Page 38 - GIADA Aug2017Digital

COMPLIANCE

Defining the Edealership

Evolving times require evolving minds. Compliance expert offers a case study to help conceptual-
ize the concept of converting brick-and-mortar dealerships into Internet sales hubs.

BY GIL VAN OVER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AUTOMOTIVE COMPLIANCE EDUCATION (ACE)
Paul Simon rode up the pop charts in the ry of Kodak, which, around 1989, decided
mid-’70s with “Kodachrome,” a song that ex- against bringing the first digital camera to See, our industry has been evolving toward
tolled the virtues of Kodak camera film. Buy market for fear it would cannibalize its high- this edealership concept. Problem is, the
a roll, take some pictures, get it developed at ly successful photography business. Well, push seems to be focused solely on digitiz-
the local photo shop, and return a week later by the time Kodak realized its mistake, the ing sales and F&I processes. But there’s a lot
to be disappointed. company was filing for bankruptcy. more to it than simply allowing people to
complete a deal online. There’s econtract-
See, most the pictures, you’d discover, were Kodak did recover, altered its business, and ing, emarketing, and so on and so forth. The
either out of focus, had people with eyes is now fully engaged in the digital camera lack of a true definition of what edealership
shut, or the lens cap was inadvertently left business. And, yes, it’s still printing photos. means is probably why a Google search of
on. The manufacturer didn’t care. You paid Well, dealers are at the same crossroads as the term returns a Canadian company that
for the film, the developing chemicals and Kodak’s management team was at nearly uses it to market a fuel system.
the paper on which the photo was printed. three decades ago. And if they continue us-
ing Sharpies and four-squares, they are likely So henceforth, I am defining and promoting
I bring this up because there’s no better ex- headed toward a similar fate as Kodak — if an edealership concept to consolidate the
ample of the need to innovate than the sto- they’re lucky. various eprocesses dealers use in sales and

36 | GIADA Independent Auto Dealer AUGUST 2017