InsideAuto Podcast

Mike Colacchio is the Vice President of Sales at AutoLeadStar. He joins the company with decades of sales experience in automotive tech companies like Dealer Inspire, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, and Cox Automotive. He brings a wealth of knowledge and industry expertise to his new role at AutoLeadStar, where he is responsible for building out the sales team and driving strategic market adoption.

While at Dealer Inspire, Mike grew the sales organization from three people to 28 and increased its client base by 500%. During his time at Dealer.com, he sharpened his industry relations, strategic sales roles, and the regional sales team.

How do you leverage customer data sets in your dealership? How can you use that data to learn more about your customers, segment them, and create better experiences for them?

Driving customers into your dealership or online store is often the first step in driving sales. The growth of digital retailing has brought about great shifts in how dealerships attract customers and how customers shop. It also means that adaptable and flexible dealerships will set themselves up for success in the future.

In this episode of the InsideAuto podcast, Ilana Shabtay interviews Mike Colacchio, the Vice President of Sales at AutoLeadStar, about evolutions in the autotech industry. Mike also shares his predictions about the auto industry and talks about the inventory challenges many dealerships have been facing. Stay tuned.

April Simmons is the Corporate Internet and Marketing Director at Horne Auto Group, an automotive company located in Gilbert, Arizona. She has been in the automotive business for over 20 years and has honed her expertise in every element of the retail automotive space, from desk management to the sales department and finance management.

There are some key steps you need to follow in a dealership to increase the chances of selling a car. The first steps are always the same: meet and greet, sell yourself, sell the dealership, and build rapport. These are the most important steps because they play a big role in driving sales.

However, following these steps in the digital space is difficult. Dealerships often fail to build rapport with online shoppers as easily as they would in person. So what should dealerships do to solve this problem? According to April Simmons, this is where social media comes in handy.

In this episode of the InsideAuto podcast, Ilana Shabtay is joined by April Simmons, the Corporate Internet and Marketing Director at Horne Auto Group, to discuss the recently concluded Digital Dealer event in Las Vegas. April talks about the three panels she participated in, shares advice on how auto groups can recover from a recession, and explains what dealerships can do to encourage relationship building with customers. Stay tuned.

Jamie Kent is an Executive Director at Shift Digital, where he leads one of the largest OEM programs for North America for certified automotive dealer websites and consumer engagement tools. He also leads upcoming emerging technology providers.

Jamie is an experienced automotive software and digital marketing executive with over 15 years of industry experience. He has held executive leadership positions with companies ranging from small, privately-held to large, publicly-traded organizations. He was the Senior Director of Market Performance - Independent Dealer Solutions at Dealertrack and the Executive Vice President & COO of ClickMotive before joining Shift Digital.

Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital retailing by many dealerships, leading them to view it as a necessity in a fast-changing world. The pandemic has also led to inventory shortages for many dealerships who now have to wait for a longer time to receive cars, and this has greatly affected sales, the sales cycle, and how salespeople interact with potential customers.

Because of this, dealerships have been forced to get creative in handling the inventory shortage problem. Some have resorted to marketing and selling cars online on a pre-order basis even before the units arrive at their showrooms. Consumer shopping habits and expectations have also changed during this period, and all these factors will affect dealerships' future sales.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay interviews Jamie Kent, an Executive Director at Shift Digital, about tackling inventory shortages and changing consumer behavior in the automotive industry. They discuss how these changes have been affecting the normal sales cycle, how they have impacted communication with customers, and the main challenges dealerships will face when the shipping problems are over. Stay tuned.

Ibrahim Mesbah is the Co-founder and CEO of RevolutionParts, Inc., an e-commerce solution that helps dealers transform the way parts, buyers, and sellers connect. Before the founding of RevolutionParts eight years ago, Ibrahim worked in software development for both Inter-Tel and PayPal. Now, he is responsible for bringing life to innovative and accessible solutions, designing web applications that scale, developing and maintaining high-performing teams, and managing large-scale software.

Ibrahim is on a mission to disrupt and innovate the automotive space by creating the most active parts network in North America. Under his guidance, RevolutionParts has grown to over 1,500 customers with more than $1 billion in parts and accessories sales. Ibrahim is also a Dealer Marketing Expert Panelist.

What factors do you consider when looking to adopt an OEM program for your dealership? What do you like or dislike about the program you currently use? What improvements would you like to see in the program?

When the team at RevolutionParts, Inc. carried out a survey to learn what dealerships wanted to see in the OEM programs they use, they found three key things at the top of their minds. What are they? Better support and communication from the manufacturers, a focus on e-commerce sales, and better employee training.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay interviews Ibrahim Mesbah, the Co-founder and CEO of RevolutionParts, Inc., to talk about OEM programs and accessing data in the automotive industry. They discuss the need for OEM programs to provide dealer support, how the cost can affect their use, and how to create better customer experiences through the programs. Stay tuned.

Neil Ackerman is the Head of Global Supply Chain Innovation Hubs in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa for Johnson & Johnson. He is an industry expert in supply chain fulfillment, integrated business planning, and marketplaces. Because of his extensive knowledge, he's been featured in numerous best-selling books including, Amazon Unbound, Always Day One, Behemoth Amazon Rising, and AI in The Wild.

Before joining Johnson & Johnson, Neil worked in Israel as the Managing Director for global supply chain innovation in the Middle East and Africa. He also held various positions at Amazon, including as the Senior Manager for Business Development and Strategic Planning and the General Manager and Inventor of the Amazon Small and Light program. He holds 11 US patents with Amazon.com and has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and numerous international publications.

Recent disruptions in supply chain management have had a major impact on the production and provision of goods and services — and innovation hasn't been left untouched, either. These issues have caused friction among manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and customers. However, when handled well, such disruptions can help bring about better changes and great improvements in the way things are done.

In the case of Amazon, the company caused a lot of friction when it spearheaded online sales innovation and disrupted the normal supply chain in the market. However, it also brought about harmony by shifting the focus to delighting their customers. All of this applies to any kind of business, including dealerships, where the most successful dealers are those that are fully committed to delighting their customers.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Aharon Horwitz is joined by Neil Ackerman, the Head of Global Supply Chain Innovation Hubs at Johnson & Johnson, to find out how creating harmony in a disrupted supply chain can lead to innovations and customer delight. Neil talks about common challenges faced by businesses due to delayed deliveries, the importance of partnerships, and how disruptions in the supply chain can impact innovation. Stay tuned.

Jamie Brewer is the Vehicle Chief Engineer of Future Electric Vehicles at General Motors, including the Cadillac LYRIQ. She has been an integral part of the General Motors team since 2000, working her way from Vehicle Performance Engineer to Director and Global BOM Leader of Garnish, Overhead Systems, Carpet, Acoustics, and Trunk Trim.

Jamie graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and has an MBA from Oakland University.

What's the first step towards becoming an engineer? Whether you're becoming an electrical, mechanical, or automotive engineer, the answer is typically going to school. According to Jamie Brewer, your path to engineering starts much earlier than that.

Engineers start their journey as curious kids dismantling and reassembling the things laying around their parent's house. This is driven by their natural curiosity and desire for constant learning, which Jamie says is essential for success in the engineering profession.

Jamie Brewer, the Vehicle Chief Engineer of Future Electric Vehicles at General Motors, is Aharon Horwitz's guest in this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, where they talk about all things engineering and the production of General Motors' Cadillac LYRIQ. They also discuss the things you need to consider while engineering an electric car, what it takes to become a vehicle chief engineer, and what the Cadillac LYRIQ means for the Cadillac brand.

Russell Hill is a Managing Partner at FixedOPS Marketing, a full-service fixed ops agency for dealerships that specializes in increasing service visits while boosting revenue through video. He began his career working as a Buick salesman in 1985 and worked his way from Leasing Manager at Toyota of Richardson to General Sales Manager at Midway Nissan & Mitsubishi. After over 10 years of sales experience for the automotive industry, Russell decided to pivot and join the vendor side.

As the economy continues to recover and more people take their cars out to go to work, spend time with family, or go on road trips, the number of cars driving into dealerships for servicing has skyrocketed. What does this mean? Simple: if dealerships take advantage of this increased demand, they stand a big chance of increasing their revenue.

With growing video consumption among many consumers, it is important that dealerships deliver engaging video content to share with their audience. According to Russell Hill, the Managing Partner at FixedOPS Marketing, dealerships should use video to share news, educate their audience, and talk about their products.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay is joined by Russell Hill, a Managing Partner at FixedOPS Marketing, to find out how Russell leverages video marketing to help dealerships drive more traffic to their website. They discuss how fixed ops services were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, servicing electric vehicles (EVs), and how to optimize your website for conversions.

Brad Paschal is the Regional Sales Director - South at Fixed Ops Digital, an agency that specializes in online marketing solutions for franchise car dealerships. He uses his experience on the sales side of the dealership to bring winning strategies to Fixed Ops Digital.

Brad is an eight-year automotive digital marketer who specializes in creative marketing strategies and problem solving for dealers. He is a 2016 DrivingSales Best Idea winner and presents at Digital Dealer leadership conferences and webinars.

For car buyers to continue driving and enjoying the use of their cars for a long time, regular maintenance, servicing, and repairs are very important. Many dealerships offer these services to their customers but the strategies they use to market them aren't always effective.

Most dealerships face common fixed ops challenges, including too few technicians for the job and complicated service schedulers, which leads to loss of business opportunities. Not only that, but most customers do not take their cars for regular maintenance. So, what's the solution? Brad Paschal advises dealerships to invest in educating their customers to get more of them coming in.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay is joined by Brad Paschal, the Regional Sales Director - South at Fixed Ops Digital, to discuss some of the challenges dealerships face with their fixed ops strategies. Brad talks about common problems he sees in many dealerships and shares his thoughts on the use of Google My Business for marketing. Stay tuned.

Pete Petersen is the CEO and Managing Partner of Dealers United, a Facebook Marketing Partner and AdTech company specializing in the automotive vertical. Pete sold his first company at 23 and went on to grow S-One Holdings Corporation and LexJet to a revenue of over $100 million in under 10 years. In this role, Pete's expertise revolved around aligning technology, operations, and growth for all S-One companies, including Hewlett Packard, Kodak, and LexJet brands worldwide.

Pete has been covered extensively, with features in the Business Observer, AutoNews, and Inc. magazine. He has a Bachelor of Arts in business management and a Certificate in IS/IT project management. He lives in Sarasota, Florida with his wife and three children.

Advancements in technology have brought about many changes in the way businesses communicate with their existing and potential customers. There are now many options to choose from, and according to Pete Petersen, dealerships should be lined up and ready to offer a variety of communication channels to their customers — based on their preferences.

Customers like communicating with businesses in a simple, natural way. Some prefer receiving calls, others prefer text messages, while still others prefer emails. This means that it's important for dealerships to focus on what makes a great conversation with their customers — particularly, what platforms will make this possible.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Aharon Horwitz interviews Pete Petersen, the CEO and Managing Partner of Dealers United, about the strategies dealerships can use to communicate better with their customers. Pete explains how Dealers United helps dealerships solve their business challenges and talks about using video, referrals, and influencers to drive car sales.

Dan Mohnke is the Vice President of E-Commerce at Nissan USA. He is responsible for driving Nissan's e-commerce strategies and initiatives to support evolving customer needs, industry changes, and Nissan brand differentiation through a true end-to-end digital customer experience.

Before joining Nissan USA, Dan was the Manager for the Leadership Development Program at Home Depot. He also served as the Manager for Retail Strategies, Dealer Network Development, Regional Operations, and Consumer Affairs at Saturn. He holds an MBA from Michigan State University and a Bachelor's degree in marketing and management from Northwood University.

For a long time, Nissan USA has been focusing on developing an efficient dealer network to streamline communication and sell to customers more effectively. Nissan USA is a customer and dealer-focused company that has been helping its customers test drive, buy, and service cars from the comfort of their homes through their recently launched purchasing tool, Nissan@Home.

Nissan USA knows the value of addressing customer pain points by coming up with solutions to fix those problems. They also value the work done by their dealers and make a point to collaborate with their dealerships to provide the best services for car buyers. How do they do this? By giving their dealers control of their inventory, pricing, and deal structures, among other things.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, co-hosts Aharon Horwitz & Ilana Shabtay are joined by Dan Mohnke, the Vice President of E-Commerce at Nissan USA, to talk about Nissan's innovative infrastructure for improving car shopping. Dan explains why they value and partner with their dealers and talks about the traction they have seen from the Nissan@Home purchasing tool.