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On the Move-October 23, 2013

RSVP for the 2013 MADAF Gala!

The RSVP deadline is fast approaching for this year's MADAF Gala on November 8th. Please send in your reply card on or before November 1st! If you cannot attend, please consider making a charitable contribution to the Foundation. Thank you!

Congratulations to Marisa Shockley!

MADA would like to congratulate Marisa Shockley of Shockley Honda in Frederick, MD who recently selected to represent Maryland as our 2014 TIME Dealer of the Year (TDOY) Nominee! A TDOY nominee must be a member of NADA and MADA for at least five years. The individual should spend at least 60% of his or her time involved in dealership affairs, as well as a history of distinguished community service. Marisa will represent Maryland in the National competition, which takes place at the NADA/ATD Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana in January 2014.

As the daughter of a dealer, Marisa grew up in the industry. Her father, Alfred Shockley, is a former Chairman of the MADA board. Marisa recently completed her two year term as Chairperson of MADA's Board and now serves as Immediate Past Chair on the Board. She is also the first second-generation and first female to serve as Board chair.

In addition to her strong business representation, Marisa has a long-standing relationship with the Maryland School for the Deaf and is currently serving as Board President of the Maryland School for the Deaf Foundation. Over the years, Marisa has lead fundraising efforts, such as an annual golf tournament, in support of the Foundation. Her efforts have helped to provide scholarships and resources that enhance the education of MSD students.

We have high hopes for Marisa in January and ask that everyone join us in congratulating her and wishing her the best of luck!

MADA Honors Teacher of the Year

Congratulations are in order for Sean McComb, an English teacher at Patapsco High School & Center for the Arts in Baltimore County. Sean was recently named the new 2013-2014 Maryland Teacher of the Year at the Teacher of the Year Gala. MADA Chairman, Tom Walls, attended the Gala and presented Sean with the keys to his new car, a 2014 Kia Forte.

Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lillian Lowery had the following to say about Sean, "[He] personifies the cutting edge Maryland educator. He is an energetic instructor, making certain his students set goals, commit to those targets, succeed, and move forward toward college or career. His passionate work reflects well on our State's education system."

"Our schools must provide the opportunity for any individual to become educated and economically competitive," McComb said. "My teaching is built on the belief that relationships and engagement can turn challenges into opportunity for excellence for all students. As we embrace the truth, we create citizens who can live the American dream."

Also in attendance at the Gala were Governor Martin O'Malley who announced the winner, as well as, Sen. Paul Sarbanes, Rep. John Sarbanes, Comptroller Peter Franchot, and Attorney General Douglas Gansler.

FCC Issues New Telephone And Text Consent Requirements

New telephone and text consent requirements from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) went into effect October 16, 2013. The new rule strengthens the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which governs the use of prerecorded calls or calls placed with an automated telephone dialing system (also known as "robocalls").

The new rules require businesses (including dealers) to get express written consent before making a prerecorded or auto-dialed telemarketing call. This means that before making such calls, dealers must get written consent signed by the customer that specifically indicates the dealer who will be making the calls, and it must include the telephone number for which consent is being given. The established business relationship exemption to the consent requirement has also been eliminated for these types of calls.

The FCC is changing its TCPA regulations in an effort to keep them in line with the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). Dealers who are already in compliance with the FTC's rule should not need to change their practices to comply with the recent FCC changes.

There are several issues raised by these new FCC rules that dealers must consider.

Dealers may not be using prerecorded calls to contact consumers, but they must determine if they are using software or systems that meet the definition of an Automated Telephone Dialing System (ATDS) under the new rules. The TCPA definition of ATDS may cover computers used to make or assist in making telephone calls, which means the FCC may consider ANY telemarketing phone call made using such a system to be improper under the TCPA, unless you have the consumer's prior express written consent.
For the most part, dealers cannot make prerecorded or autodialed calls of any kind to a cell phone without prior express consent. This includes purely informational calls. As of October 16, 2013, telemarketing prerecorded or autodialed calls made to cell phones, will now require prior express written consent.
The FCC considers SMS or "text" messages to be telephone calls. Therefore, as text messages are generally sent to cell phones, as of October 16, 2013, any automated telemarketing text message requires prior express written consent. There are several issues with respect to text messaging that make their treatment unclear under current law. Dealers should protect themselves by ensuring no text messages are sent by the dealership (or by a service provider on behalf of the dealer) without being able to prove prior express written consent by the text recipient.

Dealers should consult with their legal counsel to make sure their business practices are compliant with the new FCC requirements, and should work closely with any third party vendors to ensure that any calls and text messages made or sent by the dealership, or on the dealership's behalf, are also compliant.

New Webinars from DealersEdge

#1: Facebook's New Ad Programs Provide Opportunity for Auto Dealerships!

Date/Time: Thursday, October 31 at 1pm

Presenter: Paul Potratz, COO of Potratz Partners Advertising

Cost: $149.00 per participant

A recent study by "re-targeting" giant AdRoll found that Facebook's new Newsfeed Ads generated 21 times more click-throughs than standard Website re-targeting ads. They also found that Newsfeed Ads produced 49 times more click-throughs than Facebook's own right-hand side ads. Join us as Paul Potratz explains the details regarding new opportunities in Facebook advertising and how you can determine if this new online advertising channel is right for your dealership.

You Will Learn:

How to create the right content to target the right audience
Why a great content strategy based on lifestyles, needs & wants dramatically increases conversion rates
About partner categories and how you can use them to your store's advantage
Ways to insure Facebook campaign success

#2: Forecasting 2014: A step-by-step guide for creating actionable dealership forecasts that yield results!

Date/Time: Thursday, November 7 at 1pm

Presenter: Brooke Samples of Profit Blueprints LLC

Cost: $149.00 per participant

Next year promises to be great for auto retailers and now is the time to develop strategies to seize the opportunities with a great forecasting process.

Your forecast helps you define and create measurable targets, forcing you and your managers to then develop realistic action plans that will help you accomplish your goals. This webinar is designed to be a thought-starter and to answer the questions about how and why dealers should create a forecast.

You Will Learn: