Jonathan Jordan and Jamie Horowitz of JM&A Group dive into the latest uncertainties facing the automotive industry, including the impact of tariffs. Don’t miss strategic insights to help you navigate the changes at your dealership.

For more about our guests, visit their LinkedIn: Jonathan Jordan & Jamie Horowitz

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet our guests!

1:50 - Financial impacts of tariffs in the automotive industry

6:55 - How dealers can reposition F&I products for customers

9:54 - Claims patterns and service contracts patterns

10:48 - Controlling costs at your dealership

12:41 - One of the best tools for customer retention is...

13:54 - Utilizing the service department to sell F&I

16:35 - Streamlining online claims with AI

21:57 - Staying informed and what dealers can do now

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Chris Sutton, Senior Vice President of Auto Benchmarking and Customer Success at J.D. Power, talks data around customer sentiment in the dealership, digital retail and technology advancements and his view of the 2025 industry.

For more info about Chris, visit his LinkedIn.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Chris

2:59 - What should dealers be mindful of in 2025?

4:06 - Why some dealers are less focused on digital

7:15 - The top issue seen in customer experience data

8:08 - How to boost customer satisfaction

12:08 - Video Multi-Point Inspection in the dealership

14:27 - Is customer sentiment improving?

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Training your dealership’s team is a continuous, yet important process. Discover ways to explore innovative training opportunities at your dealership and empower your team with Matthias Stoever, Co-Founder and CEO at RockEd.

For more about Matthias, visit his LinkedIn. 

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Matthias & RockED

10:11 - The origin story behind his startup

14:37 - What training behaviors are being seen from micro training?

16:46 – Why is training in this area the least invested in?

18:36 - How training plays a role in employee retention

21:37 - What's next for RockED in 2025?

22:09 - Reducing fear around artificial intelligence in the dealership

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Laurie Halter has worked in automotive marketing and PR for 20+ years with her company, Charisma! Communications. She shares valuable advice for developing a content strategy that empowers your team and engages your customers.

For more about Laurie, visit her LinkedIn.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Laurie! 

0:57 - What are you excited about in the industry this year? 

1:27 - AI technology in the service lane 

3:05 - Are more dealers expanding mobile service options 

4:48 - Balancing technology and human engagement 

5:42 - Are customers and dealers thinking of 2025 optimistically? 

7:46 - Giving customers payment options with technology 

9:04 – How can dealers stand out with their marketing? 

12:54 - How to start creating marketable content 

14:27 – Laurie’s journey into the auto industry 

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Steve Roessler, Chief Evangelist Officer at automotive CRM company, DriveCentric, discusses how your dealership’s CRM should be functioning, the usage of artificial intelligence in maintaining customer relationships and more.

For more about Steve, visit his LinkedIn.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Steve, Buc-ee's and NADA 2025

5:08 - DriveCentric’s mission for dealers

9:06 - Will Artificial Intelligence replace humans in the dealership?

12:51 - How to improve the online to in-store experience

15:22 - What Virtual F&I has taught us

16:54 - Are dealers letting customers complete F&I paperwork at home?

18:33 - What should be top of mind for dealers right now?

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David Spisak is back on The Walk Around podcast! He's the President and CEO of Disruptive Growth Solutions, a consulting and advisory firm centered on retail automotive, while also being the podcast host of The David Spisak Show. In this episode, David speaks on his experience running a dealership and his advice for dealers’ process improvement this year. Plus, he discusses what an effective process looks like at your dealership and the ripple effect it brings. Don’t miss the wit and wisdom from a seasoned industry professional.

For more about David, visit his LinkedIn. 

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - The automotive industry’s resiliency is evident again 

5:57 - David’s view on 2025? Not like most dealers 

13:04 - Digital retailing & investing in your people 

18:58 - What is the biggest obstacle to growth for consolidators? 

24:24 - What should dealers pay attention to this year? 

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Jamie Butters is a seasoned reporter within the automotive industry, having worked at The Detroit Free Press, Bloomberg and currently as the Executive Editor of Automotive News. He shares what it’s like working at well-known publishers and why Automotive News attends trade shows. Jamie also shares insights into the trends dealers he has talked with are concerned – or excited -- about for 2025 and he shares what he’s keeping an eye on in the industry.

For more about Jamie, visit his ⁠LinkedIn⁠. 

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Jamie 

3:14 - Life as Executive Editor of Automotive News 

6:31 - Jamie's 2025 Industry Predictions 

8:24 - What Auto Shows Mean to Automotive News and the Industry 

13:43 - The Status of EVs This Year 

17:39 - Affordability and What Dealers Can Control 

21:58 - Have We Reached a Digital Retail Peak? 

Like this episode? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out JM&A Insider⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more content like this.

April Simmons has worked in the automotive industry for nearly three decades. Her experience spans across the retail side of the dealership; with positions as Finance Manager, Retail Desk Manager, Internet Sales Director and now as Corporate Internet and Marketing Director at Horne Auto Group. April shares how the finance office shaped her career path, why she thinks 2025 is going to “be a foundational year,” and she discusses how dealers should be proactively looking at regulations from the FTC. Plus, don’t miss her thoughts on artificial intelligence and how dealerships can benefit from technology like Virtual F&I in the sales process.

For more about April, visit her LinkedIn.

Episode Breakdown

 0:00 - April’s intense journey to NADA!

2:56 - What’s happening at Horne Auto Group & training trends

5:08 - FTC regulations

7:14- How the finance office shaped her career

10:46- 2025 is going to be a foundational year

14:07 - Creating a seamless sales process

25:10 - April’s industry predictions for the year ahead

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Brian Kramer, EVP of Dealer Growth & Success at Cars Commerce and a former dealership General Manager, brings a wealth of industry experience (nearly 30 years!) to the podcast. Brian dives into key topics on dealership operations, data privacy, sales strategies, and vehicle trade-ins. He reflects on his career in retail automotive and shares what he misses most from those days, along with highlighting several interesting statistics from industry-disrupters like CarMax and Carvana. Plus, don’t miss the important trends that Brian is paying attention to this year.

For more about Brian, visit his LinkedIn.

0:00-Meet Brian! 

3:50-What Brian misses about retail 

6:12-Why NADA was important this year 

7:38-What should dealers be looking at / Who has access to your data? 

13:33-Data security tips for dealers 

17:06-Why is the industry so afraid of price transparency? 

18:59-Digital retail & in-store transactions 

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We had the honor of speaking with Rita Case, president and CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group and the largest female owned and operated dealer group in the nation with 12 stores operating in south Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. Rita shares about her incredible journey developing her personal brand in the industry as a female dealer; how she, along with her husband, built a well-known automotive company, and her top tips for running a successful dealership. From the importance of customer service and a centralized approach to operations to reducing turnover, her wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry runs deep. It’s no surprise that she was recognized as the TIME Dealer of the Year in 2024.

Plus, we get a peek beneath the hat! Rita shares just how many hats she has, why she uses hats in her personal brand and more! 

For more about Rita Case, visit her LinkedIn.

(00:00) - Meet Rita

(07:40) - What made Rita want to stay in the industry

(12:00) - Data and tech usage in the dealership

(14:52) - Developing consistent dealership operations as your stores grow

(21:06) - Rita's take on creating low talent turnover

(24:35) - Should your kids work at your dealership?

(29:05) - How to prepare for a new generation of car buyers

(31:59) - Rita's best bets on 2025 profitability and vehicle sales

(38:57) - The internet search we got totally wrong!

(43:03) - Does Rita own 1,000 hats? Don't miss a surprise!

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