SEE MORE COVERAGE OF CADA SUMMIT 2016
The highly-anticipated manufacturer panel at the 2016 CADA Summit provided lots of food for thought for dealers.
Stephen K. Carlisle, President and Managing Director, General Motors of Canada Ltd., Don Romano, President and CEO, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. and Maria Stenström, President & CEO, Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. shared their insights on the ways dealers and manufacturers can improve the customer experience.
Niel Hiscox, Publisher of Canadian auto dealer and Affaires Automobiles
Niel Hiscox, Publisher of Canadian auto dealer and Affaires Automobiles, probed the panelists on marketing, data and the role of the salesperson in helping to shape the customer experience.
When asked about incentives that can absorb some of the price pressure, Romano said it all comes down to coming out with the right products that meet the right demand for the marketplace.
“Whoever does that the best is going to have a great year,” said Romano.
Stephen K. Carlisle, President and Managing Director, General Motors of Canada Ltd.
Carlisle said it was about figuring out how customers want to be reached, and the best ways to do that in a changing media landscape.
For Stenström, more marketing dollars should go towards the service side over the next decade, with a bigger focus on customer experience to promote ownership.
It’s important manufacturers stay closer to customers, and they way to do that is to stay closer to dealers, said Stenström.
The first step is training product advisors, which Romano said manufacturers need to do more of and at a higher level.
The panelists acknowledged that this can be difficult, but there are tools out there such as videos or augmented reality apps — like the ones seen at some recent auto shows — that salespeople can use to educate the customer.
Maria Stenström, President & CEO, Volkswagen Group Canada Inc.
Stenström added that training needs to step up in stores as well. It’s particularly important for the sales team to have a strong relationship and ongoing contact with their fixed-ops department, said Carlisle. The added wrinkle is that employe turnover is high, and there needs to be a way to manage that.
Even though some functions have moved online, Romano said he still believes in salesmanship, in having “someone to walk you through the second biggest transaction in your life.”
The 2016 CADA Summit is organized by the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association, and is supported by an exclusive sponsorship from TD Auto Finance.
