Don’t Get Distracted by Gadgets and Gizmos: Master the Basics to Succeed

For years, dealers have been inundated with technology. Salespeople from every vendor in the automotive space are continuously calling to present the latest and greatest product that is going to supercharge your sales. Great salespeople can convince a dealer or general manager to try products. Some of these products are excellent and could actually help … if you understand how to use them to their full potential.

 

There are some dealers that have both the time and expertise to devote to learning and using technology. But, sadly, that’s not realistic for many dealerships. To the vendors presenting their products, it may seem easy. However, if the product or service isn’t used to its full capabilities, chances are good that a dealer doesn’t stay a client very long.

 

If you are one of the rare dealerships or auto groups that has a tech-savvy employee who understands the products and services, and also has the time to use and implement them, you are ahead of the game. If, however, you aren’t in a position to hire or give someone these responsibilities, chances are that all of the gadgets and gizmos that sound wonderful will end up collecting dust.  In any profession, continuous practice in the basics of your profession can assist you in growing and developing more advanced techniques.

 

As a dealership, there are certain basic services that are necessary. You need a DMS and CRM to track customers, vehicles and transactions. You also need a website that consumers can visit and gain information from. And, in order to capture the attention of online car shoppers, you must have the ability to distribute your inventory to your website and all your third-party sites, in a way that provides maximum exposure and appeal.

 

Technology continues to develop at the speed of light and is almost impossible to keep up with. It’s really not that long ago that many dealers did not see the need for a website, let along photo and video descriptions and a digital marketing strategy!  However, the fact is that over time, the early adopters had a huge advantage over those who didn’t use technology to create exposure for their dealership and inventory.

 

The bottom line is there are a HUGE amount of gadgets, gizmos, who’s-its and what’s its available to help enhance your presence with today’s vehicle shoppers, both on and offline. It can be overwhelming to know where to start, and what’s important. If you want to do it yourself and don’t have the budget to hire someone internally, or an outside resource, take a step back and think about learning, practicing and mastering the basics before graduating to more advanced technologies. Otherwise you just may find yourself in a cave surrounded by thingamabobs wondering what they do!

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Comment by steven chessin on November 23, 2014 at 3:28pm

Brian - when I was a kid playing ball with my friends in our driveway my mom would ask me if I had offered my friends a cold drink and something to eat ?  If I said "No" she would say, "Were you brought-up in a cave by wolves?"  Yesterday I did website work for a dealer bell-to-bell. On my way home my girlfriend asked me if I wanted to go to dinner and said, ""Hell yes, I haven't stopped to eat all day !" She said, "What the hell kind of animals do you work for ?" I told her "Wolves!"  She said what does that mean   ... and I said,    ... "I'll tell you later".  We should not have to teach salesmen ... managers .. even DPs   ... rudimentary human skills as the foundation for business professionalism. Here in the forum we see articles about how to be respectful to gender- socio-economic-cultural-ethnic differences - or hygiene - or  attire - or appropriate language - the basics that should have been mastered. And yet, I have seen shocking "basic" behavior even before even getting into the professional tools of the trade.

Comment by fred berzunza on November 23, 2014 at 1:04pm
Thanks Jason: Great post by Brain Cox sometimes the hardest thing to do as a manager is to draw that line in the sand and decide whether your going to truly embrace technology and modify your sales process accordingly or fall victim to the changes. As always with Integrity and consistency so that everybody is clear on the changes otherwise run the risk of getting stuck in limbo forever treading water at the pools edge wondering why you haven't gotten to the other end or worst yet hopping this latest "fad" they call the World Wide Web finally goes away. Lol I honestly think the retail/Internet dept. distinction will soon be a thing of the past and we'll start to see a hybrid sales pro who can manage there time more effectively in order to convert fresh ups, web ups & 3rd party leads all while hanging out at service drive trading previous customers out of there soon to be certified 1 owner units that we can actually sell for some profit..... But I digress.... If we build it they will come!! #GrossAintADirtyWord
Comment by steven chessin on November 11, 2014 at 6:39pm

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