You are attempting to learn or share best practice information regarding automotive Internet sales and digital marketing. You have seen the light.
What brought you to this level of enlightenment is a different story. We all have found our own paths, but there are only two primary denominations that we all follow. You’ve been either “Baptized at Birth” or “Born Again”.
Being “Baptized at Birth” means that you came into this industry fully evolved and supportive of eCommerce initiatives. You were a ‘connected’ individual and immediately understood the Internet could bring around an opportunity to change the culture of our industry. You were already steeped in the online landscape and foresaw the powerful effect that the online medium would bring to the car business.
If you weren’t “sold” on Internet initiatives from the beginning, but are now, then you have been “Born Again”. It could be that you simply have been in the industry long before Internet was prevalent. You may have fought its arrival on your showroom floors, resented the customers walking in with loads of information from the online sites, or maybe you were simply hesitant to jump aboard the newest trends. One way or the other, you saw the error of your ways, renounced your previous beliefs and have sought guidance and shelter under the sanctity that is eCommerce. You are 100% dedicated to the medium now and bask in the warm glow that it shines upon us.
From one of my favorite movies ever, O Brother Where Art Thou?, I was fortunate enough to meet one of its stars, Tim Blake Nelson on my travels.
I share my own upbringing into the automotive world with most I meet. Those of you who know me have heard of my history. And many times this question will answer itself by either your age or how long you’ve been in the industry (or if you were hired directly into an Internet position.) These upcoming questions are more relevant for those who began on the sales floor and in the fixed ops departments of dealerships, yet now represent the new culture of dealership employee, but I’d be interested in hearing your story.
Now I ask you… which one are you? Were you Baptized at Birth or Born Again? If you were Born Again, what was the deciding factor or instance that made you realize you needed to enter into the revival tent and join a new sect?
Moreover, which people do you feel had it tougher? Was it those Baptized at Birth that came in preaching about the medium, but not able to sell the people in the pews on the benefits…always fighting for buy-in? Or was it the Born Again that embraced the medium a little later and had to rewire their thinking of how the world works before bringing the Internet into their homes and hearts? Who had it easier and who had it tougher?
Tell us your story and give us a testament to your proud Internet sales religion.
