http://www.dalepollak.com Used Car Market - A Guide for Success Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:59:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/02/04/dont-online-auction-proxy-bids-work-dealers/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/02/04/dont-online-auction-proxy-bids-work-dealers/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:59:08 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2577   I’ve been asking that question lately as I hear two recurring complaints from dealers about their ability to buy vehicles via online auction proxy bids: 1. The success rate with proxy bidding is too low. Dealers say they may acquire one out of every 10 vehicles they try to obtain with proxy bids—a 10 [...]]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/02/04/dont-online-auction-proxy-bids-work-dealers/feed/ 2 http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/22/looktobook/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/22/looktobook/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:49:37 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2563 I received the following email regarding look-to-book. My response is below. Could you tell me what the look to book % should be? Thanks Pam   Pam, There are many variables that can affect look-to-book. Some of these include the strength of your new car franchise, whether you require customers to make a firm commitment [...]]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/22/looktobook/feed/ 1 http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/18/cars-pack-money/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/18/cars-pack-money/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:09:43 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2554 Here’s an exchange that I recently had with a used car manager. Dale, My name is Josh. I am the used car manager at a Toyota store. At our store, we averaged 46 new and 30 used for 2011. We have had modest growth in used cars the last couple of years until last year [...]]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/18/cars-pack-money/feed/ 0 http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/17/unknowns-car-retailing/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/17/unknowns-car-retailing/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:32:45 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2545 I recently read a column in the New York Times that discussed the “known unknowns” of our current time. The writer, author Geoffrey Wheatcroft, defines the term as “things that were not at all inevitable, and were easily knowable, or indeed known, but which people chose to ‘unknow.’” He then describes how “known unknowns” were [...]]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/17/unknowns-car-retailing/feed/ 6 http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/13/early-results-provision-system-powerful/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/13/early-results-provision-system-powerful/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:39:24 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2538 Marc Ray of Grogan’s Town Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Ohio sent me an email this morning telling me that his AutoTrader Demand Index for December 2011 was 210.  The demand index is a measurement that shows how well a dealer’s inventory is aligned to what shoppers in their market are searching for on AutoTrader, relative [...]]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2012/01/13/early-results-provision-system-powerful/feed/ 0 http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/11/08/ill-give-inbut/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/11/08/ill-give-inbut/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:20:55 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2421 I’m getting flooded with calls and e-mails from dealers who want to know more about the 11 a.m. (Central) webinar on Friday (11-11-11) before they commit to participating.  So, I’ll give in just a little bit: The webinar will be the industry’s first peek at vAuto’s new used vehicle management engine that incorporates real-time market [...]]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/11/08/ill-give-inbut/feed/ 0 http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/10/07/online-vehicle-shoppers-albert-einstein/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/10/07/online-vehicle-shoppers-albert-einstein/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:42:45 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2380 I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how and why vehicle buyers use the Internet to shop for and ultimately purchase vehicles. In recent months, AutoTrader.com has published dealership survey data that shows 80 percent of online vehicle shoppers don’t call or e-mail a dealership after they’ve scouted units online—they just show up at your [...]]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/10/07/online-vehicle-shoppers-albert-einstein/feed/ 11 http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/10/04/inventory-market-values-fallen/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/10/04/inventory-market-values-fallen/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:07:49 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2357 Here’s a great question from an outstanding Velocity dealer. Dale- Given the deflationary wholesale market that we’re probably going to see over the next couple of months what are your thoughts about holding onto vehicles longer/waiting to wholesale them until dealers tell their used car managers in late December/January to “go get me some used [...]]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/10/04/inventory-market-values-fallen/feed/ 7 http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/09/16/common-problem/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/09/16/common-problem/#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:47:29 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2320 Below you’ll find a question that I recently received from a used car manager.  I thought that his question and my response would have relevance to many others. Hi Dale, I am an Internet Manager and I recently was hired at a new store with a lot of potential. We have an inventory of over [...]]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/09/16/common-problem/feed/ 0 http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/06/16/autopilot-work/ http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/06/16/autopilot-work/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:48:15 +0000 dpollak http://www.dalepollak.com/?p=2240 ]]> http://www.dalepollak.com/2011/06/16/autopilot-work/feed/ 4