Effective Car Dealer: Selling Cars, Parts, and Labor After COVID-19

by Max Zanan

This is my fourth book on the auto industry, and I have written it because this business is complicated, sophisticated, and ever-changing. Automotive retail is changing slowly, and one of the main reasons for that are the franchise laws. I want to urge you to operate as though franchise laws don’t exist to protect you. Carvana is not going anywhere and neither is Amazon. At some point they will join forces. Also, OEM’s such as Tesla, Rivian, and many more are going to go directly to the consumer, bypassing the dealer network altogether. At the end of the day, awesome customer service, whether in sales, service, or parts, will keep your customers coming back for more. Poor service and a cumbersome sales experience will drive them elsewhere—Carvana, CarMax, Tesla, Jiffy Lube, Firestone, Good Year, Valvoline, NAPA Parts, Pep Boys, etc.COVID-19 is already having a profound effect on consumer behavior and the way in which we buy and service cars. I predict that there will be two types of dealers after this pandemic abates—the first will change their business operations, adopting frictionless digital and showroom retail; the second will hope that things go back to normal and that nothing needs to change. Unfortunately, the second type of dealer will be out of business. It is ultimately your choice whether to accept change. Consumers will continue to purchase cars. The only question Will they will be buying from you?

156 pages, Paperback

Published July 29, 2020

About the author

Max Zanan is a seasoned automotive industry expert with nearly 20 years of experience in sales, F&I and dealership consulting. After graduating John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Zanan went on to get his Master’s Degree before starting his career in automotive retail as a salesman at a local, New York City Volkswagen dealership. After working his way up the ranks, Zanan then became the General Manager of a New York City Mitsubishi dealership, which subsequently placed #1 in sales for Mitsubishis in the United States. Following his stint at Mitsubishi, Zanan went on to become the Platform President at Elite Auto Group, where he oversaw three dealerships, with 150 total personnel.

Max Zanan has worked in every department of a car dealership. He started as sales person and throughout the years worked as a sales manager, finance manager, general sales manager, service manager, and general manager. He has also provided income development services through F&I products and training as the owner of Total Dealer Compliance—one of the best dealership compliance firms in the country. In addition to F&I and Compliance, he provides dealership consulting services that are focused on process improvement, customer retention, and profitability. As Founder and CEO of IDDS Group, Zanan utilizes all of the skills he has picked up over the years to cohesively mentor dealerships on how to increase revenue and profitability, and eliminate non-compliant practices in all departments. Max Zanan is also the author of Perfect Dealership and Car Business 101.