their websites. Customers are smarter than to believe a dealership has only 4-5 star reviews. All they need to do is click their Yelp app or visit Google to see that they’ve been duped by dealers (and their vendor) by omitting any 1-3 star reviews.
Here’s the link to the article referenced from DealerKnows.com: The Automotive Customer Service Crisis of 2022
Here’s the link to the AWESOME Beatles Documentary Series “Get Back”: https://www.disneyplus.com/series/the-beatles-get-back/7DcWEeWVqrkE
And don’t forget to download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
A picture is worth a thousand clicks.
What effect do customer images have on a dealership’s Yelp profile? How about Google profiles? We talk about how to review your own profile and what you can do to ramp up more customer-generated photos. Hint: employees are your secret weapon.
We touch a little bit on why humor is so important in social media when you want to stand out from the crowd. Check out this TED talk on Why Great Leaders Take Humor Seriously
Kathi is still offering her FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
On the music front: we talk about certain bands that have experienced a break up and how their members have gone on to different projects - some worked out well, some not so much.
The simple equation of supply and demand is causing a tectonic shift in auto retailing. Kathi and Mike talk about the pitfalls as more dealers are adding “Market Adjustments” to their inventory (marking up price due to market demand). It’s simple economics: when there are fewer vehicles to sell, the price increases. And with some factories switching up the traditional invoice>MSRP model, dealers have to switch up their operational approach to accommodate it. However, it’s all in the way you present it to the consumer. There are effective strategies to reduce the amount of consumer distrust.
Do you really have to be social on social media? We spotlight an example of how to use simple techniques to respond to comments/leads on social media and how not to ignore customers and allow them to think that you don’t care.
Our music segment covers the ultimate 80s band and video: Journey’s “Separate Ways.” Is there anything more iconic? Check it out!
Mike admits that he’s not a fan of a certain singer/songwriter trailblazer and Kathi shares that she was never a fan of bands at Gazzari’s “on the Sunset Strip.” (only joints east of the Roxy measured up!).
Do you sell cars? Want to sell more? Grab your FREE Ultimate Social Selling Guide here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip
It’s been a tough week with the impact of COVID on all of us. As we begin the new year, we remind ourselves to find ways to make the best of things.
Do we detect a culture shift happening? Auto retailers are starting to realize that social media is social. We’ve seen some big “auto voices” promoting old tactics and sadly, dealers and others are listening. But for Kathi and Mike, we advocate employing new social media techniques that help the customer as much as possible…and that means being social. While we’ve been saying social media is social for a long time, it’s been a slow adoption. Today, dealers and SALESPEOPLE have the opportunity to make an impact. That impact means no more question about WHERE a customer is going to do business but WHEN they will buy from you.
Employee retention is crucial to future success. The shortages of quality people are happening now and will most likely get worse before they get better. We talk about simple ways to keep your awesome employees happy and engaged. We’d love to see the car business become a first career choice.
Get Kathi’s Social Selling Guide HERE.
Then we talk about the music styles that people would be surprised we are/were into.
It’s our last pod of the year, our first New Year as podcasters, and we sure appreciate you listening.
If you’ve spent any time online lately, you’ve likely seen a few photos of dealership addendum stickers in your feeds showing “Market Adjustment” amounts added to the price of a new vehicle. These “Market Adjustment” prices (see example HERE) are to accommodate for vehicle inventory shortages, which are common when demand outweighs supply - we just haven’t seen in the car business for a while. While this concept isn’t new, today’s version has some tricky outcomes. Kathi and Mike share their experience with Markups and the long term consequences for dealers and their customers.
If you haven’t seen Koda the Fluff’s trip to the dealership service drive, here you go: HERE.
In our never-ending quest to curate the BEST music related content…we’ve been watching a few music related documentaries. Here are links to the films mentioned in this episode:
Mr. A & Mr. M: The Story of A&M Records
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
The US Festival 1983 Documentar
And finally, the Super Dave documentary: The Super Bob Einstein Movie
This week, Kathi and Mike share their insights on the value of uploading images to Google Business Profiles (formerly known as Google My Business). Supported by insanely positive, data-backed evidence, it’s clear that when you, your customers and your employees add images to your profile, they are viewed by a large number of users, which increases your search visibility. We offer some motivational tactics for your sales team to help you increase sharing of photos, too!
Mike’s Riverside Cars and Coffee has become a phenomenon. It began with six cars showing up on a Sunday morning and has grown to hundreds of people bringing their classic cars out for everyone’s enjoyment. What a great way to support the community!
Check out Riverside Cars and Coffee on:
Instagram HERE
Website HERE
One of our favorite things to talk about is car salespeople getting more traction on social media in 2022. Don't forget to grab Kathi’s FREE social selling guide available HERE.
Then, we talk about attending live music shows going into 2022 and what an impact not being able to attend has had on us as music lovers. We are totally looking forward to the day when we can rock out again in person!
Have you ever needed something important done and thought, “I can do it myself!”? Well, Mike shares his story of living that reality and the perils that come with it. It brought to mind the pitfalls that retailers and their staff can fall into with social media. We tell a few “horror stories” and of course we share what to do instead.
A good social media manager is hard to find. Kathi and Mike talk about what to look for in a social media manager and how social has changed over the last few years making it more complex and even more difficult to navigate.
FREE STUFF:
- Get Kathi’s FREE Social Media Manager Job Description Guide HERE.
- Check out Kathi’s post on the 10 qualities of an extraordinary social media manager HERE.
Then, we chat about a new NBC sitcom series called, “American Auto.” Kathi watched the first two episodes and can safely say it’s a winner. Check it out HERE.
The GoGo’s played The Whisky last night. Alison Martino (Vintage Los Angeles) was there and shared a video on Twitter. PS: she’s a great follow: @alisonmartino
And finally, we celebrate the 42nd anniversary of The Clash’s epic album “London Calling” and the legacy that Joe Strummer left when he passed away at age 50 this week in 2002. We miss him!
It’s crazy to think about it but yes, we are still talking about social media fails. The reason we’re still talking about them is because they are still happening in automotive retail. Getting hacked is scary but if you’ve got a good social media manager who’s on their toes, (and a good social media policy in place) catastrophes can be avoided.
What about orphaned social profiles where the admin was an employee who is no longer with the company? Kathi and Mike share their tactics and solutions for getting (and keeping) your social media on track.
With digital retail evolving, now is the time for car salespeople to ramp up their efforts on social media. We share some of our techniques to help you build rapport with followers and turn them into customers. Kathi offers a FREE VIP Guide to Social Selling - you can grab it HERE.
Then, we share a few of our favorite 80s music shows/venues that impacted our lives. You don’t want to miss this!
Finally, Kathi found a great documentary called: “New Wave: Dare to Be Different.” It’s about the legendary radio station WLIR in NYC and how they broke so many UK bands into the US. Lots of 80s New Wave bands appear and are interviewed. Check it out HERE.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Turn and face the strange....
Geez, so much is happening with the automotive supply chain. Kathi and Mike discuss the short-term and long-term effects of vehicle inventory and how dealers are adapting their customer experience, both good and not so good, to keep up with the constant changes.
The “build-to-order” model is being talked about even more now, with some manufacturers implementing it. How will customers behave when offered a “build-to-order” car with its history of not working well on a grand scale? In our right-now world of Amazon, is waiting 6-8 weeks for a vehicle really feasible?
Also, sky-high prices now but what happens when the bullwhip effect bestows its magic? How will customers behave a few years down the road when they’ve purchased (and financed) their $69,000 vehicle today for $85,000? What does this mean for customer retention?
We’ve been busy consuming documentaries and books (in our spare time!). Here are the links to the highlights and recommendations we talk about in this week’s episode:
Lemmy: The Legend of Motorhead documentary: HERE
Woodstock 99 documentary: HERE
The Curse of Von Dutch: HERE
Miles Copeland book “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back”: HERE
PS: Would you like to learn on how to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport through existing connections...and sell more? Download your FREE Social Selling Guide today. HERE
Kathi and Mike cover the “new idea” of having a “social champion” at the store to collect and publish content that improves organic engagement on social channels. The catalyst for our discussion was a recent Automotive News article spotlighting a dealership who’s doing this and getting great results.
Note: We just have to say...that we’ve been advocating for this strategy for TEN YEARS. Why oh why did it take so long to become accepted?
Google My Business is renaming itself (again!) to Google Business Profile. We talk about its trajectory, why it’s so important to create and optimize your own, and the crazy AWESOME results Mike has achieved having been working in it for over ten years.
Then, we chat about the absolute debacle at Travis Scott’s concert in Houston TX. An ICU nurse who was rendered unconscious tells her story in a video (link below) and how she woke up then suddenly realized people needed help due to the inept “medical” personnel on-site. She went from nearly dead to becoming a hero within 30 minutes!
Spend a few minutes witnessing this nurse’s account of her harrowing experience HERE
There are many musicians HERE that call out bad behavior in their audience, some even stop their performance. But Mr. Scott not only didn’t stop or call out anyone, he went to an after party when it was all over. 8 people are dead, including children, and hundreds were injured.
We close with a nod to Spinal Tap, the greatest heavy metal band to ever live, being interviewed in 1992 on Good Morning America HERE.
PS: Would you like to learn on how to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport through existing connections...and sell more? Download your FREE Social Selling Guide today. HERE
Kathi and Mike talk about a situation that happened last week and all dealers should take note: Keeping a close watch on vendor activity around digital assets. We explain what we found and provide ways to prevent situations like this from happening to you.
Here’s a link HERE to the Facebook Pixel Helper extension we mentioned so you can do your own reconnaissance work.
We also talk about (squeeeee!) The Go-Go’s being inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame! This pure Los Angeles band is both Kathi’s and Mike’s favorite - they are from our ‘hood!
Resources to check out:
Kathy Valentine’s book: All I Ever Wanted” HERE
Gina Schock’s book “Made in Hollywood: All Access With the Go-Go’s” HERE
The Go-Go’s Documentary HERE
The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is on HBO and airs November 20th! HERE
PS: Would you like to learn on how to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport through existing connections...and sell more? Download your FREE Social Selling Guide today. HERE
A lot of consolidation happening in auto retail - lots of buying and selling of dealerships. Many buyers talk about needing a "cultural fit" before they buy, but what are they willing to do to keep to that promise? We'd love to hear about some real strategies and applications of a "cultural fit."
What would happen in auto retail if we had a customer-centric, employee-centric culture?
Then we talk about the effect of inventory shortages and the trade cycle and long-term effects of current practices.
We also touch on dealer/manufacturer relationships, how they've changed over the years and what could be done to support dealers more. How do private owners get heard when public companies have such a large footprint and voice?
Music Notes:
INXS documentary "Mystify - Michael Hutchence" (highly recommend) HERE
"Live Baby Live" (INXS) HERE
Val Kilmer documentary "Val" (highly recommend): HERE
PS: Would you like to learn on how to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport through existing connections...and sell more? Download your FREE Social Selling Guide today. HERE
It's Mercury Retrograde and that means transitions! We are definitely in the middle of some things.
Shifts in the car business accelerating with supply chain issues. Going into the end of the year is not great but second quarter '22 should see some rebound (hopefully sooner!). Demand is driving orders and production will ramp up, then we'll need more transitions when things level out.
Are transitions creating new auto retail business models? The car business is still driven by impulse so how does the strain on 'right now delivery' effect how we do business?
Music Notes:
Kathi: Highly recommend The Style Council documentary: Long Hot Summers. And if you haven't seen it, check out The Jam documentary: About a Young Idea. Paul Weller transitioned from The Jam to The Style Council, which caused a lot of upheaval.
Link to Long Hot Summers documentary: HERE
Link to The Jam: About a Young Idea documentary: HERE
Mike: Ministry, New Order and others had side projects. So much creativity for just one band. Tears for Fears in their song, "Sowing the Seeds of Love" called out The Jam/Style Council transition: "Kick out the style, bring back the Jam." Link to Sowing the Seeds of Love (the line we mention is at 1:20): HERE
PS: Would you like to learn on how to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport through existing connections...and sell more? Download your FREE Social Selling Guide today. HERE
Mike talks about his awesome monthly event Riverside Cars and Coffee. Hot Rods, muscle cars and coffee - what more could you want? Visit Riverside Cars and Coffee Instagram for more info: HERE
Then, we chat about the value of welcoming local car clubs and other groups to the dealership for MORE exposure. Bringing customers to the store is always good. In fact, Service Clinics were once common and could now be a renewed way to bring more people to the store. What could these events do to help differentiate the store in a competitive market?
X is playing their entire album "Los Angeles" at the Greek Theatre in October.
We also talk about Neil Diamond. Where else will you hear a discussion about X and Neil Diamond on the same podcast?
Cool things to check out:
AppleTV "Watch the Music" with Mark Ronson: HERE
PS: Would you like to learn on how to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport through existing connections...and sell more? Download your FREE Social Selling Guide today. HERE
Our second chat and we are getting better at this! Join Kathi and Mike for some great auto biz talk! We hope to inject a little humor to make our lives more enjoyable...and hopefully yours!
In this episode:
- Digital Retailing/Operational processes changing in auto retail.
- Consumer shopping behavior changes and how operations must adapt to serve customers and employees.
- Training and educating employees to instill consumer trust.
- Todays' inventory shortages, how prices will change quickly and why to be hyper-aware so you don't lose money.
- Threats to the franchise dealership model.
- Mike's awesome Google My Business tips!
- And finally, our shared love of music and concerts that had an impact on our young lives.
PS: Would you like to learn on how to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport through existing connections...and sell more? Download your FREE Social Selling Guide today. HERE
In our first episode we talk about why we wanted to dip our toes into the podcasting waters and why we think car people might find our show interesting! A little background, some automotive stuff and a little bit of tunage thrown in!
PS: Would you like to learn on how to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport through existing connections...and sell more? Download your FREE Social Selling Guide today. HERE