Podcasts about bdc

Today I'm joined by Eric Rea, CEO of Podium. We dive into the state of Dealership AI in 2025, the questions dealers should be asking to stay ahead, why 10% of US dealers are using Podium's AI and much more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Qmerit - Selling EVs can have a lot of friction points. But home charging installation shouldn't be one of them. That's why dealers and automakers trust Qmerit—the go-to expert for home charging installations. Join Qmerit's dealership partner program and start earning referral incentives on every installation. Visit @ qmerit.com/carguy to learn more. 2. Lotlinx - Get the best possible market advantage on every vehicle transaction. Optimize operations and boost profits using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Learn more @ https://lotlinx.com/ 3. Podium - Don't miss another lead. With Podium's AI BDC, dealerships are seeing an 80% increase in after-hours appointments by handling leads 24/7. Instantly respond to inquiries, book test drives, and let your team focus on what matters: closing deals. Learn how Podium can help you sell more cars at https://www.podium.com/car-dealership-guy Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Topics: 00:15 What fueled Podium's rapid growth? 01:07 How did Podium get started? 03:00 How is AI transforming dealerships? 05:42 What makes Jerry AI special? 08:11 Customizing AI for dealers how? 13:08 Will AI replace BDC teams? 16:27 Future AI applications in auto? 26:00 How AI revolutionizes service departments? 32:25 Biggest voice AI challenges today? Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this riveting episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, hosts Sean V. Bradley and LA Williams invite powerhouse guest Ted Horton. Together, they delve into the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence in the automotive sales industry.  "What if you could do this in minutes instead of spending a month creating 1,000 videos?" - Ted Horton The conversation demonstrates how AI technology, particularly generative AI, can be seamlessly integrated to promote efficiency, optimize customer interactions, and ultimately drive sales. With a focus on utilizing generative AI for creating personalized video content, this episode decodes how businesses can leverage automated, customized communications to elevate their competitive edge. "People prefer video... Video increases read open rates, increases engagements, increases appointments, and increases shows." - Sean V. Bradley The central theme of this episode revolves around harnessing AI to augment dealership operations, particularly through personalized video messaging. By automating these communications, dealerships can maintain engagement with prospects and customers alike, enhancing deal velocity and building stronger relationships. "Video bridges the gap between information and emotion. It's no longer about pushing products. It's about building relationships." - Sean V. Bradley The discussion introduces Dealer Synergy AI powered by Gan AI, a robust partnership aimed at delivering this advanced technology to dealerships, emphasizing the significant gains in both customer satisfaction and sales figures. Tune in to explore the nuances of implementing such technology and hear firsthand success stories from industry leaders. Key Takeaways: ✅ Generative AI is revolutionizing automotive sales by automating and personalizing customer engagement through videos. ✅ Video communication vastly outperforms text and static mediums in customer interactions, which is crucial for dealerships looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace. ✅ Integrating AI with CRMs can create an omnipresent response system that elevates sales and enhances customer satisfaction. ✅ Language barriers are no longer an obstacle, as AI can generate personalized communication in multiple languages efficiently. ✅ Dealer Synergy AI offers a white-glove service that ensures seamless integration and operation of AI tools within existing dealership systems.   About Ted Horton Ted Horton is an accomplished executive specializing in enterprise-level sales with a focus on Fortune 100 and 500 corporations. With over 30 years of experience, Ted has been instrumental in advancing sales strategies and integrating cutting-edge technology within the corporate environment. He is a former executive with BombBomb, and currently holds a senior executive role at Gan AI, an innovative company leading the charge in generative artificial intelligence.     The Future of Automotive Sales: Embracing The Generative AI Revolution Key Takeaways: Generative AI as a Game Changer: Video isn't just the future; it's the standard for engaging the modern car buyer with AI-driven personalized video communications. Automation and Personalization Synergy: Combining AI with CRM systems ensures personalized, consistent follow-ups, hitting the sweet spot of automation and human touch. Unparalleled Competitive Edge: Embracing Generative AI technology in a dealership's arsenal is pivotal in creating an unfair competitive advantage, significantly increasing customer engagement and sales volumes. The automotive industry isn't just turning a corner with technological innovations; it's racing down a highway of revolutionary change. At the forefront of this transformation is Generative AI, a breakthrough poised to redefine how dealerships engage with customers. As highlighted in the lively discussion from the Millionaire Car Salesman podcast, Ted Horton of GAN AI and Sean V. Bradley unveil the profound impact of AI-driven video content on dealership operations, painting a future where AI doesn't replace human effort— it amplifies it. In this comprehensive exploration, we dive deep into how Generative AI is reshaping the automotive sales landscape, emphasizing its strategic integration for maximized value and efficiency. Generative AI: Reimagining Customer Engagement In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, video content is no longer an option but an imperative. "The ability to record these avatars and have them automatically generated real time within seconds…accelerates deal velocity," Ted Horton emphasizes, illustrating the profound capabilities of Generative AI in dealership processes. By leveraging AI to create personalized, dynamic videos instantaneously, dealerships meet customers' growing expectations for immediacy and personalization, creating stronger connections and more profound engagement. Automated AI videos can now incorporate customer-specific data—like name, vehicle type, and more—into tailored communications. The result is not only an uplift in sales but a seismic shift in how relationships are formed and nurtured digitally. The phrase "Video isn't the future. It's the present" underscores the urgency of adopting such technologies. With statistics showing that video content dramatically increases customer engagement and conversion rates, it's evident that AI's role in crafting these interactions is not just advantageous but essential. CRM and AI: A Harmonious Blend for Success Central to the transformative power of Generative AI is its seamless integration with CRM systems. This synergy ensures consistency and personalization in outreach efforts. Horton notes, "Video AI," when combined with CRM automation, is like having an omnipresent BDC (Business Development Center), eliminating human errors and providing constant, tailored customer interactions. Essentially, AI orchestrates a symphony of data and communication, effectively automating what was once a manual and error-prone process. For dealerships, this harmony transcends traditional sales methodologies. As Bradley states, by "launching automation flows for easy each use case," dealerships not only streamline processes but elevate them—ensuring customers receive relevant, personalized content at every touchpoint. This strategic blueprint for AI integration into CRM systems not only enhances the customer experience but dramatically increases sales performance, offering dealerships a distinct and sustainable competitive edge. The Competitive Power of AI Video in Dealerships The extraordinary potential of Generative AI isn't just in automating video creation—it's in redefining competition within the market. Dealers utilizing AI video capabilities are observing tangible improvements in sales, as evidenced by Longo Toyota's case, which highlighted a substantial increase in sales through personalized video strategies. Bradley reinforces this notion by providing a stark warning: "Every minute, every hour, every day that you waste procrastinating… is dollars lost." By harnessing the power of Generative AI, dealerships position themselves as industry leaders—actively investing in technology that not only facilitates sales but builds robust customer relationships. The lexicon of automotive sales is thus expanded, with AI serving as a tool not of replacement, but of enhancement and opportunity. It's a call to action for dealers to pivot from antiquated methodologies towards a future enriched by AI innovation, which promises not just survival, but dominance in the competitive marketplace. Time waits for no one, as echoed in the poetic recitation towards the end, reminding us of the fleeting nature of opportunity. The automotive industry stands on the precipice of a technological renaissance, with Generative AI as the catalyst speeding this evolution. Embracing AI technologies is no longer optional but essential, enabling dealerships to break free from the constraints of traditional processes and unlock unprecedented potential. Dealerships equipped with AI capabilities aren't just adapting to change—they're defining it. As the industry continues its evolutionary journey, those daring to innovate with Generative AI and video technology will indeed lead the pack.     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 29,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!  

Patrick Bet-David, Tom Ellsworth, Vincent Oshana, and Adam Sosnick unpack Trump being dubbed NATO's “Daddy” by Secretary‑General Rutte, the bizarre beef between Joe Rogan and Liver King after the influencer was arrested for terroristic threats, and the seismic upset as Zohran Mamdani defeats Andrew Cuomo in the NYC mayoral primary. ------

Struggling with your used car operations? LotTalk is your go-to podcast for expert insights, real-world strategies, and industry trends that help automotive dealers maximize inventory turn, increase gross profit, and sell more cars—faster. Hosted by top industry pros, we break down the biggest challenges in used car management, from BDC and sales team communication to inventory sourcing, pricing strategies, and digital marketing. Whether you're a dealer principal, GM, used car manager, or sales pro, LotTalk delivers actionable advice to keep you ahead of the competition. Tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts to stay ahead in the fast-moving world of used car retail! Learn more at ⁠www.lottalkpodcast.com

In this podcast we digest the Gartner Magic Quadrant. Talk about the SAP Data summit in the Netherlands and ofcourse all the BDC news!   Have a great listen!   Magic Quadrant: https://www.gartner.com/doc/reprints?id=1-2L8VL8QS&ct=250617&st=sb   Tim's post: https://www.datadad.nl/why-saps-magic-quadrant-placement-misses-the-full-picture/  

In this captivating episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, host Sean V. Bradley and co-host LA Williams sit down with Jacob Garza, a rising star in the automotive sales industry, to uncover the secrets behind his incredible success. From starting as a BMW service valet to now consistently selling 46 cars in a month, Jacob's story proves that success leaves clues—and he's here to share them with you! "Success leaves clues. That's part of the reason why we created this podcast is the mission is to get the information from the people that have it and give it to the people that need." Jacob dives into the essential components that fueled his rise, including CRM systems, product knowledge, and his mastery of data mining and equity mining. Learn how Jacob uses these tools to stay ahead of the curve and drive sales in the competitive high-end automotive market. He also discusses the art of building lasting customer relationships and why mastering proactive outreach is a game-changer. "Average is the enemy. You need to go in there and just try to be the very best you can be." Whether you're new to sales or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with actionable advice on evolving your approach and never settling for the status quo. Jacob's story is a testament to the power of continual learning and self-improvement, both of which are key to dominating the automotive sales game. Don't miss this episode—Jacob Garza's journey could be the inspiration you need to take your sales to the next level! Key Takeaways: ✅ Foundation in CRM and Data Management: Success in sales hinges significantly on mastering customer relationship management systems and leveraging data mining and equity mining tools. ✅ Importance of Product Knowledge: Having an in-depth understanding of automotive products strengthens sales pitches and enhances customer interactions, particularly in high-line vehicle sales. ✅ Strategic Campaigning: Proactively running targeted campaigns, such as those focusing on lease retention and warranty expiration, provides lucrative opportunities for repeat business. ✅ Referral and Customer Relationship Building: Maintaining strong connections with clients leads to higher repeat business and referrals, crucial for sustained sales success. ✅ Continued Learning and Adaptation: Emphasizing a growth mindset and continual self-improvement, Garza illustrates the value of learning from industry leaders to foster success and mentorship within the field.   About Jacob Garza Jacob Daniel Garza wears many hats — literally and figuratively. He's a family-first, high-performance sales professional based in Houston, Texas. A Senior Client Advisor at BMW of West Houston, he's a proud father of three, devoted husband, uncle to many, and doodle dad. Known for always rocking a Houston sports hat — every day, on the showroom floor — Jacob is part of a greater hat community in the Houston area and is a die-hard fan who never misses a big game. He credits the car business with saving his life, but becoming a father gave him purpose. Since then, he's transformed into a top producer, helping over 300 families in 2024 and pacing 450+ in 2025, all while chasing time freedom and higher performance. Jacob leads from the front and lives with intention — building a brand, a legacy, and a life rooted in loyalty, servant leadership, and self-discipline. Ultimately, Jacob challenges listeners to think big and act intentionally — because he is living proof that you are a product of your last 1,000 days. It's never too late to become who you're meant to be. Just don't look up one day and realize that in chasing everything… you lost what matters most.     ​​The Key to Mastering the Car Sales Industry: Insights from the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast Key Takeaways Success in the car sales industry requires mastering product knowledge, understanding customer needs, and building lasting relationships. Innovative use of data mining and equity mining strategies can significantly boost sales figures and personal branding. Achievement and mentorship go hand-in-hand; utilizing personal success to uplift others creates a thriving, sustainable sales environment. Mastering the Automotive Sales Process Within the competitive landscape of automotive sales, many individuals wrestle with prioritizing tasks and managing a burgeoning clientele list. According to Sean V. Bradley, host of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast and an authority in automotive sales, a significant pitfall for many is not mastering prioritization and multitasking. He states, "Most salespeople don't know how to deal with multiple things going on. Most salespeople don't know how to prioritize." Failure to manage these skills effectively leads to common missteps like oversight in client follow-up, resulting in lost sales opportunities. Jacob Garza, a guest on the podcast who has achieved remarkable sales metrics, echoes Bradley's sentiments, emphasizing meticulous CRM management. For Garza, mastery began in the BDC (Business Development Center), where crafting and managing client appointments was vital to his success. "You absolutely need to know your CRM. You need to know how to get the information, how to properly log it," he advises. For those aspiring to excel, particularly in high-pressure sales environments, learning how to track customer interactions and utilizing software efficiently is crucial. CRM platforms not only streamline the sales process but also ensure that no opportunity falls through the cracks, hence proving integral for both seasoned and budding sales professionals. Harnessing the Power of Equity Mining One of the more innovative strategies discussed during the podcast is the use of equity mining. Garza champions this practice, emphasizing its transformative impact on his sales approach. "Equity mining is the biggest one for me," he asserts. For him, focusing on customers that are already engaged with the brand and dealership yields higher conversion rates and larger commissionchecks. By leveraging Automotive Mastermind, a data mining and equity mining tool, Garza proactively engages with clients who have high-paying interest rates or are nearing the end of their warranties and lease terms. He notes, “I'm calling you today to ask you if I can get it off your hands…I would love to offer you top dollar for your car.” This strategic, data-driven outreach can effectively restructure a customer's financial situation in their favor while simultaneously enhancing the dealership's turnover. The implication is clear: tools like Automotive Mastermind not only streamline the identification of viable leads but also foster a mutually beneficial transaction landscape for both dealer and customer. Innovating Through Mentorship and Personal Branding Garza's ambition extends beyond individual success, underscoring the importance of mentorship in paving the road for aspiring sales professionals. By developing the Junior Sales Program, he consciously shares his expertise to uplift others, stating, "I wanted to be the person I needed when I was 22, 23 years old." This program illustrates that achievement in sales can also serve as a catalyst for transformative change within an organization and the industry. Mentorship instills confidence, equips individuals with critical skills, and provides invaluable industry insight—ultimately shaping a dealership that's not only thriving but is also viewed as a beacon of excellence. "You need to optimize your life and optimize your time to do that and only that," Garza admonishes. His approach to personal branding isn't merely about individual accolades; it's intrinsically linked to the success he manifests in others. Future-minded individuals in sales are encouraged to emulate this strategy, as it positions them as thought leaders and valuable mentors, fostering a collaborative, growth-oriented culture. Success in the automotive sales industry is predicated on a mastery of essential skills, innovative use of tools, and a genuine commitment to fostering community within the ranks. Learning to craft and sustain a thriving sales enterprise isn't merely a matter of technique; it's an intricate combination of skill, strategy, and empathetic leadership. The conversation between Sean V. Bradley and Jacob Garza in the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast underscores these points—highlighting not just the how-to of mastering sales, but also why personal excellence and community-building create a legacy of enduring success.     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 29,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!  

In this follow-up to our discussion on the business case for Business Data Cloud, expert Shawn Brown returns for a focused deep dive into one of the most critical topics for established SAP customers. If your organization has a significant investment in SAP Business Warehouse (BW) or Business Planning and Consolidation (BPC), this episode is essential listening. Shawn provides a strategic roadmap for migration, explaining how BDC offers a "glide slope" to modernize your landscape by turning existing artifacts into valuable data products, rather than forcing a disruptive break from your past investments. Tune in to understand the clear path forward for your on-premise solutions and learn how to leverage BDC to protect what you've built while accelerating your future in data and analytics. With over two decades of experience in SAP solutions, Shawn Brown currently serves as Senior Director for SAP's Center of Excellence. Known for expertly identifying customer needs, Mr. Brown excels in presenting tailored solutions involving Business Technology Platform, Business Data Cloud, S4HANA, and Business AI. A proven leader in demand generation and partner relationship management, Mr. Brown has successfully driven initiatives that enhance customer experience and streamline cloud solution adoption. Renowned as a thought leader and strategist, Mr. Brown frequently shares insights with CIOs and business influencers, fostering strong, trust-based relationships across multiple industries.   Connect with Us: LinkedIn: Shawn Brown Mustansir Saifuddin Innovative Solution Partners : Twitter:  @Mmsaifuddin YouTube or learn more about our sponsor Innovative Solution Partners to schedule a free consultation.    Episode Transcript [00:00:00] Mustansir Saifuddin: Welcome to Tech Driven Business, brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. I'm honored to have Sean Brown of SAP rejoin me to a deeper dive into what SAP Business Data Cloud means for existing business warehouse customers. If you're running BW or BPC and weighing your options, this episode is for you. [00:00:28] Welcome [00:00:32] back to Tech-Driven Business. Shawn, how are you? [00:00:36] Shawn Brown: I am doing well. Thanks for having me back. Happy to be here. [00:00:40] Mustansir Saifuddin: It's great to have you back. I'm really excited to have you back on our show, especially when we started the first session. It was more summary level talking about business data cloud in general. What I would like to do is to bring it a notch down and talk about some of the benefits. [00:00:58] that BDC will bring to SAP BW customers. I see a lot of questions or thoughts about what it will do for those customers having business warehouse. So I'd like to dig deeper into this conversation. How does that sound? [00:01:14] Shawn Brown: That sounds great. [00:01:16] Mustansir Saifuddin: Awesome. Awesome. [00:01:17] Okay, so let's get into it. Right? Let's start with this. I mean, how does BDC simplify the data landscape for BW users? Let's start with that. [00:01:29] Shawn Brown: Yeah, so I think the big question is first, how is a customer using BW? This gets into whether they're using it for the purposes of. An analytical tool. They've built reports against, they've BEx reports. They, they're using older technologies like Business Objects. They're moving forward to actually even using even some third party, or they're using SAC or are they using it for the purposes of extracting the data from the source systems at SAP ERP, ECC [00:02:04] And even if they're already on S/4 and then using it as, Hey, I've extracted this data from SAP, now I'm looking for a way to use this data. And if it's acting as a bit more of a pass through then they have to kind of figure out what are they gonna do to get to that data after they're [00:02:24] thinking of what are they gonna do with BW now, if they're thinking about BW in a BW 4HANA perspective, they're probably looking at it as a long-term solution because they've got until 2040 before they have to really get off of BW. If, if they're using it in, let's say BW 7.5, they've got a little bit more time. [00:02:44] But the question is, are you gonna upgrade or, you know, what's the longer term plan with it? In those cases, I think really the big question for those customers is if I am looking to try to move to the more advanced capabilities that we have to access data within SAP. Then you're, you're clearly going to be in a position of trying to explore Business Data Cloud. [00:03:08] Now, the ability to take your environment that is on-prem, likely today in BW and then move it into BDC it, it moves in as a private cloud instance within BDC. This allows you to basically turn off everything that you're doing. On the on-prem BW and turn it into a software as a service that I think is going to open up a lot of opportunity for organizations that, you know, they may have invested very heavily in BW. If they're on BW4, they're looking at some maintenance costs. If they're before that, they're not so worried about it, but they are still dealing with potentially HANA costs. To be able to take all of that investment that they may have made and move it into BDC changes in many respects, the, the [00:04:00] path to do this 'cause [00:04:02] now it's not I have to pay for something in perpetuity or maintain something in perpetuity. I have a path to make it easier to move those assets into BDC. This is where the data product generator in BW in BDC is a big game changer because data products are gonna be the way that we're going to be delivering SAP artifacts in in the future. [00:04:27] To be able to take those BW artifacts and turn them into data products, and then develop all of your own insights on those artifacts, on those new BW data products that you've generated. This is gonna create a, a really great opportunity for a lot of those organizations that have been trying to figure out what their path forward looks like. [00:04:51] Maybe one last thing I'll say on this is, for those organizations that are maybe thinking of decommissioning BW altogether and moving towards some third party capability, I guess my only caution would be that's gonna be an expensive proposition, both in the short term and in the long term. [00:05:09] Most organizations are looking for self-service analytics. And while you can spend a lot of time and energy curating all of that data from all of the systems across your organization at SAP with SAP data, we're already doing that for you. You're basically duplicating the effort that we're going to provide out of the box. [00:05:32] This is one way you can kind of say, what do I do with BW? Well, I wanna move away from it, but if I wanna move away from it, I have a way to do it and still be able to take advantage of a lot of those curated data products that will be delivered from SAP, from all of those, we'll call it ERP based needs. [00:05:49] . [00:05:49] Mustansir Saifuddin: That's a good point you made. Let's circle back on this last point you mentioned later in our conversation. One thing that I, I take away from this is depending on your BW version you have options available to you. And eventually the idea is how to reuse some of these investments you've done over the past few years that customers have been using BW, BW4HANA, and not lose all that investment. [00:06:17] Shawn Brown: Mm-hmm. [00:06:18] Mustansir Saifuddin: Going to the private cloud and having those BW artifacts turn into the data products we know we talked about in BDC, and make sure that you are still able to utilize that. That's a big win for customers. [00:06:32] Shawn Brown: Absolutely. [00:06:33] Mustansir Saifuddin: Let's talk about customers who are running a little bit more complex BW. You know, when you have BW and you also have BPC, either it's used for planning or forecasting or consolidation. What are some of the considerations when it comes to their future planning and consolidation platform? Can you delve into that and kind of show the path, like what it's gonna look like? [00:06:58] Shawn Brown: Yeah, so, so most BPC customers already kind of know that there is the consolidation piece is the big question mark in many regards, and it really depends on how much they are leveraging, consolidations, how complex they are. The planning piece is something that we, we look at from a standpoint of, yes. [00:07:19] Okay. We're, we're really looking for SAC planning to take over those responsibilities. But then the consolidation piece is something that is going to find its way into S/4HANA. When we're talking about this combined environment, BW and BPC, what I see mostly with customers is that BW is has a larger role than just BPC, but it can just be BPC. [00:07:45] The benefit of BDC of Business Data Cloud is that we're now able to go ahead and take those BPC environments into Business Data Cloud and turn them into a private cloud setting. This gives [00:08:00] a little bit more time. This is something that SAP's really trying to work pretty hard on this year, is taking customers that are a BPC customer, move them into BDC as part of a private cloud deployment. [00:08:14] And then that allows time to transition to SAC planning and then take advantage of S4 for those consolidations. Now there's a lot of organizations, you know, partners that have been working on this as well to try to figure out how do I deal with some of those consolidations in SAC planning. [00:08:34] And in some cases that works really, again, gets back to how complex your consolidations are. That's something that has to be considered as organizations try to figure out what am I gonna do with my BPC environment? How am I going to modernize it? If it's working fine, this is one that I always try to focus on with customers is, I'm not interested in trying to fix something that isn't broken. [00:08:55] If it's working fine for you and feel like you can have some more time to actually make a transition take advantage of some of those new tool sets and learn what those new tool sets have to offer that the previous tool sets did not have to offer. That's the other part, right? Things may be working fine, but it also means that you may not be taking advantage of new technology, new capabilities that are going to improve your planning and consolidation efforts. [00:09:22] Mustansir Saifuddin: I think that's an interesting comment you made about how going to private cloud eases the burden from a customer perspective. If you're a BPC shop and you are running BW you don't have to wrap everything up and start over. It's almost like there's a path for you and you can still utilize older technology or the existing technology, and then look at ways of modernizing. [00:09:47] Either choose the planning solution or look at other consolidation solutions like group reporting, as you mentioned in S4. [00:09:55] Shawn Brown: Right, right. [00:09:56] Mustansir Saifuddin: it seems like there's time that they can buy. Can be utilized for, for adapting to the new tool as well as learning what else you can offer besides what I'm currently doing in BPC. [00:10:11] Shawn Brown: Right. [00:10:11] Mustansir Saifuddin: Though it's not broken. There are ways to analyze and then make the decision. I think that's a big win. I see that as a good consideration from SAP perspective. There are always folks who are thinking, there will be challenges any time you look at a new solution. What is your advice, like, what are some of the key considerations potential challenges that BW customers should be aware of when they're planning a move to Business Data Cloud? Something that comes to your mind that you can share as a caution or something that they should be thinking of or taking care of. [00:10:47] Shawn Brown: Yeah, the first thing, it sounds obvious, but your BW is going to be in the cloud, right? So one thing that you might think about is the type of maintenance that you've had to do to take care of that environment, to have the personnel that will oversee that environment .That changes quite a bit with the support of SAP when it's in a private cloud environment. [00:11:10] That's one of the things out of the gate you can look at and you say, all right, there's some benefits that I'm getting, as a result of moving into private cloud. I'm gonna have SAP overlooking this environment with me. This is the other thing to consider too, is that private cloud is from an SAP perspective, private cloud is a stepping stone. It is to get you to a public cloud environment where really you don't have to do much of anything to maintain your environment, at least not from an infrastructure or from a upgrades. We're doing all of that for you and we're taking away the risk factor of those elements where your organization has to care for that. [00:11:52] Moving it to private cloud is saying, all right, now SAP takes on some of those responsibilities. And then longer term you're [00:12:00] seeing that Business Data Cloud is a software as a service. So we're going to be taking away even more of those administrative type of responsibilities. [00:12:10] Those keep the lights on type of responsibilities that a lot of organizations have had to bear in the past. And then the last part is we're going to help you get to the point where you can take advantage of new advancements in technology faster. Because frankly, once you kind of move into the space of a public cloud scenario, as you've transitioned from private into public over time, then essentially you're having the advantage of using those new advancements as we release them [00:12:44] rather than this staggered effect. Now that's gonna require some understanding that the way we did things in the past and the amount of customizations that we might have done and the amount of wrangling of data that we did in the past, those things we may not need to do as much of in the future. [00:13:01] And we have a framework upon which it'll make it easier for you to, let's say, add data elements to the standard SAP data elements that you have or make customizations that are a combination of data elements, that'll be a lot easier to manage over time because the foundational components, the building blocks upon which you will use are already there from SAP's point of view. [00:13:29] So as we introduce new enhancements, new improvements to those building blocks, those customers get to take advantage of them immediately. [00:13:40] Mustansir Saifuddin: So, we always look for success stories or examples. Can you share any examples success stories of companies that have either started the migration from BW into Business Data Cloud or, already done through the migration and, and some of the benefits that they have realized or come across? [00:13:58] Shawn Brown: Yeah, I. [00:13:59] Mustansir Saifuddin: That'll be great to hear your thoughts. [00:14:00] Shawn Brown: I would say that the customers that I've talked to, and I'd love to be able to use names, but they're particular about that at this point, but the customers that I've spoken to that we have had some success with already are doing exactly what we're talking about. [00:14:13] They're taking their BW environment, they're moving it directly into Business Data Cloud. It's a PC environment, and. They're already on this journey of taking those artifacts and saying, how do I make use of them in Business Data Cloud? How do I turn those BW artifacts into data products that can sit at the foundation layer of BDC? [00:14:34] And then how do I then start building the models within Datasphere to make them available for any sort of reports that they want to go ahead and leverage at that point. A lot of this is taking advantage of the type of visualizations that they may have already built, let's say, for example, with SAC and using them as part of the Business Data Cloud construct. [00:14:58] So we're early days on some of this, so customers are very early on on this, but the goal or the vision based on some of the engagements we've had so far is playing out exactly as we've talked about today and in the past as well. So that's, that's why I can give you on that. [00:15:15] Mustansir Saifuddin: That's helpful. When we talk about BW customers, let's focus from that perspective: you are using the Business Data Cloud's major offering, which is, Hey, how can I have a data product? [00:15:27] Right? The data product approach is what's going to help them reuse those investments in a newer environment, in a way that they can further grow instead of being stagnant with the, the old technology. So that's where I see the value. [00:15:44] Shawn Brown: I'm gonna add something to that one too, Mustansir, because, you know, the the thing that we think about as these investments that we have in BW they're investments that organizations don't want to let go of initially. But over time, [00:16:00] we should see that ultimately these investments, these developments that they've done with BW, for example, and what they've extracted from the ERP, whether it's ECC or S4, what they've extracted is essentially they're a collection of data products that over time SAP is going to provide [00:16:24] out of the box anyway, so there's gonna be time that you're going to say, all right, I've developed these data products from these Business Warehouse artifacts. But as SAP continues to release new data products for all of our business applications, they're largely going to replace much of what the BW artifacts are, which of what the BW data products are. [00:16:51] I like to think about this for customers as this is your transition. This is the easy glide slope to move from i'm flying along with BW and all of what invested I've done, but I've gotta land somewhere and I've gotta find a way to easily transition into the newest, latest and greatest capabilities that SAP re releases as part of Business Data Cloud. [00:17:17] Those will be those new data products that will feed those insight apps. We're largely going to be taking a lot of those investments that customers have made over time and said, you can replace them over time. And the beauty of that as well is you don't have to worry about maintaining them as well. [00:17:37] SAP maintains them and, and of course. We can include any sort of custom fields that you've added all of those elements into those data products so they're not static, but they are something that largely the bulk of the work is something that SAP is going to cover for you over the extended period of time. [00:18:00] Mustansir Saifuddin: Absolutely. I think the idea is. Once they get into BDC once they get into private cloud, they can immediately start utilizing the AI capabilities and some of the newer needs of the organization, which was earlier not possible with BW. [00:18:16] Shawn Brown: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. [00:18:18] Mustansir Saifuddin: Let's talk about other options, other cloud data warehouses. [00:18:24] We kind of touched upon it earlier , SAP customers who have already started a journey with some of the other data warehouses, like Snowflake, Azure , in some cases GCP, those other platforms what benefits will they get by adopting BDC? Can you shed some light on that? [00:18:44] Because they're already on a journey, right? Like you mentioned earlier, I just wanted to bring it back to that conversation because important for those customers to realize what will be there for them if they want to look at BDC as the potential option? [00:18:59] Shawn Brown: Yeah. Let's use a couple of scenarios here in this case, right? Scenario number one. I'm on ECC and I'm moving to S/4HANA. I already have invested a lot in terms of how I access SAP data and then delivered it to a third party repository, we'll call it. Right? Operational data store, data warehouse data lake. [00:19:21] Let's whatever terminology you want to use to, to describe what's happened with acquiring SAP data and then delivering it to some third party, and it could be directly, let's say because the customer had access at the database level, they purchased HANA Enterprise and gave them access to the database level to get to it. [00:19:43] As they move to the cloud, much of that's gonna change. Much of that's gonna go away. Not only is it going to go away just because you're probably going to go from ECC to S4 because that's gonna change too, because the data structure has changed, but also from on-premise to [00:20:00] cloud. So this is the type of scenario that organizations should try to avoid in the future. [00:20:09] How much work do I have to do to get the data from a source system to deliver it to some other need in the organization? That's scenario number one, what's changing as a result of every upgrade, every change to the environment that takes place, whether it's a version change or whether it's on-prem to cloud. [00:20:29] All of those things or whether it's one other additional one, which we've talked quite a bit about here, which is what if BW is involved? What if I'm using BW as the extraction point to get to the SAP data, even if I am and I'm making a change, let's say from ECC to S4, BW is gonna change. [00:20:47] Much of that has to be reevaluated. So when you think about how I'm acquiring SAP data, the best way to look at it is if I can get the data curated for my needs out of the box, and I don't have to do anything to make that happen, or I have to do a minimal amount of effort because I'm just making the adjustments for [00:21:10] the custom fields I might have, the customizations I may have included. Those are things that we can include as most of the work has been done. SAP has provided most of the curated data. Now, then this gets into a question of what question am I asking and where am I getting the bulk of the data from? And I think we might have touched on the data of gravity topic in the last discussion, but I think it bears [00:21:38] that, we're talking about for just another second more, which is, if I'm asking primarily an SAP question, and I know that the time it takes to deliver SAP data is, is critical, right? 'cause it's, it's tends to be, in many cases the most important data in an organization. Finance data usually is where we can start. [00:22:00] Then we have to ask how important is it to be able to deliver that data as quickly as possible, especially for an SAP data centric question, right? Why take all of the extraction points, put it over into a third party, model it, do everything we have to do with that, and then make it available to the SAP community when SAP is going to be providing [00:22:27] access to that data in a curated format, knowing already what kind of questions the business community's going to ask of that data. Why not just make it available for them to access it through Business Data Cloud? Now, that sounds like a really centric SAP data strategy. We understand that the converse of that is that it's not always going to be the case that, you know, the bulk of the data that's being asked for is SAP. [00:22:51] It could be third party data as well. So. That's where you also ask the question, well, what's the fastest way for me to access the SAP data to deliver it to a not so SAP centric question. You need data elements from SAP, but the question primarily is third party data, and we're just using SAP data to enrich that third party data. [00:23:16] The bulk of the data being in, let's say, whatever third party it is, or an operational data store or a hyperscaler, wherever they've taken that data and placed it, whether they extracted it or they have a tool set, similar to what SAP provides with Business Data Cloud. We're providing the data in a curated format through our data products anyway, this is the best way to access the data from SAP systems. [00:23:42] 'cause again, we know what questions organizations are going to ask, we know what data elements they're going to ask of, and we've already built all the logic into that data package, data product that we can deliver to any third party need. So [00:24:00] this is a scenario where I like to use some people kind of chuckle at first, which is I call this the SAP's data strategy as a snuggle, don't struggle. We're happy to snuggle up to whatever else you're doing in your organization. We're not here to struggle and say you need to do everything through SAP. You don't. What we want you to do is be able to access SAP data in the most efficient manner possible, in most inexpensive manner possible, and to be able to deal with changes to the environment that come with upgrades, [00:24:33] with new advancements in the technology that are bound to happen because we're living in a, a pace of super hyper change, especially with AI. We're, we're in a position to deliver that data for whatever need it is, whether it's an SAP centric or a non SAP centric. But using business data cloud is the fastest way to get to the data. [00:24:56] Already curated, already ready to go for whatever need is. The business may have. [00:25:02] Mustansir Saifuddin: Yeah, I think the bottom line is the speed that you get and the speed is what's going to count in the future. So it seems like the, the BDC answer will be: how do you make that access to the data as quickly as possible in order to get that, you know, get benefit out of that information. [00:25:20] Shawn Brown: For sure, time is. Time is money. [00:25:23] Mustansir Saifuddin: Time is money. [00:25:23] Exactly. So I think that leads me to my last question. What's one key takeaway from this session that you want to leave with our listeners? [00:25:33] Shawn Brown: Yeah. I would say, I'm gonna lean in on something I said earlier, you know, which is SAP's the best at delivering SAP data. Nobody understands the data and the needs of the data better than we do. And the reason for that is because we have 50 years of talking to organizations in different lines of business, in different industries and knowing what it is that they're looking to do with our data structures, right? [00:26:05] It's their data. But the structure upon that data is something that SAP has created, and largely we've evolved what those backend data models look like. We've evolved what the different fields are that we capture because we understand what organizations are trying to do with the data that they're collecting and placing in the SAP systems. [00:26:30] So knowing that, know that when the business comes to the data and analytics teams in the organization and they say, we need a report that says this, they're likely going to leave something out. They're likely not going to include everything that is being asked for, and the data and analytics organization's gonna do their best to deliver what the business is asked for. [00:26:55] Not knowing oftentimes that they're missing things, that relationships that they need to take into account are something that requires real understanding of the backend business application for SAP. What we can do with Business Data Cloud is simplify the world for the data and analytics teams, the IT department. [00:27:22] It's a lot of effort, a lot of work that they have had to do in the past that SAP is taking on for them and then just delivering what it is that the business is going to ask for. Even if the business doesn't know yet that they need another data element, it's already there from SAP from our data products. [00:27:42] It comes back to the same thing that we've said before, which is time is money. The faster we can deliver these data products to our customers, and the customer says, well, the business says this: this has everything that I want except this, except this is just a click, one [00:28:00] click, and you turn it on. [00:28:01] You add one more data element rather than, okay, now I need to go ahead and take a look at where I'm getting the data from, whether I'm actually at the database level or whether I'm actually, you know, do using some best practices and using those core data services that SAP provides. Instead of having to know all of the backend relationships and the things that you might have to pull, on top of what was requested by the business, the data's already curated. [00:28:27] It's already there for you. Now, that's the part that customers have gotta take away from, which is we're delivering speed. Speed gives you that opportunity to consume the data as quickly as possible. And then the, the one other thing I'll say and know you asked for one, but at the, this one goes directly with it, which is you're gonna have visualizations that you're going to need to develop. [00:28:53] Those visualizations are things that we already knew that customers have been asking for over and over and over. We've had a rich history of building business content for our customers, and now it's just a matter of now putting it into a visualization that is software as a service, push a button and it's available. [00:29:14] Start consuming it. It's about speed. Delivering those data products curated quickly and then about delivering, delivering those visualizations. So I think, I think that's, that's really the, the, in a nutshell the big, big elements that customers need to understand about the benefits of Business Data Cloud. [00:29:33] Mustansir Saifuddin: That is great. Thanks. What I'm hearing from you is it's all about how quickly you can make it happen. What are the, the different pieces that you can leverage if you are a BW customer and then not losing those investments at the same time, be able to get up and run much quicker than if you are taking a different path either adopting party solution versus, you know, keep using your current environment but not able to utilize some of the changes that are coming up in the Business Data Cloud. And I think it's just a way of speeding up your journey for AI. [00:30:12] Shawn Brown: Absolutely. [00:30:12] Mustansir Saifuddin: Thank you for the time you spent with us. It's been a pleasure and it's been very informative, so thank you. [00:30:18] Shawn Brown: Great. Thanks, Mustansir. I appreciate the time as well. [00:30:22] Mustansir Saifuddin: Thanks for listening to Tech Driven Business, brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. Sean shared valuable roadmaps for SAP BW and BPC customers to BDC. Sean's key takeaway with 50 years of experience. SAP understands its own data structures better than anyone. It's about leveraging their expertise to gain speed. [00:30:51] Use BD, C to dramatically accelerate your journey from data to insight and ai. We would love to hear from you. Continue the conversation by connecting with me on LinkedIn or X. Learn more about innovative solution partners and schedule a free consultation by visiting i solution partners.com. Never miss a podcast by subscribing to our YouTube channel. [00:31:16] Information is in the show notes.

In this must-listen episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, hosts Sean V. Bradley and LA Williams sit down with Justin Rody, CFO of Kalispell Auto Group, to discuss the critical leadership lessons and strategies that have shaped his journey from Internet Director to C-suite executive. This episode is especially important for anyone in the automotive industry looking to navigate the evolving landscape of dealership operations. "The Internet and phones are the new showroom.” Justin dives into the often-underappreciated roles of Internet and BDC departments, shedding light on their vital contribution to modern sales success. With years of experience under his belt, he offers valuable insights on process adherence, the influence of one-price sales strategies on customer satisfaction, and the innovative community engagement tactics that can drive customer loyalty, like car raffles in partnership with local schools. "If somebody's throwing an Internet manager into a position that hasn't sold a car or been involved in sales, it's not the right thing to do." This episode is packed with actionable advice for dealership leaders and sales teams alike, offering a roadmap to creating a customer-focused, value-driven dealership that thrives in today's competitive market. Don't miss out—this conversation is a game-changer! Key Takeaways: ✅ Having experience in sales and management roles can significantly enhance the effectiveness of Internet and BDC managers. ✅ Cultivating a culture of process adherence is crucial for dealership success and customer satisfaction. ✅ Implementing a one-price sales model can streamline operations and build trust with customers, although it requires a strong value proposition. ✅ Community involvement and charitable initiatives are vital in establishing a dealership's reputation and fostering long-term customer relationships. ✅ Leveraging technology, such as AI for CRM and lead management, can optimize dealership efficiency and profits.   About Justin Rody Justin Rody is the Chief Financial Officer at Kalispell Auto Group in Montana. With a deep-rooted background in automotive sales, he began his career by immersing himself in various roles within dealerships, from internet director to executive positions. His connection with the auto industry dates back to a family legacy, with experiences ranging from washing cars in his grandfather's small car dealership to managing an auto racing track. Justin brings a wealth of knowledge and a strong emphasis on process and customer satisfaction to his current role overseeing Ford, VW, and Toyota dealerships within the group.   The Importance of Internet Sales Savvy: Transforming Automotive Dealership Leadership Key Takeaways Foundation of Experience: For an Internet Director to truly excel, they should have tangible experience in BDC roles, sales, and management. One-Price Dealer Model: Establishing a one-price, no-negotiation dealership fosters a streamlined process and builds trust with consumers. Community Engagement: Successful dealerships integrate community involvement into their business model, benefiting both local organizations and the dealership's reputation.   Rethinking Internet and BDC Management in Dealerships In today's fast-evolving automotive landscape, the role of the Internet Director holds significant weight. Yet, despite its importance, this position often lacks due recognition and appropriate resourcing in many dealerships. According to Justin Rody, a former Internet Director turned CFO, one core issue is placing individuals in these roles who haven't experienced the hustle and nuance of direct car sales. "It's almost like setting the person up for failure," Rody articulates, highlighting that the Internet manager should ideally have sales experience to truly grasp the complexities of the car buying process. Sean V. Bradley, in the podcast, shares a strong sentiment: "How can you tell me as a salesperson or a manager what to do, when to do it, how to do it? And you've never even taken up before." This speaks to the critical need for online and BDC managers to have firsthand sales and customer service exposure. Forcing a person into a managerial role without proper preparation or experience diminishes their potential for success and hampers dealership effectiveness. The overarching benefit here is clear. If Internet directors are equipped with comprehensive industry knowledge and hands-on experience, they can lead with authority, improve Internet sales integration, and foster a harmonious relationship with sales teams. Such a coherent setup not only boosts morale but lays the groundwork for more innovative sales strategies and efficient processes within the dealership.   The One-Price Model: Revolutionizing Consumer Trust and Efficiency The concept of a one-price store disrupts traditional dealership tactics by eliminating the negotiation phase that's been a cornerstone for many. When executed correctly, it not only streamlines the car-buying process but enhances the dealership's transparency and trust. Justin Rody testifies, "We haven't negotiated one car deal since 2007." For his dealership, the firm pricing strategy removes uncertainties and accelerates buying decisions. Bradley underscores how this aligns with efficiency, noting that "anything that elongates the process is counterproductive; taking 10 minutes to cook minute rice is a waste." The one-price model offers peace of mind to both customers and salespeople. By setting clear expectations, it ensures swift transactions and nurtures a reputation of honesty and reliability—an irresistible draw for many buyers. Moreover, this model aligns with broader automotive consumer trends where digital interaction and swift, transparent transactions are increasingly valued. By curtailing the negotiation process, dealerships can dedicate more resources to enhance the customer's buying journey, reinforcing loyalty and repeat business. Community Engagement: Enhancing Reputation and Building Trust Supporting local communities is more than just good public relations for car dealerships; it's a business imperative that boosts brand reputation and customer loyalty. Justin's dealership exemplifies this by engaging deeply with the community, notably through their innovative school car raffle initiative that has raised significant funds annually for local schools. As Rody shared, “That generated somewhere…like 50 to $80,000 of money that goes right to the general fund of the school." This initiative taps into the mutual benefits of a strong community-dealer relationship. For the dealership, it means fostering a positive public image and engendering goodwill among potential customers. It acts as a reciprocal arrangement where the community feels valued and wishes to support a business that shares its success. The concept is simple: when dealerships give back, they create an emotional connection, which is priceless in building long-term customer relationships. Moreover, integrating these acts of service into the dealership's marketing strategy by showcasing on platforms and websites bolsters SEO and web presence, ensuring potential customers notice the dealership for not just their cars but their values. Justin Rody's journey from an Internet Director to CFO within a dealership illustrates the transformative potential of industry experience when placed in strategic roles. His emphasis on transparent practices, streamlined processes, and community involvement paints a clear picture of a sustainable path forward for modern dealerships. By addressing both internal structure and external engagement, dealerships have the opportunity to cultivate enduring success in a competitive automotive market.     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 29,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!  

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, we're diving into one of the most powerful, underrated strategies for breaking through the noise in today's sales landscape: using GIFs and memes in your follow-up. If your internet leads keep ghosting you, you're not alone—and you're not helpless. Jen shares how she coaches dealerships to inject low-pressure, fun, and memorable energy into their messaging with visual media. You'll hear real-world examples and get a framework for building your own “GIF & Meme Library” to use in various sales scenarios—from day-one outreach to long-term follow-up. This one strategy has helped dealership teams stand out, boost engagement, and most importantly, connect like humans again. Whether you're in the BDC, selling on the floor, or leading a sales team, this episode will give you a fresh way to be relevant, visible, and impossible to ignore. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast |

Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial says he expects the market has enough momentum to break through to new record highs, and soon. Led by tech stocks, Turnquist expects the move off the April lows to continue, though he acknowledges that the macro backdrop "is extremely messy." If the market can overcome trade uncertainties, Turnquist says that when new highs are achieved three months apart, it is typically a good sign that a volatile market can continue overcome bad news and continue upward trends. The NAVigator segment features an interviewed taped in New York at the Active Investment Company Alliance BDC Forum with Tonnie Wybensinger, head of government relations for the Small Business Investors Association, an industry advocacy group who discusses current legislation that would give BDC investors a tax break and how legislation on esoteric subjects like business-development companies gets passed. Natalie Iannello, discusses a Howdy.com survey which showed that the average American now believes they need $105,000 a year to live comfortably, which is a problem when you consider that other research shows the average American salary at about $66,000. Plus, it's Chuck birthday, and he shares a birthday wish for his financial situation, and yours.

Tonnie Wybensinger, Head of Government Relations for the Small Business Investors Association — interviewed at the AICA BDC Forum in New York on June 11 — discusses the role that lobbyists play in the legislative process and how current efforts to improve the tax treatment of business-development companies, as well as to level the playing field with mutual funds when calculating expense ratios for fund-of-funds. Those efforts — which have been ongoing for years — could soon be coming to a head, with the BDC tax-parity legislation included in the "One Big Beautiful Bill" currently winding through Congress.

Today I'm joined by Ted Rubin, President of ActivEngage. We dive into why dealers don't need more leads — they need better ones, the danger from AI that dealers don't see coming, why a human touch is still the missing peice and much more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Auto Hauler Exchange - Ship Smarter. Pay Less. No Middlemen. Tired of brokers driving up costs and slowing you down? Auto Hauler Exchange puts YOU in control. Ship cars faster and cheaper with 5,500+ vetted carriers. Get cars delivered in just 4 days on average. Transparent pricing, no hidden fees, and real-time tracking. Move cars smarter. Move cars faster. Learn more @ http://www.autohaulerexchange.com 2. LotLinx - Get the best possible market advantage on every vehicle transaction. Optimize operations and boost profits using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Learn more @ https://lotlinx.com/ 3. ActivEngage - Not every lead is a Glengarry lead. If you know, you know... Those are the ones that matter. ActiveEngage brews them 24/7. Not bots. Not forms. Real human experts having real conversations. Uncovering intent. Surfacing urgency. Creating motivation. Now your team gets buyers, not just browsers. Want to start closing your online faster? Visit http://www.activengage.com/glengarry Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Topics: 01:22 How did Ted start in auto? 02:20 What sparked BDC development? 09:36 Why human interaction matters? 12:14 How AI impacts auto sales? 16:28 Best dealership tools today? 19:23 Handling customer concerns effectively 20:24 How dealers view pricing? 24:56 AI's current limitations? 37:02 Future of AI in dealerships? Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

If you're refreshing your bank account every few minutes, slashing your prices mid-sales call, or feeling physically sick when you think about money, you're stuck in a scarcity mindset that's literally repelling your ideal clients. In this raw, vulnerable episode, I'm sharing exactly how I went from crying about my income nosedive (after shutting down my Feel Amazing Naked brand) to 5X-ing my revenue by shifting one fundamental thing: my focus from getting to giving. You'll discover: The 3 hidden places scarcity shows up in your coaching business (sales calls, daily operations, and marketing) Why desperate energy repels clients (the neuroscience will shock you) My exact 3-tool system for shifting from scarcity to abundance in under 5 minutes The "read the receipts" practice that rewires your brain for success Real stories from my BDC community about breaking through money fears Ready to stop letting fear run your coaching business? If you're craving accountability around this internal work, let's chat about the Best Damn Coach community at amanda-walker.com/letschat. Connect with me on Instagram @awalkmyway and tell me which tool you're starting with!  

In this energizing episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, Sean V. Bradley and LA Williams explore the game-changing potential of Outsourced BDC Services in the automotive industry. The guests dive into the innovative approach Dealer Synergy has taken with their Outsourced BDC agents, who are consistently driving impressive sales numbers while eliminating the need for costly in-house teams! "There's a reason why 80% of all BDCs are broken or not profitable." - Sean V. Bradley This episode highlights what makes a successful outsourced BDC, from exceptional training to cultural adaptability. With insights into real-world success stories, including a standout example from Jenna Blankenbiller at Bob Ruth Ford, listeners will learn how leveraging international talent can significantly boost both sales and customer experience. "This is what's supposed to happen when you have people committed to quality training." - LA Williams Don't miss out on how this innovative model is setting new industry standards and redefining what's possible for dealerships! Key Takeaways: ✅ Outsourcing Benefits: Discover the strategic advantages of outsourced BDCs in reducing costs, improving efficiencies, and increasing productivity with dedicated teams. ✅ Success Stories: Understand how Bob Ruth Ford multiplied their sales through effective BDC practices, as shared by Jenna Blankenbiller. ✅ BDC Training and Process: The significance of thorough training and establishing a streamlined process as key drivers for successful CRM and BDC operations. ✅ Cultural Work Ethic: Insights into the Filipino workforce's dedicated attitude and exceptional performance in BDC roles. ✅ Innovative Technologies: Emphasis on modern tools like accent conversion software, which enhances communication efficiency and customer interaction in outsourced services. About The Guests Sean V. Bradley: Sean V. Bradley is a notable figure in the automotive industry, known for his expertise in internet sales, CRM, and BDC operations. He is the CEO of Dealer Synergy and is celebrated for transforming car sales processes to increase profitability and efficiency. LA Williams: LA Williams, the vice president of Dealer Synergy, is recognized as the "Blind Phone Master" for his unparalleled skills in phone sales training. He is a significant influence in developing customer relations and sales strategies in the automotive sector. Jenna Blankenbiller: Jenna is the director of outsourced BDC and Internet operations at Dealer Synergy. She previously worked at Bob Ruth Ford, where she played a crucial role in boosting BDC sales remarkably from 75 to nearly 395 units a month. Gladys Quitoriano: A top-performing BDC representative from the Philippines, Gladys brings years of experience in call centers to the automotive industry. She has worked closely with Jenna and Dealer Synergy, proving vital in her role by consistently exceeding sales expectations. Ivy Ambag: Ivy is a fresh and promising talent in the BDC team, having recently joined Dealer Synergy. With a strong background in BPO and logistics, she has quickly become a top performer, demonstrating immense potential and dedication.     Maximizing Profitability in Automotive Sales: The Outsourced BDC Advantage Key Takeaways Outsourcing Expertise: Embrace the potential of outsourced BDCs to transform your dealership's sales strategy by leveraging expert knowledge and global resources. Cost Efficiency and Performance: Outsourced BDCs can significantly lower operational costs while boosting sales performance, demonstrating the value of specialized staffing solutions. Value of Effective Training: Comprehensive training and CRM fluency are pivotal in maximizing the efficacy of your dealership's business development center.   The automotive industry is perpetually evolving, demanding innovation, adaptability, and efficiency from dealerships across the globe. Enter the realm of outsourced Business Development Centers (BDCs), an emerging strategy to optimize sales processes and enhance profitability. In the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, hosted by Sean V. Bradley and LA Williams, these industry virtuosos peel back the layers of the automotive sales world to reveal the hidden potential of outsourced BDCs. The podcast offers a compelling narrative on the intricacies and superior advantages of outsourced solutions. This article deciphers those insights and explores how this model can redefine the conventional landscape of automotive sales. The Revolution of Outsourced BDCs in Automotive Sales In an age where efficiency and expertise reign supreme, the appeal of outsourced BDCs lies in their ability to significantly augment a dealership's sales capabilities. Sean V. Bradley notes, "There's a reason why 80% of all BDCs are broken or not profitable." The discussion reveals how relying on the expertise of outsourced BDCs allows dealerships to capitalize on specialized skills often lacking in-house. By engaging with professionals seasoned in specific tasks, dealerships harness a sharper competitive edge. Bradley points out that traditional, in-house operations often fall short, as they grapple with staffing challenges and expertise gaps. To illustrate, he shares, "You could try to do BDC yourself… and good luck with that." This symbolizes a departure from the do-it-all-internally mindset, urging dealers to embrace more effective, outsourced solutions. As Jenna Blankenbiller, Director of Outsourced BDC and Internet Operations, further elaborates, the commitment from outsourced agents in learning "your product knowledge, your dealership, your system," sets a solid foundation for success. Cost Efficiency and Performance: The Outsourcing Equation Cost efficiency combined with enhanced performance is the winning formula that defines the outsourced BDC model. Bradley emphasizes the fiscal prudence of this approach: "Outsourcing anything that you're not great at" is not just sensible—it's financially strategic. Traditional in-house operations often incur elevated expenses due to higher salaries, benefits, and turnover rates, coupled with a demand for continual training. On the contrary, outsourced BDCs present a cost-effective alternative without compromising on quality. Gladys Quitoriano, a proven asset from the Philippines, exemplifies how these agents often outperform their in-house counterparts, "sometimes 40 units a month," a feat that substantiates the economic and performance-driven advantages of outsourcing. The cross-cultural workforce, characterized by heightened motivation and a "strong work ethic," is a compelling element that propels dealerships towards unprecedented success metrics. The Indispensable Role of Training in Outsourced BDCs Effective training is the linchpin in transitioning theoretical potential into tangible success within outsourced BDCs. The podcast underscores the role of structured and continuous training as the cornerstone of excellence. Adequate preparation, including familiarity with dealership-specific CRM systems and robust product knowledge, equips agents like Ivy and Gladys to seamlessly integrate into dealership operations and consistently exceed performance expectations. LA Williams attests to the transformation achievable through diligent training, asserting, "When you begin to apply it, it can cause transformation." Such transformation is vividly embodied in Gladys's story, where a dedication to learning translates into remarkable sales achievements. The synergy between comprehensive training programs and the eagerness of outsourced agents results in an engaged, highly competent workforce, poised to drive sales advancement.   In unraveling the power of outsourced BDCs, the conversation provoked by Bradley, Williams, Blankenbiller, and the international agent team illuminates a pathway for dealerships aiming to revolutionize their sales processes. The strategic implementation of outsourced BDCs not only enhances efficiency and reduces operational costs but also fosters an environment of continuous improvement through targeted training and expertise. As the industry leans towards leveraging global talent pools, the ability to intelligently integrate outsourced solutions into automotive sales models sets the stage for a thriving future in an ever-competitive market.     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 29,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more! Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential. Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!

Today I'm joined by Monik Pamecha, CEO and founder of Toma. We unpack why they embedded in Oklahoma dealerships for months, how that groundwork attracted top VCs, and why Toma refuses to build one-size-fits-all AI. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Toma - If your BDC or Service Advisors are buried in calls, it's time for a smarter solution. Toma builds custom AI agents that answer 100% of your dealership's inbound calls and handle tasks like booking service, checking recalls, and scheduling test drives—without tying up your team. Dealers using Toma are saving 30–40 staff hours a week and booking 100+ extra appointments every month. Exclusive for CDG Listeners: Start your no-risk, 1-month free trial at http://www.toma.com/cdg 2. Lotlinx - Get the best possible market advantage on every vehicle transaction. Optimize operations and boost profits using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Learn more @ https://lotlinx.com/ 3. Qmerit - Selling EVs can have a lot of friction points. But home charging installation shouldn't be one of them. That's why dealers and automakers trust Qmerit—the go-to expert for home charging installations. Join Qmerit's dealership partner program and start earning referral incentives on every installation. Visit @ http://www.qmerit.com/carguy to learn more. Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠⁠⁠ Topics: 00:33 Why switch from healthcare to auto? 02:29 Biggest auto retail challenges today? 04:31 Why focus on automotive AI? 05:49 How AI improves customer experience? 07:54 Customizing AI for dealerships how? 11:20 Will customers accept AI solutions? 13:36 How secured $17.2M funding? 16:46 Plans for deploying capital? 26:55 Future AI-driven dealership experience? Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Dive into the future of enterprise data with the latest episode of Tech-Driven Business. Mustansir Saifuddin welcomes Shawn Brown, of SAP, for Part 1 of an in-depth exploration of the SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC). If you're navigating the complexities of data management and analytics within the SAP ecosystem, this episode is unmissable. Shawn breaks down the fundamental 'why' behind BDC, revealing how it's engineered to drastically reduce data preparation time, cut costs, and empower businesses to make faster, more accurate decisions. Tune in to understand how you can your team can take advantage of all that BDC offers to SAP customers looking to unlock true value from their data. With over two decades of experience in SAP solutions, Shawn Brown currently serves as Senior Director for SAP's Center of Excellence. Known for expertly identifying customer needs, Mr. Brown excels in presenting tailored solutions involving Business Technology Platform, Business Data Cloud, S4HANA, and Business AI. A proven leader in demand generation and partner relationship management, Mr. Brown has successfully driven initiatives that enhance customer experience and streamline cloud solution adoption. Renowned as a thought leader and strategist, Mr. Brown frequently shares insights with CIOs and business influencers, fostering strong, trust-based relationships across multiple industries.   Connect with Us: LinkedIn: Shawn Brown:  Mustansir Saifuddin:  Innovative Solution Partners  X:  @Mmsaifuddin YouTube or learn more about our sponsor Innovative Solution Partners to schedule a free consultation.    Episode Transcript [00:00:00] Mustansir Saifuddin: Welcome to Tech- Driven Business, brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. I'm honored to have Sean Brown of SAP join me to kick off an essential two part series to unpack a topic that's on every SAP user's mind. The Business Data Cloud or BDC. If you're looking to understand how BDC can transform your data landscape and drive real business value, you are in the right place. [00:00:32] . [00:00:32] Welcome to Tech- Driven Business, Shawn. How are you? [00:00:35] Shawn Brown: I am good. I'm good. Things are going well, staying busy. [00:00:38] Mustansir Saifuddin: That's awesome. That's awesome. So glad to have you on our show and I'm really excited for the topic that we are going to discuss today. You ready for it? [00:00:47] Shawn Brown: I am. I'm excited as well. [00:00:51] Mustansir Saifuddin: Yeah, so I, I know we had talked in the past a couple of times and right now , the hot topic everybody's talking about from SAP and in general is the whole idea, the concept, and now the actual product called Business Data Cloud and what it really means for SAP customers. I like to use this time to dig deeper into this conversation and have a better understanding of exactly what this brings, what kind of landscapes that are changing with this new product, and to expect, you know, if you're a customer interested into, in going forward with BDC. [00:01:28] Shawn Brown: -. [00:01:28] Sure. That sounds great. Yeah. [00:01:32] Mustansir Saifuddin: Awesome. Okay. So I think every time we, we have this new products, right? And SAP is really good about and talk, people talk about rebranding and all that. Let's talk about the why of why should SAP customers adopt BDC. What is different about BDC that SAP customers should be asking that question. [00:01:53] Why? [00:01:55] Shawn Brown: Yeah, this is, this is my favorite question to start. Anything in the space that is outside of packaged solutions, you know ERP, HR Supply Chain and, and the capabilities we have in those areas because the why is something that it, it should be the driver for everything. Right? And, and for BDC, I would say the first thing we wanna talk about is it's a, it's a new product. [00:02:24] But it's an evolution of everything that we've been doing for years. It's, it's capabilities that our customers already know about. And it's taking all of the capabilities that we have offered over the time that we've been, been in the data and analytics space. And it's the, I call it a next generation, right? [00:02:45] It's the next generation of what was. And so when we get into the why. I would say the first thing that we really gotta say is, is the reason for BDC is it is to short circuit the amount of time it takes to prepare from data to finally analytics and planning and all the steps in between, where we're often times organizations see it as this, this wheel that. [00:03:15] They start with the data that's in the source system. They're gonna extract a, transform it loaded profile it, catalog it you know, press governance on it. Maybe make it in, you know, in a marketplace setting. Organize it so that it can be easily digestible, create some standard analytics, and then now we can actually start analyzing it. [00:03:34] And the why is really about reducing the amount of time it takes to go around that whole wheel of, Data all the way around to analytics and planning and reduce the amount of prep time and increase the amount of analysis time. Because if we think about how much time a person gets to analyze the [00:04:00] data, let's say for example, and this is a, this is actually a number that is, has been verified with numerous customers and with, the analyst firms like Gartner and Forrester and TDWI is that it takes as much as 70% or more of the actual workload and investment to go from data to analytics. That's not, so that means the analytics is just 30% or less of the time. So if we think about how much each question costs. You have to add in all of that cost that even deliver up the analytical or, or deliver up the, the data in a way that it can be analyzed. [00:04:45] So BDCs goal is to shrink that time of preparation and actual delivery of data for the analyst purpose or for the AI purpose, or for any application purpose. Shrink it as much as possible so that, the questions that are asked are cheaper, and essentially we can ask more questions. We don't have to continue to reformat the data, deliver the data in a new way to get to the final answers that we're trying to seek. [00:05:20] So I would say savings and costs. Savings and money. More data, more, more analysis time. That's the why for BDC. [00:05:31] Mustansir Saifuddin: Yeah, it totally makes sense. I think one of the things that while you're talking about this that stuck out for me was, we always talk about time value, right? And, especially when it comes to analytics, It's such a critical part of any organization's path forward and the numbers that you're just sharing from Gartner and other resources, [00:05:51] where if the majority of the time is gone into the data collection, the data refinement, all that, there's no time left or a very minimal time for your analytics part, which makes it really difficult for organizations to make quick decisions. So I think what I'm hearing from you, the why: the time value becomes very important in this case. [00:06:13] Shawn Brown: Correct. Absolutely. [00:06:16] Mustansir Saifuddin: That's good because that kind of takes me into this conversation, like, Hey, benefits. When you have that, why understood, what are some of the benefits that BDC will provide to SAP customers who want to go on the journey? Because benefits is really the reason why it will make sense for them to move forward. [00:06:33] Shawn Brown: For sure, for sure. And this is the one that's always interesting for organizations because they're focused so much on the actual preparation of the data that oftentimes the benefits that they can glean from all of that effort are, are fleeting, so they look at the, the overall effort and they go, oh yeah, there's, there's a lot here that is really based on, on how much it took to get here. [00:07:01] And the faster we can deliver the capabilities for analysis purposes for any AI purposes, the faster we can make decisions. The faster we can adjust based on those decisions. And so when you think about the speed at which organizations operate, to be able to answer those questions faster is probably the number one benefit that you can get. [00:07:27] And then you also get into accuracy. What, what questions are we asking? And if we don't have to go through this rigorous effort of moving data from all of these source systems and joining it all back together, and then building all that business context. Data integrity, is that a, a concern? It is for most organizations, they're concerned about what this looks like at its end state. [00:07:57] And the other thing that still [00:08:00] exists in the world of business, especially in the analytics space, is the typical spread marked problem. Where people just take the data that they're looking for, they extract it out of whatever solution it's been delivered to them. Maybe it's cheap cloud storage on flat files, or maybe it's been all dumped into an ODS, an operational data store, and then they're accessing the data as they like. [00:08:26] If they don't understand the details of the data and the relationships that occur with the data, and they don't have the original business context that the data came from in its source system, then if they do extract it to whatever they like, then somebody can walk into a meeting with one version of the truth and another can walk in with another version of the truth. [00:08:48] They all can believe that they're accurate. They all can argue over why their version of truth is correct and the others is not. So the confidence in the data is the other thing. We take away a lot of those concerns, because when you have it coming from those source systems and the preparation of that data has been provided in this case by SAP, for SAP systems, at a minimum, you're going to have much more confidence that the data [00:09:17] is delivered to you in a way that respects all of the integrity that it came from. That the accuracy of the data is as accurate as it was entered into the business application upon which it was the source. So the speed of delivery, the accuracy of the data. These are, these are major advantages that you get with regards to using BDC versus [00:09:43] the, the older school, I'll call it older school 'cause I'm an old guy. The old days of Bill Inman and star schemas and relational database systems that we created. These massive data warehouses. It's an older school thought, and it was one that was born outta this idea that we had to get the data from those source systems because we couldn't query the source systems at runtime. [00:10:06] All those things contribute to, to today where we're curating the data for you. It's been curated by SAP from all SAP systems, so if you have any questions about the quality of the data, in that case, you then you should have questions about the quality of your data in its source. there's a bigger issue, so speed of delivery, accuracy of data. [00:10:32] Those are probably my, my two top benefits that customers are going to get out of this. [00:10:38] Mustansir Saifuddin: Absolutely. That makes total sense. I think one of the things that really stuck out for me was the whole concept of end-to-end governance . Does BDC do a better job? And how, is that integrated to this whole BDC realm of the different pieces that makes up BDC? How is data governance and security working within those parameters? [00:11:03] Shawn Brown: Yeah. So in BDC, you're getting role level security on all the data. At that point then you're asking questions like, where do I, how do my users access the data? What are they allowed to see? What are they not allowed to see? All those capabilities can be integrated into BDC. You, you can deliver all of those capabilities directly within BDC. [00:11:27] You start off by setting up some broader, who's the, who's the group? What systems are they accessing? So if I'm in finance and I'm looking at finance data, I probably have access to let's say S/4HANA as the backend system that is storing all this data. All the users within the finance team that have access to S/4HANA can have access to that space of data. [00:11:55] And I use that word space because this is a concept that, again, there's nothing [00:12:00] new. We've invited these concepts into our thinking a while ago, and now it's just another generation of what we're doing here. So that idea of a space is I can include the data that is necessary for a line of business hr, finance, supply chain, and that's what they can see. [00:12:20] And if I need to, all of the rest of the data is accessible through BDC. It's just a question of whether I want to provide the rights to access those other data sets to another line of business, for example. So if I said I wanted to join let's say expense information that's in Concur with employee information, that's in success factors, I can easily join those data sets [00:12:48] bring in forward, from one space to another. And decide at a row level and column level, what individual data set I need to join across groups or individuals, if you will. [00:13:06] Mustansir Saifuddin: I think that's super good because that's where a lot of the questions come in. You know, every time you do move your data from one environment to another environment that you need to have your own new set of governance and security and, it can be role level security or whatever else you wanna do, [00:13:21] you have to kind of redefine that. It seems like it's all built into the BDC portfolio. You're leveraging your source system objects and then be able to apply the same rules that you may have built in. [00:13:37] Shawn Brown: Yeah, the, the analogy I always liked was it's kind of like, and I don't know if they're really like this. I mean, maybe there are not. I just remember old movies that you'd have these Japanese styled homes and they were like, the walls that were almost paper thin, that you could, you almost felt like you could just push your hand right through the wall and just grab something that was in the other room. [00:13:57] I liken it a bit like that in terms of spaces. The spaces are separated in that way with a, a level of access that is very simple to provide when necessary, but distinctly in separate spaces, separate areas, so that that's the benefit. That's the simplicity of being able to access data from any LOB or any third party for that matter. [00:14:23] If you wanted to access that third party data in BDC to any other data that's in BDC as well, whether it's finance, hr, supply chain, whatever it may be, warehouse inventory, whatever it may be. [00:14:38] Mustansir Saifuddin: Totally. Now, since we talked about the benefits, let's look into the details. Like what steps are involved if someone wants to take on this journey and move to SAP BDC? [00:14:53] Shawn Brown: Much of that begins with where are they right now? Let's take a few different scenarios? if a customer is, let's say, already using some SAP solutions, I would say, let's go with the most rudimentary that has been around for a while now for SAP. Let's talk about, they're using HANA Enterprise. [00:15:09] They've, they've been taking a lot of data from their SAP systems and dropping it into HANA Enterprise on-prem. This is a natural next step to that on-premise approach where you said, all right, I, I don't necessarily wanna be in the position of housing systems like this myself and my own data centers. [00:15:28] I want to put them into the cloud. This is a simple transition , to take the data from a HANA Enterprise, drop it into BDC and start using that data in essentially what would be a component of BDC, Datasphere. But it's built on HANA Cloud. And HANA Cloud is built on the same technology that HANA Enterprise is built on that in terms of its capabilities, what it can do. [00:15:52] It's a natural transition for that case if you're talking about a customer that's already using let's say another old product from [00:16:00] SAP, BW. Right. BW has been a really challenging one for a lot of organizations because they've had such value and such benefit by using BW to access data in SAP with those BW extractors. [00:16:14] And in many cases, they've built a lot of and invested a lot in BW in the framework itself. Creating their own objects, creating their own cubes, creating asos, DSOs and so forth, depending on what versions of BW you're on. Not necessarily wanting to just abandon that investment. There's another great example of is, once you're, once you're at least BW 7.5 and above, we make it very simple for you to go ahead and take all of that in BW investment and move it directly into BDC in its format, in its same format as a BW environment. [00:16:54] BW for HANA, same thing, move it right into BDC, it would be in a cloud-based environment that way as well. And essentially all of those connections back to the source systems still persist. When we talk about how do we take advantage of the investments you have, that's where you say, all right, well, I can access them through the BDC framework in [00:17:16] BW that is now part of BDC and use it for whatever purpose I leave it in BW in that case, or I can start taking those particular assets that I have in BW and using the data product generator that is now part of BW embedded in BDC, I can then change those assets in BW to data products. Which is the lowest level form of data that we have in BDC, and in this case, just for those that may be listening and wondering, am I copying the data? [00:17:51] Yes . And we can come to this in a minute as to why you're copying the data, but we are copying the data from its source system, and we would be copying the data from BW as well, where we wanted to make it a data product in BDC. And we can talk about why that is in a minute. 'cause it's a shift. It, it's a bit of a shift in terms of what we've talked about in the past with regards to a whole play the data where it lies, federate versus materialize [00:18:18] that data in, what was Datasphere, which is now part of BDC. That idea of moving those assets from BW into BDC as data products, over time allows us to decommission those, those deployments of BW. So that's the benefit is, we now have a path for BW customers to migrate to BDC, [00:18:45] not give up those assets that they've created and leveraged for so many years in BDC, and then over time decommission BW altogether. Or, if you're really interested and you really like using BW, keep it. That's the other benefit of moving a BW 7.5 environment to BDC is, you're gonna get three more years of mainstream maintenance. [00:19:09] And for example, for BW/4HANA, we're pushing that end of life date all the way out to 2040. That's a long time that you can hold onto that BW environment if that's what you choose to do. But the benefit of BDC is that we're going to give you the mechanism to actually migrate it over and then as your backend systems, particularly like S4 changes, [00:19:31] you're gonna need to change a lot of what you're doing from a BW extraction anyway. Don't do it in BW anymore. Do it in BDC. Now, those are some of the SAP scenarios, but some of the ones that I get as well are, we already have a strategy with our SAP data. We're pulling it into S3 buckets. [00:19:55] Azure Data Factory, Snowflake , all of these third [00:20:00] party extraction destinations and why would I go ahead and use BDC in that case? And the reality is, you have to ask yourself this question where we started in the first place. How much time and energy are you spending going from data all the way around that wheel to analytics? [00:20:20] If you're like the typical organization and it's north of 70%, 80%, 90% as a CIO, I heard last week talking about this, 90% of their time is spent just moving data to get it prepared for analysis. How much do you want to continue to do that? And nobody likes to be looked at as a cost center. Everybody likes to be seen as somebody that is providing value to the organization. [00:20:50] If you're part of an organization and you are seen as a cost center, because the amount of energy it takes to get the data from where it sits to where it needs to be is exorbitant, nine tenths maybe of the overall cost of asking those questions. That's not a great place to be. If you can shrink that as much as possible, then you can actually live up to some of those things that everybody would like to say. [00:21:19] Like, data is the new gold, data is the new oil. The value of data is, is immeasurable. We can do so much with our business because of the data. We could be a data-driven organization. All of these things can become possible, but not so easy when nine tenths or eight tenths of the cost, it's just getting the data where it needs to be. [00:21:44] That's the big thing that needs to be focused on as it relates to some of these ideas that let's go ahead and do the, what I still call old school extract, transform, load, model, profile, catalog govern and, create all of the overhead that is necessary to actually deliver those analytics back to the organization. [00:22:07] And if, you're in a part of your organization where you think it's good enough for me to just extract all the data and drop it over here and let the business go have fun, that's another one where you're not providing additional value to the organization. [00:22:19] What the business community really wants is they want curated data that is business context aware, that is in a position to help them answer questions out of the box, push button. An actual software as a service. That's what we've got with BDC. So this idea that of you've already got a strategy in place, [00:22:44] it might be working right now because you did a ton of work to get you where you are. But here's the kicker. It's probably all going to change, maybe not next year, but maybe two years or three years, maybe the next time you do some major upgrade and we've become more efficient in terms of how we store the data in the business applications, or, [00:23:12] any of the other business applications that you use, they change their underlying architecture in how they are actually storing the data in those source systems. Guess what just changed with your data strategy? Potentially everything. And we have customers that this has happened to them. Where I've walked into a huge SAP customer and I had a conversation with him where I said, we're gonna go ahead, and this is before we had two separate entities of BDC and BTP. And I walked into this session with the customer and said, here's what we're gonna do. [00:23:43] We're gonna go ahead and tell you everything that we can do in the space of data and analytics and everything within the platform space. And the customer said, I don't think we really need to hear about your data and analytics strategy, because we're pretty well set on that. And I said, I want to talk to you about all these things and I need to talk to you [00:24:00] about this one as well. [00:24:01] This one's not negotiable. I need whoever's responsible for data and analytics to be in the room to discuss this. And that person did arrive and that person pretty much felt like they had everything figured out. They didn't wanna, engage in the conversation at all. Pretty much arms crossed throughout most of the most of the meeting. [00:24:19] And we finally got to a point where they said, all right, I can see that there's some benefits, you know, to how this works. But I'll tell you, they were on ECC on HANA. And so fast forward six months and they're negotiating the RISE opportunity with S4/HANA in a private cloud and RISE, and they now realize that everything needs to be changed. [00:24:50] It's good that we had this conversation with them about how you can access the SAP data through, at the time, Datasphere, which is now Business Data Cloud, because they now understand that for them to be able to get access to the data in the way they want, the fastest way they want, and for the fact that we're curating all that data for them, and then providing them out of the box insights with our insight apps. [00:25:14] This is pretty much a no brainer in their part. They knew that they had to explore it, and they knew they had to explore it for the SAP centric question, but also for the non SAP centric question where they want to pull smaller data sets to non SAP capabilities because we are gonna curate those scenarios through data products that will allow them to pull that data into those non SAP scenarios. [00:25:40] So this, these are some of the big plays, we've got that existing SAP solutions, we've got that non SAP centric approach. And then, ultimately, if you haven't got to the point that you're deciding what you're going to do or you haven't don't have a very mature data strategy, maybe you're a growing company, at some point you're going to need to go ahead and start asking those data and analytics questions. [00:26:05] Just know that it's very expensive, as I've said before, to move the data from one place to another, place it there, do all of those things that we've talked about in the past, and then deliver analytics, just pull it out of the box. The last comment I'll make is "that pull it out of the box" sometimes that's not as useful as we think it is. [00:26:25] If I said, you have to dig a hole, it's 10 feet deep and you started from ground level, you have 10 feet to dig. But if I gave you something that got you 50% of the way, I dug five feet for you, I dug six feet for you, would you rather just dig five more feet or four more feet, or would you just rather start from ground level and dig 10 feet on your own? [00:26:48] That's the value that we were trying to demonstrate through BDC. [00:26:53] Mustansir Saifuddin: Good explanation. And I think it is really clear that a lot of times conversations come up about SAP customers talking about their on-prem, their legacy systems and how they will benefit from BDC, but your examples went beyond HANA Enterprise to other non SAP solutions where customers have already been on the journey and they don't see the value at least at this point. [00:27:20] But, after seeing the example you use, it's very logical for them to start thinking in those terms. Also saying, Hey, I simplify my landscape? Still get , if not same, at least, the value that whatever else that BDC brings to the table, like the whole AI capability, all of that can be leveraged by adopting this platform. On a personal note how do you stay on top of, you know, this changing technology world, and business at the same time. How you keep up with all this? [00:27:58] Shawn Brown: Yeah, as you [00:28:00] might imagine in the space of SAP, oftentimes it's hard enough just staying on top of all of the different options we have and different things that we have in terms of technology. So one of the ways that I like to keep up in, in the SAP space is called the BTP Talk podcast, which is a pretty good one. [00:28:18] It actually goes to a number of different you know, platform and data analytics related scenarios. Data skeptics is another pretty good podcast that I get a kick out of. There's another one I'm trying to think of that I use from time to time as well. [00:28:32] Analytics Power Hour. That's it. Yeah, the Analytics Power Hour is another good one. And, I've been paying attention to Tech-Driven Business as well too, so I like this one too. But, you know, the thing that I've been finding too is that, these days, things move so quickly and we think we know where we're going and then something comes along and, and change makes us change direction again. [00:28:53] And AI has probably been the biggest driver to that. The thing that I would say that that it's probably most interesting in terms of how I've changed how I operate is I actually ask AI to provide resources for me on particular topics. For example mid early last year there was a lot of talk about vector engines and knowledge graphs. [00:29:14] And the easiest thing I found to really kind of get a little bit more, versed on the topics was AI itself. I started asking for resources and, and I'll use for example, ChatGPT in some cases I like using Grok as well. From time to time they seem to provide a little bit different types of approaches and levels of interaction. [00:29:35] I kinda like how, grok will ask me follow up questions, which is pretty neat as well. But that's a great way to learn about topics that you are wanting to become more versed in or learning where the resources are to find those topics. So those, those are some of the things that I like to use. [00:29:58] Mustansir Saifuddin: Great list of ideas to kind of keep up with the changing, I mean, just everywhere around us. taking from AI to just carries to anything else. A lot of conversations going on so many different directions. How do you even keep up with them? So I'd like your suggestions, and I know we've talked about a lot of different things today. What is the one thing or one takeaway that you want to leave our listeners with? [00:30:24] Shawn Brown: Hmm, probably in, in the audience of that are responsible for data and analytics. If you're a CDAO, or an analyst or somebody that's responsible for enterprise wide analytics: I would focus on two things because these two things are probably the most important to the people that you serve, your business community. [00:30:50] Point number one is, they want analytics quickly. They want to be able to ask questions quickly. They don't wanna wait. They don't want to say this report, these data sets that you've provided me, they look really interesting, but I'd like to add this and this and this, and when can I have that? [00:31:12] If you can't say you can have that now, then you're taking too long. The other point is. We need to stop being looked at as a cost center. We need to stop being looked at as a place that is a necessary evil. We gotta ask questions of the system. We've gotta extract data everywhere and put it in someplace that we can start answering questions or even not even doing to the extent of actually providing the analytics out of the box. [00:31:40] Instead, we're just providing data sets for people to access. We need to be able to offer real value to the business community. Those are the ones that are footing the bill. Those are the ones that are actually paying for everything. So we need to be in a position to deliver it very quickly, [00:32:00] and it needs to not be expensive, and it needs to be accurate. [00:32:06] Mustansir Saifuddin: Absolutely [00:32:07] Shawn Brown: Those are the elements I think are the key takeaways. That's really the foundation of what we're doing with Business Data Cloud. That's the whole purpose behind it. [00:32:16] Mustansir Saifuddin: Absolutely great advice and a great way to sum up the session. It's been a great conversation. There's so much to gain from this product and, and direction, that SAP's taking. I'd like to thank you very much for joining us today in our show, and look forward to having further detailed conversation with you. [00:32:36] Shawn Brown: Thanks, I appreciate your time as well. [00:32:39] Mustansir Saifuddin: Thanks for listening to Tech-Driven Business, brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. We have covered the critical why behind BDC, the immense time and cost savings it promises, and the tangible benefits like enhanced speed and accuracy for SAP customers. Sean's key takeaway? Focus on delivering analytics quickly to your business community and strive to offer real accurate value moving away from being seen as just a cost center. [00:33:15] . We would love to hear from you. Continue the conversation by connecting with me on LinkedIn or X. Learn more about Innovative Solution Partners and schedule a free consultation by visiting isolutionpartners.com. Never miss a podcast by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Information is in the show notes.

Today I'm joined by Ben Faricy, President at The Faricy Boys. We get into his game plan for expanding across Southern Colorado, why he's starting to let go and give his GM's permission to succeed, how hiring a leadership coach was the catalyst unlearning bad habits and much more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Toma - If your BDC or Service Advisors are buried in calls, it's time for a smarter solution. Toma builds custom AI agents that answer 100% of your dealership's inbound calls and handle tasks like booking service, checking recalls, and scheduling test drives—without tying up your team. Dealers using Toma are saving 30–40 staff hours a week and booking 100+ extra appointments every month. Exclusive for CDG Listeners: Start your no-risk, 1-month free trial @ http://www.toma.com/cdg 2. OPENLANE - The world's best online dealer marketplace for used cars, bringing you exclusive inventory, simple transactions, and better outcomes. Learn more @ https://www.openlane.com/ Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠⁠⁠ Topics: 01:08 What shaped Ben's business journey? 03:14 Best customer retention strategies? 07:49 Why invest in employees matters 12:50 Keys to leadership growth 18:49 Biggest challenges ahead? 22:15 How measure customer satisfaction? 25:30 Balancing growth vs culture 29:45 Most valuable core value? 31:20 Industry trends to watch? Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this must-listen episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, host Sean V. Bradley, CSP, and co-host LA Williams sit down with Shep Hyken, the internationally renowned customer service and customer experience expert, best-selling author, and keynote speaker, to explore the critical role exceptional customer experience plays in today's automotive industry. "They're not just comparing you to another dealer. They're going to compare you to the best experience they ever had." — Shep Hyken As the market navigates post-pandemic shifts and economic challenges like high interest rates and limited inventory, Shep shares actionable strategies that dealerships can implement right now to stand out. From customer engagement to loyalty-building techniques, Shep dives deep into what it takes to create an unforgettable experience at every customer touchpoint. "You must model the behavior you want others to do toward others." — Shep Hyken Listen in to hear why focusing on existing customers, embracing innovative tools like Podium, and modernizing your approach to customer service can lead to massive revenue growth. Are you prepared to elevate your dealership's customer experience and boost retention in today's competitive market? Tune in to find out how to turn service into a powerful driver of long-term success.   Key Takeaways: ✅ Enhancing customer retention is often more beneficial and cost-effective than solely focusing on acquiring new business. ✅ Leveraging technology and AI, such as Podium, can significantly improve customer interactions and streamline dealership operations. ✅ Maintaining a positive work culture among employees directly influences the quality of customer service delivered. ✅ Leading dealerships prioritize creating a seamless and consistent experience across all customer touchpoints, setting them apart in service delivery. About Shep Hyken ​Shep Hyken is a globally recognized customer service and experience expert, acclaimed keynote speaker, and New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. As the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations, he has dedicated his career to helping organizations build loyal relationships with their customers and employees.​ Since founding Shepard Presentations in 1983, Shep has worked with over 1,200 clients, ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small businesses, across various industries including retail, healthcare, technology, and financial services. His client list includes notable organizations such as American Airlines, AAA, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Aetna, Abbott Laboratories, and American Express.​  Shep's dynamic presentations are known for their high energy, humor, and practical insights, often incorporating magic to engage audiences. He has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession and holds the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation.​ An accomplished author, Shep has written several bestselling books on customer service and experience, including "Moments of Magic," "The Loyal Customer," "The Cult of the Customer," "The Amazement Revolution," "Amaze Every Customer Every Time," "Be Amazing or Go Home," "The Convenience Revolution," and "I'll Be Back." His articles have been featured in hundreds of publications, and he is a regular contributor to Forbes.​ Shep is also the creator of The Customer Focus™ program, designed to help organizations develop a customer service culture and loyalty mindset. Through his work, he emphasizes that customer service is not just a department but a philosophy that should permeate every aspect of an organization.​   Navigating the Automotive Customer Experience: Embracing AI and Building Loyalty Key Takeaways Customer Satisfaction and Experience are Distinct: Understanding the difference and focusing on both can elevate a dealership from best in class to world class. Leveraging Existing Customer Relationships: Prioritizing current customer engagement and retention is more cost-effective and profitable than focusing solely on new lead acquisition. Artificial Intelligence as a Game-Changer: AI innovations are transforming the dealership landscape by enhancing customer interactions and streamlining operations. Enhancing the Customer Experience in Automotive Retail In the rapidly evolving automotive industry, dealerships must adapt their strategies to exceed customer expectations. Sean V. Bradley and Shep Hyken dive into the intricacies of customer satisfaction and experience, two interrelated yet distinct components that every dealership should master. According to Hyken, "The way that whole thing is handled, is it easy? Is it hassle-free?" Such questions underscore the need for seamless web interfaces and responsive sales teams to create an unparalleled service atmosphere. Customer experience encompasses every interaction a consumer has with a dealership, from visiting the website to consulting with a salesperson. For car dealerships aiming for world-class status, it's crucial to transcend industry standards and look outside the industry for inspiration. As Hyken wisely notes, "They're going to compare you to the best experience they ever had." This calls for analyzing experiences provided by leaders like Amazon and Walmart to ensure dealerships offer frictionless, memorable interactions that build long-term loyalty. Retention vs. Acquisition: The Loyalty Revenue Stream Prioritizing existing customers over acquiring new ones can seem counterintuitive, yet it's a strategic pivot that aligns with both customer retention and profitability. As discussed by Sean V. Bradley, focusing on your current customer base can lead to higher conversion rates and increased revenue. "NADA says that a prior customer is a 65% closing ratio and a much higher gross profit," he remarks, emphasizing a shift towards maintaining strong relationships with your existing clientele. Moreover, service departments play a pivotal role. With a "service customer to your point is seven times as likely to purchase a vehicle if they service a car," embracing service excellence not only ensures immediate customer satisfaction but also strengthens their connection to the brand, making them more likely to return for future purchases. The foundational principle is clear: solidify customer loyalty through consistent, exceptional service, thereby reducing churn and boosting long-term profitability. The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Transforming Dealerships Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape traditional dealership models by optimizing customer interactions and operational efficiencies. Shep Hyken highlights AI's potential in generating personalized and high-quality customer interactions. "AI needs to be smart enough to not give the wrong answer," Hyken advocates, outlining the balance between maintaining human oversight and deploying AI for scalable customer service solutions. Podium's AI-powered platforms offer tools that handle after-hours inquiries, schedule test drives, and maintain conversational consistency across multiple platforms, ensuring a seamless transition between digital and in-person interactions. In an age where most touchpoints before a sale are digital, embedding AI in CRM systems elevates customer experiences. As Bradley affirms, "If your AI is integrated with your CRM, if your AI is integrated with your online reputation strategy…it is next level." By streamlining these processes, dealerships can enhance engagement, nurture relationships, and ultimately drive more sales.   The automotive industry stands at a pivotal juncture where transformation is not just necessary but imperative. By understanding the nuances between customer service and experience, fostering robust relationships with existing customers, and embracing cutting-edge technologies like AI, dealerships can not only survive the intricacies of the modern market but truly thrive in it. The insights shared by industry experts provide a roadmap to not only meet but exceed customer expectations, ensuring loyalty and profitability in uncertain times.   Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 29,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!

Is your showroom traffic feeling light lately? You're not alone—and more importantly, you're not stuck. In this episode, Jennifer Suzuki breaks down 10 real, practical ways to get more people through your doors right now. Whether you're in sales or BDC, these aren't theory-based ideas—they're street-tested tactics from dealerships doing it daily. Jen shares what's working across top stores, including strategies for leveraging your sold database, sending custom videos, and tapping into heat-up lists that still convert. No fluff. No boring lectures. Just 10 ways to fill your showroom with actual buyers this week. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast |

Welcome back to another episode of Tank Talks! This week, Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo dive deep into the economic and innovation headlines shaping Canada's future, from the shocking collapse in domestic VC funding to Bell's billion-dollar bet on AI infrastructure, and Mark Carney's latest power move that might just redefine Canadian politics.* Is Canada's startup ecosystem on life support?* What Bell's AI supercluster plan means for data sovereignty and why it might be too small, too late.* Mark Carney's political chess game: A shift to the economic right?* Jim Balsillie's warning about crypto, open banking, and the end of Canadian monetary independence.This is one episode where politics, venture capital, and emerging tech collide. Let's dive in.Vancouver's Web Summit Debut: A Promising Start, But Room to Grow (00:00:42)Matt shares his experience from Web Summit Vancouver, highlighting a surprisingly dense tech scene and global founders living in B.C., but the event suffered from a lack of promotion and branding blunders.John's take: Good signs of energy on the West Coast, but Vancouver still needs to establish itself as a recurring VC destination.Canada's VC Crisis: A System on the Brink (00:04:30)BDC and CVCA reports reveal domestic early-stage VC activity has plummeted to a five-year low. U.S. capital, once Canada's cushion, is drying up too.John's take: The system is at a critical point. Without a strong local VC backbone, Canada risks losing its tech future. The warning signs are clear and urgent.Risk-Off Era: Are VCs Getting Too Cautious? (00:08:14)Fundraising is down, LPs are nervous, and timelines are stretching. Despite great founders, Canadian VCs are playing defense, not offense.John's take: It's fear, not fundamentals. This is the exact moment when bold investing should happen. But anxiety from capital pools is paralyzing the ecosystem.Bell's AI Supercluster Gamble: Bold or Too Small? (00:12:40)Bell Canada plans six new AI data centers, but can they compete with the U.S.'s Stargate megaproject?John's take: We're betting small while others bet global. Sovereignty is good, but if we're not exporting Canadian tech to the world, we're falling behind.Jim Balsillie's Crypto Challenge: Canada Must Move or Be Left Behind (00:16:08)Balsillie urges the government to adopt open banking and stablecoins now or risk being sidelined in the new global financial order.John's take: Canada was ahead in crypto once. If we don't act now, we'll lose our influence over the next generation of monetary infrastructure.Mark Carney's First Power Move: Is the Economic Right Back in Style? (00:18:51)Carney appoints Marc-André Blanchard, ex-UN ambassador and CDPQ executive, as chief of staff. It's a clear signal he means business.John's take: This is a big-league move. Blanchard's background shows Carney is building a serious, economically focused leadership team.VC Fund Stakes on Sale: Crisis or Opportunity? (00:21:05)LPs like Yale and Harvard are dumping VC fund positions at steep discounts. Secondary market activity is exploding.John's take: It's concerning, but also an opportunity. Discounts of 60%+ could generate strong returns. Still, the pullback from emerging managers could choke off future innovation.If you're a founder, investor, or policymaker, this is essential listening. Canada is at an inflection point, and this episode helps you understand the stakes.Connect with John Ruffolo on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/joruffoloConnect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On this episode of the Wrench Turners Podcast, I sit down with Canadian technician David Rodrigues. For nearly 20 years, David has been mastering his craft on Hondas and Acuras. This is not just a career recap. It's a deep dive into legacy, leadership, and the reality of working flat-rate.David shares how he started through co-op, landed a rare apprenticeship, and became the go-to diagnostic tech. But then he left. Why? Leadership that didn't fight for his time. And when he returned, everything changed.In this episode, we cover:

Today I'm joined by Barb Edson, CMO of CDK Global. We dive into why post-sale support is becoming the new battleground for dealerships, what tech top dealers are asking for and leaning into, and why a wave of imitators still can't dethrone the king. This episode is brought to you by: 1 . Copart - Are you looking to expand your dealership's wholesale inventory? Finding front-line ready vehicles from finance, fleet, and rental consignors is now easier than ever. Copart Select gives you transparency that drives profitability and the assurance you need. Register as a Member to Get Started at http://www.copart.com/doRegistration 2. Toma – If your BDC or Service Advisors are buried in calls, it's time for a smarter solution. Toma builds custom AI agents that answer 100% of your dealership's inbound calls and handle tasks like booking service, checking recalls, and scheduling test drives—without tying up your team. Dealers using Toma are saving 30–40 staff hours a week and booking 100+ extra appointments every month. Exclusive for CDG Listeners: Start your no-risk, 1-month free trial @ http://www.toma.com/cdg Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠⁠ Topics: 00:38 Biggest industry challenges today? 02:26 Newest solutions for dealerships? 02:53 How WSIC improves inventory? 06:39 Best payment solutions today? 09:04 Key executive insights 10:01 How to beat competition? 16:45 CDK's future vision? 22:11 Final key takeaways Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this electrifying episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, Sean V. Bradley and Tianna Mick, aka "T Got Your Keys," dive deep into the powerful strategies that can elevate your career in automotive sales. They reveal the game-changing steps sales professionals need to take to treat car sales not just as a job, but as a personal business venture. "Car sales is like owning your own business, but almost nobody does because it's not easy." - Sean V. Bradley Discover how to develop a strong personal brand, leverage cutting-edge digital tools like ChatGPT and Canva to create impactful logos and identities, and implement a holistic online and offline marketing strategy that drives success. This episode challenges you to move beyond the dealership's foot traffic and start building a loyal clientele through proactive effort and innovation. "If you're not consistently building your brand, you're gonna lose those customers and you're never gonna have the chance again." - Tianna Mick Sean and Tianna take a closer look at why personal brand identity is crucial in today's highly competitive landscape, and they share success stories from top industry figures like Cody Carter and Chrissy Burton. Plus, get the inside scoop on tools like Podium's conversational AI and how they can help you create a seamless, relational customer experience that leads to both increased sales and brand loyalty. "This is a 24/7 thing. I'm really committed to it, and you need to start today." - Tianna Mick Ready to level up your career? Tune in to learn the strategies that will empower you to take control of your success, engage with customers in a more meaningful way, and ultimately stand out in the automotive sales world.   Key Takeaways: ✅ Personal Branding: Develop a unique brand identity within the dealership's brand to stand out and personalize the customer experience. ✅ Strategic Marketing: Utilize tools like Canva, ChatGPT, and social media platforms for strategic and cohesive brand development and customer engagement. ✅ Innovative Customer Experience: Build customer loyalty through personalized post-sale experiences and community engagement initiatives. ✅ Investment: Consider investing personally in marketing strategies if dealership funding is unavailable; transformation starts with self-belief and strategic planning. ✅ Use of AI Tools: Harness AI-driven platforms such as Podium to enhance efficiency in lead conversion and customer engagement.   About Tianna Mick aka T Got Your Keys Tianna Mick (T Got Your Keys): Tianna Mick, famously known as "T Got Your Keys," is a prominent figure in the automotive sales space. With a deep-rooted passion for engaging with customers through social media and digital platforms, she leverages cutting-edge tools and strategies to maximize customer engagement. Tianna is an enthusiastic champion of dealership success, providing valuable insights on sales through various media, including the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast.   Building a Personal Brand in Automotive Sales: Unlocking Success Through Innovation In the high-stakes world of automotive sales, standing out is paramount. As revealed in the dynamic conversation between Sean V. Bradley and Tianna Mick, the path to extraordinary success involves treating car sales like your own business. This article explores how building a personal brand can transform your career, leveraging technology, creativity, and strategic investment. Key Takeaways Developing a personal brand within the dealership's brand is crucial for differentiation and success in automotive sales. Proactively investing in your own marketing efforts can yield significant returns in terms of sales performance. Utilizing artificial intelligence and technology streamlines marketing processes and enhances customer engagement. The Power of Personal Branding in Automotive Sales Creating a personal brand within the automotive industry isn't just a fancy trend—it's a necessity for standing out in a crowded marketplace. Both Sean V. Bradley and Tianna Mick emphasize that most salespeople miss the mark by not establishing their own brand identity. The traditional method of relying solely on dealership leads and foot traffic is becoming obsolete. With technology at our fingertips and the automotive landscape rapidly evolving, sales professionals must differentiate themselves. As Sean notes, "Car sales is like owning your own business." Tianna Mick illustrates this by sharing her journey with the brand "T got your keys," which reflects her personality and values. She highlights the importance of colors, logos, and slogans, as these elements create a lasting impression. "You want to be on the top of mind of all of your customers and all of your prospects' minds," Tianna asserts, underscoring the enduring influence a well-crafted brand can have. Besides personalization, the strategic use of social media amplifies reach and builds credibility. "You pick a brand name that's memorable," Tianna advises, while emphasizing the seamless integration of brand elements across various platforms to maintain consistency and professional growth. Leveraging Technology and AI in Personal Branding Incorporating technology, especially artificial intelligence, is a game-changer for any salesperson looking to elevate their brand. From utilizing AI tools like ChatGPT for creating brand names and logos to integrating them with design platforms like Canva, the possibilities are endless. Sean indicates, "ChatGPT can do this, you know, for free or for practically free," promoting efficiency in establishing your brand. Moreover, AI offers innovative ways to manage customer interactions—Podium's conversational AI being a prime example. For salespeople, AI provides the opportunity to remain engaged with potential customers even during off-hours, ensuring no sales opportunity is missed. As the conversation reveals, AI doesn't just automate processes; it complements your efforts, acting as an omnipresent team member that keeps your operations running smoothly, freeing you to focus on delivering exceptional service and building relationships. The strategy extends to harnessing analytics for targeted marketing. As Tianna experienced, integrating a platform like "Build a Brand" with CRM systems ensures every customer interaction is optimized for success. The data-driven approach not only refines marketing strategies but also enhances service delivery, creating a competitive edge in the bustling automotive market. Investment Strategies for Personal Branding Success Realizing your brand's full potential often requires a financial commitment. Investing in marketing materials and tools is integral to expanding visibility and reinforcing your brand in customers' minds. While discussing budget allocations, Sean shares a proactive approach, encouraging salespeople to approach dealership management for marketing support, emphasizing a shared investment in achieving common goals. "Why don't people lift weights? Because they're heavy," Sean humorously notes, driving the point that investing might seem daunting but is ultimately rewarding. But it's not just about asking for funds; it's about presenting a strategic plan that illustrates potential returns. Tianna supports, "The more car sales I sell you, you get. But I get it," illuminating the mutual benefits of such collaboration. However, even if funding isn't an immediate option, looking at cost-effective methods like custom business cards and creative partnerships with local businesses can still drive significant impact. For sales professionals willing to invest in themselves, leveraging resources smartly can stimulate growth. This could mean setting aside a part of the commission for marketing initiatives or using affordable online platforms for brand promotion. Sean emphasizes that "scared money don't make any money," urging salespeople to be bold and strategic in their financial decisions to ensure exponential growth. By crafting a personal brand, utilizing cutting-edge technology, and committing to strategic investments, automotive salespeople can distinguish themselves from the competition. Tianna and Sean's conversation highlights a pathway to success that combines innovation with personalized service—keys to thriving in today's automotive landscape.     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   ProMax: Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 29,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   ProMax: Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!  

In this episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, LA Williams and Tianna Mick (aka T Got Your Keys) pull back the curtain on some of the most overlooked—and underutilized—strategies that today's top automotive professionals are using to drive real results. "Social media absolutely has to be social. I got some tips that I could give to you if you want me." — LA Williams From communication techniques that reignite cold leads to modern tools that streamline the sales process, this high-energy conversation touches on the evolving toolkit of the 2025 car salesperson. Without giving too much away, let's just say if you've ever underestimated the power of a voicemail or dismissed AI as a “future thing,” this episode is about to change your mind. "AI is to just make workarounds so that way you actually have more time to focus on the things that are going to yield you the biggest result." — Tianna Mick Tianna and LA break down how today's buyers want to be engaged—and more importantly, how you can become the kind of salesperson who shows up where they are, with the right message, at the right time. If you're ready to stop selling like it's 2012 and start connecting like it's 2025, this episode is for you.   Key Takeaways: ✅ Voicemail Strategy: Creating engaging, curiosity-driven voicemails can significantly increase customer callbacks and drive sales success. ✅ AI in Dealerships: AI tools like ChatGPT and Podium enhance customer service by providing quick and relevant responses, ultimately improving lead conversion. ✅ Social Media Engagement: Leveraging platforms like Facebook and Instagram with a mix of personal, professional, and purposeful content helps build a loyal customer base. ✅ Personalization and Authenticity: Personalizing interactions and maintaining authenticity in customer communications is crucial for building trust and driving sales. ✅ AI Training for Sales: Encouraging salespeople to familiarize themselves with AI tools can streamline operations and save time, allowing focus on high-impact activities.   About LA Williams aka The Blind Master LA Williams, also known as the "Blind Phone Master," co-creates the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. With extensive experience in automotive sales, LA specializes in effective communication strategies, particularly over the phone. Known for his ability to transform ordinary sales approaches into high-impact experiences, he uses his expertise to teach others how to achieve success in the car sales industry. LA is also recognized for his innovative use of technology, especially AI, to improve sales processes.   About Tianna Mick aka T Got Your Keys Tianna Mick, famously known as "T Got Your Keys," is a prominent figure in the automotive sales space. With a deep-rooted passion for engaging with customers through social media and digital platforms, she leverages cutting-edge tools and strategies to maximize customer engagement. Tianna is an enthusiastic champion of dealership success, providing valuable insights on sales through various media, including the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast.   Maximize Your Sales: The Art of Voicemails, AI, and Social Media in Car Sales Unlock the hidden potential of your dealership through the strategic use of voicemails, AI, and social media. A transformative approach to customer engagement is vital for boosting your bottom line this year. With effective communication strategies and technology-driven insights, you can revolutionize your dealership's operations and set the stage for unprecedented growth. Key Takeaways Voicemails Are Alive and Thriving: Contrary to popular belief, voicemails are a potent tool for engaging customers, as long as they are used correctly. AI as Your Secret Weapon: Leverage AI in every aspect of your dealership—from managing leads to sending perfect follow-ups. Social Media: Friend or Foe?: Embrace social platforms for what they were meant to be—social and engaging.   Voicemails: Not Just Old School, But Smart Voicemails are far from dead, especially if you know how to use them wisely. The power of a well-crafted voicemail lies in its ability to make the recipient curious enough to give you a callback. As LA Williams emphasizes, "If we could get conversations going…that's half the battle." Voicemail mastery involves not just what you say but how you say it—infusing the message with energy and a tone of trustworthiness while keeping them short and under 30 seconds. Williams further cautions against leaving dead voicemail messages. You know the ones—monotonously reminding prospects of what they already know. Instead, he advises creating valid curiosity using pointed questions. He asserts, "Tell the person that you have some key questions that you need to run by them." This technique effectively pulls the customer in and increases engagement rates. Despite the technological advancements in telecommunications, voicemail continues to be a fundamental tool in the salesperson's toolkit. With phones now transcribing voicemails into text, this feature offers a dual-engagement mode—listening and reading. The versatility of voicemails makes them an asset for reaching today's busy consumers. Harnessing the Power of AI for Lead Conversion Artificial Intelligence is not only the future; it's the present. It is a versatile tool that uniquely complements human efforts by managing leads and prompting timely follow-ups. As LA Williams introduces it, "Podium has Jerry, an AI whiz that sets up test drives, answers questions… and facilitates seamless sales." AI platforms like ChatGPT offer tailored sales messages, be they emails or text messages, carefully crafted to suit the customer's journey. The magic happens when AI is set to act like an intern—making suggestions, learning from each interaction, and evolving based on feedback. Williams shares a vivid story about how an AI app once malfunctioned, showing how deeply sales professionals rely on these tools. AI revolutionizes communication by enhancing the speed with which leads are managed. Instant responses are crucial in keeping customers warm, especially when a human may not be available to answer a call immediately. "Speed to lead is paramount," Williams reminds us, driving home the importance of fast, accurate customer service now achievable through AI integrations. Social Media Engagement: Beyond the Basics Social media isn't just another marketing tool; it's a robust platform for dynamic engagement. By presenting oneself authentically, you transform followers into raving fans. Williams explains, "From posting motivational quotes to sharing personal moments, social media should be an amalgamation of personal and professional." The strength of platforms like Facebook and Instagram lies in their capacity to humanize businesses and salespeople. Incorporating a balanced content strategy—personal, professional, purposeful, and polls—turns casual scrolls into potential sales leads. This dynamic space also represents the perfect proving ground for integrating AI-created messages. Social media's double-edged sword lies in how its ease of access can lead to lost opportunities if you aren't fully leveraging it. For car sales professionals, it serves as an extension of the dealership—bridging the gap between traditional sales techniques and the modern consumer journey. With these insights into voicemails, AI, and social media, the path to improving customer engagement and ultimately boosting sales is a journey revolving around choice and adaptation. Whether it's crafting that perfect voicemail, harnessing AI to nurture leads, or mastering the nuance of social media, each of these elements holds the potential to transform your dealership into a powerhouse. The time to act is now, and the tools you need are right at your fingertips. The future of auto sales won't wait—will you?     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   ProMax: Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 29,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   ProMax: Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth. Kyle Schmidt and John Hester explore how the scope and access of private investing have changed. Listeners will hear how recent developments have expanded these opportunities, but with that comes discerning fit. They highlight how BIP has been ahead of the curve in this topic and why. Stay ahead in the count when it comes to the rapidly expanding private market investing with this episode!  Please like, subscribe, and rate this podcast episode of Ahead in the Count! To contact the hosts, send an email to jhester@bipwealth.com, kschmidt@bipwealth.com, cmurray@bipwealth.com, or jhermida@bipwealth.com

Today I'm joined by Derek Hansen, VP of Operations at Cox Automotive. We get into how AI is reshaping inventory pricing, pro tips for navigating vehicle tariffs, where vAuto is innovating next—and more. If your dealership is interested in learning more, reach out to Derek by email: derek.hansen@coxautoinc.com This episode is brought to you by: 1, Toma – If your BDC or Service Advisors are buried in calls, it's time for a smarter solution. Toma builds custom AI agents that answer 100% of your dealership's inbound calls and handle tasks like booking service, checking recalls, and scheduling test drives—without tying up your team. Dealers using Toma are saving 30–40 staff hours a week and booking 100+ extra appointments every month. Exclusive for CDG Listeners: Start your no-risk, 1-month free trial @ toma.com/cdg 2. Experian Automotive - Like most Car Dealership Guy Listeners, you're constantly looking for the inside edge on the auto industry. So if you're ready to step up your game to the next level – outpacing the competition and building customer loyalty – there's only one place to go from here: Experian Automotive. They're the only ones with exclusive data across vehicles, consumers, and credit—plus expert data scientists who connect the dots to uncover the insights you need. Get the industry-leading insights from Experian Automotive today! Learn more by visiting @ https://carguymedia.com/4cfcLjZ Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: https://cdgpartner.com Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: https://bit.ly/3Suismu Topics: 00:15 Biggest inventory challenges today? 00:34 What shaped your career path? 01:08 How is AI changing auto? 03:38 Current market trends to watch? 07:11 Best dealer strategies now? 09:37 How to improve appraisals? 15:45 Global car sourcing tips? 21:39 How predictive analytics helps sales? 33:09 Future car inventory predictions? Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ My Socials: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Our analysts Vishy Tirupattur and Joyce Jiang discuss the health of private credit as default pressures are building for borrowers amid weaker growth, fewer rate cuts and policy uncertainty.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Vishy Tirupattur: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I am Vishy Tirupattur, Morgan Stanley's Chief Fixed Income Strategist.Joyce Jiang: And I'm Joyce Jiang, U.S. Leverage Finance Strategist.Vishy Tirupattur: Today we'll take a look at private credit markets. Will it stay resilient in the current macro conditions? Or a reckoning is ahead of us.It's Tuesday, May 13th at 10am in New York.Tariffs and policy uncertainty are on the top of mind for people with an eye on the economy and markets. Certainly, a frequent topic of discussion for us on this podcast. In this environment, there has been growing concern about the health of corporate credit – and within corporate credit direct lending or middle market segments, where companies tend to be smaller in size and have weaker fundamentals are of particular concern. The business models of these companies are sensitive to slower growth.Joyce, can you map out the risks associated with private credit companies?Joyce Jiang: To your point, risks are rising in private credit, but I think these risks would be measured given the still resilient fundamental backdrop. Looking at fundamental trends, there is no clear sign of leverage building up in the system yet, and multiple data sources actually show that the leverage ratios among direct lending companies have either improved or remained flat. And that's very different from the previous cycles where excessive corporate leverage set the stage for the eventual downturn.So, this time around credit, including both public credit and private credit, is not the source of the problem. But, of course, these direct lending companies would be impacted by higher tariffs. So, Vishy what's your view on the tariff impact?Vishy Tirupattur: So, the direct impact of tariffs, Joyce, we think is likely to be muted. It's quite hard to quantify this exposure, but if you look at a number of different data sources, we find that the direct lending loans are more skewed towards defensive and service-oriented sectors.For example, sectors such as a technology, business services and healthcare account for over half of the loans in typical BDC portfolios or Business Development Company portfolios of direct lending loans. But that said, even though the direct impact could be somewhat limited, there could be second order effects because there is higher uncertainty and weaker confidence, and that could weigh on demand. There could be a tail cohort that could be developing.So, some data from Lincoln International, for example, shows that about 15 per cent of direct lending companies have EBITDA interest coverage ratio below 1x. Another way of looking at tail cohort is by looking at companies generating negative free operating cash flow. According to S&P data, that's about 40 per cent. These tail cohorts are stretched and are weakly positioned to weather macro challenges ahead.So, Joyce, another thing that comes up frequently when we talk about private credit is Payment In Kind interest or the so-called PIK interest. Can you walk us through what is a PIK and why is it a concern?Joyce Jiang: So, Payment In Kind interest – it occurs when the company stops paying interest in cash, but instead the interest is accrued and added to the principal balance. It is quite common for companies under liquidity stress to switch to PIKs for cash preservation, But in many cases, PIKs don't really clean up the company's balance sheet, and the companies may still end up in a conventional default. So, PIK is generally considered as a leading indicator of default by market participants.And to be clear, not all PIK loans are bad. PIK toggles are actually a key feature that distinguishes direct lending loans from syndicated loans because it provides non-distressed companies the flexibility to reallocate cash for other business needs. So, PIKs do not necessarily signal higher defaults. And in fact, data showed that BDCs or Business Development Companies with a higher PIK income don't always see a greater increase in nonaccruals. So, in other words, the relationship between PIK income and defaults is not persistently strong.Vishy Tirupattur: So, to summarize, overall fundamentals are on a relatively strong footing, but risks in private credit are rising, especially if we have a potential economic slowdown ahead. On the other hand, there are a few structural features with the private credit loans that could potentially help mitigate some of the vulnerabilities we've just talked about.First thing, direct lending loans are not marked to market by design, so they have lower volatility and are relatively immune from daily price moves. And really related to that, redemption risk of private credit funds has been fairly contained so far. These funds usually have tools like lockup periods and redemption caps to guard against unexpected large outflows.But of course, the effectiveness of these mechanisms has not yet been tested in severe downturns. Moreover, the capital that is going into private credit is relatively sticky capital. Key investors, such as insurance companies and pension funds are hold-to-maturity type buyers, and they're entering in the space for the attractiveness of the higher yields and to harvest illiquidity premia embedded in these loans. So, with that long-term investment horizon, they would be more willing to support companies through temporary liquidity challenges. Also, small lender groups in direct lending market makes it easier to negotiate restructurings.Joyce Jiang: Lastly, there is also ample dry powder. According to PitchBook, there is $570 billion of dry powder in private debt fund, and another $2 trillion in private equity funds. And this capital can be deployed to backstop distressed companies and help keeping defaults in check. And in terms of defaults, we are expecting syndicated loan defaults to end the year at 4 per cent. And that's our base case.And based on the historical relationship, that implies a like for like default rate for perfect credit at 5 per cent, which means a mild uptake from the current level, but is still below the COVID peak.Vishy Tirupattur: Joyce, thanks for taking the time to talk about this.Joyce Jiang: Thanks for having me, Vishy.Vishy Tirupattur: And to our listeners, thank you for your attention. Let us know what you think of this podcast and the topics we cover. And if you think a friend or a colleague might find this information useful, please share Thoughts on the Market with them today.

Join Sean V. Bradley and L.A. Williams as they feature the incredible Toni Cornell, a true trailblazer in automotive sales who's making waves with her innovative use of social media. From being a young mom to becoming a six-figure earner, Toni's journey is nothing short of inspiring! "I went from a 15-year-old mom to making over six figures. You know, I haven't needed state assistance." – Toni Cornell In this episode, she opens up about how she's leveraged her personal and business Facebook pages to generate leads, sell cars, and grow her network organically, creating lasting relationships along the way! "I've been using social media for, I would say 10 years... and it's my main source of business." – Toni Cornell Toni shares the secrets behind her content strategy, designed to foster personal connections and community trust. With the support of her manager, she dives into her transition from BDC to full-time sales, emphasizing the power of adaptability and a human-first approach, especially in an era dominated by AI. Plus, discover how AI technologies like Podium's conversational AI are helping salespeople engage with customers continuously, enhancing their sales efforts. This episode is packed with game-changing insights you don't want to miss!   Key Takeaways: ✅ Toni Cornell achieved an impressive feat in automotive sales, selling up to 51 cars in one month, primarily through social media strategies. ✅ By using her Facebook pages, Toni reaches nearly 300,000 people, with over 90,000 direct engagements, which translates to daily leads and consistent sales. ✅ Social media is not only about direct sales; Toni emphasizes the importance of community engagement, authentic content sharing, and building trust with followers. ✅ Integrating AI into sales processes can facilitate continuous customer interaction, allowing professionals like Toni to manage increased leads without compromising personal touch. ✅ Managers like Harry play a pivotal role in recognizing and nurturing talent, encouraging the use of innovative platforms like the Millionaire Car Salesman Network to drive success.   About Toni Cornell Toni Cornell is a distinguished automotive sales professional who has mastered the art of selling vehicles through social media! Starting as a BDC representative, Toni has built an impressive career, selling up to 51 cars in a month and leveraging platforms like Facebook to expand her clientele. With over 17,500 organic followers and an engagement reach of 90,000 on her personal Facebook page, Toni has become a social media influencer in the automotive industry. Aside from her sales achievements, she is also recognized for her commitment to community service and advocacy!   Unlocking Success in Car Sales: Leveraging Social Media, Mentorship, and Innovation Key Takeaways: Social Media Mastery: Harnessing Facebook to generate leads and influencer-level engagement can significantly boost car sales. Mentorship and Empowerment: A supportive management team can elevate salespeople, transforming potential into performance. Innovation in a Changing Landscape: Staying ahead in the auto industry requires thinking outside the traditional dealership model.   Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Car Sales In today's digital age, social media has emerged as an invaluable tool for car sales professionals looking to maximize their reach and influence. Leveraging platforms like Facebook not only enhances personal branding but also serves as a powerful lead generation tool. Toni Cornell, a standout figure in automotive sales, exemplifies this transformation with her impressive use of social media to drive business outcomes. Toni's journey from a beginner to a leading salesperson showcases the monumental power of social media in sales. By cultivating a staggering 17,500 followers on her organic page, she managed to achieve an engagement level that reaches up to 300,000 people, with 90,000 directly engaging with her content. As she shares, "I have videos with up to 1.4 million views, and it's my main source of business." What sets Toni apart is not just her ability to attract followers but also her strategic use of Facebook as a revenue-generating tool, earning $1,000 to $2,000 a month from ad revenue. This showcases the potential of social media to supplement income while bolstering sales efforts. Her story is a testament to the impact of integrating social media into a sales strategy, emphasizing how platforms like Facebook can become indispensable allies in a competitive market.   The Role of Mentorship and Empowerment in Sales Success Behind every high-achieving professional is often a supportive mentor who recognized and nurtured their potential. For Toni Cornell, that mentor was her general sales manager, Harry, who not only identified her potential but also directed her towards invaluable resources to foster her growth. "I've been following it for a while. Someone just suggested it for me, and I really like the content, what you guys were about," Harry explains. Harry's approach highlights a critical element of success: empowerment. By encouraging Toni to join the "Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group," he provided her with tools that propelled her knowledge and operations beyond traditional dealership expectations. Harry describes Toni as someone who "took off with it" and transformed her online presence into a consistent source of leads, thereby enhancing dealership sales without any direct dealership expenditure. The essence of Harry's mentorship style lies in allowing salespeople to explore creative methods of growing their business while offering unwavering support. This strategy has propelled Toni to achieve remarkable feats, such as selling 51 cars in a single month. Her experience shows how encouragement and autonomy can unlock previously untapped potential within sales professionals.   Innovation: Leading the Auto Sales Industry into a New Era In a rapidly evolving automotive landscape, innovative thinking has become non-negotiable. The traditional dealership model's limitations are becoming increasingly apparent, especially when contrasted with the fresh approaches of individuals like Toni Cornell. Her story is a blueprint for those looking to thrive amidst industry changes. The proactive pursuit of alternative avenues, such as strategic social media utilization, not only fills the gaps left by traditional methods but also opens new doors for customer engagement. Harry, the GSM at her dealership, recognized this dynamic early on: "I didn't do anything with it. I didn't prospect it, I didn't work or lead. I wasn't in the CRM, didn't pay for it. It's all extra." Such forward-thinking approaches are critical, especially in an industry where to remain stagnant is to fall behind. As dealerships face tighter competition and evolving consumer expectations, integrating innovative tools like AI chatbots and personalized social media campaigns can enhance customer experience and loyalty.   Gaining Traction: Elevating Car Sales through Creativity and Community The journey depicted in this conversation serves as a powerful example of how combining social media prowess with effective mentorship can lead to unprecedented success in car sales. Toni Cornell's achievements underscore the profound impact that social media and community engagement can have on business outcomes. Her story is a reminder that in an ever-changing industry, innovation and adaptability remain the cornerstones of sustained success. Supporting team members and equipping them with the tools to thrive is not just beneficial for individual professionals; it contributes to a dealership's overall growth and resilience. As Toni continues to forge ahead, her journey inspires others to explore how they can reinvent their practices and embrace the digital age's opportunities. The account from the millionaire car sales podcast offers crucial insights into the changing automotive sales landscape. It shows that by embracing technology, mentoring talented professionals, and fostering a culture of innovation, dealerships can not only survive but thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace.   Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   ProMax: Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 29,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   ProMax: Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!

This isn't another how-to-fix-a-car video.This is how to fix yourself in the trade before the trade breaks you.In this Wrench Turner's Podcast compilation, five technicians and leaders drop hard-earned wisdom, not about tools, not about pay plans, but about mindset, ownership, growth, and survival in the bay.

In this episode of #DefenceDeconstructed David Perry sits down with Melanie Nadeau, the CEO of COVE. The two discuss the organization's mandate, and where it fits within the wider defence marine ecosystem, it's areas of focus, and how it works with businesses with an emphasis on some of their focus on dual-use technologies and their involvement with NATO DIANA. // Guest bios: - Melanie Nadeau is the CEO of COVE and is a Member of the Board of Directors for the QE II Foundation and BDC. // Host bio: David Perry is President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute // Recommended Readings: - "Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things" by Adam Grant // Defence Deconstructed was brought to you by Irving Shipbuilding. // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll Release date: 9 May 2025

What happens when unstoppable determination meets next-level creativity on the sales floor? In this powerhouse episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman podcast, Sean V. Bradley sits down with automotive sales phenom Tiffany Jean Haggerty-Kruzer—a woman who's rewriting the rules and setting new records at her Honda dealership. "Too many people are busy selling the car when they should be busy selling the appointment." — Tiffany Jean Haggerty-Kruzer From bold marketing moves to unexpected customer connection strategies, Tiffany brings an energy and perspective that will challenge everything you think you know about car sales. Her journey is real, raw, and packed with insights dealership professionals can't afford to miss. "When people tell me I can't do something... it makes me want to show everyone that I can do better than everyone else." — Tiffany Jean Haggerty-Kruzer If you're ready to think bigger, sell smarter, and stand out in your market, this episode is your blueprint. Just be warned: it might change the way you sell forever!   Key Takeaways: ✅ Innovative Marketing: Tiffany differentiates herself by using personalized postcards, lottery tickets, and relationship-building tactics to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. ✅ Networking Strategy: Effective use of social media groups and reciprocal relationships with other local businesses boost her sales and referral network. ✅ Overcoming Challenges: Despite early gender bias, Tiffany's resilience and commitment to excellence propelled her to the top of her field. ✅ Family in Automotive Sales: Tiffany's success has inspired her daughter to follow in her footsteps, building a successful career in car sales. ✅ Focus on Customer Relations: By treating customers as friends and continually fostering these relationships, Tiffany ensures a steady stream of referrals and repeat business.   About Tiffany Jean Haggerty-Kruzer Tiffany Jean Haggerty-Kruzer is a seasoned automotive sales professional with over 23 years of experience in the industry. Starting her career in 2001, Tiffany has demonstrated exceptional skill and resilience, transitioning from selling cars at a Honda dealership, where she is currently the top saleswoman, to becoming a notable figure in the automotive sales community. Known for her ability to sell over 60 cars in a month, Tiffany not only excels in vehicle sales but also in building meaningful customer relationships and inspiring fellow sales professionals. Her daughter, Liana Nikel, is also a talented salesperson in the automotive industry, working with GMC and achieving success early in her career!     The Path to Success: Insightful Lessons from a Female Automotive Trailblazer Key Takeaways: Embrace resilience in a challenging automotive environment, especially as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Harness innovative strategies and technology to maximize efficiency and sales outcomes. Foster invaluable networks and relationships within the industry and community for sustained success. The automotive industry, like many others, is often seen as a male-dominated space. Yet, trailblazers like Tiffany Jean Haggerty-Kruzer have shattered these perceptions, proving that women can excel and redefine success in car sales. This engaging conversation between Sean V. Bradley, LA Williams, and Tiffany reveals insightful themes centered around resilience, innovation, and networking. Each of these themes is crucial for anyone looking to thrive in the automotive sales world.   Resilience Against Industry Challenges Resilience is a recurring theme throughout the transcript. Tiffany's journey in the automotive industry wasn't smooth from the outset. Her initial challenge was during a job interview with a BMW dealership, where her potential was prematurely judged based on her gender. "The manager walked in, saw I was a female, and walked right back out," she reflects, with a sense of triumph over what would have discouraged many. Such prejudices, unfortunately, aren't rare. Many women in various industries face similar biases. Tiffany's story serves as an inspiring testimony that challenges are not roadblocks but stepping stones to success. Her approach is clear: "Pretty funny because that honestly gives me more drive. When people tell me I can't do something…it makes me want to show everyone that I can do better than everyone else." The broader implication is a call for resilience in the face of unfair treatment and stereotypes, advocating for perseverance and persistence. Tiffany's success speaks to those who doubt their capabilities in overcoming industry-specific hurdles and provides a beacon of hope for aspiring female professionals.   Leveraging Innovative Strategies and Technology Innovation, especially in terms of leveraging tools and personal strategies, is crucial for sustained success in the automotive industry. Tiffany illustrates a clear understanding of how standing out requires more than just conventional techniques. She asserts, "I always wanted to be different than everyone else because that's what makes you successful." Her use of handwritten postcards, light-hearted lottery tickets, and the creation of evidence manuals highlights a sophisticated approach to building relationships and enhancing customer engagement. She explains, "People don't like to open up envelopes, you know, too much. So, I really feel that if you have it on a postcard and they get it in the mail, they're going to read it right away." Additionally, there's an emphasis on the integration of technology and automation in streamlining operations. Bradley's advice regarding AI underscores the importance of embracing technological advancements. "I would love to be able to promote your business," Tiffany concurs, signaling an openness to adopting innovative tools that can further accentuate her already effective strategies. Such tools can increase productivity and allow industry professionals to scale their efforts, revealing the potential impact of technology on sales efficiency.   Building Networks for Long-term Success Networking within the industry and broader community is an essential element of Tiffany's success story. Her strategy in creating valuable, sustained relationships lays the foundation for reliable referrals and repeat business. Her community engagement, characterized by distributing business cards with donuts to banks and clothing stores, exemplifies her proactive approach to fostering relationships. "Basically, I have just…one big friendship because they'll know who to call when they need a car," she shares, underscoring the importance of turning customers into long-term allies and advocates. This relational approach allows her to close a significant number of referral-based deals each month and steadily build her reputation. Professionals in the automotive industry can learn from Tiffany's approach to networking. By developing reciprocal relationships, such as with mortgage brokers and real estate agents, sales associates can create a widened network of potential customers and referrers. The broader implication here is the undeniable value of community integration and professional alliances in achieving robust, long-term success. Without limiting herself to traditional norms, Tiffany has utilized a combination of personal initiative, relationship-building, and innovative thinking to redefine success in the automotive world. For emerging and seasoned professionals alike, her approach presents actionable insights: aim for excellence irrespective of prejudice, employ technology to enhance efforts, and cultivate indispensable networks. Through these insights, Tiffany Jean Haggerty-Kruzer not only stands as a model for female empowerment but also as a luminary for all who strive to excel in the automotive sales industry.     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Credit-Driven Retailing - NCC delivers industry-best credit-driven retailing for auto dealerships, combining a powerful credit and compliance engine and fully integrated CRM/Desking platform for maximum profitability. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 29,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Powered by proprietary solutions such as Intelligent Credit Engine™ and LenderSelect™, NCC transforms the car-buying experience for dealers and their customers. From compliance and lender selection to CRM and desking, to marketing and data mining—NCC integrates them all in a single, seamless platform to deliver better customer experiences, maximum efficiency and maximum profit. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!  

Hey Goonies!In this episode of The Bate Escape podcast I sit and chat with Big D Clark, the creator and host of Gooniversity, a goony NYC bate party!In this episode we chat about the following:​The goon scene in NYC​What to expect at a Gooniversity party​The Gooniversity podcast ​Why looking really stupid is really hotYou can learn more about Gooiversiry and BDC at this link:https://linktr.ee/Big_DickClar kYou can follow me @: https://linktr.ee/BeastlyB8RPlease like, share, subscribe and comment on this episode!Have a burning question you need answered? Or a comment or opinion you want shared, contact me at thebateescapepod@gmail.com and I'll read it on the pod!Thanks for listening!XXX, Beastly

The WCW Nitro Podcast episode features Notorious DOM! with Papi Platano and BDC discussing a wide range of wrestling subjects. Their conversation includes a tribute to Steve Mongo McMichael, nostalgic reflections on WCW, the importance of Eddie Guerrero's matches, Lex Luger's Hall of Fame induction, and the contentious legacy of Chris Benoit. They also analyze specific December 1995 matches like Disco Inferno vs. Paul Orndorff and Lex Luger vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Furthermore, they explore character evolution (highlighting Lex Luger), the dynamics of championship victories, impactful industry moments, the influence of leaks, the current wrestling landscape's unpredictability, the nuances of wrestling promos (especially Hogan's WCW role and wrestler trust), dark matches, the significance of undefended titles, comparing WCW Nitro and Monday Night Raw's quality, and previews of upcoming matches, including wrestling moves and innovations.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Tribute to Steve Mongo McMichael03:01 WCW Nostalgia: December 11, 199506:47 Eddie Guerrero vs. Mr. JL: A Showcase of Talent09:02 Lex Luger's Hall of Fame Journey12:22 The Controversial Hall of Fame: Chris Benoit Discussion16:54 Disco Inferno vs. Paul Orndorff: A Match of Confusion19:17 Lex Luger vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan: The Torture Rack Finish23:29 The Evolution of Wrestling Characters28:04 The Dynamics of Championship Wins32:00 The Impact of Iconic Wrestling Moments36:28 The Role of Leaks in Wrestling Storylines38:18 The Current State of Wrestling and Fan Expectations42:31 Trust Issues in Wrestling Promos43:52 The Role of Hogan in WCW44:54 Dark Matches and Championship Dynamics46:18 Moments of the Night: Highlights and Lowlights49:22 Comparing Nitro and Raw: A Battle of Shows52:01 Upcoming Matches and Anticipation55:20 Wrestling Moves and Innovations

In this episode of FWRD, hosts Corey Smith and Erick Jauregui sit down with Shawn Armorer, a BDC consultant with over 24 years of automotive experience—from his early days as a car washer to his leadership in business development.The conversation covers key strategies for boosting fixed ops performance, adopting new technologies like video in service departments, and improving BDC practices to drive traffic and enhance the customer experience. Sean shares valuable insights on the power of emotional engagement, aligning BDC efforts with service goals, and the importance of continuous evolution in customer communication.If you're looking for practical ways to personalize customer interactions, strengthen your BDC, and build a supportive team culture—this episode is for you.Listen now for actionable takeaways and fresh ideas to elevate your dealership's service experience.

This episode is all about solving real dealership problems—right from the service lane. I sit down with my longtime friend and mentor, Ken Hicks, Dealer Principal at Rivera Toyota and Mariano Rivera Honda, who shares how he tackled major fixed ops pain points by building his own software—Retention 360—a tool designed to drive loyalty, increase service-to-sales conversions, and help advisors win. > https://retention360.info/ Ken started as a salesperson and rose to become a partner alongside Yankees legend Mariano Rivera. Over the years, he saw too many missed opportunities in the service department: No process to follow up on declined service work No TO when customers said “no” to repairs Weak communication between BDC, service, and sales teams Lack of personalization and preparation before client visits No recognition of customer loyalty level at check-in Undertrained advisors struggling to convert service traffic into car deals So, what did Ken do? He built his own tool. He developed software that identifies loyalty levels, tracks declined services, pinpoints advisor weaknesses, and gives teams everything they need to turn service clients into lifelong dealership customers. He even tied incentives and a triple-pay structure to service-initiated car deals. Now, he's giving YOU access—free for 90 days. We talk about his team's exact process: Reviewing customer records before the appointment Matching loaner vehicles based on sales potential Creating warm handoffs between service and sales Proactively calling service clients with equity or loyalty triggers Training advisors to read the CRM like a playbook If you're ready to stop leaking opportunity in service and start creating real retention, check this one out! Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast |

Ever had a customer walk in, get chased for months, and your team still greets them like it's Day One? Yikes. In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, we're calling out the CRM habits that are quietly killing your deals—and showing you how to fix them. Jen breaks down how internal notes create smooth BDC-to-sales handoffs, how to log objections and buying triggers that actually close, and why skipping CRM updates might be why your customer disappeared. If you want loyal buyers and not just new leads, it starts with smarter follow-ups, stronger recaps, and tighter processes. Let's make your CRM your best closer. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast |

In this powerful episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, hosted by Sean V. Bradley and LA Williams, we bring in a special guest: Penny Vettel-Diersing! Penny shares her extensive experience in auto dealership marketing, starting with a breakdown of intelligent lead routing within the BDC and why customized communication strategies are critical for maximizing every lead opportunity.  "What value before you click send, on a text, on a chat, on an email, what value are you giving to the customer." The conversation then leads to Penny's innovative take on digital marketing, Google tagging, and advanced analytics — showing how dealerships can move beyond simple reply metrics to truly measure the value of every communication effort. And her #1 success in her dealership - Text messaging! "A successful text campaign isn't about the reply count. It's about the action a customer takes after getting your text." If you're ready to sharpen your marketing, drive more meaningful engagement, and rethink how you track success, this episode is a must-listen!   Key Takeaways: ✅ Intelligent Lead Routing: Penny emphasizes the importance of routing leads based on dealer expertise to boost sales efficacy rather than the traditional round-robin method. ✅ Text Communication vs. Marketing: The distinction between communication and marketing was highlighted by Penny, as she proposed data-driven, actionable strategies for improving dealership engagement. ✅ AI-Powered Marketing Tools: The use of technology, particularly AI like Google Gemini, provides cutting-edge solutions for marketing strategies under fluctuating market conditions, improving customer interaction. ✅ Value over Engagement: Penny argues that effective communication should aim to drive customer action rather than merely waiting for a reply, revolutionizing standard dealership practices. ✅ Google Tagging Efficiency: Implementing URL tagging in communications not only tracks engagement but provides essential insight into the effectiveness of each marketing campaign.   About Penny Vettel-Diersing Penny Vettel-Diersing, is a 27-year automotive industry veteran who has mastered digital marketing, business development, and sales strategies! Penny began her automotive career in 1998 at Reynolds & Reynolds, where she specialized in web-based internet lead software, programs, and processes. In 2002, she moved into retail and began building and running business development centers. Since then, her career has expanded to include digital marketing strategies. She manages the sales process from advertising to business development (and everything in between)! Penny is a published author writing: Texts That Sell: How Modern Text Strategies Can Revolutionize Sales Engagement in Automotive Retail!   Inside the Dealer's Mind: Innovative Strategies for Success in the Automotive Industry   Key Takeaways: Strategic Communication: Crafting text marketing campaigns with value-driven calls to action is crucial for engagement and conversion. Intelligent Lead Routing: Tailoring lead allocation based on individual agent expertise can significantly enhance dealership performance and customer satisfaction. Leveraging Technology: Utilizing AI and analytics tools can provide deeper insights and improve marketing outcomes.   Transforming Communication Strategies in the Auto Industry In the fast-evolving landscape of the automotive industry, staying ahead hinges on the ability to embrace innovative communication strategies. Penny Vettel-Diersing, a veteran with 27 years of industry experience, shares a profound insight into how text communication and marketing techniques can redefine dealership success. "You never send a text message to a customer that doesn't give them something exciting to do," Penny emphasizes. This approach not only encourages engagement, but also empowers potential buyers with actionable information. Through the strategic use of Google Tagging and analytics, dealerships can track customer actions, gaining insights into what works and what doesn't. Penny states, "I want to know if they actually did it right… I take that tiny URL and when you click it, I see what you're doing on my website." By focusing on the actions that customers take rather than merely their replies, dealerships can refine their strategies to maximize conversions. This shift in perspective allows dealers to offer solutions tailored to the unique needs of each customer, driving both engagement and sales. Overall, the emphasis on creating value before clicking send and adopting a detailed approach to text communication highlights a pivotal change. Texts should be more than mere messages—they should be dynamic touchpoints that bring meaningful value to the customer. With this strategy, dealerships can foster stronger relationships and enhance customer loyalty. Intelligent Lead Routing: The Path to Empowerment The whirlwind of leads that dealerships manage can often become chaotic without a structured strategy. Penny's approach to intelligent lead routing serves as a beacon of efficiency. By recognizing and capitalizing on the unique strengths of each team member, dealerships can align customer needs with the right expertise. "A lot of dealers want to try to have the government cheese mentality… here's a lead for you, here's a lead for you," remarks Sean V. Bradley. By implementing a system of intelligent lead routing, dealers can customize the lead allocation process. This ensures that opportunities are distributed based on proven strengths, allowing the most capable agents to handle specific customer inquiries. This targeted approach eliminates the pressure of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and instead nurtures precision and efficacy. The use of intelligent lead routing establishes a comprehensive understanding that each lead requires a distinct approach, aligning resources to meet customer expectations effectively. Beyond improving operational efficiency, this strategy nurtures personal growth within the sales team, transforming the mindset from mere opportunity handling to strategic problem-solving. With detailed insights into their performance, agents can continuously refine their skills, enhancing overall dealership performance. Capitalizing on Technology for Success The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics is an evolving force with the potential to redefine success in automotive marketing. As Penny illustrates, leveraging AI tools like Google Gemini can uncover valuable insights, generating innovative approaches to customer communication. Through AI-generated strategies and templates, dealerships can streamline the creation and deployment of marketing campaigns, amplifying their effectiveness. The power of AI lies in its ability to deliver personalized and insightful information rapidly. "You know, you have to take the high road," Penny notes, stressing the importance of communicating with confidence and competence. By automating repetitive tasks and uncovering hidden patterns, AI enables dealerships to focus their energy on nurturing meaningful connections with potential buyers. The use of analytics tools, such as Google Tag Manager, complements AI, allowing dealerships to measure the success of their campaigns with precision. By integrating tagging and analytics, dealerships can gain visibility into the customer journey, monitor their interactions, and make data-driven decisions that optimize future efforts. This fusion of technology empowers dealers with the knowledge to not only meet but exceed customer expectations, ensuring continued success. Reflecting on Innovative Dealership Practices The insights shared by Penny Vettel-Diersing and Sean V. Bradley emphasize the transformative power of innovative strategies in the automotive industry. By redefining communication strategies, dealerships can engage potential buyers with purpose, creating value-driven interactions that foster engagement and loyalty. Emphasizing intelligent lead routing ensures that each prospect is matched with the right expertise, enhancing customer satisfaction and sales team efficiency. Leveraging AI and analytics technology transforms marketing efforts, delivering targeted insights and enabling data-driven decision-making. These strategies illustrate a holistic approach to dealership success. By integrating these techniques, dealerships can adapt to changing customer preferences, capitalize on technological advancements, and forge deeper connections with their customers. As the automotive landscape continues to evolve, dealerships equipped with these innovative practices will be poised to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.   Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Credit-Driven Retailing - NCC delivers industry-best credit-driven retailing for auto dealerships, combining a powerful credit and compliance engine and fully integrated CRM/Desking platform for maximum profitability. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Powered by proprietary solutions such as Intelligent Credit Engine™ and LenderSelect™, NCC transforms the car-buying experience for dealers and their customers. From compliance and lender selection to CRM and desking, to marketing and data mining—NCC integrates them all in a single, seamless platform to deliver better customer experiences, maximum efficiency and maximum profit. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!  

In the April 2025 episode of SAP BTP Talk, we explore how existing and potential SAP partners can build, run, and integrate scalable full-stack cloud applications using the SAP Cloud Application Programming Model (CAP) and adhering to the development recommendations set out in the SAP BTP Developer's Guide. We would touch upon including an ERP-agnostic design while you are developing the solution that lets you deliver your application as a side-by-side extension to consumers using any SAP solution, such as SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP Business One, and SAP Business ByDesign.

In the latest episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, hosts Sean V. Bradley and LA Williams explore the transformative role of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems in the automotive industry alongside Greg Becker, Chief Product Officer at NCC / ProMax.  "CRM fatigue is running rampant in the industry, but there's a smarter way to sell cars." With an authentic background in both dealership management and technology, Greg offers practical insights into leveraging CRM tools to enhance customer engagement and maximize dealership profitability. This episode is particularly pertinent given the current concerns within the industry regarding tariffs and their potential impact on pricing, inventory, and dealership operations. “You can't put a price tag on experience... CRM is the centralized hub of the repository where the data is." The conversation delves deep into how dealerships can utilize CRM systems like NCC Promax Complete CRM to streamline operations and cut through the clutter of outdated practices. Highlighting the impact of tariffs, Greg discusses proactive strategies dealerships can adopt, such as focusing on inventory acquisition and leveraging service department interactions.  "The beautiful part about this is most of the customers have done 50% of the work; they're already scheduled." With an eye on future-proofing dealership operations through AI advancements and tailored CRM solutions, this episode equips listeners with actionable strategies to navigate and thrive amidst industry challenges.   Key Takeaways ✅ CRM as Central Hub: Greg emphasizes CRM's role as a central hub for managing ongoing customer relationships from sales to service. ✅ Service Department Focus: Encourage dealerships to utilize their service departments as a key asset in generating leads and acquiring inventory. ✅ AI Integration: The potential of AI, including video messaging and advanced data analytics, is highlighted as a tool to enhance dealership efficiency. ✅ Actionable Insights: Greg provides detailed strategies for tapping into existing dealership data to create tailored, impactful customer campaigns. ✅ Resilience in the Face of Tariffs: Despite economic uncertainties, adopting a proactive, data-driven approach can help dealerships maintain profitability.   About Greg Becker Greg Becker is the Chief Product Officer at NCC / ProMax, where he leads the design and innovation of dealership software solutions. With a background in managing BDCs and working in automotive retail since 2000, Greg's expertise lies in dealership operations and CRM technology. His journey from retail experience to becoming a tech leader in the automotive space makes him a valuable voice in discussions about dealership software and strategy!   The Future of Automotive CRM: Navigating Tariffs and Maximizing Customer Relationships Key Takeaways CRM Customization is Crucial: Automotive dealerships must invest in their CRM systems, utilizing insights from seasoned professionals like Greg Becker to truly capitalize on their customer database and streamline operations. Adapting to Tariff Induced Changes: With impending tariffs, dealerships need proactive strategies to adapt and thrive, including leveraging CRM tools for better financial foresight and customer relations. Utilizing AI and Technological Innovations: The automotive industry can benefit significantly from integrating advanced AI solutions within their CRMs, improving lead management and customer engagement.   Navigating Tariffs and Their Impact on the Automotive Industry Businesses across the globe are buzzing with concerns over tariffs and their potential repercussions. As Sean V. Bradley insightfully points out, "Fear and uncertainty breeds chaos… People are consuming fear." The automotive industry is no exception, facing the dual challenges of increasing vehicle prices and an anxious consumer base. The key to overcoming these hurdles lies in adapting existing practices and embracing change. The first step is acknowledging that tariffs may indeed lead to skyrocketed costs of vehicles and parts, affecting both import and floor plan expenses. Sean accurately assesses that fear-induced actions, akin to Florida's hurricane preparations or the pandemic's toilet paper rush, could lead to unnecessary chaos. Instead, dealerships should direct their focus towards controllable elements such as refining sales strategies and maximizing their existing assets. Greg Becker, an industry veteran, highlights the industry's resilience and adaptability. "The automotive industry is one of the most resilient… it's here," he states, underlining the importance of proactive strategies. By revisiting existing client interactions and utilizing CRM systems effectively, dealerships can tap into previously missed opportunities. Revisiting leads from the previous week could uncover potential sales amidst the tariff turmoil, ensuring a steady customer flow. Focus should also be redirected to used cars with vehicle acquisition strategies and engaging with past clients through innovative campaigns.   CRM Customization: A Game-Changer for Dealerships In an ever-evolving market landscape, customizing CRM systems akin to NCC's Complete CRM can be a pivotal differentiator. With years of hands-on experience in the automotive industry, Greg Becker underscores the importance of a customized CRM solution that resonates with the dealership's culture. "We create solutions from a different perspective… a big difference between providing technology solutions and people solutions," Greg articulates. By tailoring CRM settings to replicate a dealership's internal culture and operations, automotive enterprises can enhance user adoption and efficiency. This encompasses everything from allowing personalization in system navigation to meaningful data segmentation strategies. Promax, spearheaded by Greg, shines as an exemplar by offering dashboards tailor-made for diverse roles, streamlining task management and bolstering productivity. This bespoke approach in CRM enables users to land on fully customized environments conducive to their daily operations, eliminating friction and optimizing work processes. Greg aptly notes, "If they can't get to it quick, they're going to bow out," emphasizing the crucial role of ease and efficiency. Such an integrated, user-friendly approach not only boosts individual productivity but ultimately amplifies the dealership's overall operational efficacy.   Embracing Artificial Intelligence for Enhanced Lead Management Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, and within the automotive sector, its integration within CRM systems holds immense promise. AI-driven data mining and predictive analytics offer dealerships the power to refine their lead management actions, drawing insights from CRM data seamlessly. As Greg shares, "We leverage AI… from a recommendation perspective," signifying the role of intelligence in refining dealership offerings. Further blending AI with CRM, as suggested by Sean, opens the possibilities for revolutionizing customer communication through automated video messages. These AI-generated communications can play a pivotal role in promotional strategies and maintaining customer retention amid the tariff blues. By adopting advanced AI solutions that align cohesively with CRM frameworks, dealerships can bolster customer interaction and streamline conversions. Moreover, such AI tools provide laser-sharp focus in understanding customer temperament and preferences, paving the way to more personalized, successful negotiations that benefit both dealerships and customers. As dealerships explore and invest in these intelligent solutions, they step towards a future that is not only efficient but also customer-centric.   Maximizing Customer Relationships in Uncertain Times A dealership's current customer database holds incredible potential. In a world filled with uncertainty, whether due to tariffs or economic shifts, nurturing these relationships can provide a valuable buffer. As Greg Becker elucidates, "An average CRM database has 10,000 customers… that's a $10 million investment." Dealers should capitalize on this investment, targeting tailored, data-driven campaigns for existing clientele that could lead to profitable returns. To mine this gold, dealerships must look beyond the notion of direct sales investment, placing substantial effort into forging and sustaining long-term customer relationships. By aligning marketing campaigns through CRM insights directly with customer proclivities, dealerships will not only reinforce current relationships but also foster opportunities for referrals and repeat business. Investing in CRM customization and AI solutions ensures a flexible framework that adapts to changing market dynamics and transcends anticipated challenges. The implementation of efficient data segmentation, through integrated AI analysis, allows dealerships to revitalize engagement strategies and maintain consumer trust and loyalty during pressing times. In these challenging times for the automotive sector, industry professionals like Greg Becker and Sean V. Bradley provide valuable insights into utilizing customer relationship management systems to navigate the upheavals convincingly. By integrating technological innovation, fostering existing relationships, and understanding market dynamics, dealerships can endure and thrive amidst any industry hurdles, truly cementing their position in the future battleground of automotive sales.       Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Credit-Driven Retailing - NCC delivers industry-best credit-driven retailing for auto dealerships, combining a powerful credit and compliance engine and fully integrated CRM/Desking platform for maximum profitability. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Powered by proprietary solutions such as Intelligent Credit Engine™ and LenderSelect™, NCC transforms the car-buying experience for dealers and their customers. From compliance and lender selection to CRM and desking, to marketing and data mining—NCC integrates them all in a single, seamless platform to deliver better customer experiences, maximum efficiency and maximum profit. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!

You did the hard part. Now finish strong. You led the call with value. You gave them confidence in you. But if you're not setting the appointment—you're leaving money behind. This episode is a deep dive into how to confidently sell the appointment, lock in commitment, and increase your show rate with real-world strategies I teach live every week in my dealership classes. Here's what you'll learn: How to roll into the appointment ask without sounding pushy Why “What time is good for you?” is secretly ruining your schedule Phrases like “You're in good hands” that increase trust How to text, confirm, and stand out with credibility A next-level email confirmation that helps you sell the car before they arrive Why creating obligation on the call gets you less negotiation and more deals This is how top performers get paid in 2025. You'll walk away with fresh tactics, real talk, and a powerful reminder: Car sales is not for the weak—it's for the ones who do more. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast |

In this week's episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, hosts Sean V. Bradley and LA Williams, get the secrets to success from special guest Hayden Hicks, President of Jerry Hunt Supercenter.  "I remember walking outside and clenching my knuckles... my kids will never know this life." - Hayden Hicks Hayden shares insights into the remarkable success of his dealership group and the specific strategies for achieving high sales volumes! Hayden discusses his team's approach to vehicle acquisition, customer service, and fostering a strong dealership culture; and emphasizes the importance of a value-driven, community-focused mindset in transforming Jerry Hunt Supercenter into a top destination for car buyers in North Carolina. "I want to out serve, out care, my competition. If you are ignoring AI, you will be left behind" - Hayden Hicks The conversation covers a wide range of topics essential for dealership leadership, including effective desking techniques, the role of lifelong learning, and the use of technology. Hayden articulates the necessity of viewing the dealership's BDC as the new digital showroom, advocating for innovative customer engagement approaches. Emphasizing the power of digital marketing and social media presence, Hayden illustrates how developing robust content strategies can drive customer interest and loyalty, positioning Jerry Hunt Supercenter as a market leader in used car sales!   Key Takeaways: ✅ Vehicle Acquisition Expertise: Hayden Hicks reveals strategies for obtaining inventory, including utilizing a specialized Vehicle Buying Center and leveraging team efforts to secure the best deals. ✅ Servant Leadership: Hayden underscores serving customers and the community, ensuring that all dealership interactions reflect the values of respect and appreciation. ✅ Digital Showroom Approach: The importance of leveraging technology and maintaining a strong BDC presence to meet the evolving needs of modern car buyers. ✅ Content and Social Media Strategy: Developing engaging and informative content to build an audience and drive dealership recognition at local and broader levels. ✅ Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Hayden Hicks prides himself on being a lifelong learner, consistently seeking opportunities to enhance dealership operations and team performance.     About Hayden Hicks Hayden Hicks is the President of Jerry Hunt Supercenter, a top-performing independent dealership group in North Carolina. With a background deeply rooted in the automotive industry, Hayden Hicks advanced through various roles, from sales manager to desk manager, finance director, and general manager, before stepping into his current leadership position. Known for his expertise in desking and strategy in vehicle acquisition, Hayden drives the organization's success with a focus on service excellence and community engagement.       Accelerating Success in Automotive Sales: Insights from the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast Key Takeaways Servant leadership and a focus on community impact can transform the traditional car sales experience, particularly in independent dealerships. Robust CRM and data management are vital to leveraging existing customer relationships and optimizing dealership operations. Harnessing AI and innovative technologies can significantly enhance customer engagement and streamline dealership processes.     A New Approach to Car Sales: The Value of Servant Leadership In the latest episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, Hayden Hicks, President of Jerry Hunt Supercenter, discusses shifting paradigms in independent car dealerships by embracing servant leadership. This approach, which prioritizes the well-being of employees and customers, aims to dismantle the stigma often associated with independent dealerships. Reflecting on his upbringing in the automotive industry, Hayden emphasizes the importance of gratitude and service. "I understand as an independent car dealership that we are already starting from behind in a customer's perspective," he notes. This perspective has led him to inculcate a culture that goes beyond mere transactions. Jerry Hunt Supercenter strives to offer a remarkable customer experience, asserting that purchasing a car is one of the most significant financial undertakings for many. The broader implications of this servant leadership approach are profound. By fostering an environment where employees are motivated to serve and innovate, independent dealerships can dramatically improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. This model not only challenges traditional views but sets a new standard for client-focused service in the automotive industry. CRM and Data Management: Mining Gold in Customer Relations A critical game changer for Jerry Hunt Supercenter has been their strategic use of CRM tools, notably Promax, to enhance customer relations and dealership operations. As Hayden mentions, "We have around 150,000 people in our database… it's like a gold mine." This vast reservoir of data enables the dealership to tap into existing customer relationships effectively and drive repeat business. Hayden acknowledges the importance of a CRM specialist: "We have a person on site that used to work for Promax, now works for us to ensure that we are following in that footsteps of using the CRM 100% correctly." This dedicated focus ensures that the CRM is leveraged to its full potential, optimizing both sales strategies and customer engagement. For dealerships looking to innovate, the lesson here is clear: efficient data management can be the key to unlocking substantial business growth. By understanding and anticipating customer needs through detailed data analysis, dealerships can craft personalized experiences that create lasting loyalty and drive sales. Embracing AI and Technology: Revolutionizing Engagement and Operations The podcast underscores a forward-looking approach to integrating AI and technology into dealership operations. Hayden articulates how Jerry Hunt Supercenter plans to incorporate AI solutions like Podium, emphasizing the critical role of engagement: "We are going to initiate it in the beginning to help our agents interact… until engagement happens." In today's competitive market, AI tools can significantly improve engagement rates, which have traditionally hovered at a mere 6-8% for phone calls. AI's ability to provide instant responses and streamline after-hours interactions can bridge the gap between dealerships and potential buyers, making customer engagement more efficient and impactful. The transformative potential of AI in automotive sales is immense. By embracing these technologies, dealerships can not only improve their responsiveness and customer satisfaction but also gain a competitive edge in an increasingly digital landscape. Jerry Hunt Supercenter: A Vision for the Future Hayden Hicks' leadership philosophy at Jerry Hunt Supercenter offers a detailed blueprint for any dealership aiming for substantial growth and innovation. By nurturing a culture of service, strategically utilizing CRM data, and integrating cutting-edge AI technology, the dealership has carved out a leadership position within the industry. The dealership's commitment to a holistic and forward-thinking business model reflects a dedication to progress and customer-centricity. As Hayden ambitiously states, "Our goal is to have a thousand cars every single month… to continue to serve our customers at a high level." Jerry Hunt Supercenter is not just competing in a challenging market; it's paving the way with innovative practices that emphasize empathy, efficiency, and excellence. For industry leaders and dealerships everywhere, Hayden Hicks' insights offer not just practical strategies but a compelling vision of what the future of car sales can and should look like.       Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Credit-Driven Retailing - NCC delivers industry-best credit-driven retailing for auto dealerships, combining a powerful credit and compliance engine and fully integrated CRM/Desking platform for maximum profitability. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Powered by proprietary solutions such as Intelligent Credit Engine™ and LenderSelect™, NCC transforms the car-buying experience for dealers and their customers. From compliance and lender selection to CRM and desking, to marketing and data mining—NCC integrates them all in a single, seamless platform to deliver better customer experiences, maximum efficiency and maximum profit. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login. Visit www.nccdirect.com/dealer-synergy to learn more!   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!

In this episode of the WCW Nitro Podcast, hosts Notorious DOM and BDC discuss the highlights of Episode 14, including the tag team title rematch between the American Males and Harlem Heat, the dynamics of Sting and Lex Luger's friendship, and Sting's strong performance against Kurosawa. They also preview Starrcade 1995, analyze the power struggle between Scott Norton and the Giant, and recap the main event featuring Lex Luger and Macho Man Randy Savage. The episode concludes with reflections on the show and a look ahead to future matches.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Show Overview03:10 Tag Team Title Match: American Males vs. Harlem Heat06:10 Sting and Lex Luger's Friendship Dynamics09:12 Sting vs. Kurosawa: Match Breakdown12:19 Starcade 1995 Preview and Discussion15:23 Scott Norton vs. The Giant: A Power Struggle18:15 Main Event: Lex Luger vs. Macho Man Randy Savage21:12 Post-Match Fallout and Future Matches24:10 Final Thoughts on Nitro Episode 14

In this enlightening episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, host Sean V. Bradley, joined by Dealer Synergy's Director of CRM and Technologies, Jonathan Schrieber, delves deep into the intricacies of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems in the automotive industry. The discussion highlights the evolving roles within the dealership environment and the crucial importance of CRM systems as a cornerstone for modern automotive businesses. The episode begins with an exploration of Jonathan's extensive background, emphasizing the value of his varied experience from education to high-ranking dealership roles and through to his tenure at LotPop. "I fell in love with the CRM because you can't hide from it. You either do or you don't." – Jonathan Schrieber Throughout the episode, Sean and Jonathan stress the significance of effectively leveraging CRM systems to ensure dealership success and growth. They explore common shortcomings and strategies for enhancing CRM processes, from setup and employee training to AI integration with tools like Podium AI.  "Information without application is just information. Information with application equals transformation." – Sean V. Bradley Key insights include the necessity of customizing CRM processes to align with dealership specifics, promoting accountabilities such as making CRM usage a condition of employment, and the underutilized potential of CRM in reducing dealership dependency on expensive third-party lead providers. During the conversation, the seamless integration of AI with CRM systems is identified as a vital step towards optimizing customer engagement and dealership efficiency. "The hardest part about this job is just getting customer engagement." – Jonathan Schrieber   Key Takeaways: ✅ The seamless integration of CRM systems with AI holds significant potential to enhance dealership efficiency, especially beyond regular business hours. ✅ Customized CRM processes are vitally important for the unique needs of each dealership, particularly in managing the lifecycle of leads from various sources. ✅ Proficient use of CRM can dramatically reduce unnecessary expenditure on third-party lead services by maximizing existing databases. ✅ Consistent training and management accountability are essential to encourage proper CRM use by employees, enhancing dealership profitability. ✅ Innovative applications of AI within CRM not only streamline dealership operations but also improve customer engagement and management decision-making processes. About Jonathan Schrieber Jonathan Schrieber is a seasoned automotive professional with over 20 years of diverse experience in the industry. Jonathan is a graduate of the NADA University and has held various pivotal roles, including Internet Director and GSM. His career spans several key areas, including sales, service, parts, and management in dealerships, which provided him a holistic understanding of automotive operations! Jonathan currently serves as the Director of CRM and Technologies at Dealer Synergy, where he leads initiatives to maximize dealership efficiency and customer relationship management globally. His expertise has been honed further through a significant tenure at LotPop, where he analyzed and enhanced dealership processes across the country.   Mastering the Art of CRM Integration: Strategies for Automotive Dealership Success   Key Takeaways: Outsourcing and AI integration are pivotal for thriving CRM strategies. Comprehensive CRM training is essential for maximizing dealership potential. CRM is not just a tool but a culture that needs top-down commitment and execution.   Innovative CRM Strategies for Automotive Dealerships The landscape of the automotive industry is rapidly evolving, with customer relationship management (CRM) as a linchpin for success. As dealerships strive to sell more cars, customer engagement remains the hardest part of the job. The introduction of AI and dedicated call centers has revolutionized how dealerships manage leads and customer interactions. Sean V. Bradley, president of Dealer Synergy, underscores the importance of CRM by stating, "One of the biggest challenges that I keep hearing from dealers across the United States is, man, I don't have enough people." Outsourcing is a game-changer in this context. By expanding their operations across three countries, including Belize and the Philippines, Dealer Synergy leverages skilled agents ensuring no customer is left unattended. This operational efficiency not only addresses the perennial complaint of insufficient staffing but also enhances customer engagement through continuous, round-the-clock service. Such strategies allow dealers to focus more on profitable engagements, rather than scrambling to maintain their current workloads. The advent of AI, especially solutions like Podium's AI BDC, amplifies this strategy. Podium's Jerry provides 24/7 lead conversion powerhouses, engaging customers even after hours. "Meet Jerry Podium's new AI BDC. Jerry is a lead conversion powerhouse designed to respond instantly to every incoming lead," offers a practical glimpse into leveraging technology for superior customer management without direct human intervention. Such integrations streamline processes, ensuring a smooth handover to human staff without disrupting customer interaction.   The Importance of Robust CRM Training and Processes While sophisticated tools and AI are invaluable, the human factor remains central to CRM success. Dealerships often overlook thorough training for their teams, leading to suboptimal use of available technology. Jonathan Schrieber, an automotive veteran and Director of CRM and Technologies at Dealer Synergy Global, emphasizes the need for a sound training structure. "I think the hardest part about this job is just getting customer engagement," he echoes, highlighting how a well-trained staff is instrumental in overcoming this challenge. Schrieber's personal journey from the floor of a dealership to overseeing CRM at an executive level underscores the value of comprehensive training and experienced leadership. His background in every facet of the dealership—from driving a parts truck to handling finance—shows how familiarity with all processes enriches CRM strategy and execution. His insight into the importance of analytics ensures that dealership's sales, service, and parts departments align seamlessly, fostering an environment where CRM is not just a database, but a dynamic tool driving meaningful customer interactions. Training should not simply involve checking off a list. Instead, it requires ongoing commitment from all levels of management. "It's not what you preach, it's what you tolerate," a quote from Extreme Ownership as referenced by Schrieber, encapsulates the idea that CRM proficiency must be embedded in the dealership's culture. Overcoming CRM hesitance requires robust leadership that practices what it preaches, making CRM compliance and training a non-negotiable part of dealership operations.   Elevating CRM from Tool to Cultural Cornerstone The successful execution of CRM strategies stretches beyond technology and tools; it requires a paradigm shift in how dealerships perceive CRM. Sean V. Bradley advocates for viewing CRM as fundamental to dealership operations, not just an optional tool. "Information without application is just information. Information with application equals transformation," he states, urging dealerships to transform data into actionable insights. Transitioning CRM from a supportive tool to an operational cornerstone involves aligning AI, human resources, and backend processes. The trifecta approach—human resources, CRM automation, and AI—ensures all dealership functions operate synergistically. When set up correctly, these elements prevent duplicate efforts and ensure smooth customer interactions. Achieving this integration requires a commitment to cleanliness and optimization of existing CRM processes. As Schrieber advises, "The first step…is just clean up and optimize what you do have first." By eliminating redundancies and enhancing process flows, dealerships can fully leverage AI capabilities, ensuring customer interaction fidelity and real-time engagement. Crafting a future-proof CRM strategy in the automotive industry necessitates a blend of advanced technology, diligent training, and a cultural shift in CRM perception. As experts like Schrieber and Bradley illustrate, converting CRM from a task-driven utility to an integral cultural component is crucial. This ensures not only enhanced customer experiences but also maximizes profitability in an increasingly competitive market. Through embracing technology, fostering comprehensive training, and committing to a culture of accountability, dealerships can thrive in the complex ecosystem of modern automotive sales.     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Credit-Driven Retailing - NCC delivers industry-best credit-driven retailing for auto dealerships, combining a powerful credit and compliance engine and fully integrated CRM/Desking platform for maximum profitability.   Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more.   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Powered by proprietary solutions such as Intelligent Credit Engine™ and LenderSelect™, NCC transforms the car-buying experience for dealers and their customers. From compliance and lender selection to CRM and desking, to marketing and data mining—NCC integrates them all in a single, seamless platform to deliver better customer experiences, maximum efficiency and maximum profit.   Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login.   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!  

In this episode, I'm getting real about the grind of internet leads—the ones with no phone numbers, the ones who ghost you, and the ones who drain your time asking for information only to disappear into the void. I've been there. I've sold cars. And now I work these leads live during my dealership sales training sessions. I'm in the trenches with you—setting same-day appointments with tough leads while coaching teams to win. That's why I care so deeply about helping sales pros and BDC reps level up. You'll hear: Why urgency is non-negotiable when working internet leads How to stand out in a crowded inbox The power of a well-timed phone call vs. a lifeless text chain Voicemail strategies that actually spark engagement How ChatGPT can help you write customized, value-packed follow-up messages What mindset it takes to thrive in today's high-competition digital battlefield Whether you're struggling to convert leads or just want to refresh your game with 2025 tactics, this episode is packed with real talk, real examples, and strategies that actually work. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast |

This week on The Golden Wrench Podcast I sit down with John Traver. John and I discuss how to master your BDC process, improve loyalty, how to know your customer better and more! For more info on Repair360, visit: https://www.repair360.com/ Digital Dealership Solutions: ddsolutions.ca Strategy With Jason: strategywithjason.com Bell2Bell: bell2bell.ca Listen To The Strategy With Jason Podcast: Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3IwlT3v Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3fT8V3H Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/347rnDb #automotive #automotiveindustry #automotivesoftware #dealership #dealerships #dealersolutions #leadership #leader #bell2bell #strategy️ #data #fixedops #servicedrive #service #customercentric #customerrelationships #bdc #loyalty

In this episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman podcast, host Sean V. Bradley dives deep into the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the automotive sales industry with guest Billy Hymas, the Auto Director at Podium. The discussion centers around how AI technologies, like Podium's AI named Jerry, are revolutionizing dealership operations by improving leads' response times and conversion rates.  “AI-driven tools can drastically enhance lead response times and improve conversion rates by providing timely and relevant customer communication.” With insights into the consumer's changing expectations in the post-pandemic world, the duo explores the unparalleled advantages of integrating AI into customer communications, emphasizing the necessity for dealerships to evolve with the digital age. The conversation unfolds compelling statistics and strategies, noting how AI significantly boosts engagement through immediate and relevant communication, even during after-hours.  “Integration of AI in the dealership's workflow complements the CRM systems and aids human resources in maximizing operational efficiency and sales effectiveness.” Billy highlights the importance of AI in enhancing customer satisfaction (CSI) by ensuring timely and personalized responses, thus bolstering online reputation management. With the shared success stories from major dealership groups, the episode underscores AI's pivotal role in navigating common challenges like high attrition rates and maximizing dealership profitability. Throughout this episode, listeners gain understanding into the balanced integration of AI, CRM tools, and human resources in dealership operations, equipping them with practical insights on optimizing lead management and boosting sales efficacy.   Key Takeaways: ✅ AI-driven tools can drastically enhance lead response times and improve conversion rates by providing timely and relevant customer communication. ✅ Jerry, Podium's AI tool, acts as a diligent, omnipresent team member, handling customer inquiries after hours and aiding in the lead conversion process. ✅ Integration of AI in the dealership's workflow complements the CRM systems and aids human resources in maximizing operational efficiency and sales effectiveness. ✅ Properly executed AI systems can improve Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) by ensuring a seamless and personable customer experience throughout their buying journey. ✅ With AI's aid, dealerships can easily manage a large influx of leads without overstretching their human resources, addressing staffing challenges and increasing sales figures.   About Billy Hymas Billy Hymas is the Auto Director at Podium, a leading technology company specializing in artificial intelligence solutions for the automotive industry. With a rich background in sales, including roles in door-to-door sales and enterprise sales, Billy brings a wealth of experience in customer interactions and technology solutions. His focus at Podium is on helping automotive dealers enhance lead conversion and customer engagement through cutting-edge AI technology. Billy's extensive experience in sales management and his work across various industries contribute to his expertise in implementing AI for business growth and efficiency.     Revolutionizing Car Sales with AI: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Dealership Operations Technology has always been at the forefront of revolutionizing industries, and the automotive sector is no exception. In a recent deep dive into AI's role in car dealerships, experts Sean V. Bradley from Dealer Synergy and Billy Hymas from Podium reveal how embracing this technology is not only changing the landscape but also boosting sales, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. The discussion encompasses the nuances of AI in dealership settings, tackling common challenges, and optimizing operations to meet evolving consumer expectations. Key Takeaways Speed and Precision in Lead Response: The faster a dealership responds to a lead, the higher the likelihood of conversion. Role of AI in Reducing Human Error: AI helps maintain accurate customer interactions, minimizing the pitfalls of miscommunication. AI as a Team Member: AI tools can complement human resources by handling routine tasks, thereby freeing staff to focus on higher-value activities. Speed and Precision in Lead Response: A Game Changer In the dynamic landscape of automotive sales, speed is critical. As highlighted by Sean V. Bradley, the correlation between response time and closing ratio is direct and significant. Traditional methods of handling leads are becoming obsolete with the rise of AI technologies like Podium's "Jerry," which offers immediate engagement with potential customers. "The faster you respond to somebody, the higher the closing ratio," Bradley notes, emphasizing that AI can interact with leads—whether through text or online chat—immediately, even beyond business hours. Billy Hymas adds weight to this by noting how AI can be a first line of defense in the often missed after-hours leads. "The ability to…answer quickly, help people feel warm and fuzzy because they're getting that instant dopamine hit. That's what sells cars," he explains. This real-time interaction reduces the delays that can lead to lost sales opportunities, offering a seamless transition from AI interaction to human follow-up when necessary.   The Role of AI in Reducing Human Error The concerns regarding the implementation of AI often revolve around its interaction with existing tools like CRMs. Many dealerships fear overloading customers with multiple communications from different systems. Hymas addresses this concern by explaining the integration capabilities of AI, particularly with established systems to ensure that customer messages are not duplicated or conflicting. AI's capability to maintain coherence and professionalism in customer interactions is paramount. As noted in the conversation, AI avoids common pitfalls such as email merge errors that tarnish customer experience. Hymas remarks on the intelligence of AI like Jerry, which can learn customer preferences and history, thus tailoring interactions that are informative and free of human errors, thereby building trust and improving customer satisfaction scores.   AI as a Team Member: Optimizing Human Resources Beyond just replacing basic tasks, AI can enhance a dealership's human resources by optimizing how their time is spent. As Bradley and Hymas discuss, AI facilitates taking on repetitive tasks that consume significant amounts of human effort. Bradley notes, "What happens to dealers is don't get all excited about whatever technology, whatever vendor and not let them speak to each other," emphasizing the importance of an integrated strategy where AI complements staff efforts. Hymas further adds that, "AI serves as an incredible trainer," allowing sales teams, especially newer members, to learn from AI's customer interactions. This not only aids in onboarding but also offers a continual learning opportunity, allowing seasoned salespeople to hone their techniques based on AI interaction data.   Embracing the Future of Automotive Sales with AI The conversation between Bradley and Hymas illuminates the transformative potential of AI in the car sales industry, highlighting its immediate benefits in engagement speed, accuracy, and resource optimization. AI, epitomized by tools like Podium's Jerry, is proving to be an invaluable asset, capable of increasing conversion rates and enhancing customer experience. By seamlessly integrating with existing CRM systems, AI complements rather than complicates, allowing dealership teams to focus on relationship-building and high-quality sales interactions. For dealerships ready to embrace these technologies, the future looks bright—and more profitable—than ever. Adopting these strategies can revolutionize the way dealerships operate, ensuring they not only meet but exceed modern consumer expectations in the digital era.     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Credit-Driven Retailing - NCC delivers industry-best credit-driven retailing for auto dealerships, combining a powerful credit and compliance engine and fully integrated CRM/Desking platform for maximum profitability.   Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more.   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Powered by proprietary solutions such as Intelligent Credit Engine™ and LenderSelect™, NCC transforms the car-buying experience for dealers and their customers. From compliance and lender selection to CRM and desking, to marketing and data mining—NCC integrates them all in a single, seamless platform to deliver better customer experiences, maximum efficiency and maximum profit.   Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login.   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!

In this heartfelt episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, Sean V. Bradley and LA Williams celebrate the life and legacy of Jim “The Alpha Dawg” Ziegler, forever an icon in the automotive industry. Joined by renowned guest Cory Mosley, the podcast pays tribute to Ziegler's profound impact and lasting influence on automotive sales culture and training. Through anecdotes, shared experiences, and enlightening discussions, listeners are provided a deep dive into the principles that Ziegler embodied, particularly his advocacy for dealers and his dynamic approach to sales training. "I wouldn't be in the car business if it weren't for what Jim taught me in his training." The episode eloquently captures Ziegler's ethos of doing things his way and the indelible mark he left on the automotive industry. From discussions about the early days of Ziegler's career to his massive influence on automotive sales techniques, the conversation touches on the many elements that made Ziegler a cherished mentor and industry leader.  "He loved his wife, he loved his family, and he loved the industry." The podcast also highlights Ziegler's personal insights on the importance of work-life balance and the human side of being a business legend, offering listeners a balanced perspective of both his professional contributions and his personal journey. Feel and listen with your heart as we honor the loss of an automotive legend.   Key Takeaways: ✅ Ziegler was a staunch advocate for automotive dealers, committed to enhancing dealership profitability and industry standards. ✅ The significance of mastering one's craft in automotive sales was a central theme of Ziegler's career, emphasizing his desire to elevate others in the industry. ✅ The importance of personal legacy and balancing professional success with meaningful personal relationships, a lesson from Ziegler's experiences. ✅ The role of the National Speakers Association (NSA) in elevating Ziegler's and others' careers, serving as a pivotal institution for professional growth and networking in public speaking. ✅ The evolving impact of technology and virtual platforms in car sales and dealership operations, as reflected in Ziegler's career transition over time.     About Jim “The Alpha Dawg” Ziegler, CSP, HSG Jim Ziegler, CSP, HSG - Known as "The Alpha Dawg," Ziegler was a legendary figure in the automotive industry with a career spanning nearly five decades. He was a consultant, speaker, and trainer, recognized for his contributions to F&I and automotive sales training. Holding the titles of Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and HSG, Jim was known for his bold personality and his impactful presence in the industry.   About Cory Mosley, CSP Meet Cory Mosley, CSP, Award-Winning Business Growth & Media Expert. Cory Mosley, CSP, is an entrepreneur, sought-after strategic consultant, media personality, results-driven coach, and certified speaking professional. Cory's experience in the business and media arena spans over twenty years and includes global strategy, business development, and marketing work. His client list includes Fortune 100 companies, global tier 1 and 2 suppliers, countless small business and franchise operations, professional associations, and non-profits. Cory specializes in Business Growth Strategy, Rebranding, Thought Leadership Content Creation, Event Speaking, and Custom Training and Development Programs.   About Sean V. Bradley, CSP Sean V. Bradley, CSP is the President of Dealer Synergy and co-creator of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. With decades of experience, Sean is a celebrated figure in automotive sales training, recognized for his innovative strategies and motivational speaking.   About LA Williams III - Known as “The Blind Master” LA Williams III - Known as “The Blind Master” is the co-host of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, Williams is known for his remarkable talent in inspiring and training automotive professionals. He contributes his extensive knowledge and engaging style to help drive sales success and motivate others.     Honoring the Alpha Dawg: The Lasting Legacy of Jim Ziegler in the Automotive Industry Key Takeaways Jim Ziegler's unwavering dedication to the automotive industry showcased his deep love and commitment to his craft, his family, and his peers. Emphasizing the importance of vigilance in business, Ziegler often cautioned against distractions disguised as opportunities, a principle that applies universally beyond automotive sales. Ziegler's larger-than-life persona and unparalleled influence have left an indelible mark on countless individuals within the automotive and speaking communities.   The Indomitable Jim Ziegler: A True Icon in the Automotive World Jim Ziegler's name resonates deeply within the automotive industry. Known as the "Alpha Dawg," Jim dedicated nearly five decades of his life to revolutionizing automotive sales and training. His powerful impact was not just limited to dealerships and sales teams but extended to empowering individuals through professional speaking. This article delves into Jim Ziegler's unmatched legacy, the principles he championed, and what it truly meant to have crossed paths with such a titan. One of Ziegler's peers, Sean V. Bradley, remarked, "Jim loved it. Day after day, he loved the industry." This passion for automotive sales and training was evident in all that Jim did—from his staunch advocacy for dealerships to his direct confrontations with entities that threatened the industry's sanctity. Jim Ziegler embodied what it means to be a true leader and innovator, and his influence will be felt for generations to come.   Pioneering a Dealer-Centric Approach Jim Ziegler was renowned for his unwavering commitment to the automotive profession and the people within it. His advocacy was unparalleled as he battled against anything that could detrimentally impact dealers, managers, and sales personnel. Emphasizing the need for integrity while making a profit, Ziegler once proclaimed, "Success leaves clues." This insight reflected his belief in the industry's potential—championing a dealer-centric model where professionalism and profitability went hand-in-hand. Ziegler's influence was palpable, from battling legislative efforts that threatened dealerships to crafting meticulously designed strategies to increase profitability. His colleagues noted how his strategies empowered automotive professionals at all levels, yielding measurable economic benefits. Jim's passion extended beyond the tangible, often challenging the status quo with his bombastic approach and willingness to confront adversity head-on. As Cory Mosley, another leading industry figure, stated, "This was a guy who came into our industry and fundamentally affected tens of thousands of people."   The Power of Persona: A Charismatic Figure Ziegler was known for his charisma, the allure of which was not only leveraged to drive sales but also to inspire legions within his community. His larger-than-life personality drew people in and his no-nonsense approach kept them engaged. Yet beyond the swagger and humor, Jim was a passionate advocate for continuous improvement. He emphasized the importance of mastering one's craft, often challenging peers to embrace the industry as if earning a master's degree. His sayings and stories are legendary. From stating, "Alpha Dawg don't fly in the back of no planes," to his memorable meme wars with peers, Jim was unapologetically himself and lived by his truth. This authenticity struck a chord with many, creating a ripple effect of admiration and respect across the industry. Jim's willingness to put himself out there and embrace failure was another facet of his enduring appeal. Whether mentoring up-and-coming trainers or forging lifelong friendships, Jim's influence was marked by his transparent honesty and keen desire to share his vast expertise. As L.A. Williams described, "He was a good guy to be around; he always loosened you up."   Navigating Opportunities: A Lesson in Focus Perhaps one of Ziegler's most impactful teachings was, "Beware of distractions disguised as opportunities." This timeless advice is not only applicable to the automotive industry but also serves as a broader lesson in life and business strategy. It encourages individuals to remain focused and discerning amid myriad distractions vying for attention in the digital age. By embodying this tenet, Ziegler was not only teaching the essentials of sales but also imparting wisdom that transcended the boundaries of industry-specific knowledge. His guidance urged professionals to identify the substantive opportunities from the noise—a skill crucial for success in both personal and professional domains. Jim's philosophy serves as a poignant reminder of the need for clarity and focus in our pursuits. Applying this approach can result in improved decision-making and reinforces the importance of maintaining a strategic vision. Reflecting on Jim Ziegler's Legacy Jim Ziegler's legacy is one of passionate advocacy, relentless pursuit of excellence, and the profound ability to influence those around him. Through his direct approach to both the joys and challenges of automotive sales and professional speaking, Jim equipped countless individuals with the knowledge and motivation to succeed. His unique blend of humor, wisdom, and integrity cemented his status as a towering figure within and beyond the automotive field. Reflecting on Ziegler's contributions invites us to ponder our own legacies—what we Stand for and what we leave behind. To honor Jim Zieg     Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Credit-Driven Retailing - NCC delivers industry-best credit-driven retailing for auto dealerships, combining a powerful credit and compliance engine and fully integrated CRM/Desking platform for maximum profitability.   Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more.   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Powered by proprietary solutions such as Intelligent Credit Engine™ and LenderSelect™, NCC transforms the car-buying experience for dealers and their customers. From compliance and lender selection to CRM and desking, to marketing and data mining—NCC integrates them all in a single, seamless platform to deliver better customer experiences, maximum efficiency and maximum profit.   Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login.   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!  

In this riveting episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman podcast, host Sean V. Bradley dives into the harsh realities of the automotive industry in 2025. With the backdrop of economic uncertainties, changing tariffs, and the fluctuating electric vehicle market, Sean discusses the challenges dealerships face today. Joining him is Cody Carter, the #1 Car Salesman in the World, who shares his secrets to thriving in such volatile conditions! Cody provides invaluable insights into maintaining profit margins despite rising costs, the declining value of electric vehicles, and leveraging digital retailing for success. “I'm the #1 Car Salesman, but I'm still chasing that 200 car month” - Cody Carter This episode is packed with Cody's expert strategies to navigate a competitive market and offers a unique perspective on adapting sales tactics in response to external pressures such as tariffs and political changes. Sean and Cody discuss the significance of creative leasing options, the importance of working the service drive, and embracing modern CRM technologies like AI to optimize sales processes. With robust discussions on customer engagement and the necessity of understanding market trends, listeners will uncover new pathways to boost dealership performance and sales efficiency!   Key Takeaways: ✅ Digital Retailing Mastery: Cody's success is partly attributed to his use of digital retailing, allowing customers to complete much of the purchasing process online, which leads to increased sales efficiency. ✅ Leveraging Alternate Lenders: By using multiple lenders and providing flexible leasing options, Cody maintains competitive pricing and attractive deals for customers. ✅ Service Drive Strategy: Unutilized service drive opportunities can yield high-value deals, a tactic that Cody suggests for increasing sales figures. ✅ Adapting to Market Trends: With changes in tariffs and the EV market, maintaining versatility in sales tactics and quickly adapting strategies is essential for ongoing success. ✅ AI and Technology: Implementing AI-driven conversational tools, like those offered by Podium, could significantly enhance lead management and sales processes.   About Cody Carter Cody Carter is renowned for his remarkable achievements as the world's top car salesman. In 2024, Cody set a new benchmark by selling an impressive 1,432 units, surpassing his previous record of 1,408 units sold in 2023. Cody is celebrated for his innovative automotive sales strategies and his efficient use of digital retailing technologies. Based at Tustin Toyota in California, Cody oversees an extensive clientele, leveraging his expertise to continue outperforming industry standards.   Mastering the Automotive Sales Landscape: Insights from Industry Titans Key Takeaways Market Adaptation: The automotive landscape in 2025 is evolving, demanding dealers and sales professionals to pivot with creative strategies and leverage incentives effectively. Digital Retailing: Harnessing digital retailing platforms and personalized websites can streamline operations and enhance customer experiences. Success Stories: Industry leaders like Cody Carter demonstrate that innovative approaches to sales and marketing can significantly boost performance and dealership output. The automotive industry in 2025 is encountering a turbulent landscape characterized by rapid changes in sales dynamics, electrification, and market incentives. In a compelling conversation with automotive experts Sean V. Bradley and Cody Carter, the secrets to navigating these challenges while capitalizing on opportunities become evident. Bradley, a pioneer in auto sales training, and Carter, the renowned "Millionaire Car Salesman," reveal how key sales strategies and digital tools can transform dealership performance.   Adapting to the 2025 Automotive Market The year 2025 has brought with it substantial shifts in automotive sales strategies. "Man, it's rough out there in them streets," Sean V. Bradley articulates, summarizing the struggles faced by many in the industry. A predominant theme is the requirement for dealerships to adapt after several years of unprecedented sales volumes post-pandemic. With manufacturers reintroducing incentives and OEM spins, many dealers are driven to adjust their strategies quickly. "The pulse that I'm getting is that there's a lot of stress in 2025," highlights Bradley as he describes the current sales calendar. Dealerships are contending with factors like rising costs, which impact profit margins, and competing incentives that pressure sellers to discount inventory heavily. The transcript illustrates the importance of leveraging incentives creatively. As Carter explains, some domestics offer $7,000 to $8,000 in incentives, which could drive sales volume if strategically applied. "We try to get them into like right now we're doing 39-month leases… which allows me to potentially make the payment attractive and make more gross profit," Carter outlines. Implications for Sales Strategies This evolving landscape forces a rethink in sales approaches. Effective handling of tariffs and managing changing demand for electric and hybrid vehicles are crucial. Carter reveals how Toyota's diverse lineup allows for flexibility, indicating that understanding inventory dynamics can mitigate potential tariff impacts. There's a wider implication for sales teams to maintain competitive responses to shifting market conditions by fully understanding their product and financial levers.   Leveraging Digital Retailing for Business Growth The automotive sector's digital transition has become a lifeline for sales professionals. Cody Carter's success epitomizes the power of digital retailing platforms. Despite market volatility, Carter confirms, "A lot of it contributed to some of these lenders. Ally, for example, they're giving me a thousand dollar rebate on every single car that you send to them." This system maximizes efficiency by allowing buyers to explore financing options directly from dealership websites. Digital platforms enable customers to visualize varied financing structures, effectively engage with leasing options, and make informed purchasing decisions. As displayed in the conversation, Carter's website personalizes customer interactions, saying, "The biggest thing with my site that's unique is I have multiple lenders for leasing loaded on there." Broader Impacts of Digital Tools Digital retailing is transforming the automotive landscape by increasing transparency and convenience for customers. As automotive commerce gravitates online, maintaining competitive pressures by ensuring platforms are user-friendly and integrative becomes essential. Success stories like Carter's highlight that embracing innovation not only improves customer satisfaction but significantly elevates business results, capturing market share despite an overcrowded digital space.   Success in Automotive Sales: Unpacking Cody Carter's Strategies Cody Carter's remarkable achievements have set benchmarks across the industry. With 1,432 units sold last year, Cody's marketing mastery breaks conventional dealership molds. His pragmatic approach is encapsulated when he notes, "There's so much money to be made, and it's just left laying there." By focusing on untapped potential, specifically within service departments, Cody continually drives profitability. A pivotal element of Cody's approach is his use of lease options. Acknowledging current resale value downturns, particularly with EVs, Carter advocates leasing as an effective strategy—a sentiment reinforced with his statement: "Lease it today, capture the rebate on the first payment, buy it out and then you save money." Lessons for Aspiring Sales Professionals Carter's success reveals vital lessons for budding sales professionals. His proactive client relations and meticulous understanding of market dynamics reflect the need for personalized customer experiences. By integrating digital tools and leveraging creative financing solutions, dealerships can offer exceptional customer journeys, leading to higher sales volumes and customer loyalty. The revelations shared in this insightful discussion between Bradley and Carter underscore a broader message: mastering the complexities of the automotive industry in 2025 is achievable. By embracing digital platforms, understanding evolving market incentives, and personalizing customer engagements, sales professionals can navigate current challenges and significantly enhance dealership performance. Invoking creativity and consumer-centric strategies will continue to provide a roadmap for success, even amidst market uncertainties.   Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Credit-Driven Retailing - NCC delivers industry-best credit-driven retailing for auto dealerships, combining a powerful credit and compliance engine and fully integrated CRM/Desking platform for maximum profitability.   Complete CRM: Complete CRM is a streamlined, all-in-one system that simplifies your dealership software and processes so you can manage every aspect of your operation with ease; from tracking and following up on leads, desking deals, managing inventory, marketing to your customers, and more.   Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.   The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!   Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!   NCC: Powered by proprietary solutions such as Intelligent Credit Engine™ and LenderSelect™, NCC transforms the car-buying experience for dealers and their customers. From compliance and lender selection to CRM and desking, to marketing and data mining—NCC integrates them all in a single, seamless platform to deliver better customer experiences, maximum efficiency and maximum profit.   Complete CRM: As an innovative leader in the industry for the last 30 years, Complete CRM is designed to give your dealership the competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. Powered by Complete Credit™ and award-winning desking, Complete CRM™ is the industry's only credit and compliance-enabled CRM that lets dealers achieve maximum profitability on every deal. Built on modern technology, Complete CRM seamlessly integrates credit, compliance, inventory, data mining, lead generation, enterprise functionality, and customized reporting in one tool with a single login.   Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.   Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!