Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Courses
**Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki**

Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki is an Automotive Sales and Service Podcast and is a free educational series for Dealers, Managers, Sales Teams and anyone in the Auto Industry that has a desire to obtain information that will propel growth, lead the auto industry and invoke progressive strategies. We will educate on staying relevant, offer ways to improve vehicle sales and service, CSI and retention. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki is an Automotive Sales and Service Podcast. Use #DealerTalkWithJen

Latest Episodes:

Salespeople, Before You Ask for the Appointment, Do THIS! Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

I've listened to thousands of dealership phone calls, and there's one moment I hear over and over:

"Do you have the vehicle?"

"Yes."

"Great. When can you come in?"

And then we wonder why the customer doesn't show.

As a trainer and sales coach, you must have great questions, the right questions. They must uncover important aspects to gettng appointments that show.

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I'm breaking down how I coach salespeople to stop collecting information and start collecting reasons for the appointment.

The customer hasn't driven the vehicle yet? That's a reason.

They're comparing two models? Reason.

They have a trade? Reason.

They've never owned your brand? Reason.

They're unsure about financing, features, space, lifestyle fit, or what's actually right for them? Those aren't objections to overcome. They're opportunities to help.

You'll learn why curiosity beats scripts, how to weigh one question against another, how to uncover the customer's real situation without making the conversation feel like an interrogation, and how to stack enough value that the appointment becomes the customer's logical next step, not your sales pitch.

Managers, this is a great episode to use with your team. Listen together, pause it, role-play the questions, and challenge your people to identify the reason behind the appointment before they're allowed to ask for one.

I make my training accessible because I genuinely love watching dealership people get better, gain confidence, make progress, and WIN in their roles.

And I'm grateful to the sponsors who help make Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki and this education possible: LotLinx, Matador, and ZukiTalk.

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.

Stop Selling the Car They Asked About | Expand the Buy & Win More Deals Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

The first car a customer asks about is rarely the one they actually buy.

So why do so many salespeople build the entire opportunity around ONE vehicle?

A customer calls about a black Tahoe they found online and immediately the salesperson locks in: availability, price, features, photos, incentives and appointment.

Meanwhile, that customer may be looking at multiple vehicles and talking to multiple dealerships.

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, automotive sales coach and trainer Jen Suzuki breaks down a strategy she calls EXPAND THE BUY.

The goal isn't to talk customers out of what they want. It's to learn enough about them that you can help them discover what else might work. Are they committed to that exact trim? That color? That equipment? What actually attracted them to the vehicle? What matters most? What else could potentially fit better?

Those questions create something every salesperson needs: ROOM. Room when the vehicle sells. Room when the payment doesn't work. Room when they arrive and don't love the color. Room when another vehicle catches their attention. Room to become their automotive expert instead of the person assigned to one VIN.

Jen explains how expanding the buy can create more flexibility, stronger appointments, better vehicle presentations and more opportunities to keep a deal moving.

The mindset shift is simple: Stop thinking: "I need to sell them this car."

Start thinking: "I need to help them find the RIGHT car."

You're not there to match people to inventory. You're there to guide decisions through curiosity, questions and expertise.

The first car gets their attention. The right car rolls out the door.

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.

The More You Talk, The Less They Buy | The Sales Skill Most Car Salespeople Get Backwards Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

What if the thing you think makes you better at selling is actually costing you deals?

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, sales coach and trainer Jen Suzuki breaks down one of the most common habits she sees in dealership training, call recordings, and role plays: salespeople talking too much.

A customer walks in and the salesperson immediately starts explaining inventory, incentives, MPG, warranties, pricing, features, colors and specials.

It feels productive. It feels like selling.

But there's one big problem: you haven't learned anything about the customer yet.

The more you talk, the more you guess.

I explain why high-performing salespeople don't try to control conversations by filling every second. They lead with curiosity. They ask better questions. They listen for clues. And they're comfortable enough to let silence do some of the work.

You'll learn why customers often tell you exactly how to help them, if you give them enough room to talk and why silence after presenting numbers may be one of the most powerful moments in the entire sales process.

You'll also hear a simple challenge you can immediately take back to the showroom: after asking a question, wait two seconds longer than feels natural.

Because you don't get paid to talk. You get paid to understand.

The more you talk, the more you guess. The more you listen, the more you win.

When you master that, you stop pushing deals and start guiding decisions.

Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki brings practical sales, service, leadership and automotive training straight from the dealership floor designed to help automotive professionals grow their skills, confidence and results.

Check out our sponsors!

How Character Built the Preston Automotive Group Founder, Dave Wilson | The Moments That Built a Leader! Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

What really creates a great leader?

It's probably not what you think.

In this episode of Dealer Talk, I sit down with Dave Wilson, founder of Preston Automotive Group, to talk about something much bigger than dealerships, profits, or expansion.

We talk about the moments nobody sees.

The mentors who shaped him. The difficult conversations every leader eventually has to face. Why culture always starts with character. How "show the love" became a core business philosophy. Why humility is a competitive advantage. And why the best leaders never believe they've arrived.

Dave shares lessons from buying his first dealership at just 22 years old, making painful hiring decisions, learning from expensive mistakes and building an organization where people genuinely want to stay and grow.

Whether you lead a dealership, a department, or a small team, this conversation is a masterclass in leading with courage, consistency, and compassion.

If you're looking for leadership advice that goes beyond business tactics and into the mindset that builds lasting organizations, this episode is one you won't forget.

Check out our sponsors!

The Most Overlooked Skill in Automotive Sales is the Walk-around | Stop Showing Cars. Start Selling Lifestyles! Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever made it all the way to the desk only to hear... "I just need to think about it."

Most salespeople blame the numbers. The trade. The payment. The manager.

But what if the deal was actually lost before you ever sat down?

In this episode, I break down one of the most overlooked skills in automotive sales—the vehicle walk-around—and why it's far more than pointing out features.

Customers already know the specs. They've researched the technology. They've watched the YouTube videos.

What they haven't done is imagine how that vehicle fits into their life!

You'll learn how to stop giving feature tours and start creating emotional ownership by connecting every benefit to your customer's lifestyle, family, commute, hobbies, and daily routine.

Because when customers can picture themselves driving the vehicle...Price becomes a smaller conversation. Objections shrink.

Confidence grows. And the desk simply confirms a decision they've already made emotionally.

If you've ever wondered why some deals feel effortless while others become a battle, this episode explains exactly why.

Check out our sponsors!

The Confidence Advantage Every Service Advisor Needs Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

Most advisors think they need more traffic.

They don't. They need stronger conversations.

In this episode, I'm breaking down one of the biggest reasons advisors hit an income ceiling and it has nothing to do with your dealership, your manager, or the economy.

We'll talk about why some advisors consistently outperform everyone around them, how confidence changes customer decisions, why discounting quietly destroys your paycheck, and the mindset shift that separates order takers from trusted consultants.

If you've ever caught yourself rushing through presentations, apologizing for price, avoiding objections, or wondering why someone else is making more money in the same shop...

This episode is for you!

20-minutes that could completely change the way you present repairs and the way customers respond.

Confidence isn't something you're born with.

It's something you build.

And it pays. ACTUALLY. PERIOD. 😉

Check out our sponsors!

The Financing Conversation Every Advisor Should Master Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Most service advisors assume price is the problem long before the customer ever says it.

That's where profit disappears.

In this episode, Jen Suzuki challenges one of the biggest habits hurting dealership service departments: discounting before exploring better solutions.

Learn why financing should be one of your first "bats" instead of your last resort or never, how immediate discounts quietly destroy your ELR, gross profit and customer confidence and why the best advisors never assume someone can't afford needed repairs.

You'll hear practical examples of how to present financing naturally, protect the value of your technicians' work, increase MPI approvals and create conversations that build trust instead of negotiation.

If you're serious about becoming a stronger advisor while helping more customers repair their vehicles before small problems become expensive ones, this episode is for you.

Check out our sponsors!

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

She Built One of the Best Service BDC Teams I've Ever Seen Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

When people think about a Service BDC, they usually picture someone answering phones and setting appointments.

Emma Cole saw something completely different.

When she stepped into one of the largest service departments in the country, there wasn't a blueprint waiting for her. She had to build the department, earn trust with advisors, hire the right people, create new processes, and figure out how to keep a team motivated while making hundreds of calls every day.

And she did.

In this episode, Emma shares exactly how she built one of the most impressive Service BDC operations I've seen.

We talk about finding opportunities that most dealerships overlook, building a team that actually wants to win, handling declined services, keeping advisors and BDC on the same page, and why leadership has to be hands-on when the pressure is on.

If you've ever wondered whether a Service BDC can make a real impact on retention, customer experience, and service revenue...this episode will probably change your mind.

We cover:

How Emma built a Service BDC from the ground up.
The lead sources most dealerships never work consistently.
Why declined services deserve their own strategy.
How to hire people with hustle—not just experience.
The biggest mistakes BDC teams make and how to avoid them.
Why communication between advisors and BDC can make or break the customer experience.

One thing I loved about Emma...

She never waited for someone to hand her a process.

She built one.

Check out our sponsors!

Inside Dealer 20 Groups: What Top Operators Are Talking About Right Now Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

Everybody wants to know what the best dealerships are doing differently.

So I went straight to someone who sees them every day.

In this episode, I sat down with Joel Dalbo, one of NADA's longtime Dealer 20 Group moderators. He spends his days in rooms with some of the highest-performing dealer principals and leadership teams in the country, so I wanted to know...

What are they talking about right now?

What challenges keep coming up?

And what separates the stores that consistently outperform everyone else?

What surprised me most was how often the conversation came back to the basics.

Hiring the right people.

Developing leaders.

Executing the plan.

Not trying to fix five things at once.

We also talked about AI, and Joel shared something I thought was really interesting. The dealers who are winning aren't waiting around to see what happens. They're experimenting, learning from each other, and figuring out how AI fits into their business before someone else figures it out for them.

If you're leading a dealership, managing a team, or just trying to build a stronger operation, this conversation is full of practical ideas you can actually use.

We cover:

The biggest leadership mistakes Joel sees over and over.
Why execution beats great ideas every time.
How top-performing dealers hire, coach, and keep great people.
What Dealer 20 Groups are saying about AI today.
The dealership metrics Joel thinks deserve a lot more attention.

One thing Joel said really stuck with me...

There aren't any magic shortcuts.

The dealerships that keep winning are usually the ones that never stop getting better.

Check out our sponsors!

Inside Matador AI: What the Fastest-Growing Dealers Are Doing Differently Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

AI is everywhere right now.

But here's the question that really matters...

Why are some dealerships getting great results while others are frustrated and wondering if AI is even worth it?

In this episode, I sat down with Kevin, Chief Product Officer at Matador AI, to talk about what actually happens behind the scenes. How do they decide what features to build? What are they seeing across hundreds of dealerships? And what separates the stores that are making AI work from the ones that aren't?

One thing really stood out to me...

The technology usually isn't the problem.

Adoption is.

We talked about why AI isn't something you just turn on and hope for the best. It takes partnership, feedback, training, and leaders who are willing to keep improving right along with the technology.

I also loved hearing how the Matador team studies real dealership conversations every single day to find friction, improve the product, and help dealers spot opportunities they didn't even know they were missing.

If you're thinking about AI, already using it, or trying to figure out why your results aren't where you hoped they'd be, I think you'll get a lot from this conversation.

We cover:

Why dealerships struggle with AI adoption.
How Matador learns from real customer conversations.
What successful dealers are doing differently.
Where AI is heading next in sales and service.
Simple lessons any dealership can use, no matter what AI platform you're running.

This is a conversation about building a dealership that's ready for what's next!

Check out our sponsors!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected