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Opportunities Knock4 The \u201cRight\u201d Hire8 PIA14 The CEI Advantage16

BMW

Aftersales Magazine

Spring 2009, No. 17

The world of service,

parts, accessories

and lifestyle.

The Ultimate

Driving Machine\u00ae

Link

Dear Friends,

Some might suggest that \u2014 with the current state of the economy \u2014 this is no time to be talking about growth. Personally, I believe there is no better time. Yes, some areas of our business are unavoidably affected. But there are others in which there are more opportunities than ever, particularly in Aftersales.

The Aftersales opportunity presents itself from two fronts: from the business that is naturally walking through your front door and from business you could be attracting with the cost-effective tools made available to you by BMW. In this issue of Link, we\u2019ll define some of those opportunities and show you how other centers continue to generate revenue by putting the customer first.

At this year\u2019s NAC, we\u2019re launching a new

program designed to build awareness of Original BMW Accessories during the vehicle sales process. Not only will that help increase sales, it will also help Client Advisors deliver a new BMW that meets each customer\u2019s specific needs and style. Some of these new tools will also help current customers who plan to hold off on the purchase of a new vehicle. Those owners will require more service and will be more inclined to \u201cfreshen up\u201d their current

BMW with accessories. In both instances, the concept

of \u201celevated service\u201d has never been more important in

ensuring that we deliver the best possible experience and

keep customers loyal to the BMW brand.

There is no doubt that these are challenging times.

That\u2019s why it is more crucial than ever to identify and

seize the opportunities we have before us and to strive to

create new ones. We look forward to working with you

in that pursuit.

Alan E. Harris

Vice President

Aftersales

Contents

02Off The Line

All the latest from the world of BMW

04Feature

Catching a missed opportunity

08Ac c ele r ate

Efficiency in technical hiring

12Front & Center

Capturing attention through

Digital Merchandising

14Winner\u2019s Circle

Awards and recognition

On The Cover:

The all-new 2009 BMW Z4 Roadster

LinkS p r i n g2 0 0 9

LinkSp r ing20 09

Suggestion Box:

Linkwas created for you \u2014 as a source of information to help

you succeed and as a forum for your ideas, suggestions and stories. So it should come as no surprise that your feedback is critical to its success. Please help us makeL i n k magazine everything it can be by sending us your comments.

Linkmagazine retains exclusive rights of reproduction in printed or electronic media for any text or photographs

submitted and reserves the right to edit, modify or refuse publication of any material and to hold such material for an indeterminate period, unless such material is accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the appropriate postage.

Linkmagazine is published on behalf of BMW of North America, LLC to assist BMW centers and all Aftersales

personnel. The information within, including products, part numbers, procedures, specifications and other relevant

data, is checked to be as accurate as possible. Some of the vehicles pictured in this magazine are European

spec and may include non-US vehicles. BMW NA neither warrants nor guarantees that all information is accu-

rate. BMW reserves the right to change this information at any time, without prior notice and without obligation.L i n k is published by Great Big Circle, Inc. Reproduction in whole, in part or by electronic storage is prohibited without the express written permission of BMW of North America, LLC.

\u00a9 2009 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logos are registered trademarks.

Printed in USA, MAG-017-09.

BMW of North America

Grant Paullo, Editor in Chief
Email: grant.paullo@bmwna.com
Kimberly Byars, Senior Editor
Email: kimberly.byars@bmwna.com

Agency

Great Big Circle, Inc.

224 West 30thS t r e e t

Suite 1203

New York, NY 10001

Look for this symbol throughout Link to get more

information on topics covered in this issue.

16Touchpoint

Success through CEI

18Fuel

Color System news and F1 for every day

22Wrench

Success through CEI

25Backstretch

The journey to NAC

\u201cFor most centers, the business
has simply gotten bigger and
bigger, and it\u2019s easy to overlook
the details. These days, it\u2019s all
about getting back to basics as
a way to maintain profitability
and build loyalty.\u201d

Randy Clements, Warranty Business

Development Manager