How your car dealership can stand out in the digital space – Tim Cox, CarNow

Joining anchor Jim Fitzpatrick on CBT News today is Tim Cox, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Sales at CarNow. CarNow has had a tremendous partnership with CBT News in taking the steps of starting conversations about diversity in the automotive industry. CarNow is one of the main sponsors of CBT’s Diversity in Automotive with Cory Mosley. 

Cox opens the conversation by giving his take on the current state of the automotive industry. He talks about the initial panic of dealers back in March and April when the shutdowns began. However, dealers were not only able to survive but they also seemed to thrive through the next several months with record-breaking sales. Cox says that the foundational element of dealers making it through the pandemic starts with the foundational element of communication. Dealers are getting thousands of leads each month, and increasing communication with those leads separates the dealerships that are having success from those that are struggling.

Cox then dives into the importance of support for dealerships in the middle of a pandemic. Cox says that CarNow is weaving itself into every aspect of what a dealership is doing. Communication is key in the process of helping dealerships understand the importance of customer interaction in both the digital space and the showroom.

While the industry has made major improvements in the digital space, many car buyers are coming back into the dealerships. Cox says that there is a balance between those who are coming into the dealership and those who are still shopping online as they wait for the pandemic to end. For this reason, Cox believes dealers should cast a wide net to reach both types of customers.

CarNow helps dealers make the move of standing out on their digital front. Cox says that the dealers they partner with all have their own unique style and design when it comes to the digital space.

“We allow the dealer to be the star and not go to a website and have everything the same,” says Cox. “We consult with that dealer and there has to be buy-in.”

Cox concludes the conversation by saying that dealers need to look beyond leads to look at outcomes. While many vendors will convince dealers that their product is helping generate more leads, the product might not be delivering the end goal of converting those leads. Dealers must take the time to inspect what they expect and should be wise in their decisions by planning for the future.

Did you enjoy this interview with CarNow founder Tim Cox? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic with host Jim Fitzpatrick at jfitzpatrick@cbtnews.com.