Over time technology keeps improving.  From hardware (TVs, computers, smartphones, etc) to software (games, apps and utilities) things just get faster, thinner and better.  Technology makes things more efficient and adds convenience to our lives.  The fact remains that there is no going back and it is part of all of our everyday lives.  Businesses use technology to attract new customers and retain their existing customers.  It is impossible to ignore its impact.  But with so many choices available, how can dealers effectively use technology to improve the bottom line? 

Remember when a 32” tube TV was the hottest thing?  Remember when people used roadmaps to get around? It wasn’t that long ago that the Motorola Razor flip phones were the hottest phone around.  No one can deny that technology is advancing in an extremely rapid rate and it's made a seismic impact on everyday life. In today's world, if you ask a child to read a road map, it'd be like reading hieroglyphics, but if you ask him to work an iPad, it'd be like eating cake. In many ways, technology has made our lives easier, and this also includes making how we do business easier.

Dealers and Technology

Dealers that embrace various forms of technology and incorporate it into their company's culture are already reaping many benefits.  When used properly, a well designed website and mobile site, the use of social media, updated hardware devices and dealer/customer smartphone applications can all help improve branding, increase profits, attract and retain more customers.  With talks about connected vehicles, apps in vehicles and wearable technology becoming mainstream very soon, what is available today will be considered outdated in no time. 

According to ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems), connected vehicles have the potential to transform the way Americans travel through the creation of a safe, interoperable wireless communications network that includes cars, buses, trucks, trains, traffic signals, cell phones, and other devices. Like the Internet, which provides information connectivity, connected vehicle technology provides a starting point for transportation connectivity that will potentially enable countless applications and spawn new industries.

Connected vehicle applications provide connectivity:

• Among vehicles to enable crash prevention

• Between vehicles and the infrastructure to enable safety, mobility, and environmental benefits

• Among vehicles, infrastructure, and wireless devices to provide continuous real-time connectivity to all system users.

(See more at: http://www.its.dot.gov/connected_vehicle/connected_vehicle_research...)

With new ideas, gadgets and workflow consistently becoming better and more advanced, there is a huge value in understanding it now so that you are able to adapt and grow in the future. 

Benefit from Technology

Embrace technology and make it work for you. Technology has made things significantly easier and it has opened up an unimaginable amount of new choices and opportunities. However, don't fear the choices, embrace the choices. By implementing technology into your company's culture, you're able to create workflows that streamline the way your dealership does business. Once you recognize how technology will assist your dealership, decide on which solution works best for you.

For example, dealerships that invest in both dealer and consumer facing smart phone apps understand the significance of utilizing technology in their business practices. Successful dealers will not only invest in just the ‘cool factor’ of mobile apps but they implement it into every aspect of their dealership's culture in order to make it work.  Embracing technology involves a continuous marketing and training effort. 

The way dealers are using Push notifications today is just the beginning.  Today notifications can be sent to advertise new specials, show videos of the latest model, and send safety alerts.  They can send alerts when a customer’s vehicle is ready for pickup or if there is a recall or when their lease is up.  Now with geo targeting dealers bring a whole new level of target marketing and customer service.  Automated notifications based on customer and vehicle data is the way of the future.  Developers will continue to create apps that will be used by OEMs, government agencies, dealers and other automotive related software companies to market.    

With the way this industry is heading, it’s important to adapt to this advancing technology early on if you want to be ahead of your competitors. With the rest of the world on board this rapidly growing hi-tech wave, dealerships need to utilize the same technology that their customers are using in order to help them find what they are looking for. Your customers are looking for ways to do business more efficiently, so if you’re not on board, your customers will find other dealerships who are. So embrace technology, especially if you want to remain credible in the eyes of your consumers. This is an industry that is not moving backwards nor is it slowing down, so embark on this path, understand it, and prepare for the future, before you get left behind.