Once again, the TSS team attended another incredible AADA Event in Melbourne this July, where our MD Steve Curran conducted a workshop “Mastering your Sales and Service Calls” which was attended by over 70 people. This year there was a focus on innovation and growth, providing TSS with valuable insights and strategies to stay up to date with technology, adapting to changes in buyers behaviour, market conditions & meeting the evolving needs of the dealer network. We also collaborated with other dealers and industry leaders to exchange ideas and best practices, ultimately driving our knowledge forward. Please see updates and highlights from this exciting event!
EV’s and China
Ev’s continue to be a hot discussion point for Dealers, OEM’s and customers. With over 70 brands in Australia already, there is a raft of new Chinese players who will be entering the market in the next 12 months which represents both challenges and opportunities for Dealers. With new emission regulations and a continued focus on greener transportation, it is the number of low cost Chinese electric vehicles being launched which will interesting to watch and see how they transform the market as we know it. Dealers are proceeding with caution with regards to used EV’s with price reductions on new EV’s and the influx of the cheaper Chinese vehicles.
Dealership Operations
With the quickly changing environment that we have experienced in the last 6months as new vehicle inventory levels increase, Used vehicle prices dropping and front end gross under pressure we are seeing a renewed focus on fixed operations. On the sales front it is about reinforcing processes within our sales teams as they have emerged from an order taking environment to a selling environment.
Marketing, AI, Customer experience
As the focus on customer experience increases, Dealers are continually looking for ways to enhance the customer experience online but with the majority of customers still electing to visit a Dealership the challenge is to create that experience at all stages of their research/enquiry to make the experience seamless. We also encounter this as part of our business as many customers still elect to phone a Dealership to assist in identifying which Dealership to visit. The use of AI and digital marketing continues to focus on not only growing sales but also growing service visits and retention.
Staff Development
Similar to the NADA conference held earlier this year in Las Vegas
- Leaders who prioritise learning and development attract and retain top talent – That’s because employees want to grow and advance in their careers, It’s a win-win situation for both the employer and the employee.
- There is a direct correlation between staff retention and customer retention – That makes sense – happy staff lead to happy customers after all. It just goes to show how important employee satisfaction is for overall business success.
- Dealers are finding it increasingly difficult to find and retain the right staff – This challenge is magnified by high turnover rates and a competitive job market.
Recap
- Staff development is crucial for employee and customer retention
- Marketing, AI, and CRM continue to be a focus as technology changes
- With customers still wanting to visit Dealers the customer experience should be priority at all stages of enquiry
- EV’s and the growing number of Chinese brands to change the auto landscape over the next 12 months
Thank you, TSS Team
