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Its Roadshow Season!!!!

Jewanski

Full Sticker + Prep
May 24, 2012
22
1
First Name
Richard
The ides of February are upon us, and all through the midwest, roadshow guys are traveling America to help good, honest, red blooded citizens get some lower payments! Anyone have any thoughts on standard staffed events and how it effects traffic longterm and short for stores that rely heavily on a classified listing strategy?
 
Are you asking what will happen to YOUR short and long term traffic if YOUR store brings in a staffed event company, or if your competitors bring in a staffed event company?

If your competitor brings in a company, your traffic flow will depend upon the staffed event company that they hire. If they hire the real dirt bags, you will see your traffic flow increase. The saturation advertising that the staffed event company does will stimulate a lot of interest, and they will piss people off about as fast as they get them in the door...especially people with a 650+ FICO score. Those people will be headed your way after the first pencil!

If your competitor brings in a good staffed event company (and they do exist), your traffic flow will likely suffer, and it could suffer for several months depending upon that competitors ability to maintain a relationship with the customers that did not purchase during the sale.

In my opinion and experience, it all depends upon the philosophy of the staffed event company and your dealerships understanding of the process.
 
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If MY store brings in a staffed event company. Sales managers, sales people, the mail saying "YOU ARE A WINNER" in big screaming letters, and $1.00 down, $99.00 a month in big red letters with lots of fine print!

I get what you are saying about the level of quality the staffed event needs to have, but does even a well run staffed event cause long term problems?
 
If MY store brings in a staffed event company. Sales managers, sales people, the mail saying "YOU ARE A WINNER" in big screaming letters, and $1.00 down, $99.00 a month in big red letters with lots of fine print!

I get what you are saying about the level of quality the staffed event needs to have, but does even a well run staffed event cause long term problems?

A well run staffed event sale will NOT cause problems.

There are a few very reputable companies out there that will leave no problems behind. They will bring in people that can handle the high credit score traditional buyers as well as the typical staffed event people. The biggest thing that a really good staffed event company does is they get the long term purchaser or high credit score purchaser matched up with your existing staff. They recognize that these customers may take several follow up visits to choose a vehicle and the staffed event company wants these people in the hands of your existing staff. They want their people working with the customers that will buy today.
 
If the roadshow sale company is the type that has you remove your prices from your website and vehicle listing sites it will have a long term effect on your store. Two of our stores did a joint effort on one a couple of years ago. The sale company insisted all prices be removed two weeks prior to the sale and stay off two weeks after the sale. For these two normally high performing internet dealerships the amount of online form conversion and VDP views absolutely tanked. Not to mention the Better Business Bureau complaints and negative Yelp reviews.

Never. Again.
 
Thanks @Jewanski for allowing me to use the "too old school" rating for the first time ever :dance2:

And I really like this thread because it reminds me of one of my hilarity-heroes: Don Ready. "You give away free hot dogs and put up an inflatable gorilla, shit's gonna go down."
 
I'm sitting in my office right now with aging inventory, trying to convince a crew of roadshow guys not to touch the fresh 2012 Grand Caravans until they sell the 62 day old one in stock that is already reconned, with my pricing offline. So, yup.
 
If the roadshow sale company is the type that has you remove your prices from your website and vehicle listing sites it will have a long term effect on your store. Two of our stores did a joint effort on one a couple of years ago. The sale company insisted all prices be removed two weeks prior to the sale and stay off two weeks after the sale. For these two normally high performing internet dealerships the amount of online form conversion and VDP views absolutely tanked. Not to mention the Better Business Bureau complaints and negative Yelp reviews.

Never. Again.

That is the whole problem. You don't let ANYONE come into your store and tell you how it is going to be. The staffed event company is a vendor, and you are the customer.

You should be telling them how it is going to be. They should have an aging list and be selling top to bottom. They should have a desired average gross number with a "not to exceed" number. They should be allowed to work the banks but not sign up customers.

You really can't blame the vendor. They get paid a percentage of the gross. They are going to do whatever the dealer is willing to tolerate!

Greed is a powerful thing!
 
We do have a fixed process for signing customer in which they are not involved at all, including a very structured "we owe" interview. Yea greed is a powerful thing. Can't imagine doing one of these sales where they bring in finance personnel and set up an additional business office.