Vendor Insights Podcasts

Today I'm joined by Matt Leone, CEO at DriveCentric. Matt breaks down why one dealer group ditched a $100,000 Salesforce contract they were barely using, why building your own software rarely pays off the way it promises, and why the next fight in the industry is over who actually owns the customer relationship. Topics: 06:00 The Referee Analogy For Software. 11:50 Consolidation Isn't Happening. 18:30 You're Replacing 7 Vendors. 24:50 Why They Sell You A Car Post-Purchase. 3...

Today I'm joined by Scott Traylor, Vice President at Mia Labs. Scott breaks down how voice AI is pulling $8,000 to $30,000 a month in after-hours revenue at stores where customers used to just hit a voicemail, why service advisors are letting calls go unanswered on purpose, and how Mia became the first voice AI company approved by General Motors for their co-op program. If you think AI is still a future conversation, Scott makes the case that you're already in the same moment as when someo...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Mike Martucci, General Manager at Jim Ellis Kia, and Kevin Esmezyan, Chief Product Officer at Matador AI to discuss how conversational AI is turning a three-person sales team handling 700 leads a month into a machine that doubles close rates and books service appointments at nearly 90% — while most dealers are still missing after-hours calls and watching customers drive to the competition. Mike walked into a store with a li...

AJ McGowan, VP of Research and Development at Reynolds & Reynolds. He breaks down why fragmented software platforms are quietly limiting what AI can see and do, uses a service drive scenario to show how a fully connected system could surface a high-value trade opportunity in real time, and explains why Reynolds is investing in its own hardware infrastructure to make that scale. Topics: 03:25 Why Auto AI Is Different. 06:45 Real AI Vs. Gimmicks. 08:45 Why Reynolds Is Buying Hardwar...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Frederick Grimm, Co-Founder and COO of AppraisalPro, and Danny Galat, General Sales Manager at Lithia Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Bend, to discuss how dealers are using real-time diagnostic scanning to stop taking hidden mechanical losses on trade-ins and turn a wholesale department that was bleeding money into one that's actually profitable. Danny walks through the $8,000 Ford Raptor miss that kept him up at night and drove...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Karen Chagnon, VP Sales at Guidepoint Systems, and Ferris Hamdan, General Manager at Wesley Chapel Honda, to discuss why most dealers are operating blind — unaware of which vehicles on their lot have a dead battery, a check engine light, or low fuel, and equally unaware of what's happening inside the vehicles they already sold, data their manufacturer sees but doesn't share with them. Ferris walks through how Wesley Chap...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Ben Atkinson, VP of Auto Lending at Upstart, and Evan Driscoll, General Sales Manager at Audi Jacksonville to discuss why the credit score has become the most overrated number in auto lending and how a full-spectrum dealership running everything from $2,000 used cars to $400,000 Rolls-Royces gets first-time buyers approved at competitive rates with no money down. Evan breaks down how a slow approval costs his store at least $...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Art Dessein, Vice President of Sales at Impel, and Rebekah Scheussler, Business Development Director at Walters Auto Group to discuss why luxury dealers are quietly losing service customers to independent shops and how AI is rebuilding the personalized experience at scale across both sales and service. This conversation surfaces the silent retention leak inside fixed operations: a nine-minute average service hold time, an 80%...

Today, I'm joined by Brian Abrams, VP of Data and AI at CDK Global, to discuss the critical shift from viewing AI as a "tool" to an operational strategy that prevents massive profit leakage. Brian explains why nearly 60% of dealer data is currently "dirty," how consumer AI agents are already calling stores to negotiate deals, and why a unified customer profile is now the only way to protect your margins. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Podium - The AI platform trusted by one in three dea...

Today I'm joined by Jim Roche, CEO of Warrcloud. This conversation breaks down the massive $32 billion surge in warranty work, why customer pay is decelerating, and how dealers can use technology to fix "leaky" receivables and technician dissatisfaction. Jim reveals the tactical steps needed to modernize the service lane before the "death spiral" of rising prices drives your customers away. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Podium - the AI platform trusted by one in three dealerships. Po...

Today I'm joined by Matt Leone, CEO of DriveCentric. Matt breaks down why "tech bloat" is killing dealership margins and how shifting from task management to real-time engagement hubs can stop lead leakage across Sales, F&I, and Service. We also dive into the future of AI agents and why your next "employee" might actually be a machine-learning model. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Lotlinx – Meet LotGPT, your AI Inventory Strategist built exclusively for car dealers. It reveals competi...

Today, I'm joined by Jen Speerbrecher, Vice President at Veramatic. We dive into the "unsexy" but critical world of the dealership back office, where tribal knowledge is disappearing, and manual errors are eating into razor-thin margins. Jen explains why your DMS often fails as a source of truth and how top-performing controllers are using automation to cut month-end closing times in half while guaranteeing 100% accuracy. Want learn more? Send Jen your biggest accounting challenges at askjen@v...

Today I'm joined by Chris Walsh, President and Acting CEO at The Reynolds and Reynolds Company. Chris breaks down how to transition from a fragmented "bolt-on" tech stack to a unified AI ecosystem that automates routine administrative tasks. This conversation provides the blueprint for "agentic" AI and the radical restructuring of the accounting and service departments over the next five years. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Podium - The AI platform trusted by one in thr...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D’Arc are Roman Spriggs, General Manager of All Things Automotive, and Ross Tinkham, VP of Automotive at Podium, to discuss how Roman replaced a potential human hire with an AI agent named Alex. This "AI employee" helped the small-town independent dealer achieve record sales months in early 2026 by managing 24/7 customer inquiries and setting appointments overnight. Tinkham emphasizes that successful integration requires a 30 to 6...

Today I'm joined by Mo Zahabi, AVP of Product Consulting at Cox Automotive. Most dealers think the race begins when the lead arrives. But by that point, the customer has often been in-market for five or six weeks already. Mo breaks down how first-party data inside the Cox Automotive ecosystem can reveal buying signals before a lead ever exists, why fragmented dealership tech stacks create wasted effort and employee turnover, and how dealers can modernize customer engagement by focusing on real...

Today I'm joined by Paul Nadjarian, Chief Product Officer at Carfax. We break down why the smartest dealers are shifting from one-time gross to lifetime value, how vehicle history data closes the trust gap with consumers, and why “homegrown” inventory is becoming the most profitable used-car strategy. Paul also explains how automation and consumer signals are quietly driving higher service retention and better acquisition decisions without adding dealer workload. This episode is brought to yo...

Today Sam D'Arc is joined by Zach Billings, Co-Founder of Wikimotive. We break down why AI search is an evolution of SEO—not a replacement—and why consumer behavior is changing far slower than the hype suggests. Zach explains where GEO actually matters today, why reputation and human content outperform technical gimmicks, and why most dealers should still double down on traditional search. The big takeaway: AI is loud, but the real lead opportunity hasn’t moved yet. This episode is brought t...

Today Sam D'Arc is joined by Justin Zane, SVP, US Marketplace & Services at OPENLANE. We unpack why digital auctions have overtaken physical lanes in reach and efficiency, and why old habits—not economics—are keeping brick-and-mortar alive. Justin explains how off-lease inventory is reshaping acquisition strategy, where AI improves condition accuracy, and why speed is now the dealer’s most valuable asset. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Wikimotive - Wikimotive delivers organic and paid ...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, we dive into why used car success in 2026 is no longer just about the purchase price, but about the high-stakes ability to acquire and articulate a vehicle's complete story. Joining host Sam D’Arc is Doug Horner of General Sales Manager at Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted and Tyler Astorg, Vice President Sales at iPacket to discuss how precision data—specifically knowing the exact options and trim levels—serves as a dealer's ultimate superpower. The...

Today I’m joined by Jake Cronin, CEO of Siro. We break down the massive “dark matter” problem in dealership sales, why most of the sales process has been invisible until now, and how AI is finally capturing what actually happens in the showroom and F&I office. Jake explains how dealers are using real conversation data to coach faster, enforce process, and connect marketing spend directly to in-store outcomes. We also dig into adoption, consent, and why this tech is about collaboration—not surve...

Today, Sam sits down with Steve Hoggle, General Manager at Honda of Lake City and Sarah Copp, Director of Major Accounts at Lotlinx to pull back the curtain on the "Moneyball" strategy of modern automotive retail. While many dealers are still relying on gut instinct and "emotional buying" at auction, the nation’s top-performing groups—including the $11 billion Morgan Auto Group—have shifted to a predictive, VIN-specific model. We explore how Honda of Lake City achieved a staggering 4:1 used-to-n...

Today I’m joined by Eric Rea, CEO of Podium. Eric breaks down how AI agents are replacing labor across sales and service, why speed is now the ultimate competitive advantage, and how fixed ops is finally getting real AI help instead of glorified answering services. This episode is brought to you by: 1. CNA National - CNA National is the premier F&I provider for dealerships nationwide. With more than four decades in the industry, we’ve earned a reputation for service excellence. If you are loo...

Today I’m joined by Brian Hoang, CEO of Mia. We dive into why dealerships are moving beyond fragmented SaaS tools toward AI-native platforms that automate real work, not just conversations. Brian explains why consolidation is inevitable, and how dealers are already driving real revenue by offloading high-volume service tasks. We also get into where most dealers go wrong with AI adoption—and what separates winners from noise heading into 2026. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Uber for Bu...

Today I’m joined by Annie Fallows, Head of Navigator Platform at Capital One. We dive into a massive shift in market sentiment, exploring how dealer trust skyrocketed from 44% to 70%. Annie breaks down why Gen Z is your most loyal—yet most anxious—customer and reveals the "spicy" truth that most digital processes only save five minutes of in-store time. You’ll learn how to bridge the friction-filled gap between online research and the showroom floor to double your conversion rates This episod...