Auto Collabs

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Collaboration through connection. Hosted by Paul J Daly, Kyle Mountsier, and Michael Cirillo, Auto Collabs is your connect point to the human side of the retail automotive industry: what motivates its leaders, how they navigate change, and what keeps them pushing forward. It’s beyond-the-business-card conversations with real people powering dealerships, technology platforms, and everything in between. From the team behind the More Than Cars movement, this podcast is built on one big belief: thriving people create thriving businesses. With candid conversations, industry insight, and just enough unfiltered banter to keep things interesting, Auto Collabs delivers authentic stories that inspire real collaboration.  // Auto Collabs is produced by Automotive State of the Union (ASOTU). Learn more at https://www.asotu.com

  1. 6. 11.

    Why Most ‘Guest Experience’ Programs Fail... and What Actually Works

    Send us a text This former teacher used simple, repeatable hospitality—not buzzwords—to scale and auto group. Today’s guest, Adam Gaedke helped steer a dealership group through hyper-growth, an ESOP transition, and a full-blown culture shift rooted in hospitality. Starting as a salesperson, Adam rode the wave from one store to 18 in 18 months, sat on the board during the employee-ownership transition, and learned what it really takes to make “guest experience” more than a poster on the wall. Along the way, he swapped the industry’s old secrecy for radical transparency: ask customers how they want to buy, train for small touches that compound, and build processes that make great service the default. In this conversation with Paul, Kyle, and Michael (with a cameo on Kazakhstani dealership hospitality), Adam breaks down the brass tacks: greeting standards, appointment confirmations that feel like a welcome, feedback loops that actually get used, and the uncomfortable—but loving—discipline of exiting non-fits fast. His thesis is simple: most guests intend to buy when they walk in; your job is to remove the friction and honor their time. Guest experience isn’t just a metric, it’s a mindset you can operationalize—one touchpoint at a time. Takeaways 0:00 The $0 Habit That Signals Hospitality 1:43 LinkedIn ‘Swipe Right’: How Real Collabs Start 2:54 From Six Months Teaching to Record Month Selling 4:52 “That’s Cute… But What Will You Do?” 9:26 Stop Gaming CSI, Start Earning It 11:39 The Ritz-Level Appointment Confirmation 13:11 Why We’re Not Saying ‘Digital Retailing’ 15:12 Assume Intent to Buy, Then Remove Friction 16:39 “How Would You Like to Purchase Today?” 17:02 Operationalizing Care: Scripts, Follow-Up, and Video 21:18 Scaling to 18 Stores Without Losing the Plot 23:00 The Kindest Hard Thing: Fast Non-Fit Exits Connect with Adam Gaedke on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgaedke/ ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email! https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts: Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

    29 min

  2. 30. 10.

    Stop Guessing, Start Testing with Derek Hansen

    Send us a text If your appraisals still start with a sharpie on a worksheet, this one’s for you.  Derek Hansen has lived in the deep end of dealer data—Manheim to vAuto—helping thousands of rooftops translate live market signals into real-world inventory wins. In this conversation with Paul and Kyle, he walks through the three-legged stool every modern dealer needs: superior data, purpose-built workflows, and performance management that respects each store’s strategy.  Translation: less guessing, more learning loops. The discussion digs into where AI is actually working right now (pricing probabilities, instant merchandising, smarter appraisals) and where human judgment still matters (trust, context, and the “who” behind every vehicle’s next owner). Over the next year, Derek’s challenge to dealers is simple: test everything. Small experiments create clarity, build confidence, and keep your team ahead of the curve. Takeaways 0:00 — Why showing the real you is the best PR 2:26 — Derek Hansen’s path from Bain and finance to the world of dealer data 2:51 — What outsiders miss about 18,000 dealers and their wildly different strategies 6:18 — How software can serve everyone without serving no one 9:23 — The 3-legged stool: data, focused workflows, and hands-on performance management 10:30 — The AI adoption gap: why saying you’re using AI isn’t the same as doing it 13:15 — From guessing to predicting with probability-based pricing and smarter appraisals 15:07 — Trust at the booth: damage scans, recon estimates, and printouts that close deals 17:12 — The 12-month warning: if you’re not testing, your reputation will show it 18:39 — Low-lift testing: offers, anchors, and incentives worth experimenting with 20:21 — Avoiding the AI race to the bottom by remembering every buyer values differently 23:27 — Iteration in public: small tests beat big promises every time Connect with Derek Hansen at https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-hansen-6a7a941/ Learn more about vAuto at https://www.vauto.com ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email! https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts: Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

    26 min

  3. 23. 10.

    The Data That Stops Wasted Follow-Ups (and Saves Your BDC) with Kristine Lentz

    Send us a text What if one number could cut burnout, fix your follow-up, and turn “lost” leads into lifetime service customers? Kristine Lentz from Urban Science joins Auto Collabs for her first-ever podcast—and promptly makes everyone smile while talking about the least smiley topic in retail: customer defection. From starting in support to leading a team, Kristine lays out how dealers can spot where customers slip away, why our instincts often lie, and how to turn cold data into warm conversations that actually convert. We get into the uncomfortable stuff—ego vs evidence, “those lead sources are trash” (spoiler: they’re often not), and why about 20% of the leads in your CRM may have already purchased elsewhere. The unlock? Use defection as your North Star to stop chasing ghosts, redirect messaging, and re-humanize sales. In a world racing toward AI-everything, Kristine argues that human is the new premium—and shows how to deploy people exactly where they matter most. Timestamps 0:00 — First-Time Guest, Big Topic 2:12 — Salesperson to Data Sherpa 3:53 — The “Dealer Reality Check” 8:53 — Your North Star Isn’t Sales—It’s Defection 10:07 — Ego Off, Evidence On 11:20 — The Lead Source Myth 12:28 — The 20% You Should Stop Calling 12:57 — Flip the Script, Win the Relationship 15:57 — Human > Bot (Used Wisely) 18:45 — Human Is the New Premium 21:17 — Culture That Connects 24:50 — Action List for Dealers Connect with Kristine Lentz at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-lentz-a2582910b/ Learn more about Urban Science at https://www.urbanscience.com ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email! https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts: Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

    28 min

  4. 16. 10.

    “I Wouldn’t Buy a Car From Me” (This GM Helped Ford Redesign the Showroom) with JB Burnett

    Send us a text Apple Store energy meets Ford retail as JB Burnett builds a concierge dealership that actually fits how people buy. Today’s guest, JB Burnett (GM at Preston Automotive Group), went from serving tables at 20 to running his first dealership at 23. He’s now opening what Ford calls the world’s first Signature 2.0 facility—a wide-open, concierge-style showroom where advisors work on iPads, coffee comes before paperwork, and financing options hit the screen in about a minute and a half. He’s betting big that the future of car buying isn’t one lane—it’s dozens—and the store should flex to match every guest’s journey. We get into the “why” behind the build: Apple-like consult spaces, a barista bar that starts the experience, and tech (AutoFi) that connects online starts to in-store finishes without the dreaded “let me ask my manager” lap. We also talk team prep, culture shifts, and why experiential retail is resurging right as everyone debates online vs. in-store. Spoiler: a dealership isn’t just a place to transact—it’s a place people actually want to be. 0:00 — The Apple Store Feeling That Broke the Dealership Mold 3:54 — Meet JB: From Server to GM at 23 (and What Flipped the Switch) 4:37 — “I Wouldn’t Buy a Car From Me” — The Brutally Honest Epiphany 7:18 — Why Some People Need 8 Hours—and Others Want the Keys in 8 Minutes 10:12 — Inside Ford’s Signature 2.0: Barista Bar, iPads, and Zero Cubicles 15:45 — Weeks From Opening: The First Signature 2.0 Store in the World 18:37 — The 90-Second Finance Loop: AutoFi + RouteOne Changes the Game 20:49 — Open Lines of Sight = Open Trust: Service and Sales Merge 23:20 — Moving a Dealership a City Away: Why Environment Elevates Behavior 24:24 — From Salespeople to Concierges: Training the Mindset, Not Just the Tools 27:20 — Physical Retail Isn’t Dying—Bad Experiences Are 28:38 — Experiential Retail Wins: Make the Store a Place People Choose to Be Connect with JB Burnett at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jb-burnett-14534626/ Learn more about the Preston Auto Group at https://www.prestonmotor.com/ ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email! https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts: Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

    29 min

  5. 9. 10.

    Outcomes vs Attribution: We're Measuring The Wrong Thing with Michael K***t

    Send us a text Streaming is splintered, AI is the new TV guide, and last-click is dead—Michael K***t lays out the dealer playbook for what’s next. Auto Collabs history: our first ever in-studio guest! Experian’s Michael Kraut sits down with Paul to map the new media reality—where streaming splinters attention, Yahoo and Amazon quietly re-emerge as ad heavyweights, and AI agents become the front door to what we watch and how we buy. Marketing isn’t just media, it’s math—and Michael explains how identity, enrichment, and hygiene turn messy dealer data into competitive advantage. We dig into practicals dealers can act on today: service as a growth engine, outcome-based measurement borrowed from retail media, and the signals that actually predict lift. We also get real about affordability, totaled-vehicle dynamics, fewer true “new” model launches, and a Gen Z buyer who cares more about tech than badge. Plus a little Syracuse nostalgia and a hot take: we may all be headed back to a cable-like bundle (with AI riding shotgun). Takeaways 0:00 — Our First In-Studio Guest & Why Being In-Person Changes the Conversation 0:58 — “We’re Building More Sets”: The Plan to Bring Dealers to Syracuse 3:17 — From Circuit City to CarMax: Why Adaptation Beats Legacy Every Time 4:11 — LinkedIn’s Organic Reach Is Gone: What We’d Do Differently (x5 Harder) 6:42 — Your Ads Are Everywhere (and Nowhere): The Platform Explosion No One Can Manage 8:32 — Streaming Fatigue Is Real: Why “Cable 2.0” Might Win the Sunday Sports Fight 10:32 — AI As Your TV Guide: Voice-In, Watch-Now, With Ads Baked Into the Agent 12:46 — Your Best Data Isn’t for Sale: CRM/DMS Hygiene as the Unfair Advantage 16:33 — Stop Worshiping Last-Click: How Outcome-Based Marketing Actually Looks in Auto 18:32 — Measuring Lift the Real Way: Service RO Signals, Search Intent & Scheduling 24:07 — What We’ll Talk About at NADA: Fixed Ops as the 2025 Growth Thesis 25:22 — Affordability Won’t Blink: Totals, Insurance, and the Case for Keeping Cars Longer 26:32 — Fewer True Launches, More Rebadges: Why Creative Has to Sell Utility, Not Novelty 27:17 — Gen Z Isn’t Loyal to Badges: If the Tech Works, They’ll Switch 29:23 — From 13 Subscriptions to One Bill: The Bundle Is Coming Back (With Hyper-Personalization) Connect with Michael K***t at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-k***t-1b9b3/ Learn more about Experian Automotive at https://www.experian.com/automotive/ ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email! https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts: Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

    31 min

  6. 4. 9.

    Auto Shows Are Quietly Driving ROI (But Dealers Aren’t Paying Attention) with Jennifer Morand

    Send us a text Auto shows aren’t dead—they’re just getting started, and Jennifer Morand is helping to rewrite the playbook. On this episode of Auto Collabs, the crew welcomes Jennifer Morand—the incoming chairwoman of the Automotive Experience Alliance (AEA) and powerhouse behind the Chicago Auto Show. She’s on a mission to make auto shows more than just shiny cars on display—instead, she’s building immersive, data-backed experiences that matter. Think ride-and-drives, EV demo tracks, overlanding zones, craft‑beer tastings, and “miles per hour” runs—all tailored to bring genuine engagement to both car lovers and the “not‑car‑people” among us. Jennifer pulls back the curtain on how auto shows are evolving—and why it’s so much more than car shopping. She explains how shows drive real dealership traffic, why missing brands like Mazda or Buick spark concern, and how OEMs and local dealers can better collaborate through smart activations. The conversation meanders through the push–pull between tier‑one budgets and creative tier‑three marketing, touching on how human connection remains the ground floor of automotive selling. Takeaways 00:00 – Why the first thing you do at a car show reveals everything 02:31 – The future of auto shows is experiential, not just presentational 03:57 – 20,000 consumers can’t be wrong: what the data says about ROI 06:26 – Dealers say shows work—so why are some OEMs pulling back? 07:56 – When Mazda skips a show, people think they’re going out of business 09:22 – The holy grail of auto marketing: tracking traffic after the show 10:37 – Gen Z loves live events—they just need a reason to care about cars 12:35 – Overlanding zones, EV tracks, beer tastings—this isn’t your dad’s auto show 13:33 – Want to speed up the buying cycle? Make the car experience fun 15:23 – OEMs blocking dealers from participating is hurting the brand 19:02 – Tier 1 meets Tier 3: how to stop leaving auto show potential on the table ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email! https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts: Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

    26 min

  7. 28. 8.

    This One Stat Explains Why Customers Still Hate Buying Cars with David Thomas

    Send us a text What if the real reason car buyers feel frustrated has nothing to do with price? David Thomas has spent decades shaping how consumers understand and experience buying a car—from the early days of Autoblog to his current role unpacking research at CDK Global. In this episode, David joins Michael and Paul to talk about the hidden frictions of automotive retail and the disconnects that most dealers don’t even know they have. He also breaks down why Gen Z wants more in-person experiences, not fewer, and what sports talk radio taught him about content that actually matters. With a sneak peek at CDK’s latest workforce study and a fresh take on how EV adoption is misunderstood, David brings insight without the ego. Takeaways: 00:00 – The Case of the Missing Co-Host 01:45 – The Craigslist Ad That Launched an Auto Empire 03:29 – Why EV Riders Get Hooked Instantly 04:43 – How to Turn Boring Data Into Dealer Gold 06:27 – What Pearl Jam and Sports Burnout Taught Me About Content 10:56 – Dealers and Employees Are Not Worried About the Same Things 14:38 – Gen Z Doesn’t Want Less Human Interaction—They Want More 15:14 – EV Demand Is Real—Stop Pretending It’s Not 17:08 – Ford’s $22K EV Loss Might Be the Best News Yet 20:06 – Inventory Isn’t Just About Volume—It’s About Trust 24:13 – Millennials Are Shopping Online—But Still Want to Test Drive Learn more about: Connect with David Thomas at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davelikescars/ Learn more about CDK Global at https://www.cdkglobal.com ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email! https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts: Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

    27 min

  8. 26. 8.

    The Reason Your Dealership Tech Stack Sucks (It’s Not What You Think) with Nick Askew

    Send us a text AI isn’t coming for your job—it’s coming for your to-do list. When Nick Askew first plugged AI into his daily marketing work, it was like flipping a switch—from a grind to a productivity cheat code. In this episode, Nick sits down with Kyle (while Paul and Michael cheer from the sidelines) to unpack why that moment in late 2023 marked a true before-and-after for how work gets done in the auto industry. They dig into how AI went from a party trick to a power tool almost overnight—and how it’s now reshaping dealership operations from the inside out. But this isn’t just another AI hypefest. Nick and Kyle get tactical on what needs to change under the hood—from cleaning up CRM workflows to rethinking what a “one-stop-shop” platform actually means. There’s a passionate call for the industry to rally around shared API standards (ADF-XML, anyone?), a peek into Space Auto’s ambitious roadmap, and a surprisingly strong argument for why background AI agents—not flashy bots—might be the next frontier. If you’ve ever felt bogged down by your tech stack or your task list, this one’s for you. Takeaways 00:00 – When two AI nerds find each other 02:14 – The day AI made Nick 10x more productive 05:16 – You’re already falling behind on AI 07:46 – AI isn’t replacing you—it’s freeing you 09:08 – Why unstructured data is killing AI in the showroom 10:29 – CRMs are broken, and everyone knows it 12:33 – Your fingers are the real bottleneck 16:30 – The tech debate that splits the industry 23:56 – Automotive desperately needs a new API standard 27:02 – The biggest AI breakthrough you won’t even see 30:53 – We can’t fix AI until we fix the data Connect with Nick Askew at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-askew/ Learn more about Space Auto at https://space.auto/ ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email! https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts: Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

    32 min
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Informace

Collaboration through connection. Hosted by Paul J Daly, Kyle Mountsier, and Michael Cirillo, Auto Collabs is your connect point to the human side of the retail automotive industry: what motivates its leaders, how they navigate change, and what keeps them pushing forward. It’s beyond-the-business-card conversations with real people powering dealerships, technology platforms, and everything in between. From the team behind the More Than Cars movement, this podcast is built on one big belief: thriving people create thriving businesses. With candid conversations, industry insight, and just enough unfiltered banter to keep things interesting, Auto Collabs delivers authentic stories that inspire real collaboration.  // Auto Collabs is produced by Automotive State of the Union (ASOTU). Learn more at https://www.asotu.com

Informace

  • Kanál
    ASOTU Podcasts
  • Autor
    More Than Cars Media Network
  • Aktivní
    2022 - 2025
  • Díly
    182
  • Hodnocení
    Nezávadné
  • Copyright
    © 2025 ASOTU, Inc.
  • Web pořadu
    Auto Collabs

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