#62 Leadership masterclass from world's #1 Honda Dealer, Pushing $1 Billion in sales, the birth of the 24-hr service center | Brian Benstock, Partner & General Manager/VP of Paragon Honda

In this episode, I'm speaking with Brian Benstock, Partner and General Manager of Paragon Honda & Acura where we discuss: his rise in the New York automotive industry and becoming the #1 Honda dealership in the world, the wild success of his 24-hour service center, how leasing could be the salvation to the affordability problem, his strategy to mentor and develop his employees in the dealership business, what it takes to keep up with Brian Benstock and much more.

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Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at https://www.carscommerce.inc/

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Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:03:12) - Paragon’s delivery and pick-up strategy

(00:05:11) - Brian’s early career and family life

(00:15:30) - Brian’s leadership style

(00:21:24) - Who has had a significant impact on your career?

(00:23:15) - What does a typical day look like for you?

(00:25:06) - Who are the 6-8 people you surround yourself with?

(00:29:31) - Do you think the opportunity to become a partner at a dealership still exists today?

(00:32:10) - What is it like operating in your showroom and hitting these sales numbers?

(00:37:43) - Online vs. in-person trends

(00:40:34) - What have you done on the tech side to meet the consumer's needs?

(00:48:06) - How have your efforts impacted profitability?

(00:52:03) - How do you set your store goals?

(00:55:09) - How do you view yourself as a dealer?

(00:56:48) - How do you acquire inventory?

(01:01:51) - What are your thoughts on the market?

(01:04:58) - What are you seeing in consumer health?

(01:07:10) - Is affordability the biggest issue right now?

(01:09:55) - Solving incentive problems

(01:11:25) - Thoughts on AI

(01:13:39) - What keeps you up at night?

(01:15:45) - Taking advantage of social media and being authentic

Check out Paragon here.

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