some level of communication that you do, task management.
Usually you're very legacy traditional ways of looking at a CRM.
And when I think drive centric and what I got excited
to come into drive centric is let's think of it a little
different.
Let's look at it as a modern technology platform that can do
so many things.
And I think the life cycle of a CRM spiked, then it became
not vogue and now jump back up because of AI.
And why did that happen?
Because you used a word just now called engagement.
If you really want to engage in your sales team,
in your BDC, get them engaged.
Don't force workflow and tasks on them.
Nobody likes to be told, hear your task, hear your
interviews, here's the workflow, follow my structure.
Some level of an engagement, independence is really important
to get humans involved.
But then on top of that, how do you engage the consumer?
How do you work with the consumer in different ways,
modern ways?
Because the consumer has changed too.
They want better engagement, quicker engagement,
more real time human engagement.
And so if you have a modern platform
and you look at the CRM as something different,
it's got your customer record.
It's got a different way to engage
both internally and externally.
And you're not forced by strict workflows,
strict task management system,
but a modern, easy to use process that is engaging,
wrapped around with what we're all using
in our personal lives, some level of artificial intelligence
to be able to make my tasks easier, more efficient,
more effective.
That's where I think people need to look at
whatever CRM platform they're using in a different way
and rethink what that CRM platform is.
Because it can be the heartbeat of a dealer's operations
to really harness the goodness in all the people that use it.
Come on.
The people that use it, which is at the end of the day,
what you all are some of the best leaders
in the industry of being able to connect to,
to listen to, to learn from,
to invest in the people that use your system.
And that's something that we absolutely love
about DriveCentric and the heartbeat that's in it.
That's you.
You're a connector and you care about people.
Speaking of great people,
we have Jim Fitzpatrick jumps in here saying three
of the hardest working men in the car business.
Brother, we honor you.
We appreciate you for your hard work.
Oh man, him and his whole family.
That whole family is just a great family, aren't they?
Passionate about dealerships
and the dealer world, retail world success.
Super knowledgeable, but great family.
Absolutely, I agree.
I love them.
I've actually been connected with them in one way or another
whether it was force marketing or whoever.
I was with many years ago and just,
and now it's cool to see how far
and how much more dollars they keep bringing to the world.
That's a force marketing.
That's a company that's been growing wildly
and led by John and it's a great company,
one of which I also hope to partner with.
We were, I can't talk about the other company right now.
They let them, now it's that partnership,
but there's so much more in the ecosystem
that I'll have to talk together, work together.
There's a place for everybody.
That's 100%.
There's plenty for everybody.
And I think the more that we work together,
integrate together and we show that to the consumer,
that's what really matters to the consumer
that we're not fighting,
that we're all trying to figure out
the best way to help them.
Yeah, the definition is efficiencies, operations.
If there are a lot of different legacy companies out there
and there's a legacy that sort of,
it's an all in tech stack.
And I think that concept sometimes makes sense.
And it was a big push.
I remember I've been in technology 25 years.
The 80s and the 90s was like,
let's go all in one tech stack
and be everything for everybody.
There's so much innovation,
so much speed of innovation new companies
coming up with new cool things.
You can't be everything to everybody.
You're your specialty.
And there are certain things you have to open up
to be able to truly have operational efficiency.
Because if you have one thing sitting over here
that doesn't talk to this,
then the consumer experience is off,
the dealer's experience is off
and you have inefficiency immediately.
So unless you have some ability to say,
I wrapped it all around together,
then something's gonna break along that chain.
And that's where I feel like the foundation of DriveCentric
as a true operational tool
should be wrapped around with solutions
that are the best for whatever that dealerships experience is
by their region, by their brand.
Think about how many OEM programs
are forced onto dealerships these days.
They all have to be integrated.
All those leads, all those touch points,
the back and forth dialogue has to be robust and modern
in order for those to all work in this world.
And then you layer in the complexity
of dealer group solutions.
It just becomes a very complicated world quickly.
It does.
It can get very complicated,
especially when you don't narrow down like you said,
who it is that you have your relationships with
and that it is, it's very important
that you wind those up right.
And we love that.
Just like Jim is making sure
that we establish your relationship with him.
He says, John is my old brother on the left side.
That's funny.
Love that.
I think that's hilarious.
Yeah, right.
You know what, Jim?
You do look very young, my friend.
So you've done well, you've done well.
Whatever you're drinking and eating,
I need to find out.
But definitely, but no, seriously,
one thing that you're talking about here
is about making sure that the functionality
is usable for every part, right?
And that's an option for everyone.
And if we can make that happen,
the more likely people are,
the easier it is for people to be able to say,
yes, I want to use this tool
and for customers to be able to communicate with that tool.
One of the things I do love about Brass Century
is that their clients,
everyone that we do with a lot of their clients,
they call it the one that their salespeople want to use.
This is the CRM that they want to use.
Yeah.
I literally had the chance to talk to a dealer group
out in Honda, out in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Honda of Lincoln, Honda of Lincoln,
and they use your tool and they love your tool.
They're huge advocates of it and-
I love Honda of Lincoln.
I was like, you've, how long you've been in the business?
They've been in the business for over 20 years.
They've seen no CRM at one point.
They've seen Brass CRM come in.
They've tried, they've been on three different CRMs.
I asked them what their favorite was about all of them,
but they said, by far,
Brass Century has been the best.
And that's a huge statement to come from somebody
who's been moving metal for a long time
and they love using a good tool.
And it was an easy transfer.
It's one of the biggest things they liked about it
was how easy it is to communicate
with their customers.
Tell you a quick story.
I went to my first week there.
We had a town hall and I was in St. Louis all week
meeting the team and getting to know everybody.
And we met with our customer success team.
And these are the people that are dealing
first line support for all of our dealerships
and giving them sort of a white glove treatment support.
And they mentioned to me where I came from
and it was Automotive Mastermind.
And they're like, you know,
what we've heard about Automotive Mastermind,
a big plug to my old company.
I love my old company.
They're amazing people out there.
And Aaron Baldwin is gonna do
some amazing things over there.
They love Mastermind.
The people that use Mastermind love the product.
They love being in Mastermind.
When they move dealerships or they go over there,
they're like, I want Mastermind here.
And this lady said to me,
I've never heard of another company
other than DriveCentric that has that much love
and I want this solution.
And I think that's a true statement.
I'm fortunate enough to have come from Mastermind,
but now I'm at DriveCentric
and I feel the exact same thing, right?
People love using DriveCentric.
They love the simplicity, the UI.
They love the system.
And if I go over there, I need DriveCentric.
That's a really cool feeling.
And I think those two worlds are creating demand,
having it flow to our lead management system
is a world of which you have two really great companies
doing some great things.
But it is something I think unique about
now where I'm at with DriveCentric.
It's definitely what I've heard.
And from all the study and research I've done,
all of the watching from my vantage point
when I was at Mastermind DriveCentric's growth,
it is because it is a well-loved tool.
Absolutely.
And also, well-loving people.
People absolutely love the industry,
love their dealers, love their users
and love making a difference.
Brother, you've inspired us
and you're going to continue to inspire us.
We can't wait to see you on the 13th of July
to the 15th over at DC20.
Make sure that you all are there listening, watching.
Come hang out.
Meet Matt.
You get the chance to meet Matt right there.
And brother, we can't wait to see you there.
How else should people reach out to get a hold of you
if they don't get the chance to come to DC20,
the 13th through the 15th in?
Hopefully they're able to come out there.
But if you're interested in DriveCentric,
why don't I get to know what I'm working on,
what I'm doing.
I'm a really open book and very accessible.
So you can reach out to me on LinkedIn, Matt Leone.
And you can also always reach out to me.
I will love to hear the feedback.
I know when, when you guys post something
on the social media platforms
and a few others did and Jim did as well,
there's already a lot of dealerships.
And one thing about the dealership world is they're,
they're not afraid to give their opinions and their thoughts.
I read all those comments
and they're certainly all top of my mind.
Yes sir.
Ask questions, everybody.
Ask questions.
And make sure that you're always
brewing solutions out there.
We're so thankful that you took some time to listen
to watch, catching this on the replay
or finishing on the live.
We're so thankful that you came here.
We are so thankful for great people like you, Matt,
that are making a real difference for the industry.
Our industry is better because you're in it
and because you're committed to
letting other people that you're around better.
We're so honored to be amongst your friends,
but to also know that you're amongst us
in this awesome industry,
making it go to the next level.
We are honored.
I think those are great guys to work with
and I always enjoy talking with you.
And I am working on that shoe game.
I promise you, when you see me at DC 20,
it's going to be a great thing to do with that.
And we're going to have you back on the show
while we're there too.
One more time.
So let's have some fun.
We can't wait.
We've got some follow up to do.
Folks, we've got one thing left to do
and that's to forgive, to focus and fly.
And I know you've done this.
It's got to stop for this one.
Let's go, all right?
Folks, on account of three.
One, two, three, forgive.
Focus.
Live and keep growing all the time.
Let's go.
Car guys and car gals, go brew solutions today.
You've been brewing on the Car Guys Coffee Podcast
talking about DC 20 drive centric
and their new CEO, the one.
The only, Matt Leone.
See you soon, everybody.
We're out.
About this episode
Excitement fills the air as Luis Ramirez and Fred Lenard discuss the upcoming DC20 event and introduce Matt Leone, the new CEO of DriveCentric. The episode highlights the innovative tools and technologies DriveCentric offers to independent dealerships, emphasizing the importance of engagement and customer relationships. Matt shares his vision for enhancing DriveCentric's capabilities, focusing on integration and analytics to drive dealership efficiency. The conversation also touches on the significance of community and networking within the automotive industry, making this episode a valuable listen for those interested in dealership success and CRM advancements.
Car Guy Coffee & DriveCentric presents “DC20 Unlocked” feat. Matt Leone
Welcome back to DC20 Unlocked, a series with Drive Centric & the Car Guy Coffee Podcast dedicated to the people, platforms, and events shaping the future of the automotive industry. This is your exclusive access to the minds behind DriveCentric and the key players who are empowering dealerships to win with next-level technology and data. Each episode is designed to help you unlock new solutions and elevate your business.
In this episode, we sit down with special guest Matt Leone, the new CEO of DriveCentric. Matt shares his vision for the company, which includes leveraging AI to enhance engagement, expanding their partner ecosystem, and utilizing data to improve reporting. He provides valuable advice for dealers, regardless of their CRM, on how to use a CRM as a modern platform for engagement, not just a system for tasks. This is a must-listen for anyone looking to stay ahead of the curve in automotive technology.