Exclusive Interview with Jesse Biter of DealersUnited

dE: What is DealersUnited?
JB: Dealers United is a service designed to unite private dealerships to compete against the MegaDealer Groups


dE: How long have you been a DealerELITE member?
JB: I’ve been a member of DealerELITE for 6 months now and I love it.


dE: What do you like best about DealerELITE?
JB: I love the active community and daily emails I receive.  DealerELITE makes it easy for me to stay in tune with the industry.


dE: What does DealersUnited do that is different than others like you?
JB: There are no companies like Dealers United.  While there are Co-Op type companies, Dealers United is the only service that 1) Vets the vendors through an exhaustive research process, 2) Educations the dealers on each vendor and their product, 3) Negotiates deals based on a certain number of dealers signing up for that deal, 4) Is completely free to the dealer.


dE: That all sounds interesting. Can you explain in more detail?
JB: The competitive landscape may be tilted in favor of the MegaDealers, but it doesn’t have to stay that way thanks to Dealers United. We are the first service to leverage the combined buying and negotiating power of private dealerships, as well as provide business development services for its members. Dealers United goes beyond the normal buying co-op by vetting, negotiating, and following up with vendors, making sure vendors deliver as promised. In addition to its strength in numbers philosophy, DU is driven by two other key concepts. First, joining is free and any dealer may join; no hassles, no fees. Second, DU is a service of, by and for dealers; and, appropriately, dealers call the shots.


dE: Ok Jesse... so how does it all work?
JB: Dealers United members identify a specific service they desire, say SEO, CRM or DMS through a group vote each month. Industry experts from Dealers United research leading providers of that service/product through Q&A sessions and onsite visits with businesses. Once the best of the best vendor in the category is selected, Dealers United negotiates the best deal - leveraging the combined buying power of its membership. At the end of each  month, DU will distribute a detailed video about the vendor to members, as well as specifics of the upcoming deal. Dealers decide whether they want to  participate by agreeing to the discounted price and buying the offer. If the minimum number of dealers is met, it’s a done deal and the participating members are given the group discount on the product or service. Each vendor deal that DU members select will be time-sensitive, with clearly stated start and end dates, as well as parameters for the minimum and maximum number of dealers the chosen vendor can handle. Biter estimates DU members could enjoy vendor savings of anywhere between 45 to 75 percent. This savings represents money dealers could reinvest in their businesses or simply take to their bottom lines.


dE: Why should dealers partner with DealersUnited versus any others?
JB: Dealers should partner with Dealers United because it’s a Win-Win for Dealers and Vendors.  Vendors benefit as well. Dealers United will act as the voice for private dealerships while giving those vendors with superior product offerings the opportunity to market to a highly-targeted group. Each month dealers will be asked for feedback on which vendor providers they’d like reviewed by Dealers United. DU will then research the vendors within a specific silo, whether it is CRM, Social Media, Web Design etc. and select the provider that represents the best quality and value for dealer members. Instead of a vendor having to spend resources reaching one dealer at a time, they’ll be able to capture bigger, multi-dealer sales with less effort. Vendors will still need to deliver. DU plans to secure service performance level guarantees (just like the MegaDealers routinely enjoy). If a particular vendor fails or under performs, participating members could be entitled to receive credits for the missing or unsatisfactory service.


dE: Here's what we all must be wondering. How much does it cost?
JB: That’s the best part, it’s free to dealers.  Dealers United gets paid the way a travel agent gets paid.  A travel agent’s main focus is to ensure you’re getting a good value and that you have the best vacation possible.  That’s our job.  The vendors pay us a commission for facilitating the sale so that dealers never have to pay Dealers United.  Dealers get to receive all of the vendor vetting and negotiating work we do without ever having to commit to anything.


dE: What can dealers do to make DealersUnited better?
JB: Dealers are already helping us make Dealers United better.  One of Dealers United’s philosophies is that the dealers know best.  We understand that and therefore we are constantly asking our dealers for input.  We ask them which services we should spend our time researching for them.  We also ask them to feed us questions they would like us to have answered.  Dealers love being a part of the process.


dE: How should a dE member, or any other dealer contact you and/or sign-up?
JB: Any dE member should go to www.DealersUnited.com and signup.


dE: Jesse, thank you so much for your time. It was great to have you.
JB: Thank you. It was my pleasure.