Britt Beck

Want help in figuring out all the things Google announced recently about AI Search for your dealership - we've updated the deck with all the nuggets you need to know so get registerted today? #GA4 #AISearch

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Toyota's 2026 Camry enhances the company's reputation for selling reliable, tech-forward, stylish sedans when makers are fleeing the segment. #Toyota #ToyotaEmployee https://lnkd.in/ePyS-M_M

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Ford CEO Jim Farley told industry leaders what he thinks the future for EVs really is and how Ford must position itself to grow revenue in the future. https://lnkd.in/gwxvedK4

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IIHS continues to push automakers forward with a new whiplash test program launched today. New ratings for 18 small SUVs give consumers another important point to consider when shopping for a vehicle. https://lnkd.in/eq9x-mUS

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Affordability isn’t solved by a single lever. I appreciated the opportunity to share my perspective with Automotive News alongside other finance leaders on how dealers can address affordability without sacrificing long-term profitability. Dealers are combating today’s affordability challenge by focusing on overall profitability, genuine customer value, and smarter F&I strategies. From offering a wider range of vehicle options to flexible protection plans that meet real ownership needs. Efficiency, value-based selling, and customer experience aren’t “nice to haves” anymore; they’re essential. Worth the read: https://lnkd.in/eFEXEMfk

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Podcasts and videos are reshaping content consumption for automotive dealerships. Each format engages audiences differently, driving customer connections and sales. https://lnkd.in/e67KM7aW

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🎯 Want to Land That Automotive Job? Here's What Actually Works: As a headhunter who speaks to Dealer Principals and GMs daily, I can tell you this: 🚗 Automotive interviews aren’t about talking more — they’re about proving more. Here are 5 powerful tips I share with top candidates I personally headhunt: Be Deal-Ready – Mention recent cars you sold, CSI wins, or targets you smashed. Know the Brand – Research their dealership. Be able to talk OEM systems, culture, and competitors. Speak Results – Say: “I sold X units in 3 months,” not “I love selling.” Ask Smart Questions – Great candidates interview the dealership too. Don’t wing it – Know your numbers. Stock turns, GP, first-time-right %, lead conversion. If you don’t know, they’ll move on. 👀 Looking for your next opportunity? 📩 Send your CV to: brenda@toplinejobs.co.za 🧾 Subject: Your Name + Role + Area Only for SA dealership professionals. #ToplineJobs #AutomotiveCareers #HeadhuntingTips #VehicleSales #InterviewTips #WeHeadhuntNotRecruit #SouthAfricaJobs

Dealerships overcharging for cars is a rising concern. When is it acceptable, and how should dealers navigate those conversations? Demand and rarity often justify higher prices. But transparency is critical. Customers deserve clear explanations—not hidden fees or pressure tactics. Building trust means explaining market dynamics, inventory constraints, and the value offered. Honesty builds loyalty. Opacity destroys it. #CustomerService #SalesStrategy #AutoIndustry #Transparency

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There are more women in automotive than people realize especially stepping into service advisor roles and they’re being asked to learn one of the most complex parts of the shop on the fly. Parts. Labor. Pricing. Accuracy. Confidence. And the expectation? Figure it out quickly. I’ve been thinking a lot about what that actually looks like. Because it’s not easy to walk into an industry where you’re already working to prove yourself… and at the same time be expected to memorize: * Every part tied to a repair * Every gasket, seal, and add-on that shouldn’t be missed * How to quote jobs accurately and confidently under pressure That’s a lot. For anyone. But here’s what I’m excited about At Shift, we’re building tools that don’t just help shops… they help people and especially women-show up more confidently in roles that haven’t always been easy to step into. ✔️ Giving service advisors the information they need in real time ✔️ Helping ensure nothing gets missed on a job ✔️ Supporting better, more confident communication with customers ✔️ Reducing the pressure of “having to know everything” immediately Because when you give someone the right tools, you don’t just make them better at their job… You give them the ability to own their seat at the table. And if we want to see more women continue to grow in this industry ~and stay in it , this kind of support matters. I’m really excited to be part of something that’s helping make that happen at Shift Automotive

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Do low interest make a difference? More than half of car shoppers told CDK Global in a recent study that not only did higher interest rates influence their timetable... they said they were "forced" to wait on a car purchase because rates were too high for their budget. Here's a quick read on the data: https://lnkd.in/gih-VBmn

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Can you imagine what would happen if we organized the business around the needs of customers and earning their loyalty? My 91 year old mom gets her oil changed every 5000 miles and has for 30 years…and buys the same brand every 27 months from the same dealer…one day she was driving by and decided to drop in for an oil change…the response “sorry ma’am, we only take appointments so you will have to go home , get online and make one” who’s benefit was that for….? Run by service people for the convenience of service people where the customer is a mere distraction to an otherwise orderly day….

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Lead volume is dipping across automotive— But dealerships staying sharp on response time and leaning into multi-channel communication are still winning. Dennis Gingrich, Sales & Finance Director at The Niello Company, explains how urgency and clarity are driving conversions. "People are consuming video content no matter where they go, what they do. It's how we learn, it's how we find entertainment. And if we can send our customers a high-quality custom video about their vehicle of interest, confirm their appointment, we are seeing more engagement." "We want all of our leads to be answered in under 10 minutes. And then if you don't answer a lead here in under 10 minutes, you lost your lead. It goes to somebody else." "We don't know with a hundred percent certainty what medium of communication the customer wants to use. So we gotta be consistent in using everything at our disposal to give them a quick, high quality response that they can engage with and answer the damn question that customers are asking." - Thank you to our partner Nomad Content Studio - The Go-To Content Partner for Dealers! Check them out by visiting trynomad.co

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On the next episode of DKWN I sit down with Skyler Chadwick to dive deep on the state of service. What's working, what isn't, and how dealers can take their service department to the next level with a few minor tweaks. #dkwn #automotiveservice

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U.S. auto sales showed modest strength in April, but affordability remains a key pressure point as higher monthly payments, tariffs, and negative equity continue to impact buyers. At the same time, demand is shifting toward hybrids, reflecting a more cost-conscious and practical consumer. #automotive #affordability

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Many GM dealers are sitting on IMR funds right now that will never get fully used. After years of working inside dealerships and around the GM IMR ecosystem, I kept seeing the same pattern repeat itself. So I built something to fix it. Today, we launched IMRpros.com. IMRpros helps GM dealers turn underused IMR funds into a structured strategy, compliant submissions, and real community-driven market activation. Not just reimbursement. Execution. Now that we have launched the website, we are opening four dealership spots to work closely with stores that want to maximize their IMR funds before the end of the year. This includes: • identifying unused IMR funds • building a smarter IMR strategy • planning community marketing and events • handling submissions and documentation • making sure programs actually get executed If you're a GM Dealer Principal, GM, or Marketing Director who knows there’s IMR opportunity sitting on the table, I'd be happy to talk. You can learn more here: 👉 https://imrpros.com

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One thing about the auto industry, it's the long view that matters; the monthly numbers are often just noise. The mid-month Manheim Index is higher than end of May, but the non-seasonally adjusted values are lower. Confusing, I know. But the long view is crystal clear: Used-vehicle values today are notably higher than one year ago, adjusted (6.5%) or not (5.6%). Here's the data on that: https://lnkd.in/gA-8g4kT

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Partner Index Spotlight: HRIZN Great dealership marketing isn’t about chasing trends — it’s about telling the right story, to the right audience, at the right time. At the Automotive AI Summit, HRIZN Co-Founder Matt Copley delivered his keynote “storytelling. (and the AI hype cycle),” unpacking how dealers can: 🔹 Build an organic content footprint that outranks paid ads 🔹 Maintain brand accuracy at scale with enterprise-grade governance 🔹 Use AI as a storytelling partner — not just a content machine HRIZN’s AI-powered platform helps dealerships produce SEO-optimized articles, landing pages, ads, and social posts in minutes — all while protecting brand integrity and driving measurable ROI. 📺 Watch Matt Copley’s keynote on-demand – free with your unique access code or by registering here: https://lnkd.in/eAjkz8cT #AutomotiveAISummit #AAS2025 #HRIZN #AIinMarketing #DealershipInnovation #Storytelling #ContentAtScale

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Manheim numbers out this morning: In February, values for used vehicles were increasing, as demand was healthy. As we roll into March, says Jeremy Robb, our chief economist, "Recent geopolitical events introduce new risks to the economy, and that may put a damper on consumer appetite in the short run, as people digest the news in the Middle East." Read the quick Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) report here. https://lnkd.in/gXh-3pgT

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