ConnectedPodcast

On this episode of Connected, Greg is joined by two guests from Automotive Warranty Network Inc. — Jake Trott, the vice president of account management, and Jason Tuck, the sales and marketing manager. Warranty claims work isn't talked about very often, but it can be critical to your bottom line. Jake and Jason sat down to talk about: -Common issues to look for before submitting warranty claims. -...

On today's episode Greg is joined by Glenn Mercer, long-time automotive researcher and the author of the popular blog, Car Charts. Glenn has been a part of the automotive space for decades. Before turning to automotive research and starting his blog, Glenn worked in the automotive consulting space with McKinsey & Company for over 20 years. In this conversation, he offers some great insights and id...

The average car deal requires 39 feet of forms, and with regular updates to state and federal regulations, it can be a challenge for many dealerships to keep all those documents up-to-date. On today's episode, Reynolds VP of Marketing Greg Uland is joined by another Greg: Greg Schaeffer, Vice President of Compliance. They discuss some ideas for how dealers can protect themselves by identifying are...

This week's episode of Connected is one for the record books. Greg welcomes two in-studio guests for the first time and it's one of the longest conversations we've ever had! Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier from Automotive State of the Union (ASOTU) visited the Reynolds and Reynolds headquarters for the first time to talk about building a macro-brand, creative storytelling, and the role dealerships...

On this episode of Connected, TrueSpot CEO/Founder Mike Hanna joins Greg in studio to discuss his experience working in a dealership and how the company got started. Watch the entire conversation to hear some of Mike's stories about how tracking down keys can put you in some unexpected places...like digging through a dumpster!

This week's episode of Connected is a bit of a special one. A few weeks ago at NADA, we had 11 great conversations in our booth on the show floor with people from different parts of the automotive industry: dealers, students, influencers, ADA presidents, vendors, and CEOs. Each conversation discussed a new and fun topic from service efficiency to AI, eContracting, and more. In this episode, Greg g...

"For over 125 years dealers have been successful and adapted to every technological change in our industry. Whether it's how vehicles are sold or the technology used in the vehicles, dealers are constantly updating their ability to reach their customers." On this episode of Connected, Greg sits down with Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Association and outgoing ATAE chairman...

On today’s episode, Greg sits down with Jose Mendoza, general manager at San Leandro Honda. With inventory levels beginning to stabilize, Jose offers some great tips for navigating the used vehicle market. Hear his thoughts on: -Selling new vs. used. -Finding profitable inventory. -Pricing to your specific market.

On today's episode, Dan Shine, senior editor of Automotive News, joins Greg in the Connected studio.  As a Detroit native and experienced journalist, Dan has great insight into what’s going on in the industry and how’s it being talked about in the media. Get Dan's insight on: -Important topics that aren't being talked about enough. -Subjects to keep an eye out for in the future. -How he identifies...

Today on Connected, Greg sits down with Curtis Lewsey, the founder of DealerCards and bestselling author of Appreciation Marketing. Curtis has figured out how dealerships can turn a simple "thank you" into a competitive advantage. Listen as they discuss: -What you can do to increase repeat business. -How to earn customer referrals, not just ask for them. -How to build a lasting customer relationsh...

It's the last episode of Connected before Christmas and we picked this guest just for you! Greg is joined in studio by Kelly Adkins, director of OEM programs at Reynolds, to talk about getting involved in your community and the joy of giving back. Kelly and her family do a lot of volunteering and she has some great tips for getting started!

Thanksgiving has come and gone but we're thankful for this week's guest, Owen Moon! Owen is the co-founder and CEO of Fixed Ops Digital and he sat down with Greg to talk about how you can use marketing to increase visibility and trust in your service department. Find out how you can make your dealership stand out when customers need proactive maintenance work or reactive vehicle repairs!

On today's episode of Connected, Greg talks with Lee Harkins, president and CEO of M5 Management Services, about the common issues he is seeing impacting dealerships' service operations and what advice he gives to help improve their processes. When it comes down to implementing those improvements in the service drive, there are often two different paths taken - investing in the process or investin...

There are many incredibly talented technicians out there. For the best of the best at Hendrick Automotive Group, there are few achievements as impressive as being invited to participate in the Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown. This week on Connected, Greg sits down with Roger Mesiemore, vice president of fixed operations at Hendrick Automotive Group, to talk about this year's event an...

Happy National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Well, we hope it's a happy occasion. This week on Connected, Greg sits down with Ken Wolf, the supervisor of Reynolds' Security Operations Center. While thinking about cyber incidents can be intimidating, Ken was able to talk through some things that can help you protect yourself and your dealership. Things like: -Where you have control when it comes t...

Today on Connected, Greg sits down with Tim Whalen, service manager at Voss Chevrolet in Dayton, Ohio. Technician turnover continues to be an issue for dealers but at Voss, Tim's only seen two techs move to different roles in the last five years! Watch the full conversation to find out how Tim manages retention in his dealership by asking questions and evaluating why employees might not be satisfi...

Implementing new systems into the dealership can have a huge impact on long term success, but it's not a one-sided process. It takes work from both the vendor and the dealership, each of which has unique insights on what it takes to successfully implement change. On this episode of Connected, Greg talks with Sean Sullivan,  general manager at Bill Currie Ford, and Brad Schafer, the founder of Reco...

On today's Connected, Greg sits down to talk with Don Graff, owner of Don Graff Automotive Advisors. Don has spent many years on all sides of the industry, giving him so much knowledge to pull from in his current role as a consultant helping dealerships better understand their business and their workforce. During the conversation, Don shares his thoughts on: -How much impact you can actually have...

Let's chat about chat! This week on Connected, Greg welcomes Ashley Yard, director of client success at Gubagoo . Their conversation includes insights into the three layers of chat and lead generation, assistive tech's role in the car buying process, what lies ahead for virtual retailing, and an idea for how you can use ChatGPT's capabilities.

Today, we're looking back on Connected episodes that not only stand the test of time, but cover topics that are incredibly relevant to our changing industry today. Check out conversations with industry experts on: -Customer data platforms and how they can impact dealers -Protecting your dealership against cyberattacks -The evolution of the modern day service lane -How eContracting is changing the...

He's back! Cliff Banks, founder of the Banks Report and creator of AUTOVATE, makes his return to Connected and joins Greg in studio for the first time! Together, they discuss future opportunities with EVs, recent mergers and acquisition activity, how dealers can continue to provide value, and what connected vehicles might be able to do for drivers someday.

Start your engines and get ready for this week's episode of Connected! Greg's sitting down with Doug Boles, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Doug talks about his lifelong passion for motorsports, shares some behind-the-scenes thoughts on the 100 Days to Indy docuseries, and gives us his personal choice for the best seats at the track! If you're a dealer, Reynolds and Reynolds hopes you ca...

This week on Connected, Greg talks with Emily Iberle, partner manager at Uber, and Anthony Montiero, executive vice president of integrated partnerships at Draiver. We recently announced a new integration between the three companies that lets dealers schedule rideshares for customers directly from ERA-IGNITE!

On this week's episode of Connected, Greg's sitting down with AJ McGowan, president and co-founder of AutoVision. They talk about Reynolds' recent acquisition of Autovision, the direction of the used car market, and even some of the features that can impact the value of a used car.

Today's Connected features Jason Stein, CEO and owner of Flat Six Media. Jason was previously the editor for Automotive News and has had a hand in every part of the automotive industry. Because of his expertise in the industry, the conversation dives into some unique areas that make for a interesting episode!