July 29, 2025

“Ego Doesn’t Sell Cars” – 30 Years of Brutal Truths on Leadership & Humility | Jeff Laethem, President of Ray Laethem Buick GMC

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Show Notes

Today I’m joined by Jeff Laethem, President of Ray Laethem Buick GMC. We dig into why "ego doesn't sell cars"—and how Jeff learned that lesson the hard way, why Buick might be on the brink of a major comeback, what made him pull the plug on Stellantis stores in the heart of metro Detroit—and much more.

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Topics:

01:12 Warm vs seasonal climates for car sales?

02:06 Jeff's business philosophy?

04:05 Passions outside auto industry?

07:26 Why core processes matter?

14:13 Biggest dealership challenges?

20:34 Why divest a store?

22:19 20% success checklist?

25:11 Best process automation tools?