David Topham

The holiday season is here, and your dealership can take advantage of the increased traffic and sales opportunities.

Creating a welcoming environment at your dealership starts with a physical space that's hospitable and a team that can deliver excellent customer service every time. However, the future of automotive retail has more to do with creating a welcoming environment across multiple channels.

It takes a special person to be a successful F&I manager, especially at a special finance dealership. Often, going back to the basics and focusing on the core principles of the work is the best way to set yourself apart.

Your dealership can reach new buyers with the help of our automotive direct mailers. We leverage brand integrity, big data, and a targeted approach to bring your store a direct mail service that's a notch above the rest.

When it comes to vehicle technology, dealerships can identify different strategies and talking points to focus on during the sales process. There's value in having customers who are satisfied with their in-car tech, as the latest J.D. Power study points out.

TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax have all released reports or data in the last few weeks that show subprime lending is on a downward trend while originations in other risk tiers are steadily increasing.

Similar to last year, the 2018 J.D. Power Dealer Financing Satisfaction Survey found that dealer satisfaction with lending partners depends on fast and meaningful communication with credit staff.

The latest data from Equifax shows that lenders are continuing to tighten up and pull back from subprime auto lending. At the same time, delinquency rates are rising, so the subprime slowdown is likely to continue.

There's a growing shift of vehicle sales from new to used as consumers look for value and off-lease cars continue to return to market. Dealerships should consider these sales trends and factor them into their inventory decisions.

A recent study from Marchex showed that automotive service operations are hurt financially when employees say 'No' and other negative responses to callers. Dealership service departments can use this report to identify ways they can improve and be able to use positive responses more often.