7 Reasons to Stop Emailing Your Pricing

[ryan.leslie]

At both of my former stores, the Internet department made up 70% of the new and used car sales with an average total gross highter that the floor. Our success pointed to the fact that talents that made so many managers indispensable are of little or no consequence, today. My department was selling most of the cars and enriching both the new and used car managers and it was a daily fight.

To carry Ed's point a little further, and Ed don't let me put words in your mouth, but I think what you are saying is the fact that an "Internet Dept." still exists is the problem. "Old School's" have "Internet Departments" where "New Schools" are "Internet Dealers."

If 95% of your business engages you online before they step foot in your store, you are an "Internet Dealership."

 

[ddavis]

To carry Ed's point a little further, and Ed don't let me put words in your mouth, but I think what you are saying is the fact that an "Internet Dept." still exists is the problem. "Old School's" have "Internet Departments" where "New Schools" are "Internet Dealers."

If 95% of your business engages you online before they step foot in your store, you are an "Internet Dealership."

Most dealerships don't even have effective Internet departments. I haven't seen a true Internet dealership.

 

[john.quinn]

Sometimes is hard for us to get our heads out of the fact that we are in the car biz so lets turn things a little bit for a second.

We provide photo services in WA, but lets imagine that I was in your state and you call me to ask about services and you also call Dealer Specialties, and CDM data.

We all tell you we will do our best, we work hard, even our farts smell like roses when we are at your dealership. All ur systems are pretty similar, we can do a few things they can't and they can do a few things we can't. So we are running a pretty close race.

What is important in my biz is the people behing the system, but right now you don't get to see that. All you can get from us is a promise that we will perform. To that effect, we all sent you 2 or 3 dealerships that claim we walk the path of the prohpet when it comes to photos.

DS and CDM data give you pricing and I don't (even though you may have requested it). I send you an email full or 'why do photos with us'.

What would you do next? Will you continue to engaje all 3 of us or will you now focus on fine tunning one of the 2 more complete offers that you got?

I'm sorry -- but what the heck are you saying??? You're one of a few guys I make sure to read every post, but was the translating software broken on this one??? Rosy Farts?

How much do the good farts cost??

(just teasing... great point!!)

 

[ed.brooks]

To carry Ed's point a little further, and Ed don't let me put words in your mouth, but I think what you are saying is the fact that an "Internet Dept." still exists is the problem. "Old School's" have "Internet Departments" where "New Schools" are "Internet Dealers."

I'll happily let any smart person put words in my mouth - I need all the help I can get! In this case, while I agree that the few true "Internet Dealers" are absolutely New School stores, I'd add that all it takes to have a successful New School attitude is for the non-internet departments to recognize, accept, and embrace the changes the Internet has brought about in Shopper Behavior.

For way too many dealerships, the installation of an Internet Department has meant that the Old School managers don't have to think about the Internet or how it's affected the balance of power (knowledge) between the shopper and sales.

New School simply means adapting well to the changing playing field and the new rules that the internet has wrought. If you can do this, you don't even have to know how to send an email.

 

[JamieS]

Great conversation here, thank you all for your thoughts so far. I've had these same Old vs. New school thoughts before but I don't think I've ever been able to verbalize them as much as Ryan and Ed have here.

 

[yagoparamo]

I'm sorry -- but what the heck are you saying??? You're one of a few guys I make sure to read every post, but was the translating software broken on this one??? Rosy Farts?

How much do the good farts cost??

(just teasing... great point!!)

Translator breakes sometimes. I promise I can comminicate better in person (and I'm a lot more fun).

I enjoy this discussion with the dealers because I'm always afraid to become obsolete by getting stuck in my own ideas and ignoring the outside world.

So here it is about pricing;

Is there any consumer car in the market that anyone can't get a good feel for the price/value proposition with in 10 minutes and a computer?

So if the answer is no, what are we arguing about here?

 

[ryan.leslie]

I'll happily let any smart person put words in my mouth - I need all the help I can get!

Ed,

That is a huge compliment from a guy I respect here on the forums. My sincere thanks! To be totally honest I probably borrowed that logic from somebody else here. Very few of my thoughts are original, I'm just smart enough to hang around the truly smart people here on Refresh...

Your post reminded me of this. The last person that called me "smart" on a forum was Keith Shetterly over on ADM, and I don't think it was a compliment

 

[ddavis]

Ed,

That is a huge compliment from a guy I respect here on the forums. My sincere thanks! To be totally honest I probably borrowed that logic from somebody else here. Very few of my thoughts are original, I'm just smart enough to hang around the truly smart people here on Refresh...

Your post reminded me of this. The last person that called me "smart" on a forum was Keith Shetterly over on ADM, and I don't think it was a compliment

View attachment 640

Ryan, Smart A**? Form stronger opinions and be willing to voice them. Trust me, in this industry, Smart A** is rather tame.

 

[ed.brooks]

Ed,

...The last person that called me "smart" on a forum was Keith Shetterly over on ADM, and I don't think it was a compliment

View attachment 640

You are a Smart A** Ryan - That's one of the reasons I like you!

 

[ddavis]

How do we define "old school"? Dated? Reluctant to change? Complacent? Backward?

With well over thirty years in the business, I'm no spring chicken. My daughters feel that with carbon dating they can determine my age within a few decades. I may be old but I don't consider myself as "old school".