Dave Druzynski, Chief People Officer at Auto/Mate presents the motivators employees are looking for in a career. "They try to create pay plans that are going to manage people for them," said Dave. He discusses alternatives to a commission-only comp plan for salespeople.

How are you addressing pay plans in your dealership? Are you experimenting with alternative pay structures?

Sydney, Australia – November 30, 2018 – Autotrader today announces the launch of its car trading platform in Australia following two years of collaboration with Australian car dealerships. Backed by the scale, size and experience that comes from the Cox Automotive global operation, the Australian launch of Autotrader marks a major step change for the industry with its innovative approach to car trading.

 The platform uses cutting edge technology to aggregate data so buyers can easily compare the price of a vehicle to the market estimate of similar listings. Autotrader also provides greater connectivity between buyers and dealers by showcasing dealer profiles, as well as third party ratings and reviews. The platform’s technology is designed to create a more realistic picture of the deal buyers are getting, which helps instill confidence in the buying process. Dealers in turn benefit from better informed and more confident buyers who require less education regarding price through the selling process.

A high impact multi-million dollar marketing and traffic acquisition campaign will support the launch of Autotrader in Australia. The campaign includes digital, TV, print and out of home advertising, as well as public relations – all designed to drive buyers to the platform.

Shaun Cornelius, CEO of Cox Automotive said, “We’re thrilled to be launching this innovative automotive platform in Australia. Buying a car is a big decision that can come with a lot of risk. Autotrader’s goal is to reduce this risk by providing greater transparency and facilitating stronger trust in the seller buyer process.”

He added, “Through our extensive consultation process with the local auto industry over the past two years, we’ve identified a gap in the Australian market. To address this, our focus is on giving buyers a better online experience. This means helping buyers understand how the vehicle they’re considering ladders up against similar vehicles for sales, they understand the reputation of the dealer they’re purchasing from. Ultimately this means Autotrader is cutting out legwork for dealers as they receive leads from buyers who are more primed and ready to purchase.”

The key features that differentiate Autotrader from other car-selling platforms include:

• Kelley Blue Book – Kelley Blue Book is a tool that gives consumers a comparative pricing guide for their purchase by comparing a huge vehicle listing inventory and showing the fair-market estimates.

• Dealer Reviews – Dealer reviews via Google hosted on the site, allowing buyers the benefit of understanding previous buyers’ experiences prior to purchasing a car.
• Dealer Destination Pages – Dealer Destination Pages gives each dealer the opportunity to create a unique profile and platform to promote their dealership.   
• Access to two platforms - For dealers, sellers will be given more avenues to access their inventory through the automatic listing on CarsGuide that comes when they list on Autotrader.

For more information, visit the Autotrader website: https://www.autotrader.com.au/

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning, and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto®, and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents, and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion.www.coxautoinc.com

Jay Acunzo discusses how we should approach any ideas we want to implement to our dealership. What works for someone else in your 20 Group may not be the right situation for your store. Jay states that we need to improve our questioning skills to filter any best practice.

How do you determine if a best practice is right for your dealership?

As a manager in a dealership, in any management position, you need to find time to lead and develop your people. But how do you find time in your hectic day to lead?

Many days I'd go home wondering what I accomplished that day. Such is the nature of the manager position. Prioritization is key, and in this clip we talk about how you can schedule opportunities to lead.

How do you engineer time to develop your team? Have you found keys to identifying leadership opportunities?

As the price of vehicles continue to rise, subscription models are emerging. Are subscriptions a viable alternative to a purchase?

We spoke with Russell Lemmer about what a dealership needs to think about when considering a subscription model.

What do you think? Is your store considering a subscription model? Do you see a future in subscriptions?

Company now counts 30 patents in its portfolio, with latest patent covering Kahu connected car solution for dealers

 IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 27, 2018—The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Spireon, the vehicle intelligence company, a patent for its technology approach to managing an automotive dealership’s vehicle inventory by pairing a tracking device to a vehicle. Patent number 10,089,598, “Methods and Apparatus for Monitoring and Control of Electronic Devices,” covers the technology used in Kahu, Spireon’s connected car solution built for dealers. This is the 30th patent secured by Spireon for advanced connected vehicle technologies.

“As a technology leader, our intellectual property is critically important to protect, not just for Spireon but also for the many customers who rely on our solutions to run their businesses,” said Kevin Weiss, Spireon CEO. “With this patent, dealers and dealer groups who choose Kahu can be assured they are getting leading-edge technology from an innovative company who will be a long-term partner.”

Kahu’s patented technology allows franchise auto dealers to improve operational efficiency, sales effectiveness, service retention and customer satisfaction scores. By connecting vehicles to Spireon’s award-winning NSpire platform, Kahu gives dealers and dealer groups the visibility they need to effectively manage lots, service customers and improve the bottom line. Specific use cases supported by the patented technology include:

·Providing location and battery health information for every vehicle across one or more dealerships, including monitoring and reporting of vehicles with low battery charge

·The ability to search and find vehicles using a partial vehicle identification number (VIN), across multiple dealer inventories

·Managing low power behavior of a device

·Device tamper detection and disconnected battery alerts

·Managing lifecycle and inventory of tracking devices

·Integration with a Dealer Management System (DMS) to transfer a device from a dealer to a consumer account

“Innovation, coupled with reliability, ease of use and a flexible architecture to evolve as our customers’ needs change, is what sets Spireon apart,” said Rick Gruenhagen, chief technology officer at Spireon. “We’re extremely proud of our growing patent portfolio, which also includes 16 pending patent applications, as it demonstrates our team’s focus on bringing cutting edge solutions to every market we serve.”

To see the full list of Spireon’s patented products, please visit: https://www.spireon.com/spireon-patents/.

To learn more about Kahu, visit: https://www.spireon.com/kahu/

About Spireon

Spireon, Inc. is North America’s leading connected vehicle intelligence company, providing businesses and consumers with powerful insights to track, manage and protect their most valuable mobile assets. The award-winning Spireon NSpire platform supports nearly 4 million active subscribers across the company’s growing suite of products for new and used car dealers, lenders and financial institutions, rental car agencies, commercial and local fleet operators, and consumers. Learn more at www.spireon.com.  

If you weren't able to attend DSES this year, you missed James "The Iron Cowboy" Lawrence. He owns the world record for completing 50 triathlons in 50 states......in 50 days!

We sat down with James to discuss what he was thinking.  He says we have no idea what we are capable of. It is an exercise in pushing yourself and improving your mindset.

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA (November 26, 2018) – Chatham Parkway Toyota and Subaru recently raised more than $7,100 throughout the month of October to benefit American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. 

“We are proud to rally behind this cause that effects so many women – and men – in our community,” said Kurtis Johnson, General Manager of Chatham Parkway Toyota.  “We are thankful to our customers, those who donated, and all who contributed by signing our Wall of Hope to inspire those fighting this disease.”

The Wall of Hope, filled with messages of hope to those fighting breast cancer signed at the dealership, will be donated to the Greater Savannah Area Breast Cancer Support Group.  The Wall of Hope will travel to locations of their monthly meetings to lend added support. 

The month-long campaign included a sales drive, whereby a portion of sales benefitted the charity, pink themes and décor throughout each dealership, the opportunity to sign the Wall of Hope, a presence at the Making Strides Walk and a Spooktacular Trunk or Treat event. 

For more information visit www.CPToyota.com or www.CPSubaru.com.

Jason Knight discusses what dealers can expect when leveraging AI in their marketing. How can you see artificial intelligence aiding your dealership marketing?

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 21, 2018—Rick Gruenhagen, chief technology officer at Spireon, will be participating in a panel at this year’s AutoMobility LA, held in Los Angeles from Nov. 26-29.

Titled, “Blockchain: The Connectivity Cure,” the panel will be led by Roger Lanctot of Strategy Analytics, on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The panelists will focus on how blockchain will play a major role in the auto industry’s increasing adoption of connectivity services like car sharing, white-glove service and subscription-based car ownership. The discussion will also seek to explore lingering questions relative to the application of blockchain across the industry, such as such as how the technology will work with newer car technologies, advanced car production and insurance and registration systems. Additional  details, including a brief bio on Gruenhagen, can be found below.

Session Title: Blockchain: The Connectivity Cure

Speaker: Rick Gruenhagen, chief technology officer, Spireon

Date and Time: Tuesday, Nov. 27, 1:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. PT

Location: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA

About Rick Gruenhagen

Gruenhagen is responsible for developing the product and technology vision for Spireon’s IoT/connected vehicle hardware and software platforms, delivering connected car services for nearly four million vehicles. An industry veteran with over two decades of experience in developing and implementing innovative applications and services, Gruenhagen has a proven track record of building successful  SaaS-based platforms that effective monetize big data and IoT solutions. He previously served in key leadership roles at PayPal, Amazon and Microsoft.

About Spireon

Spireon, Inc. is North America’s leading connected vehicle intelligence company, providing businesses and consumers with powerful insights to track, manage and protect their most valuable mobile assets. The award-winning Spireon NSpire platform supports nearly 4 million active subscribers across the company’s growing suite of products for new and used car dealers, lenders and financial institutions, rental car agencies, commercial and local fleet operators, and consumers. Learn more at www.spireon.com.