Welcome to another edition of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast Recap—a rundown of key lessons from top operators, founders, and execs shaping the future of auto retail.
Today’s guest is Brian Dorsett, President of Dorsett Automotive.
Brian breaks down why he is moving away from OEM-mandated digital spend, his "Big Stick" radio branding tactics, and the strict inventory rules required to survive in today's margin-compressed market.
Catching in the major leagues and running a dealership group require the same core skill of knowing your opponent and adjusting when the plan changes.
Brian drew a direct line between calling a game behind the plate and managing a multi-rooftop operation. A catcher goes into every game with a scouting plan, but has to pivot in real time when a pitcher loses a pitch or a hitter adjusts.
"You know the scouting plan. You know the way you're going to pitch guys. You've got to keep all those things in mind. And when you see things changing, can you figure out how to win with just those two pitches?"
The same logic applies to the store: the plan matters, but the ability to adapt mid-game is what actually determines the outcome.
Grosses drop meaningfully after 31 days, so the entire store needs to understand the urgency of turning aged inventory.
Inventory carrying cost is a known variable, but the discipline to act on it (dropping price, flipping attention to a unit before it ages further) requires managers and salespeople who understand why the clock matters.
"We know our grosses are a lot less after 31 days. So we know that's a hit. We're taking that hit. If we've kept the car that long, we're really adapting and trying to adopt to say, hey, look, we got to move our cars faster. We can't get caught."
The process has to put the responsibility on the managers closest to the inventory.
Keeping average inventory cost in the right range matters as much as individual unit grosses.
Brian's target cost per unit in inventory sits between $20,000 and $23,000. His current average is running closer to $24,000–$25,000, skewed by heavy-duty truck exposure.
"I think we have got a little bit higher inventory cost than we want. I think our average cost in inventory right now is around $24,000 to $25,000. It needs to be about $20,000 to $23,000, but we have a lot of heavy duty trucks, which skews it."
Understanding what's pulling the average up (and whether that exposure is intentional) is how he evaluates whether the mix is working.
A $595 pack, with a separate $400 used-inventory pack, gives the store a structured buffer for write-downs without eroding F&I.
Brian runs a two-layer pack structure—a main pack plus a dedicated reserve for used-car write-downs.
"Then of course my warranty company's making some money as well."
The separation keeps the used-car side from relying on F&I to cover reconditioning or aged-unit adjustments, and gives managers a clearer picture of where margin is actually going.
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Paying salespeople on units, not brand, lets them sell from any rooftop and follow the customer rather than the franchise.
Across Dorsett's Nissan, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi stores, salespeople are compensated on units sold regardless of where the deal lands. If a customer isn't the right fit for one brand, the salesperson can walk them to another without losing income.
"I let these sales guys sell whatever they want. If it doesn't work for Nissan, they've got a Hyundai that might work or they've got a Mitsu that might work, and I let them go down there and sell it."
The model reduces friction between rooftops and keeps the focus on closing the customer rather than defending a single brand's monthly number.
Sponsoring local radio station studios (not just running spots) keeps the dealership name in the market every hour of every day.
Brian sponsors the studios of two major local radio stations, which means the stations announce the dealership name every time they identify themselves on air.
"Every time within the hour they'll come on and they announce themselves. WTHI High 99.9 Dorsett Automotive Studios. So, what I do is I take seven to 10, sometimes as many as 13, and rotate those tens of what I'm saying on those big stations every hour."
Layered on top of that are rotating 10-second spots, up to 13 variations, running hourly alongside standard 30- and 60-second units.
Cutting digital search spend hasn't hurt business, and the savings are being redirected toward organic content and proven placements.
Brian pulled back on paid search after finding that only about 20% of spend was producing results on any given week. He's maintained Performance Max and shopping campaigns but reduced reliance on search, leaning instead on organic social content produced in-house.
"I cut back my digital budget and I don't think it's hurt us at all. We're getting 20% of our spend is actually working on search some days or some weeks."
The broader point is that blanket digital investment isn't a substitute for knowing which placements are actually driving traffic, and that a smaller, more targeted budget can outperform a larger unfocused one.
75% of customers change what they want by the time they leave, so the ability to flip a customer to the right vehicle is a core selling skill.
Brian's observation is about the gap between what a customer thinks they want when they walk in and what they actually buy. Customers come in for an SUV and leave in a truck. They plan on a $300 payment and leave with a $500. That gap only gets closed if the salesperson is trained to navigate it rather than just process the original inquiry.
"We know 75% of the customers come in and change their vehicles. A lot of times, they end up coming in for an SUV, they buy a truck. Or came in for a truck, they buy an SUV, or buy a car."
Training salespeople to manage that shift, rather than letting the customer self-direct, is where experience and daily manager involvement actually show up in the numbers.
Training salespeople on process matters, but there's no substitute for the reps that come from working deals every day.
Formal training programs set a baseline, but Brian's view is that the real development happens on the floor, managers working alongside salespeople in live deal situations, helping them handle objections and recognize when to pivot a customer toward a different vehicle or price point.
"If you're not getting experience, you're not getting swings and you're not understanding and managers aren't really working with you on a daily basis, then you may not be able to overcome objections or overcome the fact that you really need to flip this guy to a new car."
The implication for store leadership is that training events are a starting point, not a substitute for daily manager involvement in the sales process.
Paying attention to what customers actually respond to, not just what you're running, is how you know if your marketing is working.
Brian's $4,000 over Kelly Blue Book trade campaign was validated by a customer from Brazil who came in specifically because she heard the radio spot and understood the offer.
"Lady yesterday, I'm from Brazil. I said, 'Well, how'd you find out about us?' She said, 'I heard your commercial and the $4,000 over.' And she bought a pre-owned vehicle."
Walking the floor and asking customers how they found the store is how Brian tracks what's actually resonating.
