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Jon is the Business Development Director for OfferLogix, a position he took after working as the Director of Sales and Marketing/National Accounts for the previous nine years. In his previous role, Jon was responsible for driving revenue growth by identifying and cultivating new business opportunities and expanding brand presence. He has a strong track record in the automotive space, having spent 18 years working for one of the largest DMS (Dealer Management System) providers.
Jon’s expertise lies in building solid relationships with customers, vendors, and cross-functional teams in sales and marketing. He has experience leading teams, managing partnerships, and aligning business goals to achieve success. Jon is known for his collaborative approach and his ability to work effectively as a team player.
Outside of work, Jon values his faith, family, and friends, which he refers to as the “3 F’s.” He has a supportive wife named Jill and two accomplished daughters named Taylor and Payton. In his leisure time, Jon enjoys playing golf and pickleball, and he is a passionate soccer fan, particularly of the Austin FC team.
Aaron Bickart is a recognized senior leader, entrepreneur, and award-winning sales and marketing professional with over 30 years of success in the multibillion-dollar automotive industry. Most recently, Aaron took over as Executive Vice President and General Manager of OfferLogix, the pioneer in lease and loan payment advertising for car dealers, OEMs, and online portals. Over the last year, Aaron spearheaded GTM strategy, website development, SEM, social media, and new product development. During this time, Aaron simultaneously drove significant revenue and performance of Team Velocity, a high growth marketing and advertising company.
Throughout his progressive career, Aaron served in vital leadership roles, including Executive Vice President of Sales Operations and Senior Vice President of Sales (Team Velocity), Director of Sales and Dealer Operations, Automotive Business Consultant, and CRM Sales Specialist for The Reynolds and Reynolds Company. Aaron holds a significant track record of cultivating and maintaining productive partnerships with Cox Automotive, Data Aggravators, and Nexstar and helped assist in creating major OEM endorsements with Honda, General Motors, and FCA. Aaron is a well-known innovator, motivator, and changemaker reputed across the automotive industry by Tier 1/2/3, OEM, and Top 100 Dealer Group connections. He possesses an advanced technical mindset and history of devising and implementing cutting-edge solutions that drive business success during economic downturns and uncertain futures.
As a family man, health enthusiast, and foodie, Aaron enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, working out, trying new restaurants, and living by his favorite saying, “live your dream.”
Paul is the VP of Business Development for OfferLogix. Prior to joining OfferLogix, Paul spent the previous 8 years working in Sales and Business Development for a Digital Marketing and Technology provider in the Automotive space where he managed large partnerships and agencies. Paul successfully maintained and grew the relationships over the years and was considered a key team player in the successful growth of the business. Paul is the consummate professional and often found talking and negotiating with C level partners and vendors. His professional experience and unparalleled commitment to his customers make him an invaluable asset to OfferLogix. Prior to the Automotive space Paul spent 15 years on Wall Street where he held Senior Managing Director positions in Equity Trading, Institutional Trading and Investment Banking. One of Paul’s fondest memories was organizing and Co-Chairing the annual Spring Wall Street Charity Fund golf tournament which raised in excess of over $1 million over a 15-year period.
Paul loves spending most of his spare time with his family, living a healthy lifestyle and golfing with good friends. Over the years Paul has been very active in charitable organizations and his local community.
Paul earned his BA in International Affairs with a concentration in Economics from The George Washington University.
OfferLogix named a Top Company To Watch
We’re thrilled to be named a Top Company To Watch by Automotive Ventures. At OfferLogix, we’re driven by our mission to eliminate the confusion, the inaccuracy, and the disconnect that exists between the vehicle, the customer, and the monthly payment. The future of payment technology is here.
What’s in a Car Payment?
Car payments come in all shapes and sizes from leases to loans to balloons; from new cars to used cars to certified pre-owned; from two years to seven years – and those are the simple things. Calculating a car payment involves more than simple math. The annual average car payment in the United States has increased over the last two years. In 2019, the average U.S. car payment for a new vehicle was $554 and $391 for a used car, while the lease payment average was $457. These amounts are up from 2018. Two years ago, a new car payment averaged $530, while a used car payment averaged $381 and lease payments were also lower at $430.
So, what’s really in a car payment?
Rebates and Incentives
The first option to consider is whether the car manufacturer (OEM) and, in some cases, a third-party bank is offering any rebates, incentives or subvented interest rates. These are often used to entice the buyer into the showroom. It is also important to consider the trade-in as well as the consumer’s credit score. These options will impact the final price of the vehicle.
Lender
Ninety-three percent of all vehicle purchases need financing. The buyer will have to decide how many years they would like to finance/lease the vehicle, typically ranging between two to seven years. Rarely is this an apples-to-apples comparison from one lender to another. In my experience, there can be some ambiguousness at this point in the buyer journey. Additionally, the lender will factor in any subvented rates they have, the buyer’s credit score as well as new or used car interest rates. While new car rates differ by very little, used vehicle rates can vary from 5% to over 10%. The differences in used vehicle rates depend on the year of the vehicle, the consumer’s credit score and mileage of the vehicle. The lower the credit score the higher the interest rate. These reasons alone make estimating a car payment quite challenging.
Dealer
The dealer also has an effect on determining the monthly car payment. A major portion of this interaction is based on the selling price of the vehicle which is negotiable. This can be affected by who is doing the financing and other variables. Dealers like to handle the financing and sometimes this is used to impact the price or other aspects of the loan or payment.
State
Regardless of the finance terms or whether the vehicle is new or used, no transaction is complete without factoring in taxes. Most buyers rely on the local DMV to provide the local, state and county taxes as well as titling and licensing fees. It’s almost always an afterthought factored in once an agreement has been reached on the selling price of the vehicle. In instances like this, the taxes may bump the customer’s monthly payment out of their comfort range.
Consumer
The last factor in pricing is the consumer. The biggest way consumers influence the price of the vehicle, outside of things like a trade-in and balance owed, is by how much cash they put down on the vehicle. Obviously, the more they put down, the smaller the loan or lease amount will be.
Evidently, there is a lot that goes into calculating a monthly car payment. In addition, there is also something to be said about a dealer’s ability to confidently advertise an exact monthly car payment for each vehicle in their inventory. How is this possible? Technology. OEMs and dealers should invest in the use of technology built specifically for payment calculation in the automotive industry. Here are my specific reasons why –
In the most simplest of terms, OEMs and dealers want to sell vehicles and customers want to buy them. The sticking point – the car payment. If you successfully eliminate the sticking point, both the dealer and the customer win.
Say Goodbye To The Old Bait And Switch
Buying a car can be a daunting task. You spend hours researching make and model, trim and colors, not to mention payment options. Finally, you find the perfect car, in the perfect color and a quick search online shows a dealer advertising the vehicle payment at your ideal price point. You click on the ad with the specific finance payment and land on a generic public page. Wait, what just happened? Where is your perfect car with the advertised payment?
I see this happen all too often. Studies show that customers want to negotiate a purchase price, see rebates, specials and incentives, value their trade, and start the buying process online. However, the missing link is providing accurate vehicle payments. While most new car dealers advertise payments in their ads or on their websites, they are typically static ads, with small print, relating to a specific vehicle, with a certain MSRP, and often lead to confusion for both the customer and dealership staff when the customer wants to know the details and how the “special” relates to an actual vehicle in the dealer’s inventory. In other words, there is a disconnect between the monthly payment on the advertised vehicle and what the dealer actually has on hand in inventory. Not only does this create an atmosphere of confusion for the customer and the dealer, it can also lead to a certain level of distrust with the old bait and switch and ultimately lost revenue. The customer experience is left wanting and fragmented.
So, what gives? In today’s world, customers are armed with information aided by technology. In addition, the auto industry is in an unusual position, among major industries, where its product cost, incentives/rebates, and market value information are readily available to its consumers and OEMs & dealers that embrace this fact will win more customers and retain more profit. We are in the information age and it is time for customers in the auto industry to enjoy the car buying experience. Companies such as Tesla and Carvana are proof that the auto industry can deliver a seamless customer experience. If an OEM or dealer can build customer confidence by removing the disconnect surrounding the display of payments on advertisements and corresponding landing pages, customers will give you the opportunity to serve them.
Here are some practical ways OEMs and dealers can eliminate the disconnect
Technology has changed the customer experience for good. Customers by and large are enjoying frictionless buying experiences across a myriad of other industries. In automotive, technology has changed the product offered. The cars we drive today are not the same cars we drove 20, 10 or even 5 years ago. It’s time for the auto industry to embrace technology not only in manufacturing vehicles but also in delivering a seamless customer experience. OEMs and dealers that embrace the use of technology to eliminate the confusion, the inaccuracy, and the disconnect that exists between the vehicle, the customer, and the monthly payment will be the last ones standing.