"The Sir Walter Way" - How a 100-Year Dealership Stays Nimble (and Grows) in a Modern Market | Matt Birkhead, Dealer Principal at Sir Walter Chevrolet
What does a modern car dealership look like in 2025, without losing the human connection that actually builds loyalty?
In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, I sit down with Matt Birkhead, Dealer Principal at Sir Walter Chevrolet in Raleigh, North Carolina, a nearly 100-year-old, single-point store that’s grown by leaning into transparency, simplified pricing, community involvement, and people-first leadership.
Matt breaks down “The Sir Walter Way” a smarter way to shop, an easier way to service, and a culture that makes customers (and employees) feel like family. We also get practical about how dealerships should use AI, digital retailing, and fast lead response without sacrificing trust.
What you’ll learn in this conversation:
How Sir Walter Chevrolet builds loyalty through transparency and consistent pricing
Where AI belongs in a dealership (and where it doesn’t)
How to keep customers warm after-hours without “fake” automation
The real operational advantage of a single-point store in a big market
How to break down silos between sales, service, parts, and recon
Why “community starts from the inside out” (and how to make it real)
How Matt invests in people through training, 20 groups, and leadership development
Why the dealership experience still matters—even with online buying and delivery
If you’re a dealer principal, GM, sales leader, fixed ops leader, or dealership marketer, this episode is a blueprint for building a culture that customers feel, and employees stay for.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:14 The Dealer Playbook and Flex Dealer
02:35 Introduction to Matt Birkhead
04:50 Challenges and Responsibilities in the Car Business
09:39 Leveraging AI in Dealerships
16:36 Community Involvement and Support
20:44 Highlighting Employee Contributions
25:11 Investing in People and Long-Term Value
31:37 Objective and Factual Leadership
34:25 Connecting with the Community and Audience
Connect with Matt Birkhead / Sir Walter Chevrolet
Phone: (919) 455-7790
Email: mbirkhead@sirwalter.com
Instagram (Matt): @birksuva
Instagram (Store): @sirwalter_chevy
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Episode Transcript
(Preview Intro)
0:00
Intro
We try very hard to to do things here at the store that build that overall sense of community within the store, which then, you know, carries out to our customers and out into the community that way.
And I think you got to build it within and you know it extends out.
0:12
*Michael Cirillo*
The way you're talking about it, it seems like, but that's my offensive play because everything's actually going to come down to.
0:18
*Matt Birkhead*
That that's exactly right.
And I think for us, it's what we try to set ourselves apart in the market.
We lean into that.
That Sir Walter way is all about transparency in the way that you see us on our social media.
That's the way we always are, right?
It's just that authenticity.
0:33
You're.
0:34
*Michael Cirillo*
Strumming A chord rather, because a lot of the hype in our industry seems to challenge the human connection piece and it seems like everything is trying to get rid of this human connection piece.
0:45
*Matt Birkhead*
Again, I don't think it's ever going to replace that human connection because at the end of the day, the buying a vehicle is not like buying a T-shirt or not, right?
I mean, it's, it's a huge purchase for everybody.
It's the second biggest purchase people make behind their homes.
0:57
*Michael Cirillo*
There's something here too, which is it's clear Sir Walter is actively investing in its people.
And I think there's something that some find challenging here because they're looking at it from a dollars in a sense perspective.
Talk to me about how you see that.
1:10
*Matt Birkhead*
I think it comes back to….
(Intro)
1:14
The Dealer Playbook and Flex Dealer
One of the things that I enjoy most about producing the Dealer Playbook is hearing from you, the messages that I get of people who are getting so much value out of the podcast, applying it to their day-to-day workflows and finding a thriving career right here in the retail auto industry.
It means the world to me.
1:30
And you know, one of the ways that we make doing this possible is through my agency, Flex Dealer.
And of course, in the spirit of providing value, I think this is a perfect time to head over to triplew.flexdealer.com to show even further support for you, my beloved DPB gang.
1:46
Right now, if you go to my website, flexdealer.com, you can get a full free PDF of my #1 best selling book, Don't Wait Dominate.
And the reason I think it's so special is that a lot of the topics that are discussed in this book are even more relevant today than ever with this surgeon, popularized AI and people wondering, well, what can I do next?
2:09
How can I have a competitive advantage?
Well, that's all here in this book.
And so I'd love to be able to offer you a free copy of this if you go to flexsdealer.com.
It would mean the world to me because that is how we continue to produce this show for you.
(Episode Begins)
2:35
Introduction to *Matt Birkhead*
Matt Burkhead is dealer principal at Sir Walter Chevrolet in Raleigh, NC, where he has overseen over a decade of growth by redefining transparency, simplifying pricing, and reshaping the car dealership experience.
You know how much we love that.
2:51
Under his leadership, the store emphasizes the Sir Walter way, a smarter way to shop, an easier way to service and a way to make customers feel like family.
And this man, DPB Gang, feels like family.
He's the brother I never had growing up with my four sisters.
3:09
Matt, thanks so much for joining me on the Dealer Playbook.
3:11
*Matt Birkhead*
Hey, very happy to be here.
Thanks for having me.
Thanks for the very kind introduction.
3:15
*Michael Cirillo*
How in the car business in a 2025 world do you remain so light hearted?
At least every time you and I interact?
It's it's fun.
It's you pull.
3:29
*Matt Birkhead*
You know, light, light, life is short, right?
3:32
Balancing Work and Family
Life is short.
You hear a lot of people say that, but now I've got 10 and seven-year old and they just that flashes before your eyes, right.
So I I try to slow down and take it in and enjoy the moment.
It doesn't always happen, but it's just try to try to enjoy every day.
3:50
*Michael Cirillo*
I got to know 10 years old so like is this whole 6 seven thing happening?
3:55
*Matt Birkhead*
Oh yeah, 67.
3:55
*Michael Cirillo*
Do you have any idea what that is all about?
3:58
*Matt Birkhead*
Something to do with a mellow ball, which, you know, I guess we're close to Charlotte where the team is.
So may at you know, that's what I've heard something with his height.
He did this and I, you know, it's the whole thing.
My 7:00.
4:08
*Michael Cirillo*
Year old is probably.
4:09
*Matt Birkhead*
More into it than my 10 year old.
I don't, I don't understand.
There is a there's a kid on my son's soccer team who's number 67 who scores a lot of goals, unfortunately for all the parents.
So that's a whole to do every time he scores 6.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh yeah.
The whole team's doing it.
4:25
*Michael Cirillo*
I can't wait for people in the future who listen to this episode that are like, what the heck?
What are we doing, guys?
Talking about?
It was the thing, guys.
It was the thing.
4:32
*Matt Birkhead*
Well, we were, we were, we were running around doing Cornholio when we were 10 years old.
So not like we weren't stupid, you know?
4:42
*Michael Cirillo*
I almost my my instant reaction is I almost yeah, Wow, wow.
I have not thought about that in forever.
4:50
Challenges and Responsibilities in the Car Business
Life is short, but there's also a lot of like, you know, somebody in your position carries a lot of pressure, right?
It's, it's the, the actual logistical operational needs, then it's the people operational needs.
It's the sales and service and finance and regulations and and on and on and on.
5:10
What does that look like in the day-to-day for you?
How's somebody in your in your position really juggling all of those different things?
5:17
*Matt Birkhead*
Well, I mean, at the end of the day, it's people, right?
So we invest a lot in our people.
We're family owned and family operated.
I took over the dealer principal title for my father-in-law who was third generation.
His great grandfather started the store in 1928.
So we're almost coming up on 100 years.
5:35
He's right across the hall for me.
So he's still in the still here in the store talking to folks, long term customers coming in and he's he's down in the showroom with him still.
So it's, it's really a family atmosphere, truly a family atmosphere, you know, kind of the last of the Mohicans in the, in the sense that we're a single point store in a big, big metropolis, right?
5:55
I'm in Raleigh is a big city.
I think it's a top 50 population was 500,000 people here.
But single point store comes with its challenges, but also allows us, I think, to be pretty nimble with that family atmosphere.
I truly try to treat all of our staff like family.
6:10
They are our family, right?
I mean, we spend all of our waking hours here, you know, so spend a lot more time, you know, here than we do at home.
So try to treat them like family and we we think of each other at family, but also, you know, there is that professional line, right?
But the pressure for me is that all these folks have their own families right now.
6:29
I'm responsible for all their well-being.
So that's something that I'm thinking about constantly during, during the day, you know, and I, I try to, I'm rarely in my office.
You know, this is a rarity for me here being in here for 30 minutes or or so.
I'm going to, I'm down on the floor.
I'm, I'm in the tower.
I'm, I'm out with the guys over in the service drive meeting with managers.
6:48
We had our manager meeting yesterday and our, our take away was, you know, if you need help, ask and if you see someone that needs help, help them, right?
Because I think there's a lot, a lot of times we get busy and in the stores and retail and day-to-day and, and it can be overwhelming, right?
7:06
And you can forget to ask for help sometimes.
So we try to create a really family oriented culture here, a safe culture where you know, they, a salesperson can come ask me for help.
My, my doors open.
It's it's not in the in the general sales manager or or the new car sales manager isn't going to feel slighted that they came and asked me and not them.
7:24
*Michael Cirillo*
Right.
Is that something that you saw demonstrated for you that that it's a torch that you're carrying on, so to speak?
Or is this something that you had an aha moment at some point and you're like, this is the, this is the leadership style and cadence I choose to have?
7:40
*Matt Birkhead*
I think, I think the latter.
I, I've always just been a open, open book, you know, like you said, I mean, we haven't known each other long, but it feels like we've, we've known each other forever.
Maybe I'm too trusting of people at times, but I, I just really believe in human connection and helping one another.
7:59
And you know, everything can get, get done when you, when you talk, talk about it, right?
Even if if something goes awry here, you know, which always happens with everything we got going on with the customer, that the biggest thing is just open, open and honest communication, right?
8:13
*Michael Cirillo*
Yeah, this is huge for me.
8:15
Transparency and Authenticity in Dealerships
You're, you're striking, you're strumming A chord rather, because the a lot of the narrative, a lot of the hype in our industry seems to challenge the the human connection piece in that it it in essence trying to remove it.
8:33
You've got a lot of, I mean digital buying.
Then you've got the whole Carvana narrative, you've got, you know, so many different things AI even now where it's like, I just get answers and I want a faster showroom experience.
Or now we've got Amazon autos that's now piloting, you know, different dealerships in in the LA area to allow them to list inventory.
8:56
Like, I don't know, like Facebook marketplace or something.
And it seems like everything is trying to get rid of this human connection piece.
But the way you're talking about it, it seems like.
But that's my offensive play because everything's actually going to come down to that.
Is that track or?
9:12
*Matt Birkhead*
That's exactly right.
And I think for us, it's, it's what we try to set ourselves apart in the market.
We we lean into that that Sir Walter way is all about transparency in the way that we that you see us on our social media or the way that you interact with us at, you know, at an event that we may be sponsoring or when you're looking at a car.
9:33
That's the way we always are, right?
It's just that authenticity.
But and not to say those other pieces are important, right?
9:39
Leveraging AI in Dealerships
I mean, the AI certainly has a place in the dealership in inefficiency.
I mean, no one that submits a lead today is expecting to wait 3 or 4 hours for someone to respond, right.
So if, if AI can help keep that lead warm while a, a person can come in in a reasonable time frame and, and then introduce themselves.
9:57
We try to have our folks into video.
So it's not getting that personal touch point with the vehicle, you know, so you're creating a personal touch point and an emotional attachment to the, to the, the thing that they're asking about.
But you certainly can use AI to, you know, get fat, gather in that, that initial, you know, onset of when you receive that lead.
10:17
And obviously people aren't here 24/7, right?
So if, if, if, if you can use AI to answer certain questions overnight or on a Sunday when we're closed, you know, whatever the case may be.
But again, I don't think it's ever going to replace that human connection because at the end of the day, this is buying a vehicle is not like buying AT shirt or not, right?
10:35
I mean, it's, it's a huge purchase for for everybody.
It's the second biggest purchase people make behind their homes.
So, so I, I, I just think they, they still want to buy from someone they trust.
You look at what Tesla's done and obviously they've brought car buying online, but everything you read about Tesla is how they hate the after after purchase experience, right?
10:57
Because there's no one nowhere to take the car, no one to ask, you know what, what does this, what does this do?
What does this do?
How do you make the seat do this?
Right?
So again, I think, I think there's a place for for AI.
Certainly we're using it here at the store, but I don't view it as replacing anybody in the store.
11:15
In fact, I've got someone that's sole job is kind of overseeing that whole system, because if you, if you let that go rogue, you're going to just upset people too.
They know they're not talking to a person and you know, at some point it becomes fairly apparent.
I, I think maybe to other people, they, they, they don't agree with that, but I think people can tell when they're talking to somebody versus a, you know, a gentic AI.
11:35
*Michael Cirillo*
Yeah, well, and I think you're, this is really interesting to me because what I'm picking up on here is you've sat down and you said I understand where and what role it will play at which I think that critical level of thinking is required because, you know, it's easy to go to a conference or a webinar or something, watch a YouTube video and be like, Oh my gosh.
12:02
They said if I don't do AI the and, and that sets them off kind of 1° off path, which over time they wonder how they got there.
And you're saying, hey, no, look like somebody submits a lead at 2:30 in the morning, which I mean, I think we can all agree we get some of those.
12:19
That person would have to be completely off their rocker to expect a human to respond at that hour.
12:26
*Matt Birkhead*
Correct.
12:27
*Michael Cirillo*
So then that lowers their expectation and they at least get some sort of intelligent keep the I like how you.
12:34
*Matt Birkhead*
Say you, you can deliver a little bit more than perhaps they were expecting, right?
And then pricing, I mean, we all, most, all dealers have a digital retail tool on their site.
Chevrolet has the DRP, which you can buy a vehicle start to finish on.
We're a techie on dealer and we sell many vehicles every single month where we never meet the person in the showroom.
12:56
We're delivering the vehicle to them, right.
That's, you know, just just as Carvon is doing it, we can do that.
And I doubt you'll find a dealer that says they're not doing that right.
So, you know, I think transparency gets a gets AI think some people get it twisted.
It, it's really about is the vehicle you're showing and the condition that you're saying it is and is the price that you're showing online when they come into the store and you hand them the, the sheet and going over the stuff, is that the price they're getting?
13:22
And that that's what we strive for here, right?
There's nothing, nothing's hiding over here or, you know, anything like that.
Like, and, and, and we do get a lot of positive feedback and, and you'll see in the reviews like, Yep, the discount they offer me was a discount I got when I came in the store and, and I don't, there may be a few bad actors.
13:39
I, I, I can't imagine you'll find many dealers that aren't doing that in today's age, right?
I mean, the, the in the age of the Internet, to even get the person to interact with you, the, the pricing has to be right.
And it and it has to be, you know, that you can't have hidden fees and stuff like that, I don't think.
13:54
*Michael Cirillo*
And the follow-ups got to be there.
I think a lot of people are.
I, I, I heard this again this last week and I hadn't heard it for a while, but we're talking to AGM and he was like, I'm going to be honest with you.
Like we got a lot of COVID babies who didn't have to work for the deal and now we have to work for the deal again.
14:13
You brought up, you know, being a Tachyon dealer, you know, leveraging Chevrolet's DRP system, selling to people that may not ever step foot into the store.
What are your thoughts then process wise on the back end of that to make sure that that customer still knows?
But hey, like you can rely on us.
14:30
We want to get to know you.
We don't want you to just be this faceless number, right?
So I mean.
14:36
*Matt Birkhead*
We try, we try to treat them just like any showroom customer, right?
So they're still getting the, the video introduction with the video walk around.
We're still doing the the traditional follow up.
You know, if there's anything we can help you with.
Thanks for your business.
We do referrals.
No, you're not not, you know, we know you may not be in the area, but if you're ever in the area, we'd love to have you stop by help you with any service needs.
14:58
So I think you just try to keep them in the same funnel, you know, the follow up funnel that you would with anybody else.
They're still a customer, they're still going to share their experience with with friends and family, you know, unless it's a one off or something, they probably still have some connection to the area, right.
15:14
And they're not generally too far away.
And we've had several people I can think of people in Virginia, which is a a few hours away that are our have been repeat buyers because you gave them that same, you know, transparent buying process that you would have anybody else even though they weren't here in the showroom with us.
15:33
*Michael Cirillo*
Hey, does your marketing agency suck?
Listen, before we hop back into this episode, I know you know me as the host of the Dealer Playbook, but did you also know that I'm the CEO of Flexdealer, an agency that's helping dealers capture better quality leads from local SEO and hyper targeted ads that convert.
15:49
So if you want to sell more cars and finally have a partner that's in it with you that doesn't suck, visit flexdealer.com.
Let's hop back into this episode.
Yeah, I recently interviewed an architect actually, who's going to be on the show talking about just the environment, things that we're not even thinking about that feed into a guest experience.
16:13
And I know, I know guest experience is a key differentiator.
It's kind of what I'm picking up here from top to bottom.
How do we provide a service to the community in a way that they want to continue to work with us and do business and trust us to be able to, you know, be there a reliable partner for, like you said, that this second largest investment or purchase I'm going to make next to a home.
16:36
Community Involvement and Support
Yeah.
16:37
*Matt Birkhead*
And we're big on big and community involvement too, right?
So we're doing the back to school test drives and, and giving money back to where my children go to school, but not many of my friends children's go to several other schools and we're, we're involved in their found, you know, their PTA foundations.
16:54
We're a big supporter.
We have, you know, NC State here locally, we actually were the title and I sponsor the basketball game last night.
So I have my family there.
So people see me, me and my family just like anybody else, right.
We, we do youth sports, you know, from the, the West Raleigh Baseball League to the league that my son and then daughter play soccer in.
17:14
So we, we also have a, a project going on with SPCA right now.
So every can't remember is it 36 vehicles.
We, we're selling, we're donating A adoption feedback with the hope of selling 900 vehicles through Q4.
That'll help us to get all those, you know, pay for those adoptions.
17:31
So we, we and we don't do that for publicity.
We, we do that because we truly believe in community.
We've been a part of this community for 100 years.
We, you know, we wouldn't be here if the community didn't support Sir Walter Chevrolet, right?
And that I certainly got, you know, my father-in-law.
17:48
We've got pictures and pictures of this, how they supported the community, you know, over the last 100 years and think it's important for dealers to remain consistent in their support of the local community because they're, they're local businesses, even even the, even the big groups, they're, they're still local businesses in that community, right?
18:05
And, and, and, and, and give back and, and many, almost all dealers do, right?
And I think you, you, you, you end up getting back tenfold what you, what you put into the community just by, you know, supporting, building up that, that community and, and you, you get your brand awareness, yes, but it's, it, it's just something that, that we do it outside of work too.
18:27
Building a Culture of Giving Back
And we do a lot of stuff here.
We do volunteer days with staff.
We never have to pull teeth on on who's going to go and, and help out.
And matter of fact, we usually have to tell people, you know, it's, the list is full.
You know, this time we'll we'll get you on the list the next time.
18:41
*Michael Cirillo*
I mean, there's something to be said of that.
I don't have the statistic in front of me, but I think viscerally we all know people and organizations who have a give back kind of donation of time, resources, money, talents, people that give back a feel more fulfilled in their life.
19:03
Creating a Tangible Cultural Impact
That's right.
19:04
*Michael Cirillo*
And when it's tied to an organization, so, so like you said, there's we're going to have to put you on the the list for next time.
Love being a part of something that is a part of something, you know, and, and there's a real tangible cultural impact there.
19:23
And I, I don't think a lot of dealerships talk enough about their position on these things.
And I'm, I'm, I'm getting a deeper sense from you.
Where am I going with this?
Most dealerships by the Billboard that says family owned and operated or been in the community for 50 years or whatever.
19:39
And that's not translating to the community.
But what you're talking about is no, this does translate to the community I got.
I mean, I don't know how many people are on your team, but let's just say over 100 that are now involved that are now having a positive impact on their household, their household then having a positive impact.
19:59
There's a real tangible pedigree of service and donating of time, talents, abilities in the community that that then for me, Matt.
Creates the picture of the Sir Walter Way.
20:13
*Matt Birkhead*
That's right.
And and again, I think it comes back to and my team does a great job.
20:17
Fostering Teamwork and Community
You know, I can my my management team is just awesome.
So it's I can fully rely on them.
You've met many of them.
They just they do a wonderful job.
They're they're fully bought into this, this team work concept and the community starts inward, right?
20:34
So it starts here at the store.
So these, these things that we do, we do the monthly employee of the lunch, right where our employee of the month that we do a luncheon, we provide lunch for the whole staff.
20:44
Highlighting Employee Contributions
I get notes from all the managers and highlight not just we do an employee of the month, but I'll highlight, you know, 20 different people out and we go out in the service drive.
We just kind of huddle around.
So it's not corporate, It's not in a big meeting room, it's not on Zoom.
I've got a little speaker, a little microphone.
20:59
And we do that.
And then we, you know, we break bread together once a month.
We do It's.
21:04
*Michael Cirillo*
Karaoke involved?
21:06
*Matt Birkhead*
I do play some music and we dance around and and sing a little bit the 1st 5 or.
21:09
*Michael Cirillo*
10.
21:10
*Matt Birkhead*
That's getting a little more aggressive as, as these are progressing, but you know, that helps develop, develop a sense of community, right?
Like we, we obviously we do the sales meetings, you know, every morning, but that's sales.
It's not the whole store.
I think that's what a a lot of stores miss and what I, I try to figure out every day.
21:28
Breaking Down Departmental Silos
You know, everyone has these silos of even in sales, right?
You get the new versus used and you've got parts and you've got service.
We've got night techs doing our, you know, our internal, our PD OS, our used car get readies.
And you know, it's how do you break down those silos?
And, and we're all Sir Walter employees.
21:44
We're not Sir Walter service department employees or Sir Walter new car sales employees.
And so we try to do, we try very hard to, to do things here at the store that build that overall sense of community within the store, which then, you know, carries out to our customers and out out into the community that way.
22:00
And I I think you got to build it within and then it and you know, it extends out.
22:05
*Michael Cirillo*
Yeah, I I love that, I wrote Community starts from the inside out.
22:10
*Matt Birkhead*
Absolutely.
22:11
*Michael Cirillo*
Do you have somebody on your team responsible for the the now, the outbound, so to speak, the SPCA or the?
22:20
The Role of Gwen in Community Outreach
I do so Gwen is amazing.
You know, we call her the heart and soul of the story here.
So we she's been it started as a social media coordinator, right?
Everyone's wanting to do stuff on Instagram and, and do all these videos and what I found when we brought her on, she's, she's just a, she's so kind and she's got a pure heart, which when we hire, that wasn't really what we were hiring, but she, she truly cares about all these organizations.
22:46
She's bringing ideas to me.
Like she, we're doing something in a couple weeks called hometown heroes through the North Carolina Auto Dealers Association, where we're honoring a, an officer that, you know, had an act of, of bravery.
23:01
And we're going to have her in the store and we're providing lunch and we have an award that we're giving her that.
Again, it's something I've had available that we, we could be doing for like the last 10 years.
I've just never done it, you know, we we get busy, right?
Not saying this wrong, you know, right or wrong.
Yeah, she just has an eye and and a really kind heart for things like that and that we need to that's.
23:22
*Michael Cirillo*
Been on the show?
23:23
*Matt Birkhead*
We can absolutely get Gwen on the show.
23:25
*Michael Cirillo*
Yeah, I think we need to get Gwen on the show.
We'll get Gwen.
23:27
*Matt Birkhead*
On the show, she's you're.
23:28
*Michael Cirillo*
Bringing up things here like there are some and she's.
23:30
*Matt Birkhead*
Coordinating our events, you know, so I think a lot of dealers and not we are one of them, right?
You sponsor something, but you're not a part of it.
You know, someone ask, hey, can you do a whole in one?
And, and Gwen will not only jump in there, but we've got a, a table and a brand of tent and we've got hats and merchandise and she's got, you know, everyone loves Gwen.
23:48
So she's got a service advisor and a salesperson working the, working the booth together.
It's just, it's an amazing, amazing thing.
23:56
*Michael Cirillo*
Wow.
Yeah, we, yeah, we, we got to, we got to reach out to Gwen.
We got to.
24:00
*Matt Birkhead*
Save Gwen on here, she's.
24:02
*Michael Cirillo*
Amazing.
24:03
*Matt Birkhead*
Yeah, she, it was actually a great story.
She was when we had the add up.
So we had to add up for social media coordinator on indeed or whatever.
We're using higher ology and they, her professor.
So she, this is like a second career for her.
She's a mom of three.
They're, they're older and they, she the professor reached out to us and was like, hey, I've got like two or three really great students that I think would be an awesome fit for this.
24:28
And he's at, I think Johnson County Community College.
And we interviewed a couple of them and, and we just, you know, we fell in love with her immediately and had her on part time while she was finishing school.
And then, you know, she graduated over the summer and she's been full time since then.
And it's just, it's amazing trying to, I'm trying to, you know, do, do by do right by her as well.
24:47
So send her to a couple social media conferences.
She's been in Dallas, then in Orlando.
So she's, she's learning too.
And she's brand new to automotive.
But again, she's just a people person.
She care, she cares deeply about people and community.
We we, we lucked out finding her, but or maybe we didn't, I don't know.
25:05
Funny how those things work out sometimes, right?
25:08
*Michael Cirillo*
Yep, you you there's something here too, which is, you know, it's clear Sir Walter is actively investing in its people.
25:17
Investing in People and Long-Term Value
And I think there's something that that some find challenging here because they're looking at it from a dollars and a sense perspective.
But what makes it challenging is not necessarily the dollars and cents.
It's this like proving of tangible, tangible impact on an organization.
25:37
Talk to me about how you see that because because of, of many of the people I've met over the last 23 years, Matt, in this industry, you are the one that sees value probably quicker than others and is and invests in that value.
25:54
Like you are very decisive when you, you're like, I know it's a good idea, but a lot of people are challenged with that, like I said, because they, they, they're like, but what if they leave or, or what if I don't see an immediate return?
And it sounds like you're playing a long game here.
26:09
*Matt Birkhead*
Definitely playing a long game, you know, the, the Simon Sinek book, you know, we've, we've most of us have all read that and, you know, try to think about your why and, and, you know, leave it better than you found it as kind of how I came into this, right?
Because, you know, we talked about pressure at the beginning of this, you know, coming in here and trying to help my father-in-law and, and now, you know, 4th generation, first non blood dealer of a, of a business that's been in the family for 100 years.
26:32
I mean, you know, you don't want to mess that up, right?
So, you know, constantly thinking about how to how to leave this place better than I found it did.
26:40
*Michael Cirillo*
Your wife ever say don't screw this up.
26:43
*Matt Birkhead*
She never said that, you know she's she's as kind as anyone you'll ever.
What a great.
26:48
*Michael Cirillo*
Woman.
26:49
*Matt Birkhead*
She would never, she would never.
Even if she thought it, she would never say it.
26:52
Navigating the Automotive Industry as an Outsider
But it, you know, and, and it may be all this comes, you know, I came from outside of the automotive industry, right?
So I went to school.
I thought I wanted to be a dentist.
I ended up working and, you know, government contracting on the sales side and met my, my, my awesome wife And she, we moved to Raleigh and her, you know, I remember the day or my in law sat me down and asked if I'd be interested in working with them, knowing that we were going to move to Raleigh from Northern Virginia and kind of went over the pros and cons.
27:20
It wasn't a big hard sell or anything.
And I, you know, it was a big decision, right?
I mean, I was leaving a pretty, a pretty good career that I had created for myself that I was eight years into and took a leap of faith, but not really.
I mean, you're working with your, you know, your, your wife's family, They, they obviously want you to succeed.
27:37
You're taking care of their other daughter.
But it, it was a big, you know, it was a, it was a big life decision.
And I'd make that decision every which way to Sunday, You know, I've, I've never once looked, looked back on it.
And it's, and I think, I think because of that, when I came in and, and help, you know, helped hire a lot of the management team that we still have in place.
27:58
All these people have more experience than I do, right?
They, they, they know their job better than I know their job.
So I always have come into this thinking that my job is how can I enable them to make a, you know, to what are the tools and, and technology and things that I can put in place to help make their jobs easier, help make things more transparent for customers, help make things easier for my employees so that they're not banging their head against their desk.
28:22
You know, there's, there's plenty of challenges without having to worry about what systems we're using, right.
And then from a training standpoint, obviously I wanted to get as much training and, and learn as much as I could, you know, join the 20 group and got ingrained in that.
But even after the first couple 20 group meetings, you know, and trying to bring that knowledge back, you know, because a lot of the meetings you go to, it's like the dealer, right, And they're there with their wives, you know, for a vacation, which is, you know, that's part of it.
28:47
But it's for me, I was like, man, I need to start bringing people with me.
So I'm I'm always I'm bringing Mike, my GM, I'm bringing Greg, my sales manager or JB or our service director.
So I'm I'm trying to bring these people along so that they see it first hand, experience first hand.
They're there instead of asking me to ask someone in our twenty group something.
29:06
Now they have their own connections, right?
So I, I've never looked at it as I don't think investing your people is ever a bad investment, right?
And I think my job here as the dealer is to grow the people again inside out so that the store can grow.
29:20
*Michael Cirillo*
I want to touch on this as we wind down because I think this is so powerful.
When I came up, you know, working, working in and around automotive, there's always this, this dialogue.
Well, you never sold cars, therefore you can't XYZ.
29:38
Well, you never did this, so therefore you can't XYZ.
Here you come through the middle saying, hey, I had a lucrative career I was building outside of this industry.
Now I'm coming into it.
I've got people that have been in it probably their entire career that no more than me.
29:54
How have you found navigating that?
I mean, obviously you're a quick study, you're highly intelligent, you've got good, you know, strong emotional intelligence, awareness, all these leadership.
But for those that are are maybe struggling around that narrative, how, how have you navigated that?
30:11
*Matt Birkhead*
So I think what was actually my father-in-law sent me pretty much right away to the dealer Academy.
So, you know, without learning maybe the pros and cons or an an archaic way of doing something or it's just the way we've done it.
It's always the way we've done it right and learning, perhaps learn some bad habits.
30:27
I went right up to the Academy.
And you know, for those that are listening that have gone through that, it's very structured, right?
So you start an accounting, then you do used cars, new cars, you know, service parts and then you come back and work in that department for, you know, 30 days or so.
So for me, that was brilliant, right?
30:43
I mean, obviously it would be tough for me to come in and, and detail cars at $12.00 an hour leaving, leaving what I had just left, you know, at 30 years old, you know, having a, you know, starting a family.
So not to say that I didn't learn detail or anything like that, but perhaps different than that, you know, the kids that grew up in the store.
31:00
I can certainly understand it from that perspective.
But that's what we did and it, it, it was great.
It allowed me to, to it allowed me to bring something back to the people that were in those departments, right.
And from a, from a third party, you know, so it wasn't me saying, Hey, we're off here or we're off here.
31:17
It's like, hey, here are the here are the guidelines and we're, we're doing great here.
We're a little below there.
What are some ideas?
You know, how can you help me with my homework?
So it was, it was a lot of of give and take instead of, you know, someone coming in, you know, that doesn't know what they're talking about trying to tell you to do something right.
There were, there just wasn't any of that.
31:34
*Michael Cirillo*
Where did you learn to be objective and factual?
31:41
Objective and Factual Leadership
I try to be objective and factual.
I guess my, my father was very much objective and fact and factual.
He was a big reader and he's a big news guy.
He's, he knows.
He knows a little bit about everything.
About everything.
31:55
*Michael Cirillo*
Right.
Well, because, you know, just the way you ask that question, you know, hey, we're a little bit off here.
Here's the guidelines.
Factual, we're a little bit off here.
Factual.
And then you, you did not ask the question.
I hear a lot.
The question I hear a lot is how did we get here?
32:12
Why?
Why are why is it like that?
You said So what?
Like what?
I don't think people realize how powerful a word what is right, what can we do or what are some ideas we have, which is very like you're just tethering facts to action.
32:31
*Matt Birkhead*
Yeah, and a lot of it, you know, even then was, I mean, I didn't even know, right.
But I knew I needed to get my homework done and I knew I needed their help to get my homework done, right.
You may have a big book report, for lack of a better word, to, to get back.
So, but I still operate that way.
You know, I, I still assume that my service manager knows more about being a service manager than I do, or Greg knows more about being a general sales manager than I do.
32:53
Or, you know, so I'm, I'm dangerous enough in all those areas if I needed to fill in, but I, you know, I fully trust them and rely, I rely daily on their expertise.
I mean, that's why they're here, right?
That's why we pay them.
That's why I continually invest in them and I trust.
33:09
I trust what they bring to the table.
33:12
*Michael Cirillo*
It's like that saying a little bit, I don't know why I thought of this, but it's like, what's that?
A Jack of all trades is a master of none.
33:20
*Matt Birkhead*
Yeah, that's exactly right.
33:21
*Michael Cirillo*
Nobody knows the rest of that quote, which I think is so powerful and so contextual.
A Jack of all trades is a master of none, but a master of some is better than none.
33:30
*Matt Birkhead*
There you go.
33:32
*Michael Cirillo*
Right, which which changes that whole quote like you used out of context.
33:36
*Matt Birkhead*
You still got to know a little bit.
33:38
*Michael Cirillo*
You got Yeah.
And I would rather have somebody that can hold their own in a little bit of ways that under can at least understand what I'm dealing with, then somebody who who just has no clue.
33:51
*Matt Birkhead*
Right.
33:53
*Michael Cirillo*
This is so enlightening.
We've talked about community.
We've talked about community involvement.
We've talked about family businesses.
We've talked about leadership.
I think you guys are doing such tremendous work.
I really admire how you operate as a leader.
34:08
I think you are a fresh take at leadership in a modern dealership.
There's accountability, there's action, there's movement, there's growth.
And so I, I, I think you know, you serve as a great inspiration for that.
34:23
Thank you for that set in that tone.
34:25
Connecting with the Community and Audience
How can those listening or watching connect with you?
34:28
*Matt Birkhead*
Yeah, so my cell phone's easiest.
I've always got that on me.
Cell phone number is 919-455-7790. e-mail was M Birkhead at sirwalter.com Instagram, Birks UVABIRKSUVA.
34:44
Try to be active on there if you're interested in my family life.
And then obviously Sir Walter Chevrolet or Sir Walter under score Chevy on on Instagram, we've got, you know, great, great content of of the team and you can kind of see a little behind the scenes of how we operate on, on Instagram as well or Facebook.
34:59
*Michael Cirillo*
Hey, don't, don't follow him on Instagram, because if you do, he's going to send you something goofy that's going to make you laugh at 11:49 PM, and then you're just going to have to.
Yeah.
35:09
*Matt Birkhead*
That's how I was so light hearted, right?
You got to.
You got to stay on the goofy, goofy memes and all that.
35:14
*Michael Cirillo*
Brother, you're the man.
Thank you so much for joining me on The Dealer Playbook.
35:17
*Matt Birkhead*
Thanks for having me man, it's an honor.
35:19
*Michael Cirillo*
(Outro) Hey, thanks for listening to the Dealer Playbook Podcast. If you enjoyed tuning in, please subscribe, share and hit that like button. You can also join us and the DPB community on social media. Check back next week for a new Dealer Playbook episode. Thanks so much for joining.
