Ep. 638 - Leads Aren’t the Problem—Your Process Is, with Paul de Vries
In this episode my guest is Paul de Vries—who’s basically the Netherlands’ MVP of automotive processes—joins me to talk about how he’s using AI, automation, and a whole lot of common sense to transform the customer journey.
Let me ask you something: What’s the point of having the flashiest marketing if your in-store processes are crumbling like a stale cookie? That’s exactly what we’re tackling in this episode with my buddy Paul de Vries. Now, Paul isn’t just some random dude; he’s basically the king of lead handling in the Netherlands (think fewer wooden shoes, more cutting-edge processes). And trust me, you’re gonna want to hear what he has to say.
We cover how dealerships can tighten up their processes, reduce wasted time, and actually connect with customers in meaningful ways. And when I say meaningful, I’m talking response times of under three minutes. Yep, you read that right—three minutes. Let that sink in.
Oh, and it’s not just tech talk. We also get into the softer stuff, like building a personal brand on LinkedIn, why staying authentic is non-negotiable, and how a 99-year-old buying a microcar for “the future” left us both questioning our life goals.
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Episode Transcript
MC: 0:00
(AutoFi Sponsor Ad)This episode is brought to you by AutoFi.
Paul: 0:03
Our mission statement is, for years now, making online automotive better, and that's not only about leads, but just helping dealers to get a better online presence one way or the other, and that is to bring good people to our events, good speakers like you, to actually help them on the whole broader thing about online automotive. And that's our thing making online automotive better.
MC: 0:26
Hey, welcome to this episode of the dealer playbook podcast. Sitting down with my friend, my good friend, paul devries, we're going to be talking about lead handling and how the best marketing in the world will not compensate for broken in-store processes. Stay tuned
MC: 0:43
(Intro)The car business is rapidly changing and modern car dealers are meeting the demand. I'm Michael Cirillo, and together we'll explore the best strategies, ideas and tools to create a thriving life in and out of the business. This is the Dealer Playbook.
MC: 1:05
Paul, it feels like I just saw you a week ago. ago
Paul: 1:08
It was two weeks ago, yes, and we had a fun time in Antwerp and in Amsterdam, right?
MC: 1:14
fun, a lot of rain, a lot of patat. Yeah, and it was the time of my life. Thank you for inviting me to come and share time with the dealers and the OEMs out there. Of course, you're welcome.
Paul: 1:29
What's that? You are welcome and it was fun to have you. And we never experienced this kind of engagement, especially online, on LinkedIn for sure, we had over 100,000 views in one week on the different updates. So that's for us on LinkedIn very, very good. And I remember our first interview podcast on the dealer playbook that I was saying that LinkedIn was for us the most important social media channel. And it is still in automotive business.
MC: 2:05
But uh it, it took off immensely you know, every time I think, should I continue on linkedin? I see your face in my head telling me I'm stupid if I don't post on linkedin regularly because you are one of the most consistent. And, by the way, I would say, and this isn't what I LinkedIn regularly because you are one of the most consistent. And, by the way, I would say and this isn't what I want to talk to you about, but a kind of a side note here for those that are dealership, adjacent vendors, service providers, if you're not using LinkedIn, I mean, just follow Paul. You should see what Paul has built, and I mean this sincerely. When Paul walks into a room, people it's almost like and I'm not kidding you, it's almost like a king walks into the room, people turn their heads, some people stand up because they're waiting to get a greeting, and part of that is a testament to the personal brand that you've built, the expertise that you've built.
Paul: 3:11
They just know me in the Netherlands, of course.
MC: 3:20
Yeah, you are the who's who of your ecosystem.
Paul: 3:26
Yeah, but that's something which I never thought was possible. It was never a business thing, a business idea or whatever. I just wrote my first article 15 years ago because I was mad about the politics, about the lobby, about sensational cars, and that article went very, very good and it was easy to write. Then the next week I did it again and now, 15 years later, I'm very consistent with what you're saying. Every Thursday I'm writing an article, no matter what?
MC: 4:03
In fact, I got to see some of the behind the scenes because, uh, you had put on two days of events. Your team and you did a phenomenal job putting these events together. It was well, well structured, well attended I mean full house two days in a row, two different countries, two days in a row. And then we're sitting at dinner, kind of you know what always happens on the tail end of an event, which is kind of the and then halfway through dinner on a Wednesday evening, you looked up and you said I need to write my article for tomorrow.
Paul: 4:35
Actually Bernice, our marketing and office manager. She was saying I didn't receive your article yet and she, making visuals, was saying I didn't receive your article yet and she's making visuals. We just did two events. But see, she was right, the article was publicized the first day About the topic we are going to talk about today.
MC: 4:58
Actually, yeah, last thing I want to butter you up with. That impresses me, which is why I feel, you know, even though we go through moments where we don't talk a lot because we're both doing our thing, and then we come together and it's like we never, you know, never stop talking. We talked about how you find your people in the industry. You find your community of people, and that circle starts to get smaller and smaller. One of the things I appreciated so much was a good reminder being in Europe about small hospitality.
MC: 5:42
I got to tell the DPB audiences we're at dinner. Paul is we're about an hour outside of Amsterdam and he's about an hour from home and concerned that that if he doesn't drive us to our hotel in Amsterdam, that he's not being a good host. And we assured him, like Americans who have to be chill about it, we're like no, no, no, no, no, go home. So you go home and then you send me I hope you don't mind me sharing this, you send me a picture that you made it back to your to, to your hometown in time to get to a rugby practice or a soccer football and I'm like, nah see, good dads, this is what the dealer playbook.
MC: 6:29
I just find we've built a community with the dealer playbook of individuals who say, yes, hustle and grind and build, but also be good people, do the right thing, care about others, be a good host. And to me I think that's one of the things that's kept me doing the show for as long as I have is seeing more and more people like that come out and say, man, I really appreciated just the human approach, building a juggernaut business but not giving up on your family, still entertaining, entertaining your wife standing in the middle of the shop with a big winter coat, eating all the cookies, and so I just appreciate it, and I want you to know how much I appreciate seeing that and knowing there's other good, vigilant men in our industry who are being good role models.
Paul: 7:23
So, but it's like you're looking in a mirror right well, if you're looking down at the mirror, no, it's, it's like and you are the same and and, and some things are more important than than than other things. Yeah, um, on the other hand, I felt guilty that I didn't bring you to a hotel, but that's just me, or hospitality, what it should be, and yeah, that's how we have to do it right? Yep, absolutely, because when I'm in America, I'm always getting if this is Brian or you or David or somebody else, they all take good care of me.
MC: 8:13
Okay, one last thing before we get into the actual, actual topic, because I think this is relevant for everyone. Listening or watching, listening or watching Years ago, I remember, as you were building your businesses and your personal brand, and I remember this on several occasions. You would say my goal is to be the of the Netherlands. Like you had name references, I want that person of this market. At some point, though, like, have you realized, though, that you don't need to be that person of the market? At some point, though, like, have you realized, though, that you don't need to be that person of the mark, like you've become you of that market, and it's the you like. Tell me about getting the clarity about your personal brand that, like, I don't need to be them of this market. I need to be me of this market sure, so, so.
Paul: 9:00
So one of the goals was to be the Brian Pesce and the David Cain of the Netherlands and Belgium. Right, right, brian is a good friend of mine, one of my best friends actually and David Cain is more like me in the content-wise, about lead handling, et cetera. Sure, on the other hand, you develop like you developed, and now our mission statement is, for years now, making online automotive better, and that's not only about leads, but just helping dealers to get a better online presence one way or the other, and that is to bring good people to our events, good speakers like you, to actually help them on the whole broader thing about online automotive, and that's our thing online automotive, making online automotive better. So, not only about lead handling of, only about marketing of, only about Google Analytics, just the broader perspective.
MC: 10:00
How do you get comfortable, like I know, in today's world with social media and all these things? So many people get so stuck on being that person that they never accept that. They never accept that who they are and who they're idea to be an authority in the market or whatever right.
Paul: 10:26
It was known that it just happened and that's an easy one to work with. Then you make a business plan I want to be the authority, that market space for this, this, this, and then you want to do that, and then you are failing one way or the other of takes way way longer than you think. Right and the real. You should be also the, the one you portrayed on linkedin, for example, right. So authenticity yeah.
Paul: 11:00
So I shared my Monday morning video I do Monday morning video for years now to start the week off, and I told a story about a conversation I had at the dealership on the Saturday. And then you see that real stories makes a difference and I wanted to share you that story in short, because it's a very awesome story. So we are setting microcars and microcars are for the elderly people or for the youth the youth with age under 18, from 16 to 18, and the elderly people from 75 years old. Why 16 to 18 and the elderly people from 75 years old? Why? Because in the netherlands, if you are 75 years old, you are getting to the doctor and you're getting a five-year pass to drive the car still, and every five years you have to go to the doctor and they will say you are fit enough, you're mentally enough to drive the car, that that is something we do here.
Paul: 12:12
So an old guy came to the dealership and he was talking about I have to think about the future and maybe it is now the time to let go of the car and go in a micro car, because my license will expel in six months. License will expel in six months. I said to him that's good, because a lot of people from your age are doing the same. He said I doubt that. I said how do you mean? He said how old do you think I am? And he is 99 years old and thinking about the future. So he would say I have to think about the future and I thought to myself I have to sell them very fast.
MC: 13:01
Oh, that's awesome. How long does it? You know in Canada, you know in America we're always talking about how to speed up the car deal and I'm not gonna lie, I've been down here now almost four years. We've purchased several vehicles since being here. The deal happens so fast in America that somewhere around two weeks later I look at my wife, I look at Kara and I say how are we paying for this thing? Because they didn't take pay in Canada. You cannot leave the dealership without a void check so they know where the money's coming from you. You get the registration, the insurance like it's. It's a four to seven hour ordeal, no matter what. Sometimes you have to wait for the insurance agent to come to the store. You have to wait for the. Is it similar in the Netherlands? Is it a lengthy process to get somebody approved for a vehicle, or can it happen pretty quick?
Paul: 14:00
No, there are two different transactions. So buying a car can be very fast. Then you buy the car, you sign the car and that's it. And if you want to finance the car, the dealer can provide you with a lender. But it is illegal to sell financing with the car because that's something you need a permit for. Oh, interesting, you are submitting a lead for a lender and the lender is going to call the customer and that can be five minutes, that can be days that they are going back and forth about some papers, about salary etc. But it's behind you and then after after one day or four days, you are getting the clear and then the contracts are made up. But you have to to make the car pretty or whatever. So it will take some days to deliver the car. So it's like buying a house it's very fast. And to deliver the car, it's like buying a house, it's very fast. And to deliver the car, you make an appointment. You are getting the car in seven days.
MC: 15:14
It's like buying a house.
Paul: 15:17
Yeah, but way more less stressful, yeah, than buying a car in America or in Canada, because if you, I cannot see the experience Very good If you have to stay there for seven hours. No, on the other hand, in the Netherlands, don't want to think the salesperson Don't think that they don't have the money, so they finance the car In France. They already have the cash, they. They finance the car in front. They already have the cash, we know they are approved somewhere. They only need to buy the car.
MC: 15:54
Got it Okay, interesting. So that's why, then, this is where I want to pick up where we left off, so a year ago. We're on the toes of NADA. We spoke at NADA last year and I asked you about AI, in particular, whether or not you saw it replacing some of the human element, and I know a lot of what you have built is about speeding up the response time and getting the engagement going, and that's why I was curious.
MC: 16:31
That makes sense to me now, because by the time somebody submits a lead, where you are, you need to contact them because they're ready to buy, or else they're not submitting a lead, they already have financing. Yeah, you, they're ready to buy, or else they're not submitting lead, they already have financing. So, but I want to ask you this since last year, when I asked you about AI, has anything changed, and if so, what? What's changing? What are you thinking about now as far as AI replacing some of the human elements, or has a? Have we gotten to a place with AI that it it's feasible that it can take over some of the the workflow, sure, sure?
Paul: 17:11
no, and so. So one of our goals is to make online first, offline second. So we we want to build the digital dealership first. So when we uh, when you see our website, we actually have a website which is a copy of the Tesla website, the CarMax website and the Arvana website all together in our website and you can actually buy the car there online. You can lease the car online there, you can submit a lease, you can ask for a trade trade in whatever the case will be, and yet you need to talk to a salesperson.
Paul: 17:51
So if somebody's submitting a lead, then in 30 seconds we will uh calling the consumer by the cold, the drip system. If the customer is not answering the phone call, the AI will detect there is no connection made and will make another call automatically to the salesperson in four minutes. So in the first minute we are calling we detect no connection and then in four minutes we try again with a different outgoing number. Same time we are sending in WhatsApp, so not a text but a WhatsApp and an email. If the consumer is reacting on those three things before the four minutes, so responding to that first call, to the WhatsApp or the email, then it will stop, because then the primary communication channel is an email or WhatsApp, then we are going from there. If that is not happening, we are calling for the second time in four minutes. Then the AI will detect no connection and then it will go to our backup BDC.
Paul: 19:13
Our backup BDC is getting six times a phone call in three days when there is a used card involved on different occasions, and they only have to answer the phone, but every day the AI will send out a whatsapp, will send out an email, regardless, whatever happens, if at the fifth attempt, for example, the BDC is connecting with the consumer and they are having a connection, a real conversation, and they are having a connection, a real conversation, and they are making an appointment, the BDC agent doesn't have to do anything.
Paul: 20:47
(AutoFI Ad Read)Hey AI will detect the conversation, will detect there is an appointment made and will make the appointment set in AutoFi the management system, send out a WhatsApp to the consumer, will send out an WhatsApp to the consumer, we'll send out an email to the consumer and we'll have a task for the salesperson. Hey, you have an appointment next Monday at three o'clock with this person, so the salesperson doesn't have to do anything. Or the BDC agent doesn't have to be anything. So every phone call or every WhatsApp is connected with the AI, sometimes to do the heavy lifting and sometimes to be the virtual assistant. I can do the job, which normally takes three people, for one people, if I connect the dots on the right level.
MC: 20:47
Hey gang, before we hop back into this episode, I want to tell you about my friends over at Autofi. Selling a car is time-consuming and full of friction. I mean, don't we all know it? On a busy Saturday, there's typically a bottleneck at the desk and it can take over 15 minutes to get a first pencil. We all know the customer's buying temperature is at its peak after the test drive and making them wait causes them to psychologically talk themselves out of the deal. Selling a car shouldn't be so hard.
MC: 22:01
(Back to the episode)And showroom solution connects the entire point of sale, including payment calculation, pre-qualification desking, credit app, lender routing and F&I menu, like literally the whole thing all in one, enabling your sales team to immediately present numbers to customers and close deals faster, all with management guardrails to eliminate mistakes and protect profit. Autofi will be at NADA 2025 in New Orleans or is it New Orleans? Visit them at booth 4219 to check out their digital retail and showroom And of course, you can learn more about Autofi right now by going to autoficom forward slash dealer playbook. Oh, pretty, please, I would love it. And for now, let's hop back into this episode. And you had to cause? This didn't exist before you built it, right? No, so you had to connect all these pieces together. Where do you even start, right? I know there's a lot of people that have been curious about this. But to sit here and go, okay, so I have chat GPT and I have call drip and I have email, I mean there's got to be. Is there a developer involved? Is there a technology you hire?
Paul: 22:30
You hire 50% of your sales force and they need to figure it out. That's what happened.
MC: 22:40
So that's the pickup from last year. Will AI replace some humans? And it replaced 50 of the workforce.
Paul: 22:48
So if you are, down one person from two persons to one person. Yeah, you don't want to um to have another person in the shop again and you want to automate something. When you are thinking about what can I automate? The one thing I think is very important if the client engaged so pick up the phone or engage in the WhatsApp, engage in the email then the salesperson has to be quick. So my salesperson doesn't have to go for the third attempt, the fourth attempt, the fifth attempt or the third WhatsApp or the sixth email or whatever. But if the consumer is reacting back, then he needs to be awake. So the ai is doing the heavy lifting. But if the client responds back, then I need a salesperson to be there, a real salesperson, Because the AI is very good. We have very good AI now, very good templates, very good instructions. But a good, trained salesperson is always better. But I have to make that organization that he is in his force to follow up a new lead or a responding lead, and not heavy lifting yeah, you've.
MC: 24:15
You've removed them where they're not needed so that they can focus their energy and develop themselves where they will be needed most. How do you? I mean obviously, then it means that salesperson also needs to be very trained on how the technology is working so they understand where they're picking up.
Paul: 24:35
No, it's because we made it that Justin's phone call is ringing. When he picks up the phone then he has a conversation. I train him on the conversation to be held, how to sell an appointment, how to overcome objections, but he does a good conversation. The AI, the virtual assistants in this case, will make the summary, will make the appointment, will make the task automatically, because there the salesperson is very worse. So there it is in virtual assistants and over here, by following up the leads which are not responding, there I have the heavy lifting. So we use them both ways.
MC: 25:28
What have you noticed in the time since you've incorporated this, this new ecosystem, this new way, text, tech, stack yeah. What has it done to the numbers? By way of, have you seen your engagement rate go up or appointment rate go up? What are you noticing?
Paul: 25:46
uh, the engagement rate no up or appointment rate go up. What are you noticing? The engagement rate no, because, if we are really honest, you can actually stop after the fifth call, right, if somebody is not responding, they are not responding. But I want to collect complaints that people are saying don't call me ever again if they pick up the phone. That's one of the goals. Honestly, the one thing which is improving that we are selling the same kind of cars, the same number of cars, with one man down. That's one of the benefits.
Paul: 26:24
But the engagements by the salesperson to the, to the lead, when they are engaged, is faster. So, for example, we have a lead full open one minute for a new lead, but it should also be one minute if the client respond back by email or WhatsApp and that was lacking and that we have now under control and if they are engaged in WhatsApp conversation, for example, or, in your case, in a text conversation, you don't let them go anymore. You have to stay in that conversation, no matter what. You cannot hold for 30 minutes because they are doing the groceries or walking the dog or something else. Right, they're not engaged anymore.
MC: 27:13
So that's what we improved interesting um the you had mentioned I can't remember how long you said, but the average response rate without this system. Do you remember what you said? It?
Paul: 27:34
was like. We did a business case in 2018 with one of the OEMs in the Netherlands.
MC: 27:40
Yeah.
Paul: 27:42
So the European headquarter asked for two hours. It was actually eight hours and 20 minutes and the average response time now is two minutes and 30 seconds for years. So they're down two minutes and 30 seconds. But we didn't go to germany, but in germany, 50 of the leads that was an an survey of mobileda, the biggest third-party website in germany and 50 of the leads are not respond at all, not a response at all. So the german markets, like the like many big markets in in europe, are way behind the dutch market, the uk market and the nordic markets.
MC: 28:37
For interesting and is it the same there, where they're coming with cash ready to go, like they've already been approved for a vehicle, so they just need to buy it?
Paul: 28:49
I don't know for sure what it's, what that is in the nordics or in germany. But in germany they think when the customer is is interesting, they have to show up yeah, yeah, it's on you, you, you, you want the car, you should come.
MC: 29:09
So I'm thinking about this what's to be what? What's the biggest difference then? I mean, you've now been to many american conferences, you've spoken at them. Um, what's the reaction with american dealers when they hear what you're saying, that that you can get a less than five minute response time on leads?
Paul: 29:32
oh, that they believe. But? But the one thing which always struck my mind is when you have a lot of something, you are easy. For example, the american engine in a pickup truck makes no sense whatsoever seven liter or whatever and then the horsepower is only 300. And there are also engines with 300 horsepower, with a two liter engine. Right, right, right is it? The dead engine is just better.
Paul: 30:10
So if you have a lot of something like you have with data, with data, and you can market that data to a market, uh, and and go for the f-150 drivers, et cetera, you are getting lazy because it is very simple to get good leads. But if you have privacy laws like we have here, you have to be very innovative to get those leads still in and to get those conversations still happening in the dealership do auto chat, for example, or something else are way more innovated because their scarcity they have to do it with less than the American counterparts. We can learn about just sales and marketing techniques, but from an innovative perspective you guys are paying too much for so this is I mean, this goes back to that that.
MC: 31:34
what's that quote where it's like tough tough times create tough men. Tough men create easy times, easy times create weak men? That's what I think of when you're speaking this this ability to say well, we only have this much to work with. Therefore, we have to innovate. That's the only way to do it. Um, what always frustrates me, especially in North American markets, is well, you go to a small town, population 8,000, they're getting a thousand leads a month, which means and and not engaging with 30% of them every month, which means that by month 11, they've basically burned the entire population of their community in leads. Yeah, and the only answer to it is to keep spending more. And, despite having so much data, it still doesn't seem to be helping us at all. And then here you are you've been forced to innovate and, as a result, you actually have come out of it with better data.
Paul: 32:46
Yeah, I think so, think so, yeah, for sure, and and, and I don't feel, um, I don't feel overwhelmed when I'm in america because you are way ahead. Actually, I don't see it anymore. 10 years ago I was overwhelmed, I wrote, I wrote notes and notes and notes and notes and notes about things, and now I said it's almost the same old and same stuff and you are not innovated at the moment, also, not with AI.
MC: 33:21
Yeah, interesting.
Paul: 33:24
Because AI tool for texting. You have an AI tool for emailing. You have an ai tool for emailing. You have an ai tool for and calling, but right, they are not integrated. There's, you need free subscriptions instead of one. Yeah, and it's still the same ai at the back end, right?
MC: 33:47
I mean, but that's I. I guess that's what happens when you have to figure something out. That's I think that's the whole point of innovation. So let me ask you this as we wind down here um, what's next? So last year we were looking forward to AI. Now you've developed this AI tech stack that's working really well. What's your mind thinking about next? Where are we headed?
Paul: 34:17
I almost want to say to convince Trump that we are. Second Of the things, we in heaven's sake sell evs because nobody wants them if they are not within within within big check from the government. The agency model is that. So how the egos with the OEMs are going to convince us that the agency contract they are going to sell us next year is actually a dealer contract, but just in the name, an agency model? Right? So it will be a very good 2025 with a lot of things will happen with Stellantis, with the AC model, et cetera. With Volkswagen, which is in decline, it will be very interesting. I don't know what the next thing will be, but there will be a next thing for sure there will be a next thing.
MC: 35:25
Yeah, for sure, and you, more than any other, can say many of these things confidently. I, first of all. I remember the first time I came there nine years ago. We were driving to a meeting at one of the oems. We passed a big tesla factory or assembly plant and I remember looking out the window they weren't quite as popular here yet. You saw them, them everywhere in the Netherlands and I said, oh man, I want to drive those. And your response was why you want to be a taxi driver. And I was so confused back then. And then I learned while I was there because the incentive the government incentives to buy EVs was so high. So that's the first thing. The second thing is I think Europe did the agency model tests first.
Paul: 36:15
Yeah, in the small markets. So Austria, like the Netherlands, so if it blew up here, nobody cares Right. But you cannot do it in Germany or in in france, or in spain or italy, because those markets are too big, right, oh, they always try it in in sweden, in the netherlands, in austria, because there are small, small markets with dealers which can adjust very, very fast and it and it failed's filled miserably.
MC: 36:50
The other thing and this is a teaser and we might have to talk about this the next time you're on, but we are just slowly I feel like becoming aware of a lot of the Chinese EV automakers, but there are, did you say? There's 30 already in the market.
Paul: 37:10
Look, we have in Europe now way more than 30 new Chinese car brands.
MC: 37:18
Yeah, and we're not just talking BYD, because they're the ones that are starting to be talked about here, but NIO, we just just saw neo and 28 others.
Paul: 37:29
yeah and we have gilly and gilly has lotus has uh link and co has seeker as volvo, of course. Then we have bid and we have mg and we have a lot of, a lot of brands which maybe one or two are going to make it happen, and all the other ones are getting a Subaru stack. Nobody wants them either.
MC: 38:00
Well, what shocked me, though, what I'm concerned about, what maybe keeps me awake at night a little bit is when you had me sit in that lincoln co suv. I can't remember the price point on it, but I remember it being this about the same price, actually a little bit cheaper, even in euros. It was a little bit cheaper than a Toyota Camry Actually way cheaper than a Toyota Camry and 10 times as nice. Yeah.
Paul: 38:36
The car is magnificent. The car which Lincoln Co built, which is a Volvo engineered car manufactured in China, is a very good car with a four-year warranty, 120 000 kilometers and guarantee. The car is is built very, very good and those vehicles are gonna.
MC: 38:59
If there's 30 of them moving around the european market. It's only a matter of time before those entrants are here. And I can't help but wonder and this is a wormhole opening, opening a wormhole here but I can't help but wonder what the US or North American automakers will do when a $29,000 SUV that feels like a $70,000 SUV enters the market.
Paul: 39:29
Yeah, but if I know American dealers, they will ask 10,000 euros more because they can. Right it will be another price point. But on the other hand, I think that the European community has to tariff those cars more. Yeah, on the one thing because the European car manufacturers as well, having not a Latin playing field over there, yeah, oh, tariffs.
MC: 40:02
Now you're speaking our language.
Paul: 40:05
It should be the same, right the same, that if an American car company can do the same thing as a Chinese car company should be doing in America, then there's an 11 playing field, right, right. But the one thing the Chinese did ask Volkswagen, ask everybody else to do a joint venture in China to sell a lot of cars. They make a lot of money over there, but they actually taught the Chinese how to build a car and now they know it, and now they can do it on scale.
MC: 40:41
Yeah, yep, interesting, interesting times ahead. Yeah, interesting times ahead, yeah, interesting times ahead. And you know the the to bring it full circle, probably the scariest part of that whole equation is while all of that is happening, we're still going to be burning through leads, spending more money to get leads, because we didn't install a proper process of what you figured out. How can those listening and watching connect with you and learn more about the processes that you've built?
Paul: 41:10
the best way to connect with me is on linkedin. Paul the fish 1972 is my, my linkedin handle I think you pronounce it like that and connect me there. That's the best way and if somebody is listening and somebody knows, we actually need a very good speaker after Michael, so it has to be an A game for our event in April. We don't know anybody yet which we want to invite, so if everybody knows a name, I'm happy You're asking for it now, because now everyone's going to ask to come over.
MC: 41:51
Very well, and you know, what always intrigues me is the patience you have. What people don't know is that the way Paul got his LinkedIn handle. He went to LinkedIn, he clicked sign up, he typed in Paul DeVries it was taken. So he typed in Paul DeVries one and it was taken. And two and three, and he had to go all the way until he got to 1972 and that was available and that's how he got it now what's the the most common last name in in holland, so that's, that's bad luck there you go.
MC: 42:22
There was at least 1972, more others. All right, paul, thank you, my friend, appreciate you joining me on the Dealer Playbook Podcast.
Paul: 42:29
Really, appreciate it. Have a good one, friend. Bye-bye.
MC: 42:34
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