Today we get to know Sarah Udelhofen, Internet Director at Russel Toyota. Read on to find out how she sells more cars, balances life and work (she knows how to make Halloween costumes!) and what tools she stocks at her dealership.
DealerRefresh: What do you love most about your job?
Sarah: Hiring and training some really amazing salesmen! It’s really awesome when I see someone I’ve hired and trained who is now a Finance Manager, Sales Manager, or Internet Manager. Also, I enjoy showing people how they can sell more cars and achieve their goals. There’s nothing better than taking someone who consistently sells 15 cars a month and show them how they can sell 20 cars a month every month by doing just a little bit more.
DealerRefresh: What do you do that’s outside the box to help sell more cars?
Sarah: I constantly watch our inventory through Google Analytics. The information I find helps me determine what vehicles we may have a problem with and what vehicles are hot. This is so important especially with used cars because the used car market is so big. It’s easy to price new cars and be competitive and in line with your market because they are all the same. I really pay close attention to our used car inventory and can help our used car managers make changes that they may need to make on certain vehicles to keep them rolling. It doesn’t take much time out of the day and it’s understanding your customers and how they search.
DealerRefresh: How important is it to a dealership to have a strong online presence for Fixed Ops?
Sarah: Having a great online presence for Fixed Ops is the most important thing for your service and parts departments. Unfortunately, most dealerships gear their website plans & online marketing for sales only. I was with a very large dealer group when we launched our separate service websites and we were the first Toyota dealer to do so in our market. It was so successful I recommend everyone to have one. It’s also so important to really dig down and have creative service & parts coupons and make sure they are new and unique. Now I must say that does require shaking down service and parts directors and occasionally having to come up with the ideas yourself but it’s well worth it. You can track every time a coupon is printed to know what is working and what’s not. If you’re not being creative and going after your service and parts business online you are missing out.
DealerRefresh: What’s the key to e-mail marketing to your customers?
Sarah: The sky is the limit when it comes to coming up with great e-mail campaigns to send to your customers. I, of course, have thousands of e-mails that I’ve written, some that worked really well and others not so much. The key to low opt out rates and high response rates are really targeting customers and sending them a unique offer that will engage them. Instead of doing one or two bulk “blasts” I send out multiple specific offers to specific customers from different date ranges. I always send them out from myself as the Director so the customer feels the message is important. Also, I have 5 different tracking numbers that I use and make a mental note of which one belongs to which e-mail campaign so I can track phone calls and include those counts in my response rate. Educating everyone on what you are sending out is also a big key, if your salesman aren’t prepared to answer questions about the lease you came up with at $109 a month the program loses all credibility!
DealerRefresh: How do you maximize your website to capture leads?
Sarah: Your website is the most important thing at your dealership period. It’s how most customers will make their impressions of you before they even meet you. The key to having a successful store is having a website that can produce you quality leads. I’ve spent years getting to understand how consumers use websites and what small changes can really make a difference. Making your website easy to navigate and give you information is the first step. I usually never require any fields to fill out a lead. Customers seem to be more willing to give you their information when not required and it also helps you understand how they want to be contacted. I know Live Chat has been a hot topic lately and I really need to say, it’s one of the least expensive and most beneficial things you can do to your website to help you get more leads. You also need a plan on how to answer chats, most of the chat services out there can also provide you a roll over service to gather leads. We are currently using this and believe it or not it works! They are able to listen to the customers questions, get their contact information, and let them know someone will be back with them. It’s a great way to get your customers to engage with you.
DealerRefresh: How do you keep your dealership active to your customers and in the community?
Sarah: It’s really important to keep people thinking about your store but not always in sales mode. We send out a monthly eNewsletter to our customers but include some non-sales items. I try and make sure that we spotlight a person from the dealership, share a season themed recipe, news on any events we have going on here, and plenty of coupons. It’s a great way to stay active in your customers minds without the “Selling” tactic. We also try and connect with local businesses and people in the community via social media. Posting fun things, or big news in our area is another way to keep them engaged without the sales tactic. I want our customers to see us as people not just as “another car dealership”
DealerRefresh: Do you own jorts? Be honest. What would you do if ever saw jorts in the wild?
Sarah: So, I have to say that I do have a pair of jean shorts however they are cute and girly and I do wear them with my cowboy boots so definitely no to the jorts! Also, just for the record, I would not be caught in public with any man wearing jorts unless he’s under the age of 5 or over the age of 85. If I saw jorts in the wild I would most definitely take a picture (although I do see a lot of men in jorts at our local Walmart and it’s truly disturbing).
DealerRefresh: If you could invent one thing that would make your day at the dealership easier, what would it be?
Sarah: If I could invent anything it would be a cloning machine.
DealerRefresh: What is your best life hack?
Sarah: I think the biggest life hacks that have changed my life both for work and personal is I learned not to stress over things I have no control over and to be grateful
DealerRefresh: What products are you using at your dealership? Give us a peek under the hood.
Sarah: We are kicking it old school with Autobase. We use Dealer.com, and Contact @ Once for chat, we also have them answering the chats, as well.
About Sarah:
I have been in the car business for 8 years, I started selling cars, then became a finance manager, desk manager, and now I’ve been Internet Director for the last 5 years. I’ve had the pleasure of also working for Toyota for the last 5 years.
Oh, of course, I live on Twitter 
(@QueenOf_Cars)
DealerRefresh: What do you do when you’re not at the dealership?
Sarah: For fun, I would have to say snowboarding is my only activity but it keeps me sane especially during the winter months. I enjoy spending time with my son. He plays a ton of sports and is really active so during the different seasons his schedule keeps us busy.
Thanks, Sarah! The community will definitely benefit from your insight and experience.
Dealer Spotlight: Sarah Udelhofen is a post from: Internet sales manager training
This article was found on http://www.dealerrefresh.com/
