Showroom Advantage Delivers New Solutions for Automotive Retailing
25 August 1997
Showroom Advantage Delivers New Solutions for Automotive Retailing
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 25 -- Digital Motorworks (DMI) today
announced the availability of its Showroom Advantage(TM) family, a suite of
Touch Screen and Internet marketing tools for automotive dealerships.
The suite includes several new modules, as well as major enhancements to
existing products that have been earning positive results in the field for
over two years, with some of the nation's leading automotive dealerships and
manufacturers. DMI's Showroom Advantage makes it easy for dealerships to
create an on-line presence, either over the Internet or via Touch Screen
kiosks. The systems provide an interactive -- even fun -- shopping experience
for the prospective car buyer, and the automatic inventory synchronization
means dealers never have to double-key their data.
"With consumers having an increasing number of purchasing alternatives,
the Showroom Advantage offers the dealer the chance to become more dynamic --
and profitable by leveraging our proven technology and given it a sense of
proprietary ownership and customization based on the dealer's needs," noted
Varick Foster, DMI's CEO. "Additionally, by giving access to multi-site
inventories, it provides the prospective customer with a virtual inventory
of the dealer's entire stock no matter where the car or truck may be
physically located."
Early DMI clients testify to the benefits of the Showroom Advantage.
"We've seen an amazing increase in the cross-selling of vehicles between our
eight locations, thanks to DMI's system," said Jeff Smith, general manager,
Gunn Pontiac-GMC, San Antonio, TX. "In fact, we now average 130 cross-sold
vehicles per month, up from less than 25 units."
Adds Randy Ross, general manager, Town North Imports, Austin, TX,
"Sometimes a customer will wave a printout just after using the DMI system,
shouting 'I want this vehicle!' It's also great on 'bad weather days.'"
The Showroom Advantage(TM) modules include:
-- Showroom Advantage Touch Screen(TM) for kiosk marketing
-- Showroom Advantage Internet(TM) for similar marketing via the Internet
-- Showroom Advantage Vehicle Sourcing Network(TM) for dealership
wholesale trading
-- Showroom Advantage Prospector(TM) for capturing customer information
"Imagine always having your best salesman with the customer," says Foster.
Indeed, imagine an endlessly patient, multilingual salesperson with total
recall of the dealer's inventory who can calculate payments in his head.
That and more is what the shopper experiences using the Showroom Advantage
Touch Screen(TM) system, placed in a showroom, mall, credit union or campus.
The shopper can search the dealer's inventory by several criteria, including
model, monthly payment and total price, and optionally view a digital photo
of the car in question on the dealer's lot. The users' experience is
heightened by full motion video, audio, the ability to shop at their own
pace, and their ability to perform "what if" financial analyses. They can
even print out the results -- with detailed vehicle information, including
a picture -- to show friends. The system also gathers preference, customer
satisfaction, and marketing effectiveness information.
The system uses a touch screen for user input, and is based on an easy,
non-intimidating interface. Customization is available, including both
content and kiosk cabinet style.
Showroom Advantage Internet(TM)
DMI's Showroom Advantage Internet(TM) offers much of the same
functionality of Showroom Advantage Touch Screen(TM) -- but it is extended
over the Internet, to anyone on earth with browser access to the World Wide
Web.
"Internet auto sales have proven enormously successful and cost-effective,
with closing rates exceeding 30 percent," noted Foster. "With Showroom
Advantage Internet(TM), a dealer can easily have his own Web site with rich,
interactive content, while promoting his dealership's brand awareness in a
way not possible with on-line listing services."
Showroom Advantage Vehicle Sourcing Network(TM)
Showroom Advantage Vehicle Sourcing Network(TM) redefines the way
retailers acquire used vehicles by letting them source from others retailers
in their group, or from other retailers, wholesalers, financial and leasing
firms, and manufacturers.
Showroom Advantage Prospector(TM)
Showroom Advantage Prospector(TM) captures customer information with a
swipe of their drivers license and tracks valuable marketing and demographic
data.
Price and Terms
DMI's systems are priced very competitively, at the component level, with
numerous options and possible customizations. The software is licensed on
three-year terms. DMI offers products through strategically located direct
sales representatives, and via strategic partnerships.
About DMI
Formed in March 1995 by Varick Foster and John Gilbert to supply auto
retail interactive kiosks. The privately held company currently employs
17 people and has already demonstrated the ability to work with some of the
leading companies in the auto industry. Today, DMI already has more than
100 clients including Toyota Motor Sales, Member Services, EDS and many top
100 dealer groups.
SOURCE Digital Motorworks