Stronghold Technologies, Inc., the developer of DealerAdvance(TM), an enterprise software system leveraging wireless technologies for the automotive retail industry, on Sept. 11 announced that Mike Johnson's Hickory Toyota has achieved an all-time record level of monthly sales.

A Stronghold customer since October 2002, Hickory Toyota says it has steadily improved its performance with the use of Stronghold's DealerAdvance(TM). Located in North Carolina, Hickory Toyota has become the one of the largest dealers in terms of sales volume in the Southeast Toyota (SET) District #10, and was the winning dealership in a sales contest sponsored by SET in the month of August.

According to Hickory and Stronghold, the recent performance that catapulted Hickory Toyota to a new record sales level was achieved through the use of Stronghold's DealerAdvance(TM) and the development of a creative and rewarding environment for the dealership's sales force.

Recognized for effective management and leadership skills, Mike Johnson, owner of Hickory Toyota, and his team have differentiated their approach to selling vehicles as compared to other dealers. Hickory Toyota has a two-tiered sales force structure. Specialists greet customers, work with prospects, and assist buyers in selecting appropriate vehicles. Team Leaders are managerial in nature, coordinate follow-up appointments, and arrange for the purchase of vehicles once they have been selected. Members of the sales force have various incentives based on their performance in working with customers and ensuring a comfortable shopping experience.

"We are very gratified by the results achieved by Hickory Toyota and congratulate the dealership on its triumphant record monthly sales," said Christopher Carey, chairman and CEO of Stronghold. "Their performance is not unexpected. Not only is Mike Johnson a consummate professional who is actively engaged in managing his sales force, he has empowered his staff to become more productive by making the investment in DealerAdvance Sales Solution(TM). This has resulted in the dealership becoming more profitable, maintaining a well-organized and motivated sales force, and improving the experience of its customers. With competition intensifying in the automotive retail market and new industry reports showing a low level of consumer satisfaction toward dealer sales practices, Mike Johnson has distanced Hickory Toyota from other dealerships in more ways than just sales."

A substantial portion of Hickory Toyota's record monthly sales was derived from activities which are part of the follow-up process. Hickory Toyota relies on its follow-up process knowing that the industry average for customers purchasing a vehicle on the first visit to a dealership is less than 10 percent. The primary purpose of following up with potential buyers is to capitalize on the remaining 90 percent of dealership traffic.

The backbone of Hickory Toyota's follow up process is Stronghold's DealerAdvance(TM), according to Hickory and Stronghold. A combination of mobile technology and integrated dealership applications, DealerAdvance(TM) was designed specifically for the retail automobile market to generate real performance benefits, according to Carey. The system delivers a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software application and has been designed to maximize the revenues and reduce the operating expenses of automobile dealerships, Carey said.

Follow-up processes tailored for the dealership and Stronghold's system combine to form DealerAdvance Sales Solution(TM). This solution is designed to increase sales by capturing a greater percentage of unsold customer prospects and maximizing customer "be-back" (return) and closure rates, according to Stronghold.

About Stronghold Technologies, Inc.

Stronghold Technologies, Inc., is a specialist in applying wireless technology and process improvement methods to increase business efficiency and sales.

The company has developed an integrated wireless technology, called DealerAdvance(TM), which allows automobile dealers to capture a customer's purchasing requirements, search inventory at multiple locations, locate an appropriate vehicle in stock and print out the necessary forms.

Through an integrated CRM (Customer Relationship Management) application, the systems sends detailed tasks for prospect and customer follow-up and produces management reports to measure compliance, according to Stronghold. DealerAdvance(TM) allows sales professionals to increase sales, improve customer follow-up, and reduce administrative costs, according to the company.

For more information, visit www.strongholdtech.com.