DealerBuilt CEO Mike Trasatti shares his ideas on how dealerships can create enthusiastic customers. 

Mason City Iowa, July 15, 2019 -- DealerBuilt, a proven enterprise Dealer Management System (DMS) for automobile dealers nationwide, today announced that it has hired well-known automotive industry veteran Mike “theCarGuy” Correra as a Client Experience Specialist. Correra serves as a DealerBuilt subject matter expert for best practices and key metrics that support one complete dealership workflow (sales, parts, service, and accounting). In his position, he visits with dealers, studies their use of the DealerBuilt DMS and helps improve their performance with tips and techniques he learned from many years using the system as a dealer.

Commenting on why he joined the DealerBuilt team, Correra stated, “The first thing that usually comes to mind is the review I wrote about their DMS back in 2014 when I was the GSM at a dealership which converted over to their system. One of the things that impressed me then, and still does, is what an awesome team DealerBuilt has. The level of caring for their dealer partners and passion for building the best tools for auto dealers is second to none.”

“When I left the retail car business after 30 years of success, I felt I still have more to offer dealers. Working for DealerBuilt allows me to help more people than I ever could by working at one dealership, or on my own. Over the last year or so I have been in nearly ninety dealerships and have met hundreds of very cool car people. I am so grateful for the opportunity to help and look forward to helping many more increase their efficiency with their DMS, as well as get better at what they do! There is still much to be done and many places to go. Keep an eye out as the adventures of Mike “theCarGuy” and DealerBuilt Man come to a car dealer near you!” Correra continued.

Correra brings over 30 years of experience in automotive retail to DealerBuilt. He started as a tune-up and drivability tech at a Ford store and left to take a sales position at another Ford store where he was soon promoted to Assistant Sales Manager. He then quickly moved on to serve as the GSM at a variety of auto groups and single point dealerships, in one case helping to almost triple sales in just over two years. The dealership went from averaging 50-65 units a month when he arrived, to consistently averaging over 150 at his departure. Also, at Raceway Ford, he was an integral part of more than doubling annual new vehicle sales volume from 2013-2015. Sales grew from 600 to over 1300, significantly increasing profitability and zone market share.

Correra has also successfully held the position of Fleet/Internet Sales Director at several dealerships. Most recently, just before joining DealerBuilt, Correra worked as a successful entrepreneur building his brand, Mike theCarGuy, to help increase dealerships’ online visibility with focused branding and engaging, specific social media management that promoted each stores’ culture and uniqueness.

“I couldn’t be more excited to have Mike on board. He is one of the best possible people we could have as a specialist interacting with our clients,” said Mike Trasatti CEO, DealerBuilt/LightYear Dealer Technologies LLC. “Our mission is to make a difference in the lives of those we are fortunate enough to meet by utilizing our time, talents, and resources. Mike perfectly exemplifies this; it is his passion. Moreover, the fact that he has used our system for years as a dealer himself is rather the icing on the cake – both for DealerBuilt and for our clients,” Trasatti added.

DealerBuilt was formed in 2008 to bring to market an enterprise DMS providing automobile dealer and dealer groups a viable alternative to the traditional market offerings. Over the years, it has seen increased demand for its more modern, scalable platform with an emphasis on being customer-centric and a dealer advocate for new and innovative services in the DMS space. DealerBuilt now provides hundreds of dealers with a consumer experience DMS (known as ceDMS) that empowers their staff to build processes best for them, encompassing a system centered around their customers.

About DealerBuilt:

DealerBuilt is a premier provider of Dealer Management Systems for retail automobile dealerships. DealerBuilt's integrated LightYear DMS has proven to be an effective solution for the operation of successful Dealers and Dealership groups of all sizes nationwide. DealerBuilt, located in Mason City, IA, and Grapevine, TX, has enjoyed steady growth as automobile Dealers seek additional choices to manage their dealer operations. For more information about DealerBuilt, call or visit (888) 808-0733 / https://dealerbuilt.com/

DealerBuilt CEO Mike Trasatti shares his opinion on what dealers should be considering while going through a DMS conversion.

DealerBuilt CEO Mike Trasatti shares how providing opportunity to your staff makes for a better company culture. 

DealerBuilt CEO Mike Trasatti explains why dealers need to ensure that customers aren't in the dark when things go wrong.

DealerBuilt CEO Mike Trasatti explains how dealers should expect a DMS conversion to go in this video blog.

With increased capital & resources DealerBuilt will further improve customer service & accelerate release of in-demand technologies including F&I e-signature platform and ceDMS

Mason City Iowa, March 18, 2019 -- DealerBuilt, a proven enterprise Dealer Management System (DMS) for automobile dealers nationwide, today announced it has partnered with ParkerGale Capital to further its growth and innovation in the automotive industry.

DealerBuilt was formed in 2008 to bring to market an enterprise DMS providing automobile dealer and dealer groups a viable alternative to the established market offerings. Over the years, DealerBuilt has seen increased demand for its more modern, scalable platform with an emphasis on being a dealer advocate for new and innovative services in the DMS space. 

“In seeking this new partnership with ParkerGale, we wanted a partner who has a like-minded approach to this market, values what we built, yet understands the complexities we face, and has similar core values and culture that we worked hard to build," stated Mike Trasatti, DealerBuilt CEO.

“DealerBuilt has seen steady growth over the years through word-of-mouth and has achieved market acceptance from some of the best dealer operators in the business,” Trasatti continued, "We owe it to our current customers to broaden our reach, fulfill their needs, and grow in a responsible way to ensure we maintain our commitment to providing great customer service and innovative solutions." 

“In conducting our due diligence, we studied DealerBuilt and discovered a uniquely valuable culture and a resounding number of employees that care about what they do in this business, which is something we plan to continue to build on,” said Ryan Milligan, Partner at ParkerGale. “We think this is precisely what the auto industry is looking for – a high tech and high touch approach to dealership technology. From our industry research, we know there is significant demand from dealers and OEMs to work with vendors that have both the right technology and the right company culture; one that is truly focused on the auto dealer’s future growth and success,” Milligan added.

The capital investment and additional resources will enable DealerBuilt to expand its reach, create the structure necessary for continued growth, and bring to market more readily the features requested from its customers.

Presidio Technology Partners, LLC served as the exclusive financial advisor to DealerBuilt.

 About ParkerGale:

ParkerGale Capital is a small private equity firm based in Chicago that invests in profitable, founder-owned technology companies and corporate carve-outs where the firm’s operating resources can have a meaningful impact on the outcome. ParkerGale also hosts the private equity industry’s only podcast, the PEFunCast on iTunes and Google Play. For more information, please visit www.parkergale.com

About DealerBuilt:

DealerBuilt is a premier provider of Dealer Management Systems for retail automobile dealerships. DealerBuilt's integrated LightYear DMS has proven to be an effective solution for the operation of successful Dealers and Dealership groups of all sizes nationwide. DealerBuilt, located in Mason City, IA, and Grapevine, TX, has enjoyed steady growth as automobile Dealers seek additional choices to manage their dealer operations. For more information about DealerBuilt, call or visit (888) 808-0733 / https://dealerbuilt.com/

DealerBuilt CEO Mike Trasatti shares why integration is more important than ever in an industry continuously coming up with new solutions.

In this video blog, DealerBuilt CEO, Mike Trasatti, shares why customer experience is vital for modern consumers & why dealers should care.

In today's 20 group meetings, in circles, while attending a new car showing, and just about anywhere you go, dealers are talking about their DMS provider. Even DMS providers seem to be talking about each other, sometimes benignly, other times with soft-malice. And finally, it seems DMS providers today, as I read the litany of articles, want to offer advice on how to run your business.

I certainly don't want to assume that we as DMS providers know the car business better than our clients. But I have been around the car business most of my life, and specifically the DMS landscape for nearly 20 years. With all this chatter in the air, one element seems to ring true: making a DMS change is scary to dealers, afraid, if you will, of the disruption or change; 'what will it do to my business?’

Perhaps a good analogy is a story by Charles Dickens about a man imprisoned for many years. He longed for release, hating the confinement and conditions he endured. Eventually, it was his release day. However, as the prison guard chaperoned him out of the gates, the man observed all the changes that had occurred while he was imprisoned. Confused and scared, instead of running towards freedom, within minutes he returned to his prison cell. This man had become so comfortable with his environment that the concept of being free scared him. He felt safe and secure in his imprisonment.

Does this sound familiar when it comes to the subject of your DMS?

DMS services have evolved over the past several years. While it is indeed an undertaking that needs careful and strategic consideration, there is a general feeling that more dealers are evaluating these new options in the marketplace. Choosing the right DMS partner for your dealership is essential. When evaluating this change, it certainly needs to be for the right reasons.

Here at DealerBuilt, everyone is hands on. We are also really passionate about helping others. To that end, I have compiled a few observations based on our experiences and interaction with dealers who made the change.

Do you or the dealership want to make a change? What are your goals? Change is hard sometimes. But it can be absolutely rewarding in the end. However, change requires a reason, a goal, an outcome. Dealers who want a short-term fix, for example, might want to reconsider if making a switch is right for them. For those dealers with a purpose, whether it's being less captive to a provider; seeking improved innovation; or a need to modernize; going into the process with a goal will prove fruitful.

Is the dealership ready and committed to change? This is probably the most crucial point – When you go down this path that commitment has to start immediately. It should be ingrained in the mindset of all concerned that you are going to go through this exercise, spending time and energy to make a better organization. This is a complicated task, rather like surgery, but will lead to long-term improvements. Complete buy-in is necessary from every department in the store. Management for each department needs to understand why this change is being made and be on board with it.

Evaluate what is out there. Discover what exists in the marketplace. Going into this with the right mindset and expectations is essential. Ideally, you should look for a DMS with a friendly business model at the price point that fits your budget and the size and unique complexities of your dealership or group. Sometimes, the most popular ones may not be the best fit, so having an open mind is imperative.

How do you choose? Study your dealership and gain a full understanding of your unique needs. Conduct an internal evaluation process across all disciplines and choose a partner based on your dealership’s long-term vision and direction. Don’t be concerned about merely saving money. Instead, evaluate based on if the DMS provider has your best interests in mind and can improve your processes. Another consideration is how well the DMS provider integrates with other vendors that your dealership currently uses or may use in the future. Is the provider open to new integrations as new technologies develop, or will they make those new technology vendors jump through hurdles?

Investigate each DMS to ensure it is validated. Explore the scale and depth of its functionality and that it has the flexibility needed for your dealership to operate at the highest possible level, especially with more complex groups.

Pay attention to how pushy the provider is about their terms and conditions. A DMS provider should be open to listening to your needs, as well as open and honest about what it can and cannot do.

Commit. Once your dealership has management buy-in, has evaluated its unique needs and selected the DMS, the commitment to the new DMS should start immediately.

It is vital that everyone in the dealership be on that same page. Employees should understand that, while this change will be a bit like surgery, and something everyone will need to spend time and energy on, the end goal is to make the dealership a better and more efficient organization. They will soon be able to respond to customers in a better fashion, create better processes and modernize their technology. In the end, this will make them more profitable as all things will look, feel and operate at a higher and more efficient level.

Sure, it’s a lot of work and a significant change. But, if done right, a DMS switch shouldn’t be something to be afraid of, but rather something to look forward to. The DMS is the lifeblood of the dealership and vital to its operation. Make sure you have the right one, a real partner that helps your dealership grow to its full potential.