The Dealer Playbook

When it comes to the word "attraction" and business, many immediately think of the famous "law of attraction." In today's episode of the show, Michael Cirillo and David Bradley investigate how you can grasp the deeper meaning of the word attraction, and how you can apply it to your career in the retail auto industry. - - - Leave a Review: If you're enjoying the podcas...

There's a lot of talk about how dealerships will evolve in a post COVID world. As economies are slowly opening, and consumers return to purchase vehicles, there are many struggling to figure out what path they should take in order to really dominate. Michael shares advice written in his #1 best-selling book, "Don't Wait, DOMINATE!" which are as relevant (if not more) today as w...

Is your profit and loss statement telling you the whole story about the true costs of running your dealership? Often when dealerships struggle to track profit, they forget about ancilliary expenses that add up and stifle growth. In today's powerbomb episode, Michael and Juan explore what expenses should be tracked in order to get a clearer picture about profitability and expenses. - - - Leave...

How many times have you written off a deal because it was too easy to blame the deal going south on a grumpy customer? What about a "tire kicker", "know-it-all", or the miscellany of nicknames we assign those that don't see very interested in working a deal?  What if there was a way to switch things around so that you had the control you needed in order to build a relation...

You've heard the old saying about the few things that are certain in life, taxes being one of them. In this episode, Michael is joined by Juan Pena from MBAF who shares a load of dealership accounting best practices.  Got a question for Michael? Call our voicemail: (780) 306-2021 for a chance to be featured on the show.  Enjoying the podcast? Be sure to click that subscribe button and leave a...

Something that you have more of than you realize. Have you ever felt like you were running out of energy, only to find that a change in circumstances revitalized you? In today's episode of The Wednesday Word, Michael Cirillo and David Bradley discuss the importance of energy and how you kind tap into unlimited amounts of it.  Access the full show notes, timestamps, resources and more at http:...

Sure, talking about the importance of a corporate mission isn't as sexy sounding as the silver bullet promise of instant results, but there's a reason why some dealers make big money for longer while others seem to struggle month after month.  With a massive curve ball thrown at car dealers around the world in 2020, many are starting to focus on the business items that matter most. In to...

Certified pre-owned vehicles can solve a lot of problems in the retail auto industry post COVID-19. While OEMs have released many enticing new vehicle programs, CPO vehicles can help with the supply and demand issues the OEMs face with production delays or closed facilities for new vehicles. Jasen Rice, from Lotpop Inc. shares that if OEMs released incentives for CPO vehicles, there would be a res...

 Tiffani Bova is the Global Customer Growth and Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce. She has led massive revenue-producing divisions for startups and Fortune 500 companies which is why car sales people around the world need to pay attention to her wisdom. In this episode of Friday Fire, Michael shares his commentary about Tiffani's famous quote, "How you sell matters. What your process i...

When it comes to moving pre-owned inventory and running a lean and mean car operation, no better name comes to mind than Jasen Rice from Lotpop Auto. Jasen is a master at helping dealers move more used vehicle inventory, preserving profits, and maintaining the right level of inventory.  In today's episode of The Dealer Playbook podcast, Jasen and Michael talk about the reality that the used c...

Whether you are new to selling cars or are a seasoned vet of the retail automotive industry, there is one thing that is certain. Each of us need to constantly level up our skill in order to stay ahead of the curve. In today's Wednesday Word, Michael Cirillo and David Bradley discuss the meaning of the word "Skill" and how you can apply to your career in the car business.  The COVID-...

The retail automotive industry is filled with buzzwords and buzz-topics. Just a year ago (at time of recording this), the topic of disruption was the craze. Today, it's digital retailing. If you're listening to this at time of publish or some time in the future, it's almost certain that there will be many more buzz topics to digest. Having said that, the dealers who get scrappy and...

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most iconic female business leaders and media magnates of all time. Her empire is vast, her influence; profound. She has impacted millions of men, women, and children many times over and continues to spread her positive message.  But what can car dealers learn from Oprah? That's the topic of today's Friday Fire episode of The Dealer Playbook. Michael Cirillo s...

The team at Kijiji Autos has a long-standing tradition of showing support for the retail dealership community, not just when times are good, but also when challenging times arise. In today's episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael sits down with Robert Karbaum (yes that's his real name!) to discuss creative ways that dealers in Canada have shown support for their communities while also g...

There's a reason why some car sales professionals were able to keep building their business during COVID-19 while others struggled to figure things out. There's a reason why some, even though they were furloughed maintained an optimistic and hopeful outlook that helped them, their family, and their dealership. Mindset is the focus of today's Wednesday Word because it truly is the di...

Maybe you're new to the car business or are just looking for new ways to grow in your position within the dealership. In today's episode, Michael breaks down a concept that will help you grow your car sales like crazy while also building relationships of trust. When it comes to perpetual growth, VAFU will help create an endless stream of repeat and referral business while making you the...

Ever wonder why some retail professionals always seem to win while others are stuck in a rut? As much as we'd like to believe that tactics alone will help car dealers succeed, there is so much to be said of consistency in following a strategy. In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael Cirillo and Frank J. Lopes explore what the power of consistency, if following a strategy, can do for y...

President Barrack Obama has a famous quote that speaks to the simplicity and effectiveness of building hope, and building a legacy. Retail car dealers have an amazing opportunity within their community to reach out and exemplify the power of service, building hope, and building relationships of trust through serving others.  Got a question for Michael? Call our voicemail: (780) 306-2021 for a chan...

Frank J Lopes is known for his straight-shooter, no-nonsence approach to organizational achievement. In this episode of the podcast, Frank and Michael discuss concepts that he shares in his new book, "The 7 Minute Setup" and how dealerships can use this time (during COVID-19) to focus on what matters most.  Got a question for Michael? Call our voicemail: (780) 306-2021 for a chance to be...

The biggest difference between those that succeed and those that remain still is the topic of today's Wednesday Word. When you look at GOAT athletes like Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky, they tend to have one thing in common - discipline. They are disciplined in their mindset, their training, their practice, their game. Compare that to the most successful business leaders, sales professionals...

Now that we've had a solid 50 - 60 days of COVID-19 discussions under our belts, it's time to move on. As human beings, we are built to move forward, not back. In today's episode, Michael shares his ideas about what dealerships should be doing now; where they should focus their marketing attention, and what makes sense now that dealerships around the world are opening their sales de...

Enjoying the podcast? Be sure to click that subscribe button and leave an honest review! Want even more free tools and resources, head over to http://www.thedealerplaybook.com/ and sign up for our newsletter to get Michael's latest free tools and resources. - - - Leave a Review: If you're enjoying the podcast, we'd love an honest review here . - - - Socials: Follow on LinkedIn Follo...

You're thinking about the movie Braveheart, arent you? Knew it!  But how does the word "freedom" apply to the retail auto industry? When facing the challenge of an uncertain market, or when government regulations have us on lockdown or laid off, it's easy to believe that we've had our freedom taken from us.  Two definitions of the word freedom accurately convey the mindset...

 Enjoying the podcast? Be sure to click that subscribe button and leave an honest review! Want even more free tools and resources, head over to http://www.thedealerplaybook.com/ and sign up for our newsletter to get Michael's latest free tools and resources. - - - Leave a Review: If you're enjoying the podcast, we'd love an honest review here . - - - Socials: Follow on LinkedIn Foll...

There's no doubt that COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on retail dealers' ability to sell vehicles. Having said that, there are still activities with which you can engage in order to keep potential and current customers engaged, and fortify the relationship. That's the approach that Greg Churchill is taking at his three dealerships, among other things.  Enjoying the podcast? Be...