When it really comes down to it, most all will agree that we talk about the car business, but we are really in the people business. The digital part of the people business, whether you are talking about building a website, optimizing a website, implementing a better Internet process or planning your online marketing campaigns, depends on how well your organization performs those tasks.

Moving forward, understanding and embracing two major parallel philosophies (transparency and soft touch) will provide not only the reductions of organizational stress but also increase staff performance and that gold ring: your return on investment.

Understanding that I head up both the social media and fixed operations for Kain Automotive, you have got to be asking how in the world these apply to the digital side of our business. In reality, both transparency and soft touch not only apply to social media and fixed operations, but in every aspect of your dealerships operation.

The shifting in the automotive market is moving faster than ever, and the strategies we now deploy must be updated. It really does not matter why the shift is occurring, or whether you believe it is due to technology enhancements, economic downturn or anything else; it is happening and happening now. The Internet car shopper purchase funnel is changing, and so must our strategies, tactics and marketing. If we do not accept and try to understand these changes, your ads for salesmen, service writers, mechanics and even managers will continue to run nonstop.

Soft touch is not a new philosophy, and neither is transparency. What is new is the consumer’s love affair with them. Social media is propelling these concepts faster every day, with Facebook overtaking Google and Google now responding by moving more into social media. The race is on.

It is a movement and change in mindset that consumers love because it empowers them. Now one complaint can reach millions in a fraction of a second. Your response time can no longer be the next day, next hour, next minute,but now, and be the right response. Getting your staff to internalize and perform must be fun, because if it is work, it won’t work.

Once again, while social media is fueling the change it can also help us to deliver our message at a lower cost and engage our prospects and customers like never before. Transparency in social media is imperative, as is soft touch. They allow consumers to buy and service their vehicles with trust.

Ah, that magic word, trust, that comes up in every survey when we ask why consumers bought or serviced their car from the dealership, “I liked and trusted the people at the dealership.”

Face-to-face contact is not the case anymore; the real difference in how we operate today is in itself cold and dehumanizing. If we fail to embrace the Internet with openness and a caring approach your return on investment will continue to decline.

After all we can only cut expenses just so much until we are no longer able to operate. Free marketing that can be fun, open and engage consumers to buy and service their cars, while instilling trust in your dealership, is just a click away with social media.

Your comments and questions are welcomed. I’ll be listening!

Editor’s Note: Fenster can be reached at (301) 922-8311 or Ray@KainAutomotive.com.