Claim OwnershipFired Up! No Nonsense Talk and Car Dealership Solutions
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No Nonsense Talk and Car Dealership Solutions that gets us - and you - FIRED UP about real-life car dealership topics, challenges, and scenarios. Join Michael & Susan as they have raw, unfiltered & straightforward conversations about what REALLY happens on the showroom floor. From dealing with uncoachable car sales veterans to being successful despite bad management. Maybe your car training doesn't have to feel like training. Join us every month as Michael & Susan discuss, argue, laugh, and maybe even cry a little over what’s getting car dealerships fired up today.
27 Episodes
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After a busy quarter of growth, Susan and Michael are back on the Fired Up Podcast—and they’re coming in hot with the real conversation dealers need heading into 2026. In this episode, they break down what they’ve seen across top-performing dealer groups: why clear monthly expectations change everything, how mystery shop calls expose hidden leaks (broken phone trees, weak word tracks, missed appointments), and why “we’re doing great” can still mean you’re leaving massive money on the table. Y...
In Episode 26 of Fired Up! No-Nonsense Talk and Car Dealership Solutions, Susan Gaytan and Michael Renaud reflect on a year of growth, powerful partnerships, and one undeniable truth in automotive retail: fundamentals still win. This episode dives into what separates high-performing dealerships from the rest—strong leadership, consistent training, and real accountability. From successful dealer groups like Hennessy Automotive, Space City Toyota, and Mike Calvert’s organization, the conversati...
🔥 Fired Up Podcast: Navigating the Cashflow Crunch with Axos Bank’s Anthony Cappizzano In this episode of the Fired Up Podcast, host Susan Gaitan and CEO Michael Renaud from Alan Ram Proactive Training Solutions sit down with Anthony Cappizzano, Senior Vice President of Axos Bank’s Consumer Lending Division, to talk about the biggest challenges and opportunities facing today’s automotive dealers. From rising interest rates and inflation to tightening consumer cashflow, Anthony shares insigh...
In this episode of The Fired Up Podcast, Susan Gaytan and Michael Renaud expose the missing piece in dealership performance — true accountability. They reveal how traditional sales metrics fail to show efficiency and introduce the Lead Conversion Calculator to track what really drives results: leads, appointments, show rates, and conversions. The hosts highlight how poor lead handling burns marketing dollars and stress the importance of separating phone and internet leads for smarter coaching...
The conversation revolves around a road trip and training sessions with various automotive teams. Susan and Michael discuss the importance of senior leadership's involvement in training, noting that managers often know less than their staff. They highlight a training session with Hennessy, where the president's hands-on approach was impactful. The discussion also covers the use of a lead conversion calculator to improve performance metrics, emphasizing the need for consistency and rapport-bui...
Susan and Michael discuss the monthly spot training focus: Road To Revenue, as well as CBD and the upcoming Management By Fire event. Michael asks Susan to talk about her recent experience buying a car in her new local community. She reviews her unforgettable experience in this first part of a 2-part episode.
In this no-fluff, boots-on-the-blacktop episode of Fired Up, Susan and Michael break down what’s really happening on the phones and showroom floors in today’s market. From mystery shopping a Porsche store to discovering a rockstar BDC rep in Brooklyn, they expose the difference between salespeople who show up and those who stand out. Plus, Susan gives a first look at her new training series The Human Code, focused on rebuilding connection in a digital world. Whether you’re in sales, managemen...
Michael and Susan bring real talk (and real data) to this month’s hot-button training topic: internet leads. From funny voicemails to transactional copy-and-paste emails, they reveal the top 5 mistakes your team is probably making—and how to flip the script. Bonus: Susan still hasn’t bought a car, and now you know why.
Michael and Susan discuss Agentic AI, today’s newest dealership sales resource for communicating with potential dealership buyers. Already a solution for service appointment -setting, some people fear this may not work as smoothly in sales. The importance of blending AI tools with human interaction is key. Most consumers still want the human experience.
Join Michael & Susan recording straight from the 1-40 in Arkansas, on their last leg of this year’s Penske training trip. They discuss their partnership with Penske standing the test of time, some of those managers previously knowing Alan personally and being trained by him years ago. The excitement and hospitality received were top-notch, they reset the training program and injected confidence in the sales teams.
Michael and Susan recap their busy year, review events, trips, highlights and special dealership managers that proved training can greatly impact dealership's success.
On this episode of Fired Up! Michael and Susan discuss the big frustration most salespeople are dealing with right now: Internet Leads. From a longer buying cycle, fears of uncertainty, and high interest rates, Internet leads are beginning to get a negative stigma. We are here to talk through that and provide you some relief by helping you master the follow-up game by using speed and making sure you understand the importance of following up early and often!
In this episode of Fired Up, Michael Renaud discusses what he is seeing on the road with dealerships across the country including common challenges, great managers who make all the difference, what those managers are doing week to week, performance conversations with sales reps, commissions, structuring your sales teams’ day.
Michael and Susan discuss the clear winners in 2023, including but not limited to: Great dealership managers, appointment-driven teams, successful leadership trends, Covid-attitude killing your dealership, eliminating back-and-forth pencils, and empowering your salespeople, faster manager T.O.s, empathy & compassion with shoppers needs, CallDrip for winning phone accountability, and a little Barbieheimer & Elon Musk sprinkled in there.
In this episode, our three trainers discuss the reality of today's car business managers who have lost their mojo and are struggling to keep their gross on the table, and their sales teams successful. Listen to what we are seeing and hearing across the country when it comes to good managers, bad managers, and what you can do as a salesperson to maintain success regardless.
In this episode, Susan Gaytan, Michael Renaud, and Michael Paulk discuss the struggles they are hearing from automotive sales representatives around the country when it comes to successful selling and the impact that new buying challenges are posing for dealership salespeople (and sales managers) everywhere. We're making good salespeople and managers GREAT!
Susan Gaytan & Michael Renaud chat with Matt Jones, Senior Director of Brand & Industry at True Car about everything your sales team needs to know about today's used car shopper. SPEED: How you are responding to the lead. Time and efficiency. LEARN THE LEAD: How much do you know about the shopper and their preferred vehicle? THE EXPERIENCE: Must look beyond price. What motivates the shopper?
Join us as we have a great chat with Tom Kline, CEO of Better Vantage Point, about Dealership Compliance. Listen in as we chat about things like texting prospects and customers, what to be cautious about in terms of Used Cars/Appraisals, and risks managers should be aware of.
We are excited to launch the new Phone-Ups That Show-Up course and hope you all find it beneficial. Listen to Susan explain her thoughts and mindset as she updated Alan's flagship course.
We wanted to take some time to officially welcome Michael "Mad Mike" Paulk to the Alan Ram Team! Join us for an interview with Mad Mike and learn all about his background and how he will help take us to the next level!
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