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Permalink Reply by Robert Belpedio on June 23, 2010 at 10:24am

Jessica, that is the $100,000 question isn't it!

In my 18 years or experience as a vendor to the dealers, I have found that dealers will only make a move on a product unless 1) everyone else is getting the same product and they don't want to miss out. 2) They put off a making the decision on the new product or service until the problem is so big that they finally see that they are losing money and now hope that you will come in and save the day as cheaply as possible. Most times they have waited so long that it will cost them more than it should have!

Auto Dealers have so many people coming at them everyday trying to sell them something that they look at all products and services as not needed; you are just another vendor trying to get their money. Unless of course you represent print or cable TV advertising, they throw money at these people like crazy because that is all they know, even though these forms of advertising are the most under performing types available. In Bound Marketing? What's that?

Your best bet is to hunker down and do some old fashion relationship building with the Dealer Principle, GM and Service Director. Time spent on any one else in the dealership is usually a waste of time.

I hope this answers your question. Please feel free to visit us at Don Graff Automotive Consulting

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Permalink Reply by Bert Martin on June 27, 2010 at 10:18pm

Relationships are typically built on trust. However, with some its only the bottom line ...most especially today with the ability to research just about any commodity on the net. Understanding the need to have a lasting, trusting relationship over time, the benefits are rarely considered by those managers that driven only by bottom line numbers. Does that vendor truly understand your business and we will they stand the test of time?

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