00:00
We're doing better as a result of social media presence.
00:05
It doesn't do those three things, then it's on the chopping block.
00:08
It's in return on investment discussion.
00:11
Oh my goodness, it's Black Friday, everybody.
00:23
Welcome back to another episode of The Daily Deal Alive, I'm your host, Sam Dark.
00:26
And today, today is the day, today we train for the day, we caffeinate for it is Black Friday
00:34
The Super Bowl of retail in America, and that includes automotive, November 28th, only two
00:39
selling days left for many of us in the month of November, three if you're open Sunday.
00:44
And you choose, thanks for choosing to spend part of it here with us at The Daily Deal
00:51
That's commitment, that's community, and that's why our industry wins.
00:53
Now, let's make this show interactive today.
00:56
What is your Black Friday look like?
00:58
What's your store doing right now?
01:00
What's your best deal?
01:01
Your craziest deal?
01:02
Your biggest win so far on this Friday.
01:05
Drop it in the comments.
01:06
We're posting the hottest one straight into the show.
01:10
But first, let's drive into today's auto industry headlines.
01:14
All right, here's a big one in the M&A world.
01:16
Penske Automotive Group is officially sold Hyundai of Noble'sville, Indiana, to the Gurley
01:22
Leap Automotive family, deal close November 24th, per the Percidio Group.
01:28
Now, what's interesting here is the timing.
01:30
The Penske is stepping out just three and a half years after acquiring the store from
01:36
Terry Lee back in May of 22.
01:38
That's quick for a group like Penske on the flip side, Gurley Leap is playing a very intentional
01:43
Seems they've already got deep operations in Indiana, and Mike Leap Jr says this moves
01:46
all about tightening the footprint, building density where they already have strength, smart
01:52
Come out, and this is exactly the kind of deal fueling the White Hot M&A cycle.
01:57
Right now, George Carolis from the Percidio Group says both buyers and sellers are swarming
02:02
the market, and that churn is creating a steady flow of opportunities for regional operators
02:07
who can move fast and absorb stores inside their core territories.
02:11
And hey, if you want to track deals like this all year long, you know where to go, cdgvicell.com.
02:17
And our jingle, of course, makes us happy.
02:19
All right, next up, let's talk trucks.
02:21
A new S&P Global Mobility Report breaks down just how critical this segment is to US
02:29
Half-tun pickups alone account for 8.2% of all new vehicle sales through August, and that's
02:35
only part of the story.
02:36
Those same architectures also power three quarter-ton and one-ton heavy-duty trucks.
02:41
That's another 3.4% and full-size SUVs, 3.6%, you added all up, and this ecosystem represents
02:48
around 15% of the entire US market.
02:52
Not only volume, but margin.
02:54
Half-tun profits start around 10,000 and heavy-duty trucks, or full-size utilities can hit $30,000
03:02
What's the bottom line here, this limited cluster of trucks, and utilities basically funds
03:07
the modern dealership, and loyalty is consolidating around just a handful of name plates.
03:13
Competition is tightening, stakes are rising, and whoever controls the truck buyer controls
03:17
the profitability of the entire store.
03:20
Next up today, here's a wake-up call coming out of the Auto SISAC annual cyber security
03:28
The modern connected car ecosystem now produces hundreds of digital touchpoints, building
03:34
a virtual perimeter that's massive, it's hard to map, and growing faster than most organizations
03:41
And here's the part that should catch every dealer's attention.
03:44
Most of the software and API connections inside a dealership don't come from the OEM.
03:49
They come from third-party vendors.
03:51
That means limited visibility, more unknown vulnerabilities, and a rapid expanding attack
03:57
Security experts warn that bad actors are already using AI to find weak spots, while many
04:02
automotive companies are also rushing AI tools into their operations, without putting
04:07
the proper governance, validation, or cyber security scaffolding underneath.
04:13
What's the guidance for dealers heading into 2025?
04:15
Well, narrow the scope, validate every AI tool before deployment, and don't assume any
04:21
vendors handling security for you unless you've confirmed it.
04:25
This is becoming a board-level topic, and auto-retail is right in the blast radius.
04:30
Next up, big drama brewing in Washington.
04:34
Senate Republicans want the CEOs of GM, Ford, Stellantis, and Tesla in front of a committee
04:40
in January, to justify whether federally mandated safety features are actually making
04:44
cars safer, or simply making them more expensive.
04:48
We're talking about automatic emergency breaking, rear seat reminders, and the stack of
04:53
features regulators want baked into every new car.
04:57
What's the context?
04:58
Well, the average new vehicle price today is sitting at about $50,000.
05:02
That's up from 38 grand during the COVID era.
05:05
Some lawmakers point to federal mandates as part of that inflation.
05:09
Next say, this hearing could dial back support for safety tech that automakers and regulators
05:15
have treated as, quote, standard equipment for years.
05:18
And the real takeaway for dealers?
05:20
This is the opening shot in what's becoming a bigger battle over what safety features should
05:25
be mandatory, how much technology customers must pay for, and how these decisions impact
05:30
pricing, supply chain, and compliance going on into 2026.
05:35
Keep an eye on this one, because where Washington lands certainly will ripple through product
05:40
planning, inventory mix, and retail pricing for years.
05:45
And that is a wrap on today's industry news.
05:49
You'll be, what's up?
05:50
Happy Black Friday.
05:51
Happy Black Friday, big day today.
05:54
You know, it is a big day, and we are getting right to it, only two days left in the month
05:59
of November, and so many in American retail make their day, make their year between November
06:07
Automotive, we do typically very well, though weather certainly impacts things depending
06:12
on where you live and where you sell.
06:14
But today is a big day in automotive retail, regardless, and that will extend into the weekend.
06:19
And then of course, traditionally a heavy selling time is that time between Christmas and
06:23
New Year's as well.
06:25
You know, a couple comments from the, you know, thank you, yoga cars and others for saying
06:31
I had just a Black Friday moment there at the very beginning.
06:34
So thanks to everybody's patients through that.
06:36
And you'll be, today's the last day of no shave November.
06:39
I caught the last day of it.
06:43
So I thought I'd please you.
06:44
I'll get the audience.
06:47
And it's the last day for CDG Circle Signups.
06:51
That's absolutely true.
06:53
Sign up for CDG Circles, you'll be.
06:55
We got CDGCircles.com.
06:57
Yeah, that's right.
06:59
And they start up next week.
07:01
So if you want to take advantage of that, we'd love to have you in there.
07:06
They go live next Thursday.
07:08
So signups officially close today as extended 48 hours.
07:13
The circles will go live next Thursday.
07:15
So if you're not involved in that, go to CDGCircles.com to learn more and become part of that.
07:21
And just as a reminder, we're streaming today on this Black Friday across all of the CDG
07:25
social media platforms.
07:26
We'd love to have you comment in the social media.
07:29
Let us know where you're watching from.
07:31
Let us know what you're doing on this Black Friday.
07:33
And hopefully we've got some cool success stories of Black Friday conquests.
07:37
But as we're getting to that, let's go straight to our first guest today, Nolan Brink,
07:42
multi-store general manager at Jim Shorkey Auto Group, Nolan.
07:45
Welcome to the show.
07:47
Thank you so much for having me.
07:48
Really appreciate it.
07:50
We're pumped to have you and thanks for joining us this busy Friday, this Black Friday,
07:54
between, you know, as we get ready, yes, you know, it's interesting.
07:58
On Wednesday, we had our special Thanksgiving day episode and everybody talked about what
08:02
they're grateful for.
08:03
And then I think the great irony of American Thanksgiving is the very next day we go out
08:08
and just bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, right?
08:11
Thank goodness we do because in automotive, we need that.
08:13
So tell us if you would, Nolan, house biz and tell us a little bit about yourself as part
08:22
So I'll start with a little bit about myself.
08:24
So I've been in the industry since, call it 2010, came up on the variable side, started
08:30
selling cars, worked into sales manager, finance manager, general sales manager, overseeing
08:36
multiple stores for the Cochran Auto Group and then I ended up moving down to Florida and
08:43
worked for the Morgan Auto Group as a corporate use car director and general manager in Sarasota.
08:49
And then, you know, due to family reasons, moved back to Pittsburgh, I worked for the
08:54
Jim Shorty Auto Group.
08:56
I oversee the Kia store in Wexford, which past three years, it's been the top volume
09:02
store in the state.
09:03
And this year, we have two locations in Youngstown, a Chrysler and a Mitsubishi store that
09:10
really, they're an overhaul project that I'm working on right now.
09:14
I would say business overall is decent, you know, we all got spoiled during COVID with
09:20
just some amazing business times and, you know, right now, we have to put forth a little
09:27
But yeah, I'm grateful to be here on Black Friday.
09:29
It's one of the most sought after days of the year, you know, short of that last week
09:34
of December, like you talked about or a Saturday in the middle of July, it's really
09:40
hard to beat Black Friday and, you know, typically the fall, you see that, that seasonality
09:45
that, that, at least on the sales side, that, that comes about, so it's, it's good for
09:51
It's great and morale booster.
09:52
It gives you something to talk about all month long, really to help the customers
09:55
up, bring them in and then, you know, we're heading into, you know, we're heading into
10:00
the, you know, the time of year where there's always a, a peel back in sales for the most
10:08
Don't tell anybody that it's not supposed to be out there, Nolan, we're not talking
10:12
But, but it gives us, it gives us a time to really dive deep, um, figure things out.
10:20
So, let's, let's, so let me ask you this before we go into some of the seasonality, right?
10:25
So your highest volume in your area, Kia dealer.
10:29
And then I think it's interesting.
10:31
Then you mentioned, hey, I'm working on these two projects, Stellanis and Mitsubishi.
10:35
So you've got like the tail of two OEMs right now, right?
10:38
So what's one lesson you learned in bringing Mitsubishi to be the number one in your area
10:44
that you're implementing at Stellanis and Mitsu?
10:48
So Mitsubishi isn't number one key.
10:52
What one lesson from Kia that you're bringing to Mitsu and Stellanis?
10:56
You know, the biggest lesson that I've taken away is, you know, it's, it's something that
11:01
I've known, but it's all about leadership.
11:03
And I'm very fortunate and blessed, I, you know, we just had Thanksgiving, but I'm just
11:07
so grateful for the team that I have at my Kia store.
11:10
And, you know, we've taken some time to really build it, to build it and find the right people
11:15
and coach and train and develop, um, I mean, we have countless hours in, in training at
11:21
And whether I'm at the store or not, I know that the leaders are going to operate the
11:27
There's a training schedule that's happening and day in and day out, it's happening.
11:33
When I came to Youngstown, it was, um, you know, in, in some cases, what I don't want to
11:39
do is I don't want to, like, say that they weren't doing things because they were.
11:44
It's just, you know, you can do things two different ways and get two different results.
11:48
So you're really focusing on building up the, building up the leadership team and then creating
11:54
that culture where, you know, we're focusing on building the leadership and the leadership's
11:59
focusing on building up the next level and just having that, having that growth mindset
12:04
and every position in the dealership.
12:07
And, you know, if you walk into my store in, in Wexford at the Kia location, no matter
12:12
what position you talk to, someone's training on getting better.
12:16
And we're, we're working on, you know, building that out here in, in the Youngstown area
12:22
So when you say training to get better at a Kia store and then you're going to take
12:25
that to Stellanis and Mitsu, is there a particular process?
12:29
Is there a program?
12:30
Is there a methodology that you're using at Kia that you're going to say, Hey, I'm going
12:34
to implement this in Stellanis and I'm going to get a similar result there.
12:39
So, so I start with, start with the leadership team and, you know, it, it takes time to
12:44
observe and watch and really get feedback.
12:47
I think feedback loops are very important, um, and, and sitting down with the team members
12:51
and assessing, what are you good at in terms of your leadership skills, your communication
12:56
skills, your, your problem-solving capabilities, your strategic thinking, um, marketing seems
13:02
to be, you know, a heavy touch point where, you know, if you can coach and train on how
13:08
to, you know, how to manage your inventory and tie it into marketing, you can get a pretty
13:12
decent lift fairly quickly.
13:14
Um, that was one thing that I did take, I, you know, work with my, with my general sales
13:19
manager here, right whenever we got here on inventory management and marketing and how
13:25
they tied together and how you can dig for the data and use data analysis for what is
13:31
the, what is the correct types of units to stock based on what people purchase in your
13:37
Maybe you haven't sold it, but if others have, there's a stocking issue and then based
13:42
on what people are buying and what packages they're buying locally in your area, how
13:47
do you, you know, how do you build out your, your incentives that you're going to give
13:52
And then also really understanding your demographic, you know, pulling, pulling market data, you
13:57
know, if you're in a credit-challenged area, does it make sense to put out a ton of lease
14:01
offers maybe in terms of showing a payment, but if you know that you're going to be doing
14:07
heavy retail, then you go to your specials page, is it all lease?
14:11
That's, you know, that, that's typically a challenge.
14:15
So Nolan, a question from our audience.
14:17
So Peter Cruzo says, I hope to hear about metrics used in training and coaching.
14:22
So when you talk about creating that culture through training and accountability, is there
14:27
certain, is there a certain amount of time spent training?
14:30
How do you measure as a leader that you're getting that result and that the training is
14:34
consistently happening?
14:36
What metrics are you turning to?
14:38
So in terms of like the accountability for training, we, we set up, there's a
14:43
training schedule every single week.
14:46
So like I'll give you an example.
14:47
So every day, whenever, you know, the day starts at nine o'clock, we have everyone go
14:52
out and start handling the leads immediately at 9.30, we'll pull the sales team together
14:57
for a sales meeting and we'll have a quick touch point on training.
15:01
Then every, every Friday, we know that we have a full entire staff.
15:06
So we have a midday, right around lunch, training session.
15:10
And at the beginning of every month, what we'll do is we'll list out, you know, the first,
15:15
the first week, the second week, the third week, the fourth week, which managers going
15:19
to be doing training, what they are going to be doing, training on.
15:22
And the managers, the managers need to actually put together what their plan is for the training
15:27
and have it approved.
15:29
And that, that's for the sales team, for example.
15:32
And every month, it's going to be different.
15:35
It's going to, you're going to look at the beginning of the month and say, okay, well, these
15:38
are our areas of opportunity.
15:40
These are our gaps versus what we're benchmarking.
15:43
This is what we need to focus on.
15:46
So in this month, tell us November 2025, Black Friday, if I was at your Stellantis store,
15:52
what are you training on?
15:54
What are you filling this month?
15:55
So this month, this month, our phone and our internet are slightly lower than usual.
16:02
You know, we've typically led the company.
16:05
We have 20 stores in our company.
16:08
And we've religiously led in closing for both internet and phone.
16:12
And we've seen a slight decline in both.
16:14
So, you know, through, if you look at the training plan, it's a mixture of, you know,
16:20
one, how are we handling our phone calls?
16:24
And then two, we do a lot of manager interaction.
16:27
So once a salesperson doesn't set an appointment, we have to lie, turn it to a manager.
16:32
So training on that transition.
16:35
And then in terms of the internet, it is, you know, what is the quantity and what is the
16:42
Are we following the process in terms of quantity and then what we are sending out?
16:46
Are we, you know, are we engaging in the customer the way that they want to be engaged?
16:51
So I want to move in just a moment to a change you recently made.
16:54
You got rid of and eradicated the BDC.
16:56
So I want to challenge that.
16:57
Talk a little bit about that.
16:58
But before we do that, you talk about managers.
17:01
Working with salespeople as an example, how do you as a leader know that the manager knows
17:06
what the heck they're talking about when they're training salespeople?
17:09
Because you can train and learn on something, but if it's the wrong thing, you're not going
17:14
to get the result, right?
17:15
So how do you test for that with your leadership team?
17:20
So if I don't know, I don't let them run it.
17:22
That's the very first thing.
17:24
I'm not going to just shoot blind.
17:28
And just let you know, so as a company, the company, as our company, I didn't personally
17:32
get rid of the BDC.
17:34
It was something we did a few years ago.
17:37
And I've worked, you know, when I worked at Cochrane, we had a BDC.
17:41
It went into the store.
17:42
When I worked at Morgan, we didn't have centralized BDCs, but some of the stores that
17:46
I had had an internal BDC, some of the stores that I had did not and then, you know, we
17:53
do not have a BDC currently and it's working quite well.
17:57
But back to your question about, you know, how do I know if a manager is going to be able
18:02
to give them the training that they need?
18:05
So when I look at Key of Wexford, when I first got there, for instance, I ran all the
18:11
sales meetings until I really understood what the strengths and weaknesses were of my
18:19
You have to observe.
18:20
You have to listen.
18:21
You have to be able to pull the results.
18:23
You have to know, okay, if I have a group of managers, what are the closing percentages
18:28
based off of the managers?
18:30
What is the gross on the front end per manager?
18:32
What is the back end per manager?
18:34
Are we measuring it?
18:35
And do I know what managers should be touching the most deals and which one shouldn't?
18:40
And the one that shouldn't, what do I need to do with that person in order to help build
18:45
them up to get them to where they need to be?
18:47
And usually it's, you know, setting the expectation, making sure that they have an outline, clearly
18:51
to find process, making sure that you go through it with them, help them side by side.
18:56
Get them to the point where they can coach and develop.
18:58
And then whenever you do.
19:01
So when you talk about that, though, you're running two very different OEMs.
19:05
Kia, Stalannis, Mitsubishi 3.
19:09
So let's say I've got a manager, Kia, Success, Stalannis Challenge, Mitsubishi maybe
19:17
How do you as a leader know the difference between, hey, they know what they're doing and
19:21
they can train or they know what they're doing and they're executing well?
19:23
And hey, boss, you know, it's just a bad month because of snow, interest rates, politics,
19:31
How do you, how do you glean the difference between things you can control and things you
19:36
Yeah, I mean, the numbers, the numbers typically don't lie.
19:41
You pull up the data, I mean, I lean heavily into data.
19:46
And you can say, yes, it's been a, it's been a bad month, but in, in my role, it's my
19:50
job to make sure that I'm setting the team up with inventory leads and if we're not,
19:57
if we have inventory and we don't have leads, we have a merchandising issue, you can
20:01
usually look, you can usually do, you go through the five wise until you get to the root cause,
20:06
the data will point you in the right direction.
20:09
And then in terms of, you know, if we're not getting the results and we have the leads,
20:14
are we distributing our leads properly or are we feeding the hot hand or are we using
20:18
the money ball approach and then, you know, the people that aren't the hot hand, what
20:22
are we doing to train them or do we have available resources and one benefit that I do have
20:27
with having multiple stores, for example, you know, I have, I have the availability, it's
20:32
only an hour and 15 minute drive between the two stores, but if someone's really struggling
20:36
with an area and I know, and I know that I have someone who's excellent at it at a, at
20:40
a separate location, I can send them on a field trip for a couple days.
20:45
I might not have time to do the training, but if I, if I have an expert, I mean, my goal
20:49
is to surround myself with people, yeah, help, help the expert train the, the guy who's
20:55
struggling, bring them up, right, take away this uncontrollable, excuse, all right, so
21:00
go back to the BDC, because I'm fascinated by that.
21:02
And then we'll go to some comments online, because you're getting a lot of comments and feedback
21:06
So would you defend getting rid of the BDC?
21:08
Was that the right play?
21:09
I know I'm putting it odds with your auto group, but or, or, you know, or, or do you
21:15
think the BDC is helpful in today's markup place?
21:18
What advice would you give to dealers maybe considering eradicating BDC?
21:21
Yeah, so I've seen both options work well, the option that we have currently, it works
21:27
well for us, and it doesn't mean that it's going to work well for everyone.
21:31
One of the, why does it work well for you?
21:33
Works well for me, because we have very high levels of manager involvement, and when, whenever
21:38
I'm, whenever I'm hiring a manager, one of the main things that I look at is, would
21:43
I hire them as a BDC manager, and would I hire them as a sales manager?
21:48
And if they check both boxes, then, then I would hire them.
21:53
And, and if they don't, but they have potential, you know, maybe they're really good in one
21:57
area, but they have potential in another, okay, you just have a project on your hands.
22:03
I'm curious because those are two interesting qualifiers.
22:07
What makes a great BDC manager, and what makes a great sales manager?
22:11
What are the differences between those two?
22:14
There's not, there's not a ton of difference, you know, a BDC manager is going to focus
22:20
really heavily on accountability, and being able to execute tasks.
22:27
And your sales manager, they're going to typically be extroverted, they're going to have
22:31
good leadership skills, good communication skills, they're going to have a results driven
22:35
mindset, and more often than not, if you, you know, you, if you're hiring from the outside
22:42
and someone hasn't had big BDC experience, then they don't like leaning into, hey, I want
22:48
to, I want to be super involved in every lead, like a BDC, you know, typically would.
22:54
But if I have someone who has the sales manager qualities, but also has the grit and desire
23:02
to execute tasks, you can, you can hit a home run.
23:08
So what we do, we, we do not have a BDC, but managers touch every lead at some point in
23:18
If someone calls in and the salesperson doesn't set a set of phone appointment, they're
23:22
doing a live, you know, a live TO with that customer.
23:26
If we have a lead that we have not contacted within a certain timeframe, it is the manager's
23:33
duty to reach out to that customer, or if we've engaged with a customer, and we haven't
23:38
set an appointment, the manager needs that follow up.
23:42
So what I do is I break it down into buckets, you know, the CRM that I have at Youngstown
23:48
for instance, they make it really simple.
23:50
You have your own stuff.
23:55
So their buckets, they have uncontacted leads, they have engaged leads, and then from
24:00
engaged you have your showroom visits, and then you have your proposals, and then ultimately
24:06
it ends up as sole.
24:07
So when you look at it, I have multiple buckets, I have multiple managers every day.
24:13
I have a checklist with, you know, with a box for sign off.
24:16
Every manager come, all the managers come in, they have the huddle in the morning.
24:19
They select, okay, I'm going to handle the uncontacted leads from yesterday.
24:24
The next, you know, the next person might handle, handle, these are the customers that
24:28
we've engaged with, but we have not set an appointment for, and the next person might
24:32
be in touch with all the people that we did proposals for yesterday.
24:38
And we haven't closed up a deal, so we need to rework that deal.
24:42
I have a question here.
24:43
How are you, I guess if you could give us a top to bottom on how you're handling lead
24:47
flow, because I guess the question I'm having with how you have a structure, and obviously
24:51
it's working for you is, who's responsible for that lead until it gets turned over, right?
24:56
So if you have a manager handling all of the unanswered or fresh leads as they come in,
25:01
at what point do you hand it to the sales department if you could just give us that overview?
25:07
So it's actually reversed.
25:08
It goes to the salesperson first.
25:11
Salesperson is supposed to take a shot, take an attempt.
25:15
And if they do not succeed, then it goes to a manager.
25:19
So let's say, for example, if I have a total of 500 customers in a month at a store,
25:28
I would expect a minimum of 500 follow-up attempts amongst the managers.
25:33
However, for a salesperson, I have a follow-up process for if we haven't engaged with
25:40
It's a new lead that came across, but we haven't made contact.
25:44
So there's a process we follow for that.
25:47
Once we have made engagement with the customer, now it moves into a different workflow.
25:53
And then once we've set an appointment with the customer, a manager is going to confirm
25:58
the appointment the day of if the salesperson can.
26:04
But then after we have an appointment, the customer comes in, let's say they don't purchase
26:09
a vehicle, then there's a process for that as well.
26:14
So there is a lot that the salespeople are doing.
26:18
It's just the managers are constantly having accountability in trying to help assist with
26:26
So last question up today, and I do think that the, it's interesting, it's a manual process,
26:34
what you're describing.
26:35
There's a lot of hands on it.
26:36
If you've got really great people at works, is there a role for AI and some of the automation
26:41
that you're seeing in that process?
26:44
So what's that role, what's the product you're using, and how does that fit into your process?
26:50
So I currently do have AI with DriveCentric, I believe it's chat GPT that they're using
26:58
as they're back end tool, and it works well in many scenarios.
27:03
So when it works well is, let's say we're closed, it's after 8 o'clock at night, someone
27:11
puts in a lead, they're hot, there's AI automatically, trying to set an appointment
27:18
for that customer, or let's say someone's off for the day, everyone deserves a good work
27:24
like balance, if they're off and a customer isn't getting follow up, they're going to at
27:31
that point in time receive follow up from AI.
27:36
And it's helpful, it has been beneficial, but one thing I've noticed with AI, it's
27:41
not perfect, and neither are you going to watch it, you got to watch it, it'll go off
27:47
But that's all the more reason why I like to have so much manager and manager involvement
27:53
in assessing what we're doing in the CRM, because I can't tell you how many times we've
28:00
actually caught a customer trying to set an appointment on a vehicle, that vehicle sold,
28:06
and AI's response was what, it was less than desirable, you know.
28:12
So you got to watch it, you got to watch it, you know, we talk a lot on this show, Nolan
28:17
how with AI and technology, as a GM, you actually have to manage that AI tech, almost like
28:23
you do an employee, because it grows and it develops over time, and you've got to make
28:27
sure that it's consistent with that culture you're creating within your group, and the
28:31
voice matches, and the approach matches, and that it's accurate data.
28:36
Hey, interesting comment, Paul Solzman online says, Nolan is proof of how important it
28:41
is to have the data and know how to interpret the data.
28:46
And we just appreciate you, Nolan, being on the show today on this Black Friday, to celebrate
28:51
Black Friday with us.
28:52
How are your stores doing today?
28:54
It's about 130 Eastern time right now, do you know how the days go on sales wise?
28:59
Yeah, so a Kia, we're set up for a pretty big day today.
29:03
We actually, we're doing a staffed event, which we don't do very often, I've had minimal
29:11
success with some companies, but the one company that we used last year, we felt that the
29:16
customer experience was good.
29:21
You know, it was a recommendation from my Kia Rep.
29:25
I would have to pull up the company name.
29:29
Anyway, they did a really good job of customer experience.
29:33
And in the past, I've seen many times where the experience in CSI has just dropped.
29:39
Well, we wanted to give them another shot this year.
29:42
And we have a ton of appointments, they were rolling as of noon.
29:48
Here in Youngstown, we had a good day set up for appointments, showroom full of people.
29:53
And I know we wrapped up a few deals here this morning, and we're working a few right now.
29:56
So it should prove to be a good day.
30:00
Well, no one break.
30:01
Happy Black Friday.
30:02
Thanks for joining the Daily Deal Live Show today, and sharing your perspectives on all
30:06
Good luck continuing the success at the Kia store.
30:10
And then as you seek to grow, Stalannis and Mitsubishi as well, we wish you the best
30:15
We're excited to hear about it again in the future.
30:16
Thanks for being on the show.
30:20
Data is so important, you and he showed it to us today.
30:23
Data is important, especially when you're trying to build success.
30:27
And I'm always fascinated, you know, great leaders will own everything, and we talk about
30:32
that a lot on the show.
30:35
Subpar leaders will say, hey, you know what, the uncontrollables, hey, it's the OEM,
30:40
it's the weather, it's, you know, it's the lead, it's the traffic, it's whatever.
30:46
And truly, he is really honed in on those things you can control, which is the data in his
30:51
world and then grow from there.
30:53
And it's fascinating.
30:54
They're doing a staff sale on Black Friday.
30:56
I always think that's interesting, what triggers, you know, bringing people in from the outside
31:02
It's a singular, we don't do that, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily not right.
31:06
I think those things are fascinating.
31:08
So Yuley, let's talk Matador AI.
31:11
Taze Black Friday episode is brought to you by Matador AI, Matador handles calls, texts,
31:18
So your team never falls behind more appointments, less chaos, see the difference for yourself
31:23
with a free demo in Matador.ai and props to Matador for sponsoring the show today and supporting
31:31
the content that Nolan Brinkbot brought to us in that great conversation, tale of 3 OEMs
31:37
that's wins at Kia and then how he's working hard with his leadership to turn the fortunes
31:42
at Stellantis and their Mitsubishi store.
31:45
So Matador AI, thanks for supporting the show and you can scan the QR code, you can go
31:49
to the link in the show notes, learn more about that.
31:53
And Yuley, we always talk, you know, there's not a lot of times left to talk about it, but
31:58
if you haven't submitted your request to join us at NADA at the party there in Las Vegas,
32:03
make sure you do that.
32:04
So even though there's limited spots, you've got a good shot at joining us there in Las
32:10
It's going to be exciting.
32:11
Let's dive straight into our final guest today on this Black Friday with a final reminder,
32:18
pop in the notes where you are, where you're watching, what's going on.
32:21
We'd love to know unit counts on the day and what your traffic looks like compared to
32:26
It's Black Friday, everybody.
32:28
So joining the show, Matt Bennett, Vice President, Enrollment, and Strategic Alliances,
32:33
Northwood University, Michigan-based, very close to home here, Matt Bennett, welcome
32:39
It's privilege to be here.
32:41
Happy Black Friday, or we kind of caught blue Friday here.
32:44
Northwood Blue is a sale organization as well, right?
32:48
We've been America's Automotive University for nearly six decades.
32:53
We understand and it's in our DNA.
32:55
So right there with your first guest Nolan in terms of being tenacious and providing an
33:00
optimized customer experience.
33:01
So thank you for having us.
33:05
I was going to ask you a little bit about how busy is in your world, but you give us
33:10
You can expand on it.
33:11
When we were talking before the show started, you said you have some pretty interesting
33:14
initiatives coming out.
33:16
Won't you peel back the curtain a little bit for our viewers?
33:19
Yeah, really, really excited.
33:21
For those that don't know, I mean, Northwood was founded entrepreneurially as a school of
33:24
business back in 1959.
33:26
And shortly after that, the founders, Arthur Turner and our Gary Stauffa realized there
33:32
was a disconnect in trying to develop leadership for automotive retailers.
33:38
And so in the early 1960s, a school of automotive retail and programming began here at Northwood
33:45
so we have been in it since before it was cool to quote it gently.
33:50
But from that standpoint, we've been working with as basically the source of automotive
33:55
retailers across the country and around the world.
33:57
And the initiatives we've put forth is one of the only automotive retail undergraduate
34:02
programs of study for dealership programs at a bachelor's level degree, as well as one
34:07
of the only bachelor of business administration programs for automotive aftermarket leaders.
34:13
So with that, we've continued to build on those foundation and building blocks over
34:20
And we're excited for a relaunch for an innovative new MBA program, a master's program in business
34:26
administration for automotive and mobility leaders across the country and around the world.
34:31
So really excited about that.
34:33
We've got some key alumni that have helped build that and really excited to take to the
34:39
next level here in January.
34:42
You know, we've got to ask, you have to divulge some of the alumni with us.
34:47
But before you do, paint a picture for us, you know, what does a Northwood grad bring
34:52
into a store day one that a typical new hire just doesn't?
34:56
You know, I get this question you leave all the time and I'm a former baseball player
35:02
I've donated too many body parts to my alma mater being a catcher for many, many years.
35:08
The analogy I provide folks is and you can ask the employers, we just had a hundred of
35:13
them here about a few weeks ago, looking to attract and retain Northwood students.
35:18
Day one, newly, they can play, come to sit on your proverbial bench, their condition,
35:25
they get an opportunity of practice, they get an opportunity to sell their hungry.
35:30
It's in their DNA to be entrepreneurial, right at Northwood University, which of our
35:34
founding fathers is America's free enterprise university as well.
35:38
So from all of those things, they might not even be automotive inclined, but they might
35:44
be a marketing student, a cyber security student, a finance student.
35:48
These automotive companies that come on our campus come to pick those proverbial fruits
35:53
and want them all because they can play day one and they can put them somewhere in their
35:58
organization to be successful.
36:01
So that's the secret sauce here in Midland, Michigan, that people are more and more learning
36:06
that is not so secret.
36:09
And you've got to tell us some of the alums.
36:12
Yeah, I just actually was on a call the other day.
36:14
I wish it a happy Thanksgiving, one of the founding members of this inaugural group that when
36:19
we launched this program in 2008, I was a young scrappy director of graduate enrollment
36:25
and I had no business being a part of this program.
36:28
But we launched what was the world's first executive dealership MBA program.
36:33
And one of my first recruits was, as many you may know, is our chair of our automotive
36:37
program here, LG Bright, who was with the Williams, with General Motors.
36:42
He was my first recruit and then helped with the rest of them.
36:45
But Mike Kavanaugh, as a dear friend and alum, Mike is a vice president at Lithuania
36:50
We've got Ben Pyle and Toyota North America down in Texas, you know, just that the numbers
36:56
continue to build out David Robertson, the Godfather of AFIP, from many know, from a finance
37:02
and insurance professional standpoint.
37:04
He was in that class.
37:06
We've got Rick Levitton from Nissan, I mean, it literally, Gil Rubenstein, with retail
37:12
I mean, you literally have a proverbial Mount Rushmore of aspiring leaders and they're
37:18
They've been very helpful in helping relaunch this in January of 2026, as I've reached
37:23
out to them over the last month or so.
37:25
But we're standing on the shoulders of giants, right, and it's our opportunity to continue
37:29
to raise that proverbial bar.
37:31
You know, it's interesting.
37:34
What would you say in automotive, automotive as a whole, it seems as an industry where people
37:40
can get into it without a lot of education and they can have a lot of success and props
37:45
to everybody who does that, right?
37:47
But what would you say to the individual that says, you know what, I don't need to go
37:50
to school to learn this business.
37:51
I can learn it live and in place.
37:54
What would you say to that person and if I'm a GM and I want to go through and get this
37:58
additional education?
38:01
If I'm already, you know, 30s, 40s, whatever, 50s and I want to pursue an MBA through you
38:08
I guess two questions there.
38:09
Yeah, I mean, we're all in the business of sales.
38:13
I'd be lying to you if I didn't say that, you know, folks can have a tremendous career
38:18
in the automotive industry without a formal education.
38:21
But the trends and the tides are a changing because they also want the credentials based
38:26
on the client and based on the validity, right?
38:32
And the ability where as we're firm believers of iron sharpening iron, the ability to engage
38:37
and build new skills and tactics and engagement and more over building that network, right?
38:43
I always tell folks, I mean, this industry is tighter than the six degrees of separation
38:48
of Kevin Bacon, right?
38:49
It's about 1.5 degrees of separation.
38:53
So it's about building that professional network.
38:56
It's about developing and expanding skills.
38:58
It's also about connecting the dots between sales, service, right?
39:03
The fixed and variable ops bridge, building new initiatives with strategy and learning from
39:09
I mean, 20 groups are popular, not just because they get and hang out and have coffee.
39:14
They build strategy, they share best practices.
39:17
That's literally what we do in these types of programs.
39:20
These are 20 groups, whether you're an NCM or NADA affiliate.
39:24
These are 20 groups on steroids where you're building validity, you're really digging deeper
39:29
to get problem solving skillsets that are practical.
39:32
And I think the unique thing is what we've done as America's automotive university is we're
39:36
using real world statements, we're using real world financials, we're using real dealership
39:42
initiatives that you can fine tune and apply and take back with you.
39:46
This is about theory, this is about interacting and engaging each other to make your store
39:51
more profitable, build better margins and your fixed ops departments, expanding your sales
39:56
initiatives and learning from your peers that, as I mentioned to you, those alumni from
40:00
15 years ago, they're just as popular now as they were 15 years ago.
40:05
But they're fine tuning their skills and building them accordingly.
40:08
Yeah, let's be real.
40:09
I mean, every education comes at a price, right?
40:12
So whether it's formal or informal, you know, an informal education automotive might
40:18
cost you a lot of mistakes, right?
40:21
And a formal education and automotive might allow you to avoid those mistakes.
40:26
I'm curious, what's the student body look like now or what do you think it'll look like?
40:32
Because I would imagine there's a lot of very successful operators in automotive that
40:36
see the value of furthering their education, but are you seeing more people come in from
40:43
outside of automotive that want to use this as the springboard?
40:46
That's a great question.
40:48
I think it's a little bit of both.
40:50
You've got an age of retailers, whether they're fixed, variable service that have been
40:56
really, really successful, but now they're at a point where how do I continue to build
41:03
And let's be honest, some of it might be ego-driven or personal achievement-driven where
41:09
I was able to accomplish this in my retail automotive career, but personally, I never went
41:15
We're seeing a lot of that where folks are in really successful roles across the country,
41:21
and they want to complete that for themselves.
41:23
Maybe it's deserve as a role model for their son, their daughter.
41:26
Maybe it's to pass the proverbial torch to who's going to run the dealership next.
41:31
I mean, what we find as really, as you all know, we've been branded as automotive university
41:36
for years, where dealers, sons, and daughters come to Northwood, we're seeing even gaps
41:42
where sons and daughters don't want to continue on and take on the family torch.
41:47
And so what we're finding is building that example, building that sense of being a role model,
41:53
even for the son or daughter of the service manager, or the parts technician who just bleed
41:59
automotive, or if I cut them open, motor oil will pour out.
42:03
It's building that ecosystem by which education is okay, but when you take the right kind
42:08
of practical education with the experiential learning of working in a retail automotive
42:12
dealership or in the industry at an OEM level, you're unmatched.
42:17
You write your own ticket with that formal and practical experience that we fully endorse
42:24
But to your point, Uly, it's bringing in other people from non-automotive sectors too, because
42:29
I was just with, I won't say who, but one of the largest automotive dealer groups in
42:34
the world, and they're looking to do the same thing.
42:37
How do we bring in really talented managers that are non-automotive, and bringing them
42:42
into our organization and leveraging their talents, which just knew how to ask, right?
42:46
We can teach them to retail business, but that point that Nolan mentioned earlier about
42:50
leadership development, accountability, it's got to be transferable because most notably
42:56
it's got to be scalable, that's the dirty word right now.
43:02
That's the secret sauce is, how do we scale with impactful people?
43:08
So a couple of comments from online are CDG's only Colin Kubick said online as a MU student
43:14
I was sent to an ADA two years in a row through the school before graduation.
43:19
I can't tell you how valuable that was for a young lad, good use of the word, lab there
43:25
I do think like having that connection with other industry experts, I met Mike Kavanaugh
43:33
in a former role, and he and I have had a relationship ever since where I'm able to
43:37
text him, I can call him, we bounce ideas off of each other, that also is the power of
43:43
an organization and education like Northwood, like an ADA, like CDG circles, where you've
43:49
got people to reach out to collaborate with, to ideate with, on ways to accomplish what
43:56
you're trying to do, you're not alone in your own store trying to figure out survival on
44:00
your own, and that's a huge strength in our industry, yeah?
44:04
Well, I think so, and the power of this industry and having been fortunate enough to be working
44:10
with automotive retailers and aftermarket executives for nearly 30 years, I mean, I feel blessed
44:15
to be in this side of the house because it's almost as if we're Switzerland, because
44:19
as you all know, the power of this industry is relationships, ability to connect those
44:26
dots, and I mean, it's a great question by Colin, but knowing Colin, well, Colin, hello,
44:31
if you're listening, still, that really ties back you lead to what we mentioned, you'd
44:36
ask the question about what separates a Northwood student, it's their ability to play.
44:41
We put those students in realistic, professional experiences as a student, it's a laboratory
44:48
where they'll work with companies like Reynolds and Reynolds and work their booth, I heard
44:53
you mention it, NADA, we'll have 20 to 30 students from Northwood University as part
44:58
of their experiential learning, we'll fly to NADA at Las Vegas and be a part of the
45:03
show, right, working with NADA, Reynolds and Reynolds, CDK Global, the retailers, all
45:10
the above, just to get that experience, and that's where that network continues to build
45:15
The Brett Sutherlands of the world, the Dick Garbers of the world, the Jay Feldman's of
45:20
the world, that's our unmatched automotive retail network, and as I piggy it back to this
45:26
education side, this automotive MBA that we've talked about, we're building the bridge, as
45:32
you all know, and how that aftermarket industry is converging with retail, with the number
45:38
of these dealership locations, having parts and service departments and collision departments
45:43
and all the above, that's the real secret sauce with success, being able to share best practices
45:49
or even horror stories about what they can avoid because of the scar tissue that a lot
45:55
of these leaders have developed, and that's good or bad, right, everything's not sunshine
45:59
and rainbows out like Friday, right, some of us have taken it here a few times, but those
46:04
are things where the power of network and being together can grow.
46:08
So Matt Bennett, last question on this black Friday, is there anything, you know, you've
46:13
got exposure to all these dealers, students that are going into the business, is there
46:19
one trend or is there a trend that you see emerging and automotive that dealers might
46:24
want to think about and consider as they think about 2026 and preparing for this next
46:31
Oh man, that's a great question and I can tell you honestly we had 100 companies on campus
46:36
just a few weeks ago for our career fair, and I can tell you nearly 40 to 50% of those
46:43
organizations on this campus were automotive related, and I can tell you the trend is a student
46:50
or an individual's ability to interact with others is by far an unmatched skill set.
46:56
And the ability to look at people in the eye, the ability to shake a hand, and believe
47:00
it or not, that skill set of personal responsibility, that nobody likes to talk about anymore, but
47:07
it's one of our mantras here at Northwood, right, where we believe in free enterprise,
47:11
personal responsibility, capitalism is still not a dirty word on our campus.
47:16
It's actually embraced, our kids want to work, our adults want to work, but that's where
47:22
training and education, you even heard Nolan earlier, is also that second element that
47:27
we see in her hearing more of, how do we continue to sharpen the saw, and being Barton
47:32
Rent Northwood with us gives you an unmatched competitive advantage because we build programming
47:38
to meet your needs, and then we have our own that we can apply based on our years of experience
47:43
and engaging with the world's best.
47:44
Well, that's an interesting trend to watch for and I think I see that in my role here
47:50
with the Ziggler Auto Group, seeing that, you know, those in automotive who win, understand
47:56
how to relate to others, understand how to hold people accountable, understand how to
48:00
to your point, look people in the eye, have a phone conversation, and we would assume
48:04
those are all givens, but it's not like there is an advantage, actually so as of one quick
48:14
fall along that line, what advice would you give to kids wanting to get into automotive?
48:20
And maybe they can't go to Northwood, they're just looking to get in, how could I educate
48:25
myself on some of those things you identified today if I want to get into automotive today
48:29
or in the coming year and win and succeed?
48:31
Yeah, I know it's a great question and I am a little biased, right?
48:35
I bleed blue, and then I would say if you cut me up in this world there, but I would
48:40
tell any young person or parent out there, if your son or daughter or a friend or relative
48:46
is, has been bitten by that automotive bug, regardless of what you think financial
48:51
car, I would give Northwood a look, you know, visit us at northwood.nu.
48:56
If to your point, it just doesn't work and believe me, we will find ways, just like we
49:00
find a lease payment for you in auto life, you might find someone for you that meets your
49:06
financial situation, we make it work, if not, get involved, get involved.
49:11
As just mentioned, Mike Kavanaugh, he's got folks who come in and they wash cars, or
49:16
they just come in and learn the business.
49:18
I have a young man who is in Huntington Beach, California, who raised the question and
49:22
said, Dr. Bennett, I live right next to a Brett Sutherland dealership.
49:27
Could I learn more about it?
49:29
Of course, you try to connect these people with people who are in the industry so they
49:33
can see what life might be like.
49:35
Getting them an opportunity to shadow or mentor is tremendous because then you get to see
49:40
what it's really like and what a little bit of grind and hustle can lead to.
49:46
This ecosystem is unmatched, as you know, this industry, and being a part of it from an
49:51
academic standpoint, just being able to be that proverbial Switzerland is awesome, and
49:57
we get to really connect a lot of dots.
49:59
Well, Matt Bennett, Vice President and Rollman and Strategic Alliance is Northwood University.
50:04
Thank you for joining us on this Black Friday, pivoting between gratitude for education
50:10
and go out and buy it of Black Friday.
50:12
Appreciate you being on the show.
50:14
Thank you for having me.
50:15
Happy holidays, everybody.
50:17
All right, Julie, we're back Monday, you'll have no beard then.
50:23
You'll have no beard then.
50:24
I will be clean shade.
50:25
Yeah, what was your favorite food?
50:27
Do you eat anything yesterday?
50:29
You know, I had a lot of great food yesterday.
50:34
I would say my favorite Thanksgiving food would probably be a toss up between a really
50:38
nice mashed potato or a sweet potato pie.
50:44
An Italian place and did still a turkey gravy, a little pasta dish, a little, forget what
50:53
There was like a third thing.
50:54
But you know, the good old, I love just the good old, homegrown turkey mashed potatoes
51:01
It's always better than yesterday.
51:03
Once a year, right?
51:05
What I did not have yesterday was pie, and I usually love pie, though.
51:08
I think I may be able to find a pie, so but yeah, anyway, happy.
51:13
Black Friday, everybody, crush it today.
51:16
I hope everybody just wins, wins, wins across our Ziggler Auto Group, all 41 stores.
51:20
Our teams are working hard to put together an incredible close to the month.
51:25
So best of luck and success to each of them.
51:27
And to our loyal listening audience, thanks for watching Daily Deal Live where we break
51:31
down the biggest moves in the car business as they happen.
51:34
Don't forget, we're live every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, which means we're back this
51:39
Monday, one PM Eastern.
51:41
So if this is your world, automotive, hit like, subscribe, turn on those notifications
51:45
so you never ever miss a beat, and we'll see you next episode, everybody.
