Responsible for developing and executing an aggressive digital ROI focused business strategy for profitable growth and increase market share in the automotive dealer sector, whilst effectively integrating online with the core business
* Required
As we move into November it is that time of the year where we can play Automotive “Whamageddon”. No- not listening for the first play of Wham’s “Last Christmas”, but listening for those 3 little words that marketeers dread, from the first dealer that states “It’s gone quiet”.
I bumped into an ex-colleague last week, an extremely talented and experienced GM who fedback that in his time working for his new employer (12 months) he had not heard from or seen anyone from the marketing department. The GM runs a substantial size franchise dealership. He went on to say that he had seen articles and posts on LinkedIn on how customer service initiatives are at the heart of everything they did - however he never had any overview and felt there was a disconnect between the marketing department and the dealerships.
Across the country, the share of distressed vehicles in dealer inventories is rising.
A little more than 60 days ago, when Gettel Automotive in Bradenton, FL, began using ProfitTime GPS in earnest, Kurt Fisher, director of pre-owned operations for the 18-store group, knew he’d have work to do.
We’ve recently conducted research on the impact of local search in the UK automotive dealer sector, and was surprised to find that many Google My Business (GMB), or the re-branded Google Business Profiles, have not been set up correctly or fully optimised.
It’s a pivotal time for dealers retailing used cars as they head into the final quarter of 2022.
Two things occurred in the past week that prompt this call for dealers to be ready for a rougher run in used vehicles for the remainder of the year than many, including me, have expected.
I’m seeing more fault lines around certified pre-owned (CPO) sales that, over the years, have become the backbone of used vehicle departments for many franchise dealers.
When Mike Cirona, general manager of Scott Robinson Honda in Torrance, CA, initially heard about ProfitTime GPS, he didn’t think his store’s used vehicle department would benefit from it.
Since setting up my consultancy business, the last 4 weeks have been a whirlwind: meetings with Heads of business, Industry commentators, High St Retailers, Marketing Directors, Call Centre Managers, and the guys at the coal face (the Operators); I am starting to see some trends emerging.
Three market conditions have converged to cause dealers and used vehicle managers to return to inventory age management policies that call for immediate wholesaling of vehicles that reach 45 or 60 days in inventory.
During the last few months I have been researching the intro and exit price positions of stock on Autotrader, broken down by Retail Rating (formerly desirability).
In the past few weeks, I’ve come to understand what I’d call a “new car masquerade” in used vehicle departments across the country.
As the used vehicle market returns to more normal conditions, I feel compelled to reiterate a perspective on retail price sensitivity that seems to have been lost over the course of the past two years.
A Closer Look at an Uncertain, Unpredictable Used Vehicle Market
Are Car Dealerships the Safest Retail Experience?
Digital Marketing Strategy - A return to a traditional KPI
Desire, Commitment Drive Impressive Used Vehicle Turn-Around
A 2019 Priority: Managing Your Inventory Investment Value
Independent Dealer Realizes His Car Business Dream
4 Misunderstandings About Price In Today’s Auto Retail Market
3 Best Practices To Beat Used Vehicle Margin Compression
3 Takeaways to retail a larger share of vehicles in less than 30 days, and improving overall profitability and ROI in used vehicles.
Key Benchmarks Top Used Vehicle Dealers Achieve to Outpace Others In The US Market
Comment: 3149 Days Ago