This Year's Annual Synergy Session Event: "Bigger and Better Than Ever"

Recognized by Dealix in 2005, 2006, and 2007 as the best Internet sales training company, Dealer Synergy was recently awarded the 2008 Dealer Choice Platinum Award by AutoSuccess Magazine. Things have been going very well, in other words, and this year's annual Synergy Session event is a reflection of that, as founder and CEO Sean Bradley told us when we spoke to him recently. What follows is more of what he had to say about the upcoming event and the Internet sales philosophy that has contributed so heavily to the success of Dealer Synergy and its clients.

Dealix Dealer Newsletter (DDN): Sean, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. First of all, tell us about your upcoming event. When is it, where is it, and what will be happening there?

Sean Bradley (SB): This is our third annual get-together. It's something Dealer Synergy has been putting together in order to punctuate the work we do every day with our dealer clients. This year we're expanding what had been a one-day event to two days - May 13 and 14 - and inviting everyone down to New Orleans. That great city is getting back on its feet, and we're proud to contribute to its reconstruction and revitalization.

The speakers list will be phenomenal. It includes Charlie Vogelheim, a VP at JD Power and Associates, Mark Dubis, formerly the editor of Digital Dealer Magazine, and Dealix's own Kevin Root, who has done so much to define what Internet sales means for the automotive industry.

There's not one bit of filler. All the presenters are heavy hitters, and I can personally attest for the value of what will be a really powerful workshop. I know most dealers have read and benefited from Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Well, DeVerl Austin, a highly noted trainer from Franklin Covey, will be teaming up with me for two hours to present the 7 habits of highly effective Internet departments.

DDN: That sounds like quite a workshop. Is there a specific theme that attendees will find repeated throughout all the presentations?

SB: We'll be addressing several important themes. For example, for the past ten years, most dealers have been succeeding online by posting all their inventory, driving traffic to their websites, and offering highly competitive prices. That's fine and good, but one message of this year's event is that it's time to begin subtracting rock-bottom prices from the equation. More and more, car buyers are searching for value in the fullest sense of the term - not the lowest price, but the best overall experience. The people who come down to New Orleans are going to learn how to take the technology and structures they already have in place and begin using them to do more than close a large volume of low-margin deals. We're going to focus on creating and sustaining profitable relationships and building brand equity in ways that will make new customers less price-sensitive.

DDN: That sounds like a logical next step in the evolution of Internet sales.

SB: That's right, but there are a lot of things that get in the way of it happening. We're going to take a look at some of these things and help dealers begin solving the problems and avoid the mistakes that tend to limit what the Internet can do for them.

DDN: Can you give some examples?

SB: Sure. There's the issue of employee performance. If they're addressing the issue at all, most dealers are simply weeding out underperforming Internet sales staff and replacing them with people who might not turn out to be any better. We're going to look at ways of actually improving performance of the people who are working for you right now.

Dealers also sometimes fall victim to vendors who promise a solution to all their problems, and we're going to look at the mindset that dealers need to have to view vendors realistically and exert more control over their Internet operations. Also, we're going to examine the role of manufacturers in the Internet operations of dealers. This is something that dealers love to complain out, and there are certainly some problems. But there are ways to minimize these problems, and there are good ways to capitalize on the manufacturer's role, too.

Dealers are going to go away with plenty of specific, practical information. For example, I'll also be presenting on video search engine optimization, which is a powerful new way to improve your website's organic search ranking. But this event is also a wake-up call that's going to influence the way dealers think about things at a more fundamental level.

DDN: How can dealers learn more about the event?

SB: They should visit www.synergysessions.com. But I hope they'll also check out a YouTube video that has a lot of great information: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCYockQHSSs.

We're offering readers of this newsletter a special price break, by the way. All they have to do is enter the code DX0513 when they register, and they'll be charged just $295, instead of the regular $590. 

One other thing I want to mention. We're renting out the House of Blues for a special VIP party. It's going to be a great networking opportunity, but it's also going to be a lot of fun. There'll be an open bar, lots of great food, and live music. This isn't the centerpiece of the event, which is going to deliver a ton of extremely valuable sales information. But it's going to be a blast.

DDN: Sean, we hope you have a great turn-out. We'll check in with you afterwards for a report on what the attendees learn.