Dealer Video Excellence Challenge Awards Reveal | Daily Dealer Live
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Car
Ford Probe
The Ford Probe is a sporty car that was made in the 90s and is known for being fun to drive. It has a cool look and was popular among younger people back then. Today, it's not as common, but some people still like it for its unique style.
Car
Hyundai Palisade
The Hyundai Palisade is a large SUV designed for families, with space for up to eight passengers. It has been recalled because its airbags may not work properly in certain accidents, which could be dangerous.
Term
curtain airbags
Curtain airbags are special airbags that come down from the ceiling of the car to help protect passengers' heads during accidents, especially side crashes or rollovers.
Part
engine block heaters
Engine block heaters are tools that help keep the engine warm so cars can start better in cold weather.
Car
Lincoln Mkc
The Lincoln MKC is a fancy small SUV made by Lincoln, known for being comfortable and stylish.
Car
Ford Escape
Term
fire risk
Fire risk means there's a chance that something could catch fire, which can be dangerous.
Part
6.2-liter V8 engine
A 6.2-liter V8 engine is a big engine with eight cylinders that makes a lot of power, often found in trucks and fast cars.
Brand
BYD
BYD is a car company from China that makes electric cars and batteries. They are becoming popular in many places around the world.
Term
luxury SUVs
Luxury SUVs are fancy, high-priced vehicles that are bigger and designed for comfort. They often have nicer materials and more features than regular SUVs.
Term
EVs
EVs, or electric vehicles, are cars that are powered entirely by electricity instead of gasoline or diesel. They are known for being environmentally friendly and often have lower operating costs.
Term
hybrids
Hybrids are cars that use two types of power: a regular engine and an electric motor. This helps them save fuel and produce less pollution.
Term
mass market SUVs
Mass market SUVs are regular-sized vehicles that are made for a lot of people to buy. They usually cost less than luxury SUVs and are more practical for everyday use.
Term
luxury cars
Luxury cars are fancy vehicles that cost a lot of money. They usually have better features and are more comfortable than regular cars.
Company
Airstream
Airstream makes unique silver trailers that are popular for camping. They are well-known for their quality and shiny, rounded design.
Term
transparent pricing
Transparent pricing means that all the costs are shown clearly, so you know exactly what you're paying for a car. There are no hidden fees or surprises at the end.
Term
the best or nothing
This phrase means that Mercedes-Benz aims to provide the highest quality in everything they do, whether it's making cars or providing services. They believe in being the best or not doing it at all.
Part
seat covers
Seat covers are like blankets for your car seats. They protect the seats and can make them look nicer.
Part
steering wheel covers
Steering wheel covers are like sleeves for your steering wheel. They help you grip it better and can make it look nicer.
Part
suspension
The suspension is what helps your car ride smoothly and keeps the tires on the road. It includes parts like shocks and springs.
Part
tires
Tires are the round rubber parts that touch the road and help your car move. They are important for keeping your car safe and performing well.
Part
drivetrain components
Drivetrain components are the parts that help your car move by transferring power from the engine to the wheels. This includes things like the transmission and driveshaft.
Part
brakes
Brakes are the parts of your car that help it slow down or stop. They work by pressing against the wheels to create friction.
Part
washer fluid
Washer fluid is a liquid that helps clean your car's windshield. It sprays onto the glass to remove dirt and make it easier to see.
Part
coolant
Coolant is a liquid that helps keep your car's engine from getting too hot. It moves through the engine and radiator to keep everything cool.
Part
battery
A car battery gives power to start the engine and run electrical parts of the car. Checking its health helps know if it needs to be replaced soon.
Term
feature benefit
Feature benefit means explaining how something works (the feature) and why it's good for you (the benefit). It's a way to show why a product is useful or important.
Car
Chevrolet Tahoe
The Chevy Tahoe is a big family car that can carry a lot of people and their stuff. It's great for road trips and has a strong engine, making it good for towing things like boats. The newest version has lots of cool tech to keep you safe and entertained.
Term
price you see is the price you pay
This means that the price shown for the car is what you will actually pay, without any surprise fees added later.
Concept
automotive retailer
An automotive retailer is a company that sells cars to people. They help you buy new or used cars and may also offer services like repairs and financing options.
Concept
Dart
The Dart is a program that Lithium Driveway offers, but we don't have details about what it includes. It could be a special deal or financing option for buying cars.
Car
Audi Q8
The Audi Q8 is a fancy SUV that looks really nice and has a lot of space inside. It drives smoothly and has lots of high-tech features, making it a great choice for people who want a comfortable and stylish ride. It's like a luxury car but in a bigger size.
Term
vehicle pricing
Vehicle pricing is how much a car costs and what makes it worth that price. It can depend on things like how new it is, what features it has, and how popular it is.
LIVE
Hey, everybody.
Welcome back to another episode of the Daily Dealer Live.
I'm your host, Sam Dark.
And welcome to the space where automotive comes together
to learn to share, and most importantly, to execute.
And today, we're executing like never before.
Thanks for choosing to be here on this Friday, January 30th.
Coming up today, a straight-up showdown.
We're dropping the four finalist videos
from the Dealer Video Excellence Challenge,
powered by CoVideo.
And these contestants came to win, not just to compete.
I'm so excited for you to see the videos today.
Sales, service, social, even finance assistant,
all repping hard.
Back with us today, CoVideo VP of Marketing,
Margaret Hennies in the judges seat,
alongside with me, Yuli, and you, by the way.
Yes, you, our live audience, gets a vote.
Today, you get to crown a champion.
We'll crown a champion alongside your People's Choice Award.
And there is a QR code for the People's Choice Award.
You can actually log into that.
You can look and preview the contestants
and get your voting started.
Although, as with all voting, no hanging chads, please.
Wait till the video's been shown to vote for it.
But we're excited to see who takes home People's Choice
and will crown the overall winner.
Winner of the trophy, 1,000 bucks cash.
And it's exciting.
Who really wins?
We all do.
Learning process and technique from the best of the best,
creating videos to connect with customers.
Today, we bring you best practices for video creation.
In January, 2026, you can use in your dealerships today.
Let's get into it.
But first, today's automotive industry headlines.
Today, we've got a busy stretch on the vehicle recall front
with two separate actions and one probe involving Hyundai, Ford,
and General Motors.
First up, Hyundai is recalling more than 568,000 Palisades,
which, by the way, is my demo currently from model years 2020
through 25, after federal testing showed curtain airbags failed
to properly protect third row passengers.
I don't have any of those, thankfully, in rollover scenarios.
Hyundai has also issued a stop sale on several hundred vehicles
still in dealer inventory and is working on a fix.
Next up, Ford.
It's recalling about 117,000 vehicles, including Focus,
Escape, and Lincoln MkC models over engine block heaters
that can leak coolant and pose a fire risk when plugged in.
Ford says only about 1% are affected, but owners are being told
to stop using block heaters until repairs are available,
unfortunately, since it's negative temperatures in the Michigan,
Illinois areas.
And finally, NHTSA has opened up a new recall query
into nearly 600,000 GM vehicles with 6.2-liter V8 engines.
That move comes after dozens of owners reported engine failures
even after having previous recall repairs completed,
raising questions about whether the original fix went far enough.
To see more recall alerts, head over to the CDG Recall Tracker
powered by Busycar at cdgrecalls.com.
Next up today, General Motor CEO Mary Barra is pushing back hard
on Canada's decision to lower tariffs on Chinese EVs,
calling it a slippery slope and warning it could undermine
North America's auto industry.
Speaking to employees this week, Barra said Canada's new deal
with China threatens efforts to build a strong regional
manufacturing base and protect auto jobs, especially as Chinese
automakers benefit from heavy protections in their own home market,
this according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The deal in question would cut Canada's tariffs on Chinese EVs
from 100% down to just over 6%,
applying to lower price models and capped initially at about 49,000 vehicles
with room to expand over time.
So the U.S. is now surrounded by Chinese cars on all sides.
This doesn't mean BYDC goals will start popping up in driveways
across the country later this year,
but analysts we spoke with this week all agree
the groundwork is being laid and Chinese vehicles are bound
for the U.S. market eventually.
The big question is when?
And as an aside on this show, often we've talked with Senator
Bernie Moreno and other industry experts about the Chinese EV challenge,
we've got to be ready as an American industry to compete against those EVs.
So we've got to understand them.
We need to know how we line up and we've got to be trained to sell
against it because they are headed our way.
Last up today, used car prices are quote falling fast and far
before they're expected to climb as tax refunds start to lift demand
according to new data from Carfax.
In January alone, some used segments like luxury SUVs are down
as much as $1,000 from December.
Meanwhile, mass market SUVs, pickup trucks, hybrids and EVs
are down about $600 on average.
Even luxury cars which had been rising in price late last year
are down more than $300 in January.
The only segment bucking the trend right now is vans and minivans,
which are actually up about $250 vans and minivans, interesting.
But Carfax expects prices to rise again as tax refunds season rounds the corner.
The Treasury expects refunds to be about $1,000 higher on average driven by changes
like the new car loan interest tax break adjustments to overtime and tip income
and a larger tax child credit.
Bottom line here, all of automotive is collectively holding its breath
for a stronger than usual tax selling season on larger refunds.
Will that happen? We'll see.
But the drop in used car prices after the industry has been hoarding cars
is an interesting data point heading into that season.
Well, that's a wrap on today's industry headlines.
Yuli, welcome back.
Dude, today we are streaming live.
So to our loyal listening audience, post your comments, questions,
and get ready to vote for this dealer video champion.
But before we get into the contest results,
we just want to make a couple of announcements to our loyal listening audience.
Daily Dealer Live is about to dominate this week.
Monday, I'll be live at the AFSA conference with a keynote and roundtable
on eliminating friction in the finance process.
I talked about that last show.
It's the stuff that quietly kills deals.
Then I roll straight into the JD Power event on Tuesday with Jeff Stafford
and Dennis Gingrich of Nilo.
We're going to talk AI, what's real, what's noise, and what dealers need to know.
Also get to attend with Yosi, the Cardinalship guy himself.
The Hague Partners event were locked in learning and fired up to watch
the Cardinalship guy break down all things M&A.
Wednesday's a much watch.
Yosi, Cardinalship guy hits the stage,
the main stage at 1115 with Amazon Autos and Brian Benstock,
which by the way, what a cool convo.
That'll be Amazon, what they're up to,
how they're winning an automotive today, and what their challenges are.
And Brian Benstock and Yosi, they ask the tough questions.
They open it up the main stage 10 a.m. Wednesday with champ titles.
And Yuli, you and I, Wednesday and Friday, 1 p.m.
Eastern are live streaming.
Daily Dealer Live straight from the lot links booth.
So to our listening audience who will be at ADA, we want to see you there.
We've got monster guests, real conversations, no fluff.
We reveal the full lineup on Monday's show.
And that's just the beginning, a ton of learning,
appearances and opportunities to engage with our audience all week at NADA.
It's going to be a heck of a lot of fun, Yuli.
It's going to be a lot of fun.
I'm waiting to see some, hopefully some fans pop up behind us with some signs.
Yeah, yes, yes.
Hey, our audience is commenting already.
Just a couple, DNC glad our vote counts.
Yoga cars too early.
But I do wonder when Chinese vehicles are coming.
And I do think it's something as an industry we've got to be open to.
Rob Cavender, who's got a horse in the race, a great entrant says,
let's go Taylor and Cavender Auto Group.
And Ariel says, hey, everyone, let's see.
By the way, Chance Mayfield said, boys, where's my CDG party invite for next week?
So hopefully those invites are out.
If they're not, you may need to ask again.
So and then Lauren Klein says, so pumped for NADA.
And we're pumped as well, Lauren.
So it's going to be exciting to be there with our entire audience.
Well, Yuli, should we dive into the competition?
I think we should.
Let's do it.
Let's bring to the stage Margaret.
Henny, vice president and marketing and co-video.
She's going to the show with us, Margaret.
Great to be back.
Can't wait to see you also at NADA.
We'll be there 43, 43 in the West Hall.
43, 43 West Hall.
Let's go.
I'm excited to see co-video.
You've got a lot of exciting things coming up.
We talked backstage about your collaboration with CDK and among other things.
But today our focus is on this competition.
So for the listening audience that didn't quite know what we're up to,
about a month, month and a half ago, we announced this contest.
We asked everybody in automotive to submit videos.
We got hundreds of videos.
We went through pick the four best.
And then what we did, Margaret, Yuli, as you all know,
is we gave them four scenarios.
And they didn't get it and have a week to create a video.
They were timed on their response.
So yep, we'll show everyone the amount of time it took to create the video.
And then we'll actually also talk about the scenario
and we'll talk to the creator about how they actually did it.
You get your vote on the QR code.
We'll bring that up here again in just a moment.
But we'll also crown a champion between the three of us.
Yossi is the Cardinalship guy is watching and he is voting backstage.
His vote counts as well.
So we will crown the best.
There's the QR code for the people's choice.
We'll announce that winner at the very end.
Dane T.O.C.C.O.833 says way to represent Suburban Buick GMC and Lithia Chris.
So we know where his vote will go.
And we're just excited to see everybody out there voting for this contest.
So Margaret, should we jump into it?
Let's do it. I'm excited.
All right. Let's do a video finalist number one in no certain order.
Lauren Clark, RV sales assistant at Airstream of South Florida.
Welcome to the show.
Thank you guys. I'm excited to be here now.
Lauren, when everyone saw your first video, we all had FOMO because by the way,
who doesn't dream of being in an Airstream in Florida?
The weather's warm.
I mean, in my geography right now, we're feels like negative.
And so you bring happiness and sunshine to everyone watching the video competition, Lauren.
Oh, thank you. It is chilly down here in Florida, though. It's in the 40s.
Yeah. So let me ask you this as we go.
How often do you create and send videos on a weekly basis to customers?
Is this part of your normal process or is this unusual?
Yes. No, it is part of our normal process here.
I would say that on average, we are creating anywhere from three to seven pro videos per week.
We try to get everything recorded, uploaded.
So that way we have everything set up for success to get sent out to the consumer.
That's awesome. So you pre-make some of them and then you send them out in mass a little bit,
which is a different process, right? For some.
So the scenario we gave you when you got it, what did you think?
And let's build the scenario for everybody.
We gave you a situation called the hesitant online buyer.
So a customer submitted a lead on a late model pre-owned vehicle.
They asked for a best price.
They haven't responded after receiving numbers,
and they're clearly shopping multiple dealerships.
The customer emailed you just now.
We like the vehicle, but we're still looking around and aren't sure yet.
So your job in this video creation was to create a video
and try to get it done and submitted within a one hour window.
We'll tell everybody how many minutes it took for you to submit this after we show the video.
But when you got the lead, what went through your mind, Lauren?
Honestly, I thought this is perfect for me personally,
because my sales approach is always to be as transparent as possible and to give people
all of the facts and information they need to make a well-informed decision.
Yeah. Yeah. Fantastic.
All right. So let's watch the video and then we'll talk technique and content after.
Hi there. This is Lauren with Airstream of South Florida.
And I just wanted to say thank you so much for reaching out.
And I completely understand wanting to take your time and look around
before making such a big decision.
Just so that you know my job is not to rush you or to pressure you,
it is simply to be a resource and provide clear and honest information
to help you feel confident for whenever the timing is right for you.
So I did want to take a moment to show you this 2024 Pottery Barn.
This was an extremely popular model.
And since the Airstream and Pottery Barn partnership has ended,
this floor plan is now discontinued, which is why it is still very highly sought after.
This unit originally carried an MSRP of $139,900.
And we are currently at $109,000 out the door.
But beyond price, what really sets us apart
is the support and experience that comes with purchasing here.
So a few more facts about us that make us stand apart from other dealerships.
We are a five-rivet Airstream dealership family owned.
We have over 110 service-based onsite and only factory certified technicians.
So everything is handled by true Airstream professionals.
You'll also receive a complimentary two-night stay
at our private RV resort featuring full hookups, lakeside sites,
a pool, restaurant, and more so that you can actually enjoy your Airstream right away.
I have been in the RV industry for nearly eight years,
and I take a very transparent approach.
I encourage guests to shop around and compare quotes apples to apples.
And if you find the same coach for less, I am always happy to advocate on your behalf.
If it's helpful, I'm here to answer any questions,
compare options, or to simply help you to think things through, no pressure at all.
I just want you to feel good about whichever decision you make.
Thank you again so much for your time and consideration,
and I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback.
Take care.
Well done, Lauren.
Well done, Lauren.
Yeah, very cool.
Thank you very much.
Margaret, let's start with you.
Talk about what you saw as strengths in the video.
Yeah, well, Lauren is a pro from start to finish always.
She does an incredible job.
A couple of things that really stood out to me here is,
one, I love that she's using the dual-camera feature from Code Video.
So she's showing herself and the unit continuing to build trust.
And I feel like, man, I know Lauren.
I trust Lauren.
She just makes me feel so comforted,
which particularly for the hesitant buyer is really helpful.
I also love that she's not just selling the unit,
she's selling the dealership, talking about the benefits
of what it is to work with them and the service reminders, the stay.
I was like, I'm starting to picture myself there, right?
So I thought she did a fantastic job start to finish.
No notes.
I mean, excellent job, Lauren.
Thank you so much.
So Lauren, to Margaret's point,
how do you use that dual-camera feature?
And what made you think, hey, that's a valuable thing to do in this case?
So I think it's always important to put a face with the name,
but to also keep your eye on the prize,
which is what the customer or consumer is,
why you're talking in the first place, the RV or the vehicle.
And so to be able to showcase both at the same time,
I think that's a game changer.
So Margaret, do you hold the...
I'll follow up real quick.
Go ahead.
If you don't mind, Lauren doesn't break down too of showing people.
You don't need a whole crew to help you make a great video.
She did that whole thing selfie style.
She recorded it herself.
And I feel like that really makes it stand out as well.
Thank you.
So that two-way thing that you did, you're in the RV and you have your...
Do you use an iPhone?
You had the iPhone in front of you.
I do have an iPhone, yes.
And so you're recording it in the app,
and it shows both sides of the phone at the exact same time, right?
Is that what you're doing there?
So you walked through,
how many times did you narrate before you got what you were comfortable with?
Did you do it once, twice, three, four times?
Oh, no, my GM was out on the lot making fun of me
because I kept going over and over and over again.
Okay, that's okay.
That's okay.
But yeah, no, I mean, I basically, I try to come up with,
based off the scenario or that specific situation,
what are the core points here that are really important?
And we personally, and just working in the industry all these years,
I know that you can give someone the best price,
which is very enticing for most folks, except also,
it's really important before, during, and after the sale,
because everybody's gonna need work, they're gonna need service,
and you don't want someone that's just gonna sell you something
and then never pick up the phone.
You want that reassurance and guarantee that, you know,
whenever you need something, that your calls will be answered.
Yeah, and I love what you did there.
You actually gave what I understood to be the out-the-door price.
Is that what your, is that what that intent was there?
Okay, which is fully transparent.
You gave them exactly what they asked for.
I would tell you as well, when I think about an email or a text
or even a phone call, being able to see your face
and the visual of the inside of that beautiful airstream was awesome, right?
And that connects, that creates connection.
I also thought your pottery barn comment was super interesting.
At first, I was like, wait, this is discontinued.
You're trying to sell a discontinued model.
You're telling them it's discontinued.
But then you create a little bit of FOMO around,
it's discontinued not because it wasn't popular,
but because it was popular and they've just moved on.
You want this.
I thought it was very interesting that you conveyed
a couple of points that would hook the customer in
in a way that would be tough to do by email or text
or even by a voice message.
Uli, thoughts?
I thought the video was great.
I think the Y by was fantastic.
I think the energy, the confidence, the transparency, the clarity.
I mean, you nailed it.
I have one micro kernel critique.
Oh, okay.
And this may be me because I'm feeling a little bit under the weather.
Did you have your sunglasses on at the beginning of the video?
I did.
So my one micro critique would be whenever engaging the customer,
first step, eye contact.
I think it's really cool, especially in your sector,
because you're doing RVs, you're outside.
I think the shades work.
But I'd be like, come with me and put the shades on and go.
Absolutely.
So I think that's good feedback.
And I would counter with that by saying,
I think everybody in the United States right now has FOMO
at not being able to wear sunglasses.
I would kill to be able to be in a place warm enough.
I think it is a little bit of a flex showing,
hey, we're in a beautiful place.
I do think eye contact is super important.
I agree.
Yeah.
Go ahead, Lauren.
No, I was just going to say, I totally agree, Yuli,
because I thought about that too after I made the video.
I'm very analytical.
So I did think about that.
And then I thought, well, it's Florida.
You know, but I agree that eye contact is important.
And in the whole purpose of why I pushed so hard
and Margaret could second me on this,
for my dealership to implement Co-Video this last year
is because I said, we're not living in the 90s anymore.
And people don't just want to read all these emails.
Like realistically speaking, whenever you open up for email,
how much junk is in there, right?
Yeah, they told you.
And so sticking to out from your competition
and human opposite interaction, like I said,
you put a face with the name, people are more likely,
actually 82% more likely to click on a video
than they are to just open up a generic email template.
And to add a little bit of color and context, I'm Italian.
I have an embarrassingly large sunglass collection.
Basically the only time I don't have them on is for this show.
So I'm not judging.
So did you like the paper Michael pours at least?
Yeah, they're great.
So Lauren, just tell us, so you got the lead.
The lead came in through your CRM, I believe.
Or maybe it came in through an email,
but a normal lead would come in through your CRM.
What's your CRM?
We currently are using DP360.
DP360.
And that integrates with co-video in this case,
or in your case, whatever video tool you use.
And then you're on your phone, you click on the lead
and you can easily create the video from your phone, right?
Is that the case?
And then you create the video, you have some cuts.
How long, like, is it complicated to create those cuts
because you had some nice cuts from different scenes?
Really not at all.
I find it to be pretty seamless.
For me, it is coming up with the script, what I'm going to say.
And then, you know, stuttering or messing up the video
and having to redo it or not being satisfied enough.
But I mean, overall, the interface on co-video
is seamless in my experience.
Very good.
All right, time to completion, drum roll, 87 minutes.
So you were a little outside the 60 minutes, 27.
It was probably what your GM noted, which was the retakes,
which you would do for a national contest,
which is 100% OK.
But it's probably reasonable to get it within the hour time
limit if you're not looking for perfection, right?
Absolutely.
And, you know, one of the challenges with a contest
is we want it to be perfect.
Role play, we always want it to be perfect.
But in real life, Margaret, authenticity is OK, too, right?
Making some mistakes is OK, right?
In fact, it's better.
Yeah, absolutely.
I totally understand, like you said, Lauren,
she wants it to be perfect for this,
knew she was going to be on the show with us.
She wants to put her best face in foot forward.
But yeah, some of those ums are totally fine.
Yeah, yeah.
And it kills me in this podcasting medium we do,
because I've had to be OK on the live show
with making mistakes, right?
And normally you, in the pre-recorded stuff
we do for Cardiola Ship Guy and even for Ziggler Auto Group,
we can edit out all the mistakes.
And I've had people go, wait, don't edit out everything
because it's OK to see the human side of you.
Otherwise, you know, perfection is an illusion, right?
So well, nice, well done.
And we are going to come back to you, Lauren.
Lauren Clark at the very end as we do the final video.
But video number one is up for the voting.
You can vote for the video.
Well, you probably need to see all the videos before you vote,
I suppose, unless Lauren is your own friends.
But Lauren, we appreciate you.
Lauren Clark, RV Sales Assistant at Airstream of South Florida.
Thanks for presenting our first video today.
Thank you, guys.
Great to see you, Lauren.
Great to see you as well.
That was fun.
All right.
Well, let's go straight to video number two, Jason Espin.
Automotive Technician at Benzel Bush Motor Car.
Jason.
But we're going to go, we're going to go to Jason first
before we see the video.
By the way, talking about authenticity,
and we have created a layer of complexity
for our production staff.
Like most people in online streaming production
that aren't in MSNBC, aren't Fox News.
It's like, wait, this is too tough.
We can't do it.
The entire team behind Taylor at Launch Live Now,
they're like, no, we're up to this.
We're going to do what we never do.
A four box, a bunch of stuff spinning around
and then showing videos.
So we're excited to have Jason.
Jason, welcome to the show.
Welcome.
Can you hear us, Jason?
Thank you very much for having me in.
Yes, I can.
Yes.
We're pumped to have yet.
We might have a little bit of a delay,
so we'll play with that for a minute.
Jason, your scenario is this.
A customer brought their vehicle in for routine maintenance
during the multipoint inspection.
You discover, let's see, I got distracted.
I apologize.
So this is, I lost my spot here
because I got a note from our production crew.
They're like, hey, give us just a hot second.
So, which we'll do.
A customer brought their vehicle in for routine maintenance
during the multipoint inspection.
You discover a safety related item.
Breaks, wear, tear, suspension, or battery.
The customer did not come in expecting additional work.
The customer is known to decline services in the past
and say all weighed on it.
So your challenge was to create a 60 to 90 second technician video
explaining what you found, why it matters,
what happens if it's delayed,
and then give them some reassurance
and some professionalism in the creation of the video, Jason.
So as you received that email with the task,
which you had to do in under an hour,
what went through your mind?
What was your thoughts?
My initial thoughts, well, prior to the email,
I just kept thinking what on earth could be a scenario?
Like just that one phrase kept like really bugging me.
Like what's considered a scenario?
What do they think about?
And in anticipation, I kept giving myself scenarios.
Like, all right, if it's this, I'll do that.
If it's this, I'll do that.
I love it.
When I got the email, it was a completely different.
So I was weighed off, but that's all right.
Yeah, and everything I prepared for,
yeah, for sure, without a doubt.
By the way, you represented the Mercedes-Benz ethos
of the best or nothing
because as a technician, you embraced this.
We are going to do this best or nothing.
Fair?
Absolutely.
Yes, sir.
That was always my dream when I was in trade school.
Very quickly, I realized what the epitome
of the automotive technician is.
When I learned that very quickly, I was like,
Mercedes-Benz is exactly where I want to be for sure.
Yeah.
Jason, what would you say to other technicians?
Service riders or dealers watching the show today
who might say, technicians don't record videos.
They're not customer facing.
And it's tough for a technician to go on video,
talk about a customer's repair.
It's too much to ask of a technician in 2026.
What's your response to that, Jason?
My response is actually very simple.
It's kind of like a saying I have,
which a lot of people have as well.
Treat people the way you want to be treated.
If I brought my car in, in this case, Mercedes-Benz,
I would expect it to be part of my service.
And it's just delivering what's expected of us.
That's my response to that.
And again, I would very much appreciate it
if I brought my car in for service
and I was providing the video.
If seat covers were used, steering wheel covers,
just little details like that.
Just grows, helps the bond grow between you
and your dealership, et cetera.
All right.
Well, Jason, thanks for creating the video.
Let's watch the video now.
We'll give you some feedback, Jason.
Awesome.
Thank you for choosing Benzo Bush Mercedes-Benz.
My name is Jason.
You're certified Mercedes-Benz technician.
And today I'm doing that so working on your vehicle.
I'm happy to report the completion of your yearly service.
Your vehicle is in excellent condition.
That goes for your engine compartment inspection
as well as inspecting underneath of your car.
Components like your tires, brakes, suspension,
drivetrain components, et cetera.
I found no leaks, nothing broken or out of place.
Under the hood, I made sure that your fluid
were topped off, coolant, washer fluid.
In addition to that, I also corrected
your vehicle's tire pressure to what Mercedes-Benz recommends
for your vehicle specifically.
Regarding the overall vehicle multipoint inspection,
I do have one recommendation for you today.
So upon performing a battery health report,
as we can see here, this sticker indicates
the manufacturer day of your battery, the eighth week of 2020.
Original Mercedes-Benz batteries have a life expectancy
of three to five years.
And you are now at the six year mark.
With that age comes depleted battery performance.
So issues may arise because of that,
whether it be starting issues or electrical components
not working as they should,
whether it be in the interior of the vehicle
or the exterior.
Seeing how that poses a safety risk,
I will be recommending replacing of your battery.
That way you may safely drive your vehicle
and enjoy it as you are intended.
With that being said, your advisor will contact you
in regards to my recommendation
and also when your vehicle is ready to pick up.
Thank you so much for your service and have a great day.
Very cool.
Margaret, feedback.
Excellent job, Jason.
A couple of things.
First of all, what a beautiful car.
My goodness.
I know.
I was like, oh man.
He does such a thorough job.
I noticed he also really steadied his camera
from the last time to this one.
So it was an improvement that he made.
He took that feedback.
I really appreciated that.
He shows us exactly what he's talking about,
particularly when he's making the recommendation.
He starts with the good news,
then gives us the not so good news.
That's a great way to approach it.
And again, very thorough tells us why it's a problem,
why it's a safety concern.
One little piece of advice I would give you, Jason,
is maybe slow down your talk just a tiny bit,
just because you know it ins and outs, right?
But the customer is less familiar
with what you're talking about.
It may take a little bit longer to process what you're saying,
but that's my really only piece of feedback.
I think you did an excellent job.
Very good.
I agree on the FOMO of the vehicle.
Those vehicles are beautiful.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
So yeah, they're absolutely beautiful.
All right, Yuli, feedback.
More or less the same.
So it's funny, Jason, you mentioned the seat covers
and stuff like that.
The first time I watched your videos,
that's exactly what I noticed,
because I mean, my car is my baby, right?
So if I'm getting a video with my baby in it,
I want to make sure that my baby is not only being
tuned up and maintained,
but cared for in a special sense.
So I picked up on that right away.
I think if I'm the owner of that vehicle,
I'm feeling warm and fuzzy.
My baby's in good hands.
You're given great recommendations,
and you focused on the why, right?
It's not about that you have problems today,
but I want my massaging seats to work tomorrow.
So I'm going to make sure that I take your recommendation
and move forward.
My favorite comment online so far,
yoga car says it's not fair.
That's a Maybach nice video.
So yeah, we went from 110,000 out there
air stream to Maybach.
That's two and a half times that price.
Yeah.
And then Paul Salisman says,
Jason's good at the service version of feature benefit.
This is what needs to be done and why great stuff.
Very well done.
I have a question, Margaret.
We saw the two way video where you could see a face
and you could see the vehicle.
What percent of technician videos
utilize the two-sided?
I would say almost zero, which kills me.
I very rarely see technicians doing that.
Now, I didn't want to ding him on it because-
I wouldn't.
Yeah, yeah, don't do anything.
Yeah, I don't want to ding him on it
just because I don't want you to feel like
that is something that you have to do.
I love to see people's face.
That's, I'm just kind of a warm and fuzzy person.
I want to see who's working on my car.
And Jason looks like such a lovely person, right?
That that helps hold more trust as well.
But again, I didn't count it against him.
You don't need to.
It's a half to you.
Yeah, yeah.
So Jason, as we wrap up, we'll give you the time
it took you to deliver this.
So you received it and then the clock was on.
You created this video in 55 minutes.
So you came in five minutes under the required window time.
And-
That's not the right.
Were you, as you create these MPI videos,
do you do them using your iPhone?
Do you do them on your own?
And how often does it typically take you to create a customer?
So I use my personal phone.
Sorry.
So to answer your first question, yeah,
I use my personal phone.
And every single car that we work on is meant to have a video
along with whatever service it comes in for.
It's actually on the repair order itself.
With that being said, you asked how long it usually takes me
to make a video.
So it's really cool because when I first started making
these videos, they started, I would submit them at the five,
six minute mark, even for a basic service.
And with the experience, I was able to bring that down
to two minutes, two and a half.
And that depends on where the car comes in for, obviously.
And if it's like a basic service, I'm from start to finish
like a minute and a half, maybe.
Nice work.
Jason, who trained you to make these videos?
And I know there's a little delay in our signal,
but we want to get that answer.
No worries.
So actually myself making videos here, I was actually the
technician that helped start this, believe it or not,
saying that humbly, of course.
But our service director approached me, mentioned this
idea of doing videos and stuff.
And I remember making videos, just like regularly
recording them using my phone and showing him,
seeing how it would potentially play out.
And when it was made official, we created a little template,
how to start, what to mention, things like that.
And eventually I found my groove and I told him,
hey, these are the things that work.
This is a nice format that I like to follow.
It's nice, straightforward, precise, accurate, et cetera,
informative.
Jason, as a technician in automotive, last question,
what has been the benefit to you and your own business,
your own career, your ability to repair vehicles,
the amount of revenue you generate?
What has been the benefit to you of creating videos
for customers on a regular basis?
So I actually have two responses to that,
just like my perspective on that question.
My first answer is management definitely tells us
that because customers can see what's wrong with their vehicle,
they trust us more because they can actually see their car,
see what's wrong.
Customers definitely do approve work a lot more now
that we supply videos.
So from a business perspective, it definitely does help,
absolutely.
And my second answer is for me personally,
it just feels like the right thing to do,
regardless whether or not they approve the work.
It's not really about, at least for me, it's not about the money.
It's just, again, providing the service that's expected of us.
So that's where my question is.
Jason Espin, great entrant, automotive technician,
a Benzil Bush motor car.
We appreciate you being on the show.
And everybody out there watching can take note for video number two.
We appreciate you being here.
Thanks, Jason.
Great job, Jason.
All right, so we have two videos down.
You can go into the comments section.
There's the link to the straw poll voting.
With a couple of comments, Roberto Long says,
I love how Jason flipped the negative into a positive.
He indicated all the positives in the vehicle first,
which of course puts the customer relaxed and not on defense.
And I agree 100%.
And listen, it's interesting.
I hear this all the time.
Technicians aren't in a great place to create a video.
Because they're not usually customer facing.
I think that's out in today's world.
The ability for a technician to connect with a consumer
and create credibility in the process and the repair
is unparalleled by the use of video there.
Margaret, thoughts?
I completely agree.
I mean, his level of expertise and know-how
is the most important thing.
And all that is coming through in that video.
They don't have to have quite the charm and the pizzazz
as our sales guys and gals.
And that's OK.
I don't want that from my technician.
I want to make sure they know what they're talking about.
And that really comes through in his video
and other tech videos I see.
Yeah, all right.
Our next up guest will bring on and then we'll go to the video.
Taylor Mazak, social media manager at Cavender Auto Group.
Taylor, welcome to the show.
Hi, thank you for having me.
Great to have you.
Now, tell us where your store is located, Cavender Auto Group.
So we are mainly based in San Antonio, Texas.
And we have six dealerships around here.
One actually in Bernie, which is right outside of San Antonio.
And then we also have one in San Marquis and Rockwall.
Nice, very good.
All right, so you got the hesitant online buyer scenario.
We read that previously.
Customers submitted a lead on a late model pre-owned vehicle.
They asked for a best price.
Haven't responded after receiving numbers.
Are clearly shopping multiple dealerships.
They just emailed to you.
We like the vehicle, but we're still looking around and aren't sure yet.
When you got that lead, you knew it was coming.
Your task was to create the video in under 60 minutes.
What went through your mind as far as creating this video, Taylor?
Well, when I originally got the lead, I was like, OK,
so this customer already knows what the car looks like.
They know the price, but what they really want to know,
especially since they're shopping around at a lot of different locations,
is why buy from Cavender?
Why buy from Cavender Cadillac?
So that's really what I tried to translate in my video.
I love it.
All right, let's go to your video now, Taylor.
Taylor over at Cavender Cadillac.
Thank you so much for reaching out regarding this 2023 Chevy Tahoe.
It's a great choice, but you obviously know that.
I totally understand where you're coming from.
Buying a vehicle is a big decision.
It takes time, and I understand that you want to compare your options.
I wanted to bring you into our general sales manager's office.
This is Matt, and I wanted to ask him,
is the price you see the price you pay here at Cavender Cadillac?
Yep, that's right.
But of course, it isn't just about price.
This is about making the process as smooth and as simple for you as possible.
And of course, the next step does not have to be commitment.
I don't want to pressure you or rush you into anything.
I just want to make sure you have clear, honest information from me.
So you can make the best decision for you.
We can hop on a quick call, or I'll even hold the vehicle briefly for you
while you finish up your research.
Just let me know what feels most comfortable for you.
Here, whenever you're ready, thanks again, Mr. Thomas.
Me and my team look forward to helping you in any way we can.
All right, Margaret.
And Taylor knocked it out of the park.
I mean, she blew us away with her first submission.
And then this one, she just took it another step further.
She already kind of set that up, right?
She really talked about the why buy and taking us in to the general sales manager.
It just that little bit, all he had to do was say yes.
And that was enough though for us to create those kind of warm fuzzies.
I mean, just Taylor gives me warm fuzzies all over.
She makes me feel so heard, so comforted.
I loved to at the end.
She said, hey, I'll even hold it for you for a little while
while you finish up your research.
I was like, man, she really wants me to make my best decision.
She's also given another pan of the vehicle.
So I know what I'm missing.
I mean, top to bottom.
Just unbelievable job, Taylor.
Thank you so much.
So Taylor, the Cavender Auto Group, you received,
so I know we emailed you the lead.
So you got it as a different route.
In your normal flow, you would have gotten that as a lead through the CRM.
What CRM do you use?
We use DriveCentric, but that's most for our salesmen.
And then I obviously work with them to help create videos,
not only for our social media, but a lot of them also need help on camera,
being very friendly and not very scripted.
And so that's something that as a social media manager, I help with.
So you're an advisor to the sales people and helping to encourage the creation of video.
So let me ask you this.
So how many cars a month does your store sell?
Well, we have so many different locations, so it's really hard to gauge.
But I think last month, we sold 1,800, I think is what it was.
OK.
All right.
So as a group, big group, you got multiple locations.
Do you know how many videos you create on a monthly basis?
I'm totally putting you on the spot, by the way.
We didn't give you this video.
Me personally?
No, no, no.
The organization, as you help others to create videos and you create videos yourself.
I mean, so I throughout the week would go to different dealerships.
And I mean, I'll see salesmen out there with their tripods.
One of the ones, so I'm at our Ford dealership right now.
One of the ones downstairs just got a drone.
So they're really going all out.
They're loving, you know, they got the Meta glasses.
So they're really invested in the social media.
That's awesome.
You know, sending videos through the CRM.
And that makes me really excited as somebody who went to school for video communication
and seeing people who aren't usually comfortable on camera.
You know, how do I talk to a customer?
Like it's a conversation and not very scripted.
And so that just makes me really excited.
So Taylor, in your role, how have you started to create a culture of this being acceptable?
And what I mean by this is on a lot of the video submissions we got for our original contest,
I saw salespeople who are speaking quietly, not looking into the camera, who seem super nervous.
And one of the theories I have is that there is a fear of judgment by other salespeople,
or it's not culturally acceptable to be out there holding a phone.
Like how do you create this culture of walking around a dealership lot?
And when I got into business in 90s, it was looking at each piece of inventory, right?
Look at scoping out the vehicles.
Now it's like engaging with it with your phone and speaking to customers who aren't there, right?
It's a flip.
It's a flip of a switch.
How do you create that culture?
So I think first and foremost, fear of judgment should not even be an issue.
I've always told myself, you know, I've grown up speaking in front of people.
I used to compete in pageants.
So that was kind of where I learned how to, I guess when you're watching somebody else speak,
you're not sitting there judging them.
So why would somebody else do that to you?
And then also just, you know, it is uncomfortable to put your phone right in front of you.
And you're like, Hey, Mr. Customer, but, you know, just treating it like a conversation,
not, Oh, I have to remember what I wrote down for my script.
Like give them the information, but also just let them know that you're there for them.
And that's really the most important part.
All right.
So you, so the lead comes in and then you go out and create it.
You got your time to complete was 58 minutes.
So you came in under the one hour window, props on that.
Yeah.
So very, very nicely done.
Yuli, feedback for Taylor.
I thought it was great.
I mean, you hit the nail on the head with the customer.
I mean, they're hesitant on not the vehicle, but, you know, maybe the relationship with the
dealership.
I also liked the quiet time, you know, you gave us or gave the viewer a little bit of
time to sit with the vehicle and, you know, drink in the amenities.
Obviously you had some soft music playing in the background, but I just thought it was an
overall great engaging, captivating experience.
So Taylor is, is your organization one price?
Um, well, for you's, what do you mean by that?
Like it's the price that's online or, or do you guys negotiate on transactions?
You can, but like, like I said in the video, the price you see is the price you pay.
So I have a huge on price integrity.
So we don't have any hidden fees, no markups, and that's something that we really
convey to our customers.
Like not only are you going to get an incredible buying experience, but you're also
going, the price you see is the price you're going to pay.
Obviously there's negotiating tactics that everybody knows, but.
I love in your video how you walk into the sales manager's office and he, he just confirms that.
By the way, a couple reasons for that.
We talk so often in automatic mode of the importance of having multiple relationships
in store to get a customer to feel comfortable to buy.
And you did that in video form.
You walked me into that office, which is typically a space where customers wouldn't
typically walk in.
You, you met him, he responded and endorsed your price.
And then you walked me down the showroom floor a little bit so I could get more comfortable
being in the facility.
So many customers I think nowadays with online shopping, what it is have a reticence to be
in the brick and mortar and you made me feel comfortable knowing what I would expect
by walking around on the showroom floor.
And I thought that was absolutely strong.
I love that.
Thank you.
And obviously I did have somebody else recording for me.
And so when it comes to some videos to customers, you know, grab a colleague say,
Hey, let's go out and shoot some videos for our customers.
Because that just makes it even more engaging.
Obviously the selfie style is a great option as well.
But, you know, I was like, you know, can you record me really quick?
I want to make sure that, you know, I'm able to use body language on camera because a lot
of communication nowadays is not just speaking.
It's not just eye contact.
It's also body language.
Yeah.
So that's important.
Yeah.
And your music was fun.
It was light.
It was very, very cool.
Solid submission.
Taylor Mazak, social media manager at Cavender Auto Group, way to represent Cavender.
And thanks for the submission.
So thank you so much.
Thank you.
And to our audience watching, you've got the online People's Choice Award.
That will be one aspect of today's competition.
And then obviously at the end of today, the three of us will gather together before we end.
And Yossi, the Cardinalship guy has a vote as well.
We will crown a champion.
But we've only seen three votes.
We haven't seen all four.
We've only seen three.
That was a fast scan, by the way.
You need to put that back up.
So it is super fun that we are coming up.
So you can scan this.
You can vote.
Of course, to be fair, you should probably wait to vote unless you already know your answer
till the very end.
No hanging chads.
I don't know if anybody gets that anymore.
It's too long since that election.
But next up, we have Chris Escalante, finance assistant at Suburban Buick, GMC of Troy.
So we go over to the other side of Michigan.
I'm in Kalamazoo.
You're in Troy.
Chris, welcome.
Thank you guys for having me.
I'm excited to be here.
Pump to have you.
So you're a finance assistant.
What's a finance assistant doing making videos?
So that's not really my role.
That's the role that I have.
So I don't know if you guys are familiar with Lithium Driveway,
but they're the number one automotive retailer in the world.
So they got locations in the UK.
They got locations in Canada.
They got locations all across the country.
And they offer a program.
It's called the Dart.
So it's data analytics rotational training program.
So you've got to learn all the ins and outs of the dealership.
So you're learning about finance.
You're learning about sales.
You're learning about parts.
You're learning about service.
And I started off as finance.
So I was being a little finance assistant for the finance managers.
Very cool.
Very cool.
Well, we appreciate you submitting a video as part of our video challenge.
You got the exact same scenario that the other participants got.
So customers submitted a lead on a late model pre-owned vehicle.
They asked for the best price.
Haven't responded after receiving numbers.
Clearly shopping multiple dealerships.
And the customer just emailed you.
We liked the video, but we're still looking around and aren't sure yet.
So that's the hesitant online buyer.
We'll, after we see the video, we'll unveil how long it took to respond.
But before we get into it, what's your CRM at Lithium that you use to receive leads?
Yeah. So this is my second month in selling and sales department.
So the CRM that we use has been solutions.
Very good.
And it integrates with multiple different video platforms.
Today, we're sponsored by Co-Video.
Thanks for being here.
So this is what you submitted it through with.
So let's go to your video now, Chris.
Hey, Mr. Cuvick. This is Chris with Suburban View at GMC of Troy.
I just wanted to take a second and follow up with the vehicle that we're interested in,
which is the 2019 Audi Q8.
Hey, I completely understand that you want to make sure that you're comfortable on your decision
and you want to keep stopping around.
I'm the same way.
Hurt to say the new vehicle is a big decision.
So you need to make sure you take your time.
So I did want to point out a couple things on why this vehicle is priced the way it is.
I want to give you some more details just so you have all the information on the vehicles.
So this Audi is going to bring a value of $30,850.
So this vehicle is going to bring you a 3.0 liter V6 engine.
And it's going to be also under $16,000 miles.
I'll tell you something else.
The ones that you're going to compare to usually are price higher, have more mileage,
and they're also not going to have the same value and are not going to be the same condition
this vehicle is in.
On top of that, all our vehicles are random inspection.
And I'll be more than happy enough to watch the history and condition
and all the questions you have regarding this vehicle.
Look, man, there's no rush at all.
But if you want, I can send you a walk around of the vehicle
and then answer any question you have about it.
Okay?
Just let me know what could be most helpful for you.
Yeah, Mr. Cubic, you contact me at this phone number.
But hey, I'm tired of driving a vehicle that doesn't belong to me.
I love it.
Awesome job, Chris.
Margaret, feedback for Chris.
Yeah.
So I've got a lot of great things to say about this one.
He has fantastic energy.
Chris is selling his butt off, man.
Like, I know it's a hesitant buyer and he's saying, hey, I understand that.
But I love when he's saying the value it's going to bring.
He doesn't talk about the price or the cost.
He talks about the value and why it is priced that way.
And then why some others that they might be looking at are priced a little bit
differently.
I was like, wow, that's incredibly insightful.
I thought that was really important for trying to make that decision.
So excellent job.
Also, I love the driving footage because as a buyer,
I'm picturing myself in that same seat and starting to get excited about it.
So I thought that was a really nice touch.
My one piece of advice is I actually want to hear you even more.
So a little bit, I don't know if it's like a little microphone you need
or music coming down just a tiny bit because I was hanging on every word.
You had great stuff to say.
I just wanted it to be a tiny bit louder.
Very good.
Yeah, you know what?
I love the unique perspectives you had driving.
Did where did you put the your, I assume you record this on your phone.
Did you have it like up on the handles up on the side or you have a clip?
Or how did you do that from a style?
Yes.
So I actually, I mean, everybody has TikTok, right?
Everybody's from the TikTok shop.
I saw a video of somebody having a little clip that you have on where it's like a magnet.
So you can connect it on the window.
You can connect it wherever you want in your vehicle.
So I was like, Hey, let me just order this for the competition.
And I ordered it for the competition.
So I got a little creative with it.
Very cool.
Very cool.
I thought that was a great angle and it does create a little bit of FOMO.
If I'm interested in that vehicle, it heightens that amount of excitement over
being able to do the same thing, which is driving the vehicle.
I also get to experience that vehicle being driven from the inside of the vehicle,
which if I haven't been on a test drive yet, it's not as, it doesn't equal the test drive,
but it certainly competes with it, giving that direct experience.
Yuli, thoughts?
I love the energy right from the rip.
I mean, that's my way to engage a customer.
Come with me.
Let's go.
And I'm immediately captivated like, Oh, cool.
Where are we going?
But like Margaret said, the issue was only as soon as you entered the vehicle,
you definitely need a microphone, a clip on.
You can even use AirPods now and flip them to that.
And also maybe turn the volume down on the music a little bit.
But I think the microphone would just handle that because then you can maintain that energy.
The issue, the only critique would be that that intensity died once your volume down.
Yeah, very cool.
I agree 100%.
I think the app that I use is called CapCut.
And every time I do edit it, I do put the music all the way down.
And it sounds great when I have it all in the app.
But the moment I upload the video or download it to my photos and videos,
the music comes up some way somehow.
So I'm very familiar with CapCut.
If you use that, just again, get an external mic and then you can just juice the voice.
Yes, sir.
You're getting some great comments online.
Diego Rojas says, let's go, Chris.
Proud of our darter, not afraid to put himself out there.
Great job, Chris.
Fire energy, let's go.
Paul Salisman endorses the audio comments, which I think are good.
Audio is important as the video content.
Investing in a good microphone is worthwhile for anyone doing this.
So what would you say to someone?
We talked a little bit about the culture of creating videos
and kind of a showroom floor that's accepting of that.
Is the culture at Lithia in your store accepting of that?
Or do people flip each other's shit for being out on the lot with an iPhone, making video?
No, no.
We all got each other's back here.
I mean, I got really lucky with the culture here at Suburban,
especially at this sales floor.
Everybody's got each other's back.
Well, yeah, we all encourage each other for sure.
Yeah, that is awesome.
And what would you say to someone at another dealership that says,
hey, I'm uncomfortable walking out on the lot and videoing myself in front of customers
and all the other sales people.
I just don't know if the ROI is worth it.
So my advice to that is we're all here to make money.
Everybody at their job is there to make money.
If you can increase your chance by 1%, why wouldn't you do it?
All it takes is about 15 to 20 minutes max, 30 minutes to create a video.
If you're going to be there for 10, 11, 12 hours a day,
you might as well increase the chances of selling a car.
I like that.
Put your income first, put fear of being judged by others second.
And I do think, again, I don't know, Margaret, if you see that in other stores,
but I did see that in some of the submissions where I'm just like,
hey, I think people are being, because some people,
and you definitely didn't have that problem, Chris,
but some people in the video submissions are very quiet, didn't look at the phone.
It seemed like they were in a corner hiding trying to do the video walk around.
I actually think that's worse.
You want to express your personality with all your strengths and weaknesses,
right, to connect with that customer.
That does it.
You're going to connect better that way than you can on email, text, Margaret.
And maybe an unobvious note here.
Remember, if to anyone who's making a video out there,
you're not dealing with professionals judging a competition like we are right now.
You're dealing with consumers.
So even if you mess up, to me, it's all about the energy.
That's how you connect.
Get the customer excited like we do when they're in the show,
and get them emotionally involved.
And Sam, you make a great point.
Like if you talk to 99% of salespeople and you say,
hey, are you better in person, they're like, yeah,
get the customer in front of me and I can sell it.
And I'm like, well, then why not let's build a bridge between online and in person.
And that's video, man.
That's the thing that can connect those two worlds.
Yeah, all right.
All right, Chris Escalante, finance assistant,
suburban Buick GMC of Troy.
Thanks for being on the show.
So thank you guys, Chris.
Great job, Chris.
And he did get some great comments.
Chris Gonzalez, 440, extremely engaging video from Chris.
Hannah Farmer, the music is a nice touch.
All right, we are ready to make an unveil.
We're going to unveil first the people's choice.
Then we'll unveil the overall winner.
Each one of us has been able to tabulate our own totals,
including we got the Cardiola ship guy, Yosi Levi himself,
piping in as well.
But let's go to the people's choice award.
First drum roll, please.
That is a pie graph.
I can barely see it.
But I think the winner, clearly, Chris Escalante, finance assistant,
suburban Buick GMC of Troy.
By the way, that was quick because we just showed his video.
Props to Chris.
Very nicely done.
So, and Robert Long says, Chris did a fantastic job.
I love how he took the customer on the drive.
It does give the prospect the ability to hear the purr of the engine.
Oftentimes, the car may look, Chris,
you're a tribute to the entire Dart program
and to the Lithia Auto Group more broadly.
And your bold ability to create this video quickly
and to get it submitted in.
And then, by the way, to rally your friends and folks
in the Auto Group, it's a tribute to you in the Auto Group.
So, any words, Chris, for the audience about creating a video
or what it means to get the People's Choice Award
for the first-ever Card dealership guide video competition?
Well, I just want to say I'm completely honored
for winning the People's Choice Award.
My advice to everybody, you know, work hard, put in some dedication,
and you will see the fruits of what you bear, right?
You will see how well you succeed and how well you work hard.
Yeah, and your mic drop today was, look,
we come, we show up to work to make money.
Who cares what it takes?
Let's do the right thing for the customer
and doing something like creating a video is absolutely that.
Chris Escalante, winner of the first-ever
People's Choice Video Competition,
Finance Assistant, Suburban Buick, GMC of Troy.
Thanks for being on and congrats on your award.
Thank you guys.
All right, now, next up,
we're going to go to the overall competition winner.
So, this was a tough call because all four of these videos
were incredible, were just absolutely stellar, right, Margaret?
Absolutely. I told him beforehand,
congratulations to everyone because judging was brutal.
I did not have an easy time making a decision.
I know you guys felt the same way.
We absolutely felt the same way.
But winner of the first-ever
Cardiola Ship Guy Video Competition Challenge
brought to you by CoVideo is Taylor Mazek,
social media manager at the Cavender Auto Group.
Taylor, congratulations on the win.
Thank you. Okay.
You know, your video...
Oh, wait, words, give us words, Taylor.
What does it mean when the first-ever competition?
I'm honored.
Thank you so much for selecting me.
This is, it was super fun, super exciting.
Sorry, I don't know what to say.
I'm like, thank you so much.
Thank you for giving us a great example of an elite video
to use Zach Terrell, Ziggler's own Zach Terrell's words.
That video was elite.
Your ability to connect with customers was incredible.
I think you showed us a great example of a fantastic video.
You're well deserving of the trophy, the first-ever.
Hopefully you'll display it with pride in your office.
Also, there's $1,000 cash on the line.
And this video competition brought to you by CoVideo.
Margaret, thoughts as we award the first-ever award to Taylor Mazek?
Congratulations, Taylor.
You very much deserve this.
You did a fantastic job, not only on your final submission,
but on your initial one as well.
You really stood out.
You can tell that presence.
And when you said, I didn't realize this,
when you said that you've spent time studying
and being on camera and in front of people, it shows.
You are so natural, you're so easy to watch,
and you really are a wonderful beacon
that people should look to you
to continue to do their own videos as well.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Like, yeah, I truly don't have any words except for thank you.
This contest was very exciting.
I'm going to tell all of my coworkers, all of my friends,
to enter it next year, because it was really fun.
So Taylor, to your point, we do want to make this an annual event.
So we'd love to get everybody back together again next year.
And hopefully we'll see the same quality competition
that we saw this year as we crown the second annual.
But you will forever be known as the first to have
the first annual competition.
Taylor, congratulations.
Congratulations.
Trophy is on its way.
The cash will be coming.
And we appreciate Co-Video and Margaret and the team
for sponsoring this year's competition.
So thank you, Taylor.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
All right, very good.
And a lot of great comments.
Margaret, we appreciate you and the entire team at Co-Video
for sponsoring the competition.
Lots of cool comments online.
And you know what, Margaret, any closing thoughts before?
I've got to take care of some businesses we wrap up today.
But Margaret, closing thoughts on the Co-Video side.
Now, just want to thank you guys so much
for letting us be a part of it.
It's so much fun.
It's great to get those submissions
to see the excitement around it.
And the thing that makes me the most happy
is seeing how this makes a difference in people's lives
and their business, right?
Like they're providing something that the customers want,
which means they're getting a better experience,
which means they're getting better results
and making more money.
And that's what it's all about.
So that is very, very fulfilling.
Thanks for letting Co-Video be a part of that.
And by the way, I love this idea.
Howard Gleason online says,
have Taylor judge the next one?
Yes, it's a deal.
If Taylor's on for that,
the next competition we do next year will absolutely do that.
We've also talked about actually doing
a full on walk around competition with salespeople,
probably sometime mid-year in the summer at some point.
So Ziggler Auto Group, we do that annually
and we'd love to bring in the entire country.
Because by the way, the more competition we get out there,
the better we become as salespeople.
So Margaret, thank you so much for being on the show today
and thanks for sponsoring this first ever video competition.
My absolute pleasure.
We'll see you in Vegas.
We'll see you at NADA in Vegas.
And actually before we wrap today,
I'm going to take care of one piece of business.
We're going to talk, we're going to talk stream companies.
And I know this seems odd,
but I didn't stop at the middle.
So forgive me, dealer stop chasing incentives,
retail ready from stream companies,
updates your offers in as fast as four hours
and keeps them compliant,
stay current, beat out competitors
and drive more leads.
If you're headed to NADA,
visit us at booth 3113W
or learn more at streamcompanies.com
slash retail ready.
Thanks stream company for sponsoring today's content,
including this first ever video challenge competition
by CoVideo.
Also check out CoVideo at NADA.
We'll all be there again Wednesday,
1pm Eastern and Friday, 1pm Eastern.
We'll be broadcasting live from the lot links booth at NADA.
Yuli, we'll both be there.
We're super excited for the show.
And to our loyal listening audience,
wherever you are,
whether you're in Vegas next week or not,
thank you for watching Daily Deal Live
where you break down the biggest moves in the car business
as they happen live.
Don't forget, we're here live every Monday, Wednesday,
Friday, 1pm Eastern.
So if this is your world and we sure hope it is,
hit like, subscribe, turn on those notifications
so you never ever miss a beat.
And we'll see you next episode.
Thanks, everybody.
Thanks, guys.
About this episode
The Dealer Video Excellence Challenge Awards reveal showcases the top four finalists who created engaging videos to connect with customers in the automotive industry. Hosted by Sam Dark, the episode features insights from CoVideo's VP of Marketing, Margaret Hennies, and lively discussions about video techniques and best practices. Each finalist presents their unique approach to addressing customer hesitance, with the audience voting for a People's Choice winner. The episode culminates in the announcement of the overall champion, highlighting the importance of video in modern car sales.
Original notes
Today's show features:
Margaret Henney, Vice President of Marketing at CoVideo
Taylor Mazock, Social Media Manager at Cavender Auto Group
Jason Espin, Automotive Technician at Benzel-Busch Motor Car
Lauren Clarke, RV Sales Assistant at Airstream of South Florida
Chris Escalante, Finance Assistant at Suburban Buick GMC of Troy
This episode is brought to you by:
Stream Companies – Stream Companies is a full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled advertising agency that drives measurable results through performance marketing, creative and content development, and proprietary AdTech solutions. Our innovative platforms, including the Retail Ready platform and Integrated Marketing Cloud, empower brands to optimize performance and accelerate growth. To learn more, visit StreamCompanies.com.
CoVideo – Covideo is the leader in video lead response, helping dealerships convert more internet leads into appointments and vehicle sales through fast, personalized follow-up. Dealers using Covideo consistently see stronger engagement, higher appointment rates, and more vehicles sold. With AI-powered innovations coming soon, Covideo is continuing to help dealers move faster and win earlier in the sales process. Visit https://www.covideo.com/ to learn more.
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