{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"The Battle Between Dealers and OEMs: Why They Have to Win—or Lose—Together | Joseph Agresta, Jr, President of Benzel-Busch Motor Car Corp","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/the-battle-between-dealers-and-oems-why-they-have-to-win-or-lose-together-joseph-agresta-jr-president-of-benzel-busch-motor-car-corp","audioUrl":"https://chrt.fm/track/C6AG88/traffic.megaphone.fm/CREUR5053888869.mp3","description":"Today I’m joined by Joseph Agresta, Jr., Chair of the Mercedes-Benz Dealer Board. We get into why his top salespeople are fluent in Korean, the future of Mercedes EVs in a post–tax credit market, and how outdated incentive structures are frustrating customers — plus plenty more along the way.\n\n\n\nThis episode is brought to you by:\n\n\n\n1. Podium - Don’t miss another lead. With Podium’s AI BDC, dealerships are seeing an 80% increase in after-hours appointments by handling leads 24/7. Instantly respond to inquiries, book test drives, and let your team focus on what matters: closing deals. Learn how Podium can help you sell more cars @ https://www.podium.com/car-dealership-guy \n\n\n\n2. vAuto - As the industry’s premier provider of end-to-end inventory management solutions, vAuto gives every dealer—from a single point store to the largest groups—the data, insights and tools they need to maximize returns from the new and used vehicle inventory investments.\nKnown for its game-changing inventory management innovations, vAuto provides AI-powered predictive data science to help dealers see their future and consistently make the right, ROI-minded decisions with every vehicle they appraise, acquire, price and retail. Learn more @ https://www.vauto.com/contact-us/#requestDemo  \n\n\n\n3. Nomad Content Studio - Most dealers still fumble social—posting dry inventory pics or handing it off without a plan. Meanwhile, the store down the street is racking up millions of views and selling / buying cars using video. That’s where Nomad Content Studio comes in. We train your own videographer, direct what to shoot, and handle strategy, to posting, to feedback. Want in with the team behind George Saliba, EV Auto, and top auto groups? Book a call at http://www.trynomad.co \n\n\n\nCheck out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:\n\n\n\nFor dealers:\n\nIndustry job board ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://jobs.dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nDealership recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgrecruiting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nFix your dealership’s social media ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.trynomad.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nRequest to be a podcast guest ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgguest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\n\n\nFor industry vendors:\n\nAdvertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nIndustry job board ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://jobs.dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nRequest to be a podcast guest ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgguest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\n\n\nTopics:\n\n01:34 What does the Mercedes Board Chair do?\n\n02:38 History of Benzel-Busch Motor Car?\n\n05:54 Biggest EV market challenges and strategies?\n\n13:09 How do brokers impact the market?\n\n24:52 Using AI for business efficiency how?\n\n29:03 Best lead conversion strategies?\n\n33:09 How to improve manufacturer-dealer relations?\n\n50:22 Ultra luxury market insights?\n\n53:11 Future outlook for the auto industry?\n\n\n\nCar Dealership Guy Socials:\n\n\n\nX ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nInstagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nTikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nLinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nThreads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nFacebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠\n\nEverything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"},"annotations":[{"startTime":290.44,"endTime":299.08,"type":"car","title":"Kia Rio","url":"/cars/kia/rio","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/2016_Kia_Rio_Red_Line_white_rear.jpg","quote":"...ranchise dealership for the Diamond T and Diamond Rio brand. Diamond T initially and then it became Dia...","canonicalId":"car:kia:rio","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Throwawayacc222 (CC0)"}},{"startTime":1368.72,"endTime":1383.72,"type":"car","title":"Mercedes-Benz GLC","url":"/cars/mercedes-benz/glc","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/2018_Mercedes-Benz_GLC_250_Urban_Edition_4MATIC_2.0_Front.jpg","quote":"...rket share in these competitive segments like our GLC and GLE and the C class and even some of the new ...","canonicalId":"car:mercedes-benz:glc","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Vauxford (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1368.72,"endTime":1383.72,"type":"car","title":"Mercedes-Benz GLE","url":"/cars/mercedes-benz/gle","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/2023_Mercedes-AMG_GLE_63_S_4MATIC_IMG_9842.jpg","quote":"...re in these competitive segments like our GLC and GLE and the C class and even some of the new MMA plat...","canonicalId":"car:mercedes-benz:gle","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2557.72,"endTime":2561.72,"type":"car","title":"Mercedes-Benz Saw Mercedesbenz","url":"/cars/mercedes-benz/sl","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/1994_Mercedes-Benz_500_SL_Mille_Miglia%2C_Techno-Classica_2025%2C_Essen_%28P1045906%29.jpg","quote":"at the same time that we did, right, as dealers. You saw Mercedes-Benz at a 15% return on sales globally, and that wasn't just in the US.","canonicalId":"car:mercedes-benz:sl","priority":0.3,"confidence":0.9032258064516128,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)"}},{"startTime":3269.72,"endTime":3273.72,"type":"car","title":"BMW 550S","url":"/cars/bmw/5-series","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/BMW_5_SERIES_LWB_SEDAN_%28BMW_G38%29_China.jpg","quote":"I think that's a really, I'm talking G63, 9.63, right? 550's are still strong. G63's are still as hot as they've ever been. You know, maybe with the exception of that little window there in 2021, you know, somewhere around there.","canonicalId":"car:bmw:5 series","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":3292.72,"endTime":3297.72,"type":"car","title":"G-Class Gwagon","url":"/cars/mercedes-benz/g-class","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/MERCEDES-BENZ_G-CLASS_%28W463%29_China.jpg","quote":"...just announced that we're going to get a drop top GWagon coming. So that's going to be incredible to see.","canonicalId":"car:g-class:","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Car Dealership Guy","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/the-battle-between-dealers-and-oems-why-they-have-to-win-or-lose-together-joseph-agresta-jr-president-of-benzel-busch-motor-car-corp/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}