Increasing Referrals

In a time when it seems almost everything has changed, there is one thing critical to business success that has never changed – the value of a referral.  Every sales and marketing expert will tell you that referrals are one of the top means to generating sales and growth.  The reason it is so discussed and written about is simple – it works!  (Read More….)

Navigating the Road Ahead

BHPD Dealer Magazine December 2020 –

As we wind down one of the most chaotic years in history, we need to think and prepare for the road ahead. There is not a soul on earth who can accurately predict 2021. The only things that are certain are change and unpredictability. Still, as unpredictable as 2020 was, there are many positive aspects we should factor into our plans for next year. (Read More….)

Customer Training

When we think of training, we naturally think about training our employees – whether they are the sales force, collectors or office staff. While training employees is critical – we often forget the need to train our customers. Buy Here Pay Here customers need to know about the payment process, service issue procedures, and key contact information after the sale.  (Read more….)

Sprained or Broken

At 6’4”, I have an advantage at sports – especially basketball.  As I age the simple things get harder.  Back in the Fall a routine rebound left me with a painful injury and I’m not sure if I sprained my ankle or something is broken.  Regardless, it will take time to recover. I share this as the news continues to swirl in the business world and within our own Buy Here Pay Here industry.  Are we broken or just sprained? Regardless, it took time to recover and we will have to do things differently. (Read More…)

Sell for Pride

There is an old saying in golf: “Drive for show, putt for dough.” For those not familiar with golf, it’s a reminder that while your drives off the tee might be impressive, putting is the real key and usually determines who collects the winner’s check. In the BHPH industry, our saying might be, “Sell for pride, collect for profit.” Like golf, much has been written about the skills and best practices of collections. Topics range from account aging analysis, GPS technology and related finance companies to the basics of hiring and training. (Read More…)

Interview with Gary Page

In April 1990, Gary Page took a chance on his dream. Using $10,000 he’d saved while working as an investment banker fresh out of business school and an equal amount from a loan acquired using his money as collateral, Page founded SDA Inc., as a floorplan company serving dealers in the Atlanta area. Thirty years later, SDA has grown into one of the largest providers of capital to Buy Here-Pay Here dealers nationwide. (Read More…)

Resolutions for BHPH Dealers

New Year’s resolutions can be an effective way to stimulate growth and re-energize the staff for a new year. The secret to making resolutions work is to keep them simple, start small, communicate your plans and, most important, reward yourself for success. Every person and business can benefit from resolutions – including the best BHPH dealers in the industry. Here are ideas that can help get you started. RESOLUTION 1: TRIPLE THE CUSTOMER DATABASE – Digital and social marketing are here to stay. Dealers with up-to-date customer information, including emails and cellphone numbers, are ahead of the game. (Read Article)

Customers, Cars, and Capital – Juggling the C’s

BHPH Dealer Magazine – (December 2019) Mr. Gary Page – Juggling supposedly boosts brain development.  In my experience tying to juggle seems to impact the ability to think straight – not boost the brain.  Yet every day in the Buy Here Pay Here business, dealers are constantly juggling the “3 C’s”; Customers, Cars and Capital.  Finding new customers, serving existing customers, and even chasing a few delinquent customers can sometimes take all the energy you have.  Couple that with finding the right cars, preparing them for sale, and turning over inventory. And lastly, managing the capital to keep the other two “C’s” in the air may seem to be the hardest to handle. Read Article

Focus On Winning!

BHPH Dealer Magazine – (October 2019) Mr. Gary Page, chief executive officer of SDA: Blinders were placed on horses to prevent them from looking back or seeing what’s on the side – forcing them to only focus forward.  Distractions are everywhere you look.  Changing interest rates, tariffs, regulation, election uncertainty, and recession fears all serve as daily distractions.  Our own industry publications and daily news emails share stories (distractions) that can cause you to take your eye off the ball.  The reality is that very few of these distractions impact the Buy Here – Pay Here (BHPH) customer and rarely interfere with their buying decision.  Read Article

Breakeven – Know It and Manage It

BHPH Dealer Magazine – (August 2019) – Mr. Gary Page, chief executive officer of SDA: If you had more cars on the lot – could you sell them? Simple math suggests that if you sell more cars, dealership profits increase. If it was that easy we would all be retired and relaxing on our private island. One thing is for sure. You have to know your numbers, especially time to breakeven. Breakeven, sometimes referred to as “days on the street,” is the number of weeks before you recoup the cost of the vehicle. This simple math can triple your profits….Read Article