Ron Almeida, general manager of Colonial Ford of Plymouth in Massachusetts, runs the number one Super Duty dealership in New England. But he doesn’t credit those sales to pricing.
Instead, he built his success map by having the right vehicles in stock, transparent trade appraisals, and making sure his employees have everything they need.
Driving the news: Almeida said truck drivers shop based on what the model can do and how fast they need it, not on deals. That’s why he prioritizes inventory depth and speed of response.
His general sales manager, whom he credits for helping drive their success, hunts viable super duties from across the country, ships them in, then sends drivers to pick them up. (Remember, that pesky ocean can make supply hunting tricky for New Englanders.)
Almeida said his GSM does a tremendous job staying dialed in to customer needs and making sure they have stock to match those needs.
And, staffers take calls as late as 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. on a Saturday, and as early as 5:30 a.m. on Sundays.
"The hours that we're open truly doesn't reflect the work that's put into being the number one Super Duty dealer," Almeida told Daily Dealer Live host Sam D’Arc.
Between the lines: Paying attention to three areas helps fuel Almeida and his team’s numbers–math, inventory, and daily price audits.
First, build each trade presentation around the math via miles, condition, and market data. Have it ready before the customer can push back.
When issues such as production disruptions and allocation hamper inventory, Almeida suggests plugging the revenue gap through service through better multi-point inspections, stronger ELR, and deeper repair orders. "I can't trade you out of it today,” Almeida said. “But six months from now, it'll be worth more."
Third, audit used-car pricing daily. Almeida bought 25 units last week, and still updates pricing every day to stay ahead of aged inventory risk.
Transparency wins: Speaking of trade appraisals, Almeida uses a blend of tools, including Manheim, ACVMax, and KBB, but he says presentation pulls it all together. He suggests walking the customer through the math upfront.
"If you have a 2-year-old vehicle with 50,000 miles, you're 30,000 miles over,” Almeida explained. “So, you have to put a number on that: At .20 cents a mile, that's $6,000 right there."
Show the customers how the dealership arrives at the offer, and eliminate the back-and-forth on what they think the car is worth.
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In-house happiness: Almeida said any general managers looking to improve should check on their employees.
"I would look into your ESI—I call it employee satisfaction first,” Almeida said. “And find out what their pain points are. They're the front line. So if you're just shooting from the hip and not checking with your front line, you'll never have success."
And, though staffers may answer calls at all hours, Almeida strives for balance.
“Intensity drives results, but you have to have flexibility, employee satisfaction,” Almeida said. “We're closed on Sundays… You have to be flexible."
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