Feeding Frenzy
Looking to sell your dealership? Learn who your buyer is With the arrival of fall comes the excitement of new beginnings. Kids are back at school, summer vacations are a distant memory, and dealers all over the country begin to …
Category: Columns
Is there still time to react?
Now is the time to start working on a game plan to minimize the impact of reduced sales We just returned from visiting dealerships in the United Kingdom where one headline reads: “Tough times ahead for car dealerships as insolvencies …
A dealer’s perspective
Laureate winner shares his insights At this year’s ADESA remarketing forum, Steve Chipman, 2010 Laureate winner and president of the Birchwood Automotive Group, based in Winnipeg, MB, provided insight into the auto business to an audience consisting primarily of large …
Are you a “Service First” dealer?
Serve your new-vehicle customers well and they’ll stick around We are living through a transformation in automotive retailing, the likes of which haven’t been seen for generations. Ownership transition is at a heightened level, brand transition is as pronounced as …
The wholesale perspective at mid-year
Prices are down but activity remains high About this time each year we typically stop to reflect on what has occurred in the auction business during the first half. First, let’s take a look at prices in the overall market. …
Internet marketing can be like the wild west
How to corral your online prospects The last year has been crazy in automotive retail in Canada. With all the negative talk in the past 18 to 24 months, auto retailers are now feeling the pinch from increased volumes and …
Own the customer
If you don’t, your competition will Six months after the fact, at the height of summer, the Winter Olympics are now a distant memory. But they can still remind us of a lesson worth learning. Did you watch the Olympics? …
Does size really matter?
It might, but that doesn’t mean bigger is always better A number of dealerships in the last 12 months have experienced severe decreases in their customer-paid work orders for multiple reasons that are not always easy to identify. But it …
Auction Action!
The auto auction business, which grew out of a need to help dealers resell vehicles they were unable to sell through a retail transaction, has undergone significant changes over the years. In hindsight, bringing buyers and sellers together in a …
Cultural diversity can be your competitive advantage
The growing diversity of the Canadian market is a business opportunity Not long ago, in my corporate days, I remember attending diversity training. Before, the focus was on sameness. Thankfully those days are gone and we realize now the sophisticated …
Of software and people
A lesson in how not to satisfy customers As I am writing this article I am crisscrossing the USA trying to get to Los Angeles from South Carolina. I am actually on vacation but duty calls and a quick jaunt …
Social overload
Dealers are feeling the pressure on social media, but common sense has to prevail When I was younger — much younger — I played many different sports while growing up. One thing I remember clearly is how important it was …
