THE FRONT ROW D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • W S I A D A . CO M
T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R WA S H I N G T O N I N D E P E N D E N T AU T O D E A L E R S S I N C E 1988
TOP HIGHLIGHT
Closing Out the Year Strong and Beginning 2024 Full Steam Ahead Can Car Dealers Trust AI? Where Did My Google Traffic Go? Auto Thefts Near Record Levels SPECIAL FEATURE
How Auto Dealerships Can Prevent Data Breaches PLUS 5 Strategies to Recruit More Diverse Employees at Your Dealership THE FRONT ROW | WSIADA.COM DECEMBER 2023 | 1
As the year quickly draws to a close, the entire Manheim Seattle Team would like to thank you for your continued loyalty and support of our Auction, its employees, and our charitable efforts. We value you and your business as partners. We look forward to continuing to help your business grow and you succeed.
CONTENTS DECEMBER 2023
THE FRONT ROW The official magazine of the WASHINGTON STATE Independent Auto Dealers Association WSIADA.com 707 Auburn Way South | Auburn, WA 98002 T: 253-735-0267 | F: 253-804-0844 staff@wsiada.com | WSIADA.COM EXECUTIVE BOARD Wasim Azzam, Board President All Right Auto Sales | President@wsiada.com Badie Darwazeh, Board Vice-President Seattle Auto Haus | VPresident@wsiada.com J.T. Curry, Board Secretary Motors Northwest | Secretary@wsiada.com Emil Scarsella, Board Treasurer Town & Country Auto Sales | Treasurer@ wsiada.com CHAPTER PRESIDENTS Tony Bonnallie – North Cascade Mission Motors | NoCascade@wsiada.com Vacant – North Sound NoSound@wsiada.com Victor Perez – South Sound Route527 Motorsports | SoSound@wsiada.com Rachel Frankel - Vancouver Top Auto Brokers | Vancouver@wsiada.com Vacant Position – Yakima Yakima@wsiada.com Vacant Position – Tri-Cities Tri-Cities@wsiada.com Vacant Position – Spokane Spokane@wsiada.com AT-LARGE BOARD Randy Fletcher, Board President (Emeritus) In-N-Out Auto Sales Ken Williamson, Board President (Emeritus) John’s Auto Mart, LLC WSIADA STAFF Rick Olson, Director of Operations Mila Froman, Membership Manager Mary Walton, Accountant Lane Schulz, Retail Associate Production Editor Professional Mojo
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END OF AN ERA 2
Beginning January 1, 2024, the WSIADA will no longer provide a fax number, (253) 804-0844, for transmittals because we have seen a steep decline in the use of this option. Email or regular USPS mail will be the only options for transmitting a document to our office.
CLOSING OUT THE YEAR STRONG AND BEGINNING 2024 FULL STEAM AHEAD Be aware of those around your dealership at all times. The first line of security at your dealership is you. Stay updated: The Legislative session begins in January.
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CAN CAR DEALERS TRUST AI? “Right now, artificial intelligence is in no way a standalone tool” for replying to customer reviews, says Widewail CEO Matt Murray.
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WHERE DID MY GOOGLE TRAFFIC GO? If your Google search traffic has been declining, check your keywords and your rank report to get your full SEO picture. COMBINED AUCTION PLATFORM: THE EFFICIENT ROAD TO PROFITABILITY A combined auction platform – which enables dealers to concurrently buy or sell a vehicle through traditional in-person events as well as through digitalonly sales – is the solution the industry has been waiting for.
5 STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT MORE DIVERSE EMPLOYEES AT YOUR DEALERSHIP As the automotive landscape transforms, it’s crucial for your dealership to evolve, as well. Actively seeking and retaining employees from varied backgrounds provides a strategic edge. INSIGHTS ON THE UNRULY RETAIL VEHICLE MARKET Dealers brace for more new- and used-car price and inventory volatility as the UAW strike continues. HOW AUTO DEALERSHIPS CAN PREVENT DATA BREACHES Auto dealerships should have stringent security protocols in place to protect sensitive data. Implementing a robust documentmanagement system combined with tighter security standards can help dealerships ensure the highest levels of data protection.
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CHAPTER MEETING SCHEDULE
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KRILLIN’S CORNER
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AUTO THEFTS NEAR RECORD LEVELS
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USED-CAR RETAIL PRICES NOT LIKELY TO SOFTEN MUCH FURTHER
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READ & RESPOND QUIZ
Copyright 2023 | WSIADA THE FRONT ROW | WSIADA.COM DECEMBER 2023 | 1