As I write my last publisher’s note of the year, I’d like to clear out some odds and ends I thought worth highlighting.
Back together again
I’d like to thank the provincial dealer associations across the country for their commitment to great in-person events that bring dealers, vendors and other industry players together. And for letting the Canadian auto dealer team play our part.
From the Western Dealer Summit in Vegas, the TADA’s ACE event in Ontario to the CADEX event in Halifax, we saw strong dealer participation and great speakers. In Halifax, for example, the attendee numbers were right where we left off before the pandemic. In fact, they were stronger.
Your associations put a tremendous amount of effort into organizing these events. Thank you for coming out and supporting them. On a personal level, it’s been great to see many of you face-to-face after too long away.
The event calendar in the new year is looking strong, including a great speaker line-up for the CADA Summit in February. We’re in the final stages of planning that and while you’ve heard me say it before, I think this year’s line-up will be among the best we’ve had in the nearly ten years the event has been going on. The Summit will be in-person again, so be sure to put it on your calendar. I hope to see many of you there.
The pace of change in the industry keeps picking up. The depth of disruption that the industry is undergoing seems to grow month over month. And Canada’s dealers continue to demonstrate the creativity, resourcefulness and resiliency that makes them, frankly, dealers.
Let your OEMs hear your voice
Consumer auto shows have been part of this industry since it started. After a few years of being sidelined by the pandemic, those events are working hard to get started again.
I get to see that up close as we share office space with the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association team as they put together the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto.
Hearing the range of OEM reactions to the return of consumer auto shows is very interesting. Suffice to say there is a range of reactions across the different brands, from wholehearted enthusiasm to something less than that.
Do car shows still matter in a world of TikTok, paid influencers and Google’s Performance Max?
Based on early indications from consumers, yes, they do. There is every reason to believe that consumers will be coming back to these events as they have in the past.
I think it’s important that brands be there for them.
I suspect many dealers feel the same way. Let’s make sure your voices are heard in the halls of OEMs’ zone and head offices. Believe me, your reactions matter and your influence is felt.
Building the brand while you wait
An industry that is accustomed to selling cars from inventory isn’t accustomed to training sales staff to remain in contact with customers while they wait for a vehicle that’s on order. Particularly when the order window extends well into next year and the delivery date is uncertain at best.
We see and hear this over and over. We see it in training our sister firm Clarify is doing, in anecdotal conversation with friends, and more.
It’s a challenge, but one the industry needs to address.
The good news is that it’s easy to do. Finding meaningful, simple ways to stay in touch with a client over those months can be very simple, and very much appreciated.
I find myself in exactly this position. I put in an order and deposit on my next vehicle some months ago, and haven’t heard anything since. In this case, the individuals involved are very high performers, so there’s no issue there. The issue is training.
And process.
Imagine the impact it would have if they sent me a logo baseball cap just before Christmas with a simple note along the lines of “Looking forward to welcoming you to the family next year. Have a great holiday season.” The impact would be considerable. Will it happen? I doubt it, given that I’ve heard nothing since making the deposit.
Cost doesn’t need to be an issue. An email would be an appreciated gesture. It’s not even necessary to have an update on the vehicle. It’s really just about showing the customer is top of mind.
There’s a lot more that could be said on this, but you get my drift. This may represent the lowest hanging fruit available to dealers looking to improve the customer experience they’re providing.
One last thing
The pace of change in the industry keeps picking up. The depth of disruption that the industry is undergoing seems to grow month over month. And Canada’s dealers continue to demonstrate the creativity, resourcefulness and resiliency that makes them, frankly, dealers.
It’s such a great pleasure for me to be part of this industry and work with so many of you. I can’t believe another year has gone by. I can’t believe what an exciting time it is to play a part in Canada’s automotive landscape.
Have a great holiday season. On behalf of the team at Universus, Clarify, and Canadian auto dealer, I wish you, your family and friends all the best.
