While the Internet has become as much a part of our lives as… well… breathing… Believe it or not, there are still some who feel that online sales will never become a viable source of revenue for their business. Several years back, I probably would have said the same thing when I opened my little cafe in…
I am a huge fan of the auction arena. The energy… the excitement… the sense of urgency to get the bid in… I get it! However, I’m also a huge fan of efficiency, opportunity, technology, and, well… heat! Old-school mentality dictates that purchasing vehicles requires the buyer to be able to kick the tires, listen…
When I first began consulting with auto auctions regarding their online initiative, as a regular practice I would audit the customer experience. Many times I found that lane bidders were given the upper-hand when it came to close decisions, and I expressed this concern to several auctioneers who would explain,”When it comes down to it,…
It used to be that B2B solutions varied drastically from the world of B2C. The notion that businesses had a very ‘narrow market’ served to justify the absence of marketing and/or an investment towards customer research and development. Well, that belief system may be true in the physical world, but the virtual realm has leveled the playing…
You’ve come to the realization that you need to ‘step it up’ when it comes to the online… So what’s the plan? Hire sales people? Well let’s take a look at the effectiveness of that strategy with a short visual exercise… Envision standing in the middle of a room, and the floor starts caving in. Would your first…
The Customer Perspective Your lane customers show up to the sale, and they are welcomed with greetings from the staff, Early Bird Specials, free lunch, a chance to win prizes by participating in physical activities after the sale… It’s all part of the physical auction experience. The online customer logs in… no incentive to attend,…
One of the hardest parts about transitioning an old school business to the modern age of digital, is the belief that everything must be done in person. “Customers have to be able to kick the tires!” “You have to shake the customer’s hand, and look them in the eye!” These statements are the low-hanging fruit…
For many, the hardest part about adapting, is breaking from routine. When you have gotten to the point where you feel like you’ve trained your staff well enough to do the job in their sleep, you are more apt to reject any new procedures, no matter how much opportunity they present, or how much efficiency…
The Online Perception Perhaps Buzz is a bit naive… or… maybe Woody has had a bad experience in the past. (For those of you who don’t have have kids, I am referencing the image above.) The bottom line is that you have 2 different characters, with 2 different reactions to the same activity: buying vehicles…
Today I was asked, “What would you do if someone said, I will give you a million dollars if you will turn my online auction around in 2 weeks? What is the first thing you would need to do to make that happen?” Well, I would start with a reality check! 2 weeks? For years,…