Polk to Discuss Passive Lead Scoring in March Webinar

Last month we wrote about passive vs. active lead scoring here on our blog. In this post David Metter explained how the practice of lead scoring was co-created with Polk and that while somewhat controversial, the practice of scoring leads is ultimately a smart choice for most dealerships. The part that is controversial is more about the idea of assigning a score to a lead for your sales reps to size up potential customers, and not so much about the importance of knowing the real potential of each lead coming in to your CRM. We agree that it does not behoove the dealership to know the score that each person has been assigned, after all, the score is only temporary. We do believe however that it is important to know each person's real potential to become a customer. Thus the practice of passive lead scoring was born.

To score leads, people coming in to your CRM are evaluated based on certain criteria using an algorithm that helps identify where about in the buying process a person might be. With passive lead scoring, an action is taken that is appropriate to their current situations as opposed to blanketing everyone with the same message.

This action is not a conscious or deliberate action that a sales rep takes because of the person's score, but an action that is automatic and unknown to the sales rep all together.

In our case, this action is an automated email offering the recipient an incentive for coming in for a test drive, something that a person with a low score is not likely to be interested in whereas someone with a higher score might be.

The result is that more qualified buyers appear in the showroom for your reps to work with, less time is spent courting people (or annoying people) that aren't ready for the showroom to begin with.

Lead Scoring Discussions Led by Polk

To talk about this important topic, we have invited our lead scoring partner Polk to lead discussions this month on the significance of lead scoring and the process that Polk goes through to score dealer leads. Representing Polk will be Senior Solutions Consultant Mark Pauze.

Since starting with Polk, Mark has worked closely with clients to understand their diverse business, research and analysis needs, developed solutions to meet those needs and directed teams to deliver customer solutions. He works with clients to help focus their consumer and industry intelligence efforts and develop integrated solutions that will address their needs. Mark has been focusing his efforts most recently on lead marketing at Polk and has worked with a wide range of customers on diverse lead marketing solutions.

Webinar Registration Link

A webinar will be held on Friday March 16 in our Advanced User series for auto dealers. To register, click the link below. For more information about the AutoHook Webinar Series, visit our post titled, AutoHook Webinar Training Coming in January.

Friday March 16 at 11:30am EST (For Dealers) - REGISTER HERE

Key Partnerships Set the Stage for Innovation

Good partnerships can go a long way in the auto business. They aren't always easy to establish or maintain and sometimes they come with challenges and limitations, but when you have an opportunity to do business with another company that doesn't just use your product but has the ability to take it to new heights, that is when you want to put your options on the table. Throughout the past several months, we here at HookLogic have been busy introducing the AutoHook Web Suite to dealers and  other automotive organizations throughout the automotive space and building our own presence online and throughout. We have been implementing AutoHook onto dealer websites across the country and even started experimenting with the technology in other implementations.

During this time we have also been forging key strategic relationships with a small handful of players in our space, and this week as it turns out we have the fortune of announcing two of these new key partnerships just in time for this year's NADA conference in Las Vegas.

ActivEngage and HookLogic Partner to Provide Comprehensive Solution for Automotive Dealers

The first of these is our newly formed partnership with activEngage. Based out of Orlando, FL, activEngage is the industry's leading chat provider who as made quite a splash in our space these past couple of years. The company's track record with dealers using activEngage's chat solution on their websites is second-to-none and with the inclusion of HookLogic, activEngage and its dealers will now have the ability to benefit from HookLogic's large incentive network to qualify even more customers during the chat process and bring those people into dealership showrooms. Naturally we are excited about the possibilities here and look forward to seeing how our technology and incentive marketing stand in the online chat environment.

Dataium and HookLogic Partner to Give Dealers New Auto Shopper Insights

In addition there is the announcement about our partnership with Dataium. Based in Nashville, TN, Dataium is the industry's leading data utility company that provides critical business intelligence insight through the aggregation and analysis of consumer activity from across the Internet. HookLogic has partnered with Dataium to provide intelligence specific to our Lead to Show product.

The partnership with Dataium puts both companies on a platform to achieve something that has been virtually unattainable until now. With Dataium, dealers using HookLogic now have the ability to reach out to potential customers with precision timing that was only dreamed of before now. As a result, dealers using HookLogic's Lead to Show 3.0 product will be able to automatically re-activate old leads based on behavioral indicators demonstrated by previously identified auto shoppers.

What this Means for Dealers

While growth and success are important, so too is knowing how you got to where you are and who helped you get there. For HookLogic dealers, these new partnerships set the stage for even more innovation and in this case this innovation will be among some of the industry's leading players.

The technology behind HookLogic has been tested and proven in numerous environments, mostly outside of automotive considering that HookLogic got its start in the travel business helping online travel booking sites such as Expedia.com better monetize its online reservation system. Our experience in e-commerce will benefit our dealers and our partners by streamlining the incentive marketing process and bringing more people into our dealership showrooms to buy new vehicles.

Connect with Us

Please follow us on Facebook to keep abreast in these and other new developments. You may also subscribe via email to our blog by entering your email address in the appropriate box on our sidebar. We are committed not only sharing and demonstrating how HookLogic is helping dealers but also how other players in this space are helping dealers improve the dealership sales process as a whole.

Jeff Kershner Presenting AutoHook Case Study at DMSC in February

The agenda for the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC ) is set and HookLogic's Director of National Sales Jeff Kershner is slated to present with General Manager Tom White Jr. to present their case study of AutoHook at Tom's Suzuki dealership in Wichita. The title of their workshop is "Using Online Targeted Incentives to Increase Lead to Show Ratios". Suzuki of Wichita began using AutoHook at the dealership in August of 2011 and has experienced tremendous success with the Web to Show product. This case study examines  how the Suzuki dealership has utilized the AutoHook tool and where it is experiencing the greatest success. You will also have a chance to see some of the performance numbers associated with AutoHook at this dealership.

To view Tom's recent customer video testimonial about AutoHook, visit our YouTube channel.

Enter for a Chance to Win

As an incentive to attend this session, HookLogic will be giving away a $250 gift card to ONE LUCKY WINNER.

Simply text "lead2show" to 55678 and be entered for a chance to win.

You must be in attendance to win as the winner will be announced during the session.

About DMSC

The Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC) is designed to assist dealers create a market dominating digital marketing strategy for the year ahead.  DMSC is conveniently scheduled just prior to the 2012 NADA Convention (Feb 1-3).  The conference is designed for dealers, managers, and Internet sales professionals who want to stay ahead of the competition. It is an intimate event that is limited to 150 dealership employees.  This allows the instructors and speakers to work hands-on with dealers in attendance. [Learn more...]

Jeff Kershner to Panel at 7th Annual KainAutomotive Clients & Friends Workshop

The 7th Annual Kain Automotive Clients and Friends Workshop for Automotive Digital Success in 2012 is coming up later this month. HookLogic Director of National Sales Jeff Kershner is slated to present there this year, and we wanted to make sure you know about it in case you plan to attend. The Kain workshop is known for covering advanced processes, tactics, technology, digital marketing Strategies and Solutions for Internet / BDC Operations. Kershner will be on at around 2pm sharing success stories that a few of our own customers have been experiencing since incorporating AutoHook into their dealerships.

The workshop begins Monday November 14 with vAuto Founder Dale Pollak kicking things off as speaker for the opening session. There will be numerous sessions, breakouts, discussions, panels, and presentations during the course of two days, so check out the site to see what suits your fancy. If you plan to attend be sure to connect with us there. Also attending from HookLogic will be Director of Business Development Ryan Gerardi.

Visit KainAutomotive.com and look for a link to the event details, or just click here.

David Metter to Join Panel Discussion at CPO Forum 2011

Later this month at the AutoRemarketing CPO Forum in Las Vegas, HookLogic Automotive President David Metter will be part of a panel "CPO Customer Engagement & Retention" to discuss integrating digital, social, video and cutting edge media marketing strategies to ATTRACT and KEEP more CPO customers. Metter will be part of a panel group that includes industry experts on the subject:

Jeff Kunz - Head of Business Development, eBay Motors Advertising Paul Potratz  - COO, Potratz Agency Adam Simms - COO, Price-Simms Automotive Group Andy Jacobson - Director of National Sales, Cars.com

If you plan to be there and want to see how the concepts behind HookLogic's AutoHook program addresses some of the challenges met by dealers in their certified pre-owned sales efforts, this would be an opportune time to do so.

For more information about the CP Forum and to register you can visit the website.

Video Contest: Win a free month of AutoHook and $100 gift Card!

Just in time for the holidays, we're having a contest geared to our favorite customer – YOU! It’s a video contest: We want you to tell us, in your own words, what you love about AutoHook and how it’s helped you increase sales at your dealership. If your video wins, you’ll get a FREE MONTH of AutoHook, plus $100 MasterCard gift card!

Entering is easy:

• Using your video camera - the one on your smartphone is fine! - record your short video (1-3 minutes should do it.)
• Post your video onto YouTube.
• Then contact us requesting that we share our Dropbox with you to send us your video file for us to put up on our own YouTube channel.

That’s it!  We’ll review all the videos submitted to us by December 20th and announce the winner after the New Year begins.

So get those camera’s out and get ‘em rolling! We’re looking forward to getting your videos and hearing all the great stuff you have to say about AutoHook!

Dataium Webinar Hosted by PCG Digital Marketing

In case this slipped under your radar, we wanted to inform you about an upcoming webinar taking place Monday November 7, 2011. The webinar is being hosted by Brian Pasch of PCG Digital Marketing but leading the webinar is Dataium co-founder Jason Ezell. Dataium is somewhat of a new kid on the block but is already raising eyebrows amongst industry professionals.

Dataium’s cloud intelligence data and reporting tools are expected to revolutionize CRM systems as we know them today.  The first CRM companies that fully integrate Dataium’s API may very well have a distinct market advantage.

Jason discussed the benefits that dealers can realize today from business intelligence tools based on consumer shopping behavior on the Internet when he presented at the 2011 Ignite Dealer Summit and Digital Dealer 2011.

Reserve your seat now by clicking on the link below:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/645652464

As a special bonus, the first 100 dealers to sign-up and attend will get a free trial of the Dataium base platform.

What are you doing to prepare for 2012?

With the holiday season approaching, this is a great time to reflect on your accomplishments and begin to gear up for the next year. There is a lot of new stuff going on right now in the auto industry, and we at HookLogic are glad to be part of the coming era unfolding before our very eyes. In preparation for 2012, HookLogic has made some strategic commitments to help foster growth inside its new automotive division which recently hit market after years of testing and prototyping at various auto groups such as MileOne, Lithia, Suburban Collection, Herb Chambers, and others.

Adding momentum to its innovative solution set for automotive dealerships, several key players were added to the mix, including one of the most influential bloggers in automotive - Jeff Kershner, founder of DealerRefresh which is a leading thought-leadership and strategy source for car dealers and manufacturers. You can read more about this and other personnel additions here.

In addition to personnel additions, HookLogic also launched a new microsite to represent AutoHook not as a lead provider but as a show provider. The microsite can be found at www.leadtoshow.com. It offers rich information about the product, a live demo, and an opportunity to request a sales demo via phone, text, or email.

To top things off, HookLogic Automotive is also rolling out a monthly newsletter this month to more intimately inform and engage our current customers, friends, and allies, as well as our own Facebook page, Twitter handle @lead2show, and YouTube channel.

The newsletter will feature select content from the AutoHook team and also highlight other great content out there in the automotive blogosphere that we are sourcing and/or sharing across our social media channels. Please join us in one or more ways to let AutoHook be part of your online experience and we will be sure to reciprocate. You can subscribe to our blog using the sign up box in the sidebar.

Here's to the an adventurous and prosperous new year ahead.

Jeff Kershner and Other Industry Experts Join HookLogic Team

In a recent press release

HookLogic announced that Jeff Kershner joined our automotive team in a senior sales management position. His move to HookLogic comes on the heels of a $9.5 million

round of funding

from Bain Venture Capital and raises HookLogic's profile in the automotive e-commerce space.

As founder of DealerRefresh, Jeff has long been considered one of the thought leaders in our space. Kershner has been one of the leading industry proponents of capitalizing on digital marketing, media and e-commerce.

The move reunites Kershner with David Metter giving HookLogic two of the best known marketing professionals in automotive.

"I never envisioned anyone other than Jeff in this role. It's another proof point for HookLogic's automotive solution." -David Metter

Also joining the automotive team Ryan Gerardi, stepping in as a director of business development. Gerardi held a similar role at HomeNet, helping the company achieve sustainable long-term growth from 2001-2007 and is author of the blogging for car dealers blog - BlogPro Automotive.

Steve Moore has also joined the team as the Southeast regional sales manager. Steve is well known in the industry as someone with high integrity and a real understanding of the internet lead management part of the dealership business.

Keep your ears open in the coming months for more key employee additions to the AutoHook team by subscribing to our blog today!