In the automobile business, salespeople often complain about “shoppers,” “tire kickers,” and “people wasting time.” But after more than 30 years in the automotive industry, I’ve come to believe something very different: 100% of shoppers are buyers. The real problem is not whether the customer intends to buy. The problem is whether the salesperson understands how that customer buys. And that is exactly why Step 1 of our sales training system inside Auto Dealership Academy is c

Walk into almost any dealership and bring up social media with a salesperson, and you’ll hear the same reactions: “I don’t know what to post.” “I tried it… nothing happened.” “I don’t have time for that.” And on the surface, that all sounds reasonable. But the real issue isn’t time… or creativity… or even technology. It’s a misunderstanding of what social media is actually supposed to do for a salesperson. The Biggest Mistake: Treating Social Media Like a Scoreboard Most sale

There’s a lot of noise in the marketplace right now—slowing sales, affordability pressure, interest rates, tariff concerns, and uncertainty about where the economy is heading next. But if you zoom out and look at history, one thing becomes clear: The automotive business has always shifted in cycles. It never stays “easy” for long. It just changes the rules. And right now, we’re in another rule change. 🚗 The 1970s: When the Entire Market Was Forced to Rebuild Overnight One of

Most automotive salespeople are still being trained the same way they were 10, 20, even 30 years ago. Go get leads.Work the floor.Follow up more.Hope the phone rings. And while effort is never the problem… the approach is outdated. Because the reality in today’s market is simple: 👉 You don’t have a lead problem. 👉 You have a visibility problem. The opportunities are already there. They’ve just never been framed correctly. 🚗 The Shift From Prospecting to Harvesting Traditio

Take a look at the business card of most automobile salespeople and you’ll often see a title like Sales Consultant, Product Specialist, or Automotive Consultant. But here’s the honest question… Are we really consulting? Or are we just presenting inventory, discussing payments, and waiting for objections? Because true consulting means helping people make better decisions—not simply helping them buy a vehicle. And right now, one of the biggest missed opportunities in automotive

If you’re in the automobile business right now, especially in sales or management, you’ve probably asked yourself this question: Is the luxury automotive market still growing… or is it starting to slow down? With rising interest rates, changing buyer behavior, EV uncertainty, and economic pressure in major markets like China and North America, it’s a fair question. The short answer? The luxury automotive market is still growing overall—but growth has slowed, and the market ha

If you’re in automotive sales, you’ve heard it all before: “I want to think about it.”“I need to talk to my spouse.”“I’ll sleep on it.”“I’m not in a rush right now.” And most salespeople immediately assume one thing: It must be the price. So they do what they’ve been taught to do… They start negotiating. They sharpen the pencil.They ask the manager for more discount.They start sacrificing gross profit just to try and save the deal. And most of the time? It still doesn’t close

There was a time when negotiation in the car business was simple. A customer would ask: “Is there any wiggle room?”“Are you negotiable?” And we could confidently respond: “Absolutely. The best thing to do is come in, take a look at the vehicle, and we’ll work something out.” That worked. But today? It doesn’t. Today’s customer is saying: “If you don’t give me a price, I’m not coming in.”“If you can’t give me numbers, I’ll just shop somewhere else.” And whether we like it or n

Why You Keep Hearing “I Need to Think About It” (And It’s Not About Price) If you’re in automotive sales right now, you’ve probably heard this more times than you can count: “I want to think about it.” “I need to talk to my spouse.” “I’ll sleep on it.”“I’m not in a rush.” And most salespeople immediately go here: “It must be the price.” So what do they do? They start negotiating. They start discounting. hey start chasing. And just like that… gross profit disappears. But here’

In the automotive sales industry, most training focuses on lead generation, prospecting, or negotiation—but far too often, the critical moment of presentation and delivery is overlooked. Step 3 of the $ix Figure Manifesto, known as the Presentation Secrets , is designed to change that. This is where ordinary salespeople transform into high-performing professionals who consistently close more deals, hold higher gross profit, and create loyal, satisfied customers. Why Presenta

As we move deeper into the year, dealerships start seeing a familiar shift. The new model-year vehicles are arriving, and the outgoing 2025 models are transitioning into post-model status. For many customers, this signals an opportunity to push for discounts, negotiate hard, or try to “game the system.” For salespeople, this can be a stressful time — or it can be the perfect opportunity to shine. The difference lies in mastering negotiation . Why Negotiation Is More Than Pric

Every successful automobile salesperson has one thing in common: they don’t leave their income to chance. They understand the numbers behind their success, they plan for it, and they execute consistently. That’s exactly what Step 7 in the Auto Dealership Academy system — Growing Your Business — is all about. Known as the Dynamics Performance Matrix Calculator , or what we like to call the Dream Job Calculator , this step is where your dream job of selling cars becomes realit

If you’ve been in the car business for any length of time, you’ve heard it over and over again: “Follow the steps.” “Stick to the process.” “Don’t skip anything.” Sounds good in theory. But in the real world? It doesn’t work the way people think it does. Because today’s car buyer doesn’t follow your steps.And if you try to force them to… you’ll lose them. Let’s talk about what’s really going on — and how to fix it. The Modern Car Buyer Is Not “Just Looking” Here’s the first m

If you’ve ever looked into sales training for your dealership, you’ve probably asked the same question everyone does: “What exactly do we get?” And it’s a fair question. Because most training programs sound good on the surface — a workshop here, a speaker there, maybe a few videos — but when you really break it down… There’s a missing piece. Actually, there are two missing pieces : Consistency Real training (not just teaching) Let me explain. The Problem with Traditional Sale

There’s a misconception in the car business that success comes down to talent, personality, or “natural ability.” It doesn’t. Success in automobile sales comes down to executing the right activities—consistently and effectively—every single day. Recently, I had the opportunity to work hands-on with a dealership team that was struggling. The results weren’t where they needed to be. Confidence was low. Consistency was missing. But within a very short period of time—by focusing

As we move deeper into the final months of the year, there’s something crucial every salesperson must understand: this time of year, buyers are feeling pressure, but not all pressure is the same . Most shoppers aren’t just worried about price—they’re worried about missing out on the exact vehicle they want, right now . Here’s the reality: 2025 models are scarce and likely gone, especially those with the hottest features or 0% financing. Buyers who hesitate will miss out. 202

Let me ask you something… How many times have you had a customer in front of you — they like the vehicle, the numbers are close, everything seems right… …and then you hear: “I just want to think about it.”“I’m going to shop around.”“I’ll come back.” And they don’t. That’s not a traffic problem.That’s not a pricing problem. That’s a process problem. And more specifically… it’s a buyer-behaviour problem. The Real Reason You’re Not Selling on the First Visit Most salespeople ar

Identifying and adapting to the 4 Buyer Behaviors every car shopper exhibits. If you’ve ever felt like you were saying the right things but still not connecting… or if some shoppers drain your time while others shut you down before you start… Thursday’s class is going to change everything. Here’s the preview: THE 4 BUYER BEHAVIORS (And how to instantly spot them so you can pivot your approach and close more deals.) Every shopper who walks into your dealership falls into one

🎙️ Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@autodealershipacademy/podcasts In this episode of the Auto Dealership Academy Podcast, Bill Harvey sits down with Dalton Gotting—one of the most impressive success stories to come out of the Academy. Just a few months ago, Dalton was averaging 8 vehicles per month , working hard but not seeing the results he knew he was capable of. After implementing the 3-Phase, 9-Step Buyology System , everything changed. Today, Dalton is consistently de

I know a lot of you are telling yourself stories this week. “Cyber Monday distractions…” “Holiday season coming… people are focused on gifts not cars…” “Advertising’s off, showroom traffic’s down…” And maybe a few of you even believe that hitting 15 this month is a stretch — so 10’s all you aim for. Let me stop the excuses right there. Reality check — the data says there ARE sales happening right now Across North America, auto-sales volumes have rebounded. In Canada, Q4 sale