The Walk Around

Latest Episodes:

S02E19 - Digital Retail or eCommerce – What Do You Need? Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

What should dealers be thinking about when it comes to digital retail and eCommerce? Is one form of sales better than the other?

Emily Chonko, Director of eCommerce at Cox Automotive, joins the podcast to answer pressing questions on the future of car sales amidst changes over the past few years resulting from inventory levels, consumer buying habits and the pandemic.

As a child, Emily developed a passion for motorsports through racing Quarter Midgets. She accredits this passion for ultimately leading her into a career in automotive. Since the early 2000’s, Emily has worked for Cox Automotive, initially supporting Autotrader magazine. For the past ten years, she has primarily focused on helping retailers digitize their sales process through Digital Retail and eCommerce (hear more about the benefits, but complexities of this newer endeavor in the episode!). She's also held roles in sales leadership and performance management at Dealer.com, Kelley Blue Book, Dealertrack and Autotrader.

In this episode you’ll hear Emily’s take on:

The distinction between digital retail and eCommerce
How eCommerce methods will require dealerships to create a different customer experience than digital retail requires
How dealers can begin implementing that retail process
Finding equity in relationships (and how that helps women in the industry!)
Why you should constantly network in this industry
How employers can promote DEI with positions that meet employee personal needs like family first policies (or flexibility needs)

For more about Emily, visit her LinkedIn profile.

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S02E18 - Pursuing Successful Entrepreneurship in Automotive Feb 08, 2023

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Dubbed by Elliot as a modern-day renaissance man, David Spisak, President and CEO of Disruptive Growth Solutions, LLC sure has the resume to prove it.

He didn’t go to college, but his desire to hustle and see results propelled him to reach success in his endeavors. David’s expertise is apparent throughout his nearly 40-year career – he’s served as a dealership operator where he achieved $29 million in annual net profit. He's created new software solutions, served on the board of multiple companies and is an advisor/consultant to dealerships and technology solution providers. David also co-founded Reverse Risk, a reporting solution that allows dealers to achieve high performance (and it later became the #1 reporting solution in the industry!).

In this episode you’ll hear David speak on:

Making the leap from retail to successful entrepreneur
How the automotive industry is a great place for future entrepreneurs
Specific, actionable advice for people working to move up in the industry
The importance of a proper mindset in sales to avoid limitations
Balancing the need for face-to-face customer interactions with today’s trend towards digital retail
What dealers can learn from Carvana’s success

For more about David, visit his LinkedIn profile.

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S02E17 - Lessons Learned as a Female CEO in Automotive Tech Jan 25, 2023

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Every leader in the automotive industry will want to hear this episode.

Natalia Giner, CEO at A2Z Sync, an automotive software solution for dealers, is a 20-year veteran of the car industry. Throughout her career, she’s navigated her fair share of ups and downs, while becoming a leader in a field that is still heavily male-dominated.

With humbleness and vulnerability, she shares her experiences starting out in the industry, to where she is today. Over the past three years at A2Z Sync, she has led the team that built the A2Z platform from scratch and successfully oversaw many dealer transitions to the One-Person Sales Model. Natalia’s primary focus is creating customer-centric experiences. She demonstrates passion for product development and business consulting in her mission to help dealers modernize car buying.

She details how A2Z Sync overcame an opportunity for better employee and customer experience within the dealership group and how that has impacted their business over the years.

In this episode you’ll also hear:

Leadership lessons from her first days in the industry to her current role at A2Z Sync
The importance of relationships and mentors in the auto industry
How helping dealers means adapting to their needs and creating customer-centric experiences
Not-to-miss advice for women entering the automotive industry
How the A2Z Sync platform has changed the sales process for dealers nationwide

For more about Natalia, visit her LinkedIn profile.

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.

S02E16 - Car Talk with an Automotive Journalist Dec 21, 2022

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Nicole Wakelin is no stranger to the automotive world – you have probably seen her work in U.S. News & World Report, The Boston Globe, Motor1 and Forbes (among others). Or maybe you’ve seen her coming in first among all novice entries in the 2022 Mille Miglia Warm-Up. Whether in the U.S. or abroad, Nicole, a renowned journalist, covers industry breaking news, writes reviews, and often attends car shows and new vehicle launches around the world.

A thought-leader in conferences and on the radio, Nicole also co-hosts two podcasts: the weekly Wheel Bearings Podcast and the Fast Women Podcast by Newsweek and is a juror for Women’s World Car of the Year, the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year, and the World Car Awards.

In this episode you’ll hear:

How Nicole’s love of cars – and an unexpected writing opportunity – launched her career as an automotive journalist
Whether passion between culture and cars still exists with the younger generations
How dealers can help consumers overcome objections and reservations to electric vehicles
Her perspective on whether car manufacturers or outside tech, like Apple or Google, should monitor driving

For more about Nicole, visit her LinkedIn profile.

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.

S02E15 - What Dealers Should Know About Advertising Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

A great commercial can impact your emotions, evoke action to buy/support a brand, and stick with you for years to come. Whether creating commercials for YouTube or print ads, dealers can benefit from understanding how to maximize marketing materials.

In this episode of The Walk Around podcast, hosts Marc Spoto and Elliot Schor discuss what dealers should know about advertising and marketing in today’s industry with Connie Gundrum, Chief Client Officer for DOM360, a full-service marketing agency.

From childhood, Connie knew she was destined to work in advertising. For over 20 years, she’s worked in the automotive industry and shares how she’s navigated an industry that’s heavily male-dominated. Plus, she gives advice for women considering – or already in – the industry.

Dealers, this is an episode you will want to share with your marketing team! Plenty of actionable tips and insider insight into marketing techniques to help your dealership’s growth and profitability.

In this episode you’ll hear:

Connie’s key advice for women in the industry and why relationship building is important
What excites her about the auto industry’s future
How the advertising landscape has changed over the years – (virtual reality)
The need for a compelling why-buy
Broadcast TV versus streaming advertising – what dealers should know
The state of digital retail/online buying
How dealers can look at social media in terms of dealership growth/exposure

For more about Connie, visit her LinkedIn profile.

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.

S02E14 - DTC Brands & Navigating Consumers’ EV Hesitations Nov 21, 2022

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What is the biggest hesitation for consumers when considering an electric vehicle purchase? How should dealers start to think differently about marketing EVs to their consumers? Listen in as AJ Detrick, Head of Sales in the US for Swedish automotive brand Polestar, answers these pressing EV questions – and more.

AJ shares sales techniques, his thoughts on consumer adoption to EVs and his personal experience driving EVs, plus a look at how Polestar’s business model helps them develop interpersonal longevity and relationships.

In this episode you’ll hear:

Benefits of the direct-to-consumer model, and how Polestar has created longevity that contributes to their sales goals
How to drive long-term consumer relationships through a focus on retention
What your dealership can do to address concerns around consumer hesitations towards EVs
The need for educational offerings at your dealership (and how it can help your sales! 😎) plus other tips

AJ has had the opportunity to oversee tremendous sales gains and forecast future growth for Polestar while supervising all sales and retail operations. Previously, he held positions at Volvo Cars North America and has over 15 years of experience in various sectors of the automotive retail industry, such as customer service, fleet and marketing.

For more about AJ, visit his LinkedIn profile.

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.

S02E13 - EVs, Labor Issues & Dealer Relevancy with Jason Stein Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

The auto industry continues to face a rise in electric vehicles, shortages in labor and speculation over the future of dealership relevancy as direct-to-consumer manufacturers like Tesla impact traditional sales processes. Today’s guest, Jason Stein, is well-positioned to discuss these trends and others impacting dealers, and spotlight what they can be excited (yes, excited!) about over the next few years.

A legend in the automotive industry, Jason Stein’s career in journalism has lasted more than 25 years and spanned the globe. He’s lived in Munich, Germany as a reporter and publisher, attended auto shows in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, and contributed to national and international radio programs and various speaking engagements. He led industry-known Automotive News in various capacities – as reporter and publisher of Automotive News Europe, to publisher of Detroit-based Automotive News from 2013 until August 2021. Currently Jason is the Owner & CEO of Flat Six Media, a media services and broadcasting platform, and the host of SiriusXM’s radio show, “Cars & Culture with Jason Stein,” which has featured celebrity guests like Mark Wahlberg, Jay Leno and Formula 1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali.

In this episode you’ll hear:

How cars unite the world and why people experience emotional connections to vehicles
How those emotional connections indicate that the traditional dealership model is still relevant
Why dealers should not let the Teslas of the world cloud their growth goals
Speculation over where consumers will gravitate in the future as it relates to powertrains
Dialogue over whether there is a correct way for OEMs to approach EVs as a business model
The importance of continuous learning for dealers to stay relevant as the industry changes and more

For more about Jason, visit his LinkedIn profile.

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.

S02E12 - Turn Digital Interactions Into Customer Engagement Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

With the rising prevalence of online car buying and digital purchase pathways, in what ways can dealerships maximize their presence to engage consumers and turn those engagements into meaningful in-person experiences? We dig into the details and much more in this episode of The Walk Around.

Customer acquisition is a necessity for all retailers, and digital engagement is a key resource for meeting your customers where they are and understanding what drives them. For dealerships it also creates an opportunity to educate consumers on your products and position your business as a helpful advisor in the awareness and sales process. This can play a pivotal role in building knowledge and comfort for consumers in the EV buying and ownership experience.

Knowing this, consider if your dealership is optimizing digital retail tools. There’s an exciting opportunity in today’s market to significantly improve your dealership’s technology offerings to reach more customers to drive brand awareness as well as product education. Kevin Joostema, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Car-ED, a media and digital marketing services provider, has the insights dealers need to know on how to leverage digital touchpoints and turn them into quality in-person interactions. Speaking from years of experience in the automotive world, where he’s worked with top brands within the US, Japan/Asia and Germany, he is also the current sitting President of the Washington Automotive Press Association (WAPA) and has served on the board for four years.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Will autonomous driving make a comeback amidst the presence of EVs?
The link between emotional connections and consumer satisfaction with products
How will test driving change with EV sales despite the trend of buying completely online?
How digital retail tools can be a gamechanger for acquiring customers in today’s market
As a journalist who gets to test drive and review various vehicles, Kevin shares what’s exciting to him in auto products technology today and more!

For more about Kevin, visit his LinkedIn profile.

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.

S02E11 - How Dealers Can Increase Retention by Putting People First Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

Has employee hiring and retention been a pressing issue for your dealership lately? With a slowing economy and inventory shortages still present, retention is a prevalent issue at dealerships nationwide. Adam Robinson, Co-Founder and CEO at Hireology, details his thoughts on the industry’s service demand and what dealers can do to mitigate turnover.

For over 20 years, Adam has shared his expertise in recruiting and development. He authored “The Best Team Wins: Build Your Business Through Predictive Hiring,” and has helped Hireology grow into a leading people-first recruiting and HR platform that uses predictive data and technology to improve hiring processes for business owners.

In this episode you’ll hear:

How dealers can stay relevant in an industry that is rigidly retail
The concept of viewing employment as a product and how that can help recruitment processes
Labor market trends in the automotive industry
Why money IS NOT the primary motivator when employees consider their employer
What dealers can offer employees to help retention, plus a lot more!

For more about Matt, visit his LinkedIn profile.

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.

S02E10 - The Walk Around Podcast Turns Two! Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

It’s 2022, we can celebrate podcast birthdays right?

Well it’s our second birthday at The Walk Around podcast, and we couldn’t be more excited. Throughout the production of more than 50 episodes (wow!), we’ve discussed the automotive trends and issues facing the modern industry with thought leaders across the nation.

In this episode, Marc Spoto and Elliot Schor are joined by our first season’s podcast hosts Danny Vendrell and Nick Funsch. Together, they reflect on highlights from the past two years and end with – you guessed it – A Schor Thing. And a special, heartfelt thanks to one former host who helped shape the beginning of The Walk Around.

Thank you to all who have listened – we’ve had over 10,000 listens on our episodes! We hope you’re learning plenty of actionable tips for improving processes in all areas of your dealership.

Make sure to subscribe so you know when new episodes are released. 😎

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.

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