In this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast, Selly Automotive founder and CEO Zach Klempf returns to the show to talk about the origins of his company — which he founded at age 23 — why he decided to focus on the independent auto dealer software space and his company's recent merger with AutoManager DMS.
Plus, Klempf shares more about his own podcast and what's next for Selly.
To listen to the conversation, click on the link available below, or visit the Auto Remarketing Podcast page.
Download and subscribe to the Auto Remarketing Podcast on iTunes or on Google Play.
Coinciding with the close of the third quarter, PureCars rolled out its latest whitepaper to help dealerships sharpen their advertising strategies.
The provider of digital marketing technology and services for automotive dealers called its new whitepaper: “5 Key Takeaways from the 2022 PureCars Digital Advertising Survey.”
The paper looks at specific digital advertising trends facing dealers in today’s economy and offers key takeaways to help their businesses overcome industry challenges heading into 2023.
Pulling back on ad spending
With softening sales this year due to tighter Inventories and higher prices and interest rates, PureCars said dealers have reported pulling back on their digital advertising. However, rather than pulling back, today’s leading dealers are reallocating their spend to focus on other key areas.
The whitepaper can help dealers understand that if their issue is that they have more customers than cars, there are effective uses of their advertising budget.
“The first is to run pre-order campaigns to keep in-demand models top of mind and establish a pipeline of future sales,” PureCars said. “Secondly, when inventory is low, this is a perfect opportunity to focus on fixed ops to keep a consistent revenue stream. Use digital ads to promote service offers, reasons to schedule service, and amenities the dealership offers to enhance the customer experience.
Conflicting appetite for streaming media
PureCars determined that few dealers say they are including streaming audio and video in their digital advertising budgets.
However, a large majority also say they believe streaming media offers great ROI, according to PureCars.
With traditional TV and radio in decline, combined with the expanding popularity of streaming video and audio, dealers should consider adding channels like Amazon, Spotify, or Disney/Hulu to their marketing mix,” firm experts said.
“Streaming video and audio also provide advanced targeting options. This gives dealers the opportunity to have their messages seen and heard by some very specific audience segments,” they continued.
Search, social, email still significant investments
The whitepaper explains that search/display, social, and email are still considered to be the highest drivers of traffic to dealership websites.
However, PureCars pointed out that today’s dealers can’t just think about driving traffic, they also must position for higher conversions.
Newer advertising channels, such as online video, are growing in consideration for many dealers, who should always review their results to make informed decisions about budget and strategy. PureCars recommends a mix of online video for reach and awareness with higher converting social and search campaigns to effectively balance the channel mix.
“This year and entering 2023 have brought about new obstacles for dealers and their digital advertising partners because of continued inventory and new economic challenges,” PureCars senior vice president of client experience Lauren Donalson said. “As a leading digital advertising partner for dealers nationwide, we are continuously providing them with the tools, insights and education they need to help them make informed decisions for their business.
“This latest whitepaper report looks at new and changing dynamics in the industry and offers tips on how to leverage advertising and marketing opportunities for continued growth potential,” Donalson continued.
To download the whitepaper, go to this website.
On Tuesday, Dominion DMS and TruVideo revealed the results of their collaboration to help the service drives at dealerships.
The companies announced a certified SecureVUE integration between TruVideo’s shopper engagement and service experience products and VUE DMS.
TruVideo is a conversational commerce platform that uses text and video to help dealerships establish trust and streamline communications that is geared to improve the customer experience.
By using smart lines to offer service inspections, sales walk-arounds, estimates, approvals, and payments, the companies said dealerships can find additional efficiencies for their staff and increase their effective billable labor hours.
The certified SecureVUE integration between VUE DMS and TruService can allow customers to see and understand the results of their service inspection.
With the TruService platform, service departments also can send personalized videos to clients that show their vehicle’s maintenance and repair needs. Customers can watch it at their leisure, process the details and even share it.
By eliminating the barriers to transparency, Dominion DMS and TruVideo highlighted that service departments can improve the entire customer experience and see up to a 30% increase in customer pay dollars.
“We are excited that Truvideo’s leading AI and ML technologies are helping dealers realize incredible hard dollar returns and deliver a great customer experience,” TruVideo chief technology officer Douglas Chrystall said in a news release.
TruVideo and VUE DMS said they now offer dealerships a comprehensive solution the can fixe the communication chain between the dealership and the customer by connecting them through personalized videos, texts and mobile-friendly features.
“At Dominion DMS, we partner with businesses that help us raise the bar for our dealership customers. We listen to what dealerships want and need to run a successful business and always do everything we can to exceed those expectations. Our certified SecureVUE integration with an industry-leading technology partner in TruVideo does just that,” said Arlene Clements, vice president of business development at Dominion DMS.
To learn more about Dominion DMS and its VUE DMS platform, visit VUEDMS.com.
Rapid Recon is looking to help dealers showcase the high-value features of vehicles currently in their inventory via its latest tool.
On Monday, the originator of reconditioning time-to-line software for dealerships announced the immediate availability of OEM MSRP window stickers powered by iPacket for Rapid Recon users through its Recon Connect interface with dealers’ inventory tools.
By partnering with iPacket, Rapid Recon said it can bring dealers OEM window sticker/vehicle build sheet automation that integrates with most every vehicle manufacturer to autoload unedited, original window stickers or OEM build sheets for your dealership’s vehicles.
Rapid Recon explained data integrity is the overall accuracy, completeness and consistency of vehicle data. Rapid Recon’s authentic OEM MSRP solution powered by iPacket can manage more than 30 OEM sticker automations and more than 10 million OEM MSRP documents, “which come with enormous responsibility.”
Rapid Recon said, “Misrepresenting a vehicle with ‘dirty data’ can be costly to trade appraisals, pricing, and potential legal recourse.”
The company continued, “iPacket only provides MSRP data directly from automotive OEM integrations and never purchases MSRP/ original window sticker data from third-party data providers.
“Dealers should never take a third party’s word that a vehicle’s original window sticker/build sheet data is accurate without verifying for themselves,” Rapid Recon went on to say .
For more details, Rapid Recon users can contact their performance manager or take a demo via https://www.rapidrecon.com/schedule-a-demo/.
SmartGroups and Automotive Reinsurance Concepts founder and chief executive officer Justin Osburn appeared on the Auto Remarketing Podcast to share his assessment of how independent dealerships currently are doing.
Osburn, who most recently was the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association’s retail 20 groups moderator/consultant and lead instructor for NIADA’s Certified Master Dealer course, also reiterated the value operators can get from 20 groups, association conventions and other opportunities to mingle with other dealers.
To listen to the conversation, click on the link available below, or visit the Auto Remarketing Podcast page.
Download and subscribe to the Auto Remarketing Podcast on iTunes or on Google Play.
J&M Chevrolet, which is located in the Raleigh, N.C., area, has been sold to Dan Miller and Mark Zurales, according to a news release from Haig Partners, which served as the exclusive advisor on the sale.
Carlos Wheeler, a second-generation dealer, is the dealer principal of the store.
“We are blessed to have had the opportunity to provide a well-respected brand to our customers and communities. Our family has been serving the greater Raleigh-Durham area for decades, and it has been fun to watch the area grow. We will miss our customers and serving the community but know that it will continue with Dan and his team,” Wheeler said.
“I am extremely grateful to John Davis and the team at Haig Partners. We could not have done this without them. They are experts in auto retail, run an exceptional process, and their depth of industry relationships was critical in finding the absolute right buyer,” Wheeler said. “We have a smaller dealership and thought the best buyer might be local. But Haig Partners knew this market has been growing rapidly, which made our store more desirable and brought a buyer from out of state who paid a higher value. In addition, they set themselves apart by understanding that this was not just a business transaction for my family and me, but an emotional journey, too.”
Wheeler’s business partner, David Stepp, will remain with the store as general manager. The store will be renamed MZ Chevrolet.
John Davis in managing director with Haig Partners. In the release, he said: “It was an honor to advise Carlos on the sale of his family’s dealership, and I congratulate him on his retirement! It was important to find a buyer who would appreciate what they have built and who would provide the same focus on the customers and communities they have served for so many years. J&M Chevrolet is in the suburbs of Raleigh, which has been growing rapidly. This transaction highlights the tremendous opportunity for smaller dealers in high-growth markets who may not recognize the desirability of their location.”
Dealers often suggest that used-vehicle buyers purchase various kinds of insurance products when taking delivery.
This week, Novum Underwriting Partners is giving dealerships an opportunity to get insurance, too.
The company announced an exclusive franchised and independent dealer insurance program specializing in multi-line coverage tailored to meet the unique needs of automobile and RV dealers.
This new program is offered on admitted paper and grants Novum’s DealerPro program with property and auto liability binding authority in 11 states, including:
—Arkansas
—Arizona
—Idaho
—Illinois
—Indiana
—Mississippi
—Nevada
—Pennsylvania
—South Dakota
—Utah
—West Virginia
Novum Underwriting Partners mentioned coverage in more states is coming soon.
During the NAAA annual convention, Cherokee Media Group senior editor Joe Overby shared a conversation with two executives from Cox Automotive Inventory Solutions — Dana Lowenthal and Patrick Brennan.
Among other topics, they discussed how dealers are leveraging auctions today, whether they’re still walking the lanes or going online to find the inventory they need.
To listen to the conversation, click on the link available below, or visit the Auto Remarketing Podcast page.
Download and subscribe to the Auto Remarketing Podcast on iTunes or on Google Play.
An independent dealership expert is gaining steam with his new consulting firm launched earlier this year.
SmartGroups, which launched early this year by dealer educator Justin Osburn, already has multiple groups in place for small stores and for the nation’s largest independent dealers.
The latest group, known as Poseidon, will hold its first meeting Oct. 5-7 at the Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort and Spa Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, S.C. There are still spaces available in the group, which is designed for dealerships that sell between 80 and 200 retail units per month.
An Army veteran, Osburn is certified sales trainer and self-described “student of the auto industry” with extensive experience as the owner of three independent dealerships as well as a sales professional, F&I manager and general manager.
Osburn previously served as retail 20 Groups moderator and consultant for the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association and was the lead instructor for NIADA’s Certified Master Dealer course.
“SmartGroups are 20 groups reimagined, with a smarter schedule, smarter speakers and smarter technology,” Osburn said in a news release. “Like our other SmartGroups, Poseidon is exploding. We had nine dealer commitments for the group within 24 hours of launching it on our website.”
Director of SmartGroups Howard Bullock said the program’s “tremendous growth over a very short period of time has been nothing short of phenomenal.”
SmartGroups are 20 Groups designed to have a smarter schedule, smarter speakers and smarter technology, including LinUs — patent-pending software that is fully integrated with most dealer management systems for the most accurate financial comparisons.
“In fact, we are already the largest 20 Group host in the independent retail sector,” Bullock said. “That’s the result of our high level of dealership knowledge, industry-leading technology and a completely new way of conducting 20 Groups, as well as our desire to truly listen to our group members.”
For more information about Poseidon, visit smart20groups.com/poseidon, and for more about SmartGroups, visit smart20groups.com.
CarMax wants to boost its workforce, so the used-vehicle retailer is set to host a major hiring event at 15 of its locations nationwide on Thursday.
The company said in a news release that it will be interviewing candidates for a variety of positions, including technicians, detailers, painters, supply associates and more.
CarMax indicated there will be job opportunities for both new and seasoned automotive professionals, with potential for jobs to be offered on-the-spot. Some positions will also offer sign-on bonuses of up to $5,000.
Additionally, CarMax said every candidate that RSVPs for a hiring event and applies for a technician position on the careers site will be entered into a drawing for a $300 gift card to an auto parts retailer. There will be one drawing per store following the event.
Interested candidates can visit carmaxautotech.com for more information and to RSVP.
Technicians at CarMax can earn $19 to $53 per hour, which varies by location and experience. CarMax said they also can find value in the company’s award-winning training program, strong opportunities to grow long-term careers, reimbursement programs for ASE certifications and free or discounted tools.
“CarMax leads the industry in providing an innovative and world-class experience for used car buyers and it’s our people who are central to our success,” CarMax vice president of regional service operations Tyrone Payton said in a news release. “We’re excited to welcome new automotive talent to join our team and experience first-hand what makes CarMax a great place to work.”
The following CarMax locations will be hosting hiring events on Thursday:
1. Cleveland: Cleveland East CarMax at 4900 Pointe Parkway, Warrensville Heights, Ohio
2. Columbus, Ohio: Sawmill CarMax at 2700 Farmers Drive, Columbus
3. Tulsa, Okla.: 9131 South Memorial Drive, Tulsa
4. Grand Rapids, Mich.: 4431 28th Street Southeast, Kentwood, Mich.
5. Norcross, Ga.: 1975 Beaver Ruin Road, Norcross
6. Hillside, Ill.: 101 North Wolf Road, Hillside
7. Des Moines, Iowa: 10315 Hickman Road, Urbandale, Iowa
8. Omaha, Neb.: 17606 Burt Street, Omaha, Neb.
9. Brooklyn Park, Minn.: 6900 Lake Drive Avenue North, Minneapolis
10. Salt Lake City: 11213 South Jordan Gateway, South Jordan, Utah
11. Oklahoma City: 1121 East Memorial Road, Oklahoma City
12. Parker, Colo.: 18220 Ponderosa Drive, Parker
13. Laurel, Md.: 8800 Freestate Drive, Laurel
14. Albuquerque, N.M.: 5500 Alameda Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, N.M.
15. Columbia, S.C.: 555 Jamil Road, Columbia, S.C.
CarMax offers competitive pay and generous benefits that include:
• Discounts on car purchases, which saves associates up to $3,000 on a vehicle and is extended to family members — including spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings and children.
• Immediate 401(k) eligibility with an industry-leading 6% match on contributions.
• Wellness benefits such as gym discounts and free access to Headspace, which provides guided meditation and mindfulness that can support overall well-being and better sleep.
• Endless career paths driven by our variety of roles with unmatched training and support for associate career growth.
• Volunteer team builders and opportunities to make an impact in our communities and support causes associates are passionate about.
• Additional benefits include paid time off, medical plan, tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, employee stock purchase plan, and more.
CarMax is also a proud partner of TechForce Foundation, a national nonprofit focused on championing students through their education and into careers as professional technicians.
“CarMax has been a long-time donor to TechForce Foundation and its career exploration and workforce development programs,” TechForce chief executive officer Jennifer Maher said. “CarMax's charitable investment connects people who want to pursue a technical education and career in automotive to in-demand, flourishing futures.”
In addition to hosting in-person hiring events, CarMax is also accepting online applications from job seekers who may apply directly for open positions at careers.carmax.com.
