Monthly Archives: May 2009

Automotive Retail BDC and Internet Departments – CRM Alone is Not Enough

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CRM software is only one component of Information Technology.

Information Technology (IT) should comprise all hardware and software data solutions; marketing and communication systems; and most importantly the design, testing, application and refinement of the methods of implementation.

In other words, IT is not just software and hardware, it is the central philosophy and methodology underlying the coordinated application of technological assets in the search for efficient growth.

IT Objectives:

Maximize capitalization of internet prospects
Maximize capitalization of global corporate data
Minimize Internet and/or BDC departmental overhead
Reduce third-party lead referral costs
Increase captive lead frequency
Strengthen ancillary revenue streams – parts, service and merchandise
Exploit horizontal market opportunities

As such, a CRM platform cannot not be considered – in itself – an efficient vehicle for growth. Rather, the coordination of CRM with all other IT assets, in concert with a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy – across all franchises (and beyond) – remains the key to attaining and sustaining a superior level of efficient growth.

With this in mind, the evaluation of any piece of hardware or software should include it’s ability to:

Work properly
Accommodate strategic goals and processes
“Talk” to other systems
Adapt
Be easy to use and understand
Work quickly
Work securely and privately

With regard to personnel, the ideal IT manager should not only possess a reasonable knowledge of hardware and software systems, but also a strong grasp of the retail marketplace, in addition to marketing and communications strategies. The IT manager will consolidate all technological assets and (working in conjunction with the principal(s)) develop new strategies facilitated via this nascent consolidation of datasources and communications systems.

Moreover, the IT manager is the most important piece of the puzzle; for it is through this key employee that all data and communications pass, all systems unite; and the successful, efficient utilization of this amalgamation via strategic marketing initiatives is dependent. No other single employee has the potential to control so much, and through doing so contribute so much.

In closing: Where most have welcomed and quickly capitalized upon technological advances in communication, the automotive retail industry – obstinate and myopic – has barely capitulated. Hence, the opportunities just over the horizon may be considerable for those who endeavor.

Watch Out For eBay Automobile And Computer Scams

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There aren’t that many scammers on eBay ? but the ones there are tend to be greedy. This means that they will always try to pull their scams on high-value items like cars and computers, so that they can make a lot of money quickly. Since buyers generally buy these items very rarely, they may not know about the various scams out there.

Automobile Scams.

With cars, you will generally find that scammers try to get you to send them money in advance, for whatever reason. For some reason, some people aren’t all that reluctant to pay 50% or 25% of the money before delivery using a relatively insecure payment method, especially on a car. They reason that the seller will obviously deliver it, as they’ll want the other half of the money.

But there never was a car! Pictures of cars aren’t hard to find, and the experienced scammers will have a whole library of pictures of different cars. The seller just got your $5,000 for nothing, and you can leave them all the negative feedback you like. They’ll just go and open another eBay account and find their next sucker.

While it’s not an outright scam, what you might find is that the car does turn up, but simply doesn’t live up to the description ? it has been oversold, in the tradition of used car dealers through the ages. If this happens to you then you should open an eBay dispute and say your item was not as described ? you might get a partial refund.

Computer Scams.

If you bid in a computer auction but don’t win, the seller might email you to ask whether you would like to buy a computer the same as the one they just sold through their own website.

This is a bad idea! You have no guarantee that the item will ever arrive, and you haven’t just given them your money ? you’ve given them your credit card details too.

There are sellers with nothing but positive feedback who use this scam often ? and since you won’t be able to leave them any feedback on the transaction, their reputation will stay that way. If you complain to eBay that you bought an item outside the site and got scammed, they will tell you to get lost and not do it again.

How to Beat the Scams.

There are lots of ways to beat the scams. First, whenever you buy anything expensive, be sure to check your seller’s reputation thoroughly. Make sure they have sold items of a similar high value before, and haven’t just sold a string of $10 items to get their feedback rating artificially high. If you want to be even more cautious, insist that the money is placed in an escrow service (eBay recommend escrow.com ? don’t use any other service unless you’re sure of it).

To be honest, it’s generally quite a bad idea to use eBay to buy things like cars and computers to begin with ? you can get them anywhere, and the discounts aren’t that big any more. It’s better to use eBay for those rare, special things that you can’t find anywhere else. The next email will give you some tips for buying collectibles.

What To Look For In A Full Coverage Automobile Insurance Quote In Florida

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Compared to most other states, Florida actually requires very little from its residents when it comes to the automobile insurance they are required to purchase if they wish to drive a vehicle on a public roadway in Florida.

If you have a good driving record you can legally drive your automobile in Florida if you purchase just $10,000 of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage and another $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL) coverage. If your driving record includes a crash or if you have gotten speeding or other tickets the state is allowed to force you to also buy Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance before you can legally drive.

What does this minimum insurance cover? Not much, really.

Personal Injury Protection ? PIP coverage ? covers medical expenses for anyone in your vehicle if you are in a crash regardless of whose fault the accident is. If you’ve been to a doctor or spent even one night in a hospital or made even one visit to the ER in the past year then you know that $10,000 in insurance coverage will barely cover the cost of a scratch to someone’s upper arm, let alone anything even remotely serious.

Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance covers the repair or replacement of the other person’s car and certain other property due to a crash, regardless of whose fault the accident is.

Again, $10,000 will barely cover the replacement of a bumper on many of today’s high-priced cars.

Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance covers the medical expenses of anyone in the other car if you are in an accident. This insurance also pays for certain legal expenses if you are sued following an accident. Considering today’s medical costs you may wish to consider carrying as much BIL insurance as you can afford, especially if you have a home or other assets which you could lose in the event of a lawsuit.

If you want your automobile to be repaired or replaced in the event of an accident you need to purchase two additional insurance policies ? a comprehensive policy as well as a collision policy.

As the name implies, collision insurance protects your vehicle in the event of a collision with another moving vehicle or with a stationary object, such as a tree or a light post or a guardrail. If your vehicle’s engine is running and your vehicle is moving when an accident occurs, then your collision policy will cover the cost to repair your automobile up to the limits of the policy or up to the Kelly Blue Book value of your automobile.

Comprehensive insurance covers repair or replacement of your vehicle if it is damaged by an “Act of God” ? such as a tree branch crashing down on it during a storm ? or if it is damaged by vandalism. Your comprehensive insurance also covers you if you hit a deer or other animal which causes damage to your vehicle.

So in Florida what you want to look for in a full coverage automobile insurance quote is:

? Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance
? Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance
? Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance
? Collision Insurance
? Comprehensive Insurance

Now you know exactly what to look for in a full coverage automobile insurance quote in Florida. The amount of each type of insurance that you choose to carry should be based on your personal assessment of the risks that you face each day, the cost of the insurance and the assets which you wish to protect.

Getting the best deal on full coverage automobile insurance in Florida is a matter of determining what you want in a policy and then comparing the price for that policy among all of the insurance companies in Florida. The best way to do that is through the multitude of automobile insurance comparison websites on the internet.

Just remember that since no one comparison website makes comparisons between all of the automobile insurance companies operating in Florida you really need to spend the extra time to make your comparisons on at least 3 different websites.

Once you’ve done that then basically all that’s left is to choose the best price that you find. Happy hunting!

Automotive Experts List Cool New Rides Under $18,000

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With the average price of a new vehicle passing $25,000, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing you have to spend a small fortune to drive anything worth writing home about. Unless you’re all about impressing your friends, neighbors and co-commuters with the size of your monthly payment, the entry end of the market is filled with a higher concentration of cool cars, trucks and SUVs than ever.

After putting together a list of all the vehicles available for less than $18,000, the editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com then picked the 10 coolest. Instead of reporting based on vehicles’ Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRPs), the list is based on each model’s New Car Blue Book value, the price buyers are typically paying in the market. Your actual payment will be determined by the down payment on the vehicle and the finance rate.

The Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000

• Toyota Yaris-With a long history as a best-seller in Europe, the Toyota Yaris migrates to the U.S. as the least expensive vehicle in the Toyota lineup. Sporting unusually cool styling, Toyota quality and a 34/city and 40/highway MPG rating, the Yaris’ value more than exceeds its under-$12,000 starting price.

• Scion xB-The xB has proven to us that, these days, it’s cool to be square. Not only does its slab-sided styling set it apart, but its boxy dimensions also mean this diminutive and fuel-efficient vehicle is a surprisingly commodious hauler of people and stuff.

• Dodge Caliber-Caliber changes the small-car game by offering a larger, more flexible interior filled with way-cool features like an air-conditioned storage bin to keep drinks cold, rear speakers that flip down to project outward from the open tailgate, a 110-volt outlet for powering small electronics and a self-charging flashlight.

• Kia Sportage-When buying your first SUV, bang-for-the-buck is a very cool thing to find. Pricing out the Kia Sportage is almost fun when you get to include a sunroof, a great stereo and a tire pressure monitor all for under $16,500.

• Chevrolet HHR-As cool as the 1940s-style exterior is, the Chevrolet HHR is equally cool for its efficient use of space and worthwhile features like remote start and the increasingly requisite iPod connector. It offers hauling ability like a compact SUV, yet it handles like a car.

• Ford Fusion-Size does matter, so getting a well-styled, contemporary midsize sedan with the roominess and comfort of the new Fusion is cool. Even better is the unexpected level of equipment for the price, including remote keyless entry, tilt steering wheel and cruise control.

• Nissan Frontier-Utility is in, and nothing’s more utilitarian than a pickup. The Frontier backs up its sharp styling with excellent ride and handling.

• Mazda3-Available as a hatchback or sedan, the Mazda3 is a deft one-two punch to the compact-car segment. We can’t decide which model we like better, but the combination of fine driving dynamics, upscale interior and arresting looks make this a “cool cars” list repeater.

• Honda Civic-You know how U2 were cool, then in the mid-90s they weren’t so cool, and now they’re as cool as ever? Well, the Civic has traveled a parallel path to regain its stature as arguably the finest economy car ever built–and cool once again.

• Scion tC-If you’re cool enough to appreciate it, the slick styling and fashionable features in the tC deliver Lexus-like technology in an affordable package. This year, the improved audio features stand out, including steering-wheel gauges and iPod connectivity.

How To Save Money And Get Discount Automobile Insurance In Nevada

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Let’s face it ? the cost of automobile insurance in Nevada is high and it’s not likely to get much lower any time soon. This has sent many Nevada drivers scrambling to find ways to save money and get discount automobile insurance here in Nevada.

If you are a young driver, still in school, you know how expensive your auto insurance can be! One way to keep your premiums low is to stay in school and get good grades ? most auto insurance companies in Nevada offer some form of a Good Student Discount. If your school offers driver’s training ? take it. Most companies also discount your premiums if you have successfully completed an approved driver’s training course.

If you own two or more cars it usually pays to insure all of them through the same company. Most companies offer what is known as a multi-car discount. Keep in mind that if you also have your other insurance policies ? such as homeowner’s or health ? with the same company you should be entitled to a multi-policy discount. Combining one discount on top of another can save you some real cash over the long run.

Maintaining a good driving record is the best way to keep your rates down. Drunk or reckless driving convictions will shoot your rates sky-high. Also if you are a non-smoker you can also often get a break on your car insurance.

If you only drive your car a few miles each day and then catch public transportation the rest of the way in to work, or if you carpool to work, talk to your agent about a low-mileage discount.

If you drive an older car that has a value of $1,000 or less, you may be better off dropping your collision coverage entirely as you will probably end up paying more in premiums than you would ever collect from the insurance if your car is damaged.

If you are still having trouble affording auto insurance then consider increasing your deductible. The higher your deductible ? meaning that you pay for fender benders and you pay a certain portion of any claim before your insurance pays the remainder ? the lower your premium will be.

If you are 50 or over you can probably qualify for a discount on your auto insurance of about 10% simply by completing an approved defensive driving course. Some defensive driving courses are even offered online, and some courses will even forward your completion certificate directly to your insurance company upon completion of the course so you can get your discount almost instantly.

The final tip is to shop around online. Prices for insurance policies ? even for policies that are almost identical ? can vary greatly from one company to another.

Auto insurance rates are a hardship for many Nevada drivers, but by structuring your policy to include only what is right for you, and by taking advantage of all the wide variety of discounts to which you may be entitled, and by carefully shopping around and comparing prices, you should be able to save money and get discount automobile insurance right here in Nevada.