Alphadawg Blog

As a professional speaker, writer, and commentator, nothing gives me greater satisfaction than knowing something I did or a thought I expressed had an effect that motivated you to respond and take positive action. When writing my article, “The Elephant in the Room,” for Dealer Magazine’s Sept. Issue, I expected some comments, debates, agreements, and […]

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, Joel Casser, Rico Glover, and Bill Parlaman

If you know me, you know that I hate stats. I believe most stats are made up and created by individuals that want to influence the people receiving the stats. I’m not saying you should ignore stats altogether, but you should be skeptical and take a hard look at who is delivering the stats and […]

THE DAWG DOUBLES DOWN … from Jim Ziegler’s April 3rd, 2022 Newsletter, sign up for FREE email newsletter here … CLICK HERE The Alpha Dawg Doubles Down … Jim Ziegler is quiet, shy and introverted, humbled with humility.” … said no one ever. Don’t ask the man a question if you’re Not prepared to hear the answer. In […]

Consumers today have options at their fingertips and while the automotive purchase process has changed to meet these consumer needs over the past few years, what does this mean for the industry in the long run? Today on Inside Automotive, we’re pleased to welcome Jim Ziegler, automotive retail veteran, speaker, and President of Ziegler SuperSystems, to […]

ARE DEALERSHIPS OBSOLETE? This article is a collection of Ziegler’s opinions and his interpretation of current events as he sees and his conjecture of what it might mean. The Perfect Storm. It all began during the shut-in, locked down period of the Pandemic.  We’ll call it the ‘Amazon Effect’. Consumers discovered they could order products and […]

You should have seen it. It was gliding effortlessly above the rooftops. I even took a few photos of some trees and stuff in the backyard. When I opened that present on Christmas Day, I knew it was going to be a life-changer. Much better than the socks, underwear, sleeveless jacket, Copper Fit gloves, and […]

Oh no! Not again, another article about Google My Business (GMB), and even worse, this one by Jim Ziegler, who is not a recognized expert on Google protocols. If we want to hear anything about GMB, we’ll go to Greg Gifford, George Nenni, or any one of a hundred other credentialled recognized agencies and experts […]

Is it possible that Vendors give Car Dealers Fake Data disguised as proof that their products and services contribute to increased sales and profits? In recent years we’ve heard many politicians calling out “Fake News” to the point that almost every debate and speech has people working in the background calling themselves “Fact-Checkers.” Just a […]

Ziegler talks about how your dealership can survive the coming crash In the children’s story of Chicken Little, a paranoid hysterical chick runs through the town screaming that, ‘The sky is falling,’ after an acorn fell on his head. Even though I believe I am the Paul Revere of the auto industry, writing articles and […]

The Dramatic Changes to Make Right Now The time for dramatic changes is now. You have no choice if you intend to stay in business. Resisting the inevitable is stupid. The winners will not just be the ones who go with it, but the ones that embrace it and get ahead of it. There was […]

Did You Bump Your Head? We’re all in this game together, and regardless of which team you’re playing on, never lose sight of the fact that it’s just the game, and in the end, we’re all still friends. In the South where I was raised, there are two veiled insults reserved for someone who has […]

I’ve heard people say he was a legend, the ‘Godfather of Automotive Digital Marketing,’ and a pioneer in modern BDCs. Yes, he was all of that and more, but to me, Ralph Paglia (pictured) was my friend. It was one of those names, like Cher or Nixon. When someone in the car business said, “Ralph,” […]

10 Changes Dealers Must Make in 2021 In 1980 John Lennon wrote the song, “Beautiful Boy,” about his broken relationship with his young son. The lyrics he penned resounded and hit so many of us with the raw truth behind the words. Lennon wrote and sang, “Before you cross the street, take my hand. Life […]

It’s nighttime here on planet Mars, November 15, 2030. I am sitting here speaking to my voice word processor as I am sipping on a Piña Colada, and yes, this is the life. Sitting comfortably on the enclosed balcony of my apartment here at the Elon Musk Villages Retirement Colony on Mars, my wife, Debbie, […]

Ziegler cites his ability to change and evolve as the catalyst for who he is today. That is also your ability – to change direction, adapt, and create a new dealership model. Those of you that have known me through the years, know many of the processes and techniques the entire retail car business uses […]

I am greatly saddened as I sit here pouring my thoughts into my keyboard. I’ve written numerous articles through the years detailing the fall of Cadillac, an American luxury icon. A voice inside my head keeps screaming, “Why?” I am about to rant an outpouring of my personal opinions, emotions, and perceptions as I have […]

How is Carvana drawing investors with a losing proposition? The Alpha Dawg blames short sellers and the shortsighted. As Mark Twain once said, “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” In recent years, the retail car business has been invaded, infiltrated, and infested by armies […]

Ziegler blames the ongoing theft of your customers’ personal, private information by nefarious marketers in part on factory co-op programs, which limit dealer choice and vendor competition. Let me begin by pointing out the fact that I was writing and speaking about the corruption in the factory executive ranks long before it came to light. […]

Those of you who have followed my speeches, blogs, social media posts, and articles over the last 25 years know there are two things I really enjoy: The first is crowing about predictions I’ve made when the rest of the industry was going the other way. The second is manufacturers and vendors out for making […]

See 20 top experts on stage, every aspect of Internet and Technology Sales and Marketing, Phone Skills, BDC Skills, Video Response Experts, SEO/SEM/,Website Conversion, Artificial Intelligence Marketing, Social Media/Facebook Marketing, Google Adwords, Phone Skills, Conversion. The Best Event of its kind. Early Bird Tickets only $250 a student, Dealers and GMs attend Free. Early Bird […]

Jim Ziegler shares his thoughts about the future of the auto dealer industry at the annual Brady Ware Dealership Conference.

YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN RIGHT? ****************** ZIEGLER’S FAMOUS AUTOMOTIVE MANAGERS WORKSHOP The Dawg Sort of Promised to Debbie Ziegler that He Wasn’t Ever Going to Do This Again…. BUT, there is a really HUGE NEED to get this information recorded on Video to Share With Dealers and Managers for Years into the […]

AUTO DEALER UNIVERSITY If YOU need training in every department of your dealership, top level, relevant training, YOU need to call David Villa and get a demo on this incredible package. CALL DAVID VILLA PERSONALLY FOR NO-OBLIGATION DEMO OF THE PROGRAM AT (813) 463-4044. THAT’S HIS PERSONAL NUMBER.

AUTO DEALER UNIVERSITY If YOU need training in every department of your dealership, top level, relevant training, YOU need to call David Villa and get a demo on this incredible package. CALL DAVID VILLA PERSONALLY FOR NO-OBLIGATION DEMO OF THE PROGRAM AT (813) 463-4044. THAT’S HIS PERSONAL NUMBER.

When young Forrest Gump first met Jenny, sitting side-by-side in the school bus, she asked him, “Are you stupid or something?” To which Forrest replied, “Mama says stupid is as stupid does.” I wonder what Jenny would have said if she had met little Alan Batey on the school bus — or, for that matter, […]

In this powerful video interview, Jim Ziegler, The #AlphaDawg, makes an unscheduled, unscripted, impromptu phone call to his friend, David Villa, at Imperial Press Direct in Tampa. The problem that started the ball rolling is that so many Car Dealers were asking Jim about Direct Mail Marketing for their dealerships. Some dealers are getting really unbelievable […]

They tell us vehicle subscription programs are the next wave of the future — that they are going to round up all those millennials and lead them into dealerships. Volvo, Cadillac, Lincoln, and Hyundai think so, and virtually every other manufacturer is getting set to follow their lead. But lurking in the background are the usual suspects […]

Internet Battle Plan XXIV, MOTOWN MAGIC IS CONTRACTED AND SET… We are on at Greektown Hotel and Casino in Detroit, August 7th and 8th! Register now: www.internetbattleplan.com Jim and Debbie Ziegler are proud to announce we’re bringing it back to Detroit… August 7th and 8th at the Greektown Hotel and Casino www.InternetBattlePlan.com THIS IS the […]

Jim Ziegler, CSP, HSG, The Alpha Dawg interviews Joe Neiman and Mike Waterman from ACV Auctions about the services and value that ACV Auctions brings to automobile dealers.

A professional juggler once told me that the only way to learn to juggle six balls at the same time is to try to juggle seven. In today’s retail environment, the position of general manager requires specialized expertise and diversity of knowledge. It is not uncommon for a qualified GM to command an annual income […]

THE BOGUS APPLICATION OF ATTRIBUTION AND INFLUENCE  I probably speak to more than 100 Car People every week on the phone AND dozens more on the keyboard. What is So Amusing is when Dealer principals and General Managers ask me my opinion of “Attribution” and “Influence”. “Attribution and Influence” are the new age ‘Buzzwords’ of deception some […]

Jim and Debbie Ziegler are proud to announce we’re bringing it back to the Beach in February… February 12th-13th at the Marriott Suites, Sand Key, in Clearwater Beach, Florida. NEW BLOOD… ******************************* It was a painful revelation for the Dawg when I realized almost every conference was putting the same speakers on stage over and over […]

PROUD TO ANNOUNCE ***************************** Jim Ziegler’s Dynamic Road to Sales and Success “Pay-Per-View” Automotive Sales Training Online. HERE’S THE BEST PART… IT’S AFFORDABLE. IN A LOW-COST PAY-PER-VIEW FORMAT THAT ANY SALES PERSON CAN EASILY AFFORD. 10 Years Ago I performed an 8 Hour Automotive Sales Training with a Live Audience of More than 300 Managers […]

Dear Friend in Automotive: I am writing this letter to appeal to my friends in automotive to HELP my friend Ariel Velazquez. Ariel is an extremely competent Car Guy with skills in every aspect of our business. Ariel lives in Puerto Rico and his life has been devastated by Hurricane Irma. He is fluent in […]

DALLAS — Organizers of the upcoming Compliance Summit announced that Jim Ziegler, president of Ziegler SuperSystems, will deliver the event’s keynote address. Compliance Summit will be held Sept. 11–12, 2017, at Dallas’ Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, as part of Industry Summit. In his first-ever Compliance Summit appearance, Ziegler will present “The Shape of Things to Come” […]

It was only a few months ago that every expert, analyst, automobile industry pundit and alleged researcher was predicting numbers as high as 20 million new-vehicle sales in 2018. What were these fools smoking? They can’t all live in Denver, can they? The Trump election should have taught the world that you can’t trust polls […]

I once again find myself in a reflective mood. Been doing that a lot lately. People keep telling me the industry is changing, and the disruptors keep taking shots at the dealers and traditional processes. At heart, I am a car guy. But if the truth be known, I still reminisce about the magical days […]

In an era where manufacturers and hostile vendors are telling dealers to reduce salesperson pay plans, I can name 30 to 40 people off the top of my head who are making more than $40,000 a month selling cars. And they’re doing it in all kinds of markets.These individuals come from all backgrounds, are of […]

Internet Battle Plan 22  

Little Jimmy Ziegler was only 7 years old, but I still remember it vividly, as if it were only yesterday. It was Grace Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Fla. We were performing a reenactment of the biblical story of Joshua at the Battle of Jericho for the entire adult congregation. We were dressed in robes and […]

If you don’t know who Larry, Curly and Moe were, you might be a millennial. Early in the morning or late at night when I’m scanning through the upper tier of cable channels, I still sometimes come across an old “Three Stooges” short. And I can’t turn away. These guys were masters of slapstick, an […]

Fasten your chin straps and check your seat belts, car people. The ride is about to begin, and there’s no turning back. Every party has to end sooner or later, and we’re overdue. All the signs have been flashing for months, but too many of us ignored them, and now the reckoning has arrived. It’s […]

Excuse the bad English, but sometimes it’s just fun to say the word “ain’t.” It takes me back to my redneck roots, before I became the sophisticated, genteel socialite you know and love today. In researching this article, I read dozens of blogs and news items talking about the future of our industry. The overwhelming […]

After 41 years in this business, I must admit I was naïve about dealership service when I visited my local Ford dealership for an oil change. After all, the sign on the building said “Quick Lane.” I was gobsmacked when they told me it would be a four-hour wait for a simple oil change. They […]

THANKS FOR ATTENDING TODAY’S WEBINAR HERE IS THE LINK FOR THE REPLAY IF YOU’D LIKE TO SEE IT AGAIN OR SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND CLICK HERE FOR REPLAY The DealerOn Webinar with Eliana Raggio today was a huge success… “Jim Ziegler Lays Out the Pathway to Management in the Car Business” VISIT OUR WEBSITE […]

It’s a new month and a new attitude in the car business, where sales have noticeably slowed down in recent weeks despite a rising economic tide. I keep trying to tell the industry that the two are not necessarily entwined. The issue here is good, old-fashioned saturation. You can’t keep on pumping 60 million new […]

It’s almost more than my heart can stand. As I sit here late at night in my darkened office, the Super Bowl is over and I am emotionally drained and stressed. A week before the big game, Debbie and I returned home from the NADA Convention in New Orleans, optimistic but concerned. I’m still trying […]

Historians have put the story to bed and closed the book. I say, however, that only the most ignorant and naïve among us could actually believe that a lone gunman — particularly a bitter, delusional nutcase like Lee Harvey Oswald — could have pulled off the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I just read […]

To be frank and borderline crude here, most of you dealers are pissing your money away. You are totally ineffective and inept with your advertising dollars. I’m told that automotive advertisers spent more than $4 billion on paid search in 2016. Most of that went to Google. From everything I’ve been able to glean, I […]

Flash back to Alec Baldwin’s classic sales speech in “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Everyone remembers when Jack Lemmon said, “The leads are weak.” That was one of the most brutally tense scenes in movie history, ending with the famous line, “Coffee is for closers.” I have recently seen repeated instances where automotive lead provider representatives are […]

Marketers have extended Black Friday through Sunday, which leads into Cyber Monday. The entire week following Thanksgiving has become the biggest engineered consumer shopping spree imaginable. In fact, some of the car manufacturers decided the entire month should be “Black November,” extending the sale to 30 days. Customers flooded the showrooms. Then, just when everything […]

It’s going to be the hottest game in town. The question is, will your dealership be sitting at the table or watching from the sidelines? I’ve been predicting for much of the year that used-car values would take a monumental dump in the fourth quarter due to the glut of off-lease and fleet units returning […]

  View and download the full class schedule for Internet Battle Plan XXI in ATLANTA at the link below! Internet Battle Plan XXI Class Schedule – PDF Internet Battle Plan XXI Class Schedule – Word doc

Several years ago, I got into a friendly debate with Bill Wittenmyer from ELEAD1ONE. Bill had just performed a dynamic presentation on “How to Market to Millennials” at an Internet Battle Plan conference. In my trademark devilishly antagonistic Ziegler fashion, I told Wittenmyer that Millennials were the most worthless, lazy, know-it-all, entitlement-based, unmotivated generation in […]

Did you hear those loud thuds? That was the sound of car sales hitting the wall in September and October. It’s the first week of November, and sales don’t look great this month, either. It’s amusing hearing people blaming the slowdown on pre-election jitters. Once it’s over, they say, everything will be great again. By […]

If you’ve never seen Meat Loaf perform live, there is a small vacuum in your life. He is one of the greatest recording artists of all time. His music, lyrics, and powerful message have been a huge influence on my life since the ’70s. His stage presence is unmatched. All his songs evoke powerful emotions […]

Even the best of us can fall into a slump. But when my friend Harry, a top salesman at his General Motors store in small-town America, messaged me through Facebook a few months ago, I could feel his pain through his words. “Hey buddy, I am in the worst slump of my sales life. I […]

I have been screaming it from the mountaintops for more than a decade now: “When you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.” Now it seems the so-called industry press is finally catching up with me. I have read several recent articles talking about the ongoing talent drain in the retail automobile business. Qualified leaders are becoming […]

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I’m sure you’re all familiar with the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Although more legend than truth, it’s based on events dating back to the Middle Ages, around 1284. As the story goes, the German town of Hamelin hired a piper who promised to solve it’s rat infestation by luring them into the […]

Whether he actually said it or not, one of Henry Ford’s most famous quotes is, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” When he was the president of Ford, Lee Iacocca and his staff played off that legend, finding equine names for new models such as the Mustang, […]

In the past 40 years, I’ve interacted with hundreds of thousands of car sales professionals who work for thousands of dealerships in 49 states. Every month, they start over again at zero, with this month’s hero going back to the starting line as a new race begins. Regardless of pay plans and how they are […]

I was sitting in a big comfortable chair in the mall just outside the second-level entrance to Macy’s department store. I was extremely lucky to have secured one of the big comfortable chairs, because every last one of them was occupied. There was a family of five sitting on the sofa, an old man taking […]

You’d have to have been in a coma since 1991 if you haven’t seen that clip from “A Few Good Men.” Tom Cruise is grilling Jack Nicholson in court. “I want the truth!” says Cruise, in the role of the smarmy lawyer. Nicholson, playing a battle-hardened Marine colonel, explodes. “You can’t handle the truth!” Classic. […]

Writing about leasing requires that I don several hats, as it’s important that I clarify the processes and move dealerships to a better strategic policy. When wearing my sales or desk manager hat, I need to know the best way to present my leasing vs. retail figures to a customer. I also need to know […]

View and download the full class schedule for Internet Battle Plan XX in Myrtle Beach at the link below! Internet Battle Plan XX Class Schedule

Life really sucks if you’re a salmon in the Upper Northwest. They’re just trying to get home to start a family. As if the journey wasn’t perilous enough, a long line of grizzly bears is waiting to eat two out of three of them before they get upstream. Poor bastards. Operating a dealership today is […]

They came dancing into our lives back in the mid-’90s and totally transformed our industry. In fact, I recall the first time I saw Autobytel exhibiting at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)’s convention. I shook my head and said, “That ain’t gonna happen.” Well, it did happen, and we all saw a growing parade […]

I have visited five cities in three weeks, traveling to the North, South, East and West through some of the worst and most erratic weather of the year. I went from warm weather with pollen raining down everywhere to the snow, cold temperatures and wet, windy weather of the Northern reaches and then back down […]

Party on, Garth! Light-vehicle sales showed a year-over-year increase of 8% in February. Of course, that’s coming off of a January in which winter storms ground sales to a halt. Still, statisticians, industry experts and analysts are predicting the possibility of a record-breaking 18.9 million-unit sales year. Of course, that’s assuming nothing goes wrong with […]

The car business is tough. The hours are long. We work nights and weekends. If you’re not here, you’re not selling cars. If you’re not selling cars, you’re not making a living. I’ve been in the retail side of this business for 40 years. I’ve seen many things change and evolve, but the extreme work […]

I’ve been writing about this for years. As a matter of fact, I’ve screamed it from the mountaintops until the echoes rang repeatedly around the industry. I’ve watched it gain momentum as a consortium of vendors, manufacturers and other assorted rogues and pirates dreamed and schemed up a plot to assassinate the F&I department. They’ll […]

Never let it be said that Nissan is warm and fuzzy with their dealers. I have written about this for years. But formerly loyal Nissan dealers aren’t just complaining to me privately. They’re talking to the media and they’re talking to their attorneys. They’re complaining about perceived abuses and oppressive factory programs. I believe these […]

For you sales managers out there, I bet you can remember the excitement you felt when you earned that prestigious title. But that feeling didn’t last long, did it? In fact, it probably came to a grinding halt. But not every manager experiences burnout. I know plenty of sales managers who matured into the position […]

In November, Debbie and I resumed one of our favorite holiday traditions: Thanksgiving at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee, Ga., about an hour’s drive from Atlanta. It starts the night before the holiday with the “Lighting of the Lodge” and the arrival of Santa Claus, accompanied by hotel employees dressed as Mrs. […]

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Brad Lea, RJ Grimshaw, Electricty hacker, ToTheTop, Gus Skarlis, Acir Brandão Jr, ThekingofMiamiRealEstate, fairperson, Walter @ volordkingdom, Jim Ziegler, and Ken Walls

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, David, عــلــي الـكتـبيـ., Jennifer Briggs, Elise Kephart , Bobbie Herron, laura davis, Patrick O’Brien, Dickie Travinski, and Justagirlsellingcars

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, Local Search Group, Rachael L Chadwick, and Jim Flint

Do you work for one of those dealerships that believes in this hype about it being impossible to make gross selling cars in today’s market. The manufacturers allows us to mark up new cars 3% to 5%, but then these overpriced vendors promise car buyers savings of $3,500 on a $20,000 car. Manufacturers aren’t completely […]

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, Jennifer Briggs, Elise Kephart , Bobbie Herron, and Ashley Mabery

Jim Ziegler and Debbie Ziegler and the entire Alpha Dawg Posse are coming to Houston with Internet Battle Plan XIX March 9th and 10th at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Houston, TX. 20 experts on Internet sales and marketing, SEO, SEM, video, youtube, BDC sales, phone skills, website conversion, and much more covering every aspect […]

We as Americans have always thought of ourselves as the good guys. That’s because our nation is founded on principles like truth, justice and the American way. So why is it that big companies and government officials seem to be blatantly violating this nation’s laws with little to no consequences? We saw it when Wall […]

I just spent two hours reading 30 pages describing General Motors’ new Factory Pre-Owned Collection, a program designed to open up the automaker’s remarketing channel to consumers through an online portal. GM dealers, you’re about to be royally screwed over on your last real profit center. The “Shop Click Drive” program, the car-buying service consumers […]

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, Chip King, Holly Markel, and Tom Harsha

Just a guess, but my observations tell me as many as half of the F&I managers working in dealerships have never attended F&I training classes. I would go so far as to say upwards of 90% of sales managers haven’t a clue as to how to properly disclose a contract or perform the detailed work […]

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, Greg Gifford, Jennifer Briggs, Bobbie Herron, and Shaun Raines

This is a replay of the live broadcast with steven healey and Jim Ziegler

My wife, Debbie, finally took a long-overdue trip to Phoenix to visit her sister. It was an opportunity for both of us to face our fears. She had yet to take a trip by herself since we got married. I hadn’t been home alone for more than 20 years. I arranged for transportation to and […]

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, Xiomara Mosley, Cory Mosley, CSP, Tracy E. Myers, Laurie Aiello, and Sean V. Bradley, CSP

It’s not a new problem. In fact, it’s been plaguing dealerships everywhere for as long as I’ve been kicking around the car business. And no matter how many times I call attention to it, I continue to see it happening in dealerships everywhere: Most deals that are blown and lost forever in a car dealership […]

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, David Blassingame, and Sean V. Bradley, CSP

In the television version of “The Incredible Hulk” back in the ’70s, Bill Bixby portraying Bruce Banner used to say the show’s famous tagline: “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” You won’t have to read between the lines or guess what kind of mood I’m in as I write this article. The Dawg is […]

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, Mat Koenig | KonigCo, Scott Pechstein, Bobbie Herron, Christopher Speer, Mike Davenport, and STEVE SIPES

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Jim Ziegler, David Cribbs, Steve Schukei, ben Tate, Shaka Dyson , Justin Collins, and F&IGuy

We as Americans have always thought of ourselves as the good guys. That’s because our nation is founded on principles like truth, justice and the American way. So why is it that big companies and government officials seem to be blatantly violating this nation’s laws with little to no consequences? We saw it when Wall […]

THIS COMING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16TH… It’s going to be Me, The Alpha Dawg, Jim Ziegler and my friends Shaka Dyson and Tony Dee will be performing our first broadcast in a continuing series of educational BLAB Broadcasts by the Jim Ziegler, the #AlphaDawg. For automotive retail professionals, we will be discussing “F&I, High Profitability, and Low Liability”. […]

If you have never read “Elvis Is Dead and I Don’t Feel So Good Myself,” do yourself a favor. It’s an incredible book by the late Southern humorist, Lewis Grizzard. You couldn’t live in Atlanta for the last 30 years and not be aware of our hometown boy and the wisdom of his writing. On […]

Picture this: It’s August 12, 2035. The time is 7:20 a.m. on Interstate 5 in Los Angeles. Thousands of cars sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic, just like any other day. Most of those cars are autonomous, self-driving, high-tech designs. Commuters are drinking simulated coffee beverages and working on their mobile devices, paying no attention to the […]

This was one of those spur-of-the-moment impulse decisions so many people make when the mood is right. Oh, I was going to buy a new car anyway. I had been planning on maybe September or October, but events and emotions caused a shift in plans. I have always taught that people buy emotionally and that […]

View and download the full class schedule for Internet Battle Plan XVIII in Detroit at the link below! Internet Battle Plan XVIII Class Schedule

It’s not a new problem, but the wholesale losses that have crept up on dealers in recent years have many of them caught up in a never-ending cycle of phantom profits, which disappear 60 days later when those trade-ins have to be disposed of at a loss because they didn’t sell. Much of the blame […]

I was taking a pleasant Sunday drive down a scenic Georgia highway with my wife, Debbie, and our puppy when, without warning, the Rav4 in the next lane swerved toward us, forcing me onto the shoulder. It’s not cool to piss off the Alpha Dawg. I stepped on the gas in hot pursuit, fully prepared […]

I love optimism as much as the next guy. The last thing we need in our business are perpetually negative people. I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. I’m an opportunist, in the best sense of the word. I try to stay rooted in reality and react appropriately for whatever the world serves up. […]

Experience the BEST and MOST COMPLETE On-Demand Automotive Training. Call Jim for a demo and presentation at 770-921-4440.

Jim Ziegler, The Alpha Dawg talks about the upcoming Dealer Socket CRM User Summit in San Diego at the San Diego Bayfront Hilton, August 18th-21st, 2015. Jim will be presenting a special session titled “My 50 Best F&I Closes”. http://www.UserSummit.DealerSocket.com

(770) 921-4440 #AlphaDawg Jim and Debbie Ziegler are bringing Automotive Dealers’ Internet Battle Plan XVIII to Detroit http://www.InternetBattlePlan.com , September 21st and 22nd, 2015. Top internet sales and marketing, SEO experts on stage, mobile and texting, BDC experts, like Sean V. Bradley, James A. Ziegler, Tammie LeBleu from Autoloop, Scott Pechstein from AutoBytel, Greg Gifford […]

Old school or new school, it doesn’t matter. I live comfortably in both worlds. But I can’t say the same for most dealerships. So I thought I’d provide a checklist designed to help general managers and dealers blend the best of both worlds to dominate in today’s hypercompetitive market. Now let’s get to it. If […]

It wasn’t that many years ago I was working with a Chevrolet dealership in Maryland training the sales and management teams on techniques and processes. There was one manager in particular — to this day, a great friend — who stands out in my memories from that time. His name is Ray, and he could […]

Forever the old-movie buff, sometimes I can’t help but relate fictional film characters to the reality of current events. Errol Flynn was a star before I was born, but I’m fascinated by his old movies. One in particular flashes to mind when it comes to FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne and his seemingly stressful effort to […]

Believe it or not, a lot of sales managers still ask me how much “leg” they need to leave in the payment for the F&I manager. In fact, as recently as last month, a manager messaged me to say that his general sales manager was demanding he leave a $30 a month leg in the […]

There’s a running joke in my family that I am our only Yankee, having been born in Philadelphia. But my parents moved to Florida when I was two years old and I have lived in the South ever since. So it truly offends me when people from other parts of the country make fun of […]

All it takes to sell anything to most car dealers is a report starting with the words… “Our most recent research shows that …” We are such suckers for misinformation disguised as valid research. All I have to say about that is my own research shows that most recent reports conducted and commissioned by vendors […]

If it wasn’t obvious to you by now, I am an avid fan of old spaghetti Westerns. In fact, my love of Westerns and their good-vs.-evil themes has inspired many of my speeches, articles and campaigns. And every one of them stress the virtue of standing up for idealistic values. We all know the good […]

In the movie “Jaws,” it was Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfus running around warning the citizens that the shark was still out there. Unfortunately, the town mayor dismissed them as alarmists and kept the beaches open until more of his tourists became shark food. Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton tried desperately to evacuate the town […]

General Motors says its Shop, Click and Drive initiative is designed to let consumers get online information on vehicles, pricing, incentives, finance and insurance products and trade-in value. Shoppers can pick a vehicle, apply for financing, then get their car. Despite the fact GM is building what I consider to be some of the best […]

“There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’” is a line from one of my favorite Bob Dylan tunes, “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” Well, there certainly was a battle raging last month when Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray went before the House Committee on Financial Services to deliver his semi-annual report […]

Nobody ever listens to the doomsayers. We’ve all seen the movie a million times. It starts off with the lone crackpot scientist trying to warn the world of impending doom. Nobody believes them until disaster strikes. Remember the dumbass mayor who kept the beaches open in “Jaws,” despite the protests of Richard Dreyfuss and Roy […]

I have always said that F&I is the most prestigious job in the dealership. It is important that we never lose sight of the fact that it is a sales position, not just a clerical necessity. We are neither clerks nor the sales manager’s secretaries. That’s why I despise when F&I professionals refer to themselves […]

I am writing this month’s column a few short days after the conclusion of the best, biggest and most upbeat and optimistic National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention I have attended in 10 years — and several hours after the most incredible, competitive, edge-of-your-seat Super Bowl in recent memory. What a rush! Now, like many […]

Am I the only one who hs a fundamental problem with Nissan‘s latest move to bring dealers into the U.S. from Mexico? Initially it’s Texas, California, and probably Florida, Illinois, Arizona, New Mexico, and then the rest of the country. Nissan is promoting Mexican dealer operators to own and run retail Nissan dealerships in the U.S. Now, […]

The worst day of every F&I professional’s life reoccurs every couple of months. I am talking about the day your dealer and general manager return from their latest 20 Group meeting. Sporting new golf tans and deep frowns, they come storming into the showroom Monday morning and go directly to the dealer’s office. You know […]

I’ve been working on this article off and on most of the day, and rivers of sweat and tears are running down my face. No, it’s not from the hard work. It’s the hot sauce. A few minutes ago, Debbie brought me a bowl of her wonderful, homemade-from-scratch chicken vegetable soup. You guessed it: I’m […]

Without exception, every sales department in every dealership in the world is underperforming in virtually every profit center. Even the stores that are dominating their market could use more sales, more frequent sales and higher grosses. I know that’s a bold statement to make, but it’s been proven over and over again. Think about it. […]

Third party Vendors are waking up to their worst nightmare. The party is almost over and we’re turning the lights on. They are in denial reminiscent of ‘Newspaper Advertising’ a few decades ago. Newspaper was the juggernaut, dominant, over-bearing, dictating, necessary, and way over-priced. At the end of the Newspaper Era, they were screaming they […]

For more than fifteen years we’ve watched AutoNation continually redefining their most recent redefinition. Although I generally hold CEO Mike Jackson in high regard, watching the country’s top dealership chain reversing and reinventing itself has been amusing, probably because of the high level of seriousness and intensity those involved place on every move. So, since […]

No matter how good you are, how hard you try to run an ethical and decent business, or how much you bend over backward to do the right thing, somebody out there is talking trash about you somewhere to someone. Customer satisfaction in the car business has become little more than survey manipulation. A couple […]

More than 100 dealership managers and industry executives traveled to Industry Summit 2014 in September to attend my super-intensified sales management event, dubbed “Profit Masters.” Bear in mind that the event occurred the day before the magazine’s annual conference. In other words, the people in the room flew in a day early to attend my […]

Why did the scorpion sting the frog that was helping it across the river even though the scorpion knew that would cause both of them to drown? Because the scorpion couldn’t help it; it was just his nature. Well, that sounds like Edmunds.com. It has stung dealers, again. It apparently can’t help it. The online […]

(This article appears in Inc. written by Paul Keegan and mentions Jim as a dealer advocate speaking out against TrueCar.) A few years ago, Scott Painter had it made. He was wealthy, handsome, and smart, a TED and Davos guy who hung out with Elon Musk and Richard Branson. “Everything in my life had gone […]

F&I Mastermind Seminar This course is taught personally by Jim Ziegler CALL JIM (770 ) 921-4440 F&I Mastermind is about product sales, processes and procedures aimed at High Gross Profitability with Zero Liability. Taught personally by Jim Ziegler. Featuring Ziegler’s definitive textbook on F&I Procedures – each student receives a 150 page, information intensive textbook […]

Jim “The Alpha Dawg” Ziegler is as close as it comes to a “living legend” as you can get. Jim is the founder of the “Internet Sales Battle Plan” and the “Ziegler Super Conference” two of the automotive industries top improvement workshops. He also is the founder of Ziegler Super Systems, his leading dealer consulting […]

Sometimes when you’re sailing in open seas on a clear star-filled night you forget to look out for icebergs. Mary Barra is at the helm of the General Motors ship speeding through unchartered seas. She’s competent, as is first officer Mark Reuss. But I have reservations about some crew members. A lot of industry news buzz is […]

If I were asked to describe the soundtrack playing in the background of my life, it would have to be “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO. You might recognize it from Kia’s “Hamsters” commercials a couple years back, or the oft-repeated chorus: “Party rock is in the house tonight/Everybody just have a good time.” The Kia […]

On September 29, 2014 Judge Alison Nathan of the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of over 750 plaintiffs suing Carfax over its anticompetitive practices in the vehicle history report (“VHR”) market. The decision affirmed Bellavia Blatt’s argument that Carfax’s conduct is unlawful under Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. […]

5:30 PM, directly following Day One of the Sales Management Super Conference, Tuesday November 11th The Cocktail Reception will be Sponsored by TrueCar featuring entertainment by nationally recognized party animal, deejay and celebrationist, Dan Blankowski. The evening will feature food and beverage and a Karaoke Competition brought to you by TrueCar. It’s Jim and Debbie’s […]

This is man is so incredibly bright he frightens a lot of people across a wide span of different industries. We are so focused on what impact Elon Musk ultimately will have on the car business that we miss the fact he is a super-achiever and a visionary. Don’t shoot the messenger. But I honestly […]

In Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” Robert Plant sings, “If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now, it’s just a spring clean for the May Queen.” More than a light dusting or even a major spring cleaning, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has our industry in the crosshairs, and it’s coming after […]

The 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger blockbuster “Total Recall” (and its underwhelming 2012 remake) is a futuristic fantasy trip centered around Rekall, a company that sells dreams so real they become actual memories. In the original, after a virtual trip to Mars goes awry, Arnold finds himself in a world of blurred reality as a fugitive, outlaw […]

I just returned home to Atlanta after a 2-day speaking adventure in Dayton and Columbus, OH. Still traveling 200 days a year, somehow I envisioned I would have slowed down by now. As I sat in the Delta Sky Club waiting for my outbound flight, I became acutely aware of the behavior of people around […]

I can’t tell you how many times in my 38-year career in the car business I’ve heard people talk about how everything is changing. Yet, so many things remain the same. Take these customer responses: “Is that your best price?” “I need to think about it,” or “The other dealer offered me a better deal.” […]

Hear this incredible episode where Jim offers up some great tips about what dealerships should be doing with online marketing in today’s fast changing marketing landscape. (Clicking below will take you to the Motorcar Marketing podcast page.)  

We’ve always known Bob Dylan was a friggin’ genius, but nobody ever realized his early song lyrics would double as cutting-edge future-casting commentary about the state of the retail automotive industry 50 years later. We find ourselves working in an industry that is moving fast, changing shape and morphing at light speed. With all the […]

“Whatever you think is gonna happen may not be the way it turns out.” I think Batman might have said that to the Joker once. Perhaps it was a Dirty Harry quote. Or maybe it was a one-liner subliminally recalled from a late-night rerun of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. I’m not really sure where I heard […]

“It’s the economy, stupid” was the powerful phrase that rallied voters during Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 presidential campaign. That single phrase focused the nation on one issue and made all others insignificant in comparison. It was a brilliant strategy created by the king of populist political sarcasm, James Carville. And it helped unseat George H.W. […]

Hello Friends and Fellow Speakers. It is with great sadness that I am leaving the National Speakers Association because of what I perceive as treacherous behavior by the current leadership, closed door decisions that should have been voted on by the membership, discussed and debated. This is the First NSA Convention I’ve Missed since 1996 […]

In the 1970’s tear-jerker movie “Love Story” starring Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw, the title song began with: “Where do I begin to tell the story of…?” Well, that’s exactly how I feel as I begin to write about some incredible things that are happening in our industry. Let’s begin with General Motors. A line from […]

In 1897, after a premature obituary for Mark Twain was printed in the New York Herald, America’s favorite writer and humorist responded by saying, “The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Well, actually, he said, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” And, actually, the Herald merely stated that Twain was “grievously […]

The first time I saw the band Devo was on “Saturday Night Live.” It was sometime in the 1980s, and they were mesmerizing with their robotic moves, conical hats, darkened goggles and heavily synthesized music. Then there was that chant: “Are we not men? We are Devo! D-E-V-O. We are Devo!” I’ve recently noticed a […]

General Motors is on the ropes, knees buckling, as it takes repeated body blow. The recalls keep coming. And the federal government’s $35 million fine is only the beginning of a series of escalating payouts before all of this passes. Someone told me GM will be fine. After all, it is sitting on a $35 […]

Close your eyes and pick a number between 13 and 500. Got it? Okay, now go before Congress and tell them how many deaths were caused by a defective ignition switch in your vehicles. I don’t envy Mary Barra. In a few short months, she went from newly minted General Motors CEO and media darling […]

Wondering what the heck was going on, my wife Debbie came running into my office with a panicked look on her face. Her concern turned to anger when she realized the yelling in the room was a celebration, not an emergency. No need to call 9-1-1. The thunderous noise was just me cheering as I […]

A recent conversation with a dealer reminded me of that scene in the movie Jerry Maguire when Cuba Gooding Jr. screams into the phone, “Show me the money.” The dealer was sputtering with rage after meeting with representatives from one of these online car-buying sites, which he said was directing his customers to other dealers […]

Erosion can affect every aspect of your dealership, from staff and processes to the very foundations of your business. The Alpha Dawg wants you to keep fighting. In every training situation I have ever conducted, I have repeated the same words to every audience: “In the car business, we don’t have a ‘knowing’ problem, we […]

I could swear we’ve seen this movie before. Or something a lot like it. Different actors but the same plot and basic script that has played out many times. It’s a rerun that conjures up visions of a squirming Ford CEO Jacques Nasser testifying before Congress in 2000, and later Ford having to admit that he “misspoke” […]

January was an emotional and physically challenging roller coaster for Debbie and me. The month started with my Internet Battle Plan conference. Then I had two in-dealership consulting visits before traveling to New Orleans for the National Automobile Dealers Association’s annual convention. The month also saw my hometown of Atlanta become paralyzed by an ice […]

I was watching television last week, sort of aimlessly flipping through the menu of channels, all 800 of them. You know the drill. I usually stop when I reach the upper tiers with programs from India and China. Then I start going the other way until I reach Channel 3. It’s hard to find good […]

A recent event made me think about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, the foul-tempered personification of blind fury who screams, “Off with their heads.” Of course, the Queen of Hearts is just a figment of Lewis Carroll’s imagination, and I’m certain he never met the Korean executive team over at Hyundai. Hyundai […]

Fiction is filled with stories about second-half comebacks. Rocky always gets his ass kicked for at least the first three rounds before he reaches deep down and pulls out a win. Come on, admit it. We all thought Ivan Drago was going to kill him. The turning point came when Rocky’s corner man shouted, “You […]

When Shakespeare wrote “Much Ado about Nothing,” he could have been referring to the feigned outrage following Jim Farley’s remarks recently at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Let me preface that Jim Farley, Ford’s global marketing chief, is my friend and one of my personal marketing heroes in our industry. Fortunately or unfortunately, […]

There’s something magical and mystical about New Orleans. I lived there for a year once. I was only 20 at the time, and every day was an adventure. Of course, I celebrated my 21st birthday on Bourbon Street. Young, dumb, intoxicated and … Well, you get the picture. Every fourth year, the National Automobile Dealers […]

I am writing this article to issue a warning to automobile dealers and virtually everyone who is employed by the retail automotive industry. Please bear with me and read this article in its entirety. The deeper meaning of the story at the beginning will become abundantly clear later in the text. It was Nov. 22, […]

Never has there been a more dedicated band of starry-eyed optimists than the surviving Lincoln dealers. These brave souls have jumped through every hoop and swallowed every bitter pill the manufacturer served with hardly a whimper. They put up the money and built the upgraded facilities, separated their showrooms, and upped their game in anticipation […]

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If you were to ask 1,000 people what James Bond looks like, most Baby Boomers would describe one of the actors who played him in the ’60s and ’70s, most likely Sean Connery. Some old timers might say it was Barry Nelson, who played James Bond in the 1950s TV series. Members of Generation X […]

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F&I Mastermind Seminar – Dec. 10-11 – More info.>> The F&I Mastermind is about product sales, processes and procedures aimed at High Gross Profitability with Zero Liability. Taught personally by Jim Ziegler, featuring Ziegler’s definitive textbook on F&I Procedures – each student receives a 150 page, information intensive textbook written by Jim Ziegler – not […]

One of John Lennon’s most relevant and thought-provoking lyrics can be found in the song “Beautiful Boy.” It goes: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Recently, that brilliant thought resurfaced, and its deeper significance was revealed to so many of us who missed it the first time around. See, […]

No challenge in life ever seems to show up at a convenient time. In my case, when you’re scrambling 200 days a year doing speaking engagements, as well as writing and consulting, you’re already spread thin. Never one to whine, the only answer has always been to deal with it, whatever it is. I just […]

I’ve been kicking around on this planet for more than 66 years now. I’ve taken every challenge and dare head-on. Nobody has ever thrown down a gauntlet I didn’t pick up. I’ve lived my entire life with the theme from “Rocky” playing in the background. You might say I am the ultimate competitor, the last […]

Jim Ziegler, the Alpha Dawg, is bringing the F&I Mastermind Seminar and The Automotive Sales Manager/Desking Seminars to Detroit in October… October 15th -16th The F&I Mastermind Seminar October 17th – 18th The Automobile Sales Manager/Desking Seminar Both Events at the MGM Hotel Casino – Detroit No matter what level of experience, these events will […]

Flying home from Las Vegas again. Another successful Internet Battle Plan Conference. I’m already planning the next one. Each time these events come to a close, I find myself in a most creative and innovative state of mind. This is when I usually reach back and find the inspiration to do new things and go […]

I have always been a sucker for music with a message and a story, especially tunes sung by individuals who lived a life that gives them the right to tell it. Being from the South, I was a Johnny Cash fan before the rest of the world caught on. In fact, if you get enough […]

2013 National Speakers Association Convention Review By Sean V. Bradley – PHL Chapter Member

I’m paralyzed with disbelief that the National Automobile Dealers Assn. has scheduled Hillary Rodham Clinton as the keynote speaker at its annual convention in January. Let me make it crystal clear: This is not an attack, but rather a criticism of an organization I love but I feel has lost its way on many levels. […]

Recent events are giving me flashbacks to Jim Ziegler, the hippie, circa 1973. Yeah, I’m talking about the long-haired, bearded, rock ‘n roll deejay. The Vietnam War was winding down and the country was polarized politically, culturally and philosophically. There was a popular bumper sticker that read: “Love Your Country, Fear Your Government.” As the […]

I was expecting this conflict more than a dozen years ago, which was the first time I began talking about it. I’m seeing dealer associations and their lobbyists getting ready for battle. And I predict this time we’re going to lose. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has turned its focus on dealer finance reserve, the […]

We are rapidly approaching the day when all of the nation’s car dealers will walk out to their henhouses and discover all their chickens are gone. I have been warning you for years this was going to happen. I’m sort of the Alpha Dawg version of Paul Revere. Did you listen? Did you take action? […]

Some dealers think they are paying for exclusive leads when, in fact, they are getting ones that are passed around and re-sold. A while back, I heard from a dealer complaining about Cars.com’s relationship with a company called RoadLoans. It since has become quite a stir. A lot of dealers have weighed in. Here’s their […]

A webinar featuring Jim Ziegler talking about his legendary sales and follow-up skills. In this session, the legendary Jim Ziegler discusses sales, prospecting and customer follow-up. In this content-rich 1 hour webinar, Jim shares word tracks, techniques and organization strategies that have earned him the title “The One-Man BDC”. Originally posted: http://www.dealeron.com/webinar/events/how-to-double-your-sales-in-half-the-time/

The Alpha Dawg talks about the Cars.com issue heating up.

Am I just stuck in time, or is the entire world caught up in an endless replay? It just seems like nothing is unique or new these days. It’s all just recycled news made by new players. I write that after watching a YouTube video of one of the greatest tunes, “Ball of Confusion.” It […]

Jim Ziegler and Tim Martell discuss the Cars.com controversy. When a consumer submits a lead on a paying dealer’s inventory, is it wrong for cars.com to feed the consumer the competition’s inventory too?

The Data-Pirates may be at it again. Check and see for yourself. Are renegade vendors putting your proprietary inventory on other websites you did not authorize? Do they have a legal or contractual right to do this?

Jim Ziegler has long been dealer advocate as well as a consumer advocate. In this video Jim expresses strong personal opinions about the recent conduct of Cars.com, a lead generation company in the automobile business. Cars.com, in Ziegler’s opinion, is creating confusion and distrust between their dealers and consumers. From a pure business viewpoint, Ziegler […]

There’s nothing the human race loves more than a war of epic proportions. Whether the battle is rooted in the struggle of good vs. evil, or the need to save the world from total destruction, we are drawn to it like moths to a flame. There’s nothing better than when the human race defeats the […]

Another milestone achieved, Zach moved out last week. Again. Parents with grown children will appreciate that we love our son dearly, but he now is in his early 20s, and it was time for him get his own place. I hope the fireworks display in his rearview mirror didn’t offend him as he drove off. […]

Was it really all that long ago that “The Macarena” swept the world by storm and people were performing it everywhere? Of course that was before the rise in popularity of social media and a truly interactive Internet. In today’s news, and with the aid of Internet acceleration, “The Harlem Shake” has become an overnight […]

…And why the Internet is the worst thing that’s ever happened to car dealers. THESE ARE THE BASE NOTES FROM JIM ZIEGLER’S KEYNOTE SPEECH AT INTERNET SALES 20-GROUP IN DALLAS LAST WEEK… Performed by Jim Ziegler, CSP, HSG at Renaissance Hotel, Dallas, Texas, 3/19/2013 First of all let’s look at some of the lessons I’ve […]

Hear the Alpha Dawg speak this past week at Internet Sales 20 Group in Dallas about CRM processes.

Debbie and I have attended every National Automobile Dealers Assn. convention since 1987, and I have given a speech or conducted a workshop at almost every one of them. Since I first walked into a dealership in 1976 and told the sales manager I’d like a job as a car salesman, I’ve seen a lot […]

It was slightly after dark on a September night when two buddies and I climbed the fence behind Duval Ford in Jacksonville, Fla. We hopped over with our fingers crossed, hoping no dogs were hanging around back there. No, we weren’t burglars or vandals. The year was 1964, and we were just three high school […]

“Distant Drums” with Gary Cooper has always been one of my favorite movies. It is sort of cowboys-and-Indians in the Florida Everglades during the Seminole uprisings; an Eastern Western, so to speak. In the film, you faintly hear the war drums far away. It conjures up a sense of foreboding and the inevitability of a […]

Hi, this is Jim Ziegler with a lot of exciting news. Just returned from Houston where I was a featured speaker at The Digital Marketing Blitz that was tied into the Houston Auto Dealers Annual Car Show. You know it’s still a thrill after all of these years to watch an audience leaning from your […]

The movie opens with a feather wafting whimsically in the breeze. The picture then fades to a scene with a General Motors executive sitting on a bus stop bench telling a nurse next to him his life story. Then, in a very British accent, he tells her that life is like a box of chocolates. […]

Call it “the Pinocchio Syndrome.”  It’s become an epidemic. More and more auto makers are stretching the truth. I noted last summer how rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz, in order to boost sales figures, were reporting deliveries of new cars that hadn’t left dealer lots as such. Mercedes field representatives urged dealers to take delivery of […]

I was spellbound. I was in a state of disbelief. I was totally mesmerized. I was one of the 5,000 people in attendance at the National Speakers Association’s annual convention. This year’s event was held in Phoenix, and on the main stage were two men dressed in tights and tutus. They were 15 feet apart, […]

I have a problem with data pirates who use dealer information against us, damage our reputation and cause consumer distrust. To me, CarFax is high on that list. Let’s look at what this vehicle-history firm does. It tells consumers its reports are free but charges dealers for them. So, if a dealer asks customers to […]

“Aftermath” is a word describing circumstances following a disaster or defeat. The word can emotionally set up a person for bad news. Hurricane Sandy delivered devastation. We knew it was going to be bad, but few could have envisioned the extent of the damage. Two weeks later, many people still lack power and some basic […]