Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2022 Women in Retail honorees in the current issue of the magazine and at Used Car Week this fall in San Diego. 

With these awards, we specifically recognize top leaders on the retail side of the auto industry, including honorees from dealerships, dealer groups and third-party providers/vendors

Over the next few weeks, AR will be posting Q&As with each of the honorees on this website.

Next up is Tori Morandi, head of marketing at A2Z Sync.

Auto Remarketing: What do you enjoy most about working in retail automotive, and what would you change?

Tori Morandi: It’s no secret that I am all about the product! Just being around cars on a regular basis is so exciting to me. While I’m a woman who chants “long live the manual,” I love learning about new products like EVs and autonomous vehicles and how they change the shape of auto retail. It’s been amazing to watch the industry as we transition to EVs and a more sustainable future, and how the dealership itself needs to adjust its facilities, education, staff, etc. to meet the needs of new customers.

If I could change something about auto retail, I would put more emphasis on the need for a tailored, concierge-style customer experience, not one tailored to score well on a survey. When my great-grandfather advertised his dealership in the 1930s, he used words like “fair dealing,”“courtesy” and “prompt service,” and that made his store known for customer experience.

Nearly 100 years later, these words are still the biggest opportunity we have in order to really know and deliver a tailored experience and keep our customers coming back. Assembling and asking a diverse team of employees will spark fresh ideas on how to better accomplish this in a dealership.

AR: What is the top trend you’re watching in retail automotive this year?

Morandi: The top trend in auto retail in 2022 is a focus on simplifying the tech stack. This is a time of extraordinary circumstances and retailers are experiencing record profits, so I see them reviewing all of their tech stack tools (DR, desking, etc.) with a magnifying glass. They are asking why they need to toggle between multiple tabs to allow a customer to buy a car. It’s time consuming, laborious and unnecessary — all of which take away from the employee and customer experiences.

Our industry loves data and we have no lack of it on what customers do and do not like about the car buying process, as well as how they’d like to buy a car. Dealers are using this data and responding with a simplified transaction experience that allows one shared screen to begin and complete the entire sales process. It’s the same screen for both the customer and the dealer, so it’s very transparent and allows flexibility to transact from home, in dealership or both. As a result the experience numbers are off the charts and the profits even higher.

AR: What piece of career advice would you give your younger self?

Morandi: 1. Be an optimistic realist. I tell people to look at each situation realistically. Will this work? Why or why not? Nothing is ever 100% guaranteed, so move forward, be realistic and hope for the best. 2. Learn all you can while you can. The world will evolve and change, so make sure you’re always learning more and keeping up with what’s happening in an industry you love. Learn from your colleagues, customers, vendors and partners and have conversations with people who disagree with you. Try to learn why people think the way they do, even if they disagree. 3. Help others and let others help you. Nobody achieves greatness on their own two feet so make sure to repay the kindness. Offer to mentor and lift up colleagues and others who are looking to you for insight and growth. 4. Follow your gut. If something looks good but doesn’t feel right, there’s a reason. So by all means, use the data available to make smart and informed decisions while trusting your own sense of what is and isn’t a good idea. 5. Walk away when it’s ugly. Sometimes it just isn’t working out, and that’s ok. After you’ve done what you can to make it work, leave if you aren’t appreciated for your unique gifts and talents.

AR: What has been the top key to your success in retail automotive?

Morandi: Discipline is the key for me. I learned at a young age that I can have opportunities if I create them and stay diligent and disciplined in their pursuit. I stay true to my beliefs and stand for what is right, even if I’m standing alone. This takes discipline and commitment. I focus on the basics every day because I believe a disciplined approach to improvement is critical to continued success. My day begins the same way seven days a week. I do not deviate from this routine as it reminds me to stay disciplined and focused in all areas of my life, be it at work or at play.