Car Dealership Guy Podcast

In this episode, I'm speaking with Alan Haig, President & Founder of Haig Partners This episode is brought to you by:Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.incHaig Partners - Helping dealers maximize the value of their businesses. Learn more at Haigpartners.comInterested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line hereInterested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name hereTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:01:37) - The state of the car market(00:05:54) - Findings from the Haig report(00:11:36) - How is Toyota doing well with declining market share?(00:15:32) - What brands are dealers flocking toward right now?(00:18:49) - What brands are dealers staying away from & the talent war(00:29:18) - Is it easier to find buyers or sellers right now?(00:36:06) - Drivers Behind Economies of Scale(00:39:26) - How do you explain the rise of non-car business investors getting into the industry? (trim up)(00:45:37) - What are you seeing in terms of dealer sentiment?(00:50:16) - How do you add value to your dealerships today?(00:55:23) - What’s the best way to cultivate talent in this industry?(01:01:26) - What’s your outlook for the car market in 2024?Check out Haig Partners here and the Haig Report here.Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

David Meniane, CEO of Carparts.com, shares his inspiring journey to America, going on Shark Tank, starting CarParts.com and building a $200M+ car parts empire. He discusses the economy, online parts purchasing, competition with dealers, AI integration, interest rates impact, margins, competition, EVs, manufacturing in the US, and the future of his business.

CEO at Group 1 Automotive discusses the founding story of the company and their success in maximizing dealership parts and service, incentives, and profitability. They explore the challenges of transitioning from the OEM side to the dealership side and the value of dealerships in providing long-term customer service. They also discuss the advantages of being a larger dealership group and the factors affecting affordability in the automotive industry.

Peter Kelly, CEO at OPENLANE, discusses the digital car auction market, the acquisition of Manheim Canada, and predicts a future of all-digital car buying. He emphasizes the importance of quick sales, market prices, broad inventory, easy transactions, and trustworthy condition reports for successful auctions. The podcast also explores supply disruptions, price increases, and the changing landscape of the automotive industry.

Phil Oriani, CEO of Shift Digital, discusses the challenges of direct-to-consumer car sales. Also talks about building an app store for car manufacturers, effectiveness of traditional OEM commercials, and harnessing the power of organic social media for dealerships. Explores the use of AI in the dealership experience and the future technological landscape for dealerships.

Jason Trevisan, CEO at CarGurus, discusses the impact of technology on the consumer experience, CarGurus' business model, mitigating bad-faith actors, hedging against Google, and the future of CarGurus alongside the customer experience. He also talks about recruiting Ivy League students, their acquisition of CarOffer, thoughts on Hyundai/Amazon, and how dealer marketing will change in the next 5 years.

In this episode, Leonard Bellavia, Founding Partner at Bellavia and Blatt Law, discusses dealership franchise laws and consumer-friendly auto brands. They explore the changing perception of dealerships, the history of franchise laws, and the need for them in today's market. They also talk about the potential for manufacturers becoming retailers and the benefits of a franchise system for Tesla. Additionally, they touch on the top concerns of dealers, recommended brands to buy or lease, and Hyundai's consumer-friendly approach.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Betty Jotanovic, President of Chrysler Capital and Auto Relationships at Santander.This episode is brought to you by:AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/Podium - The lead conversion platform for car dealerships. Get 10% of your plan by texting “CarDealershipGuy” to (833) 441-1166 or visit https://bit.ly/48UKr4xInterested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line hereInterested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name hereTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:03:04) - Betty’s background and career(00:09:47) - Distribution channels(00:10:52) - Difficulty in signing up with new dealers(00:12:23) - What makes an excellent dealership to work with(00:15:28) - Quantifying risk(00:16:21) - Auto loan and economic concerns(00:24:28) - Quantifying risk on EVs(00:26:25) - Repossessions and fraud(00:30:37) - Balancing digital lending vs. having a physical presence(00:33:05) - Embedded advantages to being vertically integrated(00:34:46) - What do you do with all the loans once they’re issued?(00:36:10) - Reacting to the changing nature of lending(00:39:16) - Automating the lending business(00:41:44) - Macroeconomic outlooks(00:43:28) - Advice to dealers(00:45:42) - Where to learn moreCheck out Santander here.Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

You’re probably wondering: what is an “Emergency Podcast”?On November 18, 2023, Amazon and Hyundai made a splashy announcement that they’re teaming up to offer online car sales.I received tons of questions from dealers and consumers and decided to try something new: An impromptu, live podcast on Twitter Spaces.My special guest on this episode is Andrew Wright, a long-time car dealer and the incoming Chairman of Hyundai’s National Dealer Council.The following episode is the full, raw, and unedited recording of our discussion that occurred on November 17, 2023 @ 12pm ET.I hope you enjoy this episode and that it helps bring clarity to the situation.Please leave a comment on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, or wherever you are, and let me know if you want more of these.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Jamie Oldershaw, VP of Reputation Strategy at Cars Commerce.This episode is brought to you by:Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.incAutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line hereInterested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name hereTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:03:02) - Jamie’s experience at DealerRater(00:13:12) - The DealerRater Product(00:17:41) - The decision-making process of the consumer(00:24:33) - How DealerRater makes money (00:26:26) - Fraud prevention(00:30:27) - Thoughts on anonymous reviews(00:32:41) - Jamie’s take on Yelp(00:35:24) - Thoughts on the state of the car market(00:37:21) - Adapting the dealership model(00:39:04) - Automating the consumer experience(00:42:27) - Patterns in Brand reviews(00:44;15) - The best way for consumers to purchase and the best way for dealers to leverage platforms like DealerRater(00:48:45) - The future for DealerRater(00:50:36) - Where to contact JamieCheck out Cars Commerce here.Get in touch with Alex by emailing him at Jamie@CarsCommerce.incCheck out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.