We recently came across an article by Kathi Kruse outlining 8 Digital Operations Focus Areas for Better Performance. A couple of her main points really jumped out at us, and we thought we would share our Accu-Trade perspective on her article.

In the article, she speaks negatively about outdated behaviors and processes, and we couldn’t agree more.

Now more than ever, it’s important for dealers to examine their current processes and solutions. Dealerships should do their due diligence when deciding on a solution to ensure it’s the best fit for them. Dealers also need to keep in mind that agility is important. As with any evolving business or industry, it’s vital to examine what we’re doing now and how we can make it better.

That’s the only way for dealers to achieve success in the digital world. Check out a few of Kathi’s best points, along with what # area they are in her post:

Lead handling process (1)

Lead generation is a hot topic, but as Kathi mentioned, it doesn’t matter how good your leads are if you can’t handle them properly.

PRO TIP: Look at tools like Bomb Bomb (a video email conversion tool) to help you out, and focus on tips and tricks from professionals like Elise Kephart! If you’re thinking about taking your lead handling to the next level, you need to speak to this chick!

Digital Reputation (3) & Social Selling (7)

We all know that in today’s world, our online presence is just as important as our showroom displays are (if not even more important!)

With so many ratings websites and social channels to monitor, many dealers have had to add positions at their dealership. This is an area that you can beat your competition in by staying ahead of the game.

PRO TIP: What if you could manage all your reviews and social channels in one dashboard? Accu-Trade recently met with Dan Robinson from Radar Results to learn about what they’re doing for dealerships, and we were very impressed. If you’re looking at ways to improve your social and reputation management strategy, you can’t afford to miss this option.

Customer Experience (4)

As data applications continue to improve, dealers have greater access to tools that can improve customer experience — especially when it comes to the always-painful trade-in process. Dealers need to get creative and come up with solutions to work collaboratively with customers when it comes to this pain point.

PRO TIP: You can now tap into the VIN-specific, condition based buying tool used by the world’s largest wholesaler, Robert Hollenshead. Appraiser Pro allows sales professionals and managers to leverage data and appraise vehicles live right in front of customers. What better way to build rapport than walking the trade and getting the full story?

Contact me on LinkedIn to find out how I can help you improve the customer experience at your dealership!