Impact Group CRM Blog
The Most Abused Business Opportunity
Recently, I spoke on what I consider one, if not the Most Abused Business Opportunity in the automobile business; “The Incoming Telephone Inquiry”. I provided some of the reasons why the industry continues to turn in failing grades for this awesome sales opportunity...
Blind in Plain Sight — One Opportunity after Another Lost
How would you respond if one of your best friends during a social gathering came up to you and said something like this: “Wow, you really have to try that new restaurant on the corner of Elm and Main. We had such an average meal there. The food quality was average,...
Leadership Fuels Success
IF YOUR STORE DOESN’T HAVE IT, BETTER GET IT Coaching an individual by influencing his view of CRM processes into a positive growth potential is one of the most valuable investments leaders can give their team. “Cosmetic managers” (old school) quickly need to get a...
The Costs of Inadequate Training Can Far Exceed the Costs of Educating Staff
How Do We Develop Our Sales Team to Its Fullest Potential? How many times have you or one of your managers come over to a sales person and asked why did your customer leave? And, the sales person answered with some erroneous or conventional overused answer? Or, how...
Faith, Refresh, Rejuvenate and Renew
It was a dark, dreary night last January when I left Raleigh, NC for the drive back home to the lovely Shenandoah Valley. I got off to a later than usual start a little past 9:00 pm for the four-hour drive home. Leaving Raleigh, it started raining fiercely but not so...
Going From Tourist To Tour Guide
Vehicle headlights only illuminate the road ahead for about 200 feet but you can, even with this limited vision, go from Maine to Florida in these incremental steps if you are willing to trust in the small steps to get to where you want to go. Similarly, we have been...
Great Manager or Great Leader?
We have been talking about the differential between these two for some time as it relates to growing your people and the store. Interestingly enough, both managers and leaders have very distinct roles and importance in the dealership. Identifying those differences is...
Some Dealers Just Get It
I just had the honor and distinct privilege of being the guest speaker at the Southern Honda Dealers’ Association 2010 Annual Business Conference last week. What a class bunch of dealers. Never have I met a nicer group of individuals and their spouses anywhere. I...
The Character Of A Dealership Is Defined By Its People, Not Its Walls
Mindless managerial duties and conformity are major traps for mediocre managers and the casualties are our sales personnel. The time has come to shed the old-school bureaucratic manager and move this business into the 21st century people development arena, to not only...
Turn Your Leaders Into Tour Guides
Visiting with various dealers throughout the country the last few weeks, I decided to conduct a survey identifying what they believe is needed to increase business from the front end sales department. I first asked them how things were going. “Well, we are holding our...
The Tale of Two Stores
Once upon a time there were two different stores in two different states who both recognized that, conceptually, CRM processes were indeed the new business approach to running their dealerships. And if they were to survive, they simply had to adopt some new ways of...
Life in the Fast Lane
Listening to my iPod while mowing the yard this past weekend, the Eagles song “Life in the Fast Lane” began playing. Hearing it, triggered an experience I had a few years ago and gave way to my thinking about the power of growth potential and the idea for this...
Nationally Recognized Training Company
Chuck Barker, Impact Group CEO is the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) specialist for Dealer Magazine, the top monthly publication read by dealer owners. His articles provide solutions for Relationship Management through practical training solutions to implement winning sales team solutions. Dealer Magazine is specifically targeted to dealer principals, managers, and high-level executives in franchised dealerships across the country. His articles also appear on the magazine’s website and in their weekly eNewsletters read by more than 30,000 industry professionals.
Mark Dubis, the first full-time Editor of Digital Dealer magazine said, “Chuck Barker has been our resident expert on all things CRM impacting dealers. His articles provide tips, insights, and instructions on how Internet Managers and dealer owners can improve their CRM process. Dealer Magazine is very appreciative to have Chuck’s articles in our publications and in our newsletters.” Feel free to contact Chuck with ideas or questions you have by using the form on this page.
- Take Control of Your Training costs
- Manage daily progress to monitor your ROI
- Develop ‘in showroom’ leaders who focus on the tasks at hand
- Develop the daily discipline to increase productivity
- Start Receiving Measurable Results Immediately
Chuck Barker has been CEO of his two companies, Impact Marketing & Consulting Group, LLC and Impact Summit, LLC, for the last 24 years, both located in Virginia. His experience ranges from an executive with Harris Corporation (16,000 employees), one of Fortune Magazine’s largest companies, to the automobile industry where he has performed all executive positions. His companies specialize in growing businesses, dealerships, and people. He delivers unparalleled sales & service development programs, management leadership workshop programs, and dealer/principal business & profit improvement ideas for automobile dealerships. He has recently published the first comprehensive ‘in-house’ sales training solution program for dealers entitled The Dealership Success Guide.
If you want a second opinion on any business matter please email Chuck using the contact form on this page and he’ll be happy to give you his honest opinion.
