EPISODES

Practical strategies for modern retail auto dealers

Michael Cirillo Michael Cirillo

“Stop Doing The Memes” — What Actually Works for Dealers on Social Media | Charlie Czerniawski, Car Sales Manager at Sansone Toyota

In this episode I sit down with Charlie who explains how salespeople can use social media to become known in their market before a customer ever walks into the dealership. That familiarity changes the interaction. Customers start asking for specific people. Trust begins earlier. And the salesperson starts building demand around their own name instead of depending entirely on random floor traffic.

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Michael Cirillo Michael Cirillo

"We Want To Actively Give Back" — An Independent Dealer On Trust Over Ad Spend | Travis Baldwin, Vice President at Best Deal Auto Sales

Travis Baldwin started detailing cars at his family's independent dealership in 1999. He worked his way up through buyer, sales associate, sales manager, area manager, and eventually Vice President at Best Deal Auto Sales, all while serving on the board of the Indiana Independent Auto Dealer Association and spending time as a reserve police officer.

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Michael Cirillo Michael Cirillo

“39 Cars To 62” - How A Store Fixed A Decade-long Sales Plateau In 60 Days | Jonathan Dawson, Dealer Principal at Cherokee Mitsubishi

This episode centers on one story: a 10 year veteran salesperson who'd been chasing 40 cars a month for a decade, topping out at 39, and told Jonathan flatly that the only way to get there was to fire five coworkers and add more staff and inventory. Jonathan walked him through a simple math exercise instead, built entirely off the salesperson's own best single day. Two months later, he sold 62 cars. No new hires, no new inventory.

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Michael Cirillo Michael Cirillo

"175 to 400 Cars a Month" — The Used Car Reframe That Changed Every Department | Rob Dell, VP at at Bob Ruth Ford

Rob Dell runs a Ford store in a town of just 2,700 people, boxed in by a competing Ford dealer every seven miles. Instead of fighting for new car volume he could never win, he rebuilt his store around used cars, taking monthly volume from around 175 to close to 400. In this episode, Rob breaks down the shift in thinking that made that growth possible.

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Michael Cirillo Michael Cirillo

“My Team Will Adapt at the Drop of a Dime” — The GM Playbook for Leading When You Don’t Have All the Answers | Charlie Spradlin, GM Art Moehn Auto Group

Charlie Spradlin admits something most GMs would never say out loud: he doesn't have all the answers, and that's exactly why his team adapts at the drop of a dime. In this episode, the General Manager at Art Moehn Chevrolet Honda talks pay plans, letting go of running every department himself, and what COVID actually proved was possible for his store.

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Michael Cirillo Michael Cirillo

"Inventory as a Catalyst" — Why Inventory Is Still Your Most Overlooked Lever | Dan Collingridge, CTO At FlexDealer

Are you still relying on outdated inventory practices that drain your profits and time? Many general managers and dealer principals dismiss inventory operations as "not super exciting problems," yet these foundational issues are costing your dealership hundreds of thousands in wasted ad spend and lost sales opportunities. It's time to stop the bleed and optimize where it matters most.

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Michael Cirillo Michael Cirillo

"$400 A Transaction" — Boosting F&i Profit With Data-driven AI | Adam Marburger, CEO at Ascent Dealer Services

In this episode, automotive F&I expert Adam Marburger reveals how leveraging data and accountability is generating a nearly $400 lift in F&I PDR per transaction for dealerships. Discover how top-performing dealers aren't chasing the next shiny object, but instead focusing on human capital and systematic processes to protect and grow their bottom line.

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Michael Cirillo Michael Cirillo

"The Gap Is Widening" — Predicting WHO Wins And Loses In Today's Auto Market | Glenn Lundy, President 800% Elite Auto

In today's rapidly changing automotive retail landscape, are you positioning your dealership for unprecedented growth or an inevitable decline? Many long-standing car dealerships are facing a market that’s poised to create a “bloodbath for many,” while simultaneously launching others to unprecedented success. The question isn't 'if' the market will change, but whether you're ready to be the catalyst.

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