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vAuto helps today’s leading dealers run better than the competition. With a live market view and powerful inventory management tools, vAuto is the software, the people and the vision you need to achieve record success in any market.

vAuto Podcast


    • Jun 6, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 23m AVG DURATION
    • 142 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from vAuto Podcast

    5 Key Opportunities for Any Dealer Group

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025 33:49


    In this vAuto podcast, vAuto's senior director of customer program management, Dan Winchester, addresses five performance improvement opportunities for groups. The opportunities flow from his work advising dealer groups on ways to improve their businesses. The specific opportunities include ways to bring more consistency to appraisals across group rooftops; how to ensure each vehicle retails at the rooftop that offers the best ROI opportunity; pointers to establish group-level targets to minimize vehicle price discounts; and, guidelines to understand if merchandising or pricing is problematic for a vehicle.

    Live Market View Q2 2025 - Build on the Momentum

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 6:56


    In the Q2 Live Market View, Derek Hanson and Jessica Stafford explore consumer shopping behavior, sales trends, and inventory dynamics in early spring 2025. They highlight how new car leads surged in March and April, how dealers adapted to tariff uncertainties, and how AI-driven tools are helping dealers optimize pricing and inventory decisions. The discussion also emphasizes the importance of real-time data, strategic marketing, and meeting consumers where they are in today's fast-moving automotive market.

    ai market momentum jessica stafford
    Quarterly Quick-Takes: A Torrent of Tariff-spurred Sales in Q1 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 3:41


    In this vAuto Quarterly Quick-Takes video, strategic planning director Bethany Johnson shares operational priorities for dealers coming off a strong pace of tariff-spurred sales in the first quarter of 2025. Bethany shares pointers to help you minimize age and maximize your new vehicle inventory mix; merchandise used vehicles to capture buyers who can't afford a new vehicle; and align your used vehicle acquisition strategy to in-demand price points and segments.

    A Better Way to Optimize Your Group Performance

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 27:45


    In this vAuto podcast, general manager Bill Stanley of the North Dakota-based Ryan Family of Dealerships details his experience working with vAuto's development team to create a better, faster way of assessing and addressing rooftop-level performance. Stanley also outlines why he expects his team will be “rocking and rolling” this summer, despite the risks of less favorable market conditions due to tariffs and other factors. Hear how Stanley uses a new enterprise-level dashboard to reduce discounting to an average of $150, zero in on pricing, people or process issues that need attention, shave hours of time he previously spent to compile performance reports and strengthen the group's 60 percent Look to Book average to maintain a balance between sales and stocking levels.

    Managing Your New/Used Inventories as Tariffs Turn the Market

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 26:06


    In this vAuto podcast, vAuto and Cox Automotive associate vice president Patrick Janes shares perspective on how dealers can address the impact of tariffs as they manage new and used vehicle inventories. Janes offers pointers to help you acquire inventory from customers in a supply-constrained market; ensure your new/used vehicle pricing keeps pace as the market moves; adjust your inventory/sales momentum as market demand shifts.

    Goal-Minded: How McGrath's is Meeting its 10 Percent Growth Objective

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 34:52


    In this vAuto podcast, Josh Orthel, director of sales for the Iowa-based McGrath Group and his vAuto Performance Manager Brian Kurtz discuss how the group is achieving its goal of 10 percent growth in new/used vehicle sales this year. Hear how Orthel and his team at the nine-store group right-size their used inventories and align pricing to balance gross/turn objectives. Also, Josh discusses how McGrath tightened their appraisal process to gain inventory acquisition efficiency. Finally, hear about their focus on key new vehicle metrics to drive turn and minimize holding expense.

    Making Sense of a Market That's on the Move

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 20:30


    In this vAuto podcast, Cox Automotive executive analyst Erin Keating and vAuto strategic planning director Bethany Johnson discuss how a rise in market uncertainty and volatility could dampen what's turned out to be better-than-expected new and used vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2025. Hear why and how economic trends have spurred a two-sided market where luxury and lower-end vehicles rank as the hottest segments. Also, learn about how affordability will remain a challenge for some time, putting pressure on dealers to focus on market-efficient inventory allocations and sourcing. Finally, they discuss how as-yet unchanged federal tax incentives and better battery diagnostics will drive an ever-growing EV opportunity in new and used vehicles for dealers.

    Pointers to Determine the “Right Money” with Every Appraisal

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 28:37


    In this vAuto podcast, Patrick Janes and Micah Tindor discuss common appraisal process variances and customer disconnects that can result in missed opportunities to acquire a vehicle or appraisers putting the wrong money on the right car. They detail appraisal process steps where the “right” money often goes wrong. Plus, they share how dealers can bring customers into appraisal conversations to build trust and understanding that, more often than not, leads to a “yes” with initial offers and inventory you acquire for the right money.

    Inside a Dealer's Playbook: Moving “Brown Banana” Vehicles and More

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 28:11


    In this vAuto podcast, dealer principal Marc Cross of San Antonio-based Jordan Ford opens his playbook to share a creative approach to moving aged new and used vehicles—a “Brown Banana” sale. Cross discusses how he spiffs his team to move the cars and ensure customers understand an aged unit for the store means a great value for them. Cross also details a remarkable car business career that started as a Ford rep, pioneering one-price selling, and an operational philosophy that's remained constant for nearly 40 years.

    Live Market View Q1 2025 | A Look at the Road Ahead from NADA 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2025 5:41


    In this Q1 2025 edition of Live Market View, vAuto founder and Cox Automotive executive vice president Dale Pollak joins Derek Hansen at NADA 2025 to discuss market conditions dealers will face as the year unfolds. Dealership profitability and the need to acquire inventory—and provide greater transparency to win more vehicles from customers—top the list of key NADA take-aways. In addition, they discuss Dale's transition efforts in his final year at Cox Automotive.

    Applying Football Principles to Your Appraisal Process

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025 29:38


    In this vAuto podcast, Nick Wright, director of client performance management, discusses how football coaching and play-calling principles can help dealers improve the consistency of appraiser performance to bring in more vehicles on the money. Nick outlines how persistent inconsistencies across appraisers translate to everyone effectively calling their own plays on specific vehicles—something football coaches don't allow. Hear how you can help your appraisal team follow a strategy that defines the right money on every vehicle, improve the consistency of their vehicle condition assessments, and call the right audibles if/when it's necessary to make deals.

    A Preview of vAuto Innovations Debuting at NADA 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2025 18:49


    In this vAuto podcast, vAuto's Derek Hansen, Patrick Janes and Micah Tindor discuss the innovations vAuto will debut at NADA 2025 in New Orleans. They discuss how the new solutions help dealers and dealer groups implement a more consistent appraisal process with customers looking to sell or trade a vehicle, and centralize inventory management decision-making to improve rooftop-level performance.

    Live Market View Q4 2024 | Managing Risk Amid Strong Used Vehicle Sales

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 9:01


    In the Q4 Live Market View, Derek Hansen and Chris Stutsman discuss used vehicle sales, inventory and depreciation trends in Q4. They also share how predictive data science and AI-driven solutions from Cox Automotive help you identify each vehicle's unique profile of investment risk and opportunity, price each vehicle to move in its ROI-optimal timeframe, and create more targeted engagements with current and prospective customers.

    A Sneak Preview of Dale Pollak's New Book, Invested

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2024 22:39


    In this vAuto podcast, vAuto founder and Cox Automotive Executive Vice President, Dale Pollak shares a sneak peek of his new book, Invested: The New Science, Strategy and System of Used Vehicle Investment Management. Pollak shares: Why he believes market conditions now require dealers to adopt investment management principles to contend with higher vehicle costs and declining front-end grosses. How the book gives dealers a way to establish strategic, investment-minded objectives for vehicle acquisition, appraising and pricing. Where he thinks the market will head in 2025 (hint: mostly favorable, with some uncertainty).

    Don't Let Historic New Vehicle Troubles Haunt You Today

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2024 15:16


    This webinar, “Don't Let Historic New Vehicle Troubles Haunt You Today” presented by Bethany Johnson and Alicia Rudowyj, gives you the tools to work smarter, not harder, in this new era of new vehicle incentives. Get best practices from top-performing dealers and the tools they use to help you accurately and efficiently apply the right incentives to the right vehicles faster.

    How Rodland Toyota Makes Wholesaling Vehicles a Multi-Channel Priority

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 24:50


    In this vAuto podcast, Lee Segal, general sales manager at Rodland Toyota, Everett, WA, details how the dealership uses a blend of online and physical auctions to efficiently wholesale roughly 100 vehicles a month. Segal details how the dealership's multi-channel wholesaling strategy strengthens the store's ability to acquire vehicles from customers and feed their retail inventory. Segal also highlights wholesaling best practices he follows to build relationships and trust with buyers and deliver an optimal return for each vehicle they wholesale.

    vAuto Live Market View | Q3 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 6:39


    It's a head-scratcher: Despite ample inventory and relatively strong demand, new vehicle sales aren't living up to expectations. What gives? vAuto's Derek Hansen and Chris Hanna provide answers and practical next steps in the Q3 edition of vAuto's Live Market View. Get a quick view of how affordability, risk-averse lenders and more-difficult-to-manage incentives put the onus on dealers to move metal. Hear best practices to more effectively manage your new vehicle investments—all with an eye to help you capture a greater share of your market despite the headwinds.

    Avoiding 5 Common Online Merchandising Missteps

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 28:33


    In this vAuto podcast, vAuto Performance Managers Jim Tourigney and Patrick Wright detail best practices to help dealers avoid the five most-common merchandising missteps that result in used vehicles not moving when they should. From rethinking the role merchandising plays in your sales process to an over-emphasis on re-pricing rather than re-merchandising vehicles, Tourigney and Wright offer practical pointers to help dealers gain efficiency as they get more from their merchandising and related promotion efforts. Bonus: The pair also distill key distinctions between merchandising new and used vehicles to better engage their respective buyers.

    Keeping Stores “Between the Lines” to Drive Dealer Group Performance

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2024 21:40


    In this vAuto podcast, Scott Crompton, Marketing Manager for Victory Automotive Group and Dustin Corder, vAuto Performance Manager, share how they work together to help Victory drive success across its nearly 45 stores in 10 states. Crompton details how Victory establishes operational guidelines and key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure individual rooftops serve the broader group's interests as they make vehicle acquisition, appraising and pricing decisions. Crompton also outlines how he manages and measures the group's marketing spend in traditional and digital channels to support individual rooftops and the Victory brand.

    New Vehicle Incentives: Finding Advantage in a VIN-Specific Environment

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2024 22:14


    In this vAuto podcast, Alicia Rudowyj and Bethany Johnson, who work with vAuto's new vehicle incentives and solutions teams, discuss how the new vehicle landscape has shifted to include a larger share of Vehicle Information Number (VIN)-specific incentives to help dealers move aged inventory. Rudowyj and Johnson detail how the shift away from a one-size-fits-all approach to incentives by some OEMs creates pricing and inventory management challenges for dealers. Hear their recommendations on how dealers should assess each new vehicle's risk profile—and the vehicle's likelihood to receive an incentive—to ensure their pricing, merchandising and inventory management decisions should combine to connect with today's affordability-minded new vehicle shoppers and buyers.

    From Losing to Making Money: Key Elements of a Dealer's Used Vehicle Turnaround

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 32:54


    In this vAuto podcast, general manager Walt Kelsey of Kelsey Chevrolet, Greendale, IN, shares how he and his team engineered an impressive turnaround in their used vehicle department. In early 2024, Kelsey's inventory had nearly twice as many vehicles in stock as they were selling, with more than 100 units over 60 days old and underwater. It was a post-pandemic, wake-up moment. Kelsey outlines how he and his team attacked the distressed inventory, reasserted a more disciplined approach to pricing and appraising and faced significant financial pain as they put the department back on a money-making track. Kelsey's experience and success offers a what-to-do roadmap for dealers who find themselves with an out-size share of distressed, over-age inventory.

    Perspectives from a Fundamentals-Minded Dealer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 35:15


    In this vAuto podcast, dealer Mark McKie of McKie Ford Lincoln and Greg Plank, senior team leader of dealership operations for vAuto's Performance Management team, discuss some of the playbook principles McKie and his team to drive new and used vehicle success at the dealership. McKie discusses his strategies for maintaining a tight turn on used vehicles that drives his dealership's 1.5:1 used/new sales ratio. McKie also shares how he keeps his team focused on strategic objectives through daily management meetings and collective walks of fresh trades to finalize plans to get them retail-ready. On the new vehicle side, McKie outlines how he aims to optimize allocations and keep pace with changing incentives from his OEM partner.

    Growing the Group: How Used Vehicles Became a Higher Priority for Rick Case Automotive

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2024 34:26


    In this vAuto podcast, Tim Hlavenka, national sales director for Rick Case Automotive Group, shares how the organization has grown used vehicle sales while maintaining its top-tier new vehicle performance. Hlavenka outlines how the group looked inward—to fresh trades—to source used inventory for retail sale and how the group determines the rooftop that's right to retail each vehicle from Day 1. Hlavenka also discusses how ProfitTime GPS helps his team properly identify and manage the turners and earners to grow used vehicle volume and gross, while helping the group achieve its new vehicle objectives.

    vAuto Live Market View | Q2 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 8:08


    Dealers are feeling a profitability pinch in new and used vehicles as new vehicle supplies grow and potential buyers face their own pocketbook pressure. Watch the Q2 edition of Live Market View were we share practical pointers to help dealers manage new vehicle profitability through more efficient allocation, incentive and merchandising management.

    An Evolutionary View of vAuto Performance Management

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 28:52


    In this vAuto podcast, Christian Hanna, Associate Vice President of Performance Management for vAuto, offers an overview of the coaching role that Performance Managers provide vAuto dealers to help them achieve greater success. Hanna details his own Performance Management career, including high points and low points, and shares how the Performance Management team has begun to deliver a “One Cox” experience in its dealer engagements. Hanna also taps his new vehicle inventory management experience, offering pointers to help dealers adjust to today's higher inventory, higher cost and lower margin environment.

    Your Merchandising Is Your Sales Process

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2024 28:40


    In this vAuto podcast, Chris Williams, general manager at Southern Pines (N.C.) Chevrolet and vAuto Performance Manager Ted Welpott share how they teamed to connect the dealership's sales process to new/used vehicle merchandising. Hear how this effort has tripled SRP/VDP conversions by reinventing each vehicle's VDP carousel to provide a value-minded gateway to the cars and experience customers can expect. Find out how Williams uses new merchandising tools to cut the time required to merchandise each vehicle and quickly pivot to update merchandising as OEM incentives for new and CPO vehicles change.

    Putting More Merchandising Punch in Your VDP Carousels

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2024 18:29


    In this vAuto podcast, Cebastien Chery, marketing associate at Pristine Mitsubishi, Commack, N.Y., shares how he helps differentiate the dealership's used vehicle inventory by doing more merchandising on individual vehicle VDPs. Chery outlines how he determines specific vehicle features to call-out on VDP images and uses Vehicle Intelligence 360 to save significant time making sure each vehicle stands tall. Chery also discusses how he measures and monitors merchandising metrics to freshen up vehicles that haven't sold.

    Next Gen Perspectives: Northwood University Students Share Views of NADA and More

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 14:29


    In this vAuto podcast, Northwood University seniors Skylar Burless and Dominic Nowling share their perspectives on why they picked the car business to launch their professional careers, and their take-aways from spending time with the vAuto team at the recent NADA convention. Both outlined the challenges and opportunities they expect to encounter in their respective roads ahead and offer pointers for dealers looking to work better with the incoming generation of automotive leaders.

    Under the Hood: A Review of ProfitTime GPS' New Global Search Tool

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 19:48


    In this vAuto podcast, Aaron Norman, a used vehicle manager and head of vehicle acquisition for Ken Grody Ford stores in California, shares his perspective on how the new Global Search tool inside ProfitTime GPS is making the task of acquiring inventory easier and more profitable. Norman outlines: - How he uses Global Search to find and purchase more on-strategy vehicles for his inventory. - Why he calls ProfitTime GPS a “guardian angel” for his business. - How ProfitTime GPS has helped his department gain an estimated $200,000 in additional gross profit and improve inventory turn.

    How to Start and Stay Strong in 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2024 5:33


    If you're like most dealers we talked to at NADA, you're looking to find ways to extend the success you've achieved the past few years. You also understand this success will require re-establishing the traditional disciplines of running a successful dealership. In this audio, Derek and Dale highlight how your opportunity in 2024 will take shape and where to focus to achieve the success you seek. Listen as Derek and Dale reveal three important takeaways. First, why two long-awaited shifts will put more car shoppers in a position to pull the trigger on their next vehicle purchase. Second, how to re-think used vehicle stocking to eliminate the costly pitfalls of an over-stocked inventory. Finally, the quickest, easiest way to mine every acquisition channel and put more of the “right” vehicles on your lot.

    A View of Market Conditions and Your NADA Opportunity

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2024 24:00


    In this vAuto podcast, we detail how used vehicle market conditions will return to "normalcy," which means greater pressure on front-end grosses as dealers contend with softer retail demand. Then, hear how dealers can strengthen their profitability through new innovations featured at NADA 2024 like more global- and strategy-minded vehicle acquisition, vehicle value-specific merchandising, and a clear understanding of each vehicle's optimal exit strategy at the moment of appraisal.

    Unpacking 3 Used Vehicle Lifecycle Opportunities for Dealers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2024 24:23


    In this vAuto podcast, a trio of the company's thought leaders—Alison Spangler, Patrick Janes and Nathan Fox—outline opportunities for dealers in three distinct areas of used vehicle operations: Acquisition, your retail/wholesale exit decisions and merchandising. Get a clear understanding of how you can optimize your opportunity in each area and understand how new solutions vAuto will be featuring at the upcoming NADA 2024 convention in Las Vegas can help.

    How to Grow Inventory When Supply is Down | vAuto | Used Car Week 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 5:10


    While supply remains low, consumer demand is still high. That means you need to source creatively to stock the cars your customers want. Listen to vAuto's Derek Hanson and Patrick Janes discuss how multi-channel sourcing is the key to finding inventory. They also cover how the end of the UAW strike will ignite the new car market, creating an uptick in trade opportunities.

    An Inside View of an Independent Dealer's Playbook for the Current Market

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 32:44


    In this vAuto podcast, Jeremiah Mowry, director of operations for independent dealer group, Atlanta Auto Brokers, shares how he's managing his inventory and team to meet the challenges acquiring, pricing and selling vehicles in the current market. Mowry outlines how he aims to assess each vehicle's best exit strategy in the retail or wholesale market, and the blend of art, science and technology that drives the decision. Mowry also provides an outline of the group's efforts to reduce the share of auction acquisitions in favor of acquiring vehicles directly from customers. Looking ahead, Mowry offers a view of his key priorities for the months ahead, starting with a greater focus on supporting and scaling his team for future growth.

    Finding Success Amid Uncertain Used Vehicle Market Conditions

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2023 28:36


    In this vAuto podcast, Dale Pollak, vAuto founder and Cox Automotive executive vice president, discusses how used vehicle market conditions may evolve in the face of the United Auto Workers strike and affordability issues that can weaken retail demand. Dale shares how dealers can strengthen the performance of used vehicle operations with a more strategy-minded approach to pricing, appraising and acquisition. He also details why some dealers are finding opportunities with used EVs other dealers currently avoid.

    A Marketing-Minded View of Today's Vehicle Affordability Challenge

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2023 18:31


    In this vAuto podcast, Daniel Salazar, corporate vice president for the Atlanta-based ALM Automotive Group, outlines how his dealership brand and marketing efforts have shifted to account for the rise of affordability challenges for new/used vehicle buyers. Salazar highlights how declining lead closing rates signaled the first signs of affordability issues and steps the group's taken since to maintain sales volume and profitability even as it becomes more difficult to match finance customers with lenders.

    An Exit-Minded Method to Secure More Inventory and Profit at Wholesale

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2023 30:00


    In this vAuto podcast, hear from Micah Tindor of Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer and Matt Talbert of vAuto discuss how dealers build an exit-minded strategy for acquiring and disposing of consumer vehicles. Hear their market predictions for the rest of the year and how dealers can get ahead of the game by using new tools to know their profitable exit at the point of acquisition.

    Best Practices for Sourcing Inventory on the Money in Any Channel

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2023 25:50


    In this vAuto podcast, Patrick Janes of vAuto and Micah Tindor of Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer share best practices to help dealers source inventory more effectively and profitably in non-traditional acquisition channels. Get pointers to establish a standard (and measurable) appraisal process you can deploy in your service drive, private party and other sourcing channels. Find out how new tools provide metrics to manage appraiser performance and manage the money-making potential of vehicles sourced in specific channels to meet your stocking strategy and used vehicle department objectives.

    Inside a Dealer's 90-Day Pricing Alignment Challenge

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2023 31:12


    In this vAuto podcast, James Skop, general sales manager at Fletch's Buick, GMC, Audi in Petoskey, MI, details the results of his experience during a 90-day challenge to maintain 85 percent pricing alignment or better in ProfitTime GPS. Hear how Skop and his team reversed a trend of low grosses and losses on Bronze vehicles, while making even better grosses on Gold and Platinum cars, during the three-month challenge. Skop also details the car-specific circumstances that he believes signal a need to go above or below ProfitTime GPS pricing recommendations to achieve optimal outcomes.

    How Rohrman Auto Group Makes its Vehicle Merchandising Stand Out

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2023 26:44


    In this vAuto podcast, Jeremy Nowling, director of sales, digital retailing and implementation for Rohrman Auto Group, shares how he/his team make their new/used vehicles show up and stand out for vehicle shoppers to capture their business. Nowling details the elements that drive merchandising success—the right mix of photos, complemented by specific call-outs in billboards and overlays and more—for new and used vehicles. Plus, he outlines how he measures merchandising efficiency and effectiveness, while overseeing merchandising-focused managers at individual rooftops in the group.

    What happens when a 100 year old dealership must reinvent itself in a volatile market?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 19:33


    In this episode of the vAuto podcast Mark Thompson, Used Car Operations Director at Bergey Automotive, joins Mike Boyd, Senior Director of Business Development and Founder of vAuto's iRecon, to discuss how Bergey's has reinvented itself in an unpredictable market. They'll discuss how Bergey's changed their merchandising approach, tightened up reconditioning and got creative with acquiring inventory – all while keeping the customer experience at the forefront.

    Elevate Your Vehicle Merchandising to Meet Shopper Expectations

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023 15:13


    Photos alone don't tell the story today's vehicle shoppers want to understand about your vehicles. That's a take-away from recent research into consumers' vehicle purchase processes. In this episode of the vAuto podcast, Nathan Fox, AVP Operations, Merchandising at Cox Automotive and vAuto, distills key research findings and insights to help dealers give shoppers a better and more influential experience. The research insights are part of the 2023 Consumer Merchandising Insights eBook. Download your copy here: https://www.vauto.com/learning-center/vauto-content/vat-2023-consumer-merchandising-insights-ebook-feb23-v4

    The "Used Car Factory We Never Had"– Until Now

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2023 24:04


    In this episode of the vAuto podcast, Bruce Harrington, Used Car Director at Paso Robles Chevrolet, shares why he considers buying used vehicles in the wholesale market akin to ordering new cars from the factory. Hear how Bruce uses technology and tools to get the right cars, at the margins he expects, for his inventory and individual customers who want a specific car. Get an inside look at how Bruce spends only minutes to get the vehicles he needs and how he's gained comfort in buying almost everything online.

    A Dealer Discovers a Better Way to Wholesale

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023 19:19


    In this vAuto podcast, Mike Maheras, vice president and general manager of Phillips Chevrolet, and Jack Gronner, vAuto Performance Manager, discuss how Mike's adopted a new way to wholesale vehicles that reduces risk and results in consistently profitable outcomes. Mike details why he describes Cox Automotive's Upside solution as "legalized gambling with used cars and no downside." Hear how Mike's team now appraises every potential acquisition with greater confidence, knowing each vehicle's optimal exit strategy, and why the elimination of "no sales" when they wholesale cars through Upside makes a big, profitable difference.

    5 Reasons the Time is Right for Variable Management

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2023 21:35


    In this episode of the vAuto podcast, Patrick Janes details five reasons dealers are going beyond Velocity and adopting vAuto's new Variable Management strategy for managing used vehicles. More market variability. More margin compression. More distressed cars in dealer inventories. Janes shares how Variable Management helps dealers overcome these and symptoms of today's more uncertain used vehicle market. The key: Knowing each vehicle's investment value, while appraising and pricing every car, to consistently make the right decisions. Find out how dealers who have fully adopted Variable Management now outperform their peers in used vehicle gross profits and sales volumes.

    Perspective from NADA 2023 in Dallas | Q1 2023 Live Market View

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2023 5:15


    Two things will define success for dealers in 2023—better operational discipline and greater trust in outcome-driven decision-making. Those are two key take-aways Derek Hansen, VP Operations for vAuto, and Dale Pollak, vAuto founder, gleaned from their discussions with dealers at NADA. Hear how dealers can achieve greater success in the year ahead, despite uncertainty about today's more variable market.

    How Metrics Help a Dealer Group Reshape Used Vehicle Reconditioning

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 31:56


    In this episode of the vAuto podcast, Brian Langley, director of service operations for the Sam Leman Automotive Group in Central Illinois, and Mike Boyd, founder of vAuto iRecon, discuss how Langley has brought more accountability and efficiency to the group's used vehicle reconditioning. Langley outlines two metrics he tracks daily to avoid a backlog of vehicles waiting for reconditioning and reduce approval times on ROs from hours to minutes. Hear Langley's tips other dealers can use to achieve team buy-in and diligently use technology-driven solutions to get used vehicles through service, detailing and online faster with more sales-to-service collaboration and far less friction.

    NADA 2023: A Sneak Peek & Promise from vAuto

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2022 27:21


    In this vAuto podcast episode, three vAuto leaders, Dale Pollak, Derek Hansen and Nathan Fox, offer a preview of the new solutions and thought leadership the company will bring to the 2023 NADA convention in Dallas. Hear about current used vehicle challenges and how they'll shape the year ahead, followed by a rundown of the NADA presentations that aim to help dealers improve their used vehicle retailing, wholesaling and merchandising. Plus, you get a sneak peek at the new innovations vAuto will debut in Dallas.

    Rethinking Vehicle Merchandising and It's Measurement

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2022 15:36


    In this episode of the vAuto podcast, Nathan Fox, vAuto AVP Operations, Merchandising Software, outlines an opportunity gap for dealers with the VDPs on their online vehicle listings. Fox explains that while dealers have successfully optimized listings for SRPs, their VDPs have not kept pace with consumer expectations. Fox shares how dealers should think differently about the VDP experiences they offer consumers and the steps they can take to improve VDP engagement and relevance. Fox also describes a new metric that can help dealers measuring their merchandising success beyond the SRP/VDP counts they use today.

    Why Variable Management is Better than Velocity

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2022 32:50


    In this vAuto podcast episode, vAuto founder Dale Pollak explains why Variable Management, a new way to manage used vehicles based on each unit's unique investment value, drives better outcomes for dealers than Velocity Management. Dale details how the data science behind Variable Management helps dealers avoid cheap selling their best cars for the sake of volume and holding out for gross on their worst cars to avoid losses—a common problem in the current market. Dale also shares how Variable Management can help dealers become smarter and more successful as they tap non-traditional channels to source used vehicle inventory.

    How An Independent Dealer Revised Her Recipe for Success

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2022 31:00


    In this vAuto podcast episode, Vaida Presniakovaite, president of Midway Autohaus, Bridgeview, IL, shares how she and her team have adjusted to retailing vehicles in an era of historically low and high-cost inventory supply. Presniakovaite details how her retailing strategy has shifted to lower-cost inventory and why she now prefers a technology-driven method to source these vehicles through a wider network of online auctions to drive greater efficiency and profitability. Presniakovaite also outlines how she's preparing for future market conditions by running a clean and lean inventory today.

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