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Donna Lawlis is sales manager and Internet director at Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine, Texas. At the beginning of her tenure there a decade ago, she took the dealership online - well ahead of other stores in the area (or pretty much anywhere, for that matter). Since then, she's been steadily improving online operations that now contribute significantly to Classic Chevy's huge volume sales. The store became the number-one volume Chevy dealer in 2006 and has retained that spot ever since.

When we spoke with Donna recently, we asked her for some tips that other dealers could follow. She was happy to oblige us.

1. Remember That It All Starts With Process

"A bad process followed consistently is better than no process, or one that's only halfway implemented. I'm not saying that you should stick with that bad process - definitely not. But without it you have no foundation for improvement. If your salespeople are committed to following a process, then you can gradually perfect that process, and you'll actually see the results. If they're not following a clear process, you can make all the improvements you want, but they'll just be improvements on paper."

2. Hire the Right Personalities

"When I look at applicants, I don't worry about whether they have computer skills or a sales background. The job is all about forming relationships with customers, and people who can do that well - who are good on the phone, for example, and willing to use it - are hard to come by. Anyone who has that valuable skill and who can be taught to do the other things will win a job over someone who has the knowledge and experience but not the personality."

3. Use the Carrot, Not the Stick

"When I have salespeople who aren't performing, I always focus on what they're doing well. The trick is to help them understand what their performance could be like if they continued to do what they're good at and also improved what they're not so good at. If you can get them to see the big picture and the rewards associated with top performance, it's a lot easier to help them move in that direction."

4. Make Sure That the Customer's Questions Get Answered

"This is both a matter of policy and a matter of skill. Your salespeople need to hear from you that it's an essential part of their job to read the customer's email, understand what's being asked, and provide a complete, to-the-point response. Some people have trouble doing this, however. Have you ever emailed a colleague with a list of three specific questions and gotten a response that answered the first question and ignored the other two? Imagine how frustrating that is for someone who wants to buy a car. Sometimes incomplete or irrelevant email responses are a sign that the salesperson is a careless or poor reader. And sometimes it's a sign that they're simply not very good at giving their full attention to the interaction - which is a much bigger problem, since this is key to developing the relationship."

Donna is one of the three panelists being featured in the webinar we are hosting along with Ward's Dealer Business on Friday, May 9, 2008. To register, visit: http://wardesauto.com/e100webinar.