2019-2020 Issue 3

and COVID-19?
I’ve been in the industry for the lion’s share of my career. No one has seen anything like COVID-19 before. It has been an unforeseeably trying time and has changed us in a way that I think is forever.

As dealers prepare for the day that they can reopen their showroom doors post COVID-19 shutdowns, many may feel uncertain about where to begin. As a follow-up to our 36-Point Checklist If Your Dealership is Mandated to Close, we have compiled a comprehensive checklist to run through if you receive approval to open your showroom back up for business. We encourage you to create your own action plan using these suggestions now, so that you will be ready to take quick action when the time comes.

Although the U.S. economic climate is now far different (and far worse) than anyone expected at the beginning of the year, the ability to pivot and adjust to the current situation has never been more critical. Restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are loosening up in the U.S., but the crisis is still fluid.

Nationwide and in West Virginia, dealers are shifting to digital auto sales — ready or not.

As COVID-19 uncertainty spreads around the world at an exponential pace, the global community is finding out that reacting quickly to the societal and economic disruptions that the virus creates, no matter how agile a reactor you are, is not good enough and quite frankly, is simply not working.

At this writing, the coronavirus pandemic continues in full swing, multitrillion dollar relief packages are en route from our federal lawmakers, and small businesses from Maine to Malibu are hunkered down, feverishly working to balance safety and service for their customers, co-workers and community. Not exactly another day at the office.

Without a doubt, the global market has been negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic and will most likely affect your business if it has not already. You have probably read numerous articles advising you to manage expenses in today’s economy. But what exactly does that mean?

Our previous Counselor’s Corner provided an overview of deception and unfairness within federal advertising law. This time, let’s discuss more practical applications by discussing “trigger terms” in retail and leasing advertising.

Videoconferencing has become one of the realities of lockdown isolation. Although it is undoubtedly better than not having any communication with people outside your home, at some point, people get tired of video chats.

On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization labeled COVID-19 as a global pandemic, forever changing the economic landscape throughout the U.S. and abroad. WVADA understands how this has affected our local communities and more specifically, our franchised dealers.