Are Auto Shopper smarter today?

I remember when I first started selling cars, at the local Ford Dealership, there was a group of us,we all sat outside on the bench waiting for the next "up" to drive in.
I must have spent many long hours out there waiting for my turn to go chase a car around the lot, and just to give up my turn on a brochure. I couldn't help but think there had to be a better way to make my numbers each month, and support my family and have that legendary following of customers, coming back to me every few years.
Fast forward to today's car sales, and now if you pull up to a dealership with a whole group of sales people sitting outside, you have toknow that the dealership hasn't come around to doing business across the internet. The days of customer's driving around from lot to lot, to test drive a car, spend hours in the show room, being forced to do soemthing they really did not want or plan to do right this instant are just about over. In the old days, if you had a customer pull up on a saturday night, it was almost a promised deal, because they were tired out, and just wanted to buy a car and get it over with.
Now, with the beauty of the internet, most buyers can sit at home, negotiate almost the entire car sale from start to finish, and never leave their home or business, unless they just enjoyed the process of sitting in the showroom. Very few people really do!
I enjoy sworking with a customer from start to finish across the email, the customer is well informed, and has done a huge amount of research, and is ready to see if that new car will fit their family! Is there a trick to doing this, no, just being responsive, listen to the customer, give them options, suggestions, and most importantly, be straight forward. After all the customer, can smell BS even faster now with all the 3rd party sites that give them the information they need to be smart auto shoppers!
If your one of those smart auto buyers, remember, most of us in the Internet Sales Manager role's want to earn your business, and we will do everything possible, to keep you happy!
Till next time! :)