Making a switch to new technology is a big decision that can have big profit implications for a dealership. To reduce the pain sometimes involved, dealerships should research and choose the right vendor that fits their long-term goals and allows them to provide the best customer experience possible.
1 – Find Technology That Supports Your Winning Strategy
Auto Dealer Today: Technology should be a help, not a hindrance to your business. When switching technologies, choosing the right provider can make all the difference. Your provider should be able to offer comprehensive training and on-the-spot support every time you have an issue. And, most importantly, your provider should be a true business partner, not just a software provider.
2 – 5 Steps for Switching Dealership Technology
Driving Sales: In order to avoid the pain that often accompanies switching technologies, dealerships should be extremely careful and deliberate about the vendor selection process. Consult with peers and evaluate other opinions in the industry about providers. Once the decision has been made about a vendor, the process of taking the message of change to the rest of the organization becomes easier.
3 – How to Introduce New Technology Into Your Dealership
Digital Dealer: Before taking on new technology, dealers have to get buy-in from the managers and employees that will use the new system. But when fear of change gets in the way of business growth, dealers often cave to the demands of their people. To keep up with progress, dealerships must always be on the lookout for ways to deliver better, faster, more pleasant customer experiences through the use of new technology.
Digital Dealer: Your CRM is integral to sales. So, when a switch to a new system becomes necessary, make a list of features that are important to your sales team and ask your new provider to customize the experience to your processes. This is also a good time to review your existing processes and look for improvements.
5 – Top 10 Things to Look for in Dealership Technology
Dealer Marketing: When considering a change in technology, it’s important for a dealership to consider: 1) people, 2) long-term fit, 3) ongoing proactive support, 4) committed knowledgeable team, 5) solution-oriented structure, 6) flexible contract terms, 7) open integration, 8) real-time data, 9) flexibility, and 10) ease of use.
Check back next week for another Drive to Success.
