Automotive: Learn From the Leaders

This weeks leader is Christopher Vester, COO of Hubert Vester Auto Group and co-founder of GoGoCar.com. While there are no shortcuts to long-term success, there are proven strategies, that will accelerate your journey. The Automotive Learn From the Leaders Series was created to inspire automotive professionals who are seeking higher achievement.

1.) Chris, you stated in one of your recent videos, "As leadership goes so goes the organization." Can you expand on that statement?

I believe in the old saying my dad taught me "The fish stinks from the head back" The direction of the leadership team truly determines the direction of the organization. If the leadership team is weak and doesn't trust one another then the organization will become weak and fall apart. 

2.) As a leader how do you create the vision for your organization?

The financial vision for our organization was developed by our entire leadership team. As the visionary for the company I am tasked with the vision of how do we achieve this goal. I do this by evaluating our industry as it is today and doing tons of research on where it could be headed. I then present ideas to the leadership team (I am tasked with at least 80 per year) for us to evaluate and decide on what fits our core purpose and we act on those. If the leadership team feels the idea doesn't fit our core then it gets tossed, if it does then we decide on scalability, cost, and execution of the idea through out the organization.  

3.) What do you mean by cultural cancer?

Cancer is defined as:  a practice or phenomenon perceived to be evil or destructive and hard to contain or eradicate. So cultural cancer would be anything that fits this definition inside an organization, as it applies specifically to the culture trying to be cultivated.

4.) What is your feeling about "Digital Retailing"?  

Digital Retailing is near and dear to me....I am the co-founder of a company who created a digital retailing platform for dealers. I believe that most of the "digital retailing" platforms out there are glorified lead generators that do nothing more that, generate leads. From that point it is business as usual for the customer and dealer.  The platform I have been involved in creating since 2015 approaches it from the dealers perspective and does exactly what I feel true digital retailing should, allow the customer to complete as much of the transaction digitally as they choose. If that is just research for the car that fits them then ok, if that is research, decide, trade, finance, choose finance support products and set the delivery appointment then ok. ANYTHING short of handling the whole transaction is nothing more than another widget on a website used to generate leads and maintain status quo in the process. The customers are heading that way, if we as dealers are going to stay relevant then we must get there and be waiting to provide that service. What I do know, "digital" purchases are more efficient and generate just as much revenue as a traditional purchase. 17% of the customers that just "click" the digital retailing button on my site buy, not because we follow up, we can't until they give us information (ie the lead gen part of our process), but just from the transparency we offer. The average internet lead WITH follow up is only 15%....Because the customer sees it as business as usual through email and not in the dealership. Statistics say that 53% of car buyers would buy more often if the process was not so painful. With a current 17 million SAR and normal attribution that statistic means we would move to a 22 mill SAR without any more money from OEM's for incentives, without a singe dime more put into advertising, bonuses, or salaries. What dealer in their right mind would not want 30% increase in volume with $0 increase in expenditures? It could be a simple as making the process not suck..... Dealers are resilient, and can change, we've made it through a lot of economic turmoils, but technology moves everything at a faster pace so we are going to have to adapt and change at a faster pace this time around. My goal is for GoGocar to help this transition.

5.) Can you tell us how you differentiate the customer experience from customer service?

Customer experience is how the customer is treated from the first contact, customer service is how you handle problems when they occur. I believe that a great customer experience leads to less need in customer service. If everything revolves around the experience, even "customer service" becomes a great experience. 

6.) The status quo is often an obstacle to growth, how do you prevent mediocrity?

That is a very difficult issue to overcome. Good is the enemy of great. If you do better this month than last buy still didn't meet objectives it gives a false sense of achievement. I think setting goals, personal and professional, and then holding yourself accountable to those is key. I said earlier that as the leadership goes, so goes the organization, well it starts here. We have to get comfortable with getting uncomfortable and pushing each other to reach our best self.  

7.) What's been your biggest surprise so far in 2018?

Being involved in the development of voice technology to be able to actually converse with potential dealership customers 24 hrs a day. Who, over the age of 30, would have ever thought that the technology for this would be available in our life time? Not only will it be available, but it is and I have been involved in the beginning of its life cycle. Very surprising for me.

8.) What trends do you see impacting vehicle sales in the future?

I feel that ride share and digital retailing will be the biggest impact to sales in the near future. I feel in major metro areas the concept of ride sharing and even mobility make sense. Digital retailing is already where the customer is heading. Customers in every retail space want convenient, efficient, fair and transparent processes when buying. Automobile purchases should be no different. The process of buying a house and automobile are complicated because of the finance and trades, but it can be done.

9.) What is one of the biggest business challenges you've had to overcome?

I have to list two. One the dealership front, coming through 2008 and 2009 without having to cut employees. We made a decision early in the downturn that cutting people would be our last resort. Determination, tightening of the purse strings and heightened daily focus allowed that goal to be achieved. On the other business of digital retailing the biggest challenge is actually meeting with dealers who wholeheartedly believe that the status quo will always be the status quo. That the evolution of the business will remain as slow as it has been in the past. The reaction I get after demoing GoGo Car is ALWAYS "Wow that is the best solution to that I have ever seen." To which I respond "Are you ready to put it to use?" The answer more often than not, "We aren't ready for that!" Well, the customers are. As dealers, we have to get to the destination before the customer or we will become irrelevant. 

10.) What is one of the biggest personal challenges you've had to overcome?

My own mindset. I look back and see that I always thought too small in everything. I continue to fight the urge to think huge and then scale it back just a little for comfort. I believe the only thing holding us back is the face in the mirror and the lies we tell ourselves.

If you enjoyed this interview, please like and share. If you know an automotive leader who deserves the spotlight please offer a suggestion in the comments.

Host- Andrew Compton is an automotive industry veteran, who created the Automotive Learn From the Leaders Series, to inspire those who are seeking higher achievement.

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