Meet Your Swift Internet Sales Team
Sonny KEOPHIMANE
Dominic COSTA
Here is an article about Swift Internet Sales Team:
Davis Enterprise, February 15th, 2008
Just point, click and buy a car online
By Jennifer Pedersen
ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT
Swift's 'lnternet guys' bring their tech savvy to the showroom
Sometime in 1998 Dan Kokotas, the general manager of Swift Jeep Chrysler Dodge dealership in Davis, recognized that everyone and everything was going online and the auto industry needed to follow suit. He wanted a group of salesmen that understood the Internet customer.
So he formed a team that he refers to fondly as the "Internet guys," made up of Dominic Costa, Sonny Keophimane, and Sech Durmaz.
"It started out that the Internet buyer was more educated" said Kokotas, but now everyone who walks through the dealership's door has done some research on the Web. People do their homework - gone are the days when customers came in without a plan.
Even though Internet sales make up a larger portion for the auto industry each year, people are still coming Into the dealership. Cars are a big purchase, and "people still want to come in and kick the tires," said Costa with a smile.
"There aren't yet many sight-unseen buyers and I don't know if there ever will be," said Kokotas.
The Swift dealership actually encourages Davis and Woodland area residents to take the cars home and try them for a night -- no obligation.
"You wouldn't buy a pair of shoes without walking around the store in them first," said Kokotas, "and that's only an $80 purchase.
The Swift Internet site http://www.swiftindavis.com was built entirely by Webmaster Durmaz who has been with Swift for 11 years.
"There is a complete up-to date new and used car inventory with window stickers, pictures, CARFAX vehicle history reports and videos," said Durmaz. "Online prices (are) clearly marked for used cars and by entering your e-mail address you will get an instant price quote for a new car 24 hours a day. It's user-friendly and highly interactive."
"It's based on the Google idea that less is more," said Costa.
Online advertising is a little different for car dealers. "A TV commercial is all about price, price, price," said Costa, "online, we,try to put everything."
Specification works to Swift's advantage. That way if a customer is searching for a car with side air bags, a Swift car equipped with side air bags is more likely to surface out of the thousands of other vehicles currently listed online.
The Internet crew updates changes in vehicle pricing and the inventory of available cars on the lot at the end of every day.
"The Internet-never" closes, Costa said. "I can be on there at 5 in the morning to answer emails before people leave for work in the morning and during the work day we answer most emails within the half-hour, and I think people appreciate that."
Check out http://www.swiftindavis.com for news, events, specials, and incentives.
They've kept up a blog since 2001 and it features videos about some of the dealership's favorite cars like the new 2008 Dodge Challenger.
