How Quality, Quantity, and Rising Costs Will Shape Dealer Performance in 2026
By Tiger Okeley, Executive Board Member at Oak Motors The last five years have been a wild ride for car dealers. I’ve seen it firsthand in my work with Buy Here, Pay Here (BHPH) dealerships, where industry stress points often surface first. As...
The Smartest First Move Dealers Can Make with AI
The question came up in a quiet moment during an NCM 20 Group meeting recently. Not during a presentation or a vendor pitch, but in one of those side conversations where people tend to be more honest. If you were a Dealer Principal again,”...
In the seventh edition of I AM MARKETING, we feature Kirsten Von Busch, the Product Marketing Director for Automotive at Experian. Kirsten’s journey in the marketing realm showcases her evolution from a young professional in a startup environment to a...
The sixth episode of "I Am Marketing" (IAM) by Dealer Marketing Magazine (DMM) features Carolina Pereira, Marketing and Technology Director at Weston Nissan Volvo. Carolina’s journey from a multi-faceted educational background to a pivotal role in the...
The fifth episode of "I Am Marketing" (IAM) by Dealer Marketing Magazine (DMM) features Laurie Kelley, Vice President of Marketing and Retail Strategy at JM&A Group. Laurie delves into her journey from aspiring teacher to marketing leader, offering valuable...
The Clean Underwear Shot Clock
When you travel, do you run the daily underwear math like you're prepping for a Mars mission? If you said “no,” then: You just casually pack your...
MCP Servers are the New API on the Block: Here is What You Need to Know
So your dealership finally jumps on that shiny new AI agent promising to make lead handling a breeze. There’s just one hiccup: the AI needs access to...
Popcorn Thinking in a Potato Chip World
When you are thinking about what to eat with lunch, do you dive head-first into a bag of potato chips without regard to calories and fat content? Do...
From Zero to AI: How Dealers Can Start Using Artificial Intelligence Today
Walk into most dealerships and ask about AI, and you’ll hear the same thing: “That’s just another vendor fad. We tried it and it didn’t work. I don’t...
The Risks Of Playing Blind: Lessons from Steinway’s Wood Shortage
Who would’ve thought a Seattle-made piano business could be shaken by a tree-cutting fight in Alaska? That’s exactly what the Wall Street Journal...
Dealer’s Playbook for Turning Reviews Into Revenue
I was one of those people who got hooked on Yelp early, when it still felt like a novelty. It wasn’t just about looking up a restaurant, it was more...
Lessons From the AI Frontlines in a BHPH Dealership
By Tiger Okeley, Executive Board Member, Oak Motors / Indiana Finance Company The artificial intelligence (AI) wave has crashed over all of us in the...
The GM’s AI Assistant: Turning Daily Chaos Into Clean Profit
Running a store today is a grind. Your morning starts with too many problems: a salesperson quit, ad spend feels like a black hole, trades are...
The Hidden Gains of Using AI in Fixed Ops
I’ve been in and around service departments for over three decades. First as a technician, an advisor, a manager, and now as someone who helps...
