There's nothing more indicative of the American dream than starting a small business and growing into something large. This can occur in any industry, but it's especially possible when your small business is selling cars. If you have a small car lot, you can grow it into a large business with these simple tips in mind.

Positive online presense

Nowadays, most people look up a company online before doing business with that company. This means it's extremely important for people to have a positive online presence. How do you get good reviews, though? Emphasize customer service as a top priority in your company so that customers always leave feeling like they were sufficiently assisted. When someone does leave a bad review, reach out to the customer to help rectify any poor service and change their view of your company. Also, encourage all customers to leave feedback online by offering discounts when they leave positive reviews.

Proper accounting

Your finances need to be handled properly if you expect to grow. Hire an accountant with a track record of success and the ability to handle an account of your size. Proper accounting will help you keep your financing organized and stop you from making expensive mistakes. You can also track your growth and business trends, so you know when you can expand space and buy more inventory. If you are involved with charities in your area, you could even look into if you qualify for non profit accounting, which could save you money.

Creative advertising

People need to know that your company exists in order for them to buy your services. Therefore, you need to advertise your lot to get customers. There are plenty of car lots, though. In order to stand out from everyone else in the industry, you should try to do something a little more creative than a simple ad. Giveaways and events are great ways to get people to your lot and make a name for yourself in the community. When people in your area know about you, they will remember your company when they are in the market for a car. Community-positive events also help give your company a good reputation in the area.

Hire great employees

You can't be the only one on the lot making sales. This means you need to hire employees to help you sell your cars. Good employees will help generate business, and they will help give your company a good name. Hire people with experience, and hire people who have similar long term goals. They should understand that good customer service is more important in the long run than quick sales. You should also hire people who plan to make sales a long-term career. As you grow, they will grow. Your team requires more than salespeople, though. Hire a good marketing and finance team so that your customers have a great experience in every aspect of their interaction with your company.

Be patient

Good things take time. You will not be able to build your dealership over night. One of the biggest mistakes that a small business owner makes is growing their business before they are ready. Take your time to save up properly. A growing business requires a lot of know how and a lot of customers. Build your clientele and develop a business model that works for you so that you are able to attract and handle more business and more inventory.

A small business can be the start to big success. As long as you follow these simple rules, you will be surprised how big your company can get.

Sales coaching and ongoing sales training are a key to a successful business. The ultimate tool for your sales team to familiarize themselves with all the marketing details is a sale training program. Sales managers often turn to sales training programs when they want to shape up their teams. The objective of continuous training is to improve employee skills and experience and streamline sales processes. Either way, the ultimate goal of sales training programs is to improve the bottom line. Below are four ways you can improve your company's bottom line with sales coaching.

Accurate Forecasts

The success of a sales team depends on their ability to forecast future trends. The ability of a sales team to execute its strategies sustainably and predictably is the key to achieving sales targets. Establishing a coaching cadence can be the best way for sales managers to generate accurate predictions. According to a report by CSO, 94% of sales representatives who receive sales training hit their quota. The key to achieving a predictable and sustainable success is to combine an ongoing coaching session with sales team motivation and goal tracking. According to recent studies, there was a 3% increase in the ability to hit the quota in companies whose sales coaching sessions exceeded the expectations of the sales representatives. There was no a significant increase in the performance of the sales representatives in the companies that only met the expectations of their sales team. Similarly, there was also an 8% increase in the ability to hit the quota in the companies with well-trained sales representatives as compared to those that coaching programs needed improvement.

Reduced Turnover

Harvard business review has indicated that coaching sessions can help improve employee retention. In fact, sales representatives have agreed that job-related training and continuous learning impact their decision to work in a company. Sales representatives feel enthusiastically and optimistically engaged when they receive ongoing sales training and development opportunities. Investing in sales coaching leadership activities can help a company to reduce the rate of workforce turnover significantly. Given the time that a company takes to hone its sales team skills and knowledge, high turnover can be detrimental to productivity. Companies that have invested in sales training programs experience lower annual sales turnover compared to those that overlook sales training programs. Furthermore, there is a higher turnover rate in companies whose training programs need to be revised.

Outstanding Performance

The best way for a company to outperform its competitors is to train its employees and provide them with development opportunities. Your company's most valuable competitive advantage is a well-coached sales team. Recent studies have revealed that a team of well-coached sales representatives have a competitive advantage and top-notch sales performance. Sales coaching ensure that your sales team spends much of its time on strategic planning. Sales training can enable the performance of your sales team to increase by up to 19%. In fact, sales representatives can realize up to 15% increase in win rates after receiving sufficient coaching and training. Companies with established training programs realize higher win rates compared to those whose training programs need improvement.

High Profitability

The overall revenue of companies with sales training programs that go beyond the expectations of the sales team tends to be much higher than those that only meet their expectations. Ongoing coaching sessions ensure that marketing strategies and concepts are at the disposal of the sales representatives. Concepts such as value proposition, mentor advice, and marketing techniques remain on top of their minds. One of the fundamental sales skills that are highly correlated to high profitability is the identification of customer needs and alignment of solutions to address them. Sales representatives who receive continuous sales training will outperform their counterparts who rarely advance their sales knowledge.

Sales training programs can have a significant positive impact on your company's bottom line. These programs help a company to reduce its sales team turnover rate and increase revenue generation. Furthermore, well-trained sales teams tend to outperform their competitors for lack of sufficient sales training. It is worth investing in sales training programs given the benefits that they bring to your company.

The US workforce seems to be struggling to tie down young, highly sought after, yet elusive employees – the millennial.

This generation of the labor force is tech savvy and not receptive of the old deal that the longer you stay, the more marketable you become. Most of these new employees only stay for a year or two before quitting, and for some time, employers thought that they were hiring the wrong people.

Reports indicate that the turnover of millennial employees costs the United States economy more $30 Billion a year. The auto industry bears the brunt of the high millennial turnover. A 2016 NADA Dealership Workforce showed a 52 percent turnover rate that year. Compare the national rate of 21 percent to that figure, and you will see why there have been complaints in the auto industry.

But all hope isn't lost yet; there are ways auto dealers can use to reverse this situation. Auto dealers don't have to keep hurting their bottom line through their failure to retain this generation of extremely talented workforce. Let's take a look at some of the strategies auto dealerships can use to attract and maintain millennial talent.

Provide A Career Vs. a Job

One of the biggest reasons an employee won't stick around a company is because they don't see a future at the company. What's the point of staying at a company where you don't see yourself advancing your career? Over the years, millennials have been portrayed as restless job hoppers, and in a bid to break up this preconceived notion, they are looking for opportunities to climb to the highest levels in their organizations.

Therefore, a good way of ensuring they stick around is to give them a true opportunity geared towards career advancement. Help them grow and save for retirement through IRA, self-directed IRA in particular. But, what are the benefits of a self directed IRA? They are multiple, for example, more flexible investment options for their retirement funds.

Get the Right Fit

Sales performance in the auto industry is determined by empathy and ego drive, the two basic qualities for the success of a good salesperson. Studies have shown that among all values, millennials value empathy the most. This generation leads an empathetic view focussing on the environment as well as social justice and responsibility. As an auto dealer, focus on tapping the potential of millennials looking to elevate their social status, for personal or ego-driven purposes. When you have the right fit, they will stay.

Pay Attention

The millennial generation accounts for 38 percent of the US workforce; they are not kids anymore. By 2025, millennials will constitute about 75 percent of the workforce. Auto dealers need to pay attention to the millennial workforce, and in addition, engage them once they're hired.

Forget About The 9 To 5 Schedule

Do you know why the Silicon Valley attracts the highest number of millennial workers in the US? Companies in the Silicon Valley are perks galore and with their casual dress codes and flexible working hours, which are millennial-friendly. Work-life balance is important to the millennial generation and will prefer to work in an environment that comes with a certain degree of flexibility.

For instance, many companies in the Silicon Valley allow their employees to individualize their schedules. You can slip out for an hour of Zumba on the workday or choose to work from home if you don't have client meetings. As an auto dealer, you may not have the luxury of matching that level of flexibility, but you can work with available options to make your dealership more attractive for millennial talent.

If your business is still relying only on traditional marketing strategies, now is the time to make the jump to digital marketing. Digital marketing is one of the most affordable, high return and measurable ways to grow your business. In today's atmosphere, it can mean the difference between profit and poverty due to the specific advantages that it offers over traditional marketing strategies. Let's get into what they are.

You Can Control Your Costs on the Fly

When you launch a newspaper, print or direct mail ad campaign, there's nothing else that you can do to control your advertising costs and return on investment. You'll have to wait on the results of your campaign and make adjustments after you spend a considerable amount of money. This is very difficult for businesses working with a small budget and the reason why it's so difficult for many businesses to make traditional marketing strategies pay off for them.

With digital marketing, you can control your costs on the fly. If your Google Adwords or Facebook advertising campaign is not performing, you can pause your campaign and prevent more of your budget from being lost. If a campaign breaks even or is slightly profitable, you can quickly optimize your campaign for better results. Making these kind of changes with traditional marketing is not as forgiving due to the costs of printing, shipping, hiring a list broker and many other factors.

It Allows You to Compete with Bigger Companies

In offline media, how much reach, visibility and impact is often determine by how much you're willing to spend. As a result, bigger companies often tend to dominate. But there are many characteristics of digital marketing that allows you to compete on a more equal playing field. Many companies that do well in the offline world are not having as much of an impact in the digital world. It's because they are not maximizing technology and cannot understand why Internet users behave differently in the online environment.

Smaller businesses are more agile and can often relate to Internet users better than big corporations. It doesn't cost a small business any more money to create outstanding content, build a large social media following and create a brand online. Platforms like blogs, social media, email marketing and apps allow small businesses to get visibility and reach without spending a fortune. It's just a matter of using the right strategy, being able to connect with your audience and carving out an identity in your market/industry.

It Allows You to Leverage Technology to Build Relationships

Speaking of blogs, social media, email and apps, these platforms are all amazing channels that allow small businesses to build relationships with their audience. By leveraging this technology, you're able to build relationships with a large amount of people with minimal marketing costs. In traditional media, many companies would use costly printed newsletters to communicate with their customers. Technology allows you to personalize your message, reach users more frequently and use data to drive your campaigns. This is relationship marketing on a whole new level.

The best example of this is email marketing. Companies can use send newsletters, links to their content and follow up campaigns to convert more leads into customers and develop strong relationships with their audience. Even better, data can be used to enhance the results of email marketing campaigns. Marketers can test which email subject lines get opened more, what days result in more opens, what kind of content people like, and more. If you're new to email marketing, here's a solid primer to get started.

These are just some of the many reasons why digital marketing can make the difference for your business. That doesn't mean you should abandon traditional marketing strategies if they're working out for you. You can use digital marketing as a means to building additional revenue streams and growing your business in a cost effective manner.

Semi autonomous cars are becoming more and more prevalent on the roadways. General Motors is leading the surge by offering a Super Cruise version of the Cadillac. The Cadillac CT6 is a new age vehicle that comes with many of the technological features that are driving the automotive industry today. The car will be introduced for a price of $71,300. The base price is $66,290. The Super Cruise option will be another $5,000. The Platinum model of the Cadillac CT6 will come standard with the Super Cruise. Other manufacturers are heavily participating in the race for releasing the ultimate semi-autonomous vehicle. Nissan plans to have a semi self driving version of the Leaf. Audi is claiming that its new A8 model is the most advanced semi-autonomous system on the market today. For the time being Cadillac has taking the helm with its Super Cruise Cadillac CT6.

New Cadillac features compete with Tesla

The Cadillac CT6 Super Cruise system differs slightly from that of the Tesla autopilot. Drivers of the Cadillac semi autonomous vehicle will not be forced to touch the wheel on occasion in order to remind the system that they are alert. The Cadillac has facial recognition software installed which is intended to determine whether or not the driver has taken their eyes off of the road. The mapping data in the Super Cruise is the foundation of how the system works. This does mean that the semi-autonomous system in the Cadillac will be limited to operation in certain areas. Highways are the primary focus for operation of the Cadillac CT6 Super Cruise system.

The CT6 has some amazing features

The Cadillac CT6 was originally unveiled by General Motors in 2015. It is the first rear-wheel-drive full-size sedan to be marketed since the Fleetwood stopped production. The CT6 also comes optional with an all wheel drive system. It has the structure and handling ability of its closest rivals the Chrysler 300 and Lincoln Town Car. The CT6 has been chosen to be the General Motors Flagship model under the Cadillac brand. The vehicle is manufactured in Detroit. The original CT6 was rolled out on March 11th 2016. It sold at an auction or $200,000.

Self-driving cars are closer than you think

The idea of self driving cars has really taking hold in the minds of manufacturers. Even non automotive corporations such as Google and Uber are trying their hand at delivering a fleet of self-driving cars. However, government regulation and unforeseen circumstances related to traffic situations has made the introduction of a fully self-driven car very difficult. Cheap auto insurance is made available for cars that meet certain standards. Leading brands such as BMW, Mercedes and Lexus are equipped with radar and cameras that assist with driver safety.

Cruise control automatic parking and automatic braking have become common in modern sedans. This is a long way from having a car that is completely self-driven. Steering assist help keep a vehicle centered on the highway within a lane. These simple features are classified as a level 2 in the categories of autonomous cars and were the first features that consumers experienced with self-driving.

There are four different levels that categorize the self-driving car

Level one is very common and has been around for quite some time.

• Cruise control is considered a level 1 option. It is it a feature that assist with driving however the motorist is in full control of the car.

• Level 2 has more attributes that assist with driving. However, it is required that the driver be prepared to take control of the vehicle at any time. This is example of the Tesla autopilot system.

• Level 3 allows the driver to take control over the car during certain circumstances. The car is actually able to drive on its own longer than a level 2 system car. However, it still requires that the motorist be prepared to take over the controls that anytime.

• Level 4 is a completely autonomously operated vehicle with no help from the driver. The Google car is an example of such a vehicle.

Understanding the Process of High Volume Hiring

Hiring can be costly and time-consuming especially when it involves recruitment of a large number of employees. High volume hiring is inevitable in any growing company seeking to expand their services, introduce a new project, or change the requirements of workers. High volume recruitment requires the employers to use different approaches and tools other than the traditional ones to hire hundreds or thousands of employees within the shortest time possible. Additionally, the companies also require paying attention to the productivity of the candidates and their ability to deliver good results. Sometimes, looking for the right employees can be a daunting task to the employer.

The Planning Process

High volume hiring requires the involvement of all the stakeholders and various departments in the planning process. The recruitment team should settle on the type of candidates they want, their desirable qualities, and the methodology to use in getting workers. They should decide on the amount of money they intend to use in the hiring, the ideal location to carry out the recruitment, and the timing. Companies should also base their hiring schedule depending on the number of people they intend to hire and the skill set that the candidates should possess.

Hiring a Small Number of Candidates

High volume hiring may involve a small or a big number of candidates ranging from less than 100 applicants to a value greater than 500. In cases where the company does not require a large number of people, the company officials may go for methods that are cheaper to use rather than mainstream media advertising. This may include advertising for the open position internally and allowing workers to apply for executive slots leaving the lower positions open. This may reduce the hiring costs since the candidates for lower ranks are easy to acquire and do not require many resources to recruit. Employers can also use referrals from other company employees or recruitment officials.

The Recruitment Process

After the exhaustion of the chances to get new workers, the company may then opt to look from employees from external sources. During high volume hiring, companies should raise awareness about their large number of openings in their region. They may do this through the business leaders, the local chamber of commerce, business leaders, and websites. Advertising on the sites and other listings such as Google or Bing is also essential. Recruitment process outsourcing is complex, and companies should ensure that the applicants understand the company's operations before inviting them to apply.

The recruitment team should also consider the minimum criteria that they want in relation to education or work experience to avoid having an exceedingly large number of applicants than they require. Companies should also encourage candidates to apply on their website or in person especially if applying for a key position. Remember to make a job offer that would be exciting to the final applicants to increase their chances of accepting the slot.

Factors to Consider while Hiring

High volume hiring is essential in every company that has just begun or looking to expand their services. Paying more attention to the productivity, skills, and the education level of the applicants is essential in obtaining the right candidates for the job. Company managers can track their hiring process to identify the areas that need improvements and minimize future chances of losing candidates.

Conclusion

High volume recruitment is essential for a company at one point or another. Hiring highly qualified teams helps in the growth of businesses and in simplifying the manager's work. The process of getting the right people for the job out of the thousands of applicants may be cumbersome, but appropriate tools and strategies will help speed up the process.

Communicating with customers is possibly the single most important business process in any organization. Almost all key operations revolve around the objective of serving specific needs for clients, whether it's food delivery or niche B2B software solutions. That's why entrepreneurs, managers and thought leaders should pay close attention to how their company interacts with customers. Developing effective and efficient communications processes not only increases internal efficiency, it also improves brand image and loyalty with consumers.

1. Listen to Complaints and Criticism

It's never easy to hear criticism, but successful business leaders understand the importance of listening to client complaints. While you are sure to get some irrational or unwarranted messages from customers, it's a good idea to keep track of complaints so you can identify trends and common issues over time. Reaching out to unsatisfied customers and asking for their opinion can also improve their impression of the company and can discourage them from maintaining a poor review online.

2. Drive the Conversation

It's rarely a good idea to rush conversations with customers, but businesses also need to find ways to reduce the length of time spent dealing with concerns. Communications with customers should always have a definitive purpose and drive the interaction towards a productive conclusion. The integral business process speeds up interactions by getting to the point is good for all parties involved as long as it is done politely and with due sensitivity.

3. Create Response Templates

A surprising number of questions or requests from customers are about the same few common concerns. Many companies streamline their communications by developing template emails that can be modified with specific or personalized information if needed. These messages often include boilerplate information as well as links to additional resources that can provide the individual with detailed answers.

4. Provide Accessible Information Resources

Businesses can reduce a significant amount of unnecessary customer communication time by simply providing an open FAQ page and related blogs on their website. These pages can be linked throughout the site to guide visitors towards information resources. While some customers will still contact the company with basic inquiries, making the information available will save service reps a lot of time as the business grows.

5. Take a Scientific Approach

Modern businesses use all kinds of strategies to improve customer service with data tracking and analysis. Company leaders should at least identify key metrics related to their customer communications, like time spent per customer request or satisfaction ratings of clients after the interaction. Gathering basic data allows you to take a scientific approach to management by measuring tangible results repeatedly as you adjust related processes.

6. Step Out of the Digital World

With the majority of communication and marketing happening in a digital environment, there is something to be said for a handwritten letter or decorative card. Maintaining firm, real-world connections with clients can help a company stand out from competitors who only interact with consumers through the internet.

7. Check Out CRM Software

Customer reputation management (CRM) software solutions are becoming increasingly popular in businesses throughout various industries. In fact, recent statistics shows that the majority of marketers surveyed in 2015 used some kind of software, while only 43 percent didn't use one during that time period. CRM software typically allows for automation of mundane processes, database consolidation and other features to streamline customer communications.

8. Track and Improve Response Times

When it comes to customer service, there are two metrics that stand above the rest: time it takes to respond and time to resolution. Customers generally expect a response from a company within days or hours of their initial request. Responding to inquiries promptly is the first step in creating a positive impression of the company.

9. Build a Customer Service Team

Rather than just filling empty positions within the sales and customer service departments, business leaders should be cultivating a sense of culture and community among their team members. Creating a positive and productive environment in the workplace encourages individuals work together to accomplish company objectives and apply themselves fully to ongoing projects.

10. Open Multiple Channels

Studies of social media consumption trends highlight the fact that many people expect companies to connect with them through these channels. In fact, one recent survey revealed that businesses that don't respond to existing clients through social channels could lose up to 15 percent of them as a result.

Smart business is about knowing which of your potential customers are worth pursuing. Many enterprises don’t select who they pitch to, and that can lead to bouts of discouragement when prospectives don’t respond positively. Your sales team can waste significant resources dealing with people who have no intention of spending money on your brand.

The secret to separating the chaff, so you only have the right kind of customer left is asking the right questions. Learning more about your target market can tell you who is worthy of your company’s time and energy. Qualifying questions can narrow down this list, giving you a viable pool to work with. Businesses must, however, recognize the appropriate questions to ask so that customers don’t feel pressured or like you are getting too intimate.

What Do You Need?

A majority of companies assume that they know what is best for the consumer. Although this may be true to a point, your market may not have the same line of thinking. Customers are sometimes wrong about what they need, but as the service provider, you have to comply. Learn what a consumer expects when he/she picks up your brand off a shelf. If an individual is looking to hire a plumbing service, ask why? What triggered this decision? Understanding this will determine the suitability of your service. It also makes it less complicated to customize services when you are aware of a consumer’s needs.

What are the Problems that Need Solving?

Every product/service out there is meant to offer a solution to particular challenges that customers are facing. The specific issue will dictate a customer’s priority, and that is what the sales team has to be clear on. Ask about the obstacles the customer has encountered while trying to overcome the existing challenges. This question will shed light on a consumer’s previous experience and stop you from repeating the mistakes of past providers. Also, it will help you learn about opportunities that your enterprise can exploit. Take time on this step and pay attention to every response because it’s a clue as to how you can add value to customer experience.

What is Your Budget?

Before pushing a certain product or service to a prospective customer, know if he/she has the purchasing power. Discern how many resources a potential client is willing to dedicate to deal with the current challenge. When you have a range of products and services that cater to different budgetary needs, this qualifying question is fundamental. It allows you to pinpoint the right products to sell to a customer. Some companies get this information through metrics such as business insurance quotes, moving estimates, and price ranges among others.

What Does Success Mean to You?

Be aware of a customer’s expectations when using your brand. Even though a product or service may be designed to solve a specific challenge, the rate of success may depend on various factors. Consumers must understand the risks and discuss them with the provider. A business should know the outcome if the customer gets it wrong. If the moving service a client is hiring fails, what are the potential repercussions? These questions keep both parties honest and let consumers anticipate risks.

How Do We Proceed?

Customers should feel they have a say in the kind of service/product they receive. Asking them about the next step achieves that. Know if a prospective customer is ready to move forward. If they are holding back, find out why. Understand the purchasing process of your consumers and find out how to get them across the finish line without being pushy. A question like “what else can I do?” gives consumers a chance to remember anything else that may help improve the experience.

The line between an interested customer and a worthy conversion can get blurry at times. Businesses should have a process to eliminate consumers who are not worthy of pushing to and that helps save resources. Qualifying questions are essential in choosing the right consumers.

If your salespeople have reported back to you that they are “wasting time” in the market or have a hard time qualifying the right leads, it's time to review their question-based selling strategy. When using the questions-based approach, you should be able to successfully invite your prospects to engage with you and help you know how you can serve them best. In fact, the first few minutes when a prospect comes to you are very important and will determine whether you will convert him or her. The first of your qualifying questions will be my name is John (your name), and you are?

Some buyers will be like an open book when it comes to getting answers from them. Others, however, will shut down if you start firing questions at them. If you ask the right questions, however, you will get a lot of relevant information without offending your prospective buyers. Here are some types of questions that will save your day.

Solution Questions

Use these questions during needs assessment, which often comes after you have known that needs of your customer are bigger than for what you offer. These questions plant a seed for an alternative that you may propose later. In a way, these questions help to test the waters. By planting the seed early, you give the buyer an opportunity to consider the alternative idea without being pushed to make a decision.

A solution question should sound something like “what experience do you have with this other product? Or “have you considered...” Basically, the questions should not be leading. Otherwise, it will not yield true gut reaction.

Value Questions

Value questions are extremely useful, but sale reps often leave them out in needs assessment and preparations for negotiations. It is imperative that you, as a seller, under what matters most to your customer. Value questions seek to find out what is most important, the single greatest need, and how a given product is important to a customer. You can ask “Tell me one greatest need…”. Or "which of these products is most important…”

The answers to these questions will prepare you for later negotiations on price and terms. Also, they will enable you to invalidate objections since what is most valuable trumps everything else.

Example Questions

Use example questions to draw comparisons and paint contrasting pictures. This strategy can help make your products feel more concrete and relatable. A good example would be, “How do this year’s sales compare to your future sales? With the mental picture, include specific details that are in your own products in your response. The aim of this is to link your solution with the customer’s vision or past experience.

Rationale Questions

Be sure to ask your customer what their decision criteria would be whenever a decision is pending. And after they have made the decision, again ask what led to that decision. Knowing the answer to the questions will give you a comprehensive look into their decision-making process as well as the thought process that influenced their decision.

Armed with this information, you are better prepared to develop products that they may need in future. Even if you don’t make any sale at this particular time, you know what you need to do to improve your sales. Rationale questions also help to cause customers to stop and rethink about their decisions. It gives them an opportunity to reconsider decisions they have made in haste or that are inconsistent with their real thought processes. But be sure to avoid the word “why” in your phrasing when asking about a prospect’s decision. It's like you're questioning their judgment instead of trying to understand their thought process. So They can become defensive. You can rely on training and development opportunities to help them understand how to ask questions.

The bottom line is to ensure the aims of your question strategies is to encourage your prospects to think about what it is they want, the value they want, and the benefits they want to realize.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is helping to launch the world into the future, bringing more and more smart connected devices to the market. Currently, one of the biggest trends in IoT technology is smart connected cars. IoT has enabled automotive manufacturers to offer groundbreaking Wi-Fi connected vehicles, but the technology is set to transform public transportation as well. For example, some buses and subway trains will soon be outfitted with security cameras, built-in Wi-Fi and chargers. However, no trend is as great as smart connected cars. Recently, there’s been a surge in smart technology in cars, and soon that surge will go into overdrive.

How Smart Connected Cars Work and Trends in Smart Car Technology

Smart or “connected” cars are connected in two ways, via tethering and via embedding. Tethered smart cars use hardware that allows drivers to connect using their smartphones. Embedded smart cars connect using their own chipset and built-in antenna. These connections have led to stunning innovations – most notably, self-driving technology.

Although cars are not yet fully-automated, there are some cars on the market with automated features. For example, the autopilot feature that enables cars to drive themselves during traffic jams and search the lane ahead for other cars and roadblocks that might prevent them from making the appropriate moves. This has led to the innovative highway autopilot feature, which has blind spot detection technology that enables automated lane changing. Additionally, many cars have self-braking features that allows the car to apply the brakes itself when the driver cannot. The remote valet assistant is another groundbreaking automated feature that gives cars the ability to park and move in and out of small spaces when summoned by a key fob, smartphone or smartwatch.

However, the most exciting trend in self-driving technology is the driver operated vehicle that can switch to self-driving mode with the push of a button. Expansion in this technology will eventually lead to driverless, fully-automated vehicles. In fact, a fully-automated model should make it onto the market within the next five years. Hopefully, all of these features will lead to safer traveling and cheap auto insurance.

Apps and Connected Cars

IoT technology has helped make GPS systems obsolete, replacing them with app integration, and apps like Google Maps. App integration has also allowed for apps like Gasbuddy to be created. This app allows drivers to find the cheapest gas in their area. Besides that, apps like Spotify are now more popular than traditional and satellite radio, which makes them the first choice of automakers as well.

How Smart Cars Will Remain Connected

Smart cars are becoming even more connected, and will remain connected if the manufacturers keep up with the times. Wi-Fi connection is allowing manufacturers to release real-time software updates, which is important if a recall occurs. Greater connectivity via Wi-Fi and more is also giving auto manufacturers new ways to sell their services and products.

Collected data from vehicles can also be used to help analyze performance and gather data on how drivers use their vehicles, which will help with future car design and IoT technology integration. Interest is growing in connected cars, so there’s ample room for growth. In fact, the smart technology of in-car infotainment centers is expected to grow from $7 billion in sales to $15 billion in sales by 2021.

The Top “Connected” Companies

Several automakers and tech companies are making waves with their connected car technology and innovations. For example, BMW is leading the way in smart car technology, followed by Tesla, Daimler, Toyota and General Motors (GM). In the tech industry, tech giants, such as AT&T, Google, Apple, Pandora, Microsoft and Sprint have spent millions on IoT and/or connected car technology. Not to mention, Tesla Motors is created a “super-model” that will be more intuitive than other smart cars and make self-driving vehicles ten times safer.

Conclusion

The Internet of Things has changed the way people drive, and will continue to change it well into the future. For now, cars can connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, have app integration and provide driving and parking assistance, but one day they will be able to drive on their own without a driver behind the wheel and so much more. In the next few years, the technology IoT brings to transportation and logistics will change the way the world drives. This will make driving easier and establish the “connected car” as a mainstay.