Welcome to the Shifting Gears, Second Issue of 2021.
Shifting Gears is about thinking in a new, improved way, and more quickly than before. It’s about engaging your best self in your career and life. We hope you’re enjoying these issues of your publication. Please reach out to the Marketing Team with any suggestions you have to make it even better. [email protected].
In this issue you will find HEADLIGHTS shining on Rick Tudor and Lance LaCoe, both at CARS Protection Plus. There’s lots of company news including a great overview of how APC can help your dealers, an introduction to our new learning platform in the DRIVE TRAIN section. GPS is consistent with great SPIRO tips, social media insights, as well as podcast, book, and movie recommendations. Let’s not forget everyone’s favorite trivia – questions you will definitely want to try to guess the answers to! TURBO CHARGED by HR delivers some great information in this issue too.
HEADLIGHTS
Rick Tudor
How did you get started in the automotive industry?
My education and experience pre-CARS was in accounting and my first exposure to the automobile industry was when I started with CARS in 2001.
How did you come to find yourself where you are today with CalTex CARS?
I began in Finance and expanded my responsibilities by taking on our first data bases and network, most marketing responsibilities, dealer management, rates and coverages, and was eventually moved to Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Operations. In the past four years I have moved into a sales role as well, managing agency relationships and developing new products.
What advice would you give to new sales team members?
I would tell new team members to learn and know your products. The greatest friction in our space occurs from not meeting client expectations. Make sure the dealers fully understand what you are selling.
What are your favorite hobbies?
I enjoy the outdoors along with fishing, hunting, and I’m taking scuba lessons. I sing karaoke for fun too.
What is your all-time favorite car?
My all-time favorite car is definitely a 1958 Corvette Convertible. I just love the look of it.
What is your favorite food?
I like snacks, so my favorite food is beef jerky. But I do get a turkey dinner every month if I’ve been good.
What would you do if you hit the lottery for millions of dollars?
If I hit the lottery for millions of dollars I’d probably reinvest and buy millions more lottery tickets!
What’s your favorite place to visit
Any beach with blue water is one of my favorite places to visit.
Rick Tudor
Director of Operations/CISO
CARS Protection Plus, Inc.
(c) 412.477.5610
[email protected]
Visit us at www.carsprotectionplus.com
Lance LaCoe
How did you get started in the automotive industry?
I graduated from college in 1991 in one of the worst labor markets in 30 years and was working in technology for the pawn industry. I was living in Houston and my apartment was across the street from the headquarters of Universal Computer Systems (UCS), a provider of dealer management systems. I applied to UCS with the objective of finding more rewarding work with a shorter commute, and that was the path that led me over to automotive.
How did you come to find yourself where you are today with CARS?
After the founder of CARS exited the business, the private equity owner conducted a search for a new CEO. At that time I was the President of Century Automotive Service Corporation, the US F&I subsidiary of a Spanish multinational insurance company. Century’s business model is very different from CARS as it works with franchise dealers through independent agencies with nearly all risk ceded into CFC/NCFC/DOWC structures. While this experience helped to diversify CARS production, I was surprised at the learning curve to truly understand the independent dealer market.
What advice would you give to new sales team members?
I continue to be a salesperson at heart and I’m passionate about all facets of sales process, psychology and strategy. I love joining in on the new sales team training sessions and my advice is simple – be prepared, be active and keep learning.
What are your favorite hobbies?
During most of my career I’ve been fortunate to travel for business, including a significant number of global destinations. I gravitated to scuba diving as a way to enjoy these travel opportunities. During the past 10 years I’ve been able to go diving in 14 countries around the world. By the way, Belize is awesome for diving but Thailand remains my favorite all-around dive destination.
What is your all-time favorite car?
Easy, 1970 Mustang Mach 1. While not the pinnacle of the Mustangs, it was my car during my time in the Army. Loved it, 351 Cleveland engine and two-tone exterior, primer gray and rust!
What is your favorite food?
I feel it’s impossible to go wrong with steak, so that would definitely make it my favorite food.
What would you do if you hit the lottery for millions of dollars?
Invest in Spectrum Automotive.
What’s your favorite place to visit
Anywhere with great beaches and warm water.
Lance LaCoe
CEO
C.A.R.S. Protection Plus, Inc.
Cell: 505.506.3008
Office: (888) 335-6838
[email protected]
www.carsprotectionplus.com
DRIVE TRAIN
Adding a New Revenue Stream for your Dealers is Easy as APC!
Did you know APCs post-sale vehicle service contract program provides a turn-key marketing solution to your dealers at no-cost and zero risk? From creative development of materials to comprehensive data management and analysis, APC has your dealer covered every step of the way.
All marketing materials are customized with the dealers branding and aligns with their product offerings. By using information and data from the F&I department paired with APCs data-driven marketing techniques, the dealers’ data is kept secure and current.
You can help your dealers redefine their marketing strategy with APCs direct mail and digital approach where they can start earning additional revenue from incremental service contract sales they aren’t getting today.
Take a few minutes to watch the video and learn the APC process and how it drives revenue, increases customer loyalty, and brings customers back to dealers’ service drives.
New Initiatives
Spectrum Automotive Holdings is proud to announce the launch of Bridge, our portfolio companies’ Employee Learning, Coaching, and Professional Development platform.
Your valued feedback indicated the need to provide opportunities for growth and development across Spectrum. We are thrilled to be able to provide everyone with this user-friendly toolkit. Bridge provides for an easy and intuitive user experience. In addition to housing our training materials, Bridge supports 1-on-1 conversations, aligns individual and team goals to company goals, and provides tools for skill feedback and career planning.
We have worked hard on our Bridge rollout plan and want you to feel supported. For help on how to use Bridge, please watch this video (3 min), check out these guides, or email our lead Bridge Administrator, Danielle Cumbee at [email protected]. We also encourage you to speak with your manager if you have any questions.
Thank you for your support, patience, and understanding as we transition forward with Bridge and work to bring you more professional development support opportunities.
Industry Updates
Drive a Digital Transformation
Since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, the automotive industry has suffered setbacks and surprises. Lockdowns, travel restrictions and a fallout that includes semiconductor chip shortages and scarcity of raw materials has plagued the automotive sector for 12 months.
Big Tech’s Steps Towards Privacy: What it Means for Dealership Advertising
We’re just beginning to see the story of data privacy and big tech play out, and it’s important to stay aware of how market and economic dynamics, shifts in consumer behavior, marketing trends, and technology advances can impact your dealership.
How the Pandemic Is Changing F&I Sales
In the post-pandemic world, F&I managers will cross-train to sell automobiles and F&I products earlier in the sales process.
VW’s Mexico unit says it will resume production hit by chip shortage
Production of the Jetta, Taos and Tiguan models will be resumed separately and on different dates starting next week.
Auto News Article
Consumers Shift Spending to Services
Retail sales dropped 1.3% in May, following a 0.9% gain in April, reported the U.S. Department of Commerce. The drop is higher than the 0.8% decrease predicted by economists.
Consumers are spending more on services. One big winner in this category is restaurants and bars, which rose 1.8% in May, pushing food-service sales higher than pre-pandemic levels.
GPS
Here are some ideas for new content to post!
- Look for relevant Automotive articles that you think your audience might be able to gain value from. (Automotive News, F&I Magazine, etc.)
- Visiting a client? Take photos of the front and showroom floor while you’re there. Highlight the name of the client within your posts and tag the company. This is a win-win for Vanguard and our clients!
- Live events – anytime you’re out at (for example) a tradeshow, golf outing, or other business event, take photos. Let your audience know you’re excited and planning to be there. Before, during, and after-event posts can all be used.
- At the office, behind-the-scenes photos can be used. Whether it’s an employee training, team-building exercise, preparing materials for a presentation, or just a great day, share a photo!
- Keep an eye out for motivational quotes or inspirational stories that can apply to life and business. It’s always nice to share something positive that others can relate to.
Social Media Tips
1. Engage with content that your audience is sharing. Comment on posts leaving your professional opinion on industry topics.
2. Use our company blogs as other content to share from time to time. New blogs are released every Tuesday on the Vanguard site.
3. Post education articles and content. It will help identify and brand you as an expert in your field.
4. Follow sales and automotive leaders in the industry. Review what kind of content they share and how often they share it.
5. Treat LinkedIn conversations the way you would speak in-person.
1. Don’t get into arguments or debates in the comment sections of a post.
2. Don’t over tag other accounts within your posts. Tag only those who are relevant to that post.
3. Don’t reshare a post without getting it approved by Marketing prior to.
4. Don’t ignore your messages. You never know when someone is trying to get a hold of you to learn more about our business offerings.
5. Don’t share a blog link without adding any text to go along with it. It’s important to make each post unique to show who you are and what your thoughts are on the matter. Adding a least a sentence expressing how you feel on the topic can go a long way.
SPIRO Tips
All of Your Meetings, Now in Spiro
That’s right, no more switching to your Gmail or Outlook calendar to see all of your daily meetings. Spiro now displays every event associated with the email that you’ve connected to the platform. Previously, Spiro only showed calendar events if a participant matched a contact in Spiro. Additionally, you can now easily add new contacts to Spiro directly from calendar events.
The Search is now Smarter
Users can now search all the records within a custom list entity, on both web and mobile (road warriors, rejoice!). For example, if your company has a product entity, you will be able to search for a particular product, allowing you to find information faster and more easily.
Fun Facts – So you know automotive?
In the car industry what do the initial BMW stand for? - Click for the Answer
Bavarian Motor Works
In regard to the British MG sports car, what do the letters “MG” stand for? - Click for the Answer
Morris Garage
What 19th-century engineer devised an internal combustion engine which works without a spark plug? - Click for the Answer
Rudolf Diesel
Who designed what was considered the first car? - Click for the Answer
Karl Benz in the year 1886
How did the Ford Mustang get its name? - Click for the Answer
If you thought it was named after a horse because it was considered a “pony car” you are incorrect. It was named after the P-51 Mustang WWII fighter plane
What is considered to be the first muscle car? - Click for the Answer
1964 Pontiac GTO
TURBO CHARGED
Gina Dewar, M.S. SHRM-CP
Spectrum Human Resources
862.400.0757
[email protected]
HR Topics – Sales News
Performance in a Pressure Cooker
In today’s world with a blend of Work/Life/COVID (“WLC”) balance is difficult and not often attained. Pressures to maintain and sustain high performance, keep up with personal tasks, and family safety mount. Perhaps your sales are slipping because you are just not your normal self? In this WLC environment, how do you achieve balance and stay on top of your sales game? By avoiding “burnout”. Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. When burnout occurs you start to feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands.
Here are some helpful tips to help you avoid “burnout”:
- Journal – Studies have shown engaging in regular journaling can have a major impact on your mind and emotional well-being. Perhaps there is a leadership quote that really inspires you. Use that quote to launch your journal entry and jot down some ideas on how you can incorporate qualities addressed in the quote into your leadership style. You may be experiencing a personal challenge. Use that challenge as a prompt to explore possible solutions in your journal. You will be surprised on how focused you become and what you can process during journaling. For those that prefer to type, you can check out some apps or options online:
- Penzu for secure journaling
- Momento for social media power users
- Grid Diary for templated journaling
- Five Minute Journal for beginners
- Daylio for non-writers
- Exercise – Whether you are suffering from burnout or not, exercise should be included in your daily ritual. Walking is the most common form of exercise and it’s the easiest to incorporate into a daily routine. Walking gets your blood circulating and improves mood.
- Talking – There is nothing like sharing and co-creating with someone who is like-minded. There is power in banter, discussion, and debate. A sharpening occurs when ideas are shared, and feelings are flushed out. This kind of exchange can lead to a peaceful mind and inspiring work.
- Try Something New – Success requires a level of risk and experimentation to define ideas and perfect solutions. Try experimenting with different ways of working. It could even be as simple as taking another route to work.
- Reading – Research has proven that those who read regularly develop “theory of mind”, a set of skills essential for building relationships, navigating, and maintaining social relationships. A good recommendation for your reading pleasure is “Can’t Hurt me: Mastering Your Mind and Defy the Odds” by David Goggins.
- Professional Services – We now have an Employee Assistance Program that offers free of charge the following services: work/life services, child & elder care referrals, legal advice and document preparation on wills, deeds, etc., mental health counseling, financial consultants, tax consultants, college planning, ID theft, webinars, podcasts etc. Everything discussed is strictly confidential and not shared with the Company.
To participate in our Employee Assistance Program:
- URL: https://www.ibhworklife.com/
- User Name: Matters
- Password: wlm70101
- Phone: 1 800 386 7055
- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
It is our goal to help you maintain WLC balance and foster a work environment that allows you to set limits so you can bring your best self to work every day! Please remember to speak to your boss and/or your HR representative if you need any assistance.
Top Podcasts
The Shifting Gears Podcast has Launched!
Spectrum Automotive has officially launched its very own podcast series called the Shifting Gears Podcast. We talk about anything, and everything, related to the automotive industry. In each episode we bring on an industry expert to discuss specific topics and discussions. All episodes can be found on the Spectrum website and social media pages. Be sure to follow our pages and subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss any episodes. Would you enjoy being a podcast guest? Please reach out to Justin LaRocque, our podcast host, who will happily get you scheduled. In the meantime, check us out here:
http://spectrumautoholdings.com/podcasts/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLYooB566buNF-vKXNLxeHQ
https://www.linkedin.com/company/spectrum-automotive-holdings-corp/
https://www.facebook.com/Spectrum-Automotive-Holdings-Corp-109362237270955/
Carefully designed to give you tangible, practical insights about B2B sales. Every Tuesday, top VPs of Sales, Investors and founders will gather around the sales roundtable to break down sales strategies, make you think and help you deliver a gut punch to your sales goals!
Sales is an art and a science. In this podcast, Jeremey Donovan interviews the brightest minds in modern sales to bring you immediately actionable advice. Great practical tips.
Episodes run 20-30 minutes
Listen @ Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeart
Attention Sales Team
Please share your favorite podcasts with us to include in the next newsletter. Send a quick email to [email protected].
Need a Good Book to Read?
By Evy Poumpouras
Former Secret Service agent shares lessons on how to instantly read people, prepare for stressful situations, influence how you are perceived, and live a more fearless life.
![By Daniel H. Pink；To Sell Is Human [Hardcover]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41AzNkK8tjL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
By Daniel H. Pink
A book to help you truly understand the modern sales landscape and the psychology of selling. “Anytime you’re tempted to upsell someone else, stop what you’re doing and upserve instead.”
A Movie to Watch
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Highlights the story of American automotive designer Carroll Shelby and fearless British race car drive Ken Miles battle with corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal drama to build a revolutionary vehicle.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Okay this one is low-hanging fruit, but for those who may not have seen it, it is a MUST see, and for those who have, why not watch it again? NASCAR superstar Ricky Bobby is at the top of his game, topples, falls, and restores his honor on the racetrack. Some great one-liners here.
Moneyball (2011)
Just because it’s time for baseball and it’s really about sales and turning meager resources into big results, things that salespersons deal with all the time. This is the story of Billy Beane the General Manager of the 2002 Oakland A’s baseball team and his efforts in partnering with a Yale economics graduate, Peter Brand, to pull together a winning team.
Building a Strong Network on LinkedIn