Call 229-251-2462 or Email to: Thomas@Ieracitano.com 

You know how important the Internet (and your Internet Department) is to your dealership. If you didn't, you wouldn't be reading this. The biggest step in developing an Internet Department, or turning around an ineffective one, is to acknowledge that you don't know everything. Managing an Internet Department differs greatly from managing traditional dealership departments. There are specific skill sets and tactics required to make an effective Internet Manager and/or Dedicated Internet Salesperson. Identifying and developing those skills, and the best ways to apply them, takes time and effort. I've spent the last 10+ years researching, developing and perfecting methodologies specifically for Internet Departments. I have a proven approach that can help you identify the right personnel (both internally and externally), put them in the right structure for your dealership, and secure the services that give them the tools they need to be successful.

There are a few key elements to consider:

Do you know how to structure your Internet Department to make best use of your resources? Over the past 10 years I've built successful Internet Departments ranging from small (1 Internet Manager who is also the dedicated salesperson) to huge (5 Managers and 50+ salespeople). I take into account your location, sales and inventory volume, marketing strategy, financial and personnel resources and more to identify the best structure for your department. In addition, I will work with you to grow the department over time. Not ready to jump in with both feet and make sweeping overhauls or time/cost investments? No problem. I can help you start small, while building an effective core around which you can expend.

Do you know how to maximize your marketing budget? How big a part of your overall marketing budget is dedicated to electronic-based initiatives? If it is less than 10%, you are missing a huge part of your demographic. Most dealers spend more than 90% of their total marketing budget on traditional marketing campaigns (Print, Radio, TV). They do this despite the fact that Internet-based marketing is more targeted, cheaper, track able and flexible.

When asked why they don't spend more on such a crucial medium, most dealers say they are worried about losing money on endeavors that don't work, that they just don't know what works and what doesn't. I do.

I have worked as executives, managers and salespeople at the dealership level, and turned Internet Departments selling 4 cars/month and hemorrhaging money into cash-cows selling over 100 cars/month. I have spent the time and money to determine what is effective and what is not. You can benefit from the trial and error of over 10 years of experimentation with nearly every conceivable Web-based tactic and technique.

Do you have a dedicated Internet Manager? If so, how do they spend their time? First, you must have a dedicated Internet Manager. Managing an effective Department requires the time, effort and attention to detail that only a dedicated Manager can provide. Unfortunately, even dealers with a dedicated Internet Manager rarely make the best use of them. Most dealers waste their Internet Manager's time and effort by asking them to manage 10-20 vendors for services ranging from third-party leads and websites to CRM Tools and mass mail campaigns. That is a waste of their precious time. Your Internet Manager should be spending their time managing their sales team and working with customers...tasks that will MAKE YOU MONEY. Spending valuable hours managing the services that COST you money is wasteful and unnecessary. I can manage those vendors for you, freeing your Internet Team to focus on the tasks that MAKE you money (like sales and customer follow-up).

I can handle management and billing of any vendor who provides services to your Internet Department. Anything from dealership websites, CRM tools and Banner Advertising to Search Engine Marketing and Optimization, Third-Party lead sources, Mass E-Mail campaigns, Inventory Data Feeds, Portals and Marketplaces. You don't even need to start over with the services you receive. I can take over the vendor management without changing a thing (though I'll provide some recommendations for how to improve your current services).

I can put your Internet Marketing dollars to best use, using my knowledge and expertise to identify which products and services will be most beneficial based on your specific set of circumstances. In addition, I can save you money by leveraging the purchasing power of all of the dealers with whom I work. I can get more services at a lower cost than any single dealer could alone.

Are you sure your Internet Team Members have all of the knowledge and tools they need to perform to the best of their ability? I can build, or re-build, your internet department from the ground up. I can help you hire a manager with the right skill sets and train them and their dedicated salespeople in our proven and effective methodology to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of your Internet Department.

Is your current department under performing? I can take the personnel you already have and give them the tools they need to do their jobs better. They don't necessarily have to work harder...I can teach them how to work smarter. They'll sell more cars, make more money for you both, and be happier.

Did you Internet Department come with a manual? When you work with DigitalCarGuy.com, it does. I will provide your manager with an Internet Department Bible that acts as a manual for how to run the Department. It gives guidance on how to structure sales teams, how to organize leads and follow-ups, provides templates for e-mails and phone calls, and even charts what an optimal daily routine is for dedicated Internet Salespeople and Managers. Employee turnover is never a problem when you can give them documentation on how your Internet Department operates.

The truth is, there is no panacea, no magic formula. Each dealership and its specific set of circumstances dictate what approach will be most successful. I've worked with (and worked for) countless dealers in countless different situations. You can leverage my 20 + years of experience and benefit from my years of trial and error in determining what combination of services and methodologies will work for your dealership.

I can come to you for training sessions or simply help you re-define your approach and determine what services will make you more successful. I can be as involved as you'd like, working with your Internet Manager and salespeople on a daily basis, or simply aggregating your existing vendors to save you time and money on marketing and services.

Let me help you define (or re-define) your Internet strategy, ensure you put the right personnel in the right positions, ease the burden on your Internet Manager, help you make better use of your marketing budget,

and give your team the time they need to focus on what this is all about,

SELLING VEHICLES.