EPISODES
Practical strategies for modern retail auto dealers
“50 More Cars a Month” - Why Every Franchise Dealer Needs a Subprime Department | Luke Godwin, Owner Godwin Motors
Could your dealership be missing out on 50 additional car sales every month? Luke Godwin, a third-generation car dealer, founder of Godwin Consulting Group, and co-host of the Independent Dealer Podcast, believes many franchise dealers are overlooking an opportunity sitting right inside their existing operations.
“AI Can’t Find You” — Why AI Is Skipping Your Dealership Website | Wade Kerzie, Founder Kerzie AI
Michael sits down with his neighbor, Wade of Kerzie.ai, to talk about why AI keeps skipping right past dealership websites. Wade walks through his front cover, back cover way of thinking about it, a simple test you can run on your site in under a minute, and how his team keeps a dealer's inventory current for AI every single day.
“I Didn’t Have to Chase Ups” — Car Sales Systems Behind 64 Cars in 15 Days | Kevin Rudolph, Sales Team Leader at Royal Buick GMC
Kevin Rudolph sold 64 cars in a month and worked 14 or 15 days to do it. He didn't chase ups, and he didn't wait on the BDC.
Kevin is a top-producing salesperson at a single-point Buick GMC store in rural northwest New Jersey. Before sales, he spent 13 years as a master tech and shop owner, and he only stepped onto the sales floor because his wife pushed him. He had one condition. His kids were going to know him.
“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.
"Forget the Gimmicks" - How to Win Customers for Life | Hank Ebeling, Owner and Lead Coach at H4 Training
In this episode I sit down with Hank Ebeling to uncover the secrets of turning customer service into a formidable competitive advantage. Hank passionately discusses why exceptional customer service is the best marketing strategy a business can have.
"Sold 300+ Used Cars" - This ford store cracked the used car game | Rob Ruth, President - Bob Ruth Ford
How do you sell 300+ used cars a month in a town of 2,900 people, and buy 240 vehicles off the street without relying on auctions?
"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.
“Put This To Work” - The Secret Weapon Your Competitors Don’t Know About | Michael Cirillo, CEO at FlexDealer
In this episode, Michael Cirillo breaks down an overlooked opportunity inside Google Business Profile and how dealerships can use it to get in front of more high-intent local car shoppers.
"Absolutely Cancerous" - The Biggest Problem In Retail Auto and How To Solve It | Michael Cirillo, CEO at FlexDealer
In this week’s solo episode, I share what I believe is the biggest problem holding retail auto back, and how you can solve it. It’s the same framework my team and I use in my companies, and it’s made all the difference in how we lead, how we serve, and even how I show up at home with my family.
“What’s the Next Move” — How Top Car Sales People Stay Ahead of the Market | Andrea Anderson, Cadillac Sales Consultant
This week Michael talks with a Cadillac Sales Consultant at Andrews Cadillac in Brentwood, Tennessee, who spent years ranked in the top 100 nationally before ever posting online, and then built 150,000 followers in a single year without her numbers dropping.
"1.8% Of Clicks Are Paid" - The Traffic Every Dealer Is Leaving On The Table | Matt Copley, Co-Founder & CRO of Hrizn
Most dealers are fighting over a sliver of traffic while the majority goes unclaimed. Matt Copley, Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Revenue Officer of Hrizn, joins Michael to unpack it.
“Ten Cars Does Not Work” - The Habits Behind Higher Car Sales | Raul Tomsa, Client Advisor at Motor Werks
In this week's episode Raul Tomsa reveals the habits that separate average car salespeople from those consistently selling 20, 30, or more vehicles a month.
"We Solved a Huge Problem" — How This 17-Store Group Decides What to Fix First | Gary LaDue, Marketing Dir. Modern Auto
This episode centers on a simple decision-making framework: plot every project against how easy it is to achieve and how big the return would be, then go after the highest-value, lowest-effort work first. It's borrowed straight from corporate America, and it works because it's simple.
“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.
"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.
“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.
"There is money to be made" — Unlocking Profit in the Used EV Market — Ryan Osten, Co-Founder & CEO at Lyteflo
The used EV market is moving fast — and a small group of dealers is already cashing in. Ryan Osten, Co-Founder and CEO at Lyteflo, joins Michael Cirillo to break down what's actually happening right now, from the gross opportunity to battery health reports and what it really takes to win in this space.
"The middle ground" — How Smart Dealers Use AI Beyond Hype or Fear | Michael Cirillo, CEO AT FLEXDEALER
Are the "AI zealots" and "AI doomsayers" clouding your judgment about what artificial intelligence actually means for your automotive retail business? It’s time to move beyond the hype and fear and discover the practical, actionable ways AI can elevate your dealership and refocus your team on what truly matters: human connection.
"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.
"$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.