ConnectedPodcast

This week on Connected, Greg's sitting down with an old friend: Amberly Montgomery, growth and development manager at Naked Lime Marketing. They talk about Naked Lime's 2023 Brand Retention and Defection Report, Amberly's recent speaking engagements, and the big announcement that Naked Lime will soon be under the Reynolds umbrella.

On this episode of Connected, we talk through accessory selling success with Armando Penales, assistant sales manager at Manhattan Beach Toyota. It comes down to the process they have in place that's making an impact for them. Armando has solidified Manhattan Beach Toyota as a great success story for getting the most out of accessory selling. He talks about why his ownership group is so invested i...

For today's episode of Connected, we have the opportunity to hear from Jack Shepp, a recent car buyer, as he walks us through a customer's perspective of buying a car almost entirely online. While managing a cross country move, Jack was in the market for a car. When the dealerships in Arizona didn't have the vehicle he was looking for, he turned to dealerships in his new state of Ohio to find his...

On this episode of Connected, Greg was joined by Andy Runyan and Forrest Pace from Brightline Insurance for a timely conversation that dives into all things cybersecurity. The idea of cyber insurance started in the 2000s when large corporations were being targeted. However, since the pandemic, activity in cyberattacks against smaller businesses, especially dealerships, have increased. Forrest had...

What do you do when faced with a problem that doesn't have a solution? If you're Elliot Silk, service director at Suntrup Automotive, you design and develop the solution yourself! If you remember last fall, Hyundai and Kia vehicles were experiencing notable theft issues due to a software malfunction. Unfortunately for Elliot, St. Louis was one of the top five cities in the U.S. where this malfunct...

On today's episode of Connected, Jenell Ross, dealer principal at Bob Ross Auto Group, joins Greg in studio to talk about her path to being a successful minority dealer, her favorite part of working in the industry, and everything in-between!

"We can tell them what everyone else is working on so they can see how their role, and their life, and their work fits in the greater whole." On this episode of Connected, Greg is joined by the co-hosts of the Daily Drive podcast, producer Kellen Walker and Jaime Butters, Executive Editor of Automotive News. With extensive backgrounds in broadcast, journalism, and automotive, they've had the uniqu...

“We aren’t using technology to replace relationships, but rather to maximize them.” On this week's Connected, Greg's talking with John Carpenter, General Manager at Joe Ball GMC. They talk about how to infuse a human touch into the car buying experience with newer generations. From looking at your audience from a high level to the benefits of artificial intelligence, what does the future of custom...

At NADA, Reynolds and Reynolds will be unveiling a new brand and logo! That doesn't happen very often, so we're pulling out all the stops for this episode of Connected. Greg's guest is Reynolds President Chris Walsh! Chris talks about the decision to rebrand, why this is the perfect time to do it, and what else people can expect to see in Dallas this week.

With NADA 2023 fast approaching, we can think of no better person to interview than this week's guest: Chairman of Pohanka Automotive Group and incoming NADA Chairman Geoff Pohanka! Geoff and Greg chat about some of the biggest issues dealers are facing right now and discuss why they're excited about this year's show.

Today's episode of Connected features Shannon Robertson, Executive Director of The Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals. Our discussion is about all things compliance when it comes to your protecting dealership. AFIP trainings are very beneficial to preventing "bad behaviors" in your dealership.

Today's guest on Connected is Kelly Stumpe, who's also known as The Car Mom! Kelly co-hosts the Carpool Podcast and helps her followers on Instagram and YouTube navigate the car buying process. With experience selling cars and becoming an industry influencer at the height of the pandemic, Kelly's niche is focusing on helping first-time, young, or women car buyers through the car buying experience....

This week's guest is Shawn Leibold, Director of Industry Relations here at Reynolds. Shawn's experience in creating community outreach events and sponsorships spans past the automotive industry. He brings great knowledge as to why it's important to build relationships with your community and how dealers can create impactful events to drive outreach. Enjoy listening to Shawn's many stories from the...

If you've ever attended a Fixed Ops Roundtable event, you'll definitely recognize this week's guest! We're talking with Ted Ings, Executive Director of the Center for Performance Improvement and host of the Fixed Ops Roundtable. Ted talks about his 40 years of experience in the automotive industry, shares some stories from past events, and the charity focus of this year's Fixed Ops Roundtable.

Is your dealership looking for a way to create value, generate profit, and help customers with low credit scores? This week's guest is Paul Sansone Jr, owner of Sansone Jr's 66 Automall and co-founder of Dealer Controlled Leasing. Paul recently won the Best Idea Contest at the 2022 DrivingSales Executive Summit. In this episode, Paul talks about the origin of Dealer Controlled Leasing and how it w...

"It all boils down to one acronym, BRT: build relationships of trust. Without relationships, we're nothing. Without desire to serve and empower others, we get nowhere." This week on Connected, Greg's chatting with Michael Cirillo, CEO of FlexDealer and host of The Dealer Playbook podcast.

We have another great guest on this week's Connected! Greg is joined in studio by Brian Pasch for an insightful episode that touches on several important topics: cybersecurity, Google Analytics 4, connected retailing, and the upcoming Modern Retailing Conference.

It's the 100th episode of Connected! We've come a long way from recording episode one in Greg's basement and we have a fantastic guest to celebrate the occasion. Greg is joined by Susan Givens, publisher of AutoSuccess Magazine, for a conversation about the evolution of media consumption, what AutoSuccess has in store for 2023, and how dealers can provide value by sharing quality information. List...

We're raising a little trouble on this week's Connected! Greg is joined by Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier from Automotive State of the Union (ASOTU) and The Automotive Troublemaker podcast. Together, they discuss their upcoming ASOTU CON event and the importance of collaborating within the automotive industry.

We have another first this week! John Keohane, vice president of operations at Temecula Valley Buick GMC, has never appeared on a podcast before but he joins Greg for a wide-ranging conversation. They discuss dealership CRMs, supply and demand, virtual retailing, how to transition online buyers once they arrive in store, and the future of the automotive industry.

"If you don't have a security focus in your dealership, you've got to get one quickly." Today's guest on Connected is Brad Holton, founder of Proton Technologies. He and Greg discuss the top 3 cybersecurity concerns for dealers, the upcoming FTC Safeguards rule amendments deadline, and how Proton can help.

Providing an omnichannel experience is all about being able to help a customer no matter where they are. So how can you apply that concept to your service department? This week's guest, Mike Murray from GoMoto, shares his insights and offers advice for dealers who want to transform the customer experience at their store.

How can dealers stay on top of recalls? How do you know what's out there, where to focus, and how to attack them? This week, Greg is joined by the CEO of Recall Masters, Scott Alan, to shed some light on the topic!

Tired of all the extra work associated with paperwork? This week on Connected, Greg's talking about eContracting with a special guest--Maxine Olson from Volkswagen Credit. They discuss the ins and outs of eContracting and how it can benefit dealers, consumers, and lenders!

Are bad habits slowing down the reconditioning process at your dealership? This week, Brad Schafer returns to the podcast to discuss how automation can improve efficiency, increase productivity, and get vehicles front line ready faster.