Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Latest Episodes:

The Service Drive Problem Your Team Could Have Caught 3 Days Ago Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

What if the biggest service problems your dealership faces aren't happening when the customer arrives?

What if they started days earlier?

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, Jen shares a lesson from a veteran advisor that completely changed the way she teaches appointment preparation:

"Don't wait for problems to show up. Go looking for them."

Elite advisors don't just manage appointments. They preview them.

They look ahead for the landmines that create frustration:

A recall part that never arrived
A customer who declined work last visit
A high-mileage vehicle with possible surprises
A transportation issue
A customer history that should change the conversation

Because customers remember surprises far longer than they remember great service.

Jen breaks down how professional advisors can use appointment notes, vehicle history, recommendations, rewards, recalls, and preparation to create smoother conversations, stronger trust, and better approval opportunities.

The appointment doesn't start when the customer arrives.

It starts when you decide to prepare for them.

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LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability.

Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Go To https://www.edealersolutions.com/try-matador for a LIMITED TIME!

ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 https://apple.co/38lmHM1 🎧 https://spoti.fi/3uQ2nd1 | Jennifer@edealersolution.com | 954-873-8029 | edealersolutions.com | Meet me! bit.ly/3J7011t | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | https://bit.ly/3JlcXAx

The First 90 Seconds: What GM's & Service Managers Should Be Coaching Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

What if one of the biggest opportunities to improve CSI, service retention and work approvals happens before the MPI is even completed?

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I'm breaking down the first 90 seconds of the service experience and why service managers should be paying a lot more attention to what happens when an advisor first walks toward that vehicle.

Customers pull into the service drive with uncertainty. How long will this take? What's this going to cost me? Is something expensive about to be wrong with my car? Before they trust the recommendation, they're deciding whether they trust the person making it.

That's where great advisors separate themselves.

We'll talk about how curiosity, preparation, body language, better questions and clear expectations can completely change the customer experience. I'll also give service leaders a simple coaching exercise they can use right on the drive: stand back, watch the interaction and ask yourself whether you can tell which advisors genuinely enjoy helping people.

This isn't about teaching your team another script. It's about helping advisors slow down, pay attention, reduce uncertainty and become the person customers actually want helping them make decisions about their vehicle.

Because when we win the first 90 seconds, everything that happens next gets easier.

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LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability.

Stop Calling Internet Leads Before You Do This Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

What if the biggest mistake with an internet lead happens before you even say hello?

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I'm breaking down why I want salespeople to take 60 seconds before making that first call not to wait, but to investigate.

Where does the customer live? Have they done business with the dealership before? What's sitting in the CRM? What might they be comparing? Those clues can completely change the conversation.

We'll get into why curiosity beats jumping straight into the vehicle, how to make an appointment actually worth showing up for, why more options can create more customer confidence, and how texting and video can help customers remember YOU not another walkaround of a car they've already seen online.

The car isn't the differentiator anymore. Information isn't either.

Your ability to understand the customer, make their life easier, and give them confidence in the next step is.

Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Go To https://bit.ly/4dv62Ef for a LIMITED TIME!

LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability.

ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | https://apple.co/38lmHM1 https://spoti.fi/3uQ2nd1 | Jennifer@edealersolution.com | 954-873-8029 | edealersolutions.com | Meet me! bit.ly/3J7011t | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | https://bit.ly/3JlcXAx

Would Your Customers Wait Until You're Back? Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

What makes a customer call the dealership and ask for YOU?

It's usually not one incredible service visit. It's the little moments that stack up over time.

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I'm talking directly to service advisors about what separates the advisors who simply write repair orders from the ones who build a loyal book of business.

The goal isn't just to win today's repair order. It's to become the advisor that customer wants again next year.

Remember something personal. Protect their time. Call when you promised. Find legitimate ways to save them money. And sometimes, tell them they can wait on a repair when that's truly the right recommendation.

Those moments build confidence. Confidence builds trust. Trust creates habits. And habits create loyalty.

Because the strongest advisors eventually stop spending their careers chasing repair orders. Their relationships start bringing the repair orders back to them.

One customer. One conversation. One memorable moment at a time.

Before you leave work today, ask yourself one question:

Did I give every customer one reason to come back and ask for me?

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LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability.

Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Go To https://bit.ly/4dv62Ef for a LIMITED TIME!

ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approval

Customers Don't Buy When They're Convinced. They Buy When They're Confident. Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Customers don't buy when they've been convinced. They buy when they feel confident.

After listening to thousands of dealership calls, Jen Suzuki has noticed a pattern: average salespeople focus on getting the appointment, overcoming the objection, or defending the vehicle. The best salespeople focus on something entirely different reducing uncertainty.

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, Jen breaks down the overlooked skill that influences whether customers respond, keep appointments, make decisions, and ultimately buy. You'll learn how to identify a customer's "confidence gap," ask questions that uncover what they're really weighing, and respond to "I need to think about it" without creating more pressure.

Jen also challenges one of the dealership's favorite measurements: appointments set. Because setting an appointment doesn't mean much if the customer never became confident enough to show up!

If your customers keep disappearing, delaying decisions, or shopping multiple dealerships, the answer may not be a stronger close. It may be a better conversation.

🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥

LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability.

Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Text me directly so I can make it happen for you today - 954-873-8029! LIMITED TIME!

She Mortgaged Her House to Buy a Dealership. Here's What Ivette Built. Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

What does it take to keep growing when automotive retail is becoming more complex not less?

Ivette Dominguez Drawe began her career selling BMWs. When the opportunity came to become a dealer, she and her husband mortgaged their home, opened credit cards as a backup plan and stepped into ownership during one of the industry's most uncertain periods. Today, their organization employs approximately 700 people, continues to acquire dealerships and remains deeply invested in its employees and communities.

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, Ivette shares what she looks for when evaluating an acquisition, why good people matter more than a quick operational overhaul and what leaders underestimate when introducing major technology changes. She also gets candid about changing a DMS and payroll platform within weeks of each other and what the experience revealed about communication, accountability and team buy-in.

We also explore the growing affordability problem, preparing the next generation to enter a family business, the danger of treating technology like a magic bullet and why innovation sometimes requires trusting your instincts before all the proof exists.

But the heart of this conversation is bigger than dealerships. Ivette believes leadership means developing people, recognizing their contributions, celebrating wins and giving back without expecting something in return. Technology can create efficiency, but empathy, accountability, difficult conversations, recognition and community relationships still belong to human beings.

This is a conversation about taking courageous risks, staying open to change and building a business that means something beyond the numbers.

🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥

LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability.

Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Text me directly so I can make it happen for you today - 954-873-8029! LIMITED TIME! ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 https://apple.co/38lmHM1 🎧 https://spoti.fi/3uQ2nd1 | Jennifer@edealersolution.com | 954-873-8029 | edealersolutions.com | Meet me! bit.ly/3J7011t | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | https://bit.ly/3JlcXAx

Customers Liked You. So Why Didn't They Show Up? Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever finished a conversation with an internet future buyer and thought, "That went really well" only to never hear from the customer again?

Here's the harder question: What did that customer actually gain from talking to you?

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I'm digging into the heart of how I teach sales: Every customer should leave a conversation with more clarity, confidence, convenience, or useful direction than they had before it.

Customers can find inventory, specifications, pricing, reviews, and vehicle comparisons everywhere. Information is no longer rare. Judgment, experience, and personalized guidance are.

I'll show you how to move beyond answering questions and immediately asking for an appointment. You'll learn how curiosity uncovers what actually matters, how to turn vehicle information into customer-specific guidance, and how to create a next step that feels helpful instead of pushy.

Because customers can get the car almost anywhere. What they can't get everywhere is someone genuinely committed to helping them make a great decision.

🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥

Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Text me directly so I can make it happen for you today - 954-873-8029! LIMITED TIME!

LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 https://apple.co/38lmHM1 🎧 https://spoti.fi/3uQ2nd1 | Jennifer@edealersolution.com | 954-873-8029 | edealersolutions.com | Meet me! bit.ly/3J7011t | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | https://bit.ly/3JlcXAx

Your Managers Hold Meetings. But Can They Actually Train? Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever walked out of a morning meeting thinking, "Damn, that was a great meeting" only to watch everyone return to the exact same behaviors by lunchtime?

That isn't a meeting problem. It's a behavior problem.

Dealerships ask sales and service managers to train their teams constantly. Improve the appointments. Strengthen the phone calls. Personalize the follow-up. Build more customer confidence. Increase repair approvals.

But here's the question we need to ask: Who taught the managers how to train?

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I'm sharing the practical framework I teach in manager workshops and at NADA Dealer Academy: ONE OBJECTIVE → SHOW IT → DO IT → DRIVE IT.

This isn't about packing five priorities into a 45-minute meeting nobody remembers. It's about selecting one behavior, showing what great looks like, practicing it together and driving it until it becomes part of how the team operates.

You'll learn how to turn real calls, texts, videos, appointments, repair orders and customer interactions into short training sessions that build confidence and how to use contests, observation and recognition to keep the behavior alive after the meeting ends.

Because attendance isn't the scorecard.

The real question is: What behavior changed because of the meeting?

If your dealership wants stronger trainers not simply managers who hold more meetings—this episode gives you a framework you can use tomorrow.

The Invisible Work Behind Higher Approvals Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Two service advisors can work in the same dealership, see the same customers, recommend the same repairs and get completely different results.

Why? It may have very little to do with the estimate itself.

After training with so many service advisors, I've noticed that customers often begin deciding whether they'll approve the work long before the MPI is complete. They're paying attention when the advisor greets them, remembers their name, asks about their plans for the vehicle, explains what will happen next, provides updates and keeps every promise.

Each moment either deposits trust into the relationship or withdraws it.

That changes the way we should think about selling service. The recommendation is not the beginning of the sale. It's the moment the advisor discovers whether enough confidence was built to support the recommendation.

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I break down how high-performing advisors make small relationship deposits throughout the customer experience, why thoughtful questions make recommendations more personal and how trust affects approvals, retention, CSI, referrals and income.

You'll also hear one question that can completely change the recommendation conversation: "How long are you planning to keep your vehicle?"

The practical challenge is simple: before presenting the repair, make three intentional deposits. Use the customer's name. Ask a question that reveals what matters to them. Explain what happens next. Then notice how differently the recommendation conversation feels.

Here's the question worth debating: When a customer declines necessary work, are we too quick to blame the price—or should we examine the experience we created before presenting it?

🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥

LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Reynolds and Reynolds is a leading automotive DMS platform that helps dealerships run more efficient, connected, and customer-focused sales and service operations. ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals.

Stop Mastering the Comeback to Sales Objections. Master the Conversation with Jen's Tips! Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

There are things being said on dealership sales floors every single day that we need to retire.

"What offers have you received?"

"Who else are you shopping?"

"What do I need to do to earn your business today?"

"We're not going to lose your business over $200."

As a trainer and coach, I understand where these responses came from. Many of us were taught them. But buyers changed.

Today's customer has information, choices, pricing, reviews, trade values and multiple dealerships sitting in the palm of their hand.

And every sentence we use either makes that customer feel helped or handled.

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I'm challenging the way we think about some of the most common "objections" in automotive sales:

"I just want your best price."

"What's my trade worth?"

"I don't want to come in."

Because I don't think these are objections at all.

They're buying moments.

The customer isn't necessarily fighting you. They're trying to reduce uncertainty, understand their options and feel confident enough to take another step.

I'm breaking down the simple approach I coach in dealerships:

Positive → Value → Next Step.

Start by embracing what the customer wants.

Add something that genuinely helps them.

Then lead them toward a logical next step.

No boxing match. No clever comeback. No trying to prove the customer wrong.

Throw value, not punches.

Managers, this is an episode I'd absolutely use in a sales meeting. Put your team's current responses on the board and ask one question:

Does this make the customer feel helped or handled?

Then rebuild the conversation together.

Because dealerships have spent years teaching salespeople to master the comeback.

I think it's time we master the conversation.

Check out our sponsors!

LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals.

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