Auto Dealer Monthly

FEB 2014

Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine is the daily operations publication serving the retail automotive industry. This automotive publication serves dealer principals, officers and general managers with the latest best practices.

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OPE NING OB SE RVATIONS NEW CUSTOMS Keeping up with technology requires us to constantly re-evaluate our needs and take no tool for granted. By David Gesualdo I o en marvel at the way my young son interacts with technology. He has had an iPad almost of sin birth, and it didn't take him long to learn how to use it. It makes perfect sense to him. He since can cue up a video and play a new game for the f rst time with what appears to be minimal efort. As for his parents, well, we're still learning. And that's just the thing. I have long since resigned myself to the fact that my son could best the old man at all contests electronic. What amazes me is the constantly recurring realization that hav having the collective computing power of thousands of years of human advancement at his f ngertips doesn't even faze him. Nor does the fact that we all call each other on tiny phones we carry everywhere and sometimes use to take pictures. Of course we do, he might say. Why wouldn't we? Te people who are new to our industry labor under a similar pretense. Dealer websites, mobile apps and online retailers are fundamental aspects of the car business that simply didn't exist a few years ago. Less recent but no less useful is the dealership management system, or DMS, that handy apparatus that logs and, when needed, recounts all the vital contacts, numbers and statistics your stores produce. Te DMS is such an intrinsic system that we have decided to dedicate a series of articles to its very existence. But we didn't ask our writers, who rank among the industry's foremost experts on dealership operations, to recount the saga of the DMS. We asked for practical advice on maximizing its efectiveness, and our f rst entry does that in what may be an unexpected way. On Page 14, F&I; Express and Intersection Technologies' Brian Reed asks the question that he believes few, and certainly not enough, dealers are asking themselves: "What exactly am I paying for?" As he points out, the agreements dealers make with their DMS providers are ofen completely out of touch with the services provided. T is is not due to malice on the part of the provider. T ings change, services are added and dropped, and third parties sometimes take over certain functions. Reed highlights three areas in which overcharges can ofen occur. It's good, useful advice that I hope you are able to use. Speaking of useful advice, this month's cover story is one for the ages. Stephanie Forshee went one-on-one with Rose Cruz, a Lexus sales pro from Long Island, N.Y., whose shif in focus toward female car buyers is paying dividends for her store. Cruz realized that, although the majority of her buyers are women, they rarely show up to the dealership alone. What is compelling them to bring along their husbands, fathers and sons, she wondered, when the women have the buying and decision-making power? Cruz decided that, like most people, women who bring backup to the dealership are intimidated by the sales and f nance process. To relieve them of their apprehensions, she began hosting evening events designed especially for women. Te f rst annual Cars & Cupcakes and the monthly Technology Night are free, informative events that make female buyers feel welcomed and appreciated. Tey require an investment of time and money for Cruz and her team, but they have already resulted in several additional sales. Te lesson learned from both stories is clear: Let us take nothing for granted. Te latest tools, electronic and otherwise, are ours to use to the best of our ability and to the betterment of our cause. Vice President Group Publisher, AutoGroup Sherb Brown 310-533-2451 sherb.brown@bobit.com Publisher, Dealer Group David Gesualdo 727-947-4027 david.gesualdo@bobit.com Editorial Director Gregory Arroyo 310-533-2592 gregory.arroyo@bobit.com Managing Editor Tariq Kamal 323-377-0929 tariq.kamal@bobit.com Senior Editor Stephanie Forshee 310-533-2496 stephanie.forshee@bobit.com Associate Editor Brittany-Marie Swanson 310-533-2588 brittany.swanson@bobit.com Art Director Vince Taroc Graphic Artist Jeff Polman National Sales Manager Gregory Noonan 607-437-3061 gnoonan.cei@gmail.com Sales & Marketing Coordinator Tracey Tremblay 310-533-2518 tracey.tremblay@bobit.com E-Media and Print Production Manager Brian Peach 310-533-2548 brian.peach@bobit.com Audience Marketing Manager Tony Napoleone Chairman Edward J. Bobit President & CEO Ty F. Bobit Chief Operating Offcer Cyndy Drummey Chief Financial Offcer Richard E. Johnson Business and Editorial Offce Bobit Business Media 3520 Challenger St. Torrance, CA 90503 Fax: 310-533-2503 Change Service Requested Return Address: Bobit Business Media PO Box 2703 Torrance, CA 90509 Subscription Inquiries 888-239-2455 BobitPubs@Halldata.com Printed in U.S.A. 4 AUTO DE ALE R MONTHLY • FE BRUARY 2014

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