**Are you overpaying for trades? It's time to change the game. **
My name is John DeSantis, and I am the owner and developer of Grade Your Trade (GYT), a revolutionary solution for automotive dealerships.
I developed GYT a few years ago after noticing that most dealerships were consistently overpaying for vehicles (There is a distinct difference between paying up and overpaying when acquiring vehicles.) I realized that the root cause was reluctance among staff to openly discuss vehicle condition and concerns with customers, fearing it would damage sales. This hesitation extended to third-party lead providers as well, as they often inflated vehicle values to secure sales leads.
To address this issue, I created GYT with a focus on customer participation. The mobile platform allows customers to openly grade the condition of their trade-in vehicles, providing a transparent and fair appraisal process. This approach not only manages customer expectations but also helps reset their perceptions, influenced by misleading information from lead providers and completing dealers.
Upon integrating GYT with the existing v-Auto system and re-training staff, we began to see dramatic improvements. Trade-in and over-the-curb purchases prices decreased by 15-30%, aligning more closely with Galves' market values. As a result, we were able to make more car deals overall. Importantly, GYT also provided a buffer against unrealized losses and uncovered hidden profits within the dealership.
To further incentivize service customers to use GYT, we implemented signage and cashier handouts in the service drive, offering a 10% discount on their next service bill for grading their trade. This tactic is highly effective in driving customers from the service drive into the showroom. Once a customer grades their trade and submits it through GYT, the information seamlessly integrates with v-Auto software, streamlining the appraisal process. Turning service drives customers into potential car deals.
GYT has been a meaningful change for our client. By shifting the appraisal process to be customer-driven, we have gained greater transparency, reduced overpaying, and improved overall deal flow. The mobile platform's intuitive design and incentives have made it widely adopted by our customers, further solidifying its success. I am confident that GYT can deliver similar benefits for any dealership looking to modernize their appraisal process.
