Using CBI Reports to See What Buyers Actually Want

Welcome back to another edition of the Monthly Mile Marker! 

Have you ever wished you could read your commercial customer’s minds to see exactly what they’re thinking before they even picked up the phone? Save yourself the countless hours of meditation and astral projection (unfortunately, mind reading is still technically impossible). But the data living inside your Commercial Business Intelligence (CBI) Portal? That is absolutely the next best thing.

This month, we are diving into the fun stuff: tracking buyer intent.

By leveraging the data reporting within the CBI Portal, you no longer have to guess what your market wants—you can see exactly what they are searching for, clicking on, and engaging with. Let's break down the reports that will help you stock smarter, market tactfully, and give your buyers exactly what they are looking for!

1. The 'Buyer Engagements' Page: Seeing the Action Happen

If you want to know what is catching your buyers' eyes right now, the Buyer Engagements page in your CBI portal is your go-to report.

Overview: These reports track the digital touchpoints of your buyers on the WTS site, showing you not just that they are visiting, but how they are interacting with your inventory.

Key Reports:

• Body Type Activity: This report compares the number of searches for a specific body type alongside your current on-lot inventory and movement.

• Buyer Engagement by Body Type and Engagement Type: Breaks down the specific actions buyers are taking (e.g., clicking photos, viewing details, submitting a lead) sorted by body type.

• Buyer Engagement by View Source and Month: Shows exactly where your traffic is coming from—whether it’s directly from your Dealer Site, Comvoy, or specific OEM Locators.

Rubber Meets the Road:

You notice that "Service Bodies" are getting a huge uptick in search volume and VDP (Vehicle Detail Page) views, but those views aren't converting into web leads. By comparing this with the Body Type Activity report, you realize you only have one Landscape Dump on the lot, and it doesn't have any photos of the body details uploaded. You snap some high-quality photos, update the listing (in the ‘Edit Listing’ Tool), and WHAM! those searches turn into actionable leads.

2. Market Demand Reports: Zooming Out to the Big Picture

Want to know what the market looks like outside of your lot? Market Demand reports analyze search geography to tell you what your specific region is hungry for.

> Note: While some of these reports are native to higher WTS software packages, your dedicated CSM is always happy to pull a one-off report for you upon request. We’re here to ensure you’re receiving the insights and support you need to move that metal!

Real-Life Use Case:

You’re sitting down to order chassis for the upcoming quarter. Instead of guessing, you ask your CSM to pull the Top 5 Body Types in Demand for your Metro, along with the Body Type & Length report. You discover a substantial, unmet demand for 11-foot Service Bodies in your area. You order accordingly, filling a market gap your competitors haven't even noticed yet.

3. Movement & Inventory Trends: The Dealer Scorecard

Understanding what buyers want is half the battle; tracking how efficiently you are supplying it is the other half.

Overview: These reports show you the hard numbers on what is moving off your lot and how long it takes to get there.

Key Reports:

• Work Truck Movement Trend (All Vehicles): A highly visual graph displaying your vehicle movement by month, broken down seamlessly by Body Type.

• Dealer Days To Turn, Movement, Inventory (All Work Trucks and Vans): The heavyweight champion of inventory management. This report compares your on-lot inventory, total movement, and average Days to Turn (DTT) for all work trucks and vans.

Real-Life Use Case:

You check your Dealer DTT report and notice that your Box Trucks are sitting much longer than your regional average. Armed with this knowledge, you can engage with our Business Builder + Add On and proactively launch a targeted marketing campaign to actively commercial buyers to clear out that aging inventory before it becomes a liability.

CBI Portal Reporting: Turning the Data into Deals!

• Follow the digital footprints: Use the Buyer Engagements reports to see exactly where your traffic is coming from and what body types are keeping them on your site.

• Order with confidence: Leverage Market Demand reports to help inform your ordering strategy manufacturers, lengths, and body types your specific geographic region is actively hunting for.

• Lean on your CSM: We are here to help! If you want a deep dive into your Days to Turn or need a custom market demand pull for an upcoming inventory meeting, reach out to your CSM today.

Data is only as powerful as the action you take on it. Log into your CBI Portal this week, click around, and see what your buyers are trying to tell you!