LAS VEGAS — The Digital Dealer Conference & Expo, held here in September, was packed with vendors telling dealers their software can help run dealerships more efficiently.
But one panel turned the tables, with dealers telling vendors how to pitch their products more effectively — and what pitch pitfalls to avoid.
The dealers’ gripes made it clear that many are feeling a sense of vendor overload. It’s bad enough when dealers have to sort through hordes of vendors in hopes of finding useful technologies to give them an edge over their competition. Missteps by vendors only raise the level of discontent.
Erich Gail, CEO of Cardinale Automotive Group, of Seaside, Calif., said it’s annoying when a vendor signs up the dealer across the street and then drops by to recruit him, too.
“I’m not interested in ‘The guy next door is killing it,'” Gail said during the panel discussion. “We are tired. We as an industry are exhausted with the sales rep that comes scooting across the street after having just closed the Honda store. And they come flying in unannounced saying you need to sign up.”
And don’t call at the end of the month, when stores are in the trenches trying to rally to a strong finish.
(Originally published on Automotive News – October 2, 2017)