Shift Magazine - September 2021 - 21

"
road. So the genie is out of the
bottle, and we've got to switch
our mindset from it being a lead
provider to an online purchase. "
Liza Borches, CEO, Carter Myers
Automotive
Frye: " I want to challenge dealers:
Our website experience, that
model is really about 20 years
old and it's about converting
people into filling out a form.
And what we've seen the last
few years is that conversion rate
has dropped little by little each
year to its lowest point in history.
And so what we decided to do
was remove the forms from our
website wherever possible and
have those calls to action point
directly to live chat. And we're
doing a hybrid where our chat
provider will answer immediately
with AI, try to screen out any initial
questions. But if we identify an
active shopper, it's going to go
directly to one of our trained sales
professionals at the dealership to
handle the chat. "
" In Q4 of last year we
did a study at Cox
Auto that found that
49 percent of dealers
were going to go away
from digital retailing
after things got back
to 'normal.' I think it's
all new; I don't think
there's a new normal anymore. ...
Based on what we know about
today's digital consumer, I think
the biggest difference is, for the
thriving dealerships, they just have
that mindset and that progressive
mentality. "
Chase Abbott, vice president of
sales, dealer software solutions,
Cox Automotive
Ramsey
ADVICE FOR FELLOW DEALERS,
HEADING INTO 2022
Frye: " We need to be thinking
about EVs. Right now I think the
mentality is the Field of Dreams:
If we build them, they will come
to buy them. Well, dealers are
going to be in the front line of this
battle. And it's very important
that we start building really strong
partnerships with our OEMs on
not only how to sell these EVs,
but how to service and support
them in the future. "
Abbott
Borches: " Our
advantage on the retail
side of this business
is for us to embrace
technology, but wrap
it with the relationship.
We have seen how
fast technology can
change, and that's
going to continue.
And we need to keep
challenging ourselves to say
where in our process do we need
the relationship and do we need
the people. Put them in there as
strong as we possibly can and
then wrap it with technology in
the places that we can become
more efficient. "
Negri: " I think the biggest key
for any of us - certainly was in
2021 and 2020 - is the ability to
adapt quickly. So your business
processes, how your process
changes, can be instituted on a
Monday and you expect them to
be in the pipeline and be effective
on Tuesday. I think that's going to
be huge. "
" I think the best advice I could
give for the future is to own your
social media. No matter what
changes. No matter if we see
another pandemic, hopefully not.
With EVs, with any changes we
see, your fastest way to connect
to your customers is through your
social media. "
Jeffrey Ramsey, e-commerce and
marketing director, Jones Junction
Auto Group
Borches: " There is major
conversation, more than
conversation, in this country about
how transportation is the No. 1
contributor to greenhouse gas
emissions. We need to be a part
of the solution. We need to have
a seat at that table and continue
to help. Not just EVs, but how do
we as an industry have a more
sustainable footprint? "
september 2021 * shift 21
Shift Magazine - September 2021

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