At Digital Dealer 24 this year in Orlando, Florida, Don Hall, the President and CEO of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, spoke with CBT News’s Jim Fitzpatrick. They covered topics about how the dealer community is the best business to be in along with what it is going to take to be the leading dealership the future.
“What a great time to be in the auto industry” says Hall when in talks about the digital dealer conference this year. If you know Hall you know that he has been vocal about everything transpiring in the auto industry around us.
For the last 30 years he has had the great opportunity to talk to everyone in the industry from large dealership groups to small mom and pop dealers. He has had some tough conversations with some great dealers and that have lead him to truly believe if you want to grow you need to be willing to make culture changes in your dealership.
He explains further by saying that yes, customer experience is important but dealers need to also make sure to enhance their staffs experience as well.
Jim also asked Hall his thoughts on direct sales concerning companies like Tesla or Caravan. Hall tells CBT News we need to be prepared. “What separates us from the factory direct sales is our ability to motivate or staff and sales.” Says Hall, before he continues to point out the importance of control within your F&I Department, in addition to maintaining an environment that is driven to wow the consumers.
When Jim furthers the topic with Hall and where the future is heading for dealers both independent and franchised he had this to say, “If you are not expanding, I don’t know how you will make it in this industry.” What does he mean by that? He explains how this business is about expanding, bringing in talented staff, changing your processes from how you pay your staff to how they interact with the consumers. It seems clear to Hall that if your not changing with the industries tides you might want to revaluate.
