There is no doubt that dealership operations have been impacted by the pandemic. In fact, we even saw some dealers taking a creative approach to reach consumers at home. On today’s show, we’re pleased to welcome Zach Klempf, Founder and CEO of Selly Automotive to discuss the dealership buying experience and what Selly Automotive is doing.
Klempf starts the conversation off by telling us about the shifts Selly Automotive has been making to combat the impact Covid has had on their business. He states that due to the pandemic the buying experience became top of mind. Dealerships had to learn how to differentiate themselves against competitors such as Carvana and Vroom. Having key digital tools made the overall car buying experience better.
When asked about the rush to go into digital retailing, Klempf says, he believes digital retailing is one part of the customer buying experience, and not every customer is going to make a purchase 100% online. He believes the digital retail experience are more than just a tool on the website to calculate payments.
It’s also how the dealer interfaces with the customer. Some customers want the dealership experience and there are different ways to do that. Dealers can text, video call, and do video walkarounds. You want to make the experience for the customer as easy as possible.
Klempf says he believes ten years from now that 70 to 80% of the market will complete the entire process online to purchase a new or used car.
Klempf continues to say their biggest issue currently, is acquiring inventory. They’re finding more creative ways by not just going to auctions, and buying out of state but creating a digital space as well.
At Selly, their team has just released Smart Text automation. It not only helps dealers be efficient in texting but making sure the right messaging is being sent and on time.
Klempf ends the conversation by stating that customers want the digital interface and it’s up to the dealers to make it happen.
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