The Dealer Playbook

• “Luxury Isn’t About Price” How to Deliver Premium Experiences That Raise Gross | Marion Cain, Founder of ACE & Creator of Kharisma Mastery

  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 marketThe luxury experience blueprint (even if you don’t sell a luxury marque)The first 90 seconds: posture, eye contact, tone, cadence, confident welcomeStatus framing that stops margin compression (people pay more when status rises)“Portable stories” that customers retell (and why they convert better than features)True Cost of Ownership: simple math that moves logical buyers todayPersonality-based selling with GPT: your type + their type → custom talk-track in minutesThe Dominoes Method to stack actions and create 3-car days + F&I platinum winsTimestamps / Chapters00:00 Introduction02:38 Introducing Marion Cain and Charisma Mastery05:03 Creating a Luxury Experience05:46 Building Lifetime Relationships09:42 Effective Introductions and Customer Engagement14:36 Personal Stories and Vulnerability in Sales16:01 Controlling the Sales Experience21:06 Understanding Customer Psychology23:49 The Importance of Personalization28:07 Practical Insights for Scaling Human Connection31:35 The Domino Effect in Sales33:55 Final Thoughts and Connecting with the SpeakerWho this helps: Dealer principals, GMs/GSMs, sales managers, F&I, BDC leads—anyone driving grosses, CSI, and repeat/repurchase.

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• “Extremes Get Clicks”: What 3,000 Pros Just Told Us About AI vs. Google | Marcus Sheridan, Author of Endless Customers | Ep. 684

  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 service (and why “faster, friction-free” always wins)What “legacy Google is dying” actually means (and what still works today)A pragmatic playbook to future-proof dealership SEO with AI search behavior in mindThe 4 pillars from Endless Customers to become the most known and trusted brand in your marketTimestamps00:00 Intro00:04 The Rise of Chat GPT00:39 The Value of Human Connection02:14 Introducing Marcus Sheridan03:21 Why extremes go viral (and why nuance converts)09:20 The Future of SEO and AI20:02 Authenticity and Performance31:21 The Concept of Agency32:08 Identity and Belonging39:04 The Future of SEO and AI44:55 The Power of Adaptation51:10 The Middle Ground Perspective57:58 Endless Customers and AI01:00:40 Conclusion and Call to ActionGiveaway: We’re gifting 10 copies of Endless Customers. Rate the show on Apple/Spotify, screenshot it, and email [email protected]. First 10 in the inbox win.Who this is episode for: Car dealership owners, GMs, marketing leaders, BDC, fixed ops, and anyone responsible for traffic, leads, and CSI.

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• “Curiosity Beats Fear Every Time”: How Dealers Are Future-Proofing Their Teams for AI and Electrification | Sebrina Westbrooke, Program Manager at Georgian College | Ep. 683

  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, not shelf-ware: learners work directly from their own DMS reports, financial statements, PMA data, and benchmarks, then implement changes in-store—like a fixed ops tune-up that lifted department profit by 6% in the first month. We also dig into the gaps that hold back new general managers (often promoted for past results, not leadership readiness) and how to close them with clarity, data, and soft-skill mastery.What you’ll learn:How to turn curiosity into an operating system that reduces fear around AI and EV transitionsA practical way to replace “gut feel” with dealership data—and the exact questions great leaders askWhy fixed ops fluency is the hidden unlock for many first-time GMs from the variable sideThe leadership capabilities that matter now: critical thinking, problem-solving, human-centric managementHow to align culture, engagement, and training with profitability (and stop overspending to “buy” results)Who this is for: car dealership owners, dealer principals, general managers, department leaders, and emerging leaders who want measurable performance in sales, service, and F&I—without waiting on manufacturer incentives or bigger ad budgets.

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• Alex Lawrence: The Playbook for Selling EVs in a Volatile Market | Car Sales | Ep. 682

  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 trends.In this conversation, we get real about what it takes to grow an EV-only business through volatility, tax credit chaos, and all the unpredictable swings of an emerging market. Alex breaks down how he and his team literally sold their final cars minutes before the EV tax incentive expired, using the power of social media.We also dive into:Why authenticity on social media has become one of the strongest moats in business today.The psychology of urgency, and how it can move people to take action at 11PM on a Saturday.What it really means to juggle entrepreneurship, teaching, and family without losing your soul in the process.Why the EV revolution isn’t dead, it’s just getting started.Alex’s story is proof that doing the hard thing, the long thing, and the real thing still works.If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to build something meaningful when the market’s uncertain and the playbook doesn’t exist. this one’s for you.

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• Tara Willis: How to Build a Culture That Sells Cars | Car Sales | Ep. 681

  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 in a predominantly male space, the lessons she’s learned sitting in boardrooms across the automotive world, and what it really takes to create workplaces where every voice can be heard. Tara shares honest reflections about mentorship, empathy, and the power of communication, especially when intent and impact don’t always line up.We also dive into why she believes there’s still so much hope in the future of car buying and the automotive industry, from evolving technology to stronger community connections through dealership philanthropy. And she shares how her work with Empowering Auto is helping inspire the next generation of car industry leaders.If you’re passionate about car sales, automotive leadership, or the human side of this business, this conversation will remind you why the industry is worth believing in.

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