Word On The Street

Scott Fitzgerald, marketing director at Cooper Auto Group, oversees marketing for 13 stores in Oklahoma. In this episode he breaks down why the auction has stopped making sense - transport fees, commissions, and rising costs eating into every unit acquired that way. Cooper is rebuilding its buying center instead, using data to route trades to the store that needs them most, cutting inter-store transfer headaches and keeping acquisition costs down. Scott also gets into what changed when volume dropped from COVID-era highs, why inventory count still decides whether a shopper drives past you or in, and how a used car director with a real acquisition mentality can move the needle faster than another auction trip.

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Description: While most dealers have a van and call it a mobile program, Nolan Armpriester built 35,000 appointments in a single year and is now scaling to 60 vans. In this episode, he shares how he went from zero to #1 in the country, why 70% of his business is commercial fleet, and what it actually takes to build mobile service into a real department - not just a checkbox.

Our Website: https://www.dealeromg.com/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealer-omg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DealerOMG

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealeromg

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512-436-9677

Three seats, one operator. Joe Lyons has sold for Cars.com, consulted from Shift Digital, and now runs the full marketing stack at McGrath Elmhurst Toyota and BMW of Elmhurst. He explains why he pulled back his Day 1 AI follow-up, how he's actually using a CDP, the all-vendor call that's replacing half his meetings, and the one thing every dealer should clean up this week. Plus: why he wakes up every day trying to get himself unfired.

Our Website: https://www.dealeromg.com/

Find us on social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealer-omg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DealerOMG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealeromg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealeromg

Contact us:

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512-436-9677

In this episode of Word on the Street, Andrew Street sits down with Ryan Copacia, a five-year TikTok veteran and the architect of the platform's automotive retail strategy. Ryan shares his journey from building the auto vertical from scratch to returning in 2026 to lead the global push for dealer-centric solutions. The conversation moves past the "dancing app" stereotypes and dives deep into how TikTok has evolved into the world's most powerful entertainment and discovery engine for car buyers.

In this episode, they dig into:

• The "Blue Ocean" Opportunity for Dealers: Why TikTok currently offers a massive white space with high attention and low competition compared to the crowded "Red Oceans" of legacy social platforms.
• The Smart Plus & Auto Ads Suite: How TikTok’s new machine-learning-driven products allow dealers to syndicate inventory catalogs automatically and target the right user for the right vehicle.
• The Power of Passive Shopping: Why getting in front of users while they "decompress" at the end of the day can condense a three-month research process into an immediate purchase decision.
• A Shift from Demand Capture to Demand Gen: The industry-wide transition from just fighting over the "last-click" buyer to building long-term, incremental demand through visual storytelling.
• The "Everyone is a Creator" Movement: How even dealers without a film crew can use simple tools like lapel mics and TikTok’s Symphony editor to create content that stops the scroll.
• TikTok Search as the New Discovery Entry Point: Why users are increasingly using TikTok search to get "authentic perspectives" on safety, towing capacity, and brand comparisons instead of traditional search engines.
• The Viral ROI of Local Personalities: How individual sales reps in rural markets are out-selling major metro stores by building massive personal followings and shipping cars nationwide.
• Incremental Audience Reach: The specific value for dealers in reaching the "Gen Z and Millennial" buyers—many of whom are not active on any other social or traditional media channels.

Our Website: https://www.dealeromg.com/

Find us on social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealer-omg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DealerOMG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealeromg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealeromg

Contact us:

[email protected]

512-436-9677

This podcast episode features Andrew Street (CEO of Dealer OMG) and Allison McConeghy (Lead Client Partner at Pinterest) discussing the strategic role of Pinterest in the modern automotive dealership marketing mix. With nearly a decade at Pinterest and a career in automotive dating back to 2012, Allison shares how the platform has evolved from a niche space into a powerful full-funnel marketing tool for dealers.

The conversation centers on debunking the myth that Pinterest is solely for wedding planning and nurseries, highlighting instead its unique position as a "discovery engine" that connects people to ideas. Allison explains that Pinterest allows dealers to engage high-intent, affluent shoppers—particularly women, who power 80% of car-buying decisions—during major life events like marriage or starting a family. Because these "life moments" make users 2.5 times more likely to purchase a vehicle within 12 months, the platform provides an unparalleled opportunity for incremental reach that other social networks miss.

Hot Topics:

• The Power of Life Events: How major life changes (marriage, babies, landscaping) trigger car-buying needs and how Pinterest captures this intent early.
• Full-Funnel Strategy: The importance of running a combined strategy of awareness (why buy), consideration (offers/incentives), and shopping (inventory feeds).
• Attribution and Measurement: Why last-click models like Google Analytics fail to show Pinterest’s true value and the importance of using the Pinterest tag and monthly sales match-backs.
• Creative Best Practices: Tips for dealers to create impactful, human-focused video content—such as showcasing vehicle features like hands-free liftgates—to stop the scroll.
• Incremental Audience: The fact that roughly 30% of Pinterest users are not active on other social platforms, representing a significant untapped market for dealers.
• Audience Targeting: Leveraging Pinterest's specific audience levers to segment inventory (e.g., matching pickup trucks with DIY and sports-focused users).
• The "Visual Discovery" Difference: How Pinterest differs from "people-to-people" social networks by creating a positive, focused environment for planning and ideas.

Our Website: https://www.dealeromg.com/

Find us on social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealer-omg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DealerOMG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealeromg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealeromg

Contact us:

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512-436-9677

In this episode of Word on the Street, we’re joined by Curtis Driver, Omnichannel Digital Sales Manager at Capital Auto Group, to unpack why dealers so often fire vendors within the first 90 days — and what both sides get wrong during onboarding.

Curtis shares a candid dealer-side perspective on why onboarding breaks down, how silence and unclear expectations kill momentum, and why utilization is the most important metric dealers should be watching early on. The conversation covers how marketing, BDC performance, and in-store execution must work together, why dashboards don’t matter if managers aren’t trained for accountability, and how communication methods like SMS and short-form video outperform email inside the dealership.

The episode also explores omnichannel digital sales, realistic uses of AI in sales and service, the role of CDPs and lifecycle marketing, and why AI should scale employees — not replace them. Curtis explains how dealers evaluate vendors in the first 14–90 days, what causes frustration during rollouts, and why proactive communication is the biggest differentiator between vendors who last and vendors who get canceled.

If you’re a dealer, vendor, or automotive marketer looking to build stronger partnerships, improve onboarding outcomes, and cut through AI hype with real-world insight, this episode delivers practical takeaways straight from the store level.

Our Website: https://www.dealeromg.com/

Find us on social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealer-omg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DealerOMG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealeromg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealeromg

Contact us:

[email protected]

512-436-9677

This week on Word on the Street, Andrew sits down with Chris Martinez, a 22-year automotive veteran who’s done it all — from managing at CarMax to building and selling dealership software, and now leading the charge in AI-powered follow-up.

Chris shares what it was like growing dealerships from 50 to 500+ used cars a month, spotting white-space opportunities before the industry caught up, and how he’s using AI voice, SMS, and email automation to help dealers stay connected with customers long after the lead goes cold.

They dig into:

• How foundational experience in used cars creates better general managers
• Why social and language-targeted ads were his early growth secret
• Where AI is actually moving the needle for dealers today
• What the next era of lead follow-up and customer retention will look like

Whether you’re a GM, vendor, or entrepreneur in automotive, this episode is a masterclass in curiosity, resilience, and staying a student of the game.

Our Website: https://www.dealeromg.com/

Find us on social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealer-omg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DealerOMG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealeromg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealeromg

Contact us:

[email protected]

512-436-9677

From MBA courses to dealership leadership, Greg Smith has built a career on analytics—then discovered the power of people. In this episode of Word on the Street, Greg shares how his “Dad in the Desk Chair” newsletter took shape, the leadership lessons that reshaped his management style, and the data-driven strategies helping dealerships grow market share, boost service retention, and create winning cultures. Whether you’re in automotive retail or just love a good leadership journey, Greg’s insights blend hard numbers with human connection.

Topics We Cover:

• The story behind Greg’s Dad in the Desk Chair newsletter and how he built an engaged audience on LinkedIn
• Lessons from “The Quest” leadership program and transforming a numbers-first mindset into people-first leadership
• Using market share and overlooked KPIs to uncover hidden dealership growth opportunities
• Service department video strategies that drive higher approvals and retention
• Building a culture of accountability and buy-in across sales, service, and management teams
• What really moves the needle in marketing and digital retailing for automotive groups

Our Website: https://www.dealeromg.com/

Find us on social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealer-omg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DealerOMG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealeromg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealeromg

Contact us:

[email protected]

512-436-9677

In this episode of Word on the Street, we sit down with Jarrod Kilway, VP of Digital Operations at Casa Auto Group, to explore how AI is reshaping dealership operations. From training GPT agents to pull real-time insights from the DMS and CRM, to automating marketing campaigns and service outreach, Jarrod shares how dealers can use AI to cut inefficiencies, boost profitability, and deliver a better customer experience.

We also dive into zero-click search, voice technology, and what the next wave of disruption could mean for automotive retail. Whether you’re a dealer, marketer, or just curious about how AI is changing the industry, this conversation is packed with forward-looking strategies and practical takeaways.

Our Website: https://www.dealeromg.com/

Find us on social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealer-omg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DealerOMG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealeromg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealeromg

Contact us:

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512-436-9677

What does it take to go from rock bottom to leading innovation in the automotive industry? In this episode of Word on the Street, Andrew Street sits down with Trent Cannon to unpack his incredible journey.

From losing jobs during the recession and struggling to find his footing, to breaking into car sales “out of desperation,” Trent’s story is one of resilience, mentorship, and proving people wrong. He shares the pivotal moments that shaped his career, the mentors who believed in him, and the lessons that pushed him from selling cars on the hot Houston pavement to directing internet operations and driving product innovation at the manufacturer level.

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to adapt, grow, and thrive in automotive — this is a story you don’t want to miss.

Episode Highlights:

[00:11] Breaking into automotive “out of desperation”
[02:34] The role of mentors in his early career
[11:13] Climbing to Internet Director and beyond
[19:39] Bouncing back from setbacks
[20:43] Marketing as the lifeblood of dealerships

Listen in to hear how Trent turned obstacles into opportunities and carved out a leadership path in the auto industry.

Our Website: https://www.dealeromg.com/

Find us on social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealer-omg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DealerOMG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealeromg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealeromg

Contact us:

[email protected]

512-436-9677