On-Line Car Dealers Move Beyond the Basics
13 March 2000
On-Line Car Dealers Move Beyond the Basics
METUCHEN, N.J.--March 13, 2000--First came the Internet. Then came the Internet consultants trying to teach the nation's automobile dealers how to use the new medium to improve their bottom lines. In the early days, way back in 1996, the approach was pretty basic. The Internet was used as an extension of the dealers' traditional advertising methods like newspaper classifieds and the Yellow Pages. No more. Those days are long gone. Today car dealers are employing sophisticated Web strategies and in-dealership processes to attract and hold on-line car shoppers.Patti Schnecke knows all about the evolution in dealership Internet processes. The mother if five young children, Ms. Schnecke was looking for ways to earn an income, but needed the flexibility of working at home. She had some limited experience selling cars for local dealers, but the hours involved were no longer feasible for her. With support of one dealer, however, Ms. Schnecke was able to combine the power of the Internet with an innate talent for sales to the benefit of both herself and her new employer. But she hit a few speed bumps while getting her bearings on the information superhighway.
Getting sales leads was no problem. But in 1997, there were no guidelines for handling the leads. It was catch as catch can. Ms. Schnecke developed her own processes for screening and qualifying the leads. She then devised a system utilizing both the high-tech Internet and the low-tech telephone to stay in touch with customers during the buying process. It worked. In her first six months on the job, Ms. Schnecke averaged close to 30 sales per month, a phenomenal performance for an inexperienced salesperson. Now she shows other dealers how to do it as head of her own firm, Net Pro Automotive.
Ms. Schnecke will share her knowledge and experience telling car dealers "how to" sell more cars on-line when she appears as a featured speaker at Auto Retailing on the Web IV (www.dealersedge.com), a conference designed for automobile dealers who want to learn proven methods for success on the Internet.
In addition to presentations from Ms. Schnecke and eight well known other industry experts, a trade show featuring exhibits by 30 industry leaders will showcase the latest in automotive Internet systems. Exhibitors and sponsors include ADP (AUD:NYSE), Reynolds & Reynolds (REY:NYSE), Chrome Data Corp., CyberCar, Autotrader.com, cars.com, Netsearch, UAUTOBID.COM, bbcn.com, and Credit IQ.com.
An estimated 450 car dealers, dealership managers, and related industry professionals are expected to attend. AROW IV is scheduled for April 10-12, 2000 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Conference and exhibitor details are available at the AROW IV Web site or by calling 1-800-321-5312.
Source: WD&S Publishing