Q & A with Jon Toker – Automotive Consultant

Jon Toker is an automotive consultant for Toronto Auto Consulting and with the business, he has developed as a consultant as he has learned ways to improve. When you are in your career things will never be perfect and you will have your ups and downs, but it is all about taking the next step to work on your weaknesses. We will never move forward if we don’t improve. Jon has been able to use effective tools like SEO for his business and use his knowledge of cars to excel dramatically. He has gained a vast knowledge of the ins and outs of what it takes to be a great an automotive consultant in Canada. Jon Toker is a strong believer in vAuto, digital marketing, SEO, working your database and Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. Years of experience in automotive business in Canada Jon Toker proved to be an automotive expert and a great leader. This Q & A showcases Jon’s journey as an automotive consultant and what he has done to get where he is today with his business.

1) What has been your biggest obstacle as a consultant?

There are a lot of people out there who actually try to do consulting, however, their only focus is a short-term financial gain for themselves. I personally believe consulting is a long-term commitment to your clients. You need to commit yourself to the business like it’s your own business. At the end of the day you need to move the gauge at the business you are consulting for. Also, a lot of consultants only like to give advice, but my approach is to get it done and show how it’s done. Due to other consultants approach most businesses are skeptical about consulting services and they don’t see the value in it.

2) What are three ways that you believe you could improve yourself as a consultant?

I Adopt myself quickly in technological changes and I am always on the look for new products available for car dealerships. I am looking to get better at networking and be more proactive in terms of solving problems.

3) What do you consider to be a key way to draw in customers to blogs if they don’t like reading online?

I believe an effective way to draw in people to blogs could be to make cartoon-like videos to get peoples attention. I find this to be a unique tactic as it gives people a visual and may intrigue them more. People can also consider doing a video blog.

4) Do you believe that SEO is an effective tool?

Organic traffic is proven to be more effective than paid traffic. The only way to bring organic traffic is to get better at SEO. Therefore I am religious and about SEO.

5) Which cars have you found to be dropping in sales?

I have found that full-size sedans are losing their forte in regular brands like Toyota, Hyundai, Honda. I have also found that when people are shopping for full-size sedans that they tend to turn to more luxury brands such as Lexus, Acura, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

6) What would you say is your biggest weakness?

My biggest weakness is taking my job very seriously and treating every dealership like it is my own. That makes me spend more time with stuff that I shouldn’t be doing. I sometimes step in when I see issues, and I actually don’t get paid for it. That makes me do a lot of free work because our time is very limited in our job. We only have 45 hrs in a week to solve all the problems of our clients.

7) Describe a negative work experience you’ve encountered and how you dealt with it?

I took this contract in an import dealership and the General Manager was very resistant and started talking bad behind my back even though I was there to help them. Since I was directly dealing with the owner of the dealership GM felt threatened. At the end of the day, I was there to help that GM make more money. After couple of months passed with amazing results we became great friends with that GM. I personally believe if you deliver financial results you can make lots of friends in the business.

8) Do you prefer working alone or with a team

I prefer a bit of both, to be honest. When there is a big project I like to work with a team, however when there is an immediate issue, I would like to take the initiative personally. Don’t forget time is money and sometimes there needs to be an executive decision taken to fix it right away, as the clock is ticking.

9) Name some negotiating strategies that you find helpful.

Don’t give up at the first no or objection. Objection is great and it allows you to negotiate. Sometimes you need to create your own objection to win the negotiation. Evidently, always be respectful and control your emotions. Being too nice or too serious is not good. You need to keep the balance.

10) Are there any downfalls to being an automotive consultant?

Overall, I love what I do and seeing results on the financial statement is my biggest enjoyment. It is hard to pinpoint downfalls as a consultant, but it does involve lots of driving and hours of reading are the only downfalls.