Rob Mackenzie, VP of Sales
Rob Mackenzie, VP of Sales
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Final Coat, a provider of appearance protection products, took advantage of the NADA Show this year to browse the show floor and keep an eye out for new technologies being introduced.
“We’re always down here for new technology and we’re always looking for the new widget that is going to be a nice plug into our model and Canada,” said Rob Mackenzie, VP of Sales at Final Coat. “It’s always fun to kind of walk the whole show and see if you can sort the wheat from the chaff.”
Mackenzie emphasized the overwhelming amount of new technology at the show this year, along with the number of new booths. The challenge for Final Coat, said Mackenzie, is figuring out what will stay, what will gain traction, and what dealers really want.
“It’s been fun and it is a lot of change,” said Mackenzie. “It’s like a big shopping mall in there. We have to be here. You don’t know what you don’t know, and if you don’t come to NADA, you won’t know what’s up.”
Mackenzie said he kept an eye out for what’s current, what the most effective tool is for presenting F&I products, and how these tools are becoming more integrated with retail and digital. For him, it’s also about discovering how Final Coat will integrate these concepts into online retail solution conversations.
“We’re ensuring we are closer to the customer than we’ve ever been before. Not assuming what the customers want and need, but really researching what they want, what they need, what they like in a dealership,” said Mackenzie. “Because they’re not always the most positive experiences, and some customers don’t let on how they really feel.”
He adds that, more than ever, industry players will need to get close to the customer and find out what kind of experience they want, and then discover what the positives are that resonate with them — along with the negatives.
“The demand for the products to protect your vehicles seems to be something that’s going to be remaining. It’s not getting eliminated by technology. It’s not getting eliminated by customers buying the vehicle through a different method. It’s still something that customers are looking to do,” said Mackenzie.
For companies like Final Coat, the challenge is not so much the technology — it’s about remaining sharp and on their toes — and presenting the products transparently early on. They will need to use the technology to get close to the customer, be transparent, and offer them value.
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