ATLANTA, Jan. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- David Pyle, senior vice president of dealer sales supporting AutoTrader Group's media properties of AutoTrader.com and Kelley Blue Book, will lead an informative workshop entitled "Ladies and Gentlemen: Meet Your Customer" during the 2014 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention in New Orleans, La. on January 24-27. During the workshop, Pyle will share insights and best practices on how dealers can enhance shopper engagement and boost sales by delivering tailored shopping experiences, merchandising and communicating effectively and elevating the in-store experience.

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"Through AutoTrader.com and Kelley Blue Book, we have deep insights about how consumers actually think and behave, and I'm looking forward to sharing that information with the dealers at NADA," said Pyle. "But this isn't going to be all about the data—while I will be discussing information steeped and validated in research, I will be focused on providing clear and actionable insights that dealers can take back to their stores to implement immediately."

Focusing on the consumer decision journey and front-end fundamentals that dealers can use to most successfully connect their organizations with today's shoppers, Pyle will open the workshop by discussing the six types of car shoppers that AutoTrader.com has identified (Pragmatic, Confident, Enthusiastic, Cautious, Discerning and Averse). He will then define their psychographics and share insights on how to engage each group.

"Effectively engaging consumers at each point in their shopping processes can dramatically improve the chances of turning a shopper into a buyer, but not all shoppers are created equal," Pyle continued. "The key to successfully appealing to them lies in understanding the different types of shoppers, what influences their behavior, and then acting on that information. By appropriately merchandising to, and communicating with, these different shopper segments, dealers can improve the experience for the consumers who encounter their dealerships online and off."

Additionally, Pyle will discuss the need for dealers to realign their offline/online budget strategy and media mix, as well as the importance—and impact—of offline operational excellence.

Pyle has over 23 years of experience in the automotive industry. He was one of the original AutoTrader.com employees in 1998, and has held various leadership positions throughout his time with the company. In his current role, Pyle leads the more than 900-strong force of consultants who are responsible for partnering with dealers to help them best utilize the Internet to market and sell automobiles and maximize their marketing investments.

Attendees will have three chances to participate in this informative workshop:

• Friday, January 24, from 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM
• Sunday, January 26, from 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
• Monday, January 27, from 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

For more information about the NADA Convention and to register, visit http://www.nadaconvention.org/nada2014/public/enter.aspx.

To stay connected to the latest news and information, visit the AutoTrader.com Press Room at press.autotrader.com.

About AutoTrader.com

Created in 1997, Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com is the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace. As a leading resource for car shoppers and sellers, AutoTrader.com aggregates millions of new, used and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of dealers and private sellers and provides expert articles and reviews. AutoTrader.com, which also operates the AutoTraderClassics.com auto marketing brand, is wholly owned by AutoTrader Group. Additionally, AutoTrader Group owns Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com®) as well as companies that provide a full suite of software tools that help dealers and manufacturers manage their inventory and advertising online: vAuto®, HomeNet Automotive®, VinSolutions®, AIS Rebates™, Genius Labs® and Haystak™. AutoTrader Group is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com