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Case Study
Jake Hales, Digital Operations Manager, Speaks on Cultivating a Video-Driven Culture and Boosting Results at Gee Automotive
The DriveCentric Edge
Gee Automotive recognized the positive impact DriveCentric had on their pilot dealership and was in the process of integrating it across their other locations when Jake Hales joined as Digital Operations Manager. With a results-oriented mindset, Jake brought with him a wealth of experience from his previous position, where he facilitated the shift of Toyota dealerships to DriveCentric's platform. He understood the power of video as a fundamental tool for improving customer engagement—a feature that DriveCentric built within its CRM. This seamless integration creates a cohesive platform for customer interactions, allowing for the measurement of the effectiveness of each communication. Jake's strategy focused on leveraging this integrated video capability to quickly enhance engagement, tapping into the 'low hanging fruit' that could lead to immediate and trackable results.
Gee Automotive, rooted in Spokane, Washington, is a robust network of 35 dealerships. Despite significant growth through key acquisitions since 2017, including the Ron Tonkin and Lyle Pearson groups, the company upholds its commitment to service, career growth, and community involvement.
- Web: geeautomotive.com
- Type: Auto Dealer Group
- Locations: WA, ID, OR, AZ
- Software: DriveCentric
Implementation and Impact
Incorporating video into the sales process wasn’t without its challenges. Jake held several training sessions for the stores and made it a priority of checking in to see how they were doing. The aim was to get a few folks good at using video. After seeing how well those individuals were doing on video, Gee began highlighting the best practices, and encouraging their new culture of video.
The results were undeniable:
- Building Trust: For customers who only provided email contacts, video became a powerful tool to establish trust, facilitating a transition to more personal communication methods like texting.
- Customer Feedback: Video became a recurrent theme in Google reviews, attesting to its impact on the consumer experience.
- Personalized Experiences: The potency of personalized videos became evident, with success stories like customers being informed of alternative car options through tailored video messages.
… She worked very hard and included personalized videos of potential vehicle matches, email and texts. She checked in with us after purchase, sent a thank you card...
-Mike H., Google Review
The Results
Identified as the "lowest hanging fruit" to boost sales volume, video brought a slew of benefits:
Engagement: With an increase in outbound video volume from 10,742 in Q3 2021 to an astounding 50,000 by Q1 2023, engagement soared.
Increased Gross Revenue: In Q3 2023 alone, deals incorporating at least one video observed an average increase of $466 in front-end gross and $550 in back-end gross.
Higher Close Rate: Video contributed to a 21% higher close rate than non-video deals.
Video has transformed the sales strategy at Gee Automotive. Leveraging DriveCentric’s platform, the company has reimagined their approach to selling cars, yielding remarkable outcomes and establishing a new standard for automotive sales in the digital era.
Download the full case study here.
Why are you wasting time by sending emails? Instead, send value to customers. Send something about the car, or an alternative vehicle and show them what you have. It’s all about giving the customer value.
-Jake Hales, Digital Operations Manager | Gee Automotive
