Digital Dealer - May 2018 - 21

money and take too
much time. However, the
secret to making it happen cost-effectively and
timely is to be intentional.
Intentionally balance,
focus and use discipline.
Intentionally learn from
the past while embracing
new ways of leading.
Move from competing to
collaborating. And here is
the crucial factor. Make
certain that people in the
dealership know how to
make decisions based on
your organizational values, rather than on business strategies because
strategies will change
over time, whereas values
are set.
Another way to lessen
the fear of heading down
the road to nowhere,
understand the resource
and management implications facing the industry.
People, time and money
are key influencers of the
dealership's performance;
therefore, it is critical to
have the right people,
doing the right jobs,
performing the right way,
the right number of times.
Regardless of the impacts
facing the industry, strategically problem-solving
resource and management implications for your
dealership today, will establish a solid foundation
of success for the future.
History has proved that
these two fundamental
areas can help sustain
your dealership through
the ebbs and flows of
the changing market

dynamics. However,
looking backward helps
us sustain in the present,
therefore we need to be
looking to the future as
well. If not looking forward, we limit our ability
to be agile and flexible in
the face of change.
With the industry being
shaken up like a protein
bottle after a gym workout
it is never been more critical to look forward. The

you need to do to not only
sell the car but service it
through the life-span of
ownership. This way, you
have recurring service
business if the owner
chooses to hold on to the
car for its life, or you have
the relationship to upsell
into the new vehicle when
they are ready to part with
the old one.
Diversify your offerings. Be more than just

AS WE LOOK TO
WHAT THE DEALERSHIP
OF TOMORROW MIGHT
BE, WE MUST HAVE
KNOWLEDGE AND
PERSPECTIVE OF
WHERE THE INDUSTRY
HAS BEEN."
unique complexities that
are impacting the industry
are like those we have not
experienced before. That
said, as you look forward
and get excited about
the new and interesting
destination in which the
industry is headed, there
are some things to consider ensuring a safe, fun
and enjoyable journey.
Service is going to
become an increasingly important part of the
customer relationship.
This means from the point
of sale through to service
and upsell. Remember
that the customer relationship is with the dealership, not one individual
or department within the
dealership. Consider what

a "dealer" and looking to
the model above when
thinking about service,
consider ways you
can make your dealership more attractive to
non-customers, or a new
set of customers. One
example of this is looking
at AutoNation.
Pay more attention to
what is taking place at
your local level, as well as
industry-wide. Your local
geography will show you
what areas of diversification may make the
most sense for you. For
example, if you are in an
area that has a reputation
for a lot of recreational activity, consider how your
dealership can accommodate the needs of those

people.
Finally, with all the
disruptive change taking
place and the industry
experiencing things never
seen, remember the
importance of surrounding yourself with strong
advisors. Have a group
around you that understands sales and marketing, finance and investment, human behavior
and are versed in how
change impacts value,
growth, and sustainability
of the industry.
As we look to what the
dealership of tomorrow
might be, we must have
knowledge and perspective of where the industry
has been. Even though
the landscape may be
starting to look a little
different than what we are
used to, there are many
lessons to be learned
from this industry steeped
in history. Be sure to
check out Glenn Mercer's NADA commission
report, "The Dealership of
Tomorrow" for more detail
on how to ensure your
building your dealership
for the future.
KENDALL RAWLS knows
and understands the
challenges that impact the
success of an entrepreneurial
owned business. Her unique
perspective comes not
only from her educational
background; but, more
importantly, from her
experience as a secondgeneration family member
employee of The Rawls
Group - Business Succession
Planners. EMAIL info@
rawlsgroup.com.

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - May 2018
