“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
OEM Approval: What GM Looked For
Scott explains how market penetration, CSI, and profitability from his CMA track record helped secure GM approval.
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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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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