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PODCAST

The Dealer Playbook

Michael Cirillo

The Dealer Playbook is the top-rated podcast for automotive professionals who want to dominate the retail industry. Hosted by Michael Cirillo, this show delivers expert interviews, proven strategies, and actionable insights to help you sell more cars, lead stronger teams, and grow thriving dealerships. Whether you work in sales, service, F&I, marketing, or management, you’ll gain the tools and confidence to excel in a rapidly evolving market.Join thousands of listeners every week who trust The

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All Episodes

00:15:20

“You’re Getting the Diluted Version”: How Dealers Are...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2026/02/24

Dealers are spending more on advertising than ever… and according to Subi Ghosh, many of them are still playing the game wrong.This conversation from NADA 2026 might be one of the most important shifts we’ve discussed on The Dealer Playbook.She believes the real issue in automotive advertising isn’t traffic. It isn’t creativity. It isn’t even budget.It’s fragmentation.In this episode Subi Ghosh who is the Head of Partnerships at Fullthrottle and one of the driving forces behind Auto Media

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00:16:45

“We Built an AI Department” - Why Dealers Need a Real...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2026/02/17

Most dealers are talking about AI. Jeff Swickard is building an AI department inside his auto group.In this special episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael Cerullo sits down with Jeff Swickard, President & CEO of Swickard Auto Group, to unpack what it actually takes to operationalize AI inside a dealership group—without breaking culture, customer experience, or your tech stack.Jeff shares how they built an enterprise data warehouse in Microsoft Azure, why integration is the real battle, and how

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00:35:17

"Win the Top-of-Mind Battle" - Why Most Salespeople...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2026/01/27

Everyone’s chasing the next shiny tactic. New platforms. New hacks. New promises.But what if the stuff that actually works… never stopped working?In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, I sit down with my longtime friend Charles Cannon, General Manager at BMW West Houston, for a real conversation about building a career in this business by doing the simple things consistently, especially when everyone else is distracted.Charles and I go back almost a decade, to a time when personal branding in

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00:34:17

"Sold 300+ Used Cars" - This ford store cracked the...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2026/01/20

How do you sell 300+ used cars a month in a town of 2,900 people, and buy 240 vehicles off the street without relying on auctions?In this episode, Rob Ruth the President / Owner of Bob Ruth Ford, Dillsburg PA breaks down the real playbook behind scaling a pre-owned-first dealership inside a franchise system, and why a startup mindset, disciplined acquisition, and a culture built on partnership can outperform “bigger market” excuses.Rob shares exactly how they pivoted during COVID when inventory

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00:35:39

"The Sir Walter Way" - How a 100-Year Dealership...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2026/01/13

What does a modern car dealership look like in 2025, without losing the human connection that actually builds loyalty?In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, I sit down with Matt Birkhead, Dealer Principal at Sir Walter Chevrolet in Raleigh, North Carolina, a nearly 100-year-old, single-point store that’s grown by leaning into transparency, simplified pricing, community involvement, and people-first leadership.Matt breaks down “The Sir Walter Way” a smarter way to shop, an easier way to service, and

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00:37:51

"Design is an operating system" - How Architecture...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2026/01/06

Do dealership buildings actually sell cars, or do they quietly kill the experience?In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, we sit down with Josh Keough, Licensed Architect and Studio Director at Gensler, to unpack how dealership architecture, layout, and environment design directly impact sales efficiency, fixed ops performance, employee retention, and guest experience.With more than 25 years of experience and 1,600+ sales and service locations designed worldwide, Josh shares how future-ready

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00:28:51

"A 2025 Year in Review" - The Real Lessons of 2025...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/12/30

What if the reason things didn’t click in 2025 has less to do with your tools and more to do with your willingness to change?In this solo year in review episode, I’m slowing things down to reflect on what 2025 actually taught us. Not the highlight reel. The real stuff. The hard conversations, the uncomfortable growth, the moments where leadership, culture, and discipline mattered more than any shiny new strategy.This year reminded me of something I’ve believed for a long time. Sustainable success

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00:41:32

"Kickstart Your Wealth Engine" - How a Kia GM Built...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/12/23

What if your success today could quietly sabotage your future, unless you build a plan beyond the next car deal?In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, I sit down with Tustin Ulrich, General Manager of Roper Kia (one of the most dominant Kia stores in Missouri) and founder of The 1% Effect, a real estate investor concierge designed specifically for high-earning operators who don’t want to lose focus on today while building freedom for tomorrow.This is not a conversation about selling cars.This is a

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00:37:49

"The ‘Pull, Not Push’ Strategy" - How Authentic...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/12/16

What happens when precision from aviation meets creativity in automotive marketing?In this episode, Ashley Brockhurst, Director of Marketing and Health & Safety at Charlesglen Toyota in Calgary, Alberta — “Alberta’s Celebration Destination” — shares how her dealership’s community-first philosophy is redefining what automotive retail can look like.From aviation safety to dealership marketing leadership, Ashley’s story proves how curiosity, culture, and compassion fuel innovation. She opens up

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00:49:26

“Hospitality First” — The Signature 2.0 Experience...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/12/09

What happens when a dealer group bets big on hospitality, culture, and process, instead of pressure, price, and tradition?Today, multi-store operator JB Burnett joins me to unpack the launch of his brand new Ford Signature 2.0 store, the first of its kind in the world, and why the guest experience is now his most powerful competitive advantage.We dive into how he moved an entire dealership eight miles in four days, opened to record-setting sales weeks, and rebuilt the buying journey around

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00:53:25

"Viral for the Right Reasons" - What Dealers Can...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/12/02

If you’ve ever wondered how a small-town Ford store ends up going mega-viral, builds a loyal community, and turns everyday dealership life into must-watch content… this episode is for you.Today I’m joined by the brilliant, hilarious, and wildly creative Noella Salter, the marketing manager behind Lang & Fetter Ford’s social media presence that the entire industry can’t stop talking about. She’s turned a rural Canadian dealership into a personality-driven brand that people actually want to

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00:36:33

“Every Crisis Is Free Profit” — How to Turn...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/11/25

What if your biggest dealership problems aren’t “market problems”… but creativity problems?In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael sits down with Nir Bashan, world-renowned creativity expert, founder & CEO of The Creator Mindset, LLC, Clio Award winner, and Emmy-nominated former Hollywood/advertising executive to show car dealers how to use creativity as a practical business tool, not fluffy “inspiration,” but real-world tactics that move metal, grow service, and improve culture.Nir has

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00:26:29

“Use the Equity, Not the Gut” Where the Data Says...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/11/18

How should Canadian dealers REALLY be using data to price, appraise, and move inventory in 2025?In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael sits down with Yolanda Bishwah, President of Canadian Black Book (CBB), the data backbone behind used vehicle valuations and residual forecasts for OEMs, lenders, and retailers across the country.With 65+ years of market data at her fingertips, Yolanda breaks down how Canadian Black Book reads the market, what’s really happening with wholesale and retail

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00:35:11

“Luxury Isn’t About Price” How to Deliver Premium...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/11/11

Guest Marion Cain (ACE founder; creator of Kharisma Mastery) breaks down a science-based playbook for dealership sales and F&I teams to own the room, deliver luxury touchpoints (on any brand), and turn trust into revenue. We cover the first 90 seconds, nonverbal cues, “portable stories,” True Cost of Ownership framing, and how to use GPT/AI to tailor your pitch to any buyer’s personality, without losing the human.You’ll learnWhy buyers now follow salespeople and how to stand out in a saturated

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01:02:04

“Extremes Get Clicks”: What 3,000 Pros Just Told Us...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/11/04

AI vs. Google isn’t theoretical anymore; your buyers are already switching how they search.In this episode, Marcus Sheridan (author of They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers) shares fresh data from ~3,000 pros on how often they now use ChatGPT instead of Google, what that means for SEO, content, and lead gen, and how car dealerships can pivot now to stay discoverable.You’ll learn:Why “extremes get clicks” (and how to win with balanced, trust-first content)The real timeline for AI in customer

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00:27:09

“Curiosity Beats Fear Every Time”: How Dealers Are...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/10/27

Curiosity beats fear in modern retail automotive. In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael Cirillo sits down with Sebrina Westbrooke, Program Manager at Georgian College’s Automotive Business School of Canada and lead for the Canadian Dealer Academy, to unpack how car dealerships are future-proofing leadership teams for AI, electrification, digital retailing, and connected services—without losing the human connection that drives performance.You’ll hear how the Academy builds real operators,

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00:44:27

Alex Lawrence: The Playbook for Selling EVs in a...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/10/21

There’s something special about people who build where no blueprint exists.My guest today, Alex Lawrence, is one of those people.He’s a tech veteran, tenured professor, and serial entrepreneur who co-founded EV Auto, one of the first dealership groups in the U.S. dedicated entirely to used EVs and plug-in hybrids.But what really stands out about Alex isn’t just what he’s built, it’s how he’s built it. With patience, conviction, and a willingness to play the long game while everyone else chases

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00:27:20

Tara Willis: How to Build a Culture That Sells Cars |...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/10/14

What makes someone dream of being in the car business, and then actually make it happen?In this episode, I sit down with Tara Willis, a seasoned automotive professional who turned her childhood love for cars into a 20-year career working with major automotive brands like BMW, Subaru, Nissan, and Infiniti. Tara now leads product marketing and incentives planning at Infiniti, and she’s using her voice to shape what leadership looks like in today’s auto industry.We talk about how she found her footing

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00:33:40

Jean-Pierre Lacroix: The Most Underrated Tool For...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/10/07

Selling more cars isn't for the faint of heart. It requires daily commitment, discipline, and genuine human connection. In this episode, my guest is Jean-Pierre Lacroix, president and founder of SLD, a global branding firm that’s spent more than 30 years helping businesses win customers by tapping into what really drives decisions: emotion. He’s the author of Think Blink Manifesto, a book that lays out seven powerful ways brands can create lasting connections in an instant.We get into some big

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00:31:51

Brad Gelber: How New York’s Largest Auto Group...

The Dealer Playbook ·

2025/09/30

In this episode my guest is Brad Gelber, Digital Media and Content Marketing Manager at West Herr Auto Group, the largest privately owned dealer group in New York. Brad and I dive into what it really takes to market a dealership in today’s world without sounding like every other store in town. We talk about the role leadership and culture play in shaping a brand’s voice, why raw phone-shot content often outperforms polished commercials, and how to uncover stories that are hiding in plain sight

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696 results

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