Looking for a better way to represent or “rep” its vehicles at auction, Sonic Automotive recently teamed up with Manheim to seek a solution. Through their ongoing partnership and working closely with Sonic’s remarketing sales teams to get a better understanding of the current selling process, Manheim recommended Remote Seller.

Remote Seller gives Sonic’s Retail Trade Center the ability to rep cars remotely from Sonic’s centralized location in Charlotte, N.C. This allows Sonic to buy and sell vehicles at the same time, at the same auction.  This streamlined process has reduced travel costs, minimized lost time, and increased efficiencies, all of which has all led to an improved conversion rate and increased retention.

“We’ve been searching for better ways to reduce cost, save time and increase our sales percentages, and we believe we have found the best path for Sonic,” said Hal McLarty, Sonic vice president. “Being able to use the Remote Seller tool, along with the pricing resources such as Manheim Market Report (MMR) and Kelley Blue Book, we are selling nearly 95 percent of our vehicles in a much faster and efficient way that leads to a more profitable business model.”

The Sonic teams control all aspects of a sale, including approvals and counter offers, and they are able to send instant messages to the auction block and to bidders in real time.  The process gives Sonic much better quality control while simultaneously allowing them to leverage their inventory and maintain detailed management inventory at their 100-plus dealerships across 14 states.

“Delivering solutions to customers that save time and help them compete better, makes our jobs truly rewarding,” said Susie Heins, Manheim vice president, dealer sales. “We value our relationship with Sonic and look forward to identifying other ways we can deliver new and different solutions to help them grow their business.”

In addition to using the Remote Seller tool, Sonic has re-signed a long-term, exclusive partnership with Manheim that consolidates its business from competing locations to Manheim locations.   

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