Are You In An Abusive Relationship With Your Data?

In the third episode of Season 2 of Lot Talk, hosts Chris Keene and John Anderson deliver a candid, insight-packed conversation tailor-made for used car dealers navigating today’s increasingly complex digital landscape. Drawing from their deep experience in the trenches—and access to over a decade of dealer data—Chris and John unpack the real reason your grosses and volumes might be slipping: not enough focus on quality follow-up and store-level understanding.

The Big Shift: Consumers Are Visiting More Dealerships

If you’re still relying on outdated sales strategies, this stat will wake you up: the average number of dealerships a buyer visits before purchasing jumped from 1.4 to 4.1 according to Cars.com. Even Cox Automotive reports it at 2.5.

So why are buyers shopping around more?

Because they’re overwhelmed. Today’s buyers have access to more data than ever, but they’re not getting clear answers. Instead of streamlining the buying journey, the abundance of information is causing paralysis by analysis. That’s why consumers are spending up to 78 days researching before making a purchase—up from the previous average of 45 days .

Chris explains it best: “They’re not getting the straightforward answers they’re looking for… It’s no wonder they’re visiting more stores.”

Action Step 1: Focus on "S.P.A.C.E.D." Selling

Keene and Anderson suggest going back to basics with a tried-and-true acronym: SPACED — Safety, Performance, Appearance, Comfort, Economy, and Dependability.

If your reps don’t know what your customer values most from that list, they’re already behind.

👉 Pro Tip: Ask your customer, “What’s most important to you—safety, performance, appearance, comfort, economy, or dependability?” Then tailor all communication around that priority.

The Follow-Up Problem: You’re Busy, But Are You Productive?

Let’s face it—dealership life is chaotic. Managers wear multiple hats, from fixing CRM problems to handling lot porters to managing appraisals. In that whirlwind, follow-up often becomes a checklist rather than a meaningful engagement strategy.

Chris and John don’t just diagnose the problem—they offer a path forward.

Action Step 2: Stop chasing vanity metrics like number of calls or emails. Focus on quality conversations.

One dealership John worked with sent a drip campaign that never once asked, “Are you still in the market?” Instead, they provided content tailored to the buyer’s stated needs—leading to a sale without pushy tactics.

Use Your Vendor Reps—Don’t Just Pay Them

In your “virtual dealership,” third-party providers play a massive role—but most dealers aren’t holding them accountable.

Action Step 3: Ask your vendors about cause and effect.

If your listing or digital retailing tool isn’t delivering results, don’t accept surface-level excuses. Ask:

• “What’s working, and how do you know?”
• “What’s underperforming, and how do we fix it?”

Your digital showroom is your most visited lot. If your links, listings, and forms aren’t being audited monthly, you’re bleeding leads.

Quit Appraising with a Wholesale Mindset

This episode ends with a mic-drop moment: “Are you in the wholesale business or the retail business?” If you’re appraising everything as though it will go to auction, you’re costing yourself opportunities.

Appraise vehicles based on your retail strategy, not just what the market says it’s worth wholesale. This retail-first approach should also influence what inventory you acquire. Familiarity breeds sales—if your team knows how to move Camrys, don’t fill the lot with Explorers just because the market data looks good.

Your Two Dealerships: Brick-and-Mortar vs. Virtual

One of the most compelling points from John was this: You’re running two stores—your physical location and your digital presence. Most dealers are unintentionally prioritizing the brick-and-mortar store simply because the chaos is more visible. But your customers? They start—and sometimes end—online.

Action Step 4: Treat your virtual store with the same scrutiny as your showroom.

• Are digital leads being handled based on their intent?
• Do your digital tools align with customer expectations?
• Is your CRM set up for long-term follow-up (not just 14 days)?

Final Takeaways for Dealers

Let’s wrap with the biggest insights you should implement today:

1. SPACED matters. Train your sales and BDC teams to identify customer priorities—don’t skip this.
2. Quality over quantity. Ditch the “75 tasks a day” rule if it sacrifices real engagement.
3. Audit your virtual dealership. Use your vendor reps to help you uncover bottlenecks and missed opportunities.
4. Understand your own data. Are you basing decisions on market-level analytics—or how your store, your people, and your customers actually perform?
5. Rethink your appraisal process. Be honest about what’s retail-worthy and stop thinking like a wholesaler.
6. Extend follow-up windows. With buying cycles now up to 78 days, 14-day task cutoffs are killing your pipeline.
7. Provide video content. Show your dealership, team, and process. Decrease anxiety and build trust before they walk in.

Chris and John’s invitation is clear: if you’re struggling to make sense of the spaghetti bowl of data, they’ll help untangle it—at no charge. Visit lottalkpodcast.com to connect.