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Surprising insights into marketing today!
Surprising insights into marketing today!
Insight Group compiled this in depth report full of information regarding the changes, challenges and opportunities for…
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P&G's Amazing Growth from cutting Digital and Investing in Radio!
P&G's Amazing Growth from cutting Digital and Investing in Radio!
Inside Radio reported recently- Procter & Gamble reported its strongest quarterly sales growth in five years, following…
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Customers are listening more than ever. What do they hear from your company?
Customers are listening more than ever. What do they hear from your company?
This great article from Tammy Greenberg should have marketers reconsidering their marketing mix to include Radio and…
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Watch and Listen! Judge for yourself.
Watch and Listen! Judge for yourself.
This exciting presentation will allow you to see and hear popular brand's advertising and determine which is really…
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Winning the Moments Online, Before the Dealership Visit
Winning the Moments Online, Before the Dealership Visit
New research shows that having a presence and being useful in a customer’s initial car shopping search leads directly…
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Toyota President makes a bold prediction.
Toyota President makes a bold prediction.
Toyota Expects Electrified Vehicles Will Make Up Half of Its Global Sales Automaker planning partnership with…
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A quick look at Honda and Acura crushing November.
A quick look at Honda and Acura crushing November.
SOURCE American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
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KBB names Honda Accord and Ford F-150 best buys for 2018.
KBB names Honda Accord and Ford F-150 best buys for 2018.
The Ford F-150 was named the best pickup truck for 2018, and the Honda Accord received top honors in Kelley Blue Book’s…
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Honda sales up in October, Acura down slightly. What's the story?
Honda sales up in October, Acura down slightly. What's the story?
Civic leads strong month for Honda car sales, setting new October record with 15 percent gain All-new 2018 Accord helps…
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Tony Estus reposted thisTony Estus reposted this📣📣📣📣 HUNGRY FOR YOUR SHOT ? 👀👀I’m looking for a real GSM — not a title holder, not someone who needs direction every step of the way. I need a leader who can step in and run a variable department doing 500+ units and $1.3M+ a month in gross — come hook or crook. Someone who wants to win as bad as they want to breathe. Honda experience preferred. You must be a strong leader and an even stronger used car operator. If you don’t understand inventory, turn, pricing, and how to dominate used — this isn’t your seat. This role is for someone who: Can recruit, train, and develop killers Builds accountability into everything Lives in the numbers and owns the outcome Executes process without compromise Knows how to scale a team and take market share This is not a rebuild. This is a takeover. Warm weather City 🌆 Verifiable #s and references Comp: Walking in — $300K+ At full capacity — $450K–$500K+ If you’re comfortable, stay where you are. If you’re obsessed with winning — let’s talk.
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Tony Estus reposted thisTony Estus reposted thisFebruary auto sales just missed. February new-vehicle sales came in at 1.18 million units, down 3.8% year over year. Retail demand dropped 5.6%. At first glance, that looks like the market is weakening. But the picture is more nuanced. Some of the strength we saw earlier in 2025 was influenced by timing effects. Buyers accelerated purchases ahead of potential tariff impacts and before the $7,500 federal EV tax credit expired in late September. Now those temporary tailwinds are gone. What we’re seeing is the market settling back into more normal demand conditions. And when that happens, the real trends become clearer. 1. EV demand has cooled EVs represented about 5.6% of U.S. vehicle sales in February, roughly where the market has been since the federal EV tax credit expired last fall. Before that, EV share often ran closer to the 8–12% range depending on the month. Without the subsidy, manufacturers and dealers are testing what real demand looks like. Discounts have become aggressive in some markets: • Some buyers reported $16,000 off Chevrolet Equinox EVs • $19,000 off Honda Prologues • Up to 24% off Kia EV6s Industry data shows average EV incentives around $10,356, far higher than incentives on gasoline vehicles. 2. Hybrids are gaining momentum While EV momentum cooled, hybrids are growing quickly. Hyundai reported hybrid sales up 79%, while Kia reported hybrid growth of 53% year over year. Consumers appear to be choosing efficiency without the charging infrastructure concerns or lifestyle changes that come with full EV adoption. For many buyers, hybrids are becoming the middle ground. 3. Inventory is climbing back toward normal Retail inventory now sits around 2.19 million vehicles, roughly a 65-day supply. Brands with the leanest inventory include: Toyota Lexus Honda Chevrolet Subaru Brands with heavier supply include: Jeep Ram Ford Hyundai As inventory builds, incentives tend to follow. 4. Affordability remains the biggest challenge The average new-vehicle transaction price is now about $46,303. Consumers still need transportation. But many have simply reached payment limits, especially with interest rates still elevated. That pressure tends to show up first in higher-priced segments like trucks and large SUVs. 5. In this market, execution matters When the market slows, the advantage shifts. It’s no longer about who has inventory. It’s about who can convert demand. That means: • faster speed-to-lead • stronger appointment processes • disciplined desking • better used-vehicle sourcing Even in a slower market, people still need cars. The stores that execute well will take share from the ones that relied on market momentum. And if history repeats itself, the next 6–9 months will separate operators from order takers. Sources: Automotive News; GlobalData; Motor Intelligence; J.D. Power; Cox Automotive; S&P Global Mobility.
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Tony Estus shared thisChange your Desk Manager, change your results. This is true for cars and bikes! Great points from Maggie.Tony Estus shared thisLet’s talk about something every motorcycle dealer understands: You can keep the same inventory, pricing, salespeople and traffic level... And dramatically change your close rate just by changing the Desking Manager. Because the person penciling the deal controls the structure, payment story, the confidence & urgency, the path to yes... or no... Two Desking Managers. Same bikes. Same buyers. Very different results. Now here’s the uncomfortable question: Is your sales funnel is running dry? Your Advertising Strategy as the Desking Manager of your dealership’s marketing. Is it time to switch it out? Every agency will run AdWords, post on Meta, spend your marketing budget, talk about “reach” and “impressions” and "clicks". But does your agency understand: · DAT territory nuances · Riding seasonality, model-year shifts and inventory balance · MDF leverage and MAP compliance · Targeting buyers at the right time of the buying funnel · Access to registered motorcycle owners first party data They can run ads… but they aren't desking the dealership properly. And just like on the showroom floor — the difference shows up in conversion rate. Let's set up an "interview" - promise we'll be your best Desking Manager candidate 💪
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Tony Estus shared thisMore good advice from Rob Mancuso, with so much that is uncontrollable in the automotive industry today.... "Treat this as a strategic inflection point. The stores that align customer and employee experience now will own the market when the next cycle hits."
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Tony Estus reposted thisWe are expanding again at Heartland Ford, we are looking to add another Service Advisor to our team. If you are interested or know someone that might be please reach out to me personally at kelly@hlford.com
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Tony Estus reposted thisTony Estus reposted thisHill Country 1047 is hiring. Pass the Word! Radio Sales Professionals Wanted A Truly Unique Radio Opportunity for Sales Talent Tired of the Same Old Corporate Gigs Hill Country 104.7, located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, is looking for driven, creative sales professionals ready to help build a fresh, original radio brand from the ground up. This is not a cookie-cutter corporate sales job. If you thrive on relationships, big ideas, and creative solutions—and you’re tired of selling the same worn-out packages—this is your opportunity to do something meaningful and different. You’ll work alongside an experienced, supportive team in a highly creative environment where ideas are encouraged, innovation is rewarded, and radio is still fun. A passion for Texas Country, Red Dirt, Roots, Folk, and Americana is a big plus. If you understand how this music connects deeply with listeners—and how that connection creates real value for local businesses—you’ll feel right at home. What We’re Looking For: • Sales professionals who bring new ideas and creative solutions to clients • Relationship builders who can help grow the “Your Texas Y’ALLternative” brand • Self-starters who understand monetization, sponsorships, and non-traditional revenue • Pros comfortable working in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment • Experience in radio or media sales preferred but not mandatory Submit resumes to: rross@hillcountry1047.com PHONE CALLS ENCOURAGED: 281-660-4187 KHSB FM * HILL COUNTRY 1047 ShoutHouse Broadcasting, LLC 5526 US 281N Marble Falls, TX 78654
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Tony Estus shared thisMy friend Rob Mancuso, gives timely and sage advice to consider during this season of dealership acquisitions. The baby and the bath water have value.
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Tony Estus shared thisThey are hiring a GM in Chattanooga! Sharing for reach. Thank you Christina FloresTony Estus shared this🚨 Sharing for a friend/ great dealer in Chattanooga, TN 🚨 General Manager – Independent Luxury Used Car Dealership 📍 Chattanooga, TN We are a growing independent luxury used-car dealership in Chattanooga, TN, seeking a proven General Manager to lead day-to-day operations, drive performance, and help scale the business to the next level. This role is ideal for a hands-on operator with deep experience in the independent luxury / high-line used-car space who thrives in accountability, process, and growth. You will work closely with ownership and leadership to execute strategy, build strong teams, protect culture, and deliver consistent results. Key Responsibilities Full P&L ownership and operational leadership of the dealership Lead, coach, and hold accountable sales, F&I, inventory, and operations teams Oversee the deal desk: structuring, approvals, compliance, and profitability Drive unit volume, front-end and back-end gross, and expense discipline Ensure disciplined inventory acquisition, aging control, and reconditioning standards Implement and maintain repeatable processes across sales, F&I, and operations Maintain an exceptional luxury customer experience from first contact to delivery Recruit, train, and develop top talent aligned with our core values Report on KPIs and performance metrics to ownership regularly Ideal Candidate Profile 5+ years of leadership experience in the independent used or luxury auto industry Strong deal-desk experience with proven profitability results Track record of leading teams and improving performance Process-driven, financially literate, and detail-oriented Comfortable with accountability, structure, and high standards Strong communicator with emotional intelligence and integrity Entrepreneurial mindset with a desire to build and grow a business, not just manage one Alignment with strong core values, honesty, grit, and servant leadership What We Offer: Senior leadership role with real authority and accountability Competitive compensation package (base + performance-based incentives) Direct partnership with ownership and input into strategy and growth Opportunity to help shape the future of a respected independent luxury dealership Long-term career growth for the right leader Who This Role Is For: This position is a great fit for a: Proven Sales Manager or Desk Manager ready to step into full GM responsibility Current GM who feels capped and wants more ownership, trust, and influence Leader who values culture, process, and long-term success over short-term wins 📩 To Apply (Confidentially): Please send your resume and a brief note about your experience to: samglenn@comcast.net Sam Glenn
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Tony Estus liked thisTony Estus liked thisWhat guests want today doesn’t look like a traditional dealership. It looks more like this. Hyundai Motor Company has officially approved a showroom model that we will be the first in the world for them to implement. Not a redesign for aesthetics. A shift based on how people actually make decisions. AutoFi is now live across Ford Motor Company, Hyundai, and Stellantis, giving guests control over their numbers, their terms, and their pace. Next step, removing every desk from our CDJR store. What feels normal now used to be the idea people said wouldn’t work. Kelley Reis thank you for the inspiration! We’re not redesigning dealerships. We’re aligning them with how people actually decide. ASOTU Car Dealership Guy Russell Richardson Preston Automotive Group iFrog Marketing Solutions
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Google AdWords Mobile Advertising
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Volunteer Experience
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Childerens Ministry leader
Sugar Creek Baptist Church
- 5 years 3 months
Children
Gladly handled the duties needed to assist large Sunday school classes!
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North Carolina Real Estate Certification
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Fred Amato
The Federal Trade Commission’s announcement March 13 it had warned 97 auto dealership groups about six “illegal” advertising practices should put other dealers on notice, a dealership attorney and industry trade group said. “This was the warning shot to the auto industry that needs to be heard — and not just by those 97 dealerships," the Virginia Auto Dealers Association wrote in a March 16 blog post. “It wouldn’t be so public and broad if it wasn’t meant to go out to the dealer community generally,” said Bert Rasmussen, a shareholder at the ScaliRasmussen law firm and co-chair of its automotive practice. What the FTC considers ‘illegal’ dealer advertising practices Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, told the 97 dealership groups he was “concerned” each had committed at least one of six “illegal pricing practices.” These are: - Advertising a price that does not reflect all required fees, - Advertising a price that reflects rebates or discounts not available to all consumers, - Advertising a price that fails to take into account the amount of an additional required down payment, - Conditioning the advertised price on consumers using dealer financing, - Requiring consumers to buy additional items not reflected in the advertised price, and - Advertising unavailable or nonexistent vehicles. Read more: https://lnkd.in/emWsHqgW
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Fred Amato
The Federal Trade Commission’s announcement March 13 it had warned 97 auto dealership groups about six “illegal” advertising practices should put other dealers on notice, a dealership attorney and industry trade group said. “This was the warning shot to the auto industry that needs to be heard — and not just by those 97 dealerships," the Virginia Auto Dealers Association wrote in a March 16 blog post. “It wouldn’t be so public and broad if it wasn’t meant to go out to the dealer community generally,” said Bert Rasmussen, a shareholder at the ScaliRasmussen law firm and co-chair of its automotive practice. What the FTC considers ‘illegal’ dealer advertising practices Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, told the 97 dealership groups he was “concerned” each had committed at least one of six “illegal pricing practices.” These are: - Advertising a price that does not reflect all required fees, - Advertising a price that reflects rebates or discounts not available to all consumers, - Advertising a price that fails to take into account the amount of an additional required down payment, - Conditioning the advertised price on consumers using dealer financing, - Requiring consumers to buy additional items not reflected in the advertised price, and - Advertising unavailable or nonexistent vehicles. Read more: https://lnkd.in/emWsHqgW
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Joe Jackson 🔥
🚨 Used Car Managers. GMs. Automotive Professionals. 🚨 👉 Stop thinking small about acquisition. On David Long’s All Things Used Cars+, Ben Hadley⚡ shared an idea most dealers haven’t even considered… Live streaming your buy center. Yes — really. Then David Long followed with something just as powerful — but in a completely different way: What if you appraised every single car… every single time? Not just the one sitting in front of you. If you think you’re maximizing trade capture, listen to this clip first. Sometimes growth comes from innovation. Sometimes it comes from mastering the fundamentals. The best operators do both. All Things Used Cars+ - The Business of Automotive Retail 🕘 Fridays 9am EST / 6am PST 🔥 Live on Clubhouse. 🎧 Full episode replay: https://lnkd.in/eMDztXCZ 🪰 Join the conversation… or be a fly on the wall like me. Either way, you’ll leave sharper than when you showed up. #AllThingsUsedCarsPlus #AcquireMore #TradeCapture #AutomotiveRetail #ExecutionWins #DavidLong Peter Smith Alex Long
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Car Dealership Guy
Lead volume is dipping across automotive— But dealerships staying sharp on response time and leaning into multi-channel communication are still winning. Dennis Gingrich, Sales & Finance Director at The Niello Company, explains how urgency and clarity are driving conversions. "People are consuming video content no matter where they go, what they do. It's how we learn, it's how we find entertainment. And if we can send our customers a high-quality custom video about their vehicle of interest, confirm their appointment, we are seeing more engagement." "We want all of our leads to be answered in under 10 minutes. And then if you don't answer a lead here in under 10 minutes, you lost your lead. It goes to somebody else." "We don't know with a hundred percent certainty what medium of communication the customer wants to use. So we gotta be consistent in using everything at our disposal to give them a quick, high quality response that they can engage with and answer the damn question that customers are asking." - Thank you to our partner Nomad Content Studio - The Go-To Content Partner for Dealers! Check them out by visiting trynomad.co
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Robert Mudd
When a dealership's marketing is heavily influenced by the OEM, it raises questions about the dealership's true identity. Is it merely a transaction point for the OEM's agenda? The essence of a dealership lies in originating its own data and driving its unique strategies. Understanding this distinction is crucial for maintaining authenticity and relevance in the market. The dealer is the source of information. #OEM #dealership #marketing #data #strategy #automotive
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Dan Shine
Dealers are hoping for a Q2 "spring bounce" after getting snowed under in Q1. In Cox Automotive Inc.'s latest Dealer Sentiment Index, dealers gave the auto market a lukewarm 48 out of 100. As one Chevy dealer told Cox: "We are really not short on anything in new except for customers." Read about it all in @Automotive News. https://lnkd.in/gXRZHNWY
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Troy "Turbo" Spring
Dealers / GM’s / GSM’s and Automotive Executives - If business is down, or you’re missing goals don’t complain and don’t give up. ***There are plenty of records being broken right now and if you’re crushing it, this may not be for you. This is for the managers that are struggling to compete and get back on a record breaking track. Find the reason, dig until you do find it and fix it. There is always a way. Sometimes it’s not easy to see, sometimes it’s way outside the box of your normal thinking, sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes the mirror doesn’t look back at you the way you want it too. Sometimes you have to ask for help. Sometimes you have to work a little harder than you’d like. But the answer is there - somewhere, the answer is always there. Here’s a few places to look. It could be marketing - and driving opportunities. Too many people are chasing the shiny linear paths that are not converting. - Think holistcally. It could be staffing and not having the right people in place. - Make the tough decisions and make hiring top talent a top priority. It could be process and the right people need to be trained better. - Invest (heavily) in good people. It could be inventory volumes and mix - Bad momentum at the OEM level? Pivot to used and or grind like never before on new volume and market accordingly and take the smaller margins. - Stop complaining and do something about it. It’s could be leadership and culture. - that mirror tells the truth. - Be better to your internal customers (Employees) that always pays off. It could be a limiting belief mindset. If you think you can or if you think you can’t, you’re normally right. - Manifest your way there. It could be energy levels. - See all of the above as this one affects everything. I find the best mentally and physically fit dealers out perform those that are not as “able”. It’s a harsh fact, but it is a fact. “You can have succcess or excuses, but you can’t have both.” - Choose wisely.
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Jennifer Morell
Are you a dealer open to feedback? If so, keep reading... I’m not a Dealer Principal. I’m not a GM. I’m not a Service Manager. And I’m definitely not a salesperson on your floor. That’s your expertise. Mine is understanding how to speak to your customers in a way that makes them listen… and walk into your store. That’s the job. And here’s the feedback: Most stores have more opportunity than they realize. Not because they aren’t working hard but because there are often gaps in how customers find you, experience you, and trust you online. The good news? Those gaps are usually fixable. My favorite part of this business is finding ways to help dealerships grow without crushing budgets or big dreams. The customers are out there. They just need to know you are too and that you're the right place for them. #automotive #advertising #digtialmarketing
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