New Functionality Through Power Search More than two years in development, Power Search is based on the philosophy that what’s good for the shopper is also good for the seller. Visitors to AutoTrader.com can now use the Power Search function to compare new, used and certified pre-owned vehicles. In addition, new car buyers can see inventories from more dealerships than ever before.

A Successful Collaboration Realizing the potential of the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) market, AutoTrader.com and Trader Publishing, Inc. double-teamed in 2005 to develop innovative ways to reach these sellers. An aggressive advertising campaign promoted the value and effectiveness of combining online ads with print ads when individuals sell by owner. The result has been a 35 percent increase in AutoTrader.com’s FSBO revenue.

Bring on the Blitz One of AutoTrader.com’s most successful sales initiatives is its regional Sales Blitzes. In four key markets each year, a team of top salespeople descends on a city after the market has been blanketed by non-stop AutoTrader.com brand advertising. In 2005, this blitz strategy drove in an additional $10 million in annualized revenue by creating heightened market awareness and increased energy and sense of urgency throughout the company.

One Call Does It All Building long-term relationships between the customer, the salesperson and the service person has always been a cornerstone of the AutoTrader.com strategy. In 2005, the company upgraded its customer service process to a “one call does it all” model by implementing Team-Based Account Management (TBAM). With the goal to make it even easier for customers to do business with AutoTrader.com, the company has added new personnel and provided coaching and training for existing staff. Now, one call is truly doing it all and doing it better for customers.

Training Gets The Job Done In 2005, AutoTrader.com responded to what its employees said they wanted most: more training and development tools. The company’s new Performance Management Process more clearly identifies and communicates success factors for each employee in a specific job, as well as explains how the individual employee contributes to the success of the entire company. Through the development of AutoTrader.com University (ATCU), the company has met requests for more training by providing a strong corporate curriculum that offers high-quality, innovative learning experiences to individuals, teams and managers.