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Dealer Bob Rohrman: ‘Never give up’
Automatically Generated Transcript (may not be 100% accurate)
Welcome to the latest installment of our series the dealer speaks. I'm Tom Moore back. He's employees describe him as hands on a mentor and above all a salesman. We're talking about Bob orbit. President and owner of the Bob warm and auto group. This operation is big -- to number eighteen in the latest Automotive News top 125. Dealership groups list. In 2011. Warm and sold 191635. In new retail units. In group revenue came in at more than 905. Million dollars. The company portfolio currently includes a 24 new car dealerships covering fifteen brands in two states plus. For use car superstores. In as we learned doing our recent visit to Chicago land those numbers are growing. The charge being led by warming himself. Whose first boss was a cigar chomping Ford dealer in Lafayette Indiana. In 1955. These. Obviously. You think maybe you've been so harsh I said yes sir again. Where you'll start I said right now he said OK your hired. And he was often running. In 1963. Warm and opened his first used car lot. In in 1969. He started selling -- Toyota's. Relatively unknown mark in some parts of the country. As Lafayette it and how to pronounce Tonioli Khaled. Priority after adding a steady stream of brands in his hometown including Honda. Warm and looked north to the booming town of Schaumburg Illinois. Where friend was selling 200 -- a month. And I -- who I should -- the dealer here there was at one. So warm and built it in 1984. His first store in the Chicago area. -- who himself isn't one to -- it actually my office probably is my car. That's him in the red Lexus. Likes to move franchises around like pieces on the chess board. The car business for me -- just been. A game. Woman's Honda store will soon move to the site of his nearby -- dealership. Use condoms will be sold in the key to show room in -- 140000. Square foot addition will house new Honda's next door. As for the -- distort well that's moving into the existing Honda dealership. And warm and it is moving his suburban Chicago Lexus store less than a mile down the road. Into a two story 200000. Square foot building in his business park which even has its own traffic -- I concentrated on the -- been so much that. We do well with and so we can. We can build buildings like the -- storm it doesn't hurt that warm and owns 51%. Of a construction company. In virtually his entire operation. Except new vehicle inventory is paid for all self funded. Never give up. Has been my model he could have went one store was three million bucks in the whole ice that with us stuck with -- me to three million dollar back. And I -- -- about 800000. Today. And that is just one of the many lessons he's passed along to his children and grandchildren who -- in the family business. Grandson Ryan is the GM at Schaumburg Honda. He takes presidents David teaching me how to sell cars and as like -- lose you know what do you mean by that is -- -- -- the very first day we emphasize it and you. And I just -- told me he said you got to love the customers and they'll let you back. Customer satisfaction is so important to warm -- that he established his own university. For new and existing employees. Where. He's he -- people. The car business. Not only in sales for news service. How we wanted to take care of the customer. How we won't be noble want the serious side. Son JER well and Arlington Nissan. As is always told us you know you could inspect what to expect. Not many dealers are routinely signed autographs but Orban does. After starring in countless TV ads over the years often in -- He says the goofy spots drive business. I have people tell me and the source. I just had coming in. Because really advertising. And they say. You're crazy. But I love it. New ads were suggested by employee looting Garcia. Who realized mormons advertising. Wasn't targeting a key audience. The area's growing Hispanic population. The two now star in this spot spoken in Spanish. -- I take all of biases. From employees good or bad sometimes as I was Lugo was this game is Maria Orman is also bullish on the Internet. He predicts 40% of its sales will soon come through that media that doesn't mean. When he now walks in the door how'd you hear of us. You should Washington and that's not -- fail. He had access. Contacted. By the end. And then we really can't say that there's an and -- sale. Meantime warm and is building a -- store in Wisconsin. And negotiating. For a General Motors franchise. His grandson chase who runs a Ford store -- growth is a motivate -- He's still going after everything facility got -- mentally -- wants to grow. I hope when you know -- Not only not only isn't healthy but this fun. Warm and employees 14100 people do stores throughout Indiana into Illinois. And like many dealers he is charitable. During our visit he presented the Red Cross a check for 100000. Dollars to the super storm sandy relief but. Next week we'll hear from -- Monday and asked co owner of the Monday advanced automotive family will see that.
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Volvo Store’s Personalized Videos Connect With CustomersOur best practices series continues. Tom back. It is estimated that 90%. Of car buyers do some shopping on the Internet. In the merit study shows more than one in ten shoppers actually skipped the test drive before purchasing a vehicle. That's because those folks are satisfied with their online search. In an effort to put a face on the cyberspace shopping experience. Many employees at procedure imports of global story New Jersey. Our armed with quarters or Smartphones with cameras in just about any device with a lands. Thirty year old dealer principal Matthew there's been running the family stores since 2005. In the explains what happens next. So if if someone inquires about it a vehicle we have and stock they're gonna get a personalized video. From one of our team members like Internet sales consultant. You know below it. Good morning James my name is Tina and it works here at prestige Al east Hanover locate and spends much of her day in front of this camera on her computer monitor. She highlights vehicle suspects in financing options the potential buyers. After a quick check of the recording. My and I she tackles the email subject line. Right here we just put the cart and he and hard about the senate and then tomorrow we send him an. Email follow up saying he got the video message however below here and this is feedback. Comes fast but you can actually see that watching the video and they respond to you instantly. They have never had experience like that anywhere else and it's so personalized for them. But the videos don't stop there particularly when it comes to used car sales. The store's business development manager castor serves as both reporter. And photographer. And outside here at the carping I'm gonna do video walk around the car. And they show you up all the features on the car casters is sending a shopper occur and to detailed video clip which is also uploaded to YouTube. Helps him avoid common pitfalls later in the sale. The customer comes on the lot to see used car and sit there ago. Oh look there's a take a hundred dollars off oh look there's a scratch take 200 dollars off I get all that right out of the way up right. By showing off all the physical defects long before they get a lot that immediately takes that sort of objection out of the equation. Even buyers contribute to the video effort through testimonials. On the store's website. Bottom line video is boosting online sales. The stores Internet department now generates 50%. Of the dealership business up from 30% just two years ago. Taken adds the customized videos aren't staged to manipulate it says the raw footage goes a long way with customers. This way that mystery that that. That negativity about the cart experience and and it upside down. And shows the people. Doing their homework the that were real people and if you are going to make a decision. Work with us we're real we wanna help you and you know it kind of brings transparency. To the table speaking of which. If someone gets an email and they happen to be off or on vacation. That email is transparent to all the managers can jump right in. See where that agent left thought that the customer and you know start their line of communication. Taken insists he's not trying to play Big Brother instead he monitors employee communications. To more effectively manage his customer database. Many of those people live about an hour's drive to the east in New York City. Taken knows his clients that are most points in between are busy. So he's built a team of shuttle drivers who drop off the motor cars with customers and bring their vehicles in the first service. Joseph Cano is a client care specialist. Without deliver far activism that we pick up this morning and school has very limited availability to get out and we provide that service for the. We have customers that have never. Actually physically visited our dealership and that's just fine with Hagan who doesn't believe that heavy up sell in the service late. Instead he wants to build relationships. Some might say we're crazy we might drive an hour. The card and just for no change but it's not about that changed it's about what's gonna happen over the lifetime that customers' vehicles about. What they're gonna tell their friends and family members when it's time for them to make a purchase decision of an automobile. Among Pickens top priorities. Getting more young people involved in the car business. That's happening right here in the service department. Under the guidance of master technicians. Kevin is working alongside shop Foreman Andrew As an engineer I'm planning a certain collection towards me college this experience really give me some valuable experience. As you. How the defense systems in the car answer back to what true. The future the seventeen year old efforts to bring a smile to the face of hate him. He started working in the store seventeen years ago at age thirteen as dean Taylor. At sixteen he was in an NA VH one group. Dealer academy followed college. He can then proceeded to work at every corner of the dealership before becoming general manager about eight years ago. His father in business partner Leonard founded the store in 1979. He tried to convince Matthew to become a doctor or a lawyer but it was too late. I told him you know I have got to do this I love this. Prestige is on track to sell a combined 1000. New and used vehicles this year. In since Matthew is taken over. Prestige one those presidents club award twice. It is given to stores based on sales volume. And customer satisfaction. Think so much for watching we'll see you soon.
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Chrysler's Saad Chehab on Marketing and MinivansWe've been on a roll so far been lucky with a great progress last year we we actually sold a year over here an additional 100000 units over 2011 so we're very proud of so we're keeping the momentum going and part of that progress has been this. And have a unique marketing approach that we've done that wasn't necessarily it's a bigger budget bargaining new cars look more substantial. Applications that we've introduced to the customers that really work for their own lifestyles and their own tastes. for example we just introduced to him both on addition 300. John good minerals limited edition to 2000 units that's called the classic the future. And now or to a special less special card today for 200. We're looking to make sure that we have an appropriate people over for either the France. We will definitely have a minivan one of the two brands or or or country started this this segment right continue to be part of it. But one of the two grants cannot cannot have the same people again in the same so we have to. A role play if you like in the to have a different type of a people mover for one of the brands and the other continues with the minivan. Every grand love to have everything in March obviously especially if you're on a roll. As we've been so far. From from three years ago as the price of brand. But the reality is that we have to make sure that whatever game he made in the segments that we are existing in today that we protect that. Progress that we made and bring new cars bring. New technology is always be up to date and relevant in the marketplace with those three vehicles which are very important to us there our bread and is. And then after that we can think about what's what what other icing on the ticket prices of brand can contribute the total group because we are coexistence. Type of a brand with in the Floor that we have to be cognizant. Complementing each other and not be on top of each other so. What role will continue we are looking at that time diversifying and and adding. But at the same time we have to make sure that we bring new car is great wonderful vehicles that. Still play that their role in the marketplace that we existence today.
