Welcome to another edition of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast Recap newsletter—the key lessons from top operators, founders, and execs shaping the future of auto retail.
Today’s guest is Shane Wood, GM at Bruce Titus Automotive.
We get into the Ford tech shortage and how it’s sparking all-out economic warfare between stores, why a jammed-up service drive bleeds profit, and how he rebuilt trust across the entire dealership.
How Shane Wood Built Dealership-Wide Trust
Life challenges can help drive success in the business.
Shane credits a lot of his achievements in auto retail to his rough life experiences.
“Foundationally…I come from a place of…adversity, and that has really propelled me...It's always been something that's fueled me back when I was selling cars, and then beyond that.”
It’s helped him be disciplined and very growth-oriented.
The next opportunity could be right around the corner.
Shane wound up working in auto retail by happenstance—after looking for an alternative to framing houses.
“I answered an ad. The ad said, ‘Wanted, Apprentices Needed,’ working with electrical modular equipment. It turned out to be Kirby Vacuums. And this guy was…trying to sell me the job much more than he was trying to figure out if I was qualified for it—and turned me off. But I had a nice shirt on…a tie—and I'm thinking, ‘Well, there's dealerships around here,’ so I started applying and I got a job at a Chevy store.”
Shane worked at that Chevy store for nine years and was salesman of the year, every year during his tenure.
Making the transition into management.
Shane’s first job as a manager was at Car Pros Kia.
“That was a really good place for me to learn volume. And talk about reps, I learned a lot there. Went from there to a Mini Cooper dealership. I was the GSM there for about four years. That’s back when Mini was hot.”
After making an hour and a half commute to the Mini Cooper dealership for a while, Shane transitioned to an auto group closer to home and was there for about four years before joining the Bruce Titus Auto Group.
Shane’s career with the Bruce Titus Auto Group started through social media.
“I didn't know them, they knew me…They just were following me. I happened to have them on friends list—and they're like, ‘Well this guy is super positive, he seems to be doing some cool stuff.’ They did some phone calls to people that we had mutual connections with, and it kind of led them to me.”
You never know who's watching your social media pages and where it could take your career.
Presented by:
1. Cox Automotive - From virtual assistants and gen AI to automation and predictive insights, learn which AI solutions are right for your dealership. Learn more by downloading “Artificial Intelligence for Automotive Retailers.” Visit carguymedia.com/4n2YpYP for more info.
2. Copart - Are you looking to expand your dealership’s wholesale inventory? Finding front-line ready vehicles from finance, fleet, and rental consignors is now easier than ever. Copart gives you transparency that drives profitability and the assurance you need. Starting Tuesday, June 17, Copart is launching a new national Wholesale Auction running every Tuesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. CT. Check it out here at copart.com/used-cars.
3. Nomad Content Studio - Most dealerships still get social media wrong—ignoring it, posting boring inventory photos, or handing it off to someone without a plan. Meanwhile, the dealer down the street is pulling millions of views and closing real car deals. That’s where Nomad Content Studio comes in. They’re the team behind dealers like Paragon Honda, Benzs & Bowties, and EV Auto. Nomad trains your videographer, guides what to film, then edits and posts across every platform for you. Want your dealership to be next? Head to trynomad.co and book a call.
Establishing personal connections with your team and customers is vital.
One of the ways Port Orchard Ford evaluates those connection points is through the President's Club, which honors the highest rated dealership based on its a survey for key qualifiers like “effectiveness.”
“We've done a lot to kind of get organized around building a structure that I think will probably always win…The very first thing that we did was, we took seriously the reviews and the complaints that we were receiving –and then we tried to resolve them.”
Port Orchard started contacting customers writing the bad reviews and complaints, to address their issues.
The importance of facing issues head-on.
One of the things Port Orchard Ford had to immediately improve when Shane became GM was internal safety inspections.
“We were having comebacks. We would sell a car, and then someone would come back.”
To address the issue, the dealership focuses on monitoring the fixed rate the first time and earning a high score—with an infrastructure that guarantees its technicians hours, even on the flat rate tax.
“It's created safety for them because I want them to learn what's going on with this car and try to figure out so that they can do it right the first time.”
Leaning into technology to help boost efficiency.
Port Orchard is using tools to improve the efficiency and productivity of some of its techs.
“So, I have a B tech, and he's…just having a hard time figuring out this job. He's got it all unpacked in his bay. You got parts all over the place…This is gonna kill your efficiency unless you're able to find some quick, obvious work that needs done–and you can get it approved…selling this other stuff.”
The technician can make sense of it all because of the software.
Mentorship can prove pivotal in this kind of business.
Shane said it's important to surround yourself with good people.
“…I think it's important to surround yourself with people who are doing better than you. David (Long) is certainly one of them. I know it's controversial, I'm a pretty…big Andy Elliott guy. You either love him or you hate him.”
Andy’s no-bull, straight truth approach to discussing how one can improve oneself in the business can be hugely beneficial, which is why Shane puts his sales team through his training.
Never ignore the fundamentals.
Shane focuses on routinely reaffirming many of the things that Andy stresses.
“We read the books together…every single day. We have a meeting. We talk about gratitude. We talk about things that happened yesterday that we need to kind of tidy up, talk about the goal.”
Everyone can afford to spend time honing their fundamental skills in the business.
Looking beyond the obvious is a real differentiator.
Moving forward, Port Orchard Ford is focused on improving every facet of its operations, including sales, service, marketing, and managing its inventory.
“Someone was on recently and they were talking about the people who are really gonna have some huge success are the people that are managing their inventory…best, both new and used.”
People in the business talk a lot about acquisition lanes for used cars, but there’s not enough focus on managing new car inventory.
