Automotive Dealer & Vendor FAQ
Straight answers to common questions about automotive vendors,
dealership technology and services, vendor evaluation,
dealer-vendor relationships, and DealerVendorMatch.com.
Questions for Automotive Dealers
What is an automotive dealership vendor?
An automotive dealership vendor is a company that provides products,
technology, services, training, consulting, marketing, software or
other solutions to dealerships. Vendors may support Fixed Operations,
Sales, F&I, Marketing, Technology, Customer Experience, Human
Resources, inventory management and other areas of dealership operations.
How can DealerVendorMatch help me find automotive vendors?
DealerVendorMatch gives dealership professionals a place to research
automotive vendors on their own terms. Instead of depending solely on
unsolicited calls, emails or sales presentations, dealers can review
participating vendors and learn more about their solutions when it is
convenient for them.
Browse DealerVendorMatch.
Is DealerVendorMatch only for automobile dealerships?
DealerVendorMatch was built around the automotive dealer-vendor
relationship and includes solutions relevant to dealership operations.
Individual vendor offerings may serve automobile, RV, powersports or
other retail automotive businesses depending on the company and product.
Does it cost dealers to join DealerVendorMatch?
Dealer membership is currently free for verified dealership personnel.
Dealer accounts are intended for dealership employees rather than
vendors attempting to access the site through a dealer membership.
Evaluating & Buying Automotive Vendor Solutions
What should a dealership look for when evaluating a vendor?
Start with the business problem rather than the product demonstration.
Determine exactly what needs to improve, establish how success will be
measured, and then evaluate whether the vendor has a credible process
for producing that result. Consider implementation requirements,
dealership support, training, integrations, contract terms, reporting,
references and the vendor’s understanding of dealership operations.
What questions should dealers ask during a vendor demo?
Ask what specific dealership problem the solution solves, what changes
are required from dealership employees, how implementation works, what
training and ongoing support are provided, how results are measured,
what integrations are required, what the complete cost is and what
happens if the solution does not perform as expected.
Should price be the most important factor when selecting a dealership vendor?
No. Price matters, but the least expensive solution can become very
expensive if it fails to produce results, creates additional work or is
poorly supported. Dealers should evaluate total value, expected return,
implementation, support, usability and measurable business impact along
with price.
Why should dealers check vendor references?
References can reveal what happens after the sales presentation.
Dealers should ask existing customers about implementation, support,
responsiveness, results and whether the vendor delivered what was promised.
How should a dealership measure vendor performance?
Establish the benchmark before implementation. Depending on the
solution, useful measurements may include revenue, gross profit,
retention, appointment conversion, lead response, customer experience,
employee adoption, efficiency, cost savings or another clearly defined
operational result. Without a starting benchmark, it becomes difficult
to determine whether the vendor actually improved performance.
Questions for Automotive Vendors
How can an automotive vendor join DealerVendorMatch?
Automotive vendors can review the available membership options and
select the level that best fits their goals.
View Vendor Memberships
.
What information should a vendor provide for its DealerVendorMatch profile?
A strong vendor profile should clearly explain the problem the company
solves, who the solution is designed for, what makes the company
different and how a dealer can learn more. Depending on the membership
and profile, useful content may include company information, videos,
images, contact information, website links and social media resources.
How can vendors make their profiles more useful to dealers?
Focus less on promotional language and more on useful information.
Clearly describe dealership problems, use cases, implementation,
measurable outcomes and what a dealer should understand before
considering the solution. Educational videos, demonstrations, customer
examples and thoughtful answers to common questions can make a profile
considerably more valuable.
Does DealerVendorMatch offer consulting for automotive vendors?
Yes. DealerVendorMatch offers a 60-Minute Automotive Vendor Strategy
Session focused on positioning, messaging, sales strategy, visibility
and the dealer-vendor relationship.
Learn about Vendor Strategy & Sales Consulting
.
Can vendors gain additional exposure through Sunday Night Live?
DealerVendorMatch also produces Paul Meijer’s Sunday Night Live, an
automotive discussion program featuring industry professionals,
dealership challenges, solutions and thought leadership.
Visit Sunday Night Live
.
About DealerVendorMatch
What is DealerVendorMatch.com?
DealerVendorMatch is an automotive vendor discovery and industry
resource designed to connect dealership professionals with automotive
vendors while giving dealers the opportunity to research solutions on
their own terms.
Who is behind DealerVendorMatch?
DealerVendorMatch was founded by automotive industry veteran Paul
Meijer and is built around decades of real-world automotive experience.
Meet Paul Meijer
.
Does DealerVendorMatch recommend every automotive vendor?
No directory or marketplace should replace a dealership’s own due
diligence. DealerVendorMatch provides information and resources that
can help dealers discover and evaluate potential solutions. Dealers
should still evaluate each vendor according to their dealership’s
specific needs, objectives, budget and operating environment.
How can I contact DealerVendorMatch?
Questions about DealerVendorMatch, dealer participation, vendor
membership or other services can be submitted through the
DealerVendorMatch Contact page
.
Ready to Explore DealerVendorMatch?
Whether you’re a dealership researching solutions or an automotive
vendor looking to better connect with dealers, start with the resources
built for you.
