The Dealer Playbook

"Visual content is king; quality visual content reigns supreme." 94% of first impressions are based entirely upon the design of the content someone sees.  Under that microscope, it's easy to understand why it's essential to pay attention to more than just publishing content for the sake of it.  When there is a visual edge to your content and helps the customer understand the me...

Human beings process visual information 60,000 times faster than the written word. Amy Balliet is an expert on visual communication and provides tips and insights about how dealerships can engage any audience and speed up the consumer purchase journey with high-quality visuals. Now, I know what some are thinking: "So, what Cirillo, are we talking about memes and infographics?" Yes, but a...

Dealership operations are complex and contain a lot of moving pieces to grow. Matt Lasher, Marketing Director at the West Herr Auto Group, shares a crucial element to remaining focused and moving the ball forward.  "It's about process and self-awareness. Each dealer has different priorities and things that they want to accomplish, and so it's about completing the non-glamorous work...

The hustle is real. The grind is hard. So is the need to build mental resilience.  Back for the 4th time, Elise Kephart joins the show to share her behind-the-scenes story about growth, overcoming challenges, and building the mental strength needed to play the game well.  Listen carefully to identify the wisdom you need to hear. Think about what you can do to build the muscle you need to attack th...

Car dealerships that want to help their people grow must look for some critical attributes before handing out more money or promotions.  Louie Herron explains that it's essential for business owners to look for the level of willingness, desire, and aptitude that each employee has. After all, what's the point in investing your energy into someone that honestly doesn't want to grow? ...

Louie Herron, a 25+ year veteran of the retail auto industry, shares valuable insights about what you can do to help people grow their careers to the next level in the car business.  One of the reasons why employee attrition is so high in the auto industry is the employees' inability to see career growth opportunities.  Louie started in the car business as a front-line sales professionals. Wi...

Do all customers want a digital retail option? Michelle Denogean explains that it's important to offer flexible options that match the expectations of various customers.  More importantly, Michelle encourages that the digital experience and in-store experience must align. There is nothing worse than putting a message out online that you can't deliver in person.  Access the full show note...

Michelle Denogean, CMO at Roadster, is no stranger to the tech industry. From working with popular online dating platforms to real estate and now automotive, Michelle's understanding of what moves consumers to action helps thousands of retail auto dealers across the USA and Canada.  During our conversation, Michelle provides practical ways that car dealers can leverage technology to increase...

When you're not the majority, you have to think about altering your perspective to fit into the widely adopted norm.  While seeing things from another person's point of view is a valuable business trait, it also represents a significant setback regarding diversity and inclusion in the workplace.  Open conversations about diversity and inclusion in the workplace can help heal generations-...

2020 has been a year of civil unrest. We've witnessed protests and riots, all of which stem from a lack of empathy and understanding. The unfortunate side effect is the barrier of ignorance and not knowing how to approach diversity and inclusion at home, at work, and play. Kerri Wise, the VP of communications at TrueCar and Cofounder of WOCAN (Women of Color Automotive Network), is a tremendo...

In this episode, Michael provides a logical and straightforward breakdown of attracting more of what you want in life.  Whether it's better relationships, money, love, happiness or fulfillment, the secret to getting more of what you want is in your proximity to those things.  Generally speaking, car dealers or car salespeople are looking for quick tactics to help them get more sold units. Thi...

Keeping projects and tasks organized is a key to moving the ball forward. It's also an easy way to recognize an immediate boost in productivity. Car dealers today have staff who rarely communicate effectively on all the work that needs completing.  With a simple software like Asana (or similar), you'll have the ability to make sure all team members are in the loop with all the work and t...

There is a lot of conversation about the technology and services that help car dealers sell more cars, but what about software that can help streamline productivity within the dealership?  There are many reasons why a dealership owner or manager should consider improving productivity, including the dealership's ability to scale with speed. Every dealer that I've had a conversation with s...

Fear holds many people back from stepping into their greatness. Many have convinced themselves that there is a dependency on others to make the business environment work properly.  Paul Long shares how important it is to push beyond your comfort zone so that you can accelerate your personal development and growth in the car sales industry.  Access the full show notes, timestamps, resources and mor...

Paul "The Dodgefather" Long didn't waste any time making a name for himself in the retail auto industry. He has proven that being a "rookie" in years doesn't mean you have to be a rookie in action.  In this episode, Paul shares his mindset and the behaviors that have helped him build a following and personal brand quickly. He is living proof that it doesn't matte...

Matt Lasher is the Marketing Director for the West Herr Auto Group in New York. Spanning 26 rooftops and counting, Matt provides unique insights into OEM programs, COOP initiatives, and what retail car dealers can do to balance internal marketing efforts with OEM and government regulations.  This episode could very well be a digital marketing masterclass. Matt certainly has the insights, experienc...

Peter Leto's experience at Google helped him see retail car dealers' opportunities to maximize their marketing efficiency.  In this powerbomb episode, Peter lays out some ways that you can save money on your marketing budget while getting even better results from it.  Access the full show notes, timestamps, resources and more at http://www.thedealerplaybook.com/peter-leto  Have questions...

Peter Leto, former Director of Automotive at Google in the United States joins the show to share valuable insights and tips that will help dealers get better control of their digital marketing efforts.  His unique vantage point spans the entire US automotive industry, and has helped him understand the challenges that retail dealers face with their advertising efforts.  In this episode of The Deale...

When it comes to disruption, retail dealers worry that Carvana's business model will continue to capture market share.  While it has proven to show signs of viability, recording over 200,000 units sold in 2019, there are many things car dealers can do to provide fantastic service and disruptive customer experience. - - - Leave a Review: If you're enjoying the podcast, we'd love an h...

Marco Mentenuto is an Audi Brand Specialist with an inspiring story about crushing it as a car salesperson. His journey in the car industry started like many others, with no onboarding or car sales training.  That didn't stop Marco, though. He used it as fuel to power an impressive career as a car sales professional that has helped him build lasting relationships in his community and a book o...

Car salespeople who create videos have a massive opportunity to stand out in their market. In this powerbomb episode, Jason Price shares some simple ways to overcome the fear of creating videos to dominate your career in the retail car business. - - - Leave a Review: If you're enjoying the podcast, we'd love an honest review here . - - - Socials: Follow on LinkedIn Follow on YouTube Foll...

Dealers worldwide see a significant uptick in appointments, shows, and closed deals because they stood out during the relationship-building process. The easiest way to stand out is by personalizing your communication with video.  In this episode, Jason Price, CEO of COVIDEO, joins Michael to share how you can leverage personalized video messages to stand out and make a lasting impression with your...

Automation can be both a blessing and a curse in the business environment without proper implementation. Car dealers that rely heavily upon automation lack the human element of communication. Those that don't find themselves buried in manual work.  In this week's powerbomb episode, Marc Lavoie shares practical advice to help balance manual work and automation when it comes to sending ema...

Car sales professionals are missing out on deals because of poor follow up. That's the mission Marc Lavoie, founder of the Autobahn Academy, is on.  Mastering the follow-up process takes commitment and practice. Marc shares his best advice about what dealers can do today to improve their follow-up skills and win more residual business opportunities.  Access the full show notes, timestamps, re...

There is a fixed belief in the retail car business that one must be active on all social platforms. In this episode, Audi Brand Specialist, Jennifer Worsley reveals why she chooses only to use Instagram, and how you can leverage the platform to grow your brand in car sales.  Among some of her best advice, selecting the platform that most interests you is far more critical than aimlessly trying to...