FordDirect Names Ted Britt Ford 2005 Ford Internet Dealer of the Year

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 13, 2006 -- FordDirect awarded Ted Britt Ford of Fairfax, Va., the FordDirect 2005 Ford Internet Dealer of the Year award at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention and Exposition.

"FordDirect dealers are responsible for selling more than 250,000 vehicles through FordDirect Internet referrals in 2005, that's 10 percent of Ford Division retail sales," said FordDirect President Steve St. Andre. "Business generated from online sources will continue to grow and it will become even more important for automobile dealers to have strong Internet processes like Ted Britt Ford."

General Manager John Hopkins said the goal of Ted Britt Ford's Internet department is simple.

"Get the lead and help the customer move forward in their purchase decision. Convert the customer shopping online into a referral, the referral into a telephone conversation, the conversation into an appointment and the appointment into a sale," John Hopkins said.

In fact, if you log on to http://www.tedbritt.com/ one of the first things you'll see is a $100 Internet coupon prompting you to type in your name and contact information. That's because Ted Britt Ford wants your Internet lead and a chance to earn your business.

Though marketing tactics were different in 1959 when founder "Texas" Ted Britt was famous in the DC area for his white cowboy hat and his "we trade anything" motto, the focus on providing good value to the consumer remains the same. Now the next generation, under the leadership of Dealer Principal Gardner Britt Jr., has taken this customer focus to the Internet frontier.

"Whether the consumer starts their shopping process as a lead from the Internet coupon on tedbritt.com or through FordDirect.com, the customer will be given the same special treatment," Britt Jr. said. "We set ourselves apart with quick response time, personalized follow up and excellent customer service. For example, we provide free service loaners for the life of the customer's lease or purchase."

The Ted Britt Internet department replies to a consumer request with a virtual test drive and customized email within minutes of receiving it, and then they call immediately to schedule an appointment.

"Within minutes from submitting their request, the customer receives a multi-media email, virtual test drive and a live phone call. Our goal is to be the first dealer to contact the customer, we want our customers to say wow, this dealership stands out from the others," said Bryan Hopkins, Internet Director at Ted Britt Ford.

Bryan's team uses BZResults digital marketing system and the Buzztrak lead management tool. They have an extensive automated follow up system that sends multi-media emails for six months to prospects and six years to customers.

"We have increased results by more than 400 percent in the last two years because we have the right tools, people and process in place," Bryan Hopkins said.

The goal of Ted Britt Ford's follow up is to schedule an appointment. Once an appointment is made, the lead is turned over to an executive sales mentor, who gives customers the white glove treatment when they come into the dealership.

"When the customer arrives for their test drive, they will have a reserved Internet parking spot and the car they inquired about will be pulled up and warmed up in the winter or cooled down in the summer," Bryan Hopkins said.

If an appointment is not made immediately, the customer goes into a 180- day follow up program. In the first 30 days the customer is followed up with intensely with a combination of customized buzz emails and calls along with automated emails, such as the dealership newsletter. Even after the 180-day period the lead will never "go dead" and automated emails, such as maintenance tips and tutorials, continue to go out.

"It is common for us to receive an email from a customer apologizing for not responding sooner because they thought our automated follow up was being done manually," John Hopkins said. "The key to a successful follow up program is personalization and making it relevant for the customer."

At Ted Britt Ford, employees want to work in the Internet department and only the best salespeople are able to handle Internet leads. Bryan Hopkins said that their executive sales mentors have the highest closing percentages, the best CSI scores and they sell the most cars. In all, a staff of four works in the Internet department handling more than 300 leads a month.

"The entire management staff supports the Internet department. It makes sense, because sales from the Internet account for 25 percent of our dealership's overall vehicle sales," said Britt Jr.

The key to success in the Internet is management support and accountability. At Ted Britt Ford, metrics are tracked and posed on a board in the Internet department, which is updated daily. They track how many appointments are made and kept as well as their overall closing rate. And they don't just measure Internet email referrals, they also track their phone calls through FordDirect Call Track-10.

And that $100 coupon ... it closes at 30 percent, even better than Texas Ted Britt's trade pitch.

About FordDirect

FordDirect.com is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its Ford franchised dealers to create a comprehensive web presence for dealers and provide information and online vehicle sales quotes directly to consumers. It is the only dealer-manufacturer partnership in the industry. Launched in August 2000, FordDirect has more than 4,500 participating Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover dealers located in all 50 states. FordDirect.com is headquartered in Dearborn, Mich.

About Ted Britt Ford

Ted Britt Ford has been family owned and operated since opening its doors in Fairfax, Va., in April 1959. Founder "Texas" Ted Britt was famous in the entire DC area for his white cowboy hat and his "we trade anything" motto. Owned by Gardner Britt Jr. since 1986, Ted Britt Ford has grown to five locations and more than 300 employees through a focus on customer satisfaction and hard work. Ted Britt has been No. 1 for many years in the mid-Atlantic in new Ford Motor Company vehicle sales. Ted Britt Ford is available online at http://www.tedbritt.com/ .