Data-less Decision Making Made Easy by Google Analytics Academy

Perhaps I have been wrong.  I have spent so much time trying to convince dealer principals and car sales managers that fear the Internet that they need to be open to the world of digital marketing.  So much of my breath has been spent teaching that the power of digital marketing is in its constant undercurrent of data from which careful analysis can be drawn.  Over and over I have labored to find a way to gently explain how their fear of online marketing makes them look silly.

Eeeek! The Internets!

Today I learned (or, TIL in Reddit-speak) that perhaps I was wrong.

In keeping with my standard of staying on the cutting edge, I try to take advantage of every quality webinar or continuing education opportunity that I can find.  Among the helpful tools I have discovered is Google's Analytics Academy.

 I have completed two of their helpful course offerings so far.  When I checked in there today I discovered that the geniuses of Google have developed a new course that will help to empower those in the automotive industry who continue to dismiss all things digital.  (Almost all things, that is.  I have found many a manager or dealer principal who avoids using Internet assets for online business growth that finds online adult entertainment an indispensable part of his life.)

While it should be no surprise that an information juggernaut like Google should have managed to find a way to generate helpful content for almost any scenario, who could have guessed that they could create a course to help those who firmly believe that the Internet is a passing fad?  Well, they have done just that:

For those of you breathing a sigh of relief that finally there is help for you, the complete course outline can be accessed here.  If you are unsure if this course is for you, be sure to check out the FAQ page.

So for all of you out there that have been offended by my insistence that there exists a better way to grow your dealership, I apologize. 

Happy learning and stay classy!

Like Pope Francis, Execs Should Be Open to Ordinary Confessors

Once again Pope Francis is in the news "shocking the world" by actually living the Gospel.  In today's blockbuster, he broke from the tradition of the Holy Father having a specific, carefully chosen confessor to walking up to "an ordinary priest" in St. Peter's to make his confession.  I marvel that this should be news at all.  After all, the Church has always taught that even the Bishop of Rome himself is a sinner in need of confession.  The pontificate of Pope Francis has clearly been marked by his having adopted Saint Francis' maxim of "Spread the Gospel always, when necessary -- use words".  It makes sense, therefore, that having just exhorted the faithful on the importance of the Sacrament of Confession that he should approach the sacrament himself.  No pageantry, no lofty ceremonies -- just simply confess one's sins and experience the love of Christ through the sacrament.

So what does this have to do with digital marketing?

The Sacrament of Confession begins with an examination of one's conscience.  What have I done that has caused me to stray from the devout life?  What could I have done better?  How have I followed or not followed The Way?  While I would refer you to St. Francis DeSales, GK Chesterton, Dietrich von Hildebrand, or C.S. Lewis for the finer points of spiritual development my interest in this story is in exploring the importance of an executive examination of conscience.

I am not referring to issues of faith and morals, but the ability to take a candid, objective and curious look at one's marketing and sales processes and truthfully analyzing the results!

A quick perusal of my work history and one might speculate that either I interview like Dr. Jekyll and work like Mr. Hyde or I am particularly fond of exploring new opportunities.  A dealer principal will bring me on board because he/she wants to improve their digital marketing methods and get better results.

 I gather some baseline data and explain their current situation, and present my proposal for how to improve.  From this point we are the best of friends.

The problem begins when I conscientiously do my job.  Let me explain.

A good digital marketing program runs on good data.  It is in the collection of this data and in its analysis that often other issues or deficiencies often become apparent.  For example, increasing visitors but decreasing engagement could be a web design issue but it could also be an indicator, in the automotive sales business, that perhaps your inventory is lacking.  It could be a sign that pricing is not in line with the market, or that the inventory lacks diversity or appeal. It could be the manifestation of an existing or developing image or reputation problem. What if the closing ratio is decreasing?  Or margins are contracting?

So often we want an immediate answer.  Someone came in that didn't like a picture on the website therefore the website needs changed immediately!  A follow up on an unsold appointment revealed that the customer did not like what was said when they arrived therefore the sales staff is to blame!  Good data only becomes statistically relevant when you have collected a large enough and random enough sample for whatever is being measured. 

What does that mean?  It means that one story or one opinion is a sample of just that: one.  Often a dealer principal or experienced manager relies far too heavily on their opinion.  With your competitors collecting and then objectively mining their data, they could be gaining valuable market insights that will give them an edge while you sit confident that since you started your own business or have managed one successfully for a while you must be right. 

In just a few short years the habits of the internet customer have morphed considerably.  While the psychology of closing a deal has not changed the activity leading up to it has.  Smart phones combined with the increasing number of people who are familiar with internet searches have changed the automotive sales customers' habits significantly.  Trusting your gut is fine, so long as you first ingest enough relevant data!

As I said good data analysis will sometimes bring to the surface issues that have heretofore gone unnoticed.  Your data may be telling you that a good manager needs to reconsider his/her strategies or even improve on performance.  It could also mean that the dealer principal might be wrong. 

This is the part I love: sharing data that indicates profitability might increase if we change our dealer culture or practices.  It is always received well.  I am thanked for the information and told how my ideals will be considered and that someone will get back to me. 

Typically they do get back to me, too.

Now for the record I have spent countless hours asking myself in what ways I am to blame for this pattern.  (I even read Dale Carnegie's classic How to Win Friends and Influence People.)  I have wondered if perhaps my intensity is to blame.  This is a genuine struggle, because if I am asking someone to pay me to make their organization the very best then that is precisely what I am focusing my energy on doing.  I always ask if the dealer principal or manager truly wishes to engage in a purposeful and candid conversation, or do they prefer to slowly explore ideas for improvement?  Invariably they boldly request an aggressive and candid analysis of data.  Ultimately, it seems,  I end up -- despite great results -- with no support.

When I saw Pope Francis set aside formality and simply do what he told the faithful ought to be done I had to wonder why in the hell this is so hard to do in business?  Looking at data to see trends and improve or implement processes is not about telling employees that they are bad at what they do -- it is empowering them with information to help them do better.  Are executive egos really such that they are beyond reproach even by something as benign and objective as numbers?  My inner cynic would tell you, "absolutely."

So here is my outline for a digital marketing version of an

Executive Examination of Conscience

• Have I put tools in place to measure as many aspects of my performance as possible?
• Do I routinely check for trends in online or on site activity?
• Do I ask "why" not only on downward trends but on upward trends as well?
• Do I make sure my data sample is large enough to be of relevance?
• If there are different theories of what is causing the trends, have I tested the opposing causation theories?
• Do I seek out the thoughts of employees or customers at all different levels and experience?
• Can I listen to this anecdotal evidence objectively without my feelings getting hurt?
• Am I interested in making growth decisions or is this business all about feeling important?
• Have I made recommendations based on sound reasoning?
• Did I thank my employees or subordinates for engaging in a candid, growth oriented dialog?

 While I still respect the right of every entrepreneur to risk his/her capital as he/she sees fit, I will forever wonder about those who seem abjectly incapable of being humbly introspective.

Have a question? Kindly tell me your life story first.

So I decide today to simplify the Contact Us form on my GM website so as to only require a name and an email address for prospective customers to engage with us. Nope. GM will not let me. In this current climate of NSA outrage and privacy concerns they think it is better to require the customer to divulge all their information right up front. Brilliant strategy! Why not just require them to pen a damned Dickens novel while they are at it?

Encountering History - Jim Roselle of WJTN

Ever have occasion to meet someone whose life strikes you with amazement?  I am not talking necessarily about someone having accomplished some singularly amazing feat:  the first atop Mount Everest, the inventor of some great marvel, or the vanquishing of some fierce opponent against overwhelming odds.  I am referring to someone whose life circumstances cause one to marvel.

Yesterday while doing a media relations tour with Erie Explosion owner Bill Stafford we went to the Media One studios in Jamestown, New York.  Marketing and Promotions Consultant Debbi Yoakum was giving us a tour of their facility when she directed out attention to the WJTN studio. 

I have always loved radio.  I frequently use this intimate medium to support and draw attention to my online marketing efforts.  From my youngest days the evolution of radio from crystal sets to the large radio from which families received news and entertainment until it was supplanted by the television has always fascinated me.  I cannot help but feel a sense of history when I see KDKA's call letters in Pittsburgh.  KDKA was the first commercially licensed radio station still in its original location.  WJTN lays claim to being the second.

Behind the microphone of WJTN was seated Jim Roselle.  Jim began broadcasting on this station as a part time sports commentator in 1953.  As I looked into the window of the studio I saw a vibrant old man, headphones on, speaking into the microphone as his hands gesticulated to an audience unaware of their dance.
 

WJTN Radio Icon Jim Roselle Jan. 30, 2014

When he went to a song/commercial break Debbi invited us into the studio.  Inside, a more affable, welcoming gentleman you could not have found.  Almost immediately Mr. Roselle made you feel as though you and he were old friends.

It was as he shared with us that he has been behind the microphone of WJTN for over sixty years  that I was filled with a sense of wonder.  I began to imagine the stories that must have crossed the desk throughout this storied career.  Surely he must have commented on the news of those days - news that is now a part of our common history.

When a young Jim Roselle took the mic in 1953, a young queen was being crowned in England, the United States was bringing the Korean War to a close of sorts, Jonas Salk was giving a trial of his polio vaccine to himself and his own family, Marilyn Monroe was being featured on the very first cover of Playboy, and Chevrolet was launching a new sports car called the "Corvette".

Jim Roselle, known for learning about his interviewees before their arrival so that he could do his trademark conversational style interviews, has sat with such diverse public figures as Rocky  Marciano, Joyce Carol-Oates, Richard Simmons, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Phil Donahue, Jane Goodall, and the late media elder Tim Russert.

Mid sentence Jim instinctively realized his song had ended and his eighty seven year old finger deftly tapped a computer touch screen to launch a commercial.  How different this must be from his first day in 1953!  I realized that this man has no board operator.  He commands not only the microphone but the production of his morning show with the ease of someone who has spent sixty years doing what he loves.  As a broadcaster Jim interviewed Lucille Ball, now he serves on the board of The Lucille Ball Little Theatre.  His career launched as the British Royals launched their yacht the Britannia, and he was behind the same microphone when this same royal yacht was retired by a queen no longer so young. 

His devotion to his audience limited our time with this radio legend.  He had played two songs and some commercials to facilitate our visit, but his "Dew Drop Inn" radio show was primarily a conversation, and his listeners were waiting to hear from their friend and constant morning companion.

Radio legend Jim Roselle meets with Erie Explosion owner Bill Stafford of Edinboro.

As the door to the studio closed, framed by pictures of a smiling Jim Roselle with Bill and Hillary Clinton, I was awash in wonder.  I had just shook hands with a man who was broadcasting when Glenn first orbited the earth and when man first stepped on the moon. He was a broadcaster at the time of the Challenger disaster, at both the initial launch and the loss of Columbia, and this same consoling voice would have been on the air when it was time to eulogize Neil Armstrong.  His career began the year the British queen was crowned, and he remains on the air as she slowly transitions her royal duties to Prince Charles.

As we were preparing to leave the beautiful, modern studios of Media One in Jamestown, a gentleman walked in with a yellowed old newspaper.  "I found some more old headlines for Jim," he told the receptionist as he made his way to the WJTN studio.

We had come to the studios this day to discuss ways to share the story of the success of the CIFL Champion Erie Explosion.  Neither Bill nor I thought that we would have the pleasure of encountering a vessel of history sharing a conversation with a faithful audience --a conversation about the news of today and yesterday shared within the warm environs of the Dew Drop Inn, all served up in "a cup of happiness."

Jeff Novak
Engagement Consulting LLC

Sources:
http://www.radiojamestown.com/pages/wjtn-jim-roselle-pages
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJTN
http://www.wjtn.com/