More than Features
PBS Systems is betting that support, flexibility and long-term relationships matter more than a list of features For most dealers, the question is no longer what a DMS can do. At this point, every major platform can point to a …
Category: Columns
What are we doing with our EV techs?
Dealerships are absorbing the cost and the strain of fixing problems they did not create I have tremendous respect for all the dealer principals and general managers in Canada, and the challenges they face every day. The car business has …
New majority mandate reshapes Ottawa’s policy landscape
The shift in power enables faster action, but raises stakes for oversight and industry engagement There is no denying that the emergence of a Liberal majority government marks a significant shift in Ottawa’s political landscape, one that will have real …
Auto shows aren’t optional—they convert buyers
Data shows auto shows drive real purchases, not just awareness or browsing A persistent myth still circulates that auto shows are primarily a brand awareness exercise—a place for families to collect brochures and sit in cars they have no immediate …
Round and round we go
Dealers are battling through short-term disruption and long-term uncertainty In communities right across Canada, bingo halls regularly attract hundreds of patrons looking to test their luck. Bingo balls bounce and spin, delivering random outcomes. Similarly, opinions on where the North …
Costs reshape the market
Fuel costs and interest rates are reshaping how Canadians shop for vehicles We are in turbulent times. Rising fuel prices and economic instability are having a direct, multi-layered impact on consumer behaviour in the retail automotive market. Buying patterns are …
Resetting the road to zero emissions
Why B.C.’s ZEV policy shift could reshape Canada’s EV strategy The recent introduction of amendments to zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) legislation in British Columbia marks an important, and overdue, shift in how governments approach the transition to electrification. For dealers, consumers, …
Always be selling
Why closing is the wrong focus for modern dealerships If you’ve seen Glengarry Glen Ross, you’ll remember Alec Baldwin’s infamous sales speech: first prize is a Cadillac, second prize is steak knives, and third prize is you’re fired. His mantra, …
SEO first, GEO next
How dealers can prepare for AI search without chasing hype For some dealers, it can feel a bit like chasing Harrison Ford in The Fugitive; everybody is running, everybody is looking for something, and nobody wants to be the one …
The real sale starts after delivery
Why long-term relationships, not transactions, define success in automotive retail In automotive sales, many still operate as if the job ends when the customer drives off the lot. In reality, that moment is where the real sale begins. If you …
Why this, why now?
A fourth voice for Canada’s auto sector—needed, but not without risk On April 15, a new Canadian automotive trade association was announced: the Pacific Manufacturing Association of Canada (PMAC). The two principal members are Honda and Toyota, and the new …
Step on the gas (prices)
Rising fuel costs are creating both risk and opportunity for dealers I recently went on a day trip with a friend, and we took his next-to-new GMC three-quarter-ton pickup. A majestic beast, loaded with every possible option, the truck must …
