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This thread serves as a centralized hub for DealerRefresh's weekly "Refresh Friday" live broadcasts, where Ryan Gerardi posts upcoming event details and embeds recordings after each episode airs. The broadcasts cover timely industry news and trends—including the Authenticom layoffs, Vast's CarStory Insights launch, the Rockstar Auto Conference, and November auto sales figures—with rotating guest panels of dealers and industry experts. The key insight is that DealerRefresh uses these weekly broadcasts to create community awareness around major industry developments while providing a collaborative space for professionals to discuss and respond to current events.
This thread features an edited recording of a November 2017 webinar with AutoLeadStar's Director of Business Development discussing how AI can help dealerships optimize lead capture and website personalization while reducing manual effort. Key topics covered include delivering personalized shopping experiences and streamlining multiple lead-capture tools on dealer websites. A commenter reports that implementing AI-driven solutions like Conversica significantly improved closing rates at multiple dealerships.
This thread discusses dynamic inventory ads on Facebook and Google, highlighting their key advantages for automotive dealers including laser-focused targeting based on shopping behavior, retargeting website visitors with relevant vehicles, and cross-device user recognition. Ryan Gerardi and Jeff Kershner conducted a webinar on the topic in October 2017, with video and an upcoming podcast available to provide comprehensive guidance on implementing this advertising strategy.
This thread documents a live webinar featuring AutoLeadStar's CEO discussing how car dealers can leverage AI tools to improve website personalization and customer engagement, ultimately driving conversions. The discussion covers practical steps for dealers to implement AI today, with a preview of an upcoming machine learning tool. The thread includes links to both a highlight reel and the complete edited webinar for dealer reference.
This webinar announcement covers a presentation on December 13, 2017 featuring Ben Robertaccio from Morrie's Brooklyn Park Subaru and David Metter from AutoHook, discussing strategies for combating declining sales and lead volume in a down market. The session promises practical insights into available data and tools, using Morrie's experience of turning around a significant lead volume decline as a real-world case study. The key takeaway is learning how dealerships can not just maintain flat sales during market downturns but actually outperform national averages.
This thread shares an edited webinar recording featuring Dealer OMG and Hoot Interactive discussing dynamic inventory advertising strategies for automotive dealers. The session covers fundamental concepts (what dynamic ads are and how they work), their key benefits, and real-world performance results, making it a technical deep-dive best suited for advanced dealers and agencies looking to optimize their digital advertising approach.
This roundtable discussion features Jeff Clark (DealerOn's Chief Sales Officer) and Mike Morais (President of Open Road Auto Group) exploring how dealers can grow market share through fixed operations, with particular focus on cause marketing initiatives and DealerOn's partnership with the Cause Network Foundation. The session addresses strategic topics including the impact of external events (like Hurricane Harvey) on auto retail and the critical role that service departments play in dealer profitability and customer retention. The key insight is that fixed operations represents a significant, often underutilized lever for dealers looking to expand their market presence and revenue beyond new vehicle sales.
This webinar recording presents a 5-step framework for dealerships to launch profitable online parts sales without technical expertise, covering multiple selling channels like eBay Motors and Amazon with their respective pros and cons. The discussion, led by RevolutionParts' Christian Schuller and Steve Stauning, includes actionable strategies and best practices for scaling parts revenue through online channels. The key takeaway is that dealerships can successfully enter e-commerce with systematic planning and channel selection rather than complex technical implementation.
Alexander Lau shares a This American Life podcast episode from 2013 about the sales team at Town and Country Jeep Chrysler Dodge Ram in Levittown, NY, hustling to meet a 129-car monthly quota, noting that many of the dynamics depicted remain relevant today. The thread receives affirmation from other dealers who found the episode compelling or triggering, with one commenter noting it evoked memories of retail sales pressure. The key takeaway is that the fundamental challenges and hustle of car sales depicted in the podcast remain largely unchanged over the past decade.
This thread discusses findings from a webinar about how millennials shop for cars differently than previous generations and what dealerships must do to adapt. Two millennial forum members emphasize that their generation is price-conscious and requires clear, transparent pricing and an obvious path to purchase on dealership websites, or they'll shop elsewhere. The key insight is that millennials value efficiency, transparency, and confidence in online platforms—not flashy marketing—when deciding where to buy.
A 2017 webinar featuring industry experts Tom Gregg and David Long addresses building effective used vehicle acquisition teams by emphasizing that personnel are dealerships' greatest assets. The discussion focuses on identifying qualified buy center candidates, training them properly, establishing competitive compensation, and creating structures that support employee retention—critical priorities given the automotive industry's 35-40% turnover rates. The key insight is that success in vehicle acquisition depends less on process alone and more on hiring the right people and retaining them through proper support and incentives.
A DealerRefresh webinar featuring Dropin Auto Brand Ambassador Larry West discusses how dealers can better communicate with customers using live video streaming and other tools. The session covers three emerging consumer behaviors identified in Google Search data, emphasizing that modern customers expect speed, ease, and transparency—with a notable shift back toward face-to-face communications as a critical sales and service strategy.
The second DealerRefresh Roundtable episode brings together industry experts to discuss major shifts in automotive retail, including regulatory changes (UK's 2040 gas/diesel ban) and the evolution from online shopping to full digital retailing and online checkout capabilities. The panel features perspectives from dealership operations (Ancira Nissan), a major automotive marketplace (Cars.com), and other industry leaders exploring how dealers can adapt to and implement digital buying solutions.
A DealerRefresh webinar scheduled for November 7th featuring AutoLeadStar's Ilana Zur explores how AI tools can streamline lead capture and website optimization for dealerships by personalizing the shopper experience, reducing tool overlap, and simplifying data management. The discussion highlights that AI offers practical solutions to address the major pain points of modern dealership lead generation—personalization, tool management, and data utilization—while minimizing dealer effort. A related conversation in the thread connects these concepts to the broader idea of delivering concierge-level service through dealership websites.
The DealerRefresh Roundtable's inaugural session brings together industry experts from Cars.com, Ferrari dealerships, and vendor platforms to discuss three critical topics: the Authenticom vs. CDK lawsuit, automotive marketing attribution challenges, and measuring social media ROI. The discussion aims to provide actionable insights for dealers on how these industry issues and marketing strategies impact their business. While the full content is limited in this excerpt, the panelists confirm the session delivered useful takeaways for dealership professionals navigating current market challenges.
Cars.com is hosting a webinar on October 26th about the evolving 4Ps of automotive marketing, with a focus on how "person" has replaced the traditional fourth P to meet modern consumer expectations. The session will cover strategies for maximizing these principles in today's competitive market and attracting customers who demand high service and transparency. The webinar registration link is provided for interested attendees.
This thread promotes a webinar about launching an online OEM parts business for car dealerships, covering five foundational steps, comparisons of selling platforms (eBay Motors vs. WebStore), and sales optimization strategies. The key insight is that dealerships can profitably expand into online parts sales without technical expertise, potentially boosting revenue and reducing inventory obsolescence. The thread invites participants to ask questions about implementing these strategies.
Steve Stauning critiques outdated internet sales processes still in use at dealerships, highlighting how 11-year-old email templates and lengthy follow-up sequences (180 days of emails, 90 days of calls) are ineffective in today's market and likely being flagged as spam. He promotes a free webinar scheduled for October 20 to help dealers modernize their internet sales approach and better connect with contemporary customers. The key insight is that dealership sales processes have failed to evolve significantly since 2006 despite dramatic market changes, necessitating a complete process overhaul.
This thread features a webinar discussion on building an effective used vehicle acquisition team, addressing the automotive industry's high 35-40% personnel turnover rates. Experts Tom Gregg and David Long outline best practices for identifying qualified candidates, training them properly, and implementing compensation and objective-setting strategies to improve retention. The core insight is that investing in the right people for buy centers—through careful hiring, development, and incentives—is critical to dealership success given the industry's talent retention challenges.
This webinar featuring Dropin Auto Brand Ambassador Larry West explores how dealerships can leverage live video streaming and multiple communication tools to engage customers more effectively. Key topics include emerging consumer behaviors from Google Search data, customer expectations around speed/ease/transparency, and the resurgence of face-to-face communication in the digital age. The session ultimately advocates for a multi-channel approach that combines dynamic, personal communication methods to meet modern shopper demands.
This thread announces and covers a DealerRefresh webinar featuring Honda sales professional Mike Columbus discussing personal branding strategies for auto sales professionals, with particular emphasis on video and online presence. Key takeaways include that personal branding involves creating a recognizable persona that builds relationships before customers enter the dealership, and practical steps include establishing a domain, LinkedIn profile, Facebook presence, and investing in professional development. The core insight is that modern car buyers research and identify preferred salespeople online before visiting, making a strong personal brand essential for competitive advantage in automotive sales.
Steve Stauning is promoting a free webinar on creating optimal car buying experiences across both online and offline channels, emphasizing that 61% of buyers arrive on dealership lots with zero prior contact. The session covers best practices for floor sales and online purchasing experiences, addressing how dealers can leverage process and technology to improve customer interactions whether customers shop entirely online or in-person.