DrivingSales
Are You a Good Digital Leader?
Everybody wants to be a better leader, but not everyone knows exactly how to do that! As it turns out, one easy way is to become a better leader is to learn more technology.
DDI, a company that focuses on training and creating leaders, conducted a research study about multiple aspects of leadership, including digital competence. The study is called the Global Leadership Forecast. They found that the people with more digital skills, tended to be better leaders.
The six digital skills that leaders focus on are:
1. Leading with Digitization
2. Adaptability
3. Driving Execution
4. Hyper-Collaboration
5. Identifying and Developing Future Talent
6. 360 Degree Thinking.
What does having these six skills mean? DDI says digitally savvy leaders are more prepared than than the digitally-UNsavvy to meet business challenges. Specifically digital leaders are better at anticipating and responding to competitiveness, navigating complexity, and using data to make analytical decisions. DDI also found that digital leaders outperform others financially by 50 percent.
So how do you become a digital leader? There are a few suggestions… one is to rethink the skill set required for work. Make skills sets include new knowledge of emerging tech. AND asses which leadership roles are open at your company, and look for people who are digitally advanced that can bring this savvy culture into your store.
Do you think being digitally advanced affects leadership skills?? Let me know in the comments below!
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion for journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. She contributes and moderates for the Community frequently, but her true passion lies in the DrivingSales News section, check it out!
DrivingSales
National Women's Equality Day
In honor of National Women’s Equality day, I’m recapping the best interviews in my women in automotive series.
Although Women’s equality day was August 26th, we don’t think you can put a time limit on something like this.
In July I spoke with Lauren Wolfe, the Senior Manager of Consumer Experience for Drive Motors. She says all women need to succeed are to be given more opportunities, “I can’t tell you how many times in my own career let alone just witnessing it in the store that i see customers walk past the male salesperson to work with a female because they feel more comfortable.”
In May, I sat down with Jay Rao, at the DrivingSales Presidents Club in Fort Lauderdale Florida. Rao is the Professor of Strategy and Innovation at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and says the automotive industry won’t be able to adapt and change without more women.
“It is a completely testosterone driven industry we need way more estrogen in your industry.”
He also says men could learn a few things from the way women lead, “They are very different leaders they are more empathetic much greater empathy men suck at empathy that's why customer experience hasn’t changed because men don’t have empathy.”
Kathy Gilbert, Director of Sales and Business Development at CDK, spoke me with via video interview in early August. The one piece of advice she gave to women who wish to succeed in this industry is to speak up.
“I think women need to leverage their voice. Be authentic you have something to say.”
She realizes speaking up and getting a seat the table is not easy work. But after you do it one time, it will get easier, “Once you start speaking it gives you the confidence to keep speaking. Once you step up it gives you the confidence to keep doing that,” She said. “You’ve gotta get past that initial 'oh wait i don’t know'. Once you get past that and you speak up, and speak your mind it gets easier to do.”
Laurie Foster, Executive Director Auxilio Group also attended Presidents Club in May. She’s hopeful that the industry is changing to be more accepting of women, but says the fight isn’t close to over.
“The numbers are growing but it’s really important that we think not for one second we are close to acceptable levels of women let alone normalized levels."
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion for journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. She contributes and moderates for the Community frequently, but her true passion lies in the DrivingSales News account, check it out! https://drivingsales.com/drivingsales-site-news/blog
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DrivingSales
The Truth About Digital Millennial Leadership
Believe it or not new research shows that Millennials are about as ready to lead as their GenX and Baby Boomer counter parts.
DDI, a company that solely focuses on creating and training leaders published a study called, The Global Leadership Forecast 2018.
They specifically researched Millennials and whether or not they are up to task of leading in this digital age. As it turns out Millennials are kind of ready to go out and sort of do a good job.
Let me explain:
When it comes to Digital Literacy and Leading With Digitization, Millennials are only slightly more confident than GenX and Baby Boomers. It seems Millennials need a bit more training to feel comfortable with digital tech, but will catch on quicker than previous generations.
On the other end of the spectrum, Millennials are less confident than both older generations when it comes to leading virtual teams. This isn’t necessarily a generational issue, it could be because of general lack of experience. As people get older, they often rate themselves higher in managing.
That’s not to say there aren’t specific generational differences.
- Millennials rate their intellectual curiosity higher than other generations.
- They are more likely to seek feedback and input from colleagues and mentors.
- And they are more likely to want “stretch” assignments.
There is no avoiding it. By 2020 half of the workforce will be millennials. So how do you prepare millennial leaders? DDI says to build programs that leverage millennial strengths. Such as programs that enhance their digital skills.
On that same note take advantage of Millennial Digital Ability. Have Millennials train GenX and Baby Boomers on tech, and have Baby Boomers and GenX train Millennials in organizational knowledge and leadership.
What do you notice about millennial leaders?? Let me know in the comments below.
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion for journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. She contributes and moderates for the Community frequently, but her true passion lies in the DrivingSales News section, check it out!
4 Comments
closemore by STAT Analytics
Great insights. I'm surprised at how close all three cohorts are in the skills summarized in the study. This video has been around for a while but it's a must watch for anyone who just doesn't get Millennials. I don't necessarily agree on all points, but very, very thought provoking on many levels: https://youtu.be/As8XkJNaHbs
DrivingSales
That's one thing I though was very interesting as well! As much as Millennials have grown up around technology... our confidence just isn't as high as I would have expected.
BUT once us Millennials get the confidence to lead... I think we will be unstoppable.
closemore by STAT Analytics
Natural leaders will emerge regardless of technological, social, generational or any other challenges. I work with a millennials now that already show incredible insight and leadership qualities at very young ages. The future is certainly exciting!
DrivingSales
Jim, I agree with that. In many aspects I believe some people are just born with certain characteristics that help them succeed in leadership positions.
DrivingSales
Hiring Educated, Ex-Felon Technicians, for Your Service Department
It’s no secret that there is a major shortage of automotive technicians. In a recent study less than a year old, the Tech Force Foundation estimates that in the next eight years, the demand for techs will be three times higher than the Bureau of Labor Statistics had once reported. That means, instead of 20-thousand techs each year, there will be upwards of 75-thousand techs needed. Since their original prediction in 2014, the BLS has done another study which shows similar numbers as the Tech Force Foundation (See graph below).
To fill this void of auto techs, the Tech Force Foundation listed a few recommendations in their study.
First, the old perception of that technician jobs are for “grease monkeys”, needs to change. Second, the industry can no longer wait until the end of the education pipeline to see who is interested.
“Changing perceptions will require building a pipeline into the industry before parents and students have decided that they aren’t interested in STEM subjects... and before the old perceptions eliminate any interest among parents and career counselors in learning more about the opportunities in the transportation occupation.”
Also mentioned in the study as a way to reduce the pain of tech shortages is to pool resources. In Utah, the Utah State Prison is doing just that. Each year they graduate 12 inmates with an automotive technology certificate. The men’s facility receives this training from Davis Technology College, based in Kaysville Utah, just north of the State’s capitol, Salt Lake City.
For inmates to receive the certificate, they have to pass tests, and practical exams within the 1200 hour course.
Program Manager for Davis Technical College at the Utah Department of Corrections, Dan Powers says, the inmates leave the program with the knowledge they need to succeed in a dealership or auto shop, “They start with the very very basics auto fundamentals like maintenance, things of that nature,” He said. “As they progress through the program they do complete the program ASE preparation test courses, they learn about the new technology alternative fuels … We really try to cover all aspects from basic theories to advanced automobiles.”
This program is something correction departments all around the country are doing. The MacDougall Correctional Institution of South Carolina, the Massachusetts Department of Correction in Massachusetts, the Southern Desert Correctional Center in Indian Springs, Nevada and the The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in California are just a few similar programs across the nation.
The problem with courses like these are that employers are nervous to hire ex-felons. Powers says it’s a valid concern, but he’s optimistic about the program, “We are always… hopeful that employers will give these individuals opportunities as they are released from prison. There is a stigma attached to them, but they’ve served their debt to society and the best thing we can do to help cut incarceration rates in this country would be to allow these guys to go to work.”
He goes on to say that many ex-felons prove themselves as loyal employees once they get their foot in the door, which is the hard part.
“Former inmates talk about the difficult process of getting a foot in the door. But once that happens, whether that's in an independent shop or dealership, the employers find they have a loyal and dependable employee because the graduates were given that opportunity. Oftentimes they say ‘All I needed was a shot and I got it’,” Powers said. “Once that happens they make the most of it.”
In speaking with dealers and shops that have hired the program graduates, Powers says the reviews are mostly positive and employers are impressed with all that the inmates know, “They have noted these guys have loyalty to them because of the fact they gave them a chance. Employers are always Impressed with the graduates knowledge base.”
Never knowing where the inmates will land after getting out of prison and graduating program, Powers trains all of them in foreign and domestic car repair, and makes sure every inmate interacts with every manufacturer available.
How do you feel about hiring ex-felons? Is funneling graduates from a program like this realistic for your service department?
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion for journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. She contributes and moderates for the Community frequently, but her true passion lies in the DrivingSales News section, check it out!
3 Comments
Self
I think this is great from not only an economic view but also humanitarian. Some of the "felons" are not accused of violent or heinous crimes and should be given a second chance. This of course should be looked at microscopically on a case by case basis.
ACT Auto Staffing & ACTautostaffing.com
30 years ago I gave a known convicted felon a tech job in our dealership. (I confess/admit I concealed to my dealer and upper management about his record). My "special" candidate turned out to be an excellent employee, excelled in his job, and today has a management position. So I applaud the effort here!
However, in today's background technology, and quirky social media posts eliminating most any candidate, PLUS the dealer's garage liability requirements (most of these prospects have had driver’s license revoked), it sounds like the Fixed Ops Director and dealer will have to really jump through more hoops than 10 trick circus pony. Can't imagine the call into the dealer's insurance agent about needing this exemption ……...
DrivingSales
Joe, I love that you gave a "special" candidate a chance and a second opportunity to prove themselves!
As for the second half your comment... that's a great point. I didn't think about liability requirements. That might be something I need to add to the story!
DrivingSales
Stop Being Average - Think Outside the Box
I hopped on the phone with marketing extraordinaire, Jay Acunzo of 'Unthinkable Media'. Previewing his presentation at DSES 2018, Acunzo says there are ways to get around the conventional OEM thinking, and become better than the average dealer.
Take a look at what he has to say below!
Tell me, when you speak, what will you focus on?
So I’m going to be speaking on how to speak for yourself when you’re faced with endless conventional thinking.
We’re in this era which is both good and bad for information gathering. It’s good in that we have ubiquitous amounts of information instantly accessible. Or, in other words, endless best practices are all around us. But it’s bad because we never stopped to consider the best decision for us. So we’re in this cycle at work where we glom onto a trend because someone at work who seems important says we have to do it. Or we’re sticking to a precedent because that’s what used to work and it failed to do the job that it used to do today because times have changed.
Or we just keep thrashing trying to find each new “best practice” that we can. But the reality is, it shouldn’t matter what the best practice is, what should matter is what works best for us. But we’ve never really stopped to consider how to make that decision. So that’s what I want to help people do: regardless of the best practice, make the decisions that are best for them.
It’s about contextualizing guidelines. So if you don’t pay more attention to your customers, to your team, to your limitations, to resources, then you’re doing whatever works on average or works in general. And there's a problem with that. Nobody wants to be average and nobody operates in a generality. So the simple switch i’m asking people to make is to stop obsessingover everybody else's answers for them, and to start asking good questions in their own personal context.
The byproduct of that is that you might find a small percent difference in how you would execute a guideline compared to a competitor would to get the best results. And that’s the goal here. It’s not just innovation for its own sake, or creativity or rebellion. It’s getting better results. And I would argue that even OEM’s wouldn’t push back if you’re getting those better results.
Yeah, that’s a good point. So you want each individual dealership or company to look at their own brand and customer base and go from there?
Exactly. Because what always ends up happening is a best practice or a guideline is misconstrued as a final answer. Where as in reality it’s a starting point, and unless you’re willing to supplement that starting point with details from your own situation that no generality could take into account, you will turn out commodity work.
I think it comes from school where we’re always taught there’s a right and wrong answer. Then we go to into the workplace and in very few cases is there an actual right or wrong answer. And in no cases is there a right answer that can’t be improved upon.
So now we're in this world where digital technology and information is masquerading as a final answer. And what ends up getting lost in all that is that we all operate in slightly different scenarios.
What I’d like people to stop doing is stop trying to become an expert (which implies you're finished in your learning), and instead focus on being an investigator where in every single scenario you encounter you’re trying to root out first hand evidence that you should do something a certain way.
For the last 2 ½ years I’ve been running this podcast called Unthinkable where my attempt is to go as broad as possible across multiple domains and try to figure out, no matter what you do for work, when your goal is to do something better than the average, what is the mental approach you need to make those decisions.
So where as a lot of speakers get on stage or write their books and hand you their 7 step blueprint, basically their answers for you, what I want to hand people is a list of questions they can go and use in the their own scenario. Because they are going to be the experts in their own domain, whatever their domain is.
They’re also going to be the expert in their specific business, in their own little communities, with their products and with their teams. What ends up happening is people get on stages and profess to know too much instead of equipping people to go and make the right decisions for them. So that’s the whole message. I really want people to make the right decisions for them. So for me to be able to do that for them I can’t hand them my recipe. I’m trying to hand them a list of questions that they can go and use. Not only when they go back to work the next day, but the following week and month and year and so on, so that they never stop learning in their own scenario which they should be the expert of.
When you break it all down, everybody has a product they are trying to sell and these tactics can be used across all types of businesses.
Right. There’s also three very common ways we make decisions in our work. It’s not based on the products we’re selling or the teams we have or the resources we have. It’s really based on the way we as people make decisions. So I’m going to talk a little bit about that as well.
Is there anything else you want to add that’s on the tip of your tongue?
I think it’s important to emphasize what I’m not speaking about is trying to be rebel for rebellions sake. Nor am I trying to speak about trying to be creative if you’re not a creative individual. What I am trying to speak about is how to tailor your decisions for the unique element in your own specific situation.
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion and background in journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. Connect or DM for story ideas or Interview requests!
2 Comments
Great point about asking good questions. Such an important point! Great stuff, makes me want to attend DSES!!
DrivingSales
DrivingSales Executive Summit Speakers Announced
DrivingSales Executive Summit Announces 2018 Breakout Speakers
Industry leaders selected to present on emerging topics and proven tactics in Las Vegas this October
SALT LAKE CITY, UT., July 19, 2017 -- DrivingSales, the world's largest online automotive community, is pleased to announce their lineup of speakers and breakout sessions at their 2018 conference the DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES).
Breakout speakers this year include experts such as Greg Gifford, Brent Wees, and Joe Webb. 35 breakouts were selected, and will cover topics such as artificial intelligence, digital retailing, vehicle subscription models, and human capital management.
The breakout presenters at DSES are selected by a dealer panel. Submissions are reviewed by dealership personnel who score each submission. The process of choosing candidates was very intense this year as only 20 percent of the total applications were selected to present.
They join the innovative keynotes to complete the agenda of the DrivingSales Executive Summit. DSES happens every year at the start of the fourth quarter, where the most progressive dealers in the country gather to collaborate on emerging trends and formulate their business plans for the upcoming year.
DSES will take place at the luxurious Bellagio hotel on the Las Vegas Strip from October 21-23.
To learn more about the event, and see a comprehensive list of all keynote speakers and breakout sessions, click here.
About DrivingSales
DrivingSales was founded in 2003 by a 3rd generation dealer, Jared Hamilton, while attending NADA’s Dealer Candidate Academy. Hamilton and his classmates had grown frustrated that as a dealer, they didn’t have a trusted resource that could deliver insight as fast as the market was changing. So, as part of a homework assignment, he built a networking platform to connect his classmates and algorithmically share information between each of their dealerships in real time — helping each team solve their unique operational challenges.
DrivingSales mission is simple: to help dealers optimize their business and fuel excellence in employees to advance their careers. Having grown from humble roots as a tiny dealer startup to the global brand it is today, DrivingSales always stays true to the automotive retailer’s needs and helps them navigate the exciting opportunities in these innovative times.
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion for journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. She contributes and moderates for the Community frequently, but her true passion lies in the DrivingSales News section, check it out!
2 Comments
DrivingSales
Derrick we are fairly certain it will epic! I'm excited to see you there!
DrivingSales
Internal Referrals Could be Hurting Your new Hires
As a hiring manager at a dealership you could be inviting “harsh moral judgments” when you give jobs to friends and acquaintances referred by higher up employees within your company. This is according to new research from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
There are definite advantages to referral-based hiring practices: referrers have inside information about the suggested applicants to help ensure a good cultural fit and have incentive to train, mentor, and monitor the recommended applicant to maintain their reputation. Additionally, the referred applicant is under similar pressure to perform well so they don’t embarrass the employee who referred them in the first place.
Overall, around half of job openings go to friends or acquaintances, and human resources encourage the referral strategy.
However, according to the study, “referral practices can be seen as morally murky territory where special interests and the exchange of favors dominate, above and beyond merit.” This is especially true when hiring managers accommodate referrals from higher-ups in the organization, as it can make the hiring manager look self-serving and unethical, creating drama among teams and weakening support for the new hires.
“When the referrer is powerful, observers will believe the hiring manager is attempting to increase the referrer’s dependence on him/her, ultimately resulting in future benefits for the hiring manager,” the study says. And because of that, referral practices can present a dilemma.
When it comes to corporate culture, perception tends to matter more than reality. As such, if employees perceive leaders as unethical, they react negatively and could reduce their commitment to the leaders in the organization.
However, there are documented benefits of relying on referrals, and this study does not recommend hiring managers abandon the practice. They suggest hiring managers and referrers be mindful of the power dynamics involved.
“One suggestion could be creating a system in which referrers are anonymous, at least for an initial period of time pre- and post-hire, while simultaneously providing enhanced transparency regarding the reasons for the referral,” the study says. Additionally, “high power referrers should be cognizant that their referrals might receive relatively more scrutiny and they should therefore use this practice cautiously and sporadically.”
The study, “Compromised Ethics in Hiring Processes? How Referrers’ Power Affects Employees’ Reactions to Referral Practices” is based on two laboratory studies and two field studies. It was published by the Academy of Management Journal. Summarized in “The ethical downside of hiring based on internal referrals” at LSE Business Journal.
Authors included Smith School professor Rellie Derfler-Rozin, Smith School PhD candidate Bradford Baker, and Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino.
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion for journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. She contributes and moderates for the Community frequently, but her true passion lies in the DrivingSales News section, check it out!
2 Comments
Bowman Auto
Interesting article, it makes sense how it can appear to be a conflict of interest.
Beltway Companies
Great article, Sherri! This is a huge problem. Especially when Sales Managers - as mentioned in the article - can, and will use their "referral" to their advantage. Creating a toxic environment. As an employee might feel as if they are walking on egg-shells if they are unable to effectively communicate with the "referral." I have always thought that if a "referral" were to come on board that they would have to do so on their own merit. Ensuring that their role was not directly aligned with their connection. This way you void the risk of nepotism or favorites.
DrivingSales
Three Stages of the Auto Shopping Journey
In May, Luth Research published their findings about the car buying journey. They followed 400 car buyers over 30 days and they found there are three distinct parts of the automotive shopping journey in Omni-Channel Retailing (OCR).
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Awareness and Brand Perception
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Brand Consideration and Purchase Intent
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Transaction and Purchase Decision
OCR is a style of e-commerce that industry leaders recommend dealerships get on board with, and do so quickly. Michelle Denogene of Roadster describes omni-channel retailing as creating a smooth process for car buyers from beginning to end. In other words, it allows the customer to start buying a car online, and then go into the dealership without missing a beat.
Here are the three stages of the OCR Journey in more detail:
Awareness and Brand Perception
Stage one is all about the consumer gathering basic information on what brands and options are out there.
Stage One Stats
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73 percent of car buyers visit an OEM site.
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50 to 60 percent visit 3rd party enthusiast review and forum sites/apps.
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44 percent visit social media.
Brand Consideration and Purchase Intent
In stage two, consumers really start to narrow down what they want, and which brands are most intriguing to them.
Shoppers who research on their smartphones or mobile devices already have at least one, if not a few specific brands in mind. AND it’s important to note that more and more OEM website visits are when shoppers are on the go.
Stage two Stats
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40 to 60 percent visit 3rd party enthusiast review and forum sites/apps.
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55 percent mobile visitors use OEM sites
Transaction and Purchase Decision
Stage three is all about consumers finalizing their decision.
Here they search on mobile and PC and focus their research on brand, model, and which dealership to go to.
It’s important to note that brand decision is not finalized until the car is bought. Brand influence can and does creep in until right before the purchase.
Stage Three Stats
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40 to 50 percent search the brand and model type
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50 percent visit dealer sites
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion for journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. She contributes and moderates for the Community frequently, but her true passion lies in the DrivingSales News section, check it out! drivingsales.com/news
1 Comment
DrivingSales
Manheim Invests in New Retail Reconditioning Center Near Silicon Valley
Located at Manheim San Francisco Bay, the new center will serve clients’ growing and diverse needs.
HAYWARD, Calif., June 13, 2018 – Preparing for increased demand in its retail reconditioning business while anticipating growth in the vehicle mobility space, Manheim opened its 19th retail recon site on June 13 at Manheim San Francisco Bay.
The company invested approximately $500,000 in the 20,000 square-foot facility to provide mechanical and reconditioning services to dealers, commercial consignors and new vehicle mobility providers in the evolving automotive sector. The half-million dollar investment is a part of the $1.5 million investment Manheim has made in its San Francisco Bay location. The Center has seven vehicle lifts and a team of highly-trained technicians who can perform minor and major component repairs on about 100 vehicles per week
“We are uniquely positioned to offer end-to-end solutions to independent and franchise dealers, fleet operators, ride sharing companies and manufacturers,” said Greg Beck, general manager, Manheim San Francisco Bay. “Our proximity to Silicon Valley, home to many of tomorrow’s vehicle mobility providers, is just one more way we are poised to deliver tremendous value and meet client and industry needs.”
Manheim’s retail reconditioning offerings provide everything needed to prepare vehicles for sale, including a 140-point inspection, mechanical and body reconditioning, paint, detail, merchandising, imaging and more.
By outsourcing such services to a single point of contact at one location, clients can focus on customers, fulfill retail demand faster, and save time and money. Further, this alternative to in-house recon frees up a dealer’s own service bays for paying customers and gets retail-ready vehicles to their lot quickly—typically within four to 10 days, depending on client specifications and vehicle condition.
“The conveniences and flexibility generated by Manheim’s Retail Reconditioning solution help dealers improve efficiency, speed, capacity and margins,” said Beck. “It can even help reduce costs, by avoiding vehicle transport to/from multiple locations and enhance the unit’s value.”
Retail reconditioning is a natural extension of Manheim’s solutions, leveraging its large-scale operations, expertise and high-quality workmanship. The company started to participate in the $24B retail reconditioning industry in 2015 and now operates 19 locations, serving a range of clients from dealers to manufacturers and new vehicle mobility players. It has invested more than $17M to build new Retail Reconditioning facilities across the nation, enhance existing ones and develop proprietary technology. Last year alone, Manheim produced over 30,000 retail-ready vehicles.
Manheim’s newest Retail Reconditioning Center, located on more than three acres at 1525 Crocker Avenue in Hayward, is an extension of Manheim San Francisco Bay, a 72-acre wholesale auction established in 1987. It is one of the company’s six operating locations in California and features 12 lanes to sell approximately 2,500 vehicles per week.
Supporting its community, Manheim San Francisco Bay is a 23-year member of the Hayward Chamber of Commerce and contributes to Hayward Animal Shelter, Hayward Police Department memorial funds and local food banks, as well as American Red Cross, Drivers for Survivors, Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America and Ronald McDonald House Charities. The organization has achieved a platinum ranking in the Cox Conserves Zero Waste to Landfill program by diverting 80 to 89 percent of its waste from landfills.
About Manheim (www.manheim.com)
Manheim® is North America's leading provider of end-to-end wholesale solutions that help dealer and commercial clients increase profits in their used vehicle operations.Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. With its omni-channel approach, Manheim Marketplace enables wholesale vehicle clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Approximately 18,000 team members help Manheim offer 8 million used vehicles annually, facilitating transactions representing nearly $58 billion in value. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim North America is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.
Media Contact: Julie Shipp | PR Manager, Manheim |
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion for journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. She contributes and moderates for the Community frequently, but her true passion lies in the DrivingSales News section, check it out!
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DrivingSales
Why Instagram is Your Secret Weapon
Instagram has recently released a report titled, "Driven By Instagram," in it they detail the in's and out's of the automotive industry on their hugely popular platform. As it turns out, if your aren't on Instagram to help sell your vehicles, you're doing it wrong.
Although it may not be a traditional platform for selling, Instagram's report shows there is ample opportunity for finding and retaining clients. For instance, if you're trying to target the younger generation take this into account: When Millennials are looking for a new brand, they are 1.41 times more likely to use Instagram than another social media platform to find that brand.
And when it comes to purchasing a car, Instagram plays a giant roll with ALL users. Take a look at these stats:
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Almost a third of auto Instagram shoppers said they learned about a new product or service on the platform in the last month.
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Almost a third of auto Instagram shoppers said Instagram prompted them to consider purchasing a new product/service in the last month.
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59-percent say Instagram is a key influencer in Auto Purchase.
So how do you get Instagram users to find your account? One proven way is through hashtags, and Instagram has put together their top 9 automotive hashtags so far in 2018:
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#CARPORN
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15,400,000 posts
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#CARSWITHOUTLIMITS
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8,200,000 posts
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#CARSOFINSTAGRAM
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7,500,000 posts
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#SUPERCARS
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5,900,000 posts
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#SPORTSCAR
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5,200,000 posts
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#INSTACARS
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4,200,000 posts
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#CARLIFESTYLE
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3,700,000 posts
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#CARSTAGRAM
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2,700,000 posts
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#CARSPOTTING
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2,300,000 posts
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Now don't just sit there....
Right now is the time to start 'gramming and hashtagging!
Sherri is the DrivingSales Community Manager. With a passion for journalism, she brings a another level of insight to the DrivingSales Community. She contributes and moderates for the Community frequently, but her true passion lies in the DrivingSales News section, check it out!
9 Comments
DrivingSales
Brandin, you're welcome. I think Instagram could be utilized a lot more than it is right now inside the automotive industry. I hope this helps out!
DrivingSales
Christine, the list is gold! I'm glad Instagram curated it to help out everyone else :)
DrivingSales
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope the tips help you out at Bright Bay.
"59-percent say Instagram is a key influencer in Auto Purchase."
WOW! #CARPORN
3 Comments
Mark Rask
Kelley Buick Gmc
Sherri, This is a great article....It really gives me some things to shoot for
C L
Automotive Group
Agreed, Great job on this one.
Sherri Riggs
DrivingSales
Mark, Chris - thank you!
I never really thought about how learning more technology can make us better leaders... but it makes a lot of sense. I look back at my college days and absolutely hated going to the classes where there were still paper handouts for every assignment *sigh*. Technology makes things easier for everyone... including leaders!