“Burn The Ships!” – Scott Simons’ Tactics for Fixing a Dealership From the Ground Up | Scott Simons, Dealer Principal of Simons Chevrolet GMC
Car Dealership Guy Podcast
Vendor & Tech Stack Friction
Scott recounts painful vendor negotiations, integration fees, and choosing Automate, Venn, V-Auto and DealerTrack.
Today I’m joined by Scott Simons, Dealer Principal of Simons Chevrolet GMC.
Scott breaks down the leap from corporate leadership to dealership ownership — the money discipline, personal brand, and network it actually takes.
He lays out the unexpected challenges of buying his first store, how he navigated a sub-$10M investment, and why adaptability became his biggest edge. Dealers will walk away with clear, tactical insights on evaluating opportunities, managing risk, and jump-starting early growth.
This episode is brought to you by:
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3. Nomad Content Studio - Most dealers still fumble social—posting dry inventory pics or handing it off without a plan. Meanwhile, the store down the street is racking up millions of views and selling / buying cars using video. That’s where Nomad Content Studio comes in. We train your own videographer, direct what to shoot, and handle strategy, to posting, to feedback. Want in with the team behind George Saliba, EV Auto, and top auto groups? Book a call @ http://www.trynomad.co
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Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
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Topics:
03:10 Key to acquiring the dealership?
06:24 How does family drive your motivation?
11:42 Biggest operational challenge and strategy?
14:13 Most crucial vendor relationship lesson?
24:59 Securing OEM approval: hardest part?
28:42 How to build a strong team?
29:52 How does networking drive career growth?
49:27 What is your ultimate legacy goal?
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