Dealer Group Web Site Answers the Big Question
22 March 2000
Dealer Group Web Site Answers the Big Question
METUCHEN, N.J.--March 22, 2000--Two years ago, at a conference for on-line automotive retailers, representatives of seven of the largest Internet automotive sales lead referral services were asked this question: "Who owns the customer that purchases a car through your service? The retail car dealer, the auto manufacturer, or you, the on-line referral service?"Since their audience was composed mostly of car dealers and dealership managers, it would have been understandable if the panelists had answered: "Of course, the customer belongs to the retail car dealer." That, however, was not the case. The responses were mixed and muddled. And, until recently, the situation remained cloudy with firms like Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, CarsDirect.com, Microsoft's CarPoint and others working to establish their own brand identity in the minds of Internet car shoppers.
Retail customers are the lifeblood of any retail business so car dealers have been justifiably alarmed to find themselves locked in a battle for the hearts and minds of their customers against deep pockets Internet companies and the giant automobile manufacturers. The dealers needed a unifying force to help them fight back on a large scale. Enter the powerful National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA). The NADA is the trade association, which represents the country's 19,500 franchised new vehicle dealers.
Last January, the NADA announced that it would launch its own version of an on-line sales lead referral service, www.NADAdealers.com, with assistance from the Cobalt Group. The site is designed to help car dealers actively serve Internet customers. NADAdealers.com will be a comprehensive Internet portal that will link on-line car shoppers directly with dealer Web sites. The site is expected to be operational by May 2000. The NADA is first, foremost, and unabashedly an advocate for its dealer members. So when sales leads are passed along through the NADA site, dealers can be confident they have an answer to the question: "Who owns the customer?" The retail car dealers do.
Having answered one big question, though, the NADA's announcement raises another: "How can franchised car dealers best take advantage of NADAdealers.com?" To provide some answers, NADA is sending Don Gentry, its chief information officer, to the fourth edition of the Auto Retailing on the Web conference (AROW IV) www.autoretailingontheweb.com, scheduled for April 10 - 12, 2000 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mr. Gentry was deeply involved in the development of the new Web site. He is in a good position to give the anticipated 450 auto dealers and dealership mangers attending the conference some insight into the strategy behind NADAdealers.com as well as some inside tips for using the site to the dealers' own advantage.
AROW IV will provide a series of "how to" presentations for dealers who want to increase their sales and profits by exploiting the potential of the Internet. Don Gentry will be joined on the dais by Doug Waikem of the Waikem Auto Group, Peter Brandow of the Brandow Group, Mike McFall of AutoNation, Patti Schnecke from Net Pro Automotive, Greg Mushro from the NetLab, Chris Denove of J.D. Power and Associates and more. In addition, there will also be a trade exhibition with 30 leading companies showing off the latest in automotive Internet technology. Complete conference details are available by going to www.dealersedge.com or by calling conference organizer WD&S Publishing at (800) 321-5312.