Trump’s NAFTA stance at odds with reality
More bluster than progress on NAFTA talks as U.S. digs in heels It has been a few months since my first column on NAFTA 2.0 and in many ways a lot has changed, while in many other ways a lot …
Category: Columns
Lots to ponder in days ahead
With a new year around the corner, dealers need to figure out their long-term strategy Is it just me, or has the pace of change kicked into overdrive? 2017 certainly has seen exponential exposure to our changing vehicle landscape, consumer …
Building a good reputation
Reputation-management platform provider AutoHype helps dealers make the most of their happy customers If your online reputation isn’t great, your dealership risks being passed over by consumers who increasingly rely on reviews to decide where they want to conduct their …
It’s better to understand the future than to fear it
The alarmist tone from presenters at industry events can spook dealers. That’s not a bad thing. I selfishly attend conferences for one reason: inspiration. I look for presentations that can stoke my own creative fire, or ones that force me …
Engaging customers key focus of TalkAUTO event
They jammed a lot of talking into the aptly named TalkAUTO Canada event, held Nov. 8 at the Toronto Congress Centre. As one of the premier events for dealers, OEMs, suppliers and analysts involved in the auto industry, TalkAUTO continues …
Engage the senses and create new experiences
Multisensory retail touches all your customers’ senses. That’s something a website just can’t do. Every retailer was a kid once. And every kid knows the five senses. Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. So how come every retailer doesn’t know the …
Electric or electrified? They’re not the same thing
Despite the media hype, gasoline engines aren’t all going away just yet If your customers have been paying attention to automotive news in the mass media lately, chances are they’ve concluded that the days of the gasoline and diesel engine …
The commission conundrum
The changing customer experience and OEM incentives are changing the way dealerships pay their sales teams On many fronts, we all know that our business is not what it used to be. Online sales activities result in declining showroom traffic …
Millennial power: it’s growing
Ignore this tech-savvy group at your peril: they are big customers Over the past several years, there has been much speculation about how millennials will affect and change the auto industry. Today, young people looking to purchase vehicles use a …
Dealers accused of being weak link on EV sales
Governments point fingers at dealers for lack of EV sales We will all remember Anne Robinson, the British host of the television show “The Weakest Link” from a few years back. I remember liking the show. Robinson had a magnificent, …
DIY takes on a whole new meaning
Dealers need to embrace customers who don’t want to connect in traditional ways In the “old days” (around 2002 or so), I was conducting some focus groups for an OEM client on the subject of service. The clients (from dealerships …
Speed and quality vital components when responding to leads
As the world changes all around us, dealers must embrace new approaches In my last columnl, I discussed how we need to look to the U.S. auto industry and examine both the trends and potential pitfalls to set ourselves up …
