Mammoth Training Podcast

EP.18 Casey Greseth

In this episode I interview Casey Greseth from Kansas BG, who is the GSM and has been at the company for about 6 years. After all of his experience in sales with BG Products, Casey clarifies the difference between those that perform at a high level, and those that don't.

Ep. 17 - Caleb Tingle

This week on Smoke & Burn, I catch up with Caleb Tingle, the sales manager for Premaco Inc. in Georgia. Caleb and I had a great conversation about the roles that "fun and convenience" play in a service advisor's success, structuring menu packs that service staff buy into, and utilizing contests and promotions to save a failing program. I'm excited to take some of these ideas into my accounts, and I think you will be, too!

Ep. 16 - Todd McCallum

Todd McCallum is the Fixed Operations Director for the Walker Automotive Group in Alexandria, LA, and the former Fixed Operations Director for the LaFontaine Automotive Group in Detroit. Todd has been in the automotive industry for 30 years, and has worked in partnership with BG to build many successful maintenance programs. In this episode, Todd and I discuss the many challenges and opportunities facing service advisors and technicians, the importance of process on the service drive, finding a comfortable balance with maintenance sales, and the future of automotive service. This was a really interesting discussion, and it gave me a great perspective on how to implement effective, sustainable, and profitable practices within a dealership!

Ep. 15 - Brett Baker

This week, I'm joined by Brett Baker, owner of Sandler Training in Springfield, MO. Brett works with many different BG distributorships across the country, helping them develop and implement a unique sales process using Sandler Training methods. In this episode, we discuss alternatives to the feature/benefit method of sales, upending the customers expectations of what a sales call should sound like, permission based selling on the service drive, and many of the interesting rules that the Sandler Training system uses to govern interactions with customers. I found this to be a fun and thought-provoking conversation, and if you enjoy delving into the theory behind sales methods, I think you'll enjoy it, as well. If you would like to learn more about Sandler Training, visit www.sandler.com, or if you want to get in touch with Brett directly, reach him at bbaker@sandler.com. 

 

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Ep. 14 - Rob Leary

Rob Leary is the Director of Sales for SmartVMA, Eastern US/Canada, and has been in the dealer software and technology industry for most of his career. In this episode, he and I discuss DMS trends across the industry, best practices for building menus and structuring package content, sales techniques, accountability measures you can apply in your territory, and his predictions about where the industry is headed. Rob will be kicking off the Fixed Ops Roundtable presented by Ted Ings on April 17 at 10am Eastern, and is one of many interesting speakers lined up for this event. Check Dashboard for a link to the conference, and stay safe out there!

Ep. 13 - Dan Hickey

Dan Hickey is the service manager at Subaru of Wichita, and a fixed ops trainer for the Eddy's Group, a collection of 8 dealerships in Kansas, Missouri, and California. He has worked in the automotive industry his entire life, holding just about every position within a dealership. In this episode, Dan and I discuss the importance of establishing processes within the service department, ways to motivate technicians and advisors, the metrics he studies on a regular basis, and the importance of managing by example. I'm very happy that Dan took the time to be on the show, and I think you'll really appreciate his perspective on running a successful service department!

 

I'm putting out more frequent episodes for everyone that's under quarantine, right now. Subscribe to the Smoke & Burn through your favorite podcasting app so you don't miss an episode. Stay safe, friends!

Ep. 12 - Ryan Holley

Ryan Holley is a sales rep for Fox Distributing in southwest Florida, and an automotive industry veteran with over 12 years of experience. Before coming to BG, Ryan managed the service department at a very large, very successful dealership, and in this episode, he shares some insight on the service department structure and processes that helped his store climb to the very top of the ranks. We discuss advisor and technician pay plans, managing the constant flow of quick service customers, the ever-evolving advisor sales process, attracting, growing, and keeping quality technicians, and all of the contributing factors that took his store from an abysmally low maintenance penetration to one of the strongest in the region.Whether you are new to working with dealerships or a seasoned professional, you're bound to take away some things from this episode!

Ep. 11 - Charlie Polston

Charlie Polston of LSI Oklahoma is a BG veteran of over 38 years. He is a renowned trainer, speaker, and frequent contributor to automotive publications. Charlie helped found BG University, and was influential in establishing many of the training techniques and tools still in use, today. Charlie and I discuss using OTR+ to promote an MOA autopour program, leveraging the multipoint inspection to increase maintenance sales, and establishing credibility in the eyes of customers as a business consultant. I really enjoyed this conversation, and it got me thinking about the ways that I can do a better job at MPI training. I think you'll feel the same way!

Ep. 10 - Clint Campbell

Clint Campbell is a sales rep for Walton Distributing, and he and his partner, Rick Biosiolli, cover dealerships and independents in northern San Antonio. Over the years, Clint and Rick have developed one of the best territories in the country, maintaining steady growth for years on end. In this episode, Clint and I discuss the undeniable effectiveness of the mentor/apprentice training model, the importance of working a level up in your accounts, and using contests and promotions to drive sales and engage service advisors and technicians. This was a fun episode, and I think it will inspire some great ideas for your territory!

 

Be sure to check out our BG brother Colby Keeling on Spotify, Apple Music, or your favorite streaming app!

Ep. 9 - Chuck Butler

Two years ago, Chuck Butler, a distributor in Nevada, packed up his family and headed north to Alaska. The territory came with a unique set of challenges. It's remote, traffic is seasonal, many of the new car dealerships are owned by distant groups with contractual obligations, and with only a handful of active accounts, it needed a lot of hard work and determination to turn it around. However, Chuck has leveraged his many years of experience building successful territories and distributorships reintroduce BG to a group of customers who desperately need it. In Episode 9, join us as Chuck recounts the story of how he came to own BG Alaska, the many challenges he's faced in this unique part of the country, and some of the cool experiences he's had as a result of his relationships with customers!