The role diversity plays in your dealership’s customer communications
Welcome back to Diversity in Automotive brought to you by TrueCar and CarNow. As you look across your customer base, there are several moving parts of communications that everyone has to get right. Externally, dealers have to represent the franchise…
How AutoNation is promoting diverse and inclusive hiring practices – Rock Anderson
Here at CBT News, we’ve had several discussions with prominent figures on diversity in the retail automotive industry. AutoNation, the largest retailer in the country, has had tremendous success in hiring and retaining African-Americans and other minorities. Today, we’re joined…
The Weekly Automotive Market Minute for September 16, 2020
Welcome to the Weekly Automotive Market Minute with Bridget Fitzpatrick: The retail SAAR of new car sales came out to 13.24 this week, a 4.1% dip from 13.81 in the previous year. Inventory stock levels among all new vehicles were…
GSM Frankie Florey discusses how Autosport Acura adapted to the COVID-19 crisis
In today's COVID-19 world, customers value transparency and safety during their car-buying journey now more than ever. No one knows this better than Frankie Florey, General Sales Manager at Autosport Acura of Denville in New Jersey and Automotive News 40…
4 strategies to make your sales department more effective – Victor Antonio
Sales managers often find themselves looking for ways to motivate their teams to take the next step in their development. Here to discuss four strategies that can take your sales department to the next level is Victor Antonio, renowned sales…
Conducting customer interviews online to discuss F&I options
It’s time to face a new reality. Offsite deliveries aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. COVID-19 has forever changed the way car dealers do business, quite possibly forever if not for the foreseeable future. In growing numbers, more dealers performing offsite…
Dealer Forward – Marketing Edition: Shifting Consumer Preferences
Welcome to a special marketing edition of Dealer Forward. For years, dealer and technology partners have been working to bridge the ‘online to-in-store' experiences. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-store experience changed significantly, and has forced the question: why…
Sonic Automotive’s EchoPark brand continues to grow despite industry setbacks – Jeff Dyke
Sonic Automotive opened its newest preowned EchoPark brand store in Houston, Texas on Sept. 8, 2020, making it the eleventh retail store for the brand since launching in 2014. On today’s show, we are talking to Jeff Dyke, President of…
Dr. Evelyn Cardenas says CFADA dealers are ‘very optimistic’ about auto industry
Just a few short months ago as the pandemic hit, we were all left to figure out what’s next for retail automotive businesses and jobs around the country. As we adjust to this ‘new normal’ we’re checking in on the…
How to ensure your dealership’s customer experience and buying journey sync up – Andrew Gardner
As the retail automotive industry shifts to increased online sales, the customer experience is also shifting. So what does this mean for your operation? What can you do to stay ahead of the curve and continue to provide a high…
Cox Automotive chief economist Jonathan Smoke breaks down current auto industry data
Data and trends in retail automotive can often fluctuate depending on who you ask so to help us sort through the latest information is Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist for Cox Automotive. We’ll be discussing the latest data and what dealers…
FCA and PSA revise merger due to COVID-19
Fiat Chrysler and PSA announced plans to amend the merger that will launch Stellantis in 2021. FCA announced in a press release that the amendments were made to address the liquidity impact on the automotive industry due to COVID-19. The…
F&I
Conducting customer interviews online to discuss F&I options
It’s time to face a new reality. Offsite deliveries aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. COVID-19 has forever changed the way car dealers do business, quite possibly forever if not for the foreseeable future. In growing numbers, more dealers performing offsite…
SHOWS
SPECIAL FEATURES
The role diversity plays in your dealership’s customer communications
Welcome back to Diversity in Automotive brought to you by TrueCar and CarNow. As you look across your customer base, there are several moving parts of communications that everyone has to get right. Externally, dealers have to represent the franchise…
How AutoNation is promoting diverse and inclusive hiring practices – Rock Anderson
Here at CBT News, we’ve had several discussions with prominent figures on diversity in the retail automotive industry. AutoNation, the largest retailer in the country, has had tremendous success in hiring and retaining African-Americans and other minorities. Today, we’re joined…
The Weekly Automotive Market Minute for September 16, 2020
Welcome to the Weekly Automotive Market Minute with Bridget Fitzpatrick: The retail SAAR of new car sales came out to 13.24 this week, a 4.1% dip from 13.81 in the previous year. Inventory stock levels among all new vehicles were…
GSM Frankie Florey discusses how Autosport Acura adapted to the COVID-19 crisis
In today's COVID-19 world, customers value transparency and safety during their car-buying journey now more than ever. No one knows this better than Frankie Florey, General Sales Manager at Autosport Acura of Denville in New Jersey and Automotive News 40…
4 strategies to make your sales department more effective – Victor Antonio
Sales managers often find themselves looking for ways to motivate their teams to take the next step in their development. Here to discuss four strategies that can take your sales department to the next level is Victor Antonio, renowned sales…
Conducting customer interviews online to discuss F&I options
It’s time to face a new reality. Offsite deliveries aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. COVID-19 has forever changed the way car dealers do business, quite possibly forever if not for the foreseeable future. In growing numbers, more dealers performing offsite…
SPONSORED CONTENT
The role diversity plays in your dealership’s customer communications
Welcome back to Diversity in Automotive brought to you by TrueCar and CarNow. As you look across your customer base, there are several moving parts of communications that everyone has to get right. Externally, dealers have to represent the franchise…
How AutoNation is promoting diverse and inclusive hiring practices – Rock...
Here at CBT News, we’ve had several discussions with prominent figures on diversity in the retail automotive industry. AutoNation, the largest retailer in the country, has had tremendous success in hiring and retaining African-Americans and other minorities. Today, we’re joined…
Mitsubishi connected car tech exemplifies a tool for customer retention
On Wednesday, Mitsubishi Motors announced that Eclipse Cross drivers will be equipped with connected car tools to accentuate the ownership experience through the My MITSUBISHI CONNECT app. In a press release, Mitsubishi Motors North America said that they’ve partnered with…
FIXED-OPS
Capitalizing on the rise in consumer demand for service – Jeff Cowan
If dealers are not having record-breaking months in their service departments at this moment in time, then they are doing something wrong. While industry endures the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are easier to sell to now than ever before. To explain…
Low-budget marketing tips for your service department
It’s widely accepted knowledge that only 45 percent of customers remain loyal to their dealership’s service department within the first two years of vehicle ownership. Like any relationship, work is required to keep things fresh, growing, and long-term. The often-attributed…
Three-tier approach to long-term service department growth
A successful long-term service growth strategy is really just about taking care of the customer. In order to grow, you need to retain the customers you do have, get them to spend more money with you, and attract new customers.…
Service Manager Christa Collins on Training New Fixed-Ops Hires from Scratch
What separates one service department from the next? Some may say the service technicians and the work they do. Today we’ll learn about a training program that Christa Collins, Service Manager of Planet Subaru, wrote for her technicians and other…
How Dealers Can Use Fixed Ops to Maximize Customer Lifetime Value
When most people think of a dealership's automotive sales, much of the emphasis is put on cars. Nevertheless, the service and parts departments and their impact on automotive dealership sales shouldn't be ignored. According to NADA, the service department now…
Mitsubishi connected car tech exemplifies a tool for customer retention
On Wednesday, Mitsubishi Motors announced that Eclipse Cross drivers will be equipped with connected car tools to accentuate the ownership experience through the My MITSUBISHI CONNECT app. In a press release, Mitsubishi Motors North America said that they’ve partnered with…
SEC probing Nikola, shares fall again
Phoenix-based Nikola Corp. is the latest company to be in the SEC’s hot seat after short-seller Hindenburg Research accused it of being engaged in “intricate fraud” by over-exaggerating the capabilities of the electric trucks the company is building. The DOJ…
Vaccines and digital payments pave the way for car buyers to return to normal
For commerce to return to normal, much is riding on the development of a vaccine and digital payments. The "How We Shop" report by PYMTS.com sheds light on what consumers are thinking about as they change their shopping routines. In…
Major auto industry players aim to be carbon neutral
Emphasizing the commitment to developing green transportation and processes, several carmakers are announcing plans to move toward a carbon neutral position in manufacturing. While it isn’t a new strategy to reduce emissions and greenhouse gases for some of the largest…
FCA and PSA revise merger due to COVID-19
Fiat Chrysler and PSA announced plans to amend the merger that will launch Stellantis in 2021. FCA announced in a press release that the amendments were made to address the liquidity impact on the automotive industry due to COVID-19. The…
Absenteeism continues to plague auto plants
Auto dealers have experienced highs and lows during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have had surprising, record-breaking sales months and many have sold more used vehicles than ever before. The current value on used vehicles stems from the lack of new…
