Beyond The First Pencil

We are so happy to have Justin Osburn on the show this week. Justin is a leader in our industry for many reasons and when you listen, you’ll see why. 

Franchise or independent retailer, finding cars to sell is an art. Introducing BDC (Business Development Center) tactics can improve your success substantially and we talk with Justin about how to change and adapt to a new process that leverages our relationships online and offline.

Justin is also the founder of SmartGroups, 20 Groups Reimagined, which excites us because we’ve spent many years in 20 Groups and also speaking at them. A refresh of the concept just might get more dealers to join and get engaged!

In our music segment:
RIP the great Burt Bacharach

Mr Bacharach was a good friend and huge collaborator with Elvis Costello and here’s an example:

Austin Powers: “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach and Mr. Elvis Costello”

Justin's Bio: 

Justin M. Osburn is founder and CEO of Automotive Reinsurance Concepts and

SmartGroups™: 20 Groups Reimagined. He’s a dealer educator and industry

speaker, and a self-described student of the auto industry. In addition to roles as a sales professional, F&I manager, general manager, chief operating officer and dealership owner, Justin served as retail 20 Groups moderator and consultant for the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association and was lead instructor for NIADA’s Certified Master Dealer course.

Justin is an Army veteran, a published author and a graduate of the Disney Executive Leadership Institute. He has served in local government as a city councilman and mayor pro-tem of Butler, Mo., and holds a patent for a door barricade used by schools to provide safe lockdown rooms for students and teachers.
Get in touch with Justin:
SmartGroups: smart20groups.com
Automotive Reinsurance Concepts: https://arcdealers.com/
Independent Dealer University: https://idutuskers.com/

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you…and maybe have you on the show!

Kathi: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

First, we discuss a little bit about how the car business stereotype is still alive and well. Both Mike and I have spent our careers fighting the stereotype and we think it’s time to fix it.

Then we cover ChatGPT and how we might be using AI today and in the future of the car business.

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot system that OpenAI released in November to show off and test what a very large, powerful AI system can accomplish. You can ask it countless questions and often will get an answer that's useful. 

For an account with OpenAI, you can sign up HERE

If you just want ChatGPT, sign up HERE

Jon Loomer’s blog post about using ChatGPT for Facebook ads copy:  HERE

Power Hitter’s Club: HERE

Listen to the HardFork podcast: HERE

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.

Kathi: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE

It’s crazy to imagine but did you know that only a small fraction of the millions of US businesses use their Google Business Profile? Our guest today is Craig Darling of Darling Local and he’s on a mission to change that.

Google Business Profiles are the single best way to get noticed in Search...for FREE. 

Craig is a long-time friend of ours. He was a superstar Chevy salesperson and ended his career in auto retail as an award winning General Manager. He set out on a course to own his own business while helping dealers create and maintain an online presence to attract customers. 

Join us to get some of Craig’s AWESOME tips and advice. It’s definitely worth your time and might even inspire you to take action on your own Google Business Profile.

You will also want to join his free Facebook Group: The Agency Reboot: HERE.

You can reach Craig through his Darling Local website: HERE.

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.

Kathi: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE

It’s a new year, and it’s a good time to review your social media strategy. 

• What do you want out of social media?
• Do you have the resources to get there?

There are a thousand different ways you can use social media and we talk about taking a multi-pronged approach. Hiring a social media manager is the first step and then supplement their efforts with ads, training and content created by employees. 

Kathi shares her insights from running the Hanaeleh Horse Rescue community and how those tactics can be emulated by dealership social media managers.

Key takeaway: Get people excited about your product and in doing business with you. They already know they can buy so help them choose to buy from you.

In our music segment:

We’ve been listening to Ska. 2 Tone Records was the leader: The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat and more.

Here’s a crazy vid of The Specials on a Belgian TV show in 1979:  HERE

Here’s the video Kathi mentions of Emerson Lake and Palmer at California Jam in 1974: HERE

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.

Kathi: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE

It’s a New Year! In this episode, we share our insights on Cox Automotive’s Jonathan Smoke’s predictions for 2023.

Having managed dealership operations for many years, we both feel strongly that challenges are coming - but nothing that we haven’t seen before. We are car people which means we always persevere through the tough times to come out on top. 

Link to Cox Automotive Predictions 2023: HERE

In our music segment:

We each share a story of a concert gathering we attended that had, shall we say, extracurricular circumstances. If you’re a regular listener, you know that we both are products of Los Angeles’ punk/new wave scene and we’ve lived to tell about some of our antics. 

Get in touch with us!

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.

Kathi: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE

We stirred up some things with last week’s episode about building a community rather than an audience…and we loved it. This week, we invited our friend and amazing car guy, Bill Playford to pick up the conversation where we left off! 

The invincible strength in relationships within communities leads to higher sales. Bill shares examples of how, when he was working at dealerships, this powerful tool can be deployed at the dealership level or at the salesperson level.  

There’s a void right now in car people identifying and communicating why people should buy from them and taking the time to articulate your unique value is what will make you successful. 

When you connect with people with similar interests, sales become an organic extension of that experience. These relationships break down barriers, they remove the friction that’s almost inherent in car buyers’ minds.

The goal is to get customers to buy from you, not just buy.

In our music segment:

Terry Hall (lead singer, songwriter, The Specials, Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield) has passed away suddenly from pancreatic cancer. It’s hard to miss the influence he had on Mike and Kathi’s teen years.

Here’s Terry at his best: “Too Much Too Young”: HERE

The Specials on Letterman in 2009: HERE

About Bill:

Bill Playford is Vice President and Partner at DealerKnows Consulting. As a fourth generation auto worker, Bill brings a unique automotive perspective, with a background in training, consulting, and process design at the retail, manufacturer, and technical supplier level.   

Throughout the last fifteen years, Bill has worked with the likes of AutoNation, Asbury Automotive, Lithia Motors, BMW, Hyundai, Google, and a bunch of smaller dealerships you’ve never heard of. Throughout twenty-six states, and four provinces, he’s committed himself to helping dealerships bridge the gap between time-tested sales traditions and today's digital-first customer. 

Bill resides near the Motor City with his brilliant wife, three gifted sons, a princess, two fancy cats, and a goofy dog. He holds an MBA from Texas Christian University and a BA in Political Science from St. Edward’s University.

Bill can be reached at [email protected] or the handle wplayford across all the social mediazzz.

Get in touch with us!

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: [email protected]
Mike: [email protected]

Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE

We’ve all seen them. “Influencers” who have lots of followers, likes and comments on social media. Some do “live videos,” look super successful but in truth, only a small fraction of influencers actually earn a living. If you’re in car sales, or any sales really, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. But at the end of the day, what exactly do you have except a lot of noise?

In this week’s episode, we compare the value of building a community around yourself vs the instant gratification of attracting an audience. Which one will bring you more income? Which one will be an asset you own?

And speaking of community, here’s a Facebook LINK to Lou Dillon being a goofball. If you’re not on Facebook, here’s the post on Twitter.

Hanaeleh’s (where Kathi is involved with rescuing horses) Winter Hay Fundraiser is ON and even a small amount helps us reach our goal. Every dollar donated goes to the horses (all humans are volunteers). 

Click HERE to donate using PayPal or debit/credit card: https://bit.ly/HanaelehHayFundraiser

About Hanaeleh: Hanaeleh is a 501(c)(3) (Tax ID 20-3255341) non-profit horse rescue operating in Southern California since 2004. We’re a Verified Rescue with Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and Platinum-Star rated on Guidestar. 

We rescue all breeds and ages of horses, and after we rehabilitate them, we work to find them new loving homes. When horses are not adoptable due to severe neglect or abuse, we provide sanctuary for them to live out their days knowing they’ll always be loved and cared for.

We conduct three fundraisers each year - Winter, Spring and Summer - which are our MAIN FUNDING SOURCE to keep the rescue financially healthy...and to keep us saving more horses.

Get in touch with us!

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.

Kathi: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE

You’re in for a treat. This week’s guest is Brent Wees. Brent is a wicked awesome speaker, coach and digital marketing strategist. He’s also been a friend of ours for over ten years. If you’ve ever seen him speak, you’ll never forget it. Brent’s energy is infectious and he’s here with us to share some of his tips on how to get chosen for a session speaker slot at the automotive conferences...and so much more!

No matter what your position is at the dealership, you have something to add to the discussion around the fast-moving, fluid changes that are happening in the auto industry. If you’ve ever considered giving a presentation, speaking at a conference or even creating a project that you need to present to the boss, Brent’s wisdom will enlighten you and help get you where you want to go.

Brent is also a major music lover (like us). We talk about punk - yesterday and today. 

About Brent Wees: he is CEO and lead strategist of Idea Meet Plan. Get in touch with Brent HERE.

Get in touch with us!

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.

Kathi: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE

We’ve been thinking a lot about the state of automotive social media. Both of us have witnessed so many years of salespeople and dealerships either ignoring the value of social or not taking action because of old limiting beliefs.

In this episode, we share some real-life examples of successful social media and some simple tactics that could help you get started…or get better!

Link to the Post.news waitlist - the new, promising social media platform: HERE Reminder: it’s in very early beta and many people have signed up for the waitlist. Be patient, it will be worth the wait. 

In our music segment:
RIP Christine McVie
Fleetwood Mac clips:
Over My Head: HERE
Tusk: HERE
Rhiannon: HERE

PS: I need Stevie’s hair and Lindsay’s kimono here. - Kathi

Yaz clips:
Alison Moyet sings at Burberry Show 2016: HERE
Don’t Go: HERE
Don’t Go Live 2011: HERE

Get in touch with us!

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.

Kathi: [email protected]
Mike: [email protected]

Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 HERE

Did you know that Google has renamed Data Studio? (wait till you hear what they changed it to!). This on the heels of sunsetting our beloved GMB app and changing the oft-loved name - Google My Business - to Google Business Profiles. Kathi and Mike talk about the value in brands that we love and what happens when they change. 

PS: Remember the Ford Taurus?

In our music segment:

Snippet of Howard Stern interview with Bruce Springsteen: HERE

Tears for Fears “Shout” HERE

Clip from “Real Genius” movie HERE

Get in touch with us!

If you're a car person (worked in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Kathi: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

Want to learn more about automotive social selling? Download Kathi’s FREE Guide to Social Media for Car Salespeople here 👉 https://bit.ly/socialsellingvip