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ARKANSAS

CAR BUSINESS

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS INDEPENDENT AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION

FACEBOOK 101 ALSO NIADA Certified Grows PLUS NIADA Mobile Service for Smart Phones

DALLAS, TEXAS Permit No. 2079

PAID

PRSRT Standard U.S. Postage

Visit us at w w w.arkiada.org

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INSIDE

MEET THE 2011 AIADA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MAGAZINECONTENTS 6 Facebook 101 10 NIADA Certified Grows 14 NIADA Mobile Service for Smart Phones

New education sessions from the Conference of Automotive Remarketing are now running on NIADA.TV

Several educational sessions from the recent Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR) are now up and running free of charge on NIADA.TV. Over 12 sessions from

the recent conference will be posted to www.NIADA.TV throughout April and May, so check back often over the next few months. These sessions will be posted in NIADA.TV’s “Remarketing” Channel as well as in the “New Programs” Channel. Get caught up on the latest in “Remarketing” at your leisure 24/7 by visiting to niada.tv.

ADVERTISERSINDEX 71B Auto Auction ..............................................7 ADESA ....................................Inside Front Cover AutoTrader.com.................................. Back Cover Cars.com............................................................9 Chase..............................................................13 Manheim.com...........................Inside Back Cover SmartAuction.................................................... 11 Southern Pioneer Insurance.................................5 United Acceptance ..........................................12 Western General / Protective..............................3

NATIONAL INDEPENDENT AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION WWW.NIADA.COM • WWW.NIADA.TV NIADA HEADQUARTERS: 2521 BROWN BLVD. • ARLINGTON, TX 76006-5203 PHONE (817) 640-3838 FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT: TROY GRAFF (800) 682-3837 OR TROY@NIADA.COM.

THE ARKANSAS CAR BUSINESS IS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BY THE NATIONAL INDEPENDENT AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION SERVICES CORPORATION, 2521 BROWN BOULEVARD., ARLINGTON, TX 76006-5203; PHONE (817) 640-3838. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT DALLAS, TX AND AT ADDITIONAL OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO NIADA STATE PUBLICATIONS, 2521 BROWN BOULEVARD., ARLINGTON, TX 76006-5203. THE STATEMENTS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF ARKANSAS CAR BUSINESS OR THE NIADA. LIKEWISE, THE APPEARANCE OF ADVERTISERS, OR THEIR IDENTIFICATION AS MEMBERS OF NIADA, DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES FEATURED. COPYRIGHT 2011 BY NIADA SERVICES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. STATE MAGAZINE MGR./SALES Troy Graff • troy@niada.com EDITOR Mike Harbour • mharbour@niada.com PRODUCTION MGR. Jacob Kerns • jacob@niada.com ART/PRODUCTION MGR. Christy Haynes • christy@niada.com PRINTING Nieman Printing

FRAN CAVENAUGH STATE PRESIDENT

KENT STEGALL STATE VICE PRESIDENT

DON CAVENAUGH MOTORS Walnut Ridge

KENT STEGALL USED CARS El Dorado

DANE REED STATE TREASURER DANE’S AUTO SALES Pine Bluff

WILT LEAK STATE SECRETARY MAGNOLIA MOTOR CO. Magnolia

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS Region Region Region Region

One: Aaron Christie, Affordable Rent to Own, N. Little Rock Two: Al Pledger, Al Pledger Motors, Russellville Three: Matt Erisman, Automatic Finance, Springdale Four: Kurt Weiand, Pioneer Auto Auction, Hardy

Region Region Region Region

Five: Keith Bayird, Bayird Motors, Paragould Six: Kenneth Caruthers, Caruthers Auto & Equip. Sales, McRae Seven: Marty Davis, Davis Used Cars, El Dorado Eight: Open

Need Easy Training Opportunities For Your Dealership?

Check out the new Education and Training Consortium (ETC) to watch our list grow. The programs listed on this site have met stringent criteria that ensures that the program or product: s s s s

Responds to dealership needs of today; Demonstrates history of effectiveness; Comes with dealer recommendations; and Offers professional presentation of goods and services.

Just go to NIADA.com’s Education page and follow the links to ETC or contact Georgia Brown at 800-682-3837 for more information.

AUCTION DIRECTORY ADESA Little Rock/ ADESA Springdale Satellite Auction 8700 Highway 70 North Little Rock, AR 72117 Call: 501-945-2444 Fax: 501-945-2605 Gen. Mgr.: Bill Smith Asst. GM: Phillip Willis Sales Mgr.: Angela Sims Fleet/Lease Mgr.: Mike Davis Springdale Satellite Sales Mgr.: Donna Johnson 479-725-1330 Fleet/Lease and Consignment Every Thursday in Little Rock at 9:00am Weekly Tuesday Satellite Auction in Springdale, AR at 9:00am Inoperative Auction Every Other ursday 8:00am Recreational and Specialty Auction Every Thursday in Little Rock at 8:30 am Heavy Truck and Equipment Auction Monthly. Contact Angela Sims for dates and times. Featuring: VRS-CAC, Arvest Bank, Drive Financial, Americredit, ARI, GE Capital, Enterprise RAC, Simmons Bank, PAR Remarketing, SST Remarketing, HSBC, Key Bank, and Arkansas Federal CreditUnion. AFC Financing On-Site Restaurant Airport Shuttle Service Full Service Detail Dept. Body Shop Title Services On-Site Mechanic Shop Local/Nationwide Transport Web site: www.adesa.com

DON’T FORGET TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR IMPORTANT INFO: WWW.ARKIADA.ORG

Central Arkansas Auto Auction, Inc. Independent 205 Foster Drive - Beebe, AR 72012 Mail: P.O. Box 250 Beebe, AR 72012 Telephone: (501) 882-6447 Fax: (501) 882-5008 Web site: www.naaa.com

Dealers Auto Auction 1028 S. Portland Oklahoma City, OK 73108 405/947-2886 Fax: 405/943-8370 www.daaokc.com

PRIMARY CONTACTS: Delane Hooten, General Manager Debi Mitchell, Business Manager Type Of Sales Fleet/Lease Contact: Kim Miller & Neal Smith, Sales Consignment: Wednesday 9:30 a.m.

PRIMARY CONTACTS: Owner/ President: Gary Smith General Manager: Bruce Beam F/L Manager: Mike Egdahl Consignment Sale – Thursdays, 8:30am Featuring: Ford Credit, GMAC, AmeriCredit, Avis Budget Group, CitiFinancial, Hertz Carco, Hertz Corporation, RSA, LK Auto Remarketing, R.B. Leasing, W.M. Sales and Leasing, Bank Repos, Bob Howard Auto Group, Bob Moore Auto Group, David Stanley Auto Group, Joe Cooper Auto Group, Enterprise Holdings, Auto Advantage/ Express Credit Auto, Santander Consumer, Midwest Car Corp, ARI, Thrifty Car Rental, Finance Point, Liberty 1, Littleton, Automotive Solutions, BF Remarketing and many more. INOP Sale held weekly. Highline, Import and Special Interest sale as scheduled. GM Sponsored Closed Factory Sale - Every other Tuesday, 10am Auction Access accepted. A proud member of www.auctionpipeline.com Online purchasing available through Pipeline Simulcast. Full service Recon Facility (Paint/ Body, Mechanical, Detail)

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FACEBOOK 101

THE DEALERS SOCIAL MEDIA

BY DUSTIN JANSSON

How effective is your dealership’s following and interaction with Facebook and other social media? Most dealers

create a fan page, load a photo of their dealership and don’t invest any more time or effort in the page’s content or building the fan base. Although thousands of dollars are spent in a dealer’s monthly advertising budget, the Facebook and social media investment is often overlooked when it could be the best source of customer retention and referral business. Social media can be exceptionally beneficial when you’re dealing with hundreds of millions of people on multiple levels. First, you have the ability to connect with consumers on more of a personal level. Second, you create a one-off relationship where the thought of making a purchase from a dealer utilizing these tools is a much more comfortable engagement. Third, you can effectively continue a relationship with the consumer for years rather than days.

FACEBOOK FACTS

• More than 500 million active users • 5 0 percent of active users log on to Facebook in any given day

• Average user has 200 friends • P eople spend more than 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook

• 2 5 percent of all internet traffic in the U.S. is going through Facebook

• “Like” button found on two millionplus websites (Bing, etc.)

Start by tending to your own backyard… your customers! The horsepower of a fan page is built by your following that will give you the power to deliver your messages more efficiently and methodically. Advertising a sale every weekend by posting it on FB is not the answer.

Remember the customer calendars with the picture of them buying their car from your dealership and those cut-out coupons spread throughout months for service and parts? Social media is the same concept, but on steroids and at a fraction of the cost or effort! You want your customers to “like” your fan page because that shows their hundreds of FB friends they like you. You can take this one step further and take a picture of every customer in their new car and “tag” them in the photo. Once you’ve tagged that person, all their friends will see it, leading to limitless impressions! The immediate network everyone possesses on FB is your highway to customer retention and referral business. Try enticing your customers by offering a referral or bird-dog fee to give them incentive to engage their FB friends into your dealership. Again, social media is not necessarily lead generator, but a vessel to grow your business’s reputation on multiple levels. You may not get a Facebook message saying, “I would like to purchase a car from you,” but you will likely get recommendations from people in your network to buy from your dealership. Proper page setup and execution of your social media is important. Your dealership page should be set up as a fan page on FB, not a personal profile. Information and photo captions on fan pages are indexed for search engines, so make sure your information is complete and appropriately labeled. You also can have your inventory listed with videos, if applicable. Sending mass messages to your fans is only possible with fan pages. The list of fan page do’s and don’ts goes on and on so if you believe you need help with the setup of your social media pages contact DealerNet Solutions for some consulting. Execution of your social media really comes down to this: what reason do you give people to like your page and revisit

it? You need to run on all cylinders (sales, parts, service, customer appreciation, etc.). Make your content fun and attractive to the customer as well as informing and beneficial. Update your fans about the little league baseball team you sponsor, or about a little-known holiday that’s occurring today, then add something about the new offerings your service or detail department has. Prospecting with social media is possible, too. There is technology now available that allows you to enter keywords to search for in a specific geographic radius on the social networks. Every time those words show up in somebody’s shared post or tweet, you see them (e.g. shared post; I am looking at a Toyota Camry) and can often capture their contact info by just “friend-ing” or “following” them. Companies such as DealerNet Solutions have taken the lead in the social media realm by not only providing auto-targeting to capture the millions of consumers, but also by tying in traditional internet inventory posting on their social media thus creating a web around all aspects of internet marketing. Again, driving sales with Internet postings is not enough, but coupling it with social media creates a new generation of sales. All the potential is in the big picture. The way dealers advertise has changed immensely and the days of the instant leads are growing fewer. Your services and reputation are what set you apart from the rest of the competition. Being able to manage millions of potential customers will take you to the top. J A N S S O N provides consulting on social media and social media management tools as well as complete dealer inventory marketing and management products. Contact him at 303-232-3435 or dj@dealernetsolutions.com DUSTIN

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NADA Guide Analyst: Used Auto Prices Continue to Surge from Crisis in Japan

Prices of fuel-efficient, used autos – both at auction and at the retail level – continue to feel the ripple effect of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

SPRING

INTO ACTION NOW

VIEW OVER 450 HOURS OF DE ALER EDUC ATION SE S SIONS A S WELL A S OTHER SPECIAL TR AINING SEMINARS AND MONTHLY DE ALER TIP S 24/7 AT W W W.NIADA.T V

“The dramatic increase in wholesale vehicle prices indicates that buyers are expecting the supply of small, fuel-efficient cars to dwindle even more because of the crisis in Japan and gas prices that continue to rise,” said Jonathan Banks, executive automotive analyst for the NADA Used Car Guide. “In response to this trend, NADA values for April 2011 reflect large increases in most car segments compared to March 2011,” Banks added. “We’re basing our adjustments on the current market conditions and the expectation that these price increases will continue during the next few months.” From March 11 through March 28, for example, auction prices for two- to five-year-old compact cars, such as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus have increased by about 11 percent compared to February. Auction prices for intermediate-sized cars, such as the Nissan Altima, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu have increased by about 8.5 percent from March 11 through March 28 compared to February. Looking at the entire used-vehicle market from March 11 through March 28 compared to February, Banks said overall auction prices across all vehicle segments have increased by about 5 percent, which is higher than the expected seasonal improvement of 3 percent. The crisis in Japan and the subsequent damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant have caused several auto assembly and parts plants to suspend operations, interrupting the supply of new vehicles and parts for export to the U.S. market. “The impact of the crisis in Japan will have its most significant effect on the global auto industry during the next three months, unless Japan is able to quickly restore consistent power,” Banks said. “The bottom line is that price increases—for used cars in demand—are here to stay for the short term.”

PRODUCT DISCOUNTS FOR NIADA MEMBERS NIADA members can save up to 29 percent on select FedEx® shipping services. For more information or to enroll in this program, visit www.1800members.com/niada or call 800-636-2377 (8 a.m.–6 p.m. Eastern, Mon.-Fri.). enting a car just became easier and economical with the new R Thrifty Car Rental Discount Program for NIADA members. Visit www. thrifty.com/?iata=00227148&PromotionCode=NIADA to receive a 5 percent discount off Thrifty’s already low rates anywhere or any size vehicle in the U.S. A 24-hour advance reservation is required and reservations can only be made through this URL or via the link on the NIADA website. Offer is valid for travel until Dec. 31, 2011. AutoZone is the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States with over 4,350 stores across 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. NIADA members have access to AutoZone’s “hot-shot” delivery program including discounts on more than 750,000 product level SKUs in over 70 distinct product categories. NIADA members have our expert field management team and experienced Territory Sales Managers who every day do whatever it takes to help customers deliver the highest level of quality service, manage their shops efficiently, train their technicians and maximize their profits. For more information, contact AutoZone’s Sales Center at 1-866-727-5317 or sc53@autozone.com

ENTER SITE AND CLICK ON NEW PROGRAMS 8

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CARS

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N IADA/NAC CERTI FI ED PRO G R A M

GROWS WITH NEW PA R T N E R S H I P S, E N H A N C E M E N T S

BY C H RISTINA SC H R AN K

To give independent dealers the ability to compete with franchise dealers offering manufacturer certified pre-owned vehicles, NIADA and NAC (formerly National Auto Care) last year created NIADA Certified. The program

includes comprehensive 12-month, 12,000-mile warranty coverage with no deductible, 24-hour roadside assistance, towing, rental and more. In November 2010, the program underwent significant changes to incorporate more value for dealers and even higher satisfaction for customers. NIADA Certified added additional team members experienced in the used vehicle market to ensure processes were put in place that would support dealer certified success. Today, the program is supported by an active training calendar with contribution from strategic partners and best practice review. “Certified used autos has become its own listing category. Between new and used, the NIADA Certified program levels the playing field and allows independent dealers the opportunity to compete for those consumers looking for certified inventory,” said Greg Levi, NIADA Certified strategic relationship director. “The program allows independent automobile dealers the opportunity to create their own competitive program.” Subject to a comprehensive inspection, NIADA Certified vehicles include a 12-month, 12,000-mile limited warranty with a zero dollar deductible. Dealers will now be supported through ongoing training and best practices review by the NIADA Certified team. Better yet, even with the increased warranty coverage, the same eligibility guidelines for NIADA Certified qualify, including most 10-yearold or newer vehicle models with less than 100,000 miles.

“The independent market needed an answer to the manufacturers’ certification program and the NIADA certification program lives up to the promise,” Levi said. The positive consumer experience is assured by repairs that can be made at any licensed repair facility and with a program that’s supported by 25 years of administration experience. After a vehicle has passed an inspection that meets the program’s certification standards, it’s then registered with NIADA Certified through our unique online Express Lane™. Following registration, the dealer has access to a free copy of an AutoCheck® vehicle history report, the ability to print a compliant buyer’s guide, print a clean and professional inspection checklist which can be used in either the showroom or online, plus the capability to export certified inventory to third party portals including Auttr Motors, eBay® Motors, and EVERYCARLISTED. com®. These exports provide the ability to advertise the vehicle as NIADA Certified and offer it with a limited warranty that begins when the vehicle is retailed to the consumer. These many new partnerships with third party portals, especially its newly announced affiliation with eBay® Motors, allow the dealer’s NIADA Certified inventory to be discovered with a search for certified inventory alongside manufacturer results. NIADA Certified is the first independent certification program to be recognized with the manufacturer programs. And, because our system is Web-based, all of this – and much more – is accessible to dealers in just a few simple clicks. The program coverage enhancements have allowed us the opportunity to grow and add to our strategic partnerships, provide above-and-beyond support and service and give dealers a way to offer consistent value to consumers and solidify relationships with lenders.

NIADA Certified most recently partnered with eBay® Motors as one of our program’s inventory exports. Each program dealership will have its NIADA Certified inventory exported to eBay® Motors classifieds, providing a free listing to be displayed to all within a 200-mile radius of each dealer. Also, NIADA Certified recently announced a partnership with OPENLANE, an online auction company which now offers program listings to dealers on Open Auction. This new listing acknowledgement gives the NIADA Certified brand additional creditability and provides an option to those dealers who want to wholesale inspected vehicles which meet the program’s certification standards. “These many new third party online portal partnerships are vital to the success of our NIADA Certified program,” said Michael Linn, CEO of NIADA. “The recognition and powerful marketing arm these online portals provide is invaluable to all of the dealers who participate in the program. It’s like free advertising, and research proves over and over again that online listings that promote certified vehicles sell faster and for a larger profit.” The NIADA Certified team also has focused efforts on building partnerships with lenders in order to create incentives and discounts on funding for NIADA Certified vehicles. Recently, NIADA Certified announced Columbus Finance, Inc., a lender serving the central Ohio market, agreed to give dealers an additional 10-percent advance (up to $1,000) and will offer customers one percentage point off program rates when purchasing a NIADA Certified vehicle. The team also is working with additional lenders to put together similar partnerships and lender opportunities to dealers across the country. C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 12

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C O N T I N U E D F RO M PAG E 10

“As our NIADA Certified program continues to grow, so will the lender partnerships associated with it, at the local, statewide and national levels,” said Linn. “Over the past four years, NIADA has been highly successful at bringing lenders and dealers together, and the NIADA Certified program is another great opportunity to expand on great relationships like the one locally that was just announced in Ohio.” The NIADA Certified team is excited about the momentum that’s been building during the first quarter of 2011. Today, there are 120 dealers participating in the program in 30 states around the country and the number is growing weekly. Those dealers are enjoying the benefits of the NIADA Certified team’s support before, during and after initiation into the program. Now, after signing on to participate in the free program, dealers attend an online implementation webinar hosted by our NIADA Certified team. The webinar is interactive and allows our team to review the program, tools, best practices and, most importantly, how to get the program started within a dealership. The training is available for both the dealer and their personnel every week.

Once implementation training has been completed, marketing materials are sent to the dealership and our training team follows up to ensure the dealer has all the information and tools needed to succeed. Our team then consistently communicates with each dealer on items such as program enhancements and additional training opportunities and continues to review best practices.

NAC is the administrator of the NIADA Certified program. The warranties are backed by an A-rated insurance carrier with more than $26 billion in assets, a figure that gives dealers with the peace of mind provided only by a fully insured program. There is zero dealer liability for repairs that fall under the warranty period. All dealers on the program receive a contractual liability insurance policy issued directly from the insurance company. For more information on NIADA Certified, call 800-840-2567 or visit www. niadacertified.com. Don’t forget to visit often, as the site is constantly updated with new and exciting information, announcements and program enhancements. NIADA Certified also can be followed on Facebook, Auttr and Twitter. CHRISTINA SCHRANK

is the vice president of marketing for NAC and a 15-year veteran of the auto industry. NAC has been developing innovative, value-based aftermarket products and competitive service agreement programs for automotive, power sports, and recreational vehicles for almost 30 years.

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CNW

Dealers Are Finding Inventory Short on Cars

In what could be stemming from gasprice anxiety, dealers’ used-vehicle inventory on hand appears to be changing. And the shift that CNW Research spotted could possibly end up being “troubling” for dealers. What, exactly, did CNW see? Basically, CNW noticed instead of there being a shortage of trucks within dealership inventories, dealers are now finding that their lots are short on cars. Overall, used-vehicle days’ supply in March was estimated to be 48.27 days. CNW noted used vehicles are available, but suggested this possible shift in the mix of cars and trucks may be troubling for dealers. In recent years, CNW explained, truck demand has been stronger than car demand. “Beginning in February, though, the trend changed,” said Art Spinella, president of CNW. “Of inventory on hand, cars now represent about 92 percent of days’ supply while trucks have climbed to over 110 percent. “If this were a one-month snapshot, it could be written off as merely an anomaly,” he added. “And it still may not be reflective of a long-term trend. But it is worth noting.”

He went on to suggest a likely impetus for the change is concerns about gas prices may finally have hit home and sent people to the car side. “While this will have little impact on casual sales, it will definitely affect franchised and independent dealerships who now have to beware of overloading lots with trucks or being forced to lower truck prices to facilitate a sale,” he said. CNW Projects Robust March With March used-vehicle sales projected to show as high as a 6-percent year-over-year spike, the first quarter of 2011 is likely to signal some significant progress for the used side of the market. Pushed by looser credit, CNW is projecting used sales in March will show anywhere from a 5.5-percent to a 6-percent improvement from the 2.39 million used sales in March 2010. “That would make the opening quarter of 2011 the best since 2008 – 6.336 million versus 6.63 million three years ago,” Spinella noted.

CNW also looked at sales per outlet data for independent stores in February and discovered this average increased by double digits. Specifically, the company found independents moved an average of 17.6 vehicles per outlet during February, which marks a 15.7-percent hike from the 15.2 unitper-store average from a year ago. “In fact, because of the decline in the economy in 2008 and 2009, the independent dealer body shrunk dramatically,” Spinella said. “With an economic uptick and the availability of inventory, there are more independent outlets today. Outlook: a better profit picture for independents.” Web Trends Another area of the used market CNW examined was used-vehicle sales in the online arena. The company found the sales rate of Internet vehicles came in at 26.9 percent during February. A year ago, it was at 23.9 percent. “The 12.7-percent boost represents a near 90,000 unit increase,” Spinella said. “Total inventory offered on the Internet is four percentage points larger than last year.”

Based in your community, focused on your business. Custom Finance offers full-spectrum financing to meet the needs of a diverse customer base. Coupled with fast decisions and efficient funding, your local Custom Finance team helps you meet the needs of deserving borrowers with less-than-perfect credit. Your dedicated sales and credit team is waiting for your call. Ask about the advantages of signing with Chase today.

Tulsa Business Center Hours of Service: M-Th 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., F 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Center Manager, Brian Crawford T: 918-586-5501

Relationship Manager, Max Ellis T: 405-850-3252

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NEW NIADA MOBILE SERVICE

FOR SMART PHONES PUTS KE Y APPR AISAL DATA , MEMBER NE WS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS BY S C O T T L I L JA , V I C E P R E S I D E N T, N I A DA M E M B E R S E RV I C E S

This spring, NIADA members will have access to a new mobile application tool from NIADA that will enhance their productivity and profitability and stay up to date on the latest developments impacting their dealership.

This new tool, NIADA Mobile Service, is accessible by Apple iPhones, Android-type phones and other select models. It puts at members’ fingertips a wealth of critical data to help them make better vehicle appraisal, purchase and retail sales decisions. Now, members can access their subscriptions to appraisal services from NADA Guidebook, Kelley Blue Book, Black Book, and Galves Auto Price List. They also will access run lists from participating auctions. Furthermore, NIADA Mobile Service links them by smart phone to select content on NIADA.com. Here’s how NIADA Mobile Service will streamline your operations: On the lot or on line: More quickly appraise a vehicle, for customers at your lot or those selling online through sites such as Craigslist. Access your guide book vehicle appraisal service or a market report – or your subscription vehicle history report service – on the specific unit. Have at your fingertips the right current facts to pencil your best deal. Buying from auction: You can access the auction’s pre-sale run list while at the auction or sitting in your office. You may view the inventory then, once you land on a unit you like, press on the appropriate smart phone icons to pop up auction-supplied information about the unit, its appraisal data, and a vehicle history report. Continual and timely updates ensure you have the freshest available data. During a moment of downtime: Activity suddenly slows its hectic pace for a few minutes, so you use the time to access the NIADA website. There you check some key association information or watch a NIADA.TV video you’d put off. The service also alerts you to urgent messages that might require immediate action. Designed for NIADA

NIADA Mobile Service was developed by leading automotive mobile applications developer and NIADA technology partner and advisor GigglePop.com Inc. The company is importing NIADA web content and coupling it with existing GigglePop software mobile applications. GigglePop’s technology is known

for speed, accuracy and, of course, mobility. Its fat-finger icon or button designs are a special value when searching for key information when working in distracting environments like auctions. These large icon designs help users easily find and stroke with their fingers the right icons or buttons they want, reducing keystroking errors. As NIADA’s technical partner, GigglePop will continue to support Mobile Service and be an industry liaison for NIADA Mobile. Accessible subscription guidebook data and features through Mobile Service include:

Customizable software settings s All guidebook regions or states include s VIN look-up decoder s Stores booked vehicles, recall in an instant s Enter personal notes on booked vehicles s Lists and sorts appraised vehicles s Re-values saved vehicles with each new update s Automatically updates wirelessly s Barcode scanning capability s Seamless integration with all GigglePop valuation tools, including vehicle history report subscription services and auction run lists s SmartBid Market Report s Large easy-to-read fonts s

NIADA Mobile Service also makes your day at the auction simple, easy and productive. Accessible auction run list data from participating auctions includes: s

s s

s s s

s s

Search by lane or run number to view auction vehicle data Barcode scanning capability Continual auction run list updates even while auction is in progress View those late arrivals Save target vehicle data for future reference Enter personal notes and bid pricing on specific vehicle records Lists and sorts saved target vehicles Seamless integration with all GigglePop valuation tools, including Guide Books, Vehicle History and participating Market Reports

In addition to providing mobile access to these key services, NIADA Mobile Service also connects members to select NIADA content on the NIADA site. Wherever you are, you can stay on top of moving legislative decisions, regulatory compliance issues, new NIADA member services and educational programs.

Especially in today’s market, still recovering from the recession, this mobile service will help members operate more profitably. It puts at hand the insight needed to buy and sell more profitably and keep abreast of industry news and events influencing the used vehicle retail market. The more competitive dealers today are clearly adapting to our changing industry by using mobile technologies and solutions to help them better manage their used vehicle operations, inventories, vehicle sourcing and retail sales processes.

DELIVERS TANGIBLE MEMBER BENEFITS Members’ use of the NIADA Mobile Service tool will help them:

I dentify quality, retail-ready inventory: Mobile accessibility to auction inventory as well as vehicle valuation guides can help dealers meet challenges presented by the economic fallout from the last three years’ depressed vehicle sales, drop in leasing activity and reduced stream of fleet rentals into the remarketing stream. s Source the right-priced vehicle for the customer: Reduced levels of wholesale units flowing into remarketing channels have made it more difficult to source and match the right vehicle to customers’ ability to pay. NIADA Mobile Service helps dealers locate those vehicles at an acquisition price the customer can afford and finance, while providing enhanced profit for the dealer. s

Often spread thin by needing to be in the office, on the lot and at the auction seemingly simultaneously, the independent used auto dealer must use time and resources wisely. By adding this new Mobile Service tool to the NIADA portfolio of member services, the association helps its members access critical association information and related vehicle valuation, history reports and auction run list services right from their smart phone. As market needs continue to change and dealers seek new ways to remain competitive, like purchasing inventory outside their local market areas and using web-based competitive vehicle analysis and pricing tools, GigglePop and NIADA will continue to enhance Mobile Service to help dealers make the most informed and profitable business decisions.

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NEW APPROVED MEMBERS FOR DECEMBER 2010 Contact At Once REGION

COMPANY NAME

CONTACT

ADDRESS

City

PARTNER FOR DEALER CHAT AVAIL ABILIT 8 Bell's Auto Wholesale Michael Bell 214 HigdonYFerry Rd.

Hot Springs

AAA Transport/Auto

8 AutoTrader.com Sales and Contact At Once recently partnered to deliver chat functionality to dealers who list their 8 Central Auto Sales vehicles for sale on the site.

Charles 135believe Reindeer Ct. consumerPike experience. They this function has been shown to increase the number of chat Mike & Stacey 3925 Central Ave. inquiries dealerships receive. Steven-Assheuer AutoTrader.com pointed out the dealer Callahan Motoris a part of The dealer live chat feature live chat solution is also presence aware, so Company, Inc. Michael Callahan 7821 Alcoa to Road 1 AutoTrader.com’s Connections Bundle, which consumers will only be prompted initiate 1 to provide Satterfield Motor, John Landreaux 22615 I-30 is intended dealers with Co. multiple a chat session if a representative is available, avenues to build and foster relationships with ensuring consumers are never left hanging. shoppers online. The Connections Bundle Additionally, the Contact At Once dealer FORlive DECEMBER 2010 alsoRENEWED includes dealer MEMBERS ratings, social media chat solution can enable dealers to conduct Larry Barnett/Bobby connections and Sitelink Advanced. chats via their iPads, smartphones or other 5 Legend Motors P.O. Box 19006 Officials believe the integration of Malone chat mobile devices. capability through chatMotor software provider Warford Dealers can be responsive to consumer 3 Bradley Warford 1323 S. School Ave. www.autodealerchat.com Company can enable dealers to inquiries even when they’re not at their desks, instantly connect with prospects via text-based according to the companies. Van Thomas Auto 4 Van Thomas P.O. Box 9 Buyer conversations online and boost the bundle’s According to the recent Automotive Sales overall value. Towell & Sons Auto Influence Study conducted by Polk and Carroll Towell P O spend Box 728 After5 an extensive AutoTrader.com, consumers 18 to 19 Salessearch and testing process, AutoTrader.com explained it selected Contact hours shopping for vehicles before they A Manheim Dallas Barry A. Roop 5333 W. Kiestmake Blvd At Once to power the dealer live chat solution a purchase with about 60 percent of that time Payton Select because4 of Contact At Once’s position as a Payton John P O Box 466 spent online. Automotive, leader in the space and abilityInc. to deliver a bestHowever, the study found consumers have Myers Enterprises P.up O.the Box 1077 in-class7 chat experience for both dealers Victor and Myers shown a reluctance to pick phone to call Hwy. 71 South, consumers. dealers during their search and have long been 8 Auto Exchange, Inc. Chuck Cox P.O. Box 13leading Officials highlighted the chat window can dissatisfied with e-mail response times, display5the name and photo of actual dealership 70 percent to just walk intoP.O. a dealership without Bayird Motors Keith Bayird Box 488 employees, a Tri feature meant first making contact. State Autoto improve the A-3 Berl Harris P.O. Box 96 Auction 4 1 1 A-7

Mitchell 's Used Cars Countryside Motors, Inc. Linn's Auto, Inc. Applied Computer Solutions

ZIP

PHONE

71913

501-627-2049

Hot Springs 501-520-1099 “Faster than e-mail71913 and more convenient than a phone call, online chat enables consumers to Hot Springs 501-520-4777 get instant answers71913 to their questions while enabling dealers to begin creating a relationship with shoppers before they show up on the Benton 72015president 501-794-1022 lot,” said AutoTrader.com and chief Bryant 72022 501-213-0081 executive officer Chip Perry. “We are pleased with the performance of the Contact At Once dealer live chat platform and excited about the value it has already brought both dealers and consumers. Jonesboro 72402 ” 870-931-7700 Early value tests conducted by AutoTrader. com showed dealers who added dealer live chat Fayetteville 72701 479-443-0411 to their listings experienced an average lift in shopper interaction of about 20 percent. Gassville 72635 “AutoTrader.com’s embrace870-435-6291 affirms the mainstream status of dealer live chat software Manila 870-561-4577 and signals a new 72442 reality — that dealers not using chat are missing sales opportunities, ” said Dallas 75236 214-330-1800 John Hanger, president and CEO of Contact At Heber 72543 Once. “We are honored to have501-362-5815 been selected Springs and look forward to working with AutoTrader. Hampton 71744 870-798-2600 com to connect dealers and consumers. ” Dealers who are interested in learning Ashdown 71822 870-898-5172 more about the Connections Bundle should talk to their AutoTrader.com advertising Paragould 72451 870-236-8784 consultants. Gravette 72736 479-787-5433

Steve Mitchell

P.O. Box 2590

Mountain View

72560

870-269-3970

Barney & Angela Burrow

818 Hwy. 64 East

Conway

72032

501-796-3344

Danny & Linda Linn

P O Box 2230

Conway

72032

800-862-6464

Kurt Searvogel

168 Grant 748

Sheridan

72150

870-942-4322

MEMBER APPLICATION

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CARFA X L AUNCHES ADVANTAGE PROGRAM FOR DEALERS NEW PROGRAM DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE SHOPPER’S DEALER CHOICE, ENHANCE CONFIDENCE

Carfax is giving dealers a powerful new way to attract customers using the Carfax brand. The Carfax Advantage™ Dealer Program distinguishes Carfax-subscribing dealers that are committed to transparency. Through the program,

participating dealers can set themselves apart from their competition. Used car shoppers know they can buy with greater confidence when shopping at any Carfax Advantage dealership. “Being a Carfax Advantage dealer with unlimited access to Carfax Reports, Carfax has quickly become one of our most valued partners,” said Adam Warmka, general sales manager at Dick Brantmeier Ford Lincoln Kia in Wisconsin. “We use them when we’re buying cars to make sure everything checks out and our salespeople are constantly asking for printed copies so they can show our customers. Every car we list online has a Carfax Report. Carfax is in our advertising, out in front of our dealership and on every car in our inventory. We use them every day.” According to recent research, more than 80% of used car shoppers surveyed said they would prefer to shop at a Carfax Advantage dealership. Carfax Advantage dealers have another way of building confidence with used car buyers and help customers make faster buying decisions. “Our participation in the Carfax Advantage program has helped us build credibility with customers,” said Dan Moltz, general manager at Car Center of Waldorf, Md. “We show the Carfax up front on every car. Customers appreciate it and the result is additional sales and higher customer satisfaction. Also, by pulling Carfax Reports prior to buying inventory, we shorten our turn, which we all know increases retained earnings. The more you turn, the more you earn.” As part of the program, participating dealers have unlimited access to Carfax Vehicle History Reports and Carfax Auction Quick Check, plus a Consumer Information Pack for every car being retailed. Carfax also provides enhanced point-of-sale materials for free, including new items that highlight Carfax Advantage dealerships. “Transparency greatly influences consumers when making their dealer choice,” said Bill Eager, vice president of Carfax. “Thousands of consumers we tested said that the Carfax Advantage program means trust and confidence. They know immediately that a Carfax Advantage dealer will show them the Carfax. As a result, participating dealers enhance their reputation and sell more cars faster.”

PRE-GAME WARM-UP:

REVIEW FINANCING PRACTICES AHEAD OF CFPB AND FTC RULES It’s the beginning of the baseball season. Experts are poring over team rosters, game schedules and statistics to predict the season’s outcome. The fun and fear

is the element of the unknown. The same is true of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. As it takes shape, we are checking its roster of leaders and their speeches and public announcements to predict first-year activities. The fear, not so much the fun, is the element of the unknown. One unknown is how the bureau and the Federal Trade Commission will define an unfair, deceptive, or abusive act or practice in motor vehicle financing. The Dodd-Frank Act authorizes them to make and enforce rules to prevent such acts and practices in consumer financial products and services. Many states already have similar statutes, but each state has its own unique definitions and case law. Some states have developed a large body of case law defining the standard, but the Dodd-Frank Act will add a unique layer of federal law, regulations and court decisions. State attorneys general also can sue to enforce federal law, so we may see case law develop based on unique state decisions to enforce. In addition, state laws that provide greater consumer protection will continue to be enforceable. The FTC recently announced it’s conducting public roundtables in three to five cities around the U.S. to discuss consumer protection issues in connection with motor vehicle sales and leasing. It published a list of discussion topics indicating the acts and practices under the most intense scrutiny. The list includes yo-yo financing, finance company incentives to dealers resulting in more expensive credit, interest rate mark-ups and upfront charges of which the consumer is unaware, negative equity financing, selling and financing add-on products and services and use of GPS location devices. Details may be found at ftc.gov. Information from the roundtable meetings will likely shape the FTC’s view on whether the practices discussed are in any way unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices. The meetings will likely be a game changer. Whether or not you participate in the meetings, you should review your dealership’s practices in these areas. The legal standard for review will develop over time. For now, I suggest the common person standard: Would you be comfortable having your practices displayed on the Jumbotron at the ball game? BY C H I P Z Y VO LOSK I

Chip Zyvoloski is senior attorney for indirect lending at Wolters Kluwer Financial Services. For more information, visit www.wolterskluwerfs.com/indirect.

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