Michael,
A visionary you are not! To say "the phone will rarely be used in the sales process" is ridiculous! Dealership phone calls are on the rise. The number one call we hear, "is the XXXXX still available?" This will continue for decades to come.
Your company is not creating value for the industry. You all make a living by interjecting yourselves between the customer and the dealership. A dealership doing a good job of marketing their business does not require the assistance of TrueCar. Fortunately for you there are dealers who take the easy way out and let companies like you feed them leads for a fee. To me that's lazy!
X number of vehicles were sold in 2012 and that number would not have been any different had TrueCar not existed. So how is it TrueCar adds value to the industry? Your number one reason for success is due to the negative perception the public has for dealerships. The majority of dealers run a great business, but it's the few bad apples that tarnish the industry as a whole. I wonder how the public would react if they knew about the hefty fee your company extracts from dealers?
Here's my prediction for TrueCar. You will have success for a few more years before your demise. One of two things will happen: A, dealers will wake up and turn you off like they did this time last year. B, the industry as a whole will start to adopt one price shopping. My bet is on B. When that day arrives, there will be no need for TrueCar to exist. As your company expedites it's advertising campaign, you shall in fact accelerate your destiny to extinction. Your company's success will not go unnoticed by the manufacturers. If consumers want one price shopping, manufacturers will adapt.
I would keep your resume up to date if I were you.