ALBANY, N.Y. — More than 100 dealers polled by Auto/Mate indicated that integration between a Contact Relationship Management solution and the dealership management system is the most important feature when considering a new CRM. The findings are included in a new e-Book the software company released, “The Auto Dealer’s 10-Step Guide to Selecting the Right CRM for Your Dealership.”

“I am surprised how often we get asked about CRMs since we are a DMS vendor,” said Mike Esposito, president and CEO of Auto/Mate. “This eBook does not recommend any particular features or cover what the latest CRM trends are, but instead gives dealers the tools they need to select the right CRM for them.”

Several industry consultants were interviewed and contributed to the e-Book, including Paul MacDonald of TriMac Automotive Advisory Group, Joe Webb of DealerKnows, Jim Skeans of Jim Skeans Consulting Group and Ray Fenster of RayFenster.com.

All of the consultants agree that many dealers are spending unnecessary money on CRM features they don’t need or use — not because advanced CRM features aren’t useful but because the dealership has not attained the level of usage or buy-in required by users, the company said. The e-Book provides dealers with concrete steps on how to assess their current usage, set measurable objectives for both ROI and employee participation, form a selection team and more.

To download the free eBook, click here.