Brian Kramer, EVP of Cars Commerce, discusses his rise from a lot porter to a General Manager in the automotive industry. He talks about launching the VR car buying experience, evangelizing Accu-Trade, and the biggest changes we will see in used cars over the next year. They also touch on the broken trade-in process, consumer's ability to appraise a vehicle, and the hope for the evolution of the used car business.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Brian MacDonald, CEO of CDK GlobalThis episode is brought to you by:Valvoline - Valvoline can help drive your service department by streamlining operations and increasing revenue with hands-on technician and sales advisor training, state-of-the-art service lane technology, and a robust preventive maintenance chemical program. They even have programs to help you sell more cars and increase trade-ins! Learn more @ https://partner.valvolineglobal.com/dealershipCDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships.Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platformInterested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line hereInterested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name hereTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:01:52) - Brian’s career in the industry(00:02:23) - Experiences at CDK and transitioning to Sunoco(00:09:26) - Evs & the future of the dealership(00:13:32) - What services and technology are you offering dealerships?(00:16:40) - How are you staying ahead of dealership needs?(00:18:03) - What are your top focuses today?(00:20:48) - How are you approaching integrating all dealership products into one solution?(00:22:42) - What are you looking for when considering an acquisition?(00:25:51) - Thoughts on AI(00:29:46) - At what point does a dealership typically adopt software like CDK?(00:32:41) - Are you seeing SaaS fatigue in dealerships?(00:35:30) - Will we see some international OEM players enter the US market over the next decade?(00:38:51) - Plans for the NADA conference(00:40:09) - How can people get in touch?Check out CDK Global here.Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with David Domm, CEO at Carmatic.This episode is brought to you by:Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.incInterested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line hereInterested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name hereTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:01:38) - David’s early career in gaming(00:08:53) - How did you become the CPO at Cars.com?(00:11:01) - What insights led you to found Carmatic?(00:15:13) - What is the current buying experience and how are you changing that?(00:28:16) - Does this risk anyone’s job at a traditional dealership?(00:30:30) - How are you able to provide the correct payment to the customer if you are not the bank?(00:34:52) - Would Carmatic make digital retailing tools obsolete?(00:42:33) - Carmatic’s early results(00:45:07) - What is the result of mass adoption of this product?Check out Carmatic here.Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)This podcast is meant for informational purposes only and should not be used as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Tim Lawrence, CEO of LHPH CapitalThis episode is brought to you by:CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships.Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platformAutoFi - AutoFi's powerful platform helps dealers sell smarter, not harder—online and in the showroom.Learn more at autofi.com/cdgInterested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line hereInterested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name hereTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:02:24) - Tim’s previous life as a marriage and family counselor(00:07:11) - What is Lease Here Pay Here?(00:08:56) - How is this different from Buy Here Pay Here?(00:11:01) - How does this model impact dealers and consumers?(00:12:51) - How do you and the dealer make money?(00:15:32) - What are you seeing from consumers right now?(00:16:56) - Thoughts on EVs(00:19:13) - How do you break into a new market?(00:21:02) - Who else is doing this model?(00:21:53) - What’s the IRR for a dealer on one of these loans?(00:23:07) - Who’s accountable for service in this model?(00:24:13) - Are we headed to a world where most people will not own their vehicles?(00:29:01) - How are you being impacted by interest rates?(00:31:31) - Will used car leasing ever go mainstream?Check out LHPH here.Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, Aharon Horwitz, CEO of Fullpath, discusses the impact of AI on the car buying experience, the industry's appetite for AI, and the future of the automotive industry. They also explore the benefits of implementing a customer data platform for car dealerships and the challenges of integrating AI technology into the industry. Additionally, they touch on the utilization of automation to reconnect with old leads and the challenges and opportunities for car dealerships in the post-COVID world.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Tiger Okeley, President at Oak Motors.This episode is brought to you by:AutoFi's powerful platform helps dealers sell smarter, not harder—online and in the showroom.Learn more at autofi.com/cdgCDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships.Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platformInterested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line hereInterested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name hereTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:02:26) - What is a buy here pay here dealership?(00:03:20) - How’d you get into this industry?(00:07:10) - Why is Buy Here Pay Here so controversial?(00:11:23) - What does your business do?(00:13:22) - What’s your customer profile?(00:16:27) - How are you able to approve people who may not qualify elsewhere?(00:18:49) - Pricing risk & interest rates(00:26:02) - Where do you source vehicles?(00:28:05) - Repossessions(00:32:48) - What’s the level of utilizaiton you can get out of a car?(00:37:18) - Do you target a specific IRR or profitability metric?(00:43:24) - How do you fundraise?(00:47:13) - PhilanthropyCheck out Oak Motors here.Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with David Regn, Co-Founder & CEO of Stream Companies.This episode is brought to you by:CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships.Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platformStream Companies - Full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled ad agency doing the ordinary extraordinarily well. Learn more @ https://www.streamcompanies.com/Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line hereInterested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name hereTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:01:38) - Starting Stream(00:03:52) - What services does Stream offer today?(00:04:16) - How have you seen dealers shift the way they deploy marketing dollars?(00:08:59) - Stream’s scale(00:14:27) - How much are dealers paying to acquire a customer?(00:17:06) - Do local dealers have an embedded advantage over national brands or vice versa?(00:18:35) - What is the budget you are responsible for and where is it being deployed?(00:20:30) - Thoughts on 3rd party listing sites(00:27:20) - Do you still believe in traditional media advertising? (00:30:12) - Call to Actions(00:32:32) - Are you doing anything in the AI space?(00:33:47) - Is there any meaningful AI implementation on the consumer front?Check out Stream Companies here.Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Alan Haig, President & Founder of Haig Partners This episode is brought to you by:Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.incHaig Partners - Helping dealers maximize the value of their businesses. Learn more at Haigpartners.comInterested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line hereInterested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name hereTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:01:37) - The state of the car market(00:05:54) - Findings from the Haig report(00:11:36) - How is Toyota doing well with declining market share?(00:15:32) - What brands are dealers flocking toward right now?(00:18:49) - What brands are dealers staying away from & the talent war(00:29:18) - Is it easier to find buyers or sellers right now?(00:36:06) - Drivers Behind Economies of Scale(00:39:26) - How do you explain the rise of non-car business investors getting into the industry? (trim up)(00:45:37) - What are you seeing in terms of dealer sentiment?(00:50:16) - How do you add value to your dealerships today?(00:55:23) - What’s the best way to cultivate talent in this industry?(01:01:26) - What’s your outlook for the car market in 2024?Check out Haig Partners here and the Haig Report here.Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

David Meniane, CEO of Carparts.com, shares his inspiring journey to America, going on Shark Tank, starting CarParts.com and building a $200M+ car parts empire. He discusses the economy, online parts purchasing, competition with dealers, AI integration, interest rates impact, margins, competition, EVs, manufacturing in the US, and the future of his business.

CEO at Group 1 Automotive discusses the founding story of the company and their success in maximizing dealership parts and service, incentives, and profitability. They explore the challenges of transitioning from the OEM side to the dealership side and the value of dealerships in providing long-term customer service. They also discuss the advantages of being a larger dealership group and the factors affecting affordability in the automotive industry.