Andy Elliott on life, success, his past, and what makes a leader

Welcome to another episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast.

On today’s episode, Andy Elliot, sales trainer, business coach, and founder/CEO of The Elliot Group, sits down to talk about his journey in the car business, how it formed his unique take on leadership, and the factors he believes make a strong sales team.

You can stream the full episode now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple.

1. Finding the right mindset.

Andy says his positive mindset originated from his personal experiences. He explains that most people are running towards a life they want. However, from his own perspective, running from a life one hates is more motivating. He recalls that his success only came after he decided to no longer be a pushover and dedicate himself to becoming a leader.

2. Working his way up.

Andy says that he was raised by a broken family, comprised of relatives who never made more than $60,000 a year. After barely passing high school, he remembers working in construction for a time before landing a job selling cars. On his first day in the dealership, he made $1,700. The rush pushed him to delve into sales and take the career seriously. By the end of his time as a sales representative, he says he made $700,000 to $800,000 selling vehicles annually.

3. Hit with controversy.

Andy touches on the controversial parts of his past, beginning his explanation by noting every business has grey areas and that compliance laws weren’t as well-defined in the past as they were today. Around 2011, he remembers getting an offer to become the general manager of a dealership, which he decided to accept for his family’s sake. When he went into the store, he recalls that every buyer had poor credit and lacked the resources for a down payment. Yet, customers continued getting approved for their purchases.

4. What went down.

In 2015, the FBI came into the store and began to investigate the issue. While he was initially hesitant to come forward, Andy claims the owner called him and threatened to kill him if he didn’t say what he was told to say. After talking over the incident with his wife, Andy says he decided to tell the truth to the authorities. He claims that because he told the truth he avoided jail time and a felony conviction. Explaining that he had no idea one could get in trouble in the car industry, he emphasizes that he never hurt anyone.

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5. After the scandal.

After the court proceedings, Andy decided to rebuild himself. He notes that the ordeal was the best thing that ever happened to him, as it helped him change the trajectory of his life. While clarifying that he isn’t proud of his actions, he believes that his decision-making abilities were heavily improved by the experience. Today he says he makes his decisions based on heart and not on money. “Some of us need to do it all wrong so that we can understand how to do it right,” he comments. Andy has incorporated this philosophy into his training, telling hopeful sales representatives that they will make mistakes and teaching them how to pick themselves up.

6. Forming The Elliot Group.

The Elliot Group launched in 2019, founded by Andy and his wife Jacqueline, was funded by the $1 million made from selling their house. Andy says he spent $700,000 of that money on self-development, hoping to completely recreate his identity. He began to research self-help influencers like Tony Robbins. Over time, the company grew to have 100 employees. Today, Andy says the business works with over 10,000 companies from a wide range of industries on its training system and has trained over 500,000 salespeople.

7. Fixing sales teams.

Andy believes that the number one issue holding back sales today is leadership. He says that many dealers today oversee toxic cultures, are motivated only by money, hire friends over qualified candidates, and don’t properly train their staff. “When things get tight, the first thing to go is training,” he remarks. Because of this, Andy’s next goal is to tackle the leadership industry and help leaders be better examples for their staff.

8. A.I.’s role in the dealership.

Andy believes that human connections will always be a necessity in the car industry. While artificial intelligence is becoming more useful and reliable, he concludes that removing sales staff from the buying process will result in lower profits. “I can’t see [human sales reps] going out. I can see businesses going out because they can’t keep up,” he adds.

9. Motivation and leadership.

Employees will work hard for leaders they trust. However, Andy believes that compensation alone isn’t enough to incentivize and motivate staff. He explains. This is why leadership is a crucial component of a successful sales team. “Leadership isn’t a position it’s a skill of influence,” he adds. The culture and the environment build the team and the leader builds the culture and the environment.

10. Marketing advice for dealerships.

Andy has gone viral on multiple social media platforms, primarily for his motivational content. When it comes to digital marketing, Andy notes that results depend heavily on the work one puts in. The desire to win is necessary to succeed. He also urges others to ignore the haters or those who leave criticisms in social media comments, quipping that winners don’t have time to leave negative comments.

11. Succeeding car sales.

To change other people’s lives, Andy urged others to follow what they love. This way, they will continue to work hard even when life becomes difficult. The benefits are unparalleled. As for himself, Andy hopes to continue evolving the Elliot Group and pursuing his goal of supporting other leaders. He leaves with three pieces of advice for those looking to succeed in car sales:

• First, he recommends they model their practices after proven strategies.

• Second, he recommends that sales staff always look for something to sell.

• Third, he urges others to maximize their time, noting that most sales representatives work eight-hour shifts but only spend two hours selling cars a day.

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