Monthly Archives: February 2012
Our Biggest NADA 2012 Take-Away
It’s been a few weeks now since the NADA Convention in Las Vegas, which has given me some time to step back and really digest the event and all that it encompassed. And the thought I keep coming back to is this: Walking the halls of the NADA Convention this year was like walking into a well-run dealership.
Let me explain.
When I walk into a dealership (and I visit several each week), I can instantly tell you if that dealership is profitable and well-run. I can do this simply by feeling the air in the dealership. Is it light? Is it customer-centric? Was I greeted when I walked in? Did the staff go out of their way to make me feel at home?
Or was it the opposite? Was the air heavy? Did a salesperson size me up as a vendor, walk right past and not bother with me? Was the receptionist more interested in getting back to her private phone call than in greeting me properly? Was it dirty and uninviting? And the ultimate litmus test for dealerships: Was the bathroom clean?
My takeaway from the NADA Convention was that there was a genuine lightness in the air, born of the promise that the market may have finally turned a corner. From the speakers to the vendors to those walking the floor, I heard the same mantra again and again. Gone was the fatalism of “This year just CAN’T be worse than last year … can it?†I’ve heard all too often these past few years, replaced by genuine optimism that consumers are ready to buy again, and in significant numbers.
If the positive vibe I felt at the NADA Convention is any indication, 2012 should be a very good year for dealerships as the economic recovery continues … so long as they’re willing to share that good-spiritedness with each and every potential customer.
February 24, 2012
DOM Unveils New Corporate Website. Take a Look Around!
Well, we did it. After several weeks (and some long nights) of development, planning, creating and coding, the new Dealer Online Marketing website is live and ready for viewing!
We hope that you’ll find our new website to be informative, educational and (at times) entertaining. We’ll be keeping you updated regularly with blog posts like this one about what’s up at DOM, as well as items of interest (created by us and others) that we think will help you and your dealership.
So take a look around and kick a tire or two, and please feel free to leave a comment to let us know what you think of our new website.
February 22, 2012
DOM Attends NADA Annual Convention in Las Vegas
We’re sitting on the tarmac of LAS ready to head home to Greenville after a successful NADA convention. Adrianna, Darryl and I had a great time meeting with many of our clients, suppliers and partners, as well as meeting several new potential customers.
The expo on Saturday was an excellent opportunity to check out the latest and greatest of what the automotive industry has to offer. The NADA University Workshops provided validation that the path DOM is on is most definitely the correct one. (Thanks, Google!)
We also had an opportunity to hear several of the guest speakers. I was especially moved by Aron Ralston’s story of survival and courage. Being an avid cyclist myself, I found myself relating to his continued desire to chase the rush of the outdoors even after such a traumatic experience. I did promise my wife, though, that I’ll make sure she knows where I’m headed on bike treks from now on.
Thanks to everyone that we had a chance to meet while in Vegas, and my apologies if we didn’t. I’m looking forward to doing it all again next year.
February 6, 2012
