This week, I had the opportunity to give a presentation to our sales team at Marktplaats and 2dehands.be about ‘the online automotive’. As I was preparing the presentation, I reflected on the past twenty years. My conclusion? The subject is far from new!

We recently visited a workshop by Jasen Rice at the NADA in Las Vegas! We attended his presentation with a clear purpose: Jasen is coming to our #DCDW Events in Antwerp and Almere on April 16th and 17th, so it’s good to know what he’s focused on.

Last week, viaBOVAG.nl announced that the vehicle inventory on the used car platform has been expanded to include cars without BOVAG warranty. My initial reaction was: why? Why would you discard your only USP for more inventory?

Sometimes I encounter dealers, especially those with multiple branches, who, despite all the data and common sense, employ a methodology regarding leads that doesn’t make sense. I don’t draw this conclusion because my perspective is the only correct one, because it isn’t, and there are really many more perspectives, but anything that leads to delay results in lower conversion rates. Speed is paramount in 2024, even in lead follow-up.

VDL ceased production of the Mini last week. Not only did the production halt garner attention in the press, but the trade unions also received a noticeable platform. In my opinion, entirely unjustified!

We’ve been back from NADA for two weeks now, and many people ask me if it’s worth investing so much time, energy, and thus money into such an event. My answer is always the same: yes! If you want to grow as an entrepreneur, as an employee, and also as a company, sometimes you need to take a step back. And it’s valuable to hear something different from the stories you already know. It can happen that you come back with a completely different idea, a different vision, or mindset, even though those new insights weren’t even addressed at the conference itself.

In October 2023, it finally happened: operational profit at the Ligier Store Doesburg! In the months that followed, November and December, black figures were also recorded, and for January, the results were likewise positive. My thought is that if we can make a profit for one month, we can also do it for two months. And if we can achieve that for a quarter, we can do it for two quarters, and then always….

Gerben Beck already said it, it seems like less than a year ago that we made the journey to the NADA in America. And yet, we are now a year further. The NADA is just around the corner, and with my wife Olga, our colleagues from #DCDW Stefanie van Dijk-Meenink, Gerben Beck, Gerard Franken from the Ligier Store Doesburg – Experience Center, and colleagues from Marktplaats Alexander Prinssen, Melvin Ester, and Michiel Aker, we boarded the plane!

In the meantime, I have been a shareholder of Carmen Automotive BDC for two years, a call center with a singular mission: to improve online customer contact in the automotive industry! Together with my fellow shareholders Remco de Vette, Koen van de Laar, and Patrick Franke, we are making significant strides in customer contact! Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without our operational director Jeffrey Silva!

Selling cars involves two elements. First, you sell the car with all its options, benefits, and unique features. Of course, tailored to the customer’s needs and the ‘problem’ that is solved by purchasing that car. Many cars are already ‘sold’ or at least the chance to sell is created through effective marketing. The customer arrives at a specific used car, perhaps after viewing everything online and comparing it with other options.