People + Technology = PROFIT

Digital Retailing. Sound familiar? The buzz phrase that I personally first heard Dealer.com use when offering a service on their website for dealers to help generate stronger leads from the Vehicle Detail Page (VDP). This goes back maybe five or six years for me personally. It allowed customers to make an offer on a specific vehicle. That offer would come into the dealership’s CRM as a lead only to create a disappointing shopping experience to the customer.

Wah Wah Wah (as we sadly wonder why this is such a disappointment)…

Why the disappointment? A dealership (well, most dealerships) that start a BDC or Internet department still continues to operate on the mentality that “we need to get these people in the door before we give them anything else.” They train or convince the staff to follow up with a goal of making appointments (but not giving any useful information). Now today in 2018 we wonder “why do customers only visit less than 2 dealerships to make a decision?” or “why is there not enough walk-in traffic anymore?”

This pattern grew further as other digital marketing vendors began offering digital retailing services. The good news is that improvement is on the way (for those willing to grow in 2018). Technology has allowed business communication and transactions to be truly done in real time. I’ve had startups with true digital transaction retail plugins for websites reach out to me to support the movement in getting dealers on board.

Paragon Honda in New York has embraced such technology and is successfully changing how people buy cars. Since I live in the area, I also know of a dealer group rolling out the same technology in some of their stores.

But still there is confusion: “Can I really completely purchase a car on my mobile device or computer? This looks too easy. Is it really possible?” (That’s what customers think once they try it.)

Enter HUMAN …

What this means is that while the technology is there, people still need interaction. They still need to touch, feel, and experience the second biggest purchase they’ll ever make (after a home). This means we still need professionals who know the product and can interact with people. What most businesses fail to realize is that sales skills are still just as important now as ever.

Now is an even more critical time to develop sales skills, because these interactions happen everywhere — in person, on social media, by text, through chat, and everywhere in between.

Human capital is still important. In fact, between having properly trained salespeople and utilizing real-time tech that incorporates not only marketing but also seamless communication, there has never been a better opportunity. This is why companies like Tecobi impress me. Please don’t think I’m selling or reselling a product to make my point — I’m simply using an example of how dealers can change the game.

The bottom line is: People + Technology = Profit!

We at Dealer eTraining believe you need a well-trained staff who can communicate with customers and use readily available technology to get the job done. Want to gain market share? It’s the people you hire and train plus the technology you invest in that will help you win.

Don’t have time to train your people? I suggest making the time and investment to develop a strong team.