CBT Automotive Network Podcast

To ensure a steady flow of fixed-ops dollars, your dealership’s marketing and advertising strategies have to grow and adapt to consumer trends. Here to discuss how dealers can integrate fixed-ops into their digital strategy is Andy Macleay, Director of digital marketing for Dealer.com. Andy discusses how, from a digital marketing standpoint, a dealership's service and parts department can be one of their most important profit centers, with about 50 percent of a dealership's profitability coming from these service departments, and up to 10 percent of all service customers being well-qualified sales leads.

How to Build an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy for Your Fixed-Ops Department - Andy MacLeay | Alleviate Dealership Turnover with These Proven Strategies | 6 Things You Need to Know to Make Good Sales Calls

Week In Review: The Future of Vehicle Shopping at the Push of a Button | How Long Should It Take To Prepare A Sale-Ready Vehicle? | Modernizing Your Sales Experience | How to Protect Your Customer’s Personal Data

Pete MacInnis, founder, and CEO of eLend Solutions joins CBT News to talk about digital retailing, and the changes it has caused from the traditional world of customer information. Pete talks about how PII, personal identifiable information, has transitioned not only to online transactions but also to more considerable data, such as customer's social security numbers.

How to Protect Your Customer’s Personal Data Against Security Breaches in the Digital Age - Pete MacInnis | Former Chinese Minister Wan Gang on EVs: “It’s Hydrogen’s Turn” | Four Lessons Auto Retail Can Take Away from Other Industries

The automotive retail industry is getting more competitive year after year, and it seems like there are new consumer buying trends developing every day. You might find yourself asking, “Which sales strategies are worth trying, and how do I get my staff on board with these changes?” Well, joining us today to lend his insight into modern sales techniques, leadership, and training strategies is Josh Letsis, CEO of ClosingBig.

Modernizing Your Sales Experience in Order to Better Serve Your Customers - Josh Letsis | Will EV Production Match Consumer Demand? | Five Ways Social Media Can Help You Enhance the Customer Experience

Every dealer knows that the profitability of your used-car inventory largely depends on the speed and efficiency of your reconditioning team. So much so, that NCM has determined that a vehicle depreciates 40 dollars every day it spends in the recon cycle. Joining us today to discuss how you can motivate profitability from vehicle acquisition to retail-ready, is Dennis McGinn, CEO of Rapid Recon.

How Long Should It Take To Prepare A Sale-Ready Vehicle? - Dennis McGinn | 5 Ways Dealerships Can Help Their Communities While Growing Their Brand | How to Bring Authenticity to Auto Retail

From the risk of U.S. imposed tariffs, to a shortage of service technicians, the retail auto industry is confronting several obstacles. However, May sales were on the upswing, showing positive signs for the rest of the fiscal year. Here to go more in-depth about the challenges that face dealers today, and how to persevere through them, is David Long, a veteran of the auto retail industry who has held top positions at several high volume dealer groups.

David says that despite the fact that some dealers are reluctant to embrace digital retailing in their dealerships he believes it is here to stay, and that dealers should really begin to put more focus on to it. He says that companies such as Carvana and Fair are doing a great job in making it easier for customers to shop online and have their vehicles delivered right to their door.

However, David says that he sees this for only a small portion of the population and that the majority of the population is not quite at the point of online transactions. Therefore, he estimates that we won't truly start to see these changes develop for another 10-15 years. Yet he says the transition will come non-the-less and that dealers should work to move towards digital retailing within their dealerships.