In this episode, I'm speaking with Alex Vetter, CEO of Cars Commerce.

This episode is brought to you by:

Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.inc

AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/

Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here

Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here

Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:04) - Ringing the bell at the NYSE
(00:04:38) - Launching Cars Commerce & SaaS fatigue
(00:08:30) - Alex’s approach to acquisitions
(00:11:19) - Current gaps in the customer journey
(00:14:57) - Focusing on commerce and thoughts on the economy
(00:18:27) - The evolution of retail
(00:25:17) - Instant financing
(00:26:00) - How onsite behavior has changed
(00:27:21) - The upside for Cars.com
(00:31:39) - D2D trading
(00:34:14) - The loss of the budget car
(00:36:12) - Trends in the industry
(00:40:00) - Final thoughts

Check out Cars Commerce here.

Get in touch with Alex by emailing him at Alex@cars.com

Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

#36 Car market predictions, Alex's acquisition playbook, Solving software fatigue, Will online car sales go away? | Alex Vetter, CEO of Cars Commerce (Part 2)

Car Dealership Guy — the internet's viral car dealer and market commentator — engages in authentic and insightful conversations with auto industry leaders, innovators and investors.

Watch and listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday, and check us out on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for all the best moments from the show.

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Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Nate Mihalovich, CEO of The Lasso where we discuss: His journey from $300M exit to transforming how dealers buy cars, Which retailers pay the most for customer trade-ins, surprising dealership growth hacks, How dealers out-compete Carmax and Carvana and much more!

This episode is brought to you by:

CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships.
Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform

Auto Hauler Exchange - The Auto Hauler Exchange has revolutionized the way vehicle haulers and vehicle shippers collaborate. The Exchange is the first digital marketplace of its kind in the vehicle logistics industry. Learn more @ https://www.autohaulerexchange.com/

Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com.

The Lasso - The best way to get multiple offers for your car. Learn more @ https://www.thelasso.com/cdg
 
Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here

Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here

Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:02:39) - How did you get from tech to the car business?
(00:05:31) - What did you set out to build in 2020?
(00:10:52) - What is the value proposition for dealers and why do consumers sell this way?
(00:19:41) - What’s your total volume of vehicle transactions?
(00:22:43) - How do you handle issues with a customer selling their vehicle?
(00:28:52) - What are dealers telling you right now?
(00:32:10) - What are you seeing in the market right now?
(00:34:43) - What do you see for the future of traditional auctions?
(00:39:14) - The importance of having a dealer’s license

Check out The Lasso here - https://www.thelasso.com/

Get in touch with Nate here - Nate@thelasso.com

Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

#85 Transforming how dealers buy cars, Exiting for $300M, Surprising dealership growth hacks, Which retailers pay the most for customer trade-ins? | Nate Mihalovich, CEO of The Lasso

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Rita Case, CEO of Rick Case Automotive where we discuss: Secrets to building the largest Honda store in the U.S., Betting big on small brands, How leasing took over Florida, becoming a philanthropist disguised as a car dealer and much more!

This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by:

Podium - Whether it's providing accurate answers or keeping leads warm with follow-up questions, Podium's AI solution keeps customers engaged throughout their car shopping journey and sounds like a human on the other end. Check out Podium's AI BDC today by texting ‘CDG’ to (706) 710-2303 or visiting them online @ https://bit.ly/3wHfhPJ

Foureyes - Foureyes supports sellers with a complementary skillset that elevates their performance. This includes automated lead logging, personalized inventory updates based on shoppers’ interests, and real-time alerts when a prospect is back on your website. Learn more @ Foureyes.io

Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com.

Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here

Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here

Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:02:08) - The Case Duo & Rita’s car background
(00:06:29) - Do you recommend working with your spouse?\
(00:09:50) - How have you reinvented your operations and marketing?
(00:15:29) - What drives your philanthropic nature?
(00:17:56) - Why did you choose these southern markets?
(00:21:29) - How does your Ft. Lauderdale Honda store operate?
(00:30:45) - What’s a day like for GMs at your dealerships?
(00:32:39) - How are the GMs compensated?
(00:36:26) - How are you driving recruitment of talent?
(00:38:17) - Are there any regional trends you’re riding when it comes to affordability?
(00:45:48) - How are you viewing your used car business?
(00:46:57) - What’s exciting to you these days?
(00:48:37) - What’s your outlook for the industry?

Check out Rick Case Automotive here.

Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

#84 Secrets to building the largest Honda store in the U.S., Betting big on small brands, 100% commission pay plans, Why leasing took over Florida, Philanthropist disguised as a car dealer? | Rita Cas

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Robert Ourisman Jr., CEO of Ourisman Automotive Group, where we discuss: Going from marketing star to CEO, selling 20,000 cars a year, fixing the Cherokee 4xe sales slump, where he's heavily investing, fighting with automakers on inventory allocation and much more.

This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by:

Stream Companies - Full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled ad agency doing the ordinary extraordinarily well. Learn more @ https://www.streamcompanies.com/

Impel - From website, chat, sales, and service, Impel AI is custom-built to achieve your business objective featuring a proprietary blend of large language models, automotive optimization layers, and seamless integration with your entire tech stack. Learn more @ https://impel.ai/

Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com.

Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here

Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here

Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:21) - The Ourisman family dynamic
(00:06:17) - What’s your scale today?
(00:07:46) - What’s your father’s current involvement in the business?
(00:12:16) - What do you think about your mix of brands and what are you bullish on?
(00:14:33) - Why are you focusing on growing your collision business?
(00:16:34) - Does EV adoption concern you for service?
(00:19:17) - What are you excited about?
(00:21:50) - How are you navigating employee retention at the less-exciting brands?
(00:26:54) - What operational challenges are you facing right now?
(00:28:24) - Leasing penetration
(00:31:07) - Accepting allocation
(00:33:44) - What is the profit trend for your dealerships?
(00:35:21) - What’s your marketing strategy?
(00:38:44) - Does anything keep you up at night? 
(00:41:33) - What’s your outlook for the industry?

Check out Ourisman Automotive Group here.

Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

#83 From marketing star to CEO of 18 dealerships, Selling 20,000 cars a year, Where he's heavily investing, Fixing the Jeep Cherokee 4xe sales slump | Robert Ourisman Jr., CEO of Ourisman Automotive G

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Melissa High, VP of LoJack where we discuss solving the car theft epidemic, over 1,000,000 vehicles stolen last year, why auto insurance premiums are ripping, brands not at risk of vehicle theft, and much more:

This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by:

Stream Companies - Full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled ad agency doing the ordinary extraordinarily well. Learn more @ https://www.streamcompanies.com/

Auto Hauler Exchange - The Auto Hauler Exchange has revolutionized the way vehicle haulers and vehicle shippers collaborate. The Exchange is the first digital marketplace of its kind in the vehicle logistics industry. Learn more @ https://www.autohaulerexchange.com/

LoJack - Nationwide stolen vehicle recovery and connected car solutions for dealers and consumers. Learn more @ https://www.lojack.com/

Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com.

Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here

Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here

Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:02:29) - Vehicle theft in the US
(00:06:52) - Do you see asset protection as a booming industry?
(00:09:53) - Melissa’s background and career
(00:12:31) - What are you focused on today when thinking about challenges in the industry?
(00:15:39) - What brands are the most susceptible to theft?
(00:16:53) - Is any brand impossible to steal?
(00:17:56) - What impact is theft having on insurance?
(00:20:27) - What are the biggest pain points for dealers?
(00:21:36) - What are the economics of your products for dealers?
(00:23:57) - How are you competing with Air Tag?
(00:26:59) - Vehicle theft and recovery stories
(00:31:16) - What trends are you seeing from manufacturers for vehicle security?
(00:33:20) - What do you predict for vehicle theft over the next 5 years?

Check out LoJack here. 

Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

#82 Solving the car theft epidemic, 1,000,000+ stolen last year, How theft is impacting auto insurance, Brands not at risk of vehicle theft? | Melissa High, Vice President of LoJack

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Andrew Wright, Managing Partner of VINart Dealerships where we discuss: What's next for the Hyundai/Amazon partnership, selling 6,000+ cars yearly in one county, whether dealers and car makers still need each other, and much more.

This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by:

Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at https://www.carscommerce.inc/

Auto Hauler Exchange - The Auto Hauler Exchange has revolutionized the way vehicle haulers and vehicle shippers collaborate. The Exchange is the first digital marketplace of its kind in the vehicle logistics industry. Learn more @ https://www.autohaulerexchange.com/

Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com.

Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here

Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here

Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:21) - Andrew’s background and career
(00:06:29) - VINart Group
(00:08:49) - What are the benefits you see from being in the Lehigh Valley?
(00:13:19) - Shifting from mainstream brands to luxury
(00:15:00) - What brands are you bullish on?
(00:17:14) - What challenges is Hyundai facing?
(00:20:51) - Becoming chair of the Hyundai dealer council
(00:23:10) - Dealers and manufacturers need each other more than ever
(00:27:21) - What brand would you bet on if you were a used-car dealer?
(00:31:13) - Operations and service
(00:38:01) - Amazon & The future of the dealer/customer relationship
(00:47:10) - What are you seeing in terms of consumer health?
(00:54:19) - Is anything keeping you up at night?

Check out VINart Group here.

Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership)

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

#81 Chairman of Hyundai Dealer Council speaks out, Selling 6,000+ cars in one county, Behind the scenes of Hyundai/Amazon partnership, Do dealers and car makers still need eachother? | Andrew Wright, 

#36 Car market predictions, Alex's acquisition playbook, Solving software fatigue, Will online car sales go away? | Alex Vetter, CEO of Cars Commerce (Part 2)

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