I’d like to introduce you to Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Evolution
of a
Sales, Training & Leadership
Professional
1994-1997 1998-2005 2006-2009 2010-Today
Learning the Mastering Learning to using 17 years
basics of the retail be on the of
selling by side of other side of automotive
failing often automotive the dealer’s sales,
and desk and leadership,
learning the helping training
art of sales others learn and
training to do the marketing
and same experience to
motivation serve my
clients and
Yours
I have spent the last seventeen years working with Automotive Dealers
and Automotive Advertisers to help ensure success in any market.
I am constantly looking for ways to improve and grow as a leadership
and sales professional. I would like the opportunity to serve your
organization by helping your team increase sales and revenue.
Helping the best get better,
Mat Koenig
Passionate professional... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Objective
To utilize my seventeen year track record of success with leadership, training and sales in a fulfilling
work environment where I can help others improve their skills, habits, attitude and overall sales
performance.
Profile
Experienced, motivated, exciting business professional with a seventeen-year track record
of success in the automotive industry. Well versed in many areas of the latest technology
including the recent launch of a streaming media site for online sales training. Accustomed
to working with automotive professionals and well versed in automotive vernacular. Diplomatic
and tactful with professionals and non-professionals at all levels. Experience with new market
development and client retention.
I am flexible and versatile – able to maintain a positive attitude and perform under pressure.
Poised and competent with demonstrated ability to overcome almost any objection. Leadership
experience and excellent team-building skills.
Skills Summary
u Automotive Classified u Tech Savvy u Automotive Management
Sales u Service Oriented u Automotive Sales
u Territory Turnaround u CRM Experience u Automotive Training
u Market Expansion u Marketing & u Professional Presentations
u Team Leadership Sales u Creative Marketing
u Consulting & u Streaming Video u Sales Process Development
Coaching
Professional Experience
EDMUNDS.COM/AREA SALES MANAGER 2010-PRESENT
u Develop and manage Nashville DMA for Edmunds.com direct to dealer pilot program.
u Call on automotive executive decision makers to communicate the benefits of participating
in pilot program.
u Help potential clients see value in a paid program that they were receiving free of charge in
the past.
u Retain clients by reselling the direct to dealer program each time I visit.
u Assess program performance on a client by client basis and make recommendations based
on their ROI.
u Counsel clients on their consumer relations strategies to help maximize their ROI with the
program.
u Work independently in the field with no direct contact or supervision as a contract employee.
AUTOSALESTRAININGTV.COM/FOUNDER 2010-PRESENT
u Develop and deploy video on demand sales training site for automotive dealers.
u Take best practices from automotive sales training and condense them into video training
sessions under fifteen minutes in length.
u Maintain and manage site including: site design, hosting, blog, twitter account, podcast, video
content
Dedicated leader... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Professional Experience Continued
CARS.COM/SALES TRAINING MANAGER 2007-2009
u Develop and implement sales training curriculum for staff of 150+ team members
nationwide.
u Call on automotive dealerships in person and over the phone to close business and
demonstrate process for sales team.
u Deliver existing curriculum for automotive dealerships to educate them in areas of online
marketing and merchandising.
u Conduct small-group sessions on communication and sales techniques.
u Communicate new sales and leadership concepts to senior management.
u Rapidly learn and master varied computer programs; including Camtasia, Microsoft Office
2007, and recently learning Microsoft Expression Web 3 (web design program).
CARS.COM/FIELD SALES MANAGER 2006-2007
u Develop brand awareness for Cars.com in Southwest Michigan after the market failed for
10+ years.
u Salesperson of the month 5 out of 10 months in 2006
u Built a clientele that took Southwest Michigan from the lowest performing
market in the country to the top performing market within 10 months of 2006.
u Created a measurable follow up and prospecting plan including telephone, email
and face to face contact allowing me to set realistic and achievable goals for
market growth.
u Develop and implement strategic marketing plan for Cars.com in Southwest Michigan:
u Built an established client base beginning with larger automotive groups then
utilized those partnerships to bring on the smaller stores.
u Created special promotions on a monthly basis allowing ongoing reason for
conversation with prospects.
u Won over highly skeptical leaders in the automotive community:
u Utilized my 12 years of knowledge and experience in the dealership.
u Demonstrated product to help dealers get a better understanding of the
consumer perspective.
u Had a consistent follow up schedule to establish the relationship and Cars.com
brand.
HAROLD ZEIGLER AUTO GROUP/DIRECTOR OF TRAINING 2004-2005
u 2004 to 2005 - Manage all aspects of curriculum development, implementation and delivery:
u 9 store auto group with 500+ staff members.
u Created curriculum for all departments including service, office, sales, and
leadership.
u Delivered small and large group sessions designed to create a cohesive work
environment for all team members.
u Delivered small and large group sessions designed to create consistent consumer
experience at all locations.
u Delivered detailed reports to senior management and owners regarding
performance metrics in relations to training sessions held.
Lifetime learner... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Professional Experience Continued
HAROLD ZEIGLER AUTO GROUP/PRE-OWNED VEHICLE SALES
MANAGER 2002-2003
u Manage all aspects of day to day used vehicle operations:
u Training and coaching for 9 sales professionals.
u Monitoring of recorded phone calls and coaching based on calls reviewed.
u Helped 8 year veteran salesperson double her average monthly sales within one
year.
u Increased average gross profit by $21,000 per month within a 12 month period
u Delivered detailed reports to senior management and owners regarding
department performance.
COLE GILMORE PONTIAC CADILLAC NISSAN/NISSAN SALES
MANAGER 2001-2002
u Manage all aspects of day to day Nissan sales operations:
u Increased sales volume by 42%
u Increased gross profit by 67%
u Training and coaching for 13 sales professionals.
u Managed direct sales responsibilities of 4 sales professionals.
u Monitoring of sales performance in relations to sales training.
u Delivered detailed reports to senior management and owners regarding
department performance.
Continued Employment History
COLE GILMORE PONTIAC CADILLAC NISSAN – Portage, MI
Automotive sales consultant, 1998 to 2001
METRO TOYOTA JAGUAR – Kalamazoo, MI
Automotive sales consultant, 1996 to 1998
BATTLE CREEK HONDA MAZDA – Kalamazoo, MI
Automotive sales consultant, 1994 to 1996
Relevant Education
JOE VERDE GROUP – SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA
Sales Training Manager Certification
Sales Management Certification
Sales Professional Certification
CARDONE GROUP – ORLANDO, FL
Sales Leadership Certification
Sales Professional Certification
Published writer... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
In 2010 I wrote the book ‘Winners & Losers’ as a comlpete
guide for Automotive Sales Professionals. It is available in
digital format on Amazon.com for the Kindle as well as
Paperback.
Get your copy of Winners & Losers
by typing the links below into your browser.
Kindle Digital Version for only $9.99
http://amzn.to/winnerslosersebook
Paperback Edition for only $19.99
http://bit.ly/winnersloserspaperback
Published writer... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Guest Posting by Mat Koenig
What do you think about when you hear the words ‘pay-per-
lead’?
If you’re like many dealers that I talk to you probably just said something like: “They aren’t
doing that great and we’re looking at what we can cut.”
What would you think if I told you that a five franchise dealer in Southwest Michigan buys
leads from every lead provider available for his five franchises and has massive success with
every single source?
Sounds crazy right?
What does this dealer do? What are his secrets? Is he really successful with every source? What
is his process? Nobody sells that many cars from pay-per-lead products do they?
When I asked my friend how many sales he got from his pay-per-lead products he said: “It
doesn’t really matter if they buy from me right now or not.” This made no sense to me at first
but once you understand what my friend is doing you may change the way you look at pay-per-
lead products forever too.
Money Maker Option 1 – Sell them a car
Obviously most of us look for the quick buck on your pay-per-lead purchases right? The first
way to make money is the one that we’re all trying to accomplish now: Get a lead, follow a
process and try to sell a car.
This is why pay-per-lead products exist isn’t it? In a word; YES! While selling them a car is the
fastest way to get a return on your investment, it’s not the only way to make money though.
Money Maker Option 2 – Get them into service
When my buddy told me that he didn’t care if they bought a car or not I have to admit, I
thought the stress of the business was finally causing him to lose his mind. Then he explained
why the immediate sales aren’t his only concern.
About 8 years ago I was at a Joe Verde workshop where one of Joe’s trainers said: “67% of all
service customers who are surveyed said that they would like to purchase their vehicle from the
same place that they service it.”
Using that philosophy my friend doesn’t get upset if his pay-per-lead customers buy from
another dealership because he immediately sets them up on his service department email list as
well as their list for mailing service coupons, etc. If they come in and have one minor service
done on their new car my friend has recovered his initial cost for the lead.
If they keep servicing with him, he will keep making money on that $25 dollar lead for as long as
they have the car. Plus, if he continues to service them well, he may earn their business in the
future which brings us
to option 3.
Money Maker Option 3 – Future Sales & Direct Mail
Let’s assume that the average consumer still buys about 12 vehicles in their lifetime. Let’s
assume that they have already bought 1/2 of those by the time they send that lead to you.
Wouldn’t this still mean that you have the opportunity to sell them six more cars?
Lifetime learner... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Guest Posting by Mat Koenig
What do you think about when you hear the words ‘pay-per-
lead’?
If you’re like many dealers that I talk to you probably just said something like: “They aren’t
doing that great and we’re looking at what we can cut.”
What would you think if I told you that a five franchise dealer in Southwest Michigan buys leads
from every lead provider available for his five franchises and has massive success with every
single source?
Sounds crazy right?
What does this dealer do? What are his secrets? Is he really successful with every source? What is
his process? Nobody sells that many cars from pay-per-lead products do they?
When I asked my friend how many sales he got from his pay-per-lead products he said: “It
doesn’t really matter if they buy from me right now or not.” This made no sense to me at first but
once you understand what my friend is doing you may change the way you look at pay-per-lead
products forever too.
Money Maker Option 1 – Sell them a car
Obviously most of us look for the quick buck on your pay-per-lead purchases right? The first way
to make money is the one that we’re all trying to accomplish now: Get a lead, follow a process and
try to sell a car.
This is why pay-per-lead products exist isn’t it? In a word; YES! While selling them a car is the
fastest way to get a return on your investment, it’s not the only way to make money though.
Money Maker Option 2 – Get them into service
When my buddy told me that he didn’t care if they bought a car or not I have to admit, I thought
the stress of the business was finally causing him to lose his mind. Then he explained why the
immediate sales aren’t his only concern.
About 8 years ago I was at a Joe Verde workshop where one of Joe’s trainers said: “67% of all
service customers who are surveyed said that they would like to purchase their vehicle from the
same place that they service it.”
Using that philosophy my friend doesn’t get upset if his pay-per-lead customers buy from
another dealership because he immediately sets them up on his service department email list as
well as their list for mailing service coupons, etc. If they come in and have one minor service done
Published writer... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Guest Posting by Mat Koenig
Request for Quote Auto-responder
I read an article on another automotive website regarding a tool for responding to RQF (Request for
quote) consumers. It would be a type of auto-responder affording the consumer the opportunity to
work their own payments, etc. to find out if the car is truly right for them.
I have to say at first glance I got excited about the possibilities of what could be
done with this automated system like this and how great it could potentially be for me as a consumer.
Then, after stepping back I realized that that this system could possibly perpetuate some of the
perceived problems that dealers have with the internet. Allow me to explain what I mean.
As I travel the country talking to dealers I have heard, on many occasions, phrases like: “consumers
aren’t loyal anymore”, “the internet has made my business harder”, “customers just shop everybody
and use me tokeep their local dealer honest”.
As someone who works for a large online classified company I’m going to say this: all of those
statements are true. However, the reason they are true isn’t because consumers have the internet as a
vehicle for communicating. It’s our fault as dealers.
Consumers aren’t loyal because many of us, as dealers (myself included after spending 12 years on that
side of the desk) have forgotten about the importance of follow up and prospecting – how many years
has Joe Verde said to ask “how many, how many, who’s next?” My sales team in a little Nissan
Dealership went from last to 1st in our region by making sure our 3 simple salespeople did that
prospecting script 5 times a day before 11 A.M.
We made phone calls to our customers every 90 days to say hello and catch up on a personal level. Our
customer were loyal. As a dealer can you say that you do that type of follow up? Do you know how little
Jimmy’s baseball season went or are you just relying on your CRM to fire of a form letter a few times a
year?
If you aren’t following up to that level, why would your customers be loyal?
The internet has made business harder because we don’t use it for what it is: one more way to connect
us with a consumer that will eventually buy from the dealer that treats them the best and gives them the
options that are closest to what they want and need. Instead, many of us look at consumers who use the
internet as a bunch of ‘strokes’ and we don’t treat every one of them them like buyers.
Last I checked, if people aren’t too old to drive, they are a buyer. If people aren’t too young to drive,
they’re a buyer. To quote Joe Verde again, doesn’t that mean everyone is a buyer eventually? If that is
true wouldn’t it mean that the only questions are when will they buy and who will get the commission?
If you aren’t treating internet consumers as well as your walk in customer (who also went online but
didn’t tell you), is it the internet that made your job harder or is your lack of professionalism making
your job harder?
Finally, as far as consumers using the internet to keep their local dealer honest all I can say is “duh”.
Everyone wants to make sure the dealer is honest. Let’s face it gang, we aren’t ranked very high on the
ethics surveys no matter how hard we try.
This isn’t new though is it? Before the internet was the primary vehicle for information people used to
use the little gas station rags like AutoTrader Magazine and AutoMart Magazine or they would get the
paper from the next town over to do the same thing; keep us ‘honest’.
Published writer... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
If we as dealers would build relationships better couldn’t we have more repeat & referral business that
pays higher profit anyway?
If we would just focus on learning how to use a phone better when that customer calls couldn’t we set
more appointments when the shoppers from the town over do call?
If we’d just sharpen our sales skills by practicing every now and then instead of complaining about the
economy and the internet, couldn’t we possibly convince a customer that we’re worth the drive to do
business with?
What does this have to do with an automated RFQ program. I’d say everything.
I think the idea would be fantastic if as dealers we were prepared to pay attention to the consumer
requests, if we cared enough to follow up and if our sales skills were sharp enough to give the consumer
the experience that comes with a true sales professional; the experience that they deserve.
Unfortunately, as it sits with far too many of us I believe this tool could just add to a lazy entitlement
mentality and further worsen the consumer experience lending to even less consumer loyalty and more
excuses.
About the Author: Mat Koenig is a 12 year veteran in the Automotive industry and is currently
serving as a Sales Training Manager for Cars.com.
Featured writer... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Guest Posting by Mat Koenig
Is your social networking ‘not’-working?
How do car dealers advertise on facebook, MySpace,
twitter and other social networking sites?
Social networking is all the buzz right now and everyone from the Automotive Industry to Real
Estate is trying to figure out how to use sites like facebook to grow their business. One of the
largest areas of growth is in the automotive sector. The attraction of social networking sites isn’t
hard to figure out. Millions of people to reach and you can basically do it for free…if you don’t
scare them all away.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a more effective way to utilize facebook and other social
networking mediums to reach your clients? I have a clear plan that is guaranteed to be better
than 90% of the efforts being put forth today. Grab a pen and paper and write this down…
STOP POSTING YOUR ADS ON FACEBOOK AND OTHER SOCIAL
NETWORKING SITES – THEY DON’T WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND!
No, that wasn’t a typo. Some of you may be shaking your head at what you just read but frankly
I don’t care, and you’ll thank me in just a moment when you read on. Many of you remember
MySpace and the popularity it had when it first launched onto the social scene. I am in my mid
thirties and I was a MySpace addict at first launch. I had my background all tricked out and
added a TON of friends so that I could try to become a networking machine.
Not too long after MySpace became the latest craze, ads started popping up. I have to give
kudos to Tom (the founder and everyone’s default friend on MySpace) for being intelligent
enough to cash in on the
financial opportunity however this was the beginning of the end for MySpace as a “place for
friends”. It is now a place for movie trailers, advertisements and my personal favorite (no I’m
not joking) MySpace Karaoke.
Just after MySpace began the advertising overload a new social networking site took the world
by storm.
You may have heard of a little site called facebook. Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook with
fellow computer science major students and his roommates Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes
while he was a student at Harvard University. Facebook is estimated to have over 200 million
users with over 100 million logging in each day.
Why did facebook become so popular? Because you and your ads weren’t cluttering up the
space where my friends and I want to communicate. If we aren’t careful, our advertisements
could do more damage than good when it comes to social networking.
THERE IS GOOD NEWS AND A WAY TO EFFECTIVELY USE THIS SOCIAL
NETWORKING MEDIUM
Featured writer... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Why is social networking so popular? For the same reason that the internet is now the #1 choice
for consumers when they want information: You can get what you want, when you want it,
delivered in a format that you want.
We all know that consumers are drawn to places that allow them to feel like they have control;
aren’t we all? Knowing this, the real question isn’t ‘how do I advertise on facebook and
MySpace and twitter and social networking sites’. The real question is how do I use these sites,
in the context they were designed, to expand the network that I’ve been building.
Here are 5 simple ideas on using social networking sites in a way that will allow you to expand
your network and improve your business
1. Create a profile on facebook, MySpace and Twitter and create a group on facebook that
people can choose to belong to.
2. Begin with people who already do business with you because they will be more receptive to
your advertising For example: have a computer set up in your service lounge at the dealership
with a sign inviting people to create a facebook account and join your group to receive coupons
in service and other discounts. What if someone got a free oil change for joining your facebook
group? Couldn’t you then market them with updates? NOTE: Make sure you have people ready
to help your customer set up a facebook account if they don’t already have one.
3. Have weekly or monthly specials and post them on your facebook profile and facebook group
page.
4. Use a site like www.ping.fm to do all of your ‘status updates’. Ping.fm will allow you to do a
quick update like “Check out the facebook group for ABC Motors and get a free oil change in
June plus $3000 off any new vehicle”. You can type it once and it will hit your twitter, MySpace,
facebook and any other social networking site you are using. (Thanks Jeff Kershner at
DealerRefresh.com for that handy tip I use the site daily).
5. Don’t forget that the consumer is King. Sam Walton said: “There is only one boss, the
customer, and he can fire everyone from the CEO on down. All he has to do is take his money
elsewhere.” If we’re going to market our business on the internet we have to take an approach
that will attract the consumer. Ask yourself these questions: Why did consumers shift to the
internet instead of just counting on commercials and other interruption advertising? If
consumers came online to avoid interruption advertising; what will happen to sites like
facebook if I bombard consumers with interruption advertising?
Congratulations in advance on a successful 2009 and best wishes on becoming a social
networking pro!
About the Author: Mat Koenig is a 12 year veteran in the Automotive industry and is currently
serving a Sales Trainer traveling across the United States.
Experienced trainer... Mathew W. Koenig
2409 Sunsprite Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
615.945.9030
mk@autosalestrainingtv.com
Helping dealers in Burlington, VT learn to maximize results
from their online advertising investments.
Whether working with large groups or one on one my goal is the
same: Help the best get better through positive coaching and
encouragement as well as exciting, informative training that will bring
a lasting benefit to everyone in the room.