Ask the Team: Best Kept Secrets at OPENLANE®
4 mins
Wholesale auto marketplaces are a huge part of a successful dealership’s strategy, but with so many choices, how do you make sure you’re getting the most out of the one you use? The key is knowing what makes an auto dealer successful and how to use all the tools available to you.
We asked some of OPENLANE’s most knowledgeable US Marketplace employees to get their insights on what sets successful dealers apart, the most underrated features on the Marketplace, and the secret to building a great reputation.
Meet our Team
Elaine Hartig: Market Sales Director

Elaine has 16 years of experience at OPENLANE, where her hard work and dedication have consistently yielded exceptional results. As a hands-on leader, she drives her team to exceed company goals and has been instrumental in developing company innovations. She was recently selected for Cherokee Media’s Women in Remarketing award.
Nick Kelly: Growth Marketing Manager

Nick’s been with OPENLANE since June of 2022 working as a product and growth marketer for our US Marketplace. He seeks to identify and understand the challenges our customers are facing, partners with Product and Sales to find a solution, and then strategizes the best way to share the updates with our customers.
John Hamilton: Senior Regional Operations Manager

John’s journey with OPENLANE began seven years ago. Now a leader on the Regional Operations team, he focuses on ensuring high-quality and accurate vehicle inspections for customers across the Southeastern US. He was also recently named one of Auto Remarketing’s “US 40 Under 40” award recipients.
Aris Vinsant: Group Product Manager

Starting at OPENLANE in 2020 as an intern, Aris is the Group Product Manager for Inventory in the US marketplace. In this role, he coordinates software releases across OPENLANE’s inspections and arbitration technology platforms to ensure they are meeting the needs of our customers.
Q&A
What’s one thing successful dealers do that others don’t when using the OPENLANE Marketplace?
Aris Vinsant: Successful dealers bid fast! The first bidder is much more likely to be the dealer who ultimately wins the unit. In many situations, the seller will counter the early bidder and agree on a deal within minutes.
John Hamilton: We see the most success from dealers who are actively involved and responsive when buying or selling. Things can happen quickly when on the Marketplace, and staying engaged with buyers and sellers is the best way to win! Leveraging your sales partners can also help them be most successful.
Elaine Hartig: For sellers, it has to be adding Buy It Now, and pushing vehicles into Absolute Sale. Both of these methods help them maximize the return for their units and save them time spent on wholesale – allowing them to focus on retail. For buyers, it’s creating and saving inventory searches using any combination of our dozens of filters and setting Proxy Bids to make sure they don’t miss out on a car they want just because their day got away from them.
What’s the most underrated tool or feature on the OPENLANE Marketplace that you wish more dealers would use?
Aris Vinsant: I wish more buyers would use the watchlist! Adding to the watchlist places the vehicles in an easy-to-manage tab. And it also indicates to the sellers there is extra interest in the vehicle. It’s important for sellers to recognize there is strong demand for their vehicles.
Nick Kelly: Two innovations come to mind. For sellers, our mobile app will enable quicker wholesale management on the go, complementing their desk-based operations. For buyers, our AI assisted damage detection technology, Visual Boost AI™ will allow for faster evaluations by highlighting certain exterior damage like scratches, scuffs, and dents.
What is the secret to building a great reputation as a buyer or seller on OPENLANE?
Nick Kelly: We’ve added a “Following” tab to the inventory search page, allowing buyers to see vehicles from sellers they follow. With that in mind, sellers should prioritize building buyer rapport by responding quickly to offers and focusing on overall success rather than maximizing profit on individual vehicles. That approach will attract more followers, leading to increased unit views and ultimately more successful wholesale transactions.
John Hamilton: Staying active and engaged on the platform when working deals with other buyers and sellers. And, being honest and staying on top of the market trends with pricing.
What’s a common mistake that causes sellers to get fewer bids on their vehicle?
John Hamilton: If a seller isn’t active when working deals, the buyers will remember those times when they had to wait long periods of time to make a deal. That will in turn cause buyers to hesitate if they are trying to move quickly to close a deal. Like I mentioned before, the market moves fast and staying engaged with your inventory on the marketplace is the key to winning! Leveraging your sales partners is a great way to help in busy times!
Elaine Hartig: A common mistake I see is setting unrealistic floor prices and Buy it Now prices. I get that no one wants to miss out on potential profits, but you’re scaring away interested buyers when you set prices too high. Buyers are busy and won’t waste their time on cars they don’t think they can win, so by setting realistic prices, you get more bidders, which can ultimately lead to higher prices and buyers gaining money from the increased demand.
What’s one recent or upcoming innovation at OPENLANE that you are particularly excited about? What problem does it solve for dealers?
Aris Vinsant: A recent OPENLANE innovation already creating significant value for our dealers is our Audio Boost AI! We’ve significantly improved the quality of our audio recordings and made them available on all dealer condition reports.
Nick Kelly: We’ve been releasing a lot of new innovations recently, like Audio Boost AI, but I think the most helpful to our customers is the OPENLANE Condition Report Score. The score is data-driven, helping buyers rely on consistent, objective logic not arbitrary findings. While it helps dealers value the car, more importantly, it gives them time back in their day by allowing them to quickly scan the inventory page for the right cars.
From making a deal to building your reputation, it’s clear that engagement and speed are the keys to success on the Marketplace. By using the tools our experts have highlighted and staying active on the OPENLANE Platform, you can win more bids, earn the trust of other dealers, and ultimately, grow your business.
Ready to make wholesale easy and discover how OPENLANE can help your dealership?
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