ASOTU | More Than Cars

You aren't just here to sell cars. If you want to become a top dealership, it has to be more than that. Why do you exist? Ed Roberts of Bozard Ford Lincoln shares why everyone at the dealership needs to know the answer. At Bozard, they exist to enrich the lives of others. What's your why? P.S. Will we see you at ASOTU CON 2025? Let us know in the comments. 👇 #Automotive #Carsales #Cardealership #Autonews

Ed Roberts believes staying top of mind is the best marketing play. Why train someone to wait for a discount or coupon? You want your customers to come into the dealership when they think of you because they know, like, and trust you. Ed shared this on stage during last year's ASOTU CON. We held a Fixed Ops Marketing panel that was packed full of information. This year, we're going bigger and better. ASOTU CON 2025 is on from May 13-16th. Grab your tickets now: https://bit.ly/4i57TzG Be a part of the future of the auto industry. #ASOTUCON #FixedOps #Marketing #Automotive

Stellantis is facing serious financial trouble. After profits dropped by 70%... They're preparing for another difficult year. While dealers have been raising concerns about high prices and weak inventory, Stellantis has started paying attention. Still, margins are down, and cash flow is drying up. UAW profit-sharing checks have been slashed by 73%. Can leadership fix this? Time will tell for Stellantis as they give leadership the control they need to make significant changes. #Stellantis #Autonews #Automotive #Autoretail #Cardealers

The automotive industry is plagued with duplicate records, malformed records, and invalid email addresses... That's why Activator Dealer Solutions starts by making the cleanest record possible, starting or ending with the CRM or the DMS. The ultimate goal is to market to a person and understand that person as an individual, not a cluster of data. Bobby Gaudreau, VP of Sales & Marketing, shared his insights on bridging online & offline customer interactions, data accuracy, integration, and more. Watch the full interview on the ASOTU channel: https://lnkd.in/eiY2vizU #Automotive #AI #Data #Autonews #Cardealership

I was scrolling through a thread titled “After my first year in car sales, here’s what I’ve learned.” One comment stood out: “Customers who say they have good credit… usually don’t.” And guess what? The replies were filled with people venting about customers who think they have good credit but actually don’t. Instead of just complaining about it—why aren’t we fixing it? Think about it this way... What if my dealership became the go-to educational resource on credit? 📌 A dedicated web page on my site breaking down how to check and improve credit. 📌 Easy-to-follow guides explaining what factors impact credit scores. 📌 A transparent approach that helps buyers understand what financing they actually qualify for. Because here’s the thing: Customers don’t want to feel confused or embarrassed about their credit—they want clarity. And the dealerships that provide that clarity? They’re the ones who build trust, establish authority, and become the go-to choice when it’s time to buy. So, what’s stopping us from becoming that dealership? What's your take? #cardealerships #automotiveindustry #podcast

Today, Paul and Kyle are coming to you live on location from Paul’s office! We’re talking about how Group 1 grew in 2024 through $1.3B in acquisitions, a new face on the top 5 best-selling EVs and how grassroots is trying to take Tesla down. https://lnkd.in/ekBP-HYx Group 1 Automotive made waves in 2024, dropping $1.3 billion to acquire 68 dealerships across the U.S. and U.K. The move adds $3.9 billion in annual revenue and solidifies the company's aggressive expansion strategy. -The acquisitions spanned six major deals from Southern California to London. -Major brands acquired include Lexus, Honda, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Porsche, Land Rover, and Audi. -A key purchase was the $517 million acquisition of Inchcape’s 54 U.K. stores, adding $2.7 billion in revenue. -The company also sold off select U.S. dealerships, including a Buick-GMC store in Massachusetts and a Subaru dealership in New York. -CEO Daryl Kenningham: “Our ability to acquire outstanding brands in desirable markets is because we perform well on the OEM eligibility metrics.” https://lnkd.in/emdaRdFv After a rocky 2024, the Volkswagen ID.4 is making a triumphant comeback. Following production halts due to a recall, sales of the electric SUV are now skyrocketing, making it the third best-selling EV in the U.S. last month. -VW sold 4,979 ID.4s in January 2025, marking a 653% increase from the previous year. -The ID.4 now ranks #3 in U.S. EV sales, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. -The top five best-selling EVs—Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, VW ID.4, Tesla Cybertruck, and Honda Prologue—accounted for 54% of total EV sales. -Over 102,200 EVs were sold in the U.S. in January, up 30% year-over-year. -VW is offering aggressive discounts on 2024 models, with leases as low as $189/month. https://lnkd.in/etCMNv_n Tesla showrooms across the U.S. are becoming flashpoints for protests as demonstrators rally against Elon Musk’s actions. The #TeslaTakedown movement has gained traction, with over 65 events scheduled through March. -Protesters in New York’s Meatpacking District hurled insults at passing Teslas, calling them “uncool” and “major loser” cars. -The movement took off on Bluesky, a social media competitor to Musk’s X, and has since gone viral. -Demonstrations started in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, California, and Colorado, but have now spread internationally. -The protests lack a central leader but have been amplified by legislative advocacy groups like Indivisible and Rise and Resist. Follow the Automotive Troublemaker podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e-DA5fTF Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eTr6WKb7

Why is branding so important right now? Last year, during ASOTU CON 2024, Paul J Daly broke down what happens when a business or a person builds an undeniable brand. They end up taking on giants and entering markets where they would otherwise be boxed out. Building a brand (in the auto space and beyond) means building something that can withstand the test of time. ASOTU CON 2025 is coming up in May! 🤝 We're excited to have more conversations like this for dealers and vendors. Grab your tickets before it's too late: https://bit.ly/4i57TzG #Automotive #Marketing #Branding #ASOTUCON

The Japanese auto industry just hit the panic button. 🚨 The U.S. is considering a 25% tariff on imported cars and parts, which could take effect as soon as April 2. Japanese automakers, including Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, have urged their government to intervene, warning of economic fallout. Many of these brands build vehicles in North America, but tariffs could still impact pricing, supply chains, and dealership margins. Would these tariffs reshape the market or add more pressure to dealers? #Automotive #Autonews #Tariffs #Carsales #Autoretail

All the marketing in the world won't matter... If you can't keep your existing customers happy. 👇 Our talk with TVI MarketPro3 was enlightening (to say the least.) Over 8 minutes of insights on marketing, community building, customer retention, and more. It's safe to say the team knows their stuff, and this is one video that's going to help a lot of dealers. Watch the full interview on the ASOTU channel: https://bit.ly/3QBoNu2 Thank you to Joe Castelino, Chance Wiseman, and Nick Shaffer for a great conversation. #Automotive #Autonews #NADA #Carsales #Cardealership

Host Kyle Mountsier sits down with Jamie Oldershaw, VP of Customer Experience at Cars Commerce, to discuss the evolving role of reputation management in the automotive industry. Jamie emphasizes that trust remains one of the biggest hurdles for car buyers and that transparency, communication, and responsiveness are key to overcoming skepticism. While 85% of customer reviews on DealerRater are positive, many dealerships fail to actively collect feedback, missing valuable opportunities to strengthen their reputation. Jamie highlights the importance of asking every customer for a review, ensuring that positive experiences are shared just as frequently as negative ones. The conversation also introduces the "Triple A" framework for handling negative reviews: Acknowledge, Apologize, and Act. Jamie explains how responding thoughtfully to criticism not only improves dealership processes but can also convert unhappy customers into loyal ones. Looking ahead, DealerRater and Cars.com are doubling down on personal connections, working to elevate individual salespeople within dealership profiles and ensuring that reputation directly influences customer decisions. The episode closes with a powerful reminder that in auto retail, people—not just inventory—are the industry’s greatest value proposition. 0:00 Intro – Live from the Cars Commerce booth at NADA. 0:38 Trust remains a major issue – Consumers still hesitate when buying cars. 1:26 Communication is key – Dealers must actively engage with customers. 2:41 Ignoring reviews hurts business – Ratings impact customer decision-making. 4:02 The #1 way to get more reviews – Just ask! Most happy customers won’t share unless prompted. 5:21 How to handle negative reviews – The Triple A method: Acknowledge, Apologize, Act. 7:45 What’s next for DealerRater – Bringing salespeople and reputation to the forefront. 8:18 Human connections matter – Customers who connect with a salesperson are twice as likely to buy. Learn more about Cars Commerce: https://lnkd.in/exy5curN Jamie Oldershaw is VP of Customer Experience at Cars Commerce https://lnkd.in/equDkmTg https://lnkd.in/exy5curN