Interview from WhyBuyUsedCars.com [WBUC] I was fortunate enough to meet the founder of a new online automotive community. Unique sites can easily be traced back to their equally unique founders. I’m referring to Wei Yang – a very cool and talented entrepreneur. [Follow his Tweets & you’ll quickly see…] Wei was kind enough to share his thoughts on the auto industry with WhyBuyUsedCars.com…and our job is to provide online auto shoppers with the best used car information. WBUC: So Wei, what’s your newest online initiative all about? WY: EasyAutoSales.com is a free, ad-supported autos web 2.0 service which helps private sellers and dealers sell cars online. The EasyAutoSales team consists of a group of serial entrepreneurs with various backgrounds in programming, marketing and sales. WBUC: Share your online career background and highlights. WY: All of us have worked on other startups in one form or another and our team has a rather complementary set of skills. My last startup began in college and it was an online matchmaking service for parents and babysitters. The service was recently sold off to a competitor so I can focus on getting EasyAutoSales.com off the ground. WBUC: What do you feel your unique competitive advantage is with EasyAutoSales.com? WY: The online automotive classified business is starting to show its age. 10 years ago, when AutoTrader and other online auto sites started listing cars online, it was revolutionary and it replaced the newspaper's 4-line, 1-inch wide classified ads. However, 10 years later with more advanced technologies, cheaper distribution costs, and new ways to promote products and services via social media, we are still seeing the old model of doing business - which is to charge dealers and private sellers to distribute their inventory on the web. We think it's time to modernize the way cars are sold online. The web 2.0 way says distribution should be free. With services like Amazon's S3 that charge 15 cents for a gig of hosting, photos shouldn't really be limited to 1 or 4 or even 30. Dealers should be able to post unlimited numbers of high quality photos if they so choose without being "taxed" for trying to sell their car.EasyAutoSales.com plans on making the process of selling cars on the internet easy. Our service will grow and change like the web but what we're hoping for is to make sure dealers recognize the importance of online leads and that paying attention to inquiries over the web will generate sales. WBUC: What are your goals for the site? WY: We want to host the largest collection of cars on the web and to give our shoppers options. Due to rising costs with other auto classifieds, there is a whole market of cars sold by small dealerships that never make it on the large search sites. We want to make sure these smaller dealerships can have the same opportunities and face time as larger dealerships - everybody should have a presence on the web; it IS 2008 after all. WBUC: What has the response been within the dealer community to your pre-launch activities? WY: The dealers we have talked to so far have given us great responses and encouragement. Those that "get it" realize the value of our service and want us to help them tap into the minds of the online shoppers. One of the best quotes we received from an anonymous dealer, who is currently ticked at a certain Trader company, said, "You guys came at a great time! A__T_____ has changed from taking me to ball games in sky boxes to just delivering me the bill." I think it speaks volumes when a lot of dealers are paying more and getting less (due to increasing competition) and want other options. WBUC: What are some of the trends you see happening within the automotive retail industry? WY: As more people rely on the internet for research, I believe the rest of the retail auto industry (small & medium sized dealers) will catch up by establishing a web presence, so they too, can be in front of the customers when they're ready to buy. I'm personally hoping that sites with crazy scripts and virtual assistants will go away in exchange for more useful, and user friendly sites. Flash is only cool the first time you see it, afterwards it's just another barrier between you and the users.Hopefully within a couple of years every dealership out there will at least have an internet connection on site and hopefully they will all pay attention to their online leads. WBUC: What are some of your predictions for the automotive retail industry? WY: I think people will demand more eco-friendly and better performing cars. If the Big 3 isn’t putting more money into green R&D, then they will continue to lose out to those who are. I would like to see these companies (with the money) do something drastic that will help shape the world and change the future for the better. Innovation comes from need and if we don't feel we need it and aren't pushing ourselves, then nothing will ever change. Everyone freaked out about Y2K when it was discovered, but as a world, we solved the crisis in 2 years because we had to. I think making a 100mpg or 250mpg cars is not impossible if we decide we want to try. The problem is getting the companies to try it.As a startup, EasyAutoSales.com is definitely one that will be trying new things and help dealers reach consumers. I'm hoping to get more dealers on board and together figure out how to use technology to our advantage. People are accustomed to the convenience the Internet has brought them and as technology progresses; people want an easier shopping experience when buying a car. Our goal is to get us closer. Thanks Wei – appreciate your views...Best of luck to EasyAutoSales.com.

Interview from WhyBuyUsedCars.com [WBUC]

Crackberry, Sidekick, Smartphone - whatever you want to call them, they’re in everyone’s hands and people aren’t just talking.

We’re doing a lot more than just talking and taking pictures now. With over 1 billion text messages sent daily, the practical applications are being recognized and implemented by businesses more frequently.

I was fortunate enough to meet Shuki Lehavi, CEO of Gumiyo recently; It didn’t take me long to recognize we shared the same fervent enthusiasm for all things tech related…and our kids.

My position gives me a unique perspective on some of the changes to the infrastructure to the car business - some at a snails pace while others in the blink of an eye.

Check out some of Shuki’s comments from our conversation. I see things getting easier for both automotive consumers and dealers as they both embrace the changing landscape of car shopping…

WBUC: Describe your background and experiences which lead up to your current company:

SL: Simply put- I love applying technology to market. I’m an avid technologist and have been building mission-critical enterprise applications for over 12 years now. In my free time, I research mobile technologies and build robots. As mobile technologies emerged in the past three years, I constantly asked myself ‘what is the role of a mobile device in the traditional buyer-seller junction?’

WBUC: What was your “light bulb” moment that made you decide to start Gumiyo.com:

SL: Driving back from work one day, I noticed a car parked on the side of the road with a “for sale” sign on it. It occurred to me that the information that triggers a conversation between buyers and sellers is as simple as a picture, price and a little description. I then realized that the mobile phone would be the best device to display inventory and promote a conversation between buyer and seller – anytime and anywhere.

WBUC: Have to ask…where does Gumiyo’s name come from?

SL: Great question, and there’s a story there as well…. Gumiyo started as MobiZar (mobile bazaar). I always hated the name and during the first focus group I held, one guy said that he will never list a high-end product in a ‘bazaar’ like site. As I came back home that night, my 2yr. old opened the door as he held his teddy bear, “Adam”, I asked, “what’s the name of the bear?” He simply replied,“Gumiyo.” Once, I heard that - I knew I found the perfect name.

WBUC: You’ve got 4 primary target markets/segments…share your thoughts on the trends you’re seeing in the automotive business & how do you see online consumers benefiting?

SL: Used cars dealers are true pioneers! They are the first to adopt any technology and use it to build their brand and their sales. What we have proven, is that the mobile device is a great tool during the final stages of the sales funnel. During the first stages of the buying funnel, a user focuses on research/comparison activities, and uses the web. During the last weeks of the purchase funnel, the user is looking for a dealership or a deal in a specific dealership.

During the last few weeks – connectivity is a must. Not only outgoing connectivity (dealers following up on leads anytime) but also incoming connectivity (making your inventory available to buyers anytime). Mobile solutions bring exactly that – connectivity! The buyer can be at the car wash, browsing through a newspaper – one text message to your Go Code™ and they can browse your inventory from their phone. The dealership team and the buyer are always two clicks away.
WBUC: What other trends/new developments do you see in the mobile marketing segment?

SL: Without exposing too much, I think that (mobile) video support, location based services (LBS) and instant messaging will be the technology drivers. Mobile marketing efforts will evolve to be targeted, concise, location focused campaigns that will allow a dealer to bring the right buyers to the lot instantly.

WBUC: Any new products/services to expect from Gumiyo?

SL: Gumiyo evolved from a solution to a platform and in the coming weeks and months we will extend our reach and depth. You will see us provide more capabilities in the areas of reporting, campaigns and tie more buyer-facing mobile tools (like our CARFAX mobile reports). In addition, you will see supplemental products and services from our partners, build on top of our platform. These supplemental products allow existing automotive vendors to build mobile-facing products with us and provide these tools to the dealers on our platform.

Thanks Shuki…best of luck to you and Gumiyo.

Thanks to Jared and Paul for asking me to join DrivingSales.com. I may not be a true "car-guy" in the same sense as most of the contributors here have worked in a dealership and/or selling vehicles; my experiences include online business development, web technologies and social media activities.

As the IT/Web Director for Auction Direct USA, I try to help improve our guests experiences and make them to be as enjoyable and unique as possible.

I can't help but notice the ways in which the people on the front line, the sales professionals and managers, can impact the dealerships in which they're employed.

Now is the time to ask critical questions to your staff. Challenge them to raise the bar. Put simply, if they don't want to help themselves with the available resources - then get someone on your showroom floor that does in fact have the desire to continuously improve.

I'm not a big fan of putting Type-A , ADD personalities in a room, for any amount of time, to read sales training material and power point slides to them. To these people, this is equivalent to the treatment some consumers receive in a dealer showroom: It's something they're forced to do but they just don't enjoy it at all.

Here's a list of items, in no particular order or grouping, to challenge any salesperson, in any dealership, to provide as much value as possible.

Read the comments/feedback from your customer surveys from the past 30 days. [Not sending surveys? Why not?].

Set up a speaking engagement at an automotive event in your area - be known as an expert in your field.

Print the AutoTrader.com 'Autobiography' on your customers vehicle before they arrive for their appointment.

Ask your satisfied customers for a testimonial

Ask your unhappy customers how you can make them happy again. Solve their problem as best as possible.

Surprise your customers with a follow up call, just to see how things are going - even if your BDC has already called them. Build the relationship.

Join a networking group. Online or offline. Someone in those groups will need to buy or sell a vehicle someday.

Do extra lot walks and touch every vehicle. Know the products you're selling inside and out.

Add comments to your dealership's blog. [Don't have a dealer blog? Why not?]

Write an article for your dealership's blog.

Send a topical blog article link to your customers.

Tell your customers to register for your dealership's eNewsletter. [Don't have a newsletter? Why not?]

Practice your Introduction/Welcome "Elevator Pitch." [Don't have a 30-Second pitch? Why not?]

Create an email signature that includes your website, blog link and a strong call to action.

Write your selling proposition on the back of your business cards. Your customers will notice it after they leave.

Take a picture of your customer with their car when they take delivery. Add it to your dealership's blog.

Send that blog link to your customer after its published.

When appropriate, refer your customers to each other. Sending business to someone is always a good thing.

Read through every page of your dealership's website. Know where everything is so you can help your guests even more when needed.

Contribute professional, valuable and relevant content to other automotive industry blogs and message boards.

What are you doing to increase the quality of your car dealership's experience?

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