ANAHEIM, Calif. —At NADA 2015, The Next Up launched a geo-fencing product, LiveDrive, to help managers better determine test drive success based on route, time spent and speed, among other factors. LiveDrive will now be offered as a standard feature within The Next Up solution.

Built within The Next Up App, as soon as the geo-fence is broken by a salesperson with a customer, the system automatically starts tracking the test drive. From that point on, LiveDrive will track the route, rate of speed and time spent on the test drive, then send the information real-time to Google Maps embedded within The Next Up solution.

In addition to receiving real-time information, dealerships can customize the test-drive route and see an overlay map to ensure all salespeople are following the designated directions. After tracking test drive information over the course of an established period of time, dealerships will finally be able to analyze their own individual test drive information to find patterns that help establish higher closing ratios. For instance, that dealership can determine if a certain route yields the same or better conversion rates, or if the amount of time spent on the test drive impacts closing ratios each month. LiveDrive will also ensure all sales representatives are taking the required steps to complete the sale and can be used as a staff safety feature.

“There’s an epidemic happening in our industry and it centers on test drives. As more online researchers hit the lot transaction-ready, salespeople assume the customer is already sold on what they want and will not go on a drive. But skipping such a crucial step means salespeople are missing the biggest value builder available to them,” said Clint Burns, CEO of The Next Up. “LiveDrive can finally prove the value of a test drive, the one thing that will never physically take place online. Although our industry has changed dramatically over the years, the fundamental basics do not. It is a game changer.”