Car Dealership Guy

Some dealers are using slow months to sharpen their operations. Joshua Clinton, Managing Partner of Cape Coral Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, explains how discipline today compounds *when* Stellantis demand rebounds. "This is the time to look at the things that can improve the business from the bottom up. Whether it's something as simple as just reviewing expenses, right? Just go through the bottom line and see what can you fix, what can you change, what can you control to get your business as tight and efficient as possible." "When the market share comes back to where we're expecting it to be and the volume increases, things are just, they're gonna get more chaotic. This is the time when you're not as busy as that to really focus on the little things. So that's what we're doing, we're really just trying to maintain the focus on the things we can control." "Every Stellantis dealer is starving for a mid-size SUV that can be competitive in the market. It's the largest segment in the country and we don't play in it. So that is, I think, the major player that we've been missing from our lineup that is gonna change things for the brand." Daily Dealer Live hosted by Sam D'Arc and Ulisse de' Martino - Thank you to our partner automotiveMastermind Inc.! Check them out by visiting https://lnkd.in/eRCjn_mb

Used-car acquisition is moving to the service lane. Dealers are finding new inventory by mining customers already in their bays— Before those cars ever hit the market. Charlie Spradlin, Sales Director at Art Moehn Auto Group, explains how service-drive sourcing is reshaping used-car strategy. "Our entire mentality around used cars has changed in my stores, and needs to continue to just change in the industry and it needs to go to acquisition, which isn't a new conversation, I don't feel like in the last few years. But, it needs to go to affordability and it needs to go to acquisition. You need to stock as many cars as you can for the area economically that you're in." "[SKAIVISION] sends a text message to every customer that falls within this range, when they bought the car, make and model, of course you can customize that to what you want and it hits every single one, every single time. What that's done is taken away the what if factor. Sometimes we decide for a customer when it's a good time to upgrade, when it makes the most sense. We can't do that, we can't decide for a customer." "We found the most success by having one dedicated person, she went from my sales floor as a salesperson. Text message comes out, it's from her, this is the offer, it's a Carfax fair value, and then she's able to take it from there. And I have a manager who kind of specializes in it, he watches the conversations, makes sure that they're being respond to. And then I have a used car guy who helps with acquisition and his main focus is the service drive." Daily Dealer Live hosted by Sam D'Arc and Ulisse de' Martino - Thank you to our partner automotiveMastermind Inc.! Check them out by visiting https://lnkd.in/eRCjn_mb

[NEWS] Scott Painter says TrueCar 2.0 is about collaboration, not disruption: After a decade away, the founder’s looking to rebuild trust with dealers and rethink how tech connects both sides of the market. In his words: “The first lesson is to collaborate instead of trying to take on a system.” Painter admits early TrueCar won with consumers but fell short with dealers. So now, with tech finally catching up, he’s betting on agentic AI. Not to replace people, but to make buying and selling feel more human again. Think tools that can research, appraise, and finance through conversation vs clicks. His message to dealers: Whether with TrueCar or anywhere else…stay curious, get involved early, and help shape where this tech goes next. Read today’s top automotive stories, presented by DAS Technology: https://lnkd.in/e34AR64x (Data source: Scott Painter via Daily Dealer Live)

[NEWS] Used car lots are starting to fill up again: Cox Automotive says dealers had 2.26M used vehicles on hand at the start of October. That’s up 3% from September and 10% from last year. Here’s why: - Used retail sales fell 5% last month. - Certified pre-owned dropped almost four times faster. - And average listing prices hit $25,825, up about 2% YoY. Cox’s Scott Vanner says it’s a mix of seasonality and affordability. But with more cars on the lot and slower sales, dealers should expect renewed pressure on inventory management and pricing discipline heading into year-end. Read today’s top automotive stories, presented by DAS Technology: https://lnkd.in/ekqb2aST (Data source: Cox Automotive / vAuto)

[NEWS] New tariffs are coming November 1: The White House on Friday confirmed a 25% hit on heavy-duty trucks and 10% on buses and motor coaches. The move is part of a broader plan to extend tariff offset programs through 2030, meant to cushion U.S.-built cars. And now, similar relief is being added for trucks. Imports under the USMCA remain exempt, but buses don’t qualify. With the main focus, per officials via NBC News, being: “To expand domestic vehicle production in the United States to ensure that we have good, high-paying jobs for American workers.” For automakers and dealers: That means a little more stability and predictability in pricing, even as commercial truck costs edge higher. Read today’s top automotive stories, presented by DAS Technology: https://lnkd.in/eswfHAhj (Data source: NBC News / White House)

Joshua Clinton, Charlie Spradlin | Daily Dealer Live Today's show features: Joshua Clinton, Managing Partner of Cape Coral CDJR Charlie Spradlin, Sales Director at Art Moehn Chevrolet Honda This episode is brought to you by: automotiveMastermind – Car Dealership Guy listeners can take Mastermind’s 30-second Sales Efficiency Quiz to see how their dealership stacks up. Complete the quiz and sign up for a complimentary market analysis by October 31, 2025, to unlock 50% off Mastermind’s predictive marketing. Visit https://lnkd.in/eRCjn_mb to learn more and to activate your offer. Terms and conditions apply. The 50% off marketing offer is available for a limited time for new dealers joining automotiveMastermind. To be eligible, complete a demo by October 31, 2025. The offer is not valid for existing dealers on automotiveMastermind.

Stumbled across this image ranking the slowest depreciating cars: To probably no one’s surprise, several Toyota models depreciate the slowest. In fact, only the Kia Rio and the Ford Mustang are the only non-Japanese models in the group. (Data/chart source: US News / Visual Capitalist)

Not every dealer has the budget for a full-blown marketing agency: Or the time to play influencer. But after years and years of keyword wars, paid search ads, third-party listing sites, the new edge in dealership digital marketing looks a lot more blended and automated. And across dozens of dealer conversations, three trends keep surfacing: 1. Hybrid BDCs are quietly cutting ad waste. Some stores are pairing small in-house teams with outsourced partners and AI tools that handle overflow calls and lead follow-ups. At GMC Mount Vernon, appointment-set rates jumped from 17% to 42% and response times dropped to under 45 seconds after switching to the hybrid model. 2. AI search is reshaping visibility. Consumers are researching vehicles more and more through ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, and others. And organizations like Bud Clary Auto Group are already optimizing inventory feeds by: - Uploading inventory feeds to Google Merchant Center and OpenAI's schema. - And leveraging free Chrome extensions like View Rendered Source to audit what AI crawlers can actually see. 3. Video is becoming plug-and-play. Generative tools are making it easier for dealers to create quick, hyper-tailored walk-arounds and service updates. The catch: The “AI avatar” thing still feels off. So, most dealers are blending real people with AI-generated footage and voice-over instead. It’s faster, cheaper, and still authentic. But here’s the thing— None of it works without clean data. Bottom line: Dealership marketing is moving from fragmented, manual hustle to integrated, automated precision. Read the Breakdown here, together with Lotlinx: https://lnkd.in/emhFVTPM

Data security is becoming a growing concern in automotive retail. Len Short, CEO of Lotlinx, explains why keeping AI systems closed is essential to protecting dealer data. ➤ Stream the latest episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast now on your favorite platform—brought to you by OPENLANE US, Amazon Autos and Lotlinx

The auto technician role is evolving fast. Ryan Toohey, Service Manager at Auburn Toyota, explains how advancing vehicle technology is reshaping the skills needed to thrive in the shop. "Work with your hands and have a drive, because I can't teach you that, but I can give you all the factory skills and some tools that you need. So come in and be hungry, and you'll make it." "The electronics in the cars are so complex that I think it actually pushes some of them away if they're not oriented on the brain side to be working with electrical." "The way that everything's integrated with computers, there's a lot less mechanical tools that we're gonna need, and it's really gonna be about scan tools and diagrams, and being able to find faults is gonna be a really popular skill." Daily Dealer Live hosted by Sam D'Arc and Ulisse de' Martino - Thank you to our partner Repair360! Check them out by visiting repair360.com