COLUMBUS, Ohio – ZipDeal, a streamlined, post-sale, pre-F&I vehicle delivery system for automotive dealers, today announced that well-known automotive industry innovator Danny Benites has joined as National Sales Director.

Having served in almost every position inside the walls of franchise dealerships, Danny brings a current, real-world knowledge of the day-to-day workings of our clients.

Benites brings over thirty years of automotive retail experience to ZipDeal, twenty-five of which were spent as a General Manager, Platform Chief Operating Officer, or Owner. He has held just about every position in a dealership, starting his automotive career working as a lot porter, and ending up as the owner of three franchises. He then moved on to his own consulting business.

“Having served in almost every position inside the walls of franchise dealerships, Danny brings a current, real-world knowledge of the day-to-day workings of our clients,” said Tony Gomez, ZipDeal Chief Executive Officer & Partner. “He also owns DealerHealth Consulting and has worked extensively with dealers and vendors around the country, transforming numerous companies with his unconventional ideas and unique leadership style. We are excited to have such a retail automotive superstar heading up our sales team and look forward to the future expansion this will bring,” Gomez added.

Benites attended Texas Tech University where he studied Public Relations and Marketing. In addition to his dealership experience, he is a nationally recognized speaker and has delivered keynotes and served on expert panels at events such as Driving Sales Executive Summit, Women in Automotive Conference, Innovative Dealer Summit, DealerSocket User Summit, Insight Loyalty & Retention Conference, and others. He has also served on several national dealer advisory boards.

The ZipDeal digital delivery experience was created by Steve Lindsay, owner of Lindsay Automotive which includes Lindsay Honda, the top volume Honda dealer in the Midwest and among the top ten in the nation. Brought to market by industry veterans Chip King and Tony Gomez, ZipDeal links eleven touchpoints between the end of vehicle negotiations and entering the F&I office on one customer-driven interactive tool. ZipDeal leads customers through titling and registration, insurance information, finance and protection products, vehicle features, personal vehicle settings, posting online dealership reviews, and more. 

The tool ensures every customer is exposed to every product and accessory every time for additional revenue streams while giving customers a personalized experience and the control they want over the process. Lindsay Automotive piloted ZipDeal with the top five sales staff at each of its two locations. Staff was trained on accessories and protection products (paint and fabric) and earned commissions on sales. Within three months, protection product sales increased from 5% to over 33%, and reps were earning as much as $3,000 a month in extra commissions.

Lindsay Automotive also reduced the frustrating downtime between the end of price negotiations and the F&I process. This was due, in part, to inviting the customer to engage in the delivery process. The dealership additionally increased finance profit per retail unit by over $200 and boosted positive online reviews by 500%.

Commenting on his new role at ZipDeal, Benites stated, “I am so honored to join the ZipDeal family and grateful to represent such a game-changing platform with life-changing people. After 30+ years inside the walls of franchise dealerships, I have truly never seen such an effective platform that dramatically enhances and expedites the customer experience and exponentially increases dealer profits.”

For more information about ZipDeal visit: www.zipdeal.com.

Read: Down the Road: Selling Cars Remotely