ATLANTA, Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoTrader.com's Tori Morandi, manager of industry education, and Rick Wainschel, vice president of automotive insights, will lead an informative workshop entitled "Connect with Transparency" during the 2012 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 3 - 6. During the workshop, Morandi and Wainschel will share insights and best practices on how dealers can use the principles of transparency in all of their processes—from marketing to sales—to connect with today's shoppers.

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"The key to successfully appealing to car shoppers lies in understanding what influences their behavior, so it is important for dealers to be informed of how external factors over the last few years have dramatically altered the consumer mindset," said Morandi. "There's no question that shoppers are spending more time conducting online research and scrutinizing every aspect of a pending vehicle purchase. This has changed how cars are sold, and today's most successful dealers have adopted a more transparent business model to attract and engage with these savvy shoppers."

Morandi and Wainschel will set the stage for the workshop by discussing the "new normal" in the automotive industry and how economic factors have significantly changed the way consumers shop for vehicles. They will then define how transparency is a key attribute of connecting with shoppers in this new landscape and share three key strategies that dealers can begin implementing immediately to attract more shoppers.

"At AutoTrader.com, we dedicate considerable time and resources to researching and analyzing how consumers shop for vehicles online, and we're excited to share those insights with the dealer community and give them some actionable strategies that will enable them to capitalize on consumers' increased need for transparency during the shopping and sales processes," Wainschel added.

With more than 10 years of experience as a public speaker and expert trainer, Tori Morandi brings a unique and energetic style that engages audiences and promotes learning. As manager of industry education at AutoTrader.com, she frequently speaks on what's happening in the industry, today's automotive consumer, emerging trends and what's new with advertising and marketing on the Internet. Previously, she worked with BMW of North America and Toyota and Lexus of North America as a training and instructional design consultant. Her dealership experience also includes BDC implementation and development for the Porsche, Audi, Subaru, and Lincoln/Mercury brands.

Rick Wainschel has a rich history in automotive market intelligence and brand strategy. As vice president of automotive insights at AutoTrader.com, he leads a team of industry analysts and provides valuable information to clients that will advance their understanding of the industry, their makes and models, and the AutoTrader.com audience. Previously, he spent eight years at Kelley Blue Book, where he created the market intelligence consulting practice from the ground up and led shopper behavior/attitude studies. He has also worked for Young & Rubicam Advertising, performing market research studies to identify and refine positioning platforms for the Lincoln and Mercury brands.

 Attendees will have three chances to participate this informative workshop:

• Friday, February 3, from 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
• Friday, February 3, from 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
• Saturday, February 4, from 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

For more information about the NADA Convention and to register, visit http://www.nadaconventionandexpo.org/nada2012/public/enter.aspx.

About AutoTrader.com

Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com, created in 1997, is the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers and is a leading online resource for auto dealers, individuals and manufacturers to advertise and market their vehicles to in-market shoppers. The company also provides a robust suite of software tools for dealers and manufacturers to help them manage and market their vehicle inventory and display advertising on the Internet. AutoTrader.com continues to grow key business metrics, including revenue, profitability and site traffic. Today, AutoTrader.com attracts millions of unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to review descriptions, photos and videos of vehicles for sale; research and compare vehicles; review pricing and specials; and read auto-related content like buying and selling tips and editorial coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends. AutoTrader.com operates one other auto marketing brand, AutoTraderClassics.com. AutoTrader.com also owns used vehicle management software company vAuto, Kelley Blue Book (Kbb.com), HomeNet Automotive, a leading provider of online inventory management and merchandising solutions for the automotive retail industry and VinSolutions, a leading provider of end-to-end solution platforms for dealers.  AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Providence Equity Partners is a 25 percent owner of the company and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor. For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com