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In Defense of TrueCar

November 30, 2011 By Arnold Tijerina

There’s been a lot of talk about TrueCar lately in automotive industry forums blasting them for their business practices and how “evil” they are. There’s a thread on DealerElite with over 33 PAGES of comments [edit: 50+ pages] in response to Jim Ziegler’s question:

“TRUE CAR and ZAG Cyber Bandits: Parasites or Good for the Car Business?”

..and even a video from Jerry Thibeau of Phone Ninjas who has a very strong opinion:

(Edit: I guess TrueCar didn’t like the video. It appears that they had it removed.)

My experience with HomeNet Automotive (the leading automotive data distribution company now owned by AutoTrader) gave me unique insight from all perspectives: vendors, 3rd party inventory sites and dealers.

Whether you think TrueCar is good or bad for the automotive industry, you have to step back and consider a few things:

(In regards to TrueCar having, and using, a dealer’s sales data) In the early days of inventory marketing, it was the general thought that having your inventory on every 3rd party site possible was a great idea. Most dealers signed up for every 3rd party site they could, especially if it was free. When I was an Internet Director, I signed up for them all also. When I was with HomeNet, I talked to many Dealer Principals that wanted their inventory everywhere. Most never read any “terms and conditions”, they just signed up. Any of these third party sites could have been polling their DMS for not only inventory but sales data and they never would have known. Nothing’s free. It wasn’t until recently that people started questioning the wisdom of shotgunning their data and, even then, it had nothing to do with whether the sites should have it but how it was effecting their SEO efforts and how the sites were using their data to collect leads then selling those leads to the dealer. It had nothing to do with the fact that they HAD the data in the first place.

When HomeNet Automotive integrated TrueCar into their inventory management tool, (IOL Pro), as a rep, I visited many dealers who loved the TrueCar feature and ability to use reports to close deals and research competitor pricing. Only a few even questioned where the data was coming from and in only one case was a dealer actually upset that we (ie. HomeNet) had the sales data at all. The fact remains that this data was given voluntarily by the dealer to hundreds of 3rd party sites, each with their own terms and conditions, and any of which could have been polling their DMS for sales data and, in turn, providing it to TrueCar, Edmonds, AutoTrader, etc. or any of the hundreds of other sites.

(In a now amusing tangent, industry people demonize Reynolds and Reynolds all the time for protecting their data (ie. not allowing unauthorized 3rd party access) and throttling their control over distributing it to just anybody and now these same people are complaining about 3rd parties having the data.)

Now, onto the lead program.. People are complaining that TrueCar leverages the dealer’s data (which the dealers are giving to countless websites already) to provide consumers information on the lowest prices for vehicles, converting the lead and offering it to the dealers on a per sale cost of $300 versus a per lead basis. Why is this so evil?

There are plenty of 3rd party sites that do the same thing with the only difference being that they charge per lead. Hell, even MANUFACTURERS do it. When I was in retail, I used a company with a similar pricing strategy named Autotropolis (since bought by Autobytel for $15 million). I LOVED those leads. I could easily identify a lead from them and factor in the $250 per sale fee into any deal structured or quote given to a consumer. I only paid when I sold a car. It was great. At least on a per sale basis, my cost per sale was fixed. With 3rd party leads, it wasn’t. I hear dealers complain about $900+ costs per sale with their AutoTrader programs yet they still participate. The point is that I was always in control of the sale. If I didn’t want to sell the vehicle at the pricing given to them, I didn’t. It was my choice. The fact is that I would rather have the opportunity to earn the sale than not have it. Why wouldn’t you want a fixed cost per sale on internet leads? 

Dealers have been sending their transactional and inventory data to 3rd parties for YEARS. This isn’t some new phenomenon that’s all of a sudden appearing. Everyone wants to single out TrueCar when, in fact, TrueCar is only ONE OF MANY companies that have their data. Dealers have willingly and happily provided this data to 3rd party sites for YEARS (at least as far back as 2003 to some sites that I personally know of).

To top it all off, dealers and industry professionals have been evangelizing transparency in their sales processes, pricing and interactions with consumers yet it appears that dealers don’t really want transparency, what is wanted is the illusion of transparency.

Bottom line: If you don’t want your data used by a 3rd party, stop giving it to them. I’m not just talking about TrueCar, I’m talking about EVERY 3rd party.

TrueCar is a business that pays for information received from the dealers themselves. Rather than demonizing TrueCar for monetizing the data by providing a service to both consumers (via transparency) and dealers (via sales), don’t participate.

As the saying goes: Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

(Edit: TrueCar is just a scapegoat and convenient target. I don’t necessarily disagree with all of the arguments, just the placing of the blame on TrueCar. Dealers created this, not TrueCar.)

UPDATE 12/1/11: Seems as if my friend Jerry created a new video.

Filed Under: Automotive, Editorial, internet sales, Marketing Tagged With: DealerElite, internet sales, inventory marketing, Jim Ziegler, Sales, TrueCar

Automotive Customer Centricity Summit

June 16, 2011 By Arnold Tijerina

 

The Automotive Customer Centricity Summit, hosted by Thought Leadership Summits (ACCS) was on June 14th, 2011. I had the privilege of reporting on this event on behalf of DealerElite. This event is a one-day event that runs from 7am-7pm. The event was held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Marina Del Rey, CA. While I don’t have exact attendance numbers, it seemed to see about 125 attendees. There were a lot of OEM representatives from both the automotive and motorcycle world, vendors and some dealers.

Speakers included:

  • Thilo Koslowski, Vice President & Lead Automotive Analyst for Gartner
  • George Liang, President of the DCH Auto Group
  • Allan Jenik, Director of Dealer Services for Harley-Davidson
  • Jon Budd, National Manager – CRM & Integreated Marketing for Hyundai
  • Kal Gyimesi, Automotive Industry Lead for IBM Institute for Business Value
  • Brian Benstock, Vice President & General manager for Paragon Honda
  • Lonnie Miller, Vice President – Marketing & Industry Analysis for Polk
  • Sara Hasson, Vice President – Automotive Brand Solutions for Univision
  • Michael Sachs, General Manager – CRM & Loyalty for Volkswagen

Some of the interesting things I took away from the sessions included:

Thilo Koslowski spoke about “Understanding Automotive Trends & Creating Successful Strategies”. He stated that consumers are paying more attention to automotive & transportation related spending. It’s his theory that the next 10-20 years will be the most disruptive to our industry and that in the future, individual transportation may not mean vehicle ownership with younger consumers increasingly relying on alternate modes of transportation. He predicts that by 2012, the majority of OEMs will have integrated wireless connectivity into vehicles. Younger consumers are less likely (22%) to be concerned about the distracted drivers that in-vehicle data integration would undoubtedly create. He stated that as companies feel that a social media presence is more important, the social networks themselves become more important (kind of a vicious cycle) and that dealers need help from their OEMs with social media marketing because many of them are doing it, but the majority are doing it wrong. One interesting takeaway was that as data integration increases, and younger consumers continually consider alternate modes of transportation, 78% of consumers would still prefer a gasoline engine for their next vehicle than any other type including electric and hybrid.

Kal Gyimesi spoke about “Advancing Mobility – the Next Growth Engine for Attracting Consumers”. He stated that within the next 5 years, 30% of revenue will come from new sources and that to achieve success, we need to transform into a service-oriented business model. He believes that the ability to interact with consumers will be centered around connected vehicles. He said that 59% of auto executives agree that auto electronics and software will be open & customized by smartphone apps and that a game-changing byproduct of the connected car may be the interchange-ability of vehicles. However, to appeal to consumers, mobility solutions must be simple, yet comprehensive.

George Liang had a controversial session about a test store within the DCH group that went to a hassle-free pricing model. He stated that within the next 2 years, Gen Y will represent 40% of dealers’ business. His view is that the traditional sales process is management centric, a long process, inequitable to the guest and complex. Gen Y consumers won’t put up with that. The “limited negotiation” process is faster for the guest, simple, friendly, fair and transparent. In this model, Client Advisors will be trained to desk their own deals eliminating the need for desk managers. In addition, as Client Advisors gain experience, you create a career path for them by advancing them to a “Elite Client Advisor” position and that for every 5 “Elite Client Advisors”, you can replace one F&I manager. By eliminating these positions (desk manager and F&I manager), you save money on personnel costs. In their test store, he said that they immediately lost about 95% of their salesforce due to salespeople and managers being unwilling to adapt. He advises that you should expect a temporary drop in both front-end gross and market share. In fact, DCH lost 50% of their front end gross when this model was implemented in their test store. He said to stay the course, however, as everything went back up with time. He said that DCH focuses on market share because if you increase market share, everything else will come with it. Of course every sales manager and retail car guy in the room was immediately on the defensive especially after Mr. Liang shared that this test store’s closest brand competitor was 45 miles away.

Allan Jenik spoke about Harley’s “one-to-one” marketing approach. During his Q&A, he said that he believed that your social networks don’t want to see coupons and offers. I don’t agree with him there. In fact, I would argue that the exact opposite is true in that most of the people who follow you only do so for the coupons and special offers. Harley-Davidson is a different beast, in my opinion. The lifestyle and community they’ve been able to create is completely different from any other brand so for them, this might be a valid statement.

Jon Budd shared the importance of listening to your customers and keeping your brand on track. He highlighted Hyundai’s ever adapting “Assurance” program and showed how its changes over time reflected on consumer concerns – from the initial 2009 campaign in which they offered to buy-back the vehicle (of the 435k vehicles bought under this program, only 100 were returned) to today’s campaign offering Hyundai customers piece of mind by offering security in the tangible value of the Hyundai by guaranteeing future trade-in values at the time of purchase.

Brian Benstock repeated his popular session showing how Paragon Honda went from #17 to #1 in 6 months. (When I say repeated, I mean that I’ve seen it before.) His session was very popular. I even heard comments from dealer-attendees that wished that the summit organizers had allowed him to continue rather than hurrying him up and cutting his presentation short. I thought his comment that vehicle brochures were dead was spot-on. He says that OEMs should just stop making them. In fact, Paragon made their own to give to customers. He says most consumers who want information about a vehicle don’t look at brochures anymore, they go online to find the information. He advocates OEMs to create more short-term lease options available to dealers as that would decrease the buying cycle and increase loyalty. He said that Paragon Honda has a 68% retention rate because of their efforts to get customers into short-term leases.

Michael Sachs spoke about customer loyalty. The gist being that its very important and hard work. I especially liked the story he shared about the “$100,000 salt & pepper shaker” as an illustration (anyone who knows me would understand why). This story told of young children who visited Disney World and bought, as a gift, a salt & pepper shaker for their father. They broke it before they could give it to him and went back to the in-park store to get it replaced. Due to kindness and generosity, the Disney employees replaced it for them although their policies didn’t require it. Due to this, those children became “raving fans” and over the course of their lives spent over $100,000 with Disney. He stated that even the smallest of actions which make customers happy can have a huge effect on future earnings and loyalty.

Sara Hasson spoke about the importance of marketing to the Hispanic market. One interesting statistic she shared was that from 2010-2020, Hispanics are projected to account for all (100%) the growth among adults 18-49. She said that Hispanics spend at similar levels and return to the new vehicle market sooner. She said that not only is it important to market to Hispanics but its important to market to them in their language.

Originally published on DealerElite.net

Filed Under: DealerElite, Industry Events, Reviews Tagged With: conference, DealerElite, Event, review

BREAKING: DealerTrack to Acquire eCarList

May 25, 2011 By Arnold Tijerina

DealerTrack to Acquire eCarList

May 25, 2011 8:30 AM ET

Adds Innovative Vehicle Merchandising Solutions to Industry Leading Inventory Management Offering

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — DealerTrack AAX, Inc., a subsidiary of DealerTrack Holdings, Inc. TRAK, today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of eCarList LLC, a leading provider of inventory management and merchandising solutions for automobile dealerships  The combination of DealerTrack’s current AAX inventory management solution with eCarList’s product suite of vehicle merchandising, pricing analytics and mobile inventory solutions will provide dealerships with a comprehensive vehicle management offering.  Len Critcher, president and chief executive officer of eCarList, along with the entire eCarList management team, will remain with the combined company.  The acquisition is expected to close in July, subject to customary closing conditions.

Mark F. O’Neil, chairman and chief executive officer of DealerTrack, commented, “We are extremely excited to announce this acquisition.  eCarList is one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry and is a leader in delivering innovative vehicle merchandising and management solutions for the automotive retail industry.”  O’Neil continued, “We believe the addition of eCarList will enable DealerTrack to expand its leading position as the industry’s most comprehensive suite of inventory management and merchandising solutions that leverages the best from each company.”

“We look forward to joining the DealerTrack family,” said Len Critcher. “The combination of DealerTrack AAX and eCarList will drive even more innovation to help dealerships generate additional vehicle interest and higher quality Internet and showroom traffic, all while maximizing overall deal profits.”

The financial impact of this acquisition to DealerTrack’s 2011 guidance will be given in conjunction with the release of DealerTrack’s results for the second quarter of 2011.

About DealerTrack (www.dealertrack.com)

DealerTrack’s intuitive and high-value software solutions and services enhance efficiency and profitability for all major segments of the retail automotive industry, including dealers, lenders, OEMs, agents and aftermarket providers.  DealerTrack, whose solution set for dealers is the industry’s most comprehensive, operates the largest online credit application network in the United States, connecting approximately 17,000 dealers with more than 1,000 lenders. DealerTrack’s Dealer Management System (DMS) provides dealers with easy-to-use tools and real-time data access to enhance their efficiency, while DealerTrack AAX delivers the inventory management tools and services needed to accelerate used-vehicle turn rates and help increase profits for dealers.  DealerTrack’s Sales and F&I solutions allow dealers to streamline the entire sales process as they structure deals from a single integrated platform.  Its Compliance solution helps dealers meet legal and regulatory requirements and protect their assets. DealerTrack also offers additional solutions for the automotive industry including electronic motor vehicle registration and titling applications, paper title storage, and digital document services. DealerTrack’s family of companies also includes data and consulting service providers ALG and Chrome Systems. For more information, visit www.dealertrack.com.

About eCarList (www.ecarlist.com)

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, eCarList provides a full suite of inventory management and online marketing tools for the retail automotive industry enabling dealers to appraise, price, and merchandise vehicle inventory online in real-time.  eCarList’s services include inventory management, inventory distribution, vehicle appraisal and pricing tools, mobile software, dealership health reporting, CRM, custom web design, and digital marketing solutions via a fully integrated software as a service platform.  eCarList improves dealership productivity, inventory turn, sales, and profits for its clients by improving and simplifying the way in which inventory is managed, distributed, and viewed by consumers.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements  

Statements in this press release regarding benefits to DealerTrack and its customers of the pending acquisition of eCarList and all other statements in this release other than the recitation of historical facts are forward-looking statements (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995).  These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements of DealerTrack to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Factors that might cause such a difference include: economic trends that affect the automotive retail industry or the indirect automotive financing industry including the number of new and used cars sold; reductions in auto dealerships; the impact of some vendors of software products for automotive dealers making it more difficult for DealerTrack’s customers to use DealerTrack’s solutions and services; security breaches, interruptions, failures and/or other errors involving DealerTrack’s systems or networks; the failure or inability to execute any element of DealerTrack’s business strategy, including selling additional products and services to existing and new customers; the integration of the eCarlist acquisition and the expected benefits; DealerTrack’s success in expanding its customer base and product and service offerings; and other risks listed in DealerTrack’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.  These filings can be found on DealerTrack’s website at www.dealertrack.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements included herein speak only as of the date hereof and DealerTrack disclaims any obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances, except as required by law.

Originally published on DealerElite.net and ADM

Filed Under: ADM, Automotive, DealerElite, News Tagged With: acquisition, adm, DealerElite, DealerTrack, eCarList

In The Trenches During The AutoTrader Acquisition Of VinSolutions

May 23, 2011 By Arnold Tijerina

As I’m sure you’re probably aware by now, AutoTrader announced Wednesday that they had reached an agreement to acquire VinSolutions.

I was in the unique position to actually be with most of the executive leadership and employees of VinSolutions when the news broke. I was also with HomeNet Automotive when the rumors started that AutoTrader was working to acquire HomeNet Automotive. I also came really close to working directly for AutoTrader as they attempted to recruit me and, ironically, I was actually at an event in Colorado that Chip Perry was in attendance when I was informed by the Autotrader recruiter that I was “not worthy” (their loss). I like to think that AutoTrader is following me around acquiring companies I work for simply because they actually want to “acquire” me. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

After my initial shock passed, as an employee of a media company, the investigative part of me started paying attention. What I expected to see was executive management in a celebratory mode making plans to roll around in the pile of money they must have just made. I expected phone calls being made and Internet leads being submitted for new Ferraris. I expected VinSolutions employees to be anxious about their future employment and having a feeling that this company, that they all were very proud to be a part of, was at an end. I saw none of that.

What I saw was quite the opposite. Executive management and VinSolutions employees were still talking to dealers. VinSolutions employees were excited. The entire team was customer focused, not acquisition focused. In fact, it really seemed as if VinSolutions had acquired AutoTrader rather than the opposite. They weren’t feeling as if this was the end, quite the contrary. They felt like this was the beginning. They were excited about the incredible resources and value now available to VinSolutions to make their product(s) bigger, better and faster than they ever were able to before.

What makes this acquisition a historic moment is that this is the first time in our industry’s history that a non-DMS company has acquired a company that does what VinSolutions does. VinSolutions wasn’t interested in being acquired by a DMS, because several trends inevitably happen: the acquired company immediately loses half their market share, but they also fall into this virtual black hole eventually disappearing never to be heard from again.  AutoTrader “could” make VinSolutions the hub of their operation powering and integrating with ALL of the AutoTrader/Cox owned properties acquired in recent history.

With all of the properties that AutoTrader owns, they are in the unique position to dominate the automotive market. All of these properties, prior to their AutoTrader acquisition, had stellar reputations within the industry and with their customers. AutoTrader “could” leverage these properties to offer an unprecedented value to their customers. Whether (and how) they do this is still up in the air.

Not discounting the incredible value and loyalty that current VinSolutions customers have, ultimately VinSolutions is more than just another company. In fact, the people DEFINE VinSolutions. Yes, they have innovative solutions and offer the power and convenience of a completely integrated solution to dealers. VinSolutions could easily be named “Mike-Sean-Matt-Kendall-Solutions,” but that would certainly be hard to create a marketing campaign for. Why? The reason is simple. Mike Dullea, Sean Stapleton, Kendall Billman and Matt Watson ARE VinSolutions. Without them, AutoTrader would now own air. I sincerely hope that AutoTrader recognizes this (if they don’t already) and just like a NFL team, these people were signed to 20-year contracts. If you buy the Colts, you make sure Peyton Manning is included in the deal. Yes, VinSolutions’ integrated dealer solution offers great value to their customers. They are continuously looking to improve the value VinSolutions offers to their customers. The dedication and passion that these people, along with the entire VinSolutions team define VinSolutions.

As I talked to VinSolutions’ dealers that are attending this event, their concern had nothing to do with money/price increases, etc. It was completely focused on how AutoTrader would change WHO VinSolutions IS, and who they are is the key to their success. Yes, there are other people who can be a CEO. Yes, there are other people that can run a sales team. Yes, there are other programmers. Yes, there are other people who can be the “website” guy. The fact is that there is NOBODY that can replace these people, perform with the passion, dedication and experience that they have and perform at the level that they do. Disregarding the standard “business as usual” statement, VinSolutions truly has a culture of family. That family makes them who they are.

In my eyes, AutoTrader didn’t acquire a company; they acquired the equivalent of the Justice League of America. Take away any member of that team; the Justice League ceases to exist. JLA without Superman isn’t the Justice League of America. What made the JLA the powerhouse that they were was the collective power that they all brought to the table.

Does the competition need to be worried, absolutely, but not because all of a sudden VinSolutions is now owned by AutoTrader, but because AutoTrader acquired Superman, Batman, the Flash and the Green Lantern and, most importantly, a family.

Originally published on DealerElite.net and ADM

Filed Under: ADM, Automotive, DealerElite, News, personal experience Tagged With: adm, DealerElite, HomeNet, vinsolutions

Getting The Most From The 10th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition

April 15, 2011 By Arnold Tijerina

As people are getting prepared to depart for Orlando and the Digital Dealer Workshops followed by the 10th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition, I thought some advice from someone who’s been to 6 of the 9 previous conferences would be helpful for those first-timers. This will be my first conference as an employee of Dealer Communications so these tips are derived from my experience gained from attending as a dealer.

1. Registration: Show up early to pick up your badge. Unless you like to see and wait in a line similar to one at Disneyland, make sure to find out when registration opens and get there early. Many people show up at the last minute and end up having to wait spending time they could be using for more productive purposes.

2. Planning: (click here to print the agenda before you go.) Read the session descriptions and plan (even if it’s tentatively) which ones you want to go to. There’s not a lot of transition time from one session to the other and there’s nothing worse than having to decide in-between sessions which to go to and then having to find the appropriate room and be late to a session.

3. Dress: Dress is business casual. These is an intense day of training. Be comfortable so you can concentrate on what’s being taught. You’ll be doing stuff from 7:30am-7:30pm on the second day so make sure whatever you wear (including shoes) will work for you for 12 hours of activities. Also keep in mind that there are plenty of post-conference opportunities to network so it could even be longer.

4. What to bring: You don’t want to be carrying around 20 pounds of “stuff” for 12 hours, I promise. It will get old fast. Bring only the necessities. Pads and pens are provided at every session. Refreshments are provided throughout the day. If you feel the need to bring your laptop, remember that electrical outlets are at a premium. If I could rent them out, I’d make a fortune. Also, while the rooms do have outlets, the setups may not make it convenient to charge items while paying attention to what’s being taught. Veterans carry only what’s necessary. Keep in mind that you will be provided with a bag to carry any exhibitor information or swag that you attain. Oh, and bring lots of business cards. You’ll need them. Keep in mind that most speakers will be happy to e-mail you their Powerpoints after the conference. All you need to do is ask them after their session.

5. Round–tables: Don’t miss the Peer Networking Round-tables on Tuesday morning. This offers you the chance to meet and ask questions of your peers. We’ll have 40 tables all split into different categories for you to choose from. This is a great way for you to meet some non-competing dealer peers that you can utilize as future sounding boards and/or share information with after the conference.

6. Exhibit Hall: Don’t be afraid of it. This is a unique opportunity to explore and see what new services and products are available. Nobody likes getting 20 solicitation calls per day while they’re in their store trying to sell a car so look at this is an opportunity to get all of your questions answered (and curiosity satisfied) in one place and at the same time. I always discovered at least one new thing. Whether or not you’re looking to add something to your store, knowing what your competitors may be using is valuable information. It’s also a GREAT opportunity to collect some cool swag and enter drawings and contests for some sweet prizes. Most vendors restrict their prizes to dealers so you’ll have an excellent shot at winning just for dropping off your business card with them. By visiting them, you may also get invited to some post-conference networking event that they are hosting.

7. Networking: Another valuable activity at the conference is the ability to network with your peers. We provide several opportunities to so this during our cocktail receptions. Use this time to get to know and meet new people. The exhibit hall is also open during this time so you could use this as another opportunity to visit with the exhibitors as well as enjoy a beverage and some appetizers.

8. SCVNGR: This year we’ve partnered with SCVNGR to offer attendees a fun promotion and way to earn some cool prizes like a MacBook Air and iPad 2 (and more) to dealers and managers just for participating in this fun promotion by completing challenges to earn points. Everyone who participates can earn an extra free drink at one of the networking receptions and unlock a custom DD10 virtual badge! You can also use this promotion as an educational opportunity. It’s a way for you to explore location-based services (if you’re not familiar with them) and see how they can be used to promote interaction with your business. You can find all the information you need to participate by checking in the conference program or, if you want to get a head start, you can text “DDFUTURE” to 48696

9. Opt–in for Text Announcements & Alerts: By opting in for text alerts and announcements, you’ll be up to date on any changes to the agenda or special announcement s. This will also provide you with a mobile agenda for you to use to navigate around from session to session. It’s as easy as texting “DD10” to 48696

10. Don’t Miss A Thing: You’ll be getting a lot of information in a relatively short period of time. Some people get overwhelmed. Don’t. There are plenty of ways in which to maximize your experience. If you missed a session you wanted to hear because there were two sessions held at the same time, track down the speaker for the session you missed and I’m certain they’ll be happy to share their presentation with you. If you can’t track them down, find me and I’ll get a hold of them for you and have them e-mail you the information if I can’t connect you two at the conference.

I hope this was helpful. For first-time attendees, welcome. We are confident that not only will you return for future conferences but will bring more people from your dealership next time. For returning attendees, thank you for your support and patronage. We strive to bring you a bigger and better conference every time. Please feel free to e-mail me at arnold(at)dealer-communications.com if you have any questions you’d like answered before the conference.

See you in Orlando!

Originally published on DealerElite.net and ADM

Filed Under: ADM, DealerElite, digital dealer conference Tagged With: adm, Advice, DealerElite, digital dealer conference

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