TrueCar’s Kerri Wise discusses the need for more females in the auto industry

On this edition of Straight to the Point, Kerri Wise joins host Frank J. Lopes on the show. Wise is the Founder and President of the Women of Color Automotive Network (WOCAN), Board Member of Women in Automotive, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at TrueCar, and she has been recognized as one of the top “100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry” by Automotive News. 

Lopes gets straight to the point by asking Wise if the rumors of TrueCar being “down for the count” were true. Wise quickly answers “no.” She says that many have made this assumption based on the ending of the partnership between TrueCar and military financial service company, USAA Insurance. When the partnership ended, TrueCar used their experience to launch TrueCar Military to continue serving that customer base. Wise says that TrueCar Military is actually one of the fastest growing sectors of the company.

Wise then breaks the news that TrueCar is forming a partnership with Navy Federal Credit Union. TrueCar is excited to utilize the new partnership to continue serving the military community across the U.S.

Wise provides a list of tips for helping dealers work TrueCar leads. She says that it’s most important for dealers to do their homework before communicating with the consumer. Sales teams must look at the details to make sure the process is handled correctly. Wise says it can be a seamless process if employees at the dealership check the source and communicate with the customer appropriately. 

Wise concludes by discussing the potential of growth for women in the industry. She attributes the early growth of WOCAN to CBT News for covering its launch. She says WOCAN’s mission is to inspire women across the industry to reach for greater heights in automotive.

“If you can’t see it, you can’t be it,” says Wise. “We’re putting speakers out there every single month, in a virtual environment, where they can hear the stories of women of color who have risen to the top.”

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