What Do Dealers Really Want/Need?

[ryan.gerardi]

Dealers nowadays are presented with a multitude of advancing technologies, best practices, and recommendations from numerous sources with varying agendas and measures of experience. Most would agree it can be overwhelming if not annoying.

At the end of the day, you really want to concentrate on the tasks at hand - selling cars and servicing customers. Thinking and overthinking the future is unpredictable, unreliable, and risky.

Rather than focusing on content that tells you what is what, I'd like to get a better idea what dealers really want and need from the industry?

Do you need more advice, more tips, more educational information?
Do you need a daily stream of emails and social content telling you what is what?
Do you need more training and trainers? Consultants? Coaches?
Do you need more conferences, expos, and workshops? More 20 Groups?
Do you need more relationships with people/vendors you can trust?

On that note, what are some resources you've come to rely on?

Which blogs, conferences, and media outlets are important to you?
What aspects of the auto business are proving solid for you and growing your business?
Which ones are not growing your business?

Please chime in and share your thoughts? I'm anxious to see what Refreshers have to say because it will help @Jeff Kershner and I come up with ideas for new content and features on DealerRefresh. Thank you.

 

[Chris Leslie]

Ryan good question.

I can speak from experience and my current need here.

I need more people in my department. flat out.

I need another vendor, conference, advice, email etc like I need a hole in the head. I am well versed in the internet of things and could live the rest of my life without having someone else try to push their weak agenda on me.

In all honesty, there is so much I want to do but am limited by budget and lack of resources to get the things done.

Dealers spend thousands for agencies to advertise, lots of money to hire and pay sales people and spend zero dollars on marketing.
None of the stuff you mentioned above even matters if I dont have the people to execute it properly.

I think our industry is starved of marketing talent. Most dealerships cant even consider having a salaried person on pay roll.

 

[ryan.gerardi]

@Chris Leslie I've been meaning to acknowledge what you wrote because it's real insightful. I'm not surprised by what you shared.

If I hear you correctly, you need more talented people in the marketing function but can't offer a competitive enough wage to get the talent you need. Yes?

What specifically are you not able to get done due to lack of (talented) people power?

How can a resource like DealerRefresh help you tackle the problem in your eyes?