In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, Tim Genovesi sits down with Oliver Young, Brad Taylor, and Ryan Albert for a candid conversation about the “happy little accidents” that lead people into the automotive industry and why so many end up building lifelong careers from it.

Ryan Albert, General Manager of Young Mazda of Ogden, shares his journey from struggling college student working retail to becoming a respected automotive leader with nearly two decades of experience in car sales and dealership management. Along the way, the team explores the stigma surrounding automotive sales, the emotional intelligence required to succeed in the business, and why communication may be the most valuable skill the industry teaches.

This episode goes beyond selling cars. It dives into personal growth, leadership, psychology, customer relationships, and the life-changing opportunities that can come from managing a career instead of constantly jumping from opportunity to opportunity.

You’ll hear discussions about:

The group also shares stories from their early careers, lessons learned from years in dealership leadership, and how the automotive industry helped shape them into the people they are today.

Whether you work in automotive sales, leadership, customer service, or simply want to improve your communication and people skills, this episode offers valuable insight into why human connection still matters in a technology-driven world.

Because sometimes the best careers aren’t carefully planned.

In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, host Tim Genovesi sits down with Oliver Young, Ryan Albert, and Brad Taylor to explore one of the biggest shifts happening in the automotive industry today: artificial intelligence in car sales and service.

As AI tools like ChatGPT, automation platforms, predictive customer data, and digital communication continue transforming the dealership experience, the team breaks down what this technology actually means for automotive professionals. Will AI replace salespeople and service advisors? Or will it simply make great sales professionals even better?

The conversation dives deep into the future of automotive retail, including how dealerships can use AI to personalize customer interactions, improve transparency and trust, speed up the sales process, and create stronger customer relationships. The team also discusses real-world examples of AI-assisted car negotiations, the rise of automation in dealership operations, and why empathy, rapport, and emotional intelligence will remain irreplaceable in automotive sales.

You’ll also hear insights on:

Whether you’re a car salesperson, service advisor, dealership manager, automotive marketer, or simply curious about the future of AI in business, this episode delivers practical insights on how to adapt, stay relevant, and thrive in a rapidly changing industry.

The future of automotive sales isn’t less human. It’s more human, powered by smarter tools.

In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, Tim Genovesi sits down with Oliver Young, Brad Taylor, and Ryan Albert to break down one of the most important mindsets in automotive sales: just keep swinging.

From overcoming objections to building customer rapport, this conversation dives deep into why the best sales professionals don’t get discouraged by rejection. Instead, they stay engaged, stay confident, and continue moving the conversation forward with energy, empathy, and skill.

Ryan Albert, General Manager of Young Mazda Utah, shares insights from nearly two decades in automotive sales leadership, including how confidence, repetition, and authentic customer connection separate average salespeople from elite performers. The team also explores how sales becomes more enjoyable and more effective when you stop treating objections like roadblocks and start treating the process like a game.

The episode covers practical sales techniques like bypassing and CRIC (Clarify, Rephrase, Isolate, Close), as well as the “Nine Key Phrases” that help reduce pressure, improve communication, and create stronger customer experiences in both sales and service environments.

You’ll learn:

Whether you work in automotive sales, dealership leadership, customer service, or any commission-based industry, this episode delivers actionable strategies to improve communication, build rapport faster, and create a more relaxed, enjoyable sales process for both you and your customers.

Because the best closers aren’t the most aggressive.

In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, host Tim Genovese is joined by Brad Taylor and Oliver Young to break down one of the most overlooked but critical sales skills: confidence on the phone.

With a majority of customer interactions still happening over the phone, this episode explores why so many sales professionals struggle to convert inbound calls into real opportunities and how a lack of confidence directly impacts appointment rates, trust, and overall performance.

Confidence on the phone is not about having all the answers. It is about asking the right questions, guiding the conversation, and creating certainty for the customer. When you lead with curiosity and clarity, appointments follow.

In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, host Tim Genovese is joined by Oliver Young and Brad Taylor to break down nine powerful negotiation phrases that can transform the way you communicate, build trust, and close deals.

Inspired by Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator, this episode reframes negotiation as something far more collaborative than confrontational. Instead of viewing negotiation as a battle, the team explores how it is actually a shared process of finding alignment and creating win-win outcomes.

Each phrase is broken down with real-world sales examples, showing how to:

Every conversation is a negotiation, whether you are selling a vehicle, presenting a proposal, or navigating everyday interactions. The language you use determines whether that conversation becomes tense and defensive or collaborative and productive.

The best negotiators do not overpower conversations. They guide them. By using the right phrases, you can reduce tension, build trust, and move deals forward naturally.

In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, host Tim Genovese is joined by Brad Taylor (GM of Young Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Morgan, Utah) and Oliver Young (Innovations Director at Young Automotive Group) to break down the four core customer expectations that every sales professional must master.

Backed by decades of research from Gallup and insights from the book First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham, this episode explores what customers truly expect when they walk into your business and how failing to meet these expectations can quietly cost you sales, trust, and long-term relationships.

Through real-world dealership examples and practical insights, this episode covers:

If you are not delivering accuracy, availability, partnership, and advice, you are not just missing sales, you are missing long-term relationships that drive sustained business growth.

Hard conversations don’t kill deals. Avoiding them does.

In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, the team breaks down why being direct with customers is one of the most underrated skills in sales. Duff Porter shares real-world stories from the floor, showing how clarity builds trust, shortens the sales process, and turns objections into forward momentum.

From commanding the sales experience instead of tiptoeing around it, to handling pricing, product knowledge gaps, and unrealistic expectations head-on, this conversation reframes what “being helpful” actually means.

Nice isn’t always kind. Clear is.

If you want fewer objections, stronger relationships, and smoother outcomes, it starts with saying the hard thing early.

Most people hear “asking for more” and think pressure. In reality, it’s clarity.

In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, the team breaks down why avoiding direct conversations creates more friction than asking for what’s needed upfront. Duff Porter, Brad Taylor, and Oliver Young discuss how down payment, trade value, and payment structure shape every deal, and why leading those conversations early produces better outcomes for both the customer and the business.

The episode reframes negotiation as a form of service. Asking for more down, setting realistic expectations, and explaining the math isn’t about winning. It’s about helping customers buy correctly, avoid future regret, and move forward with confidence.

When salespeople stop protecting comfort and start protecting clarity, deals close cleaner, trust improves, and everyone wins.

Sales isn’t about pressure, tricks, or talking people into things they don’t want. It’s about responsibility.

In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, the team breaks down what a sales professional’s real job actually is, and why sales is not a dirty word. From the showroom to the service drive, Duff Porter shares decades of experience showing how trust, communication, and clarity shape the entire customer experience.

The conversation explores why customers don’t hate salespeople, they hate being sold, how service advisors are sales professionals whether they like it or not, and why failing to help customers upfront creates bigger problems later. The team also unpacks the five core objections every customer brings into a transaction: money, time, need, urgency, and trust.

If you want stronger relationships, fewer repeat visits for missed needs, and customers who feel genuinely taken care of, it starts with understanding your responsibility and owning it.

Because when you help first, the sale takes care of itself.

In this episode of the Center of Excellence Sales Podcast, Austin James, THE Sales Trainer with the Center of Excellence helps the team tackle one of the most powerful tools in sales — and in life: attitude. From parking-lot pep talks to morning gratitude routines, they dive into how attitude affects outcomes, energy, and relationships. Together, the team reminds us that attitude isn’t optional — it’s contagious. The way you show up determines how others feel, how customers respond, and ultimately how successful you are.