Auction demographics have changed substantially over the years, with cultural differences in a variety of geographic markets driving the need for new ways to promote auctions to that wide-ranging cultural shift.

As we focus more and more on Internet shopping and selling, as well as cross-platform issues, we also need to look at people-centric issues surrounding the wants and needs, of not only different languages and cultures, but gender within those distinctions, as well.

In our particular market area, the creation of the Mexico Ready vehicle designation program and DAASW.mx, both proprietary ideas we developed, along with a 40-percent bilingual staff was our answer in starting to address our buying and selling dealer needs in both local and export markets.

But more needs to be done as we go forward to insure more dealer-centric tools that help drive the needs of the diverse market, beyond different linguistic mobile tools, and that includes a seamless integration of brick-and-mortar upgrades in conjunction with those mobile tools, to make the entire in lane dynamic more robust as we move forward.

Along with this, multicultural and gender issues need to be addressed in auction senior management leadership positions to assist in converting that group to more accurately reflect the demographic base in general.

I find it way easier to market and serve a diverse group of customers with a diverse staff that knows the needs of and who want to address those needs, of a multicultural and every changing market base.

With that said, time for industry events to speak to the “people issues” in our industry rather than strictly focus on the “impersonal” technology side, because the archer is way more important than the arrow, if symbiotic success is your business goal.

Jim DesRochers is vice president at Dealers Auto Auction of the Southwest.