By Jason Courter, 2020 AIADA Chairman

 

We’ve all heard the phrase "new normal" a lot this year, but lately it’s really resonating with me.

These days, I don’t back out of the driveway without a mask in the car. That’s the new normal. My youngest is starting her senior year on a laptop. That’s the new normal. And sales at our Honda stores are finally leveling off after some pretty dramatic ups and downs since March. That’s the new normal, too.

None of us are thrilled to be living in this new normal (my high school senior least of all), but it’s the reality we must navigate, for now. There haven’t been any magic bullets for running a dealership group during a pandemic. Every success my team has had has been the result of hard work, persistence, and stamina.

That’s why I’m taking this moment, after nine months of tumult, to say, "Nice job," to my fellow dealers. You’re still here. You’re still opening your doors every morning. You’re still making payroll and making customers smile. It hasn’t been easy and it hasn’t often been fun, but we’re surviving.

This new normal will require from dealers a new type of advocacy. It might be a while before you walk through the halls of Congress or shake hands at a political fundraiser, or even vote in-person at your local polling place. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be an active and involved dealer advocating on behalf of your employees and your stores.

One big thing you still can do under social distancing guidelines is hold a Virtual Dealer Visit with your Representative at your store. With the AIADA’s help, you can set up an online meeting between your lawmaker and your employees, give your member of Congress a virtual tour of your store, and help him or her understand the value you bring to their district.

Another easy but impactful action is to be an online advocate for your business. Use your personal or business accounts on Twitter and Facebook to share the good work your stores do with the hashtag #DealersDoGood. Visit the AIADA’s social media toolkit for more ideas on what you can share. And get ready-to-post images from our 2020 Economic Impact Report.

Together, we will show Washington, D.C., just how well dealers are adapting to the new normal.