“”Every successful sale at our stores is a testament to the effectiveness of TradePending’s Payments. On average, we are facilitating 40 to 50 transactions per month across the three stores, showcasing the consistent impact of the tool.” 

We had the opportunity to interview Tommy Russell, General Manager at Hudson Nissan of Summerville, to discuss their utilization of our Payments tool in driving sales. With almost 10 years of experience using Payments, they have pretty much mastered its application in their sales processes.

How long have you been in the industry, and how long have you been managing?

Tommy Russell: I’ve been in the industry for a little over 20 years now, and it’ll be 21 years this year in October. As for managing, I’ve been the General Sales Manager of the three Nissan stores in Charleston. Summerville is the most recent addition, which we opened in October of last year. Overall, I’ve been with the company for 15 and a half years.

What makes Hudson Nissan of Summerville unique?

Tommy Russell: The store’s uniqueness stems from its location, the people, and the facility. It’s a new NREDI 2.0 facility (https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/releases/nissan-retail-environment-design-initiative-nredi-2?selectedTabId=releases) with Nissan, boasting almost 15 acres of property and the potential for another store on the premises. Despite being in business for only about five months, we are already averaging about 190 units per month, and we eagerly anticipate further growth.

How is Payments working for you, and how does your team use it to close deals?

Tommy Russell: Let me start off by saying, we love the tool. We have been utilizing Payments even back when it was Auto APR. Previous owner, Dan Mayer, used to work for me selling cars at the North Charleston Nissan store. I have a long history with the tool and we’ve used it for years and years and years.

It is integrated into all our websites and serves as a practical “calculate your payment” tool that allows customers to work out their payments and deal structures without the need to submit their information upfront. This approach has significantly boosted our lead capture rate and lead close rate, outperforming any other tool we have used in the past.

In what ways has Payments enhanced the customer experience?

Tommy Russell: The tool reduces the pressure on customers to divulge their information, unlike many other competitive tools in the industry. It empowers customers to explore various terms and down payment options, arriving at a realistic payment range without the necessity of an immediate credit check, which we believe is a key benefit.

Can you recall any success stories using Payments?

Tommy Russell: Every successful sale at our stores is a testament to the effectiveness of Payments. On average, we are facilitating 40 to 50 transactions per month across the three stores, showcasing the consistent impact of the tool.

What features or functionalities of Payments have been particularly beneficial for you and your customers?

Tommy Russell: Payments’ flexibility allows customers to utilize the calculator to tailor payments to their specific needs, including credit score range, term range, and down payment range across multiple vehicles. This empowers customers to identify vehicles within their budget without necessitating a credit inquiry, and this is a win.

How do you envision further leveraging Payments into 2024 and beyond?

Tommy Russell: Looking ahead, we aim to incorporate Payments into our digital marketing efforts to reach an even wider audience. We are keen on maximizing the tool’s effectiveness by exposing it to a larger audience, given the positive impact it has demonstrated for us.

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Hudson Nissan of Summerville really knows how to make the most out of the Payments tool in their sales process. It’s exciting to see how well it’s working for them, and we can’t wait to see how it keeps improving the car buying experience. A huge thank you to Tommy Russell and his amazing team at Hudson Nissan of Summerville for all their valuable insights! Congrats! 🎉