When we came across Ben Weir's post on Linkedin stating, "We need Salespeople" at his Ford store in Indianapolis. We had to take a double-take.  Most of the posts we've seen on LinkedIn from dealership GM's were heartbreaking and full of uncertainty for the industry they love so much. But Ben Weir, General Manager at Pearson Ford, provided a major bright spot, his store needs more employees. Pearson Ford is up 15% YOY for April so far. If you work and love the car business & need some amazing optimism in your world, then I highly suggest listening to this conversation with Ben and Joey.

Laurie Foster helps vendors and agencies vastly improve their performance in the automotive retail industry through consulting, training, coaching, and strategy. Currently, as client churn aka cancellations are adversely impacting these businesses, more leaders are turning to experts, like Laurie, for solutions with profitable and sustainable impact.

We asked Bob Swartz, CEO of the Fenton Family Dealership Group, how he views disruptors to the automotive retail industry like Tesla and Carvana. Are they threats or just fly-by-night companies that pose no harm? 

Mike Dullea is an American entrepreneur, marketer, and innovator who is the CEO of AutoAlert and serves on its Board of Directors. Dullea is widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of SaaS software programs within the automotive industry and for his influential career in the consumer automotive retail industry, changing the way people shop for and purchase vehicles in North America.   Under Dullea’s leadership, AutoAlert scored a huge partnership with the iconic Ford Motor Company in 2018 through the introduction of an innovative way for dealerships to sell more cars and retain more customers in every kind of market, for which Dullea’s own patented Innovated Incentive Management System (IIMS) was critical.  AutoAlert’s commitment to the community and giving back has been strengthened under Dullea’s leadership. For example, employees are given 16 hours of paid time every year to volunteer at their favorite local charity.   Dullea also co-founded and served as CEO of VinSolutions. His pioneering understanding of the use of “big data” and its potential to assist automotive retail dealerships in finding, selling, and keeping their customers paved the way for greater profitability than any time in prior history. Following massive growth, VinSolutions was purchased by Cox Communications in 2012. Dullea then served as CEO of MotoFuze before it was acquired by HGGC.    Dullea is a board member of Midwest Animal ResQ, and he is the proud guardian of a 1-year-old French bulldog named Lolipup. He enjoys playing guitar, going to concerts, and fishing.

The In the Box Podcast is sponsored in part by AutoAlert and Dealer-FX.

Terry Miller spent decades at the number one Ford dealership in the world for 29 years in a row, Galpin Ford. Terry recently left his position as General Manager and has become a partner and Executive Vice President of Gary Crossley Ford in Liberty, MO., a suburb of Kansas City. Terry gives his list of 5 things he would first do at your dealership if he took it over tomorrow.