Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 18

Road Trip to DD26 | April 9-11, 2019 | Orlando

Cover Story (Continued from pg. 17)

JOHN: Over the years, I've seen
how dealers can make a great
impact within their communities
and become true anchors in local
business development. I always said
to myself, how can we contribute
and have an impact within our
community. That's why last year,
for example, we donated to nearly
100 organizations, including the
American Legion Auxiliary, USO,
Colon Cancer Coalition, Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation, and
the Special Olympics, as well as many
local schools, churches, and sports
teams.
Being a good neighbor resonates so
well with customers. It's not as if we
can give to everyone or every cause,
but we strive to do the best we can.
The respect, consideration, and
acknowledgment we get from the
community really helps promote our
brand as a dealership, and it makes
a difference in trust and credibility
when they come to us for service.
DEALER MAGAZINE: How does
this good neighbor philosophy
transfer to your staff?
JOHN: We try to create a vision
with our employees from day one
about customer service and treating
customers with integrity. We follow
a true and genuine "We're here
for you" mentality. Being a good
neighbor creates both employee
and consumer enthusiasm. We
show what we mean by sponsoring
many yearly dealership charitable
events, including ones hosted at the
dealership, such as Toys for Tots and
our USO BBQ for the Troops. These
events help drive an employee's
genuine involvement, and along the
way, enhances our dealership brand
in the community. Our employees
make a real difference.
DEALER MAGAZINE: Let's go
back to the start of your career. What
attracted you to retail automotive
initially and why have you stuck with
it?

18

APRIL 2019

JOHN: One summer, while I was
working at our family tavern business
on the South Side of Chicago, at
the age of 12, I was called by Bob
Motl Chevrolet where my father,
Joseph Alfirevich, worked as general
manager at the time. My father asked
me to come in and help perform oil
changes and otherwise help out in
the service department, because of
a local mechanic strike that lasted
the entire summer. This was my
introduction to the automobile
business and since that day I have
worked in every department, starting
my full-time career in the business in
January of 1986.
Why I have stuck with it? My
father has always been a great
influence on me. His philosophy
is "the harder we can work on
something, the luckier in life we can
become" - especially together! To
this day, I try to live by those words.
On weekends and during college,
I'd come home and work at the
dealership. You name it, I did it.
I worked as a porter, parked cars,
serviced cars, whatever I could do,
and sort of knew early-on that the
car business was going to be my end
game. I also knew it really wasn't
going to be about how many vehicles
I was going to eventually sell; it was
going to be about employing good
people and making them successful.
DEALER MAGAZINE: What still
excites you about the industry?
In other words, what keeps you
motivated to show up every morning
in such a competitive environment?
JOHN: [Laughs] The
overwhelming expenses keep me
coming in. I've got to pay my bills.
Honestly, I love how running a
dealership is a team effort, and,
fortunately for me, I have an
incredible team. I enjoy seeing
progress in every department and in
every individual.
We truly scrutinize most of the
customer reviews, especially paying

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

attention to any of the negative
reviews or concerns that come in.
I like to ask our staff how can we
correct a situation or where did we
go wrong here with a particular
customer? These comments or
reviews truly ask great questions
of us, and always make a great
premise for a meeting. A productive
discussion usually takes place,
resulting in making adjustments.
This customer feedback loop really
works and makes us all better.
DEALER MAGAZINE: What has
been or is your greatest challenge as
a dealer principal?
JOHN: Obviously, there have been
a lot of challenges along the way.
But a recent challenge was how to
replace long-time talent. We had a
situation where my office manager,
used-car manager, and a new-car
manager all left within a short period
of time due to retirement or healthrelated issues. We needed to replace
them without losing momentum
in our business. Fortunately, I am
blessed with a great general manager,
Dave O'Donnell. I regularly meet
with Dave in the morning for thirty
minutes or so to talk about what we
need to do next on a daily basis. In
spite of this upheaval, we didn't lose
stride or growth.
In response, our first go-to was
to find and replace employees from
within the dealership that showed the
willingness and passion to learn and
grow. If we detect someone might
have a secret talent, we educate them
further. I go by the theory of "never
stop learning." I try to promote
people who I see are very engaged in
the business, and if they are, they can
move into the next position easily.
Dave and I believe in cross-training
as many people as we can. This
kind of leadership plays a huge role
in helping our employees and our
business grow.
DEALER MAGAZINE: Let's stick
with leadership for the moment.


http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM

Digital Dealer - April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - April 2019

Digital Dealer - April 2019
Contents
A Message from the Show Director
Conquesting Through Service
Pricing Strategy: Dare to Compare
Policy & Shop Supply Abuse
A Hiring Optimization Framework to Grow Revenue & Attract Qualified Applicants
Automotive Manufacturers New Direction Affects Long-Term Dealer Planning
Interview with Apple Chevrolet
DD26 Pre-Show Highlights
When Analytics Lie
Digital Word-of-Mouth: The Overlooked Hero During a Slowing Auto Economy
It's Time to Stop Guessing About Your Marketing ROI
Embracing the Essential Digital Media Mix
Facilitating Online Car Buying Without Losing Profit or Control
Social Selling: 4 Keys to Selling on Facebook
4 Strategies for Effective Dealership Marketing on Facebook
How to Create an Employee Pipeline for Your F&I Dept.
The 4 Laws of Influential Conversations
Upsell Process
Sustaining a Successful BDC
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Digital Dealer - April 2019
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Cover2
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 1
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Contents
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 3
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - A Message from the Show Director
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 5
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Conquesting Through Service
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 7
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Pricing Strategy: Dare to Compare
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 9
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 10
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Policy & Shop Supply Abuse
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - A Hiring Optimization Framework to Grow Revenue & Attract Qualified Applicants
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 13
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Automotive Manufacturers New Direction Affects Long-Term Dealer Planning
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 15
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Interview with Apple Chevrolet
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 17
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 18
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 19
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 20
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 21
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - DD26 Pre-Show Highlights
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 23
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 24
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 25
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 26
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 27
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - When Analytics Lie
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 29
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Digital Word-of-Mouth: The Overlooked Hero During a Slowing Auto Economy
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 31
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - It's Time to Stop Guessing About Your Marketing ROI
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 33
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Embracing the Essential Digital Media Mix
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 35
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Facilitating Online Car Buying Without Losing Profit or Control
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 37
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Social Selling: 4 Keys to Selling on Facebook
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 39
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 4 Strategies for Effective Dealership Marketing on Facebook
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 41
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - How to Create an Employee Pipeline for Your F&I Dept.
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 43
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - The 4 Laws of Influential Conversations
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 45
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Upsell Process
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Sustaining a Successful BDC
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 48
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Cover3
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Cover4
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