As we close out the calendar and any given month, the steps to a sale continue to evolve. Here are 3 things that will be key to taking your dealership to the next level next month:

1. 1. The Age of Operational Advertising is here. What’s your modern brand promise? What are you willing to commit to doing for the customer so much so that you are eager to advertise it and execute it. No-Haggle? 3-Day Return Policy? Loaner Vehicles? Lifetime Warranties? Or nothing.

It’s up to you to make the promise and keep the promise.

1. 2. Video, Video, Video. From the power of YouTube to the newfound ubiquity of OTT. Where video stops is anybody’s best guess; however, it is where the people are. Get your platforms and executions down. Make your brand promise and set your sights on a phone-centric world where cord-cutters and cord-nevers now live.

2. 3. Digital Retailing. Two of the most confounding words in the automotive industry will continue to drive the evolution of change. To save great angst, avoid the revolution and think of your Digital Retailing as a key to getting more or your consumers to do more of their shopping where they want to.

Then--on the digital retailing front--begin to deal with the rarer instances where customers want a delivery. Looking back, mobile traffic was only 1-5% of the traffic to a dealer website. Now it’s close to 70%. The evolution took years. And Digital Retailing will, too.

It’s just that 2020 is an excellent year for those with the vision to get things started.