In an effort to minimize data security risks, AutoAlert has earned certification in the Reynolds Certified Interface (RCI) program.
This certification aims to ensure the safe, secure and reliable transfer of data from a Reynolds and Reynolds dealership management system (DMS) to AutoAlert’s suite of products.
“RCI certification fits with AutoAlert’s long-term strategic plan, and as we continue to advance our product portfolio, we will be able to offer our customers reliable and secure data movement,” said Tom Walls, AutoAlert’s chief technology officer.
“Reynolds and Reynolds customers will also benefit from the RCI real-time data push, which can help increase sales opportunities.”
Founded in 2002, Auto Alert is a data-mining and trade-cycle management platform providing software, marketing and training solutions.
To meet the growing demand from consignors for more consistency in vehicle valuation processes, Manheim on Monday morning announced plans to expand its AutoGrade condition score licensing program.
Initially distributed only to National Auto Auction Association member auctions, the company highlighted the electronic vehicle condition reporting system will now be made available to all non-NAAA auctions and wholesale marketplaces as well as other support entities, including third-party inspection companies, software vendors and consignors.
“Our clients have told us that having access to accurate condition score information is key to understanding a vehicle’s true market value and informing buying decisions,” said Grace Huang, senior vice president of inventory services for Manheim.
“By making this program more widely available, we’re helping our customers make more informed buying decisions across the wholesale ecosystem,” Huang continued.
Effective immediately, Manheim indicated any organization involved in the vehicle remarketing process will be able to obtain AutoGrade license agreements. Administered through AutoIMS (Auto Auction Services Corp.), the licenses will allow clients to input vehicle damage information via the AutoIMS inventory management system and receive a point-based grade according to Manheim and NAAA standards for various mechanical, structural, body repair and cosmetic defects.
To help ensure the continued viability of the expanded license program, Manheim said it will charge a small transaction fee administered by AutoIMS to any new customers not currently under contract. Current licensees will not be charged a transaction fee until their current contract expires.
“The No. 1 pain point for remarketers is consistent vehicle information,” AutoIMS president and chief executive officer Mike Broe said. “With this expanded program, buyers and sellers will have confidence in what the grade means and know that it’s applicable across all platforms.”
Both Manheim and AutoIMS called AutoGrade the “gold standard” for vehicle condition grading since it is becoming more readily available at a time when wholesale volumes are increasing, buyers are embracing Internet platforms and sellers are asking for consistency in their vehicle valuation processes across multiple venues and geographies.
“Our goal is to provide our clients with services that improve the overall remarketing experience,” Huang said. “AutoGrade condition scores do just that by supporting reliable, accurate and consistent reporting, thereby providing increased confidence to buyers and sellers alike.”
CDK Global has announced a new way to connect digital vendors to dealers.
Called Partner Connect, the program creates a pool of approved applications that can be added to a dealer’s website.
Partner Connect can give dealers increased functionality on websites provided by CDK and ensure that vendors looking to integrate are optimized into the website workflows.
“Our new Partner Program provides a vibrant, open ecosystem of vetted partners that will give our dealers choices, as well as the assurance that their products will work seamlessly on our sites,” said Max Steckler, vice president of product management at CDK Global.
“By working so closely with our partners, not only will the installation process for these applications be easy and seamless for our website customers, but many integrations will include features and functionality not available on any other website platform.”
The Partner Program also will help dealers save time and effort through an integrated reporting suite and streamlined support. Fifteen vendors have signed up for the program and are immediately available.
For more information, click here.
In response to client demand, Manheim highlighted on Tuesday that the company has nearly tripled the availability of Enhanced Vehicle Imaging (EVI), expanding from 25 to 74 auction locations throughout North America.
Manheim reiterated that EVI is designed to provide a consistent set of quality high-resolution images that can showcase vehicles in an optimal way. The company maintained this service can lead to a higher conversion rate for sellers and increased confidence about purchases for online buyers.
“The Enhanced Vehicle Imaging service we use from Manheim Milwaukee has proven to be a big boost to our bottom line and grown our online attendance,” said Jeff Ricchio, who is the remarketing manager for the Napleton Automotive Group. “And we love the positive feedback we get from buyers about the photos.”
Manheim claimed EVI can produce photos superior to those traditionally available via the device used to take standard condition report photos.
Using high-quality, state-of-the-art programmable cameras and software, certified photography staff shoot the images after vehicles have been reconditioned. They display one car at a time and include a consistent set of views most important to buyers. High-resolution images, available in-lane and via Simulcast and OVE, enable viewers to pan the vehicle and zoom in and out to areas of interest.
“Dealer interest in improving online sales and their success stories compelled us to broaden our EVI footprint and be an even better business partner,” said Grace Huang, Manheim’s senior vice president of inventory services.
“Professionally taken, post-recon glamour shots allow display of ‘picture perfect’ vehicles,” Huang added. “I think of it like online dating, where the best-looking people, in the most flattering photos, generate more positive reactions.”
Manheim went on to mention the addition of Enhanced Vehicle Imaging can help consignors move vehicle inventory more efficiently, reaching up to 80 percent more online buyers with increased bids per sale. Manheim data also shows that Simulcast listings with EVI images convert 16 percent better than two or three low-resolution photos and 50 percent better than no photos.
The data indicated dealers using EVI also sell 27 percent more vehicles online than those who use two or three low-resolution images. EVI also can support dealer efforts to sell less desirable, aged vehicles online — vehicles with expected low AutoGrade scores, high mileage or lower prices.
Manheim offers wholesale clients three packages enabling sellers to select the option that best fits their needs. They include:
—Seven outdoor views for $15
—15 outdoor views, including every angle of the exterior, for $25
—15 showroom images for $50
The company pointed out the 15 outdoor and showroom packages can feature up to three additional images that vary by vehicle or model.
Photos in the 15 showroom package, available at 23 select locations, are taken in a showroom environment with optimal lighting and free of distracting backgrounds.
The company added any of the photo packages can be purchased independently or bundled with condition reports in an effort to deliver the highest conversion rate.
Wheel’s Automotive Dealer Supplies is set to unveil a line of CPO-specific visual marketing solutions during Used Car Week in November.
Wheel’s president Richard Ashworth and other members of the Wheel’s team will discuss certified pre-owned merchandising, marketing strategies and product solutions in Booth 210 during the conference, which is set for Nov. 14-18 at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas.
“CPO inventory is not used cars,” Ashworth said, “so dealers who use the right visual cues, attention-getters and marketing products create a crucial and vital distinction in buyers’ minds. Active CPO merchandising is much more than lipstick.”
Wheel’s CPO-centric merchandising solutions can deliver OEM-quality presentations of CPO inventory that can give it the new-car/high-value perception dealers want to convey to their markets.
“To be successful in this evolving CPO market, dealers are encouraged to adopt new tactics on how they merchandise and market today’s certified pre-owned inventory,” Ashworth said.
The tools are designed and printed on demand specifically for OEM and third-party certified vehicle programs. Wheel’s is partnered with 17 OEMs’ CPO programs.
CPO selling dynamics have evolved, said Ed French of AutoProfit Automotive Consulting, which is why custom-designed CPO-related signage and merchandising is key.
“It used to be any-old CPO sign on a car was enough to get eyeballs on it, but not today. CPO now has to stand on its own, with its unique identity and category between used and new cars, and must be marked and merchandised accordingly,” said the former Buick dealer and current member of the board of directors at TruWorth Auto, a used car superstore in Indianapolis.
Wheel’s CPO-defined merchandising products visually resemble OEM new-car signage, banners, point-of-sales showroom displays, lot flags and more. By duplicating this look to CPO inventory, dealers help customers connect with CPOs’ unique quality and value.
Several OEMs require that their dealers use branded CPO-differentiated signage, point-of-sale displays, banners and windshield stickers. Their contracts with Wheel’s enable dealers of these OEMs to order CPO merchandising materials directly.
“Given the unique status that CPO vehicles fall under today — thanks to a great extent to OEM advertising — signage and point-of-sale materials for these vehicles need to be more polished and restrained,” said Ashworth. “This is the image our unique line of CPO-specific merchandising products conveys.”
For more information on maximizing used vehicle and certified pre-owned profits, check out the CPO Forum during Used Car Week.
On Thursday, DRIVIN — a service for dealers that utilizes data to help sell, source, acquire and deliver quality used vehicles for its partners — announced that the company is expanding its partnership with Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) with a new $6.5 million senior debt facility.
With more than 500-percent growth in monthly transaction volume from January to July, DRIVIN emphasized its current dealership partners are realizing the value of working with a provider that utilizes data and human capital to solve one of the industry’s biggest pain points — acquisition of quality used vehicles.
Company leadership highlighted this new financing will accelerate DRIVIN’s growth initiatives and enable DRIVIN to continue its growth trajectory with its current dealer partners while simultaneously establishing new relationships with dealerships nationwide.
In addition, DRIVIN will be announcing the launch of DRIVIN Marketplace this fall. The full-service solution will enable dealers to acquire recommended inventory optimal to their lot, while also remarketing unwanted inventory to DRIVIN’s nationwide network.
“We selected Silicon Valley Bank because they can provide us with the enhanced customized resources and capabilities that we need to keep up with the rapid growth we are experiencing,” said Kayne Grau, co-founder and chief executive officer. “DRIVIN is disrupting the traditional way that dealers acquire and dispose of used cars.
“Our relationship with SVB allows us to further our growth with the acquisition of additional inventory, while continuing to build services that change the way dealers move metal on their lots — first helping them sell aged inventory and then helping them replace those units with strategically selected vehicles that meet the needs of their target audience and their dealership brand position,” Grau continued.
Dennis Grunt, managing director for Silicon Valley Bank in the Midwest, added, “Silicon Valley Bank is pleased to partner with DRIVIN to support the company’s continued growth.
“DRIVIN has achieved impressive growth in a short period of time and is guided by a leadership team focused on innovating and disrupting one of the country’s largest industries,” Grunt went on to say. “Our objective is to provide DRIVIN with the right financing, connections and services to achieve continued success.”
Thursday’s announcement arrived after DRIVIN landed $7.5 million in funding back in June.
For more information on DRIVIN, visit its recently updated website at www.drivindealer.com.
Insurance Auto Auctions rolled out its newest tool on Tuesday — IAA Loss Advisor — which the business unit of KAR Auction Services highlighted as a solution that can help insurance claims staff.
The company explained IAA Loss Advisor can quickly generate an early total loss recommendation based on information insurance personnel provide regarding the post-accident condition of the vehicle combined with the ACV (actual cash value) and IAA salvage vehicle market value data.
IAA Loss Advisor is the latest advancement in the IAA Total Loss Solutions, the company’s suite of products that ultimately leads to increased management of costs as well as an enhancement in customer satisfaction and retention.
“The Loss Advisor tool uses insurance company and IAA data to allow for a significant enhancement in the accuracy of the evaluation typically given by existing tools regarding early total loss prediction,” said Pat Walsh, senior vice president of business development at IAA. “Because of this, Loss Advisor decreases storage and advance charges, reduces the cycle time and enhances the customer’s satisfaction.”
Insurance Auto Auctions chief executive officer and president John Kett added, “By implementing the Loss Advisor tool, insurers can instill a greater sense of confidence in customers going through the claims process, which leads to increased policyholder fulfillment and retention.
“This development complements the existing features of IAA Total Loss Solutions, which serve to further exhibit IAA's dedication towards being the leading industry expert providing a seamless suite of technologies that increases the effectiveness of the total loss claims process,” Kett went on to say.
This year, hundreds of independent dealers who previously attended Innovate: The Independent Dealer Conference will instead set their sights on DealerSocket’s User Summit. The seventh annual conference will host dealers from both the franchised and independent space with more than 1,100 guests expected.
This is the first year that User Summit attendees will be able to choose an independent track (from more than 70 total classes) that highlights today’s most pressing compliance issues, industry insights and best practices from other dealers, as well as new independent technology.
Breakout sessions will cover the latest developments in compliance; digital marketing; customer experience; DMS, CRM and inventory management technology; business management; sales and marketing; and more. There is even a track covering the sales, service, F&I and collections concerns of buy-here-pay-here dealers.
“We are thrilled to expand our annual User Summit to welcome former Innovate attendees into the fold. Last year, we introduced a small selection of independent classes, but starting this year, we are officially merging with Innovate and multiplying our schedule to include a Texas-sized offering for independent attendees,” said Peter Ord, national sales director, independent at DealerSocket.
“Whether you are a member of the DealerSocket family or just interested in educating yourself on the issues facing your business, User Summit will prepare you for the future of independent,” Ord continued.
Among what's in store, DealerSocket will officially launch Blackbird at this year’s event, complete with on-site demos. Blackbird includes the company’s brand-new CRM, as well as the long-awaited iDMS.
DealerSocket will also release its second annual Independent Dealership Action Report, a comprehensive, data-packed guide on the state of today’s independent industry and how dealers can thrive amid its challenges.
User Summit 2016 will take place Oct. 3-5 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. For more information or to register, visit http://usersummit.dealersocket.com/ind.
Today’s car-buying marketplace demands nothing less than a connected, personalized customer experience. Consumers want dealerships to know who they are and what their interests are, and to anticipate the types of cars and services they need. They want to reach their salesperson whenever it’s convenient for them, whether by voice, e-mail, video or text.
These expectations make it critical for a dealership to really leverage its customer relationship management (CRM) system. I’m often amazed when I come across dealerships that regularly use a DMS but still don’t have even a basic CRM solution.
Some of these dealerships do realize the value and potential in a CRM system, but they are not happy with what they bought and are frustrated their salespeople just aren’t using it. I’m not going to debate whether this is a principally a management or a salesperson problem, but clearly it’s a problem!
Why CRMs are a critical tool
Before I discuss what a dealership should look for in a CRM solution and highlight warning signs with your current system, I want to enlighten holdout dealerships on the value they are missing.
At its core, a CRM system helps to manage sales and marketing processes while delivering a more streamlined customer experience. CRMs let dealerships set workflows for their sales teams, manage Internet leads, and store valuable customer data that allows remarketing to existing customers.
For example, a dealership can leverage a CRM database as it would Internet leads, to run customized campaigns encouraging trade-ins. CRM leads are warmer, as you have more information about an existing relationship than with a lead purchased online.
Also, CRM systems help both management and the sales team shorten sales cycles and turn inventory faster. Plus, manager dashboards help track overall trends and individual performance levels, while resource-specific views show each salesperson his or her open opportunities in order to ensure prompt follow-up for faster closes.
Some market research shows CRM adopters typically see a 32-percent improvement in win rate and a 50-percent acceleration of sales conversions. With that type of ROI, it’s worth it for dealerships of all sizes to explore what is possible to meet their CRM needs.
Don’t fall in love with features
Modern CRM systems have innovative features that give dealerships an edge over stores that don’t use one. However, technological bells and whistles mean nothing if the system doesn’t fit your dealership’s sales process and deal flow.
Fit is the single most important CRM criteria; your CRM needs to align with your sales culture, workflow, deal processes and business goals. If you use an UP system, then the CRM should complement it. If your business is single- or multi-rooftop, then the CRM must be calibrated to work well with those physical facilities.
A CRM needs to meet your dealership’s basic needs, have an intuitive user interface and be simple to learn. It has to be mobile and free your sales team to “work the lot” from virtually anywhere.
A good CRM system provides multi-channel communication capabilities via e-mail, voice, video or text, and has integrated social media tools to stay connected with prospects. It offers your people increased visibility into the pipeline and sales trends at a glance, with dashboard-centric reporting. And, all of this must also be affordable.
5 signs you should rethink your CRM
If your dealership is unhappy with your current CRM system, did I hit a nerve in discussing any of these key criteria? Here are five warning signs indicating your CRM approach may not really be working for your dealership:
1) Price: Are you paying more for your CRM than some of your sales guys’ salaries? Do you lack a clear ROI on your CRM system, and are you locked into a multi-year contract?
If yours is a smaller store selling 50 cars a month, then a CRM solution that is geared toward multi-rooftop dealers and loaded with every whiz-bang feature in the book is not the best or most cost effective highway to travel. Create a critical features checklist in concert with your sales team to cover what your dealership really needs, and do your due diligence when researching different CRM systems. Demo several of them to identify a good fit for the price and a system that works well with your sales processes.
At the end of the day, you want to trim your monthly CRM payments with a more affordable system that is right-sized for your business.
2) Poor mobile app: Does the mobile version of your CRM create the feeling that you’re using a brick phone? Mobile is crucial for salespeople, with statistics showing a 30 percent increase in the number of “fresh-ups” once they start using a mobile CRM.
Putting everything at your salespeople’s fingertips, with faster data entry tools, improves sales productivity. Having the ability to scan both VIN and driver’s license information is the sign of a good mobile CRM. Knowing who’s calling with details of their car interests, via screen pop-ups, is also a best-in-class mobile CRM feature.
3) Legacy system: If your dealership has a CRM system that feels “clunky” and doesn’t integrate with other applications you use, consider dumping it. If the interface looks outdated and does not integrate with top social media tools, then trade in your legacy system for a newer model.
4) Overly complicated with “feature overkill”: Does your CRM actually make the sales process inefficient and slow deal momentum? Are there a zillion features, when your process really only requires a few critical ones?
You get out of a CRM what your salespeople enter into it. If the CRM just slows them down, then they will stop using it. Stick with a simple CRM solution and focus only on what your sales team really needs.
5) Generic CRM: I often run into dealers who use B2B-focused CRM systems that are feature- and report-rich but are not focused on the B2C automotive industry. Your dealership CRM needs to be automotive-specific, not a general SaaS system.
Make sure your CRM is tailored to the automotive world, with modules that work with important dealership tools.
It’s never too late to change
Thinking about all of these issues will aid your dealership management with CRM platform decisions. Make the best possible decision by including your sales team in crafting a critical CRM functionality checklist and walking through how the CRM will affect the sales process. If yours is not a tech-savvy team, consider bringing in an outside consultant to help evaluate CMR systems for your store and sales culture.
Change can be hard. It often takes 60 to 90 days of using a CRM before it becomes a natural process for your team. Follow the guidelines I’ve provided, and stay patient in order to maximize your CRM ROI.
Zach Klempf is founder and chief executive officer of Selly Automotive.
This week, Flick Fusion introduced what it’s calling FlickWidget, which is being touted as a responsive video display tool proven to increase the number of video views on dealers' websites.
In a pilot trial conducted with website and digital marketing vendor Dealer E-Process, the company highlighted FlickWidget was installed on the home page of seven dealership websites. That group included three Toyota stores, a Honda store, a Buick, Chevy and GMC dealer, one Ford and one BMW dealership.
Over a period of five months, the company determined FlickWidget increased the number of video views on each website by a mean average of 155 percent.
Dealer E-Process featured one of the dealership's websites in a recent case study. The addition of FlickWidget to a Toyota store’s website increased monthly video views from 237 per month to 877 per month for a 271-percent increase.
Additionally, Dealer E-Process saw similar results with other customers. The Honda dealership saw an increase from 464 video views per month to 1,616 video views per month for a 248-percent increase.
“We’ve always known that dynamic video outperforms static pictures of vehicles on a website, but the results of this trial really showcase the power of video as a website conversion tool,” Flick Fusion chief operating officer Tim James said.
“Car shoppers prefer watching videos to reading text, and the longer a customer engages with videos the more emotionally invested they become in your dealership’s inventory and brand,” James continued.
FlickWidget can offer each vehicle shopper a personalized experience based on his or her individual viewing behavior. When a customer visits a dealership's website, they immediately see an attractive display tool featuring several inventory videos, with suggestions based on that person's browsing behavior.
With each returning visit, the customer will see a reminder of the videos they viewed last time along with suggestions for new videos to watch based on their individual interests and viewing history.
“With our customers’ websites we find that sometimes there is so much information and so many vehicles to choose from that customers can get overwhelmed," said Dave Page, owner of Dealer E-Process.
“FlickWidget draws the focal point on each page to the videos, which are naturally more interactive and give customers specific suggestions, helping them to narrow their choice and bring them down the purchasing funnel,” Page went on to say.
FlickWidget is a visual tool that can be featured on the homepage of a dealership’s website or on other pages, including vehicle details pages (VDPs). FlickWidget can also be used as a banner ad on any website where the dealership advertises, effectively increasing click-through rates.
FlickWidget can display several videos at a time in a series of sliding windows that are completely customizable. The sliders can be any size or dimension, horizontal or vertical, and the dealership can choose which videos to display in the windows, including inventory videos, test-drive videos, customer testimonial videos, service department videos and more.
Officials added that Flick Widget is fully responsive, making it easy for shoppers to view videos on their mobile devices.
“More than 50 percent of car shoppers use mobile devices to conduct research prior to a purchase, and more than half of auto shoppers watch at least 30 minutes of video during the purchasing process,” the company said.
For a limited time, dealers can try FlickWidget for free. Any dealership that signs up for FlickWidget can get the first 60 days free with no further obligation required.
Dealers can find out who their Flick Fusion reseller is by calling (800) 247-2502.
For more information, visit www.flickfusion.com.
