CRACKING THE CODE:
TEAM DEALERS WEIGH THE
PROS AND CONS OF HOW
TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING
THE WAY THEY DO BUSINESS.
BY JUDY LEAND
W
hile advances in technology are usually exciting and nearly inescapable, they're
not always easy to understand or implement — especially among team dealers
steeped in "that's the way we always did it." Technology adoption – the successful
integration of new technology into a business – is challenging for companies of
all sizes and has become even more so over the past couple of years following the
start of the pandemic when so much has been happening so fast.
Some of the buzziest tech conversations revolve around the surge of artificial intelligence, the
ramping up of 5G, tech-assisted shopping via mobile and social media platforms, cybersecurity
and automation. While large enterprises are usually the first to utilize new tech, there is a trickle-
down effect to smaller businesses such as team dealers as the advances become more widespread
and cheaper to implement. But just how useful are today's technologies to team dealers — and how
do those dealers approach the proliferation of options?
One more important factor: In the team market it is vital to take into account the ever-important
personal relationships that in some cases have been forged over generations. While most dealers
have by now embraced technology in varying degrees, there are still a few doubting omases who
want as little to do with tech as possible. Here, six dealers offer their thoughts on the subject.
34 • September/October 2023 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com
TEAM BUSINESS
