Fired Up! No Nonsense Talk and Car Dealership Solutions

The automotive industry has transformed dramatically over the past two decades. AI, digital retailing, online pricing tools, and endless customer data have changed how dealerships operate—but have they changed how people buy? In this episode of Fired Up! , Greg Neilson joins us to discuss why relationships still outperform technology, how great leaders coach individuals instead of managing teams,...

In this episode of the Fired Up Podcast, host Susan Gaytan, Director of Training, and CEO Michael Renaud from Alan Ram Proactive Training Solutions sit down with Mike Sealy, Vice President of The Kintz Group. In this episode, the three discuss the philosophies that laid the foundation for both organizations. And how those philosophies & strategies have contributed decades of success for automo...

In this episode of the Fired Up Podcast, host Susan Gaytan and CEO Michael Renaud from Proactive Training Solutions sit down with Tom Kline, Professional Risk Litigation Strategist & Author of Tuck The Octopus, to talk about the latest FTC crackdown and what dealerships can do to minimize risk & remain compliant.  Send us Fan Mail

What’s really happening when a customer asks for the price… and everything starts to fall apart? In this episode of Fired Up , Susan Gaytan and Michael Renaud sit down and talk through what they’re actually seeing on the ground — in dealerships across the country — when it comes to price conversations, phone ups, and why so many teams are struggling right now. From “out-the-door” questions to awkw...

After a busy quarter of growth, Susan and Michael are back on the Fired Up Podcast —and they’re coming in hot with the real conversation dealers need heading into 2026. In this episode, they break down what they’ve seen across top-performing dealer groups: why clear monthly expectations change everything, how mystery shop calls expose hidden leaks (broken phone trees, weak word tracks, missed appo...

In Episode 26 of Fired Up! No-Nonsense Talk and Car Dealership Solutions, Susan Gaytan and Michael Renaud reflect on a year of growth, powerful partnerships, and one undeniable truth in automotive retail: fundamentals still win. This episode dives into what separates high-performing dealerships from the rest—strong leadership, consistent training, and real accountability. From successful dealer gr...

🔥 Fired Up Podcast: Navigating the Cashflow Crunch with Axos Bank’s Anthony Cappizzano In this episode of the Fired Up Podcast, host Susan Gaitan and CEO Michael Renaud from Alan Ram Proactive Training Solutions sit down with Anthony Cappizzano, Senior Vice President of Axos Bank’s Consumer Lending Division, to talk about the biggest challenges and opportunities facing today’s automotive dealers....

In this episode of The Fired Up Podcast , Susan Gaytan and Michael Renaud expose the missing piece in dealership performance — true accountability. They reveal how traditional sales metrics fail to show efficiency and introduce the Lead Conversion Calculator to track what really drives results: leads, appointments, show rates, and conversions. The hosts highlight how poor lead handling burns marke...

The conversation revolves around a road trip and training sessions with various automotive teams. Susan and Michael discuss the importance of senior leadership's involvement in training, noting that managers often know less than their staff. They highlight a training session with Hennessy, where the president's hands-on approach was impactful. The discussion also covers the use of a lead...

Susan and Michael discuss the monthly spot training focus: Road To Revenue, as well as CBD and the upcoming Management By Fire event. Michael asks Susan to talk about her recent experience buying a car in her new local community. She reviews her unforgettable experience in this first part of a 2-part episode.  Send us Fan Mail

In this no-fluff, boots-on-the-blacktop episode of Fired Up , Susan and Michael break down what’s really happening on the phones and showroom floors in today’s market. From mystery shopping a Porsche store to discovering a rockstar BDC rep in Brooklyn, they expose the difference between salespeople who show up and those who stand out. Plus, Susan gives a first look at her new training series The H...

Michael and Susan bring real talk (and real data) to this month’s hot-button training topic: internet leads. From funny voicemails to transactional copy-and-paste emails, they reveal the top 5 mistakes your team is probably making—and how to flip the script. Bonus: Susan still hasn’t bought a car, and now you know why.  Send us Fan Mail

Michael and Susan discuss Agentic AI, today’s newest dealership sales resource for communicating with potential dealership buyers. Already a solution for service appointment -setting, some people fear this may not work as smoothly in sales. The importance of blending AI tools with human interaction is key. Most consumers still want the human experience.  Send us Fan Mail

Join Michael & Susan recording straight from the 1-40 in Arkansas, on their last leg of this year’s Penske training trip. They discuss their partnership with Penske standing the test of time, some of those managers previously knowing Alan personally and being trained by him years ago. The excitement and hospitality received were top-notch, they reset the training program and injected confidenc...

Michael and Susan recap their busy year, review events, trips, highlights and special dealership managers that proved training can greatly impact dealership's success. Send us Fan Mail

On this episode of Fired Up! Michael and Susan discuss the big frustration most salespeople are dealing with right now: Internet Leads. From a longer buying cycle, fears of uncertainty, and high interest rates, Internet leads are beginning to get a negative stigma. We are here to talk through that and provide you some relief by helping you master the follow-up game by using speed and making sure y...

Michael and Susan discuss the clear winners in 2023, including but not limited to: Great dealership managers, appointment-driven teams, successful leadership trends, Covid-attitude killing your dealership, eliminating back-and-forth pencils, and empowering your salespeople, faster manager T.O.s, empathy & compassion with shoppers needs, CallDrip for winning phone accountability, and a little B...

In this episode of Fired Up, Michael Renaud discusses what he is seeing on the road with dealerships across the country including common challenges, great managers who make all the difference, what those managers are doing week to week, performance conversations with sales reps, commissions, structuring your sales teams’ day.  Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, our three trainers discuss the reality of today's car business managers who have lost their mojo and are struggling to keep their gross on the table, and their sales teams successful. Listen to what we are seeing and hearing across the country when it comes to good managers, bad managers, and what you can do as a salesperson to maintain success regardless. Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Susan Gaytan, Michael Renaud, and Michael Paulk discuss the struggles they are hearing from automotive sales representatives around the country when it comes to successful selling and the impact that new buying challenges are posing for dealership salespeople (and sales managers) everywhere. We're making good salespeople and managers GREAT! Send us Fan Mail

Susan Gaytan & Michael Renaud chat with Matt Jones, Senior Director of Brand & Industry at True Car about everything your sales team needs to know about today's used car shopper. SPEED: How you are responding to the lead. Time and efficiency. LEARN THE LEAD: How much do you know about the shopper and their preferred vehicle? THE EXPERIENCE: Must look beyond price. What motivates the s...

Join us as we have a great chat with Tom Kline, CEO of Better Vantage Point, about Dealership Compliance. Listen in as we chat about things like texting prospects and customers, what to be cautious about in terms of Used Cars/Appraisals, and risks managers should be aware of. Send us Fan Mail

We wanted to take some time to officially welcome Michael "Mad Mike" Paulk to the Alan Ram Team! Join us for an interview with Mad Mike and learn all about his background and how he will help take us to the next level! Send us Fan Mail

We are excited to launch the new Phone-Ups That Show-Up course and hope you all find it beneficial. Listen to Susan explain her thoughts and mindset as she updated Alan's flagship course.  Send us Fan Mail

We're discussing our past experiences with dealerships and female associates with special guest, Cathy Droz, Founder & CEO of HER Certified. She is an accomplished automotive journalist, author, speaker, sales trainer, dealer consultant and we are excited to break it down on this month's Fired Up Podcast!  Send us Fan Mail