Recently our local NBA team, the Golden State Warriors went on a tear in the playoffs, knocking off the number one seed, the Dallas Mavericks. Their battle cry? Well, it's was borrowed from the 1973 New York Mets and their famous relief pitcher Tug McGraw -- "You Gotta Believe!"
How does this relate to the automotive industry? Well, take a look at GM's shot at the Number One seed in US sales: If you want to test drive a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord, you'll now be able to do it at a Saturn dealership. Yup, a Saturn dealership. The full story is online at, among other places, the Autoblog.
General Motors is asking Saturn dealers to have one or more of the competing models in the showroom so customers can look at it, sit in it and drive it. Naturally, these Saturn dealers can't sell you an Accord or a Camry. But they hope that, when you see a Toyota or Honda sedan next to the Saturn Aura, you'll decide to buy the Aura.
"In that side-by-side comparison, we come out really well," said Mark LaNeve, head of North American sales and marketing for General Motors. Later this year, Chevrolet dealers will be doing the same thing as they introduce customers to the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu, which shares its engineering platform with the Aura. Talk about a battle cry!
And talk about smart. Up until GM made this move, car dealers typically acted as if the competition didn't exist. This, of course, is factually nonsense, but that's Detroit for you. By making this move, they have at last openly admitted that, yes, they have competitors. But by yielding on that point, they have done something much, more more important. They have devised a way to keep the customer on the lot.
Selling cars is all about controlling the prospect. Car dealers are trained to never, ever let you out of their sight, or off the lot, if they believe you're serious about buying a car. When you go to a dealership, test-drive a car, then leave and say "I want to test-drive a Toyota" you have just sharply reduced the chances you'll come back.
This strategy prevents that. When you inform the salesperson that you want to go test-drive an import, they can then tell you that they have one right on the lot, and they invite you to compare it. This makes them, and the car they're selling, seem extraordinarily confident, and it also allows the salesperson to keep working on you rather than having you leave.
For years I drove a European car (Triumph TR7, Volkswagen Jetta), because of the perception that they were built better than Detroit's metal. Then a friend bought a Ford Explorer, I drove it and I was hooked. The fit and finish exceeded my expectations, it handled nicely and was built to last. I bought one. That was 16 years ago. I am now on my fifth Explorer. GM may actually have something here.
As for the Warriors? Next year.