Ever heard of Service Market Positioning? - November 2008, Dealer Marketing Article

Posted date: 09/26/2008
Ok, tell the truth – when you saw the title you just had to read this because you have never heard of Service Market Positioning (or SMP as I like to call it) before. You probably have never heard of it because I just made it up – so it's only fair for me to explain what it is and how it works and more importantly – how you can prosper from knowing it.

Basically, what I call SMP is an abstract definition of where you, or to be more clear your service department, stands in your marketpla ... Read More

Managing Fear - October 2008, Dealer Marketing Article

Posted date: 09/11/2008
Everyday I talk to dealers, general managers and service managers. It’s what I do, and have done for years. In the past few months or so though, I have noticed a definite change in the subject matter. Normally, we would talk about how to improve their service business, how to increase traffic, how to improve owner loyalty and how to add some more net profit to the bottom line. Now, the topics are the same, but the focus is on staying in business instead of improving; the conversation is laced wi ... Read More

How Much Money do you Make on an Oil Change? - September 2008, Dealer Marketing Article

Posted date: 08/13/2008
Dealers are constantly asking me how to increase traffic in their service drive, but when I tell them my answer – which by the way is very simple– they often get very defensive. You see, my philosophy on increasing service traffic is that if you want or need more customers, you have to get aggressive on your oil & filter change price. In fact, the exact price I suggest is $17.95. After they have a coronary and look at me like I'm an idiot, they begin their half-hearted attempt to prove me wr ... Read More

Press Release: Car People Launches Innovative Follow-up Program

Posted date: 07/18/2008
Daytona Beach, Florida, July 18, 2008 - Car People Marketing, an industry leader in dealership retention solutions, has launched its new CareMail program, a unique customer follow-up system design to reinforce the dealer/customer relationship to help strengthen loyalty and increase referrals.

CareMail consists of impactful letters and cards that are mailed to car buyers at strategic times during the ownership lifecycle to ensure maximum impact. Car People automatically fu ... Read More

Service to the Rescue! - August 2008, Dealer Marketing Article

Posted date: 07/08/2008
I don’t know about you but I am sick of hearing about the economy, the election, the war and the price of gas. So, how about this – let’s focus on something we can do – something that puts money in the bank at a time when we need it most. I mean, OK, maybe car sales stick right now, but I do know this - if people aren’t buying cars they need to have them serviced – and I think they need to have them serviced at your store. Wouldn’t you agree?

Here are three easy steps that I promise will ... Read More

Customer Retention: A Big Problem with an Easy Fix - July 2008, Dealer Marketing Article

Posted date: 06/06/2008
Over the years I have heard a lot of dealers and managers talk about how important customer retention is (or would be) to their store. They talk about how much more service business they would have or how many more cars they would sell and how much more profit they would make – if they could retain more of their new and used c ... Read More

Press Release: Car People & Wynn's Strategic Alliance

Posted date: 05/13/2008
Daytona Beach, Florida, May 13, 2008 - Wynn's Oil Company of Azusa, California, and Car People Marketing of Daytona Beach, Florida, have entered into a joint agreement to allow the Wynn's sales team to offer Car People's products.

"This agreement is a no-brainer for both companies," stated Randy Johnson, President of Car People Marketing. "Wynn's has an army of representatives across the country who have already earned the trust and respect of the service professionals at ... Read More

Quit Whining & Get A Ladder! - May 2008, Fixed Ops Article

Posted date: 05/12/2008
If you ask anyone in the car business they will tell you that things aren’t as easy as they used to be. The mortgage crisis, the election, the war, the price of gas, and, I think most of all, the media doomsayers have all taken their toll on the car business, both for sales and service – and that has effected our business. Dealers have changed from asking how can I make more money to how can I cut expenses. The fact is, in any business (especially the car business), you have to change if you exp ... Read More

Press Release: CPM Products Still Qualify for GM Co-op Funds

Posted date: 05/08/2008
DAYTONA BEACH, FL, May 8, 2008 - Recent changes to the General Motors co-op procedures have caused some confusion among GM dealerships across the country. GM dealers can rest assured that they are still able to receive 100 percent co-op reimbursement when they use Car People Marketing for their direct mail advertising needs.

It's an easy, efficient, and cost-effective process using Car People to create and distribute direct mail for GM Dealers. Car People works with dealerships to follow ... Read More

Press Release: Car People Marketing Unveils New Logo

Posted date: 04/03/2008
Daytona Beach, Florida, April 2, 2008 - Car People Marketing has put the finishing touches on its new logo in an effort to better reflect the company's branding and advertising. 

Rather than a complete overhaul, co ... Read More