Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki is an Automotive Sales and Service Podcast and is a free educational series for Dealers, Managers, Sales Teams and anyone in the Auto Industry that has a desire to obtain information that will propel growth, lead the auto industry and invoke progressive strategies. We will educate on staying relevant, offer ways to improve vehicle sales and service, CSI and retention. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki is an Automotive Sales and Service Podcast. Use #DealerTalkWithJen

From Receptionist to CEO in 7 Years: Nikki Lawson on Earning the Right to Lead 10/12/2026

Inside Long Island's Luxury Auto Powerhouse: Rallye CEO Juliana Terian on Leadership & AI 10/08/2026

Inside Long Island's Luxury Auto Powerhouse: Rallye CEO Juliana Terian on Leadership & AI What does it take to lead one of New York's most respected luxury automotive groups when margins are shrinking, customer expectations are rising, and AI is changing the dealership business? Jen Suzuki sits down with Juliana Terian, President & CEO of Rallye Motor Company, a premier Long Island luxury automotive group representing Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Acura, for a candid conversation about leadership, profitability, and the future of automotive retail. Juliana shares how she's navigating today's challenging market, what she expects from her general managers, and why keeping employees motivated and engaged has become more important than ever. They explore the realities of running high-performing dealerships, the connection between employee culture and customer loyalty, and Rallye's thoughtful approach to adopting AI without sacrificing the personal relationships luxury customers expect. From empowering leaders to protecting customer choice, Juliana offers a refreshing perspective on what truly drives long-term dealership success. Her philosophy is simple: When your people thrive, your business thrives. An insightful conversation for dealers, general managers, and automotive leaders looking to build stronger teams, embrace innovation, and compete at a higher level. 🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥 Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Go To for a LIMITED TIME! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 🎧 | | | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/43187678

17 Dealerships and Still Hungry: Inside Michael Brown’s Leadership on Building Empire Automotive Group 10/06/2026

17 Dealerships and Still Hungry: Inside Michael Brown’s Leadership on Building Empire Automotive Group Michael’s operation has grown to 17 dealerships, but what stood out to me in this conversation wasn’t the size of Empire Automotive Group. It was how intensely he still talks about getting better. Michael Brown joins me for a wide-open conversation about growth, leadership, accountability and what it actually takes to keep a large organization moving forward when the market gets tougher. We get into why he believes hunger is the quality that separates exceptional leaders from average ones, why confrontation can actually strengthen a team when trust and accountability are already there, and how Empire continues developing its next generation of leaders instead of waiting until a leadership position opens to start looking for one. Michael shares how their internal leadership program exposes future leaders to financial statements, outside coaching, accountability and the realities of running a dealership. Pasted text Then we get tactical. With affordability pressure changing the business, Michael explains why Empire is concentrating on the things it can actually control. That includes technology utilization, vendor relationships and a major focus on fixed absorption. One example: they stopped treating Saturday service like a shortened workday and redesigned staffing, scheduling and technician availability around the opportunity. The result? Michael says it has created a meaningful new revenue opportunity. Pasted text We also talk acquisitions, overnight service, what he looks for before buying another dealership, adversity, raising daughters and why, after all the success, Michael still believes passion and purpose matter more than simply chasing the next win. This is one of those conversations that reminds you that growth doesn’t come from finally figuring everything out. It comes from refusing to believe you’re finished. 🔥 Check out our sponsors! 🔥 LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Go To for a LIMITED TIME! ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 🎧 | | | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/43187723

Just Google Us Book: Jay Mealey, Top Dealer on Trust, Leadership, and the Next AI Revolution 10/02/2026

Before You Call That Internet Lead… Take 60 Seconds 09/28/2026

The Service Drive Problem Your Team Could Have Caught 3 Days Ago 09/23/2026

The First 90 Seconds: What GM's & Service Managers Should Be Coaching 09/22/2026

The First 90 Seconds: What GM's & Service Managers Should Be Coaching What if one of the biggest opportunities to improve CSI, service retention and work approvals happens before the MPI is even completed? In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I’m breaking down the first 90 seconds of the service experience and why service managers should be paying a lot more attention to what happens when an advisor first walks toward that vehicle. Customers pull into the service drive with uncertainty. How long will this take? What’s this going to cost me? Is something expensive about to be wrong with my car? Before they trust the recommendation, they’re deciding whether they trust the person making it. That’s where great advisors separate themselves. We’ll talk about how curiosity, preparation, body language, better questions and clear expectations can completely change the customer experience. I’ll also give service leaders a simple coaching exercise they can use right on the drive: stand back, watch the interaction and ask yourself whether you can tell which advisors genuinely enjoy helping people. This isn’t about teaching your team another script. It’s about helping advisors slow down, pay attention, reduce uncertainty and become the person customers actually want helping them make decisions about their vehicle. Because when we win the first 90 seconds, everything that happens next gets easier. 🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥 Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Go To for a LIMITED TIME! Mention this show! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 🎧 | | | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42991663

Stop Calling Internet Leads Before You Do This 09/16/2026

Would Your Customers Wait Until You’re Back? 09/14/2026

Customers Don’t Buy When They’re Convinced. They Buy When They’re Confident. 09/09/2026

She Mortgaged Her House to Buy a Dealership. Here’s What Ivette Built. 09/07/2026

She Mortgaged Her House to Buy a Dealership. Here’s What Ivette Built. What does it take to keep growing when automotive retail is becoming more complex not less? Ivette Dominguez Drawe began her career selling BMWs. When the opportunity came to become a dealer, she and her husband mortgaged their home, opened credit cards as a backup plan and stepped into ownership during one of the industry’s most uncertain periods. Today, their organization employs approximately 700 people, continues to acquire dealerships and remains deeply invested in its employees and communities. In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, Ivette shares what she looks for when evaluating an acquisition, why good people matter more than a quick operational overhaul and what leaders underestimate when introducing major technology changes. She also gets candid about changing a DMS and payroll platform within weeks of each other and what the experience revealed about communication, accountability and team buy-in. We also explore the growing affordability problem, preparing the next generation to enter a family business, the danger of treating technology like a magic bullet and why innovation sometimes requires trusting your instincts before all the proof exists. But the heart of this conversation is bigger than dealerships. Ivette believes leadership means developing people, recognizing their contributions, celebrating wins and giving back without expecting something in return. Technology can create efficiency, but empathy, accountability, difficult conversations, recognition and community relationships still belong to human beings. This is a conversation about taking courageous risks, staying open to change and building a business that means something beyond the numbers. 🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥 LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Want 30-Days FREE? Text me directly so I can make it happen for you today - ! LIMITED TIME! ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 🎧 | | | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42801110

Customers Liked You. So Why Didn’t They Show Up? 09/03/2026

Your Managers Hold Meetings. But Can They Actually Train? 09/01/2026

The Invisible Work Behind Higher Approvals 08/28/2026

The Invisible Work Behind Higher Approvals Two service advisors can work in the same dealership, see the same customers, recommend the same repairs and get completely different results. Why? It may have very little to do with the estimate itself. After training with so many service advisors, I’ve noticed that customers often begin deciding whether they’ll approve the work long before the MPI is complete. They’re paying attention when the advisor greets them, remembers their name, asks about their plans for the vehicle, explains what will happen next, provides updates and keeps every promise. Each moment either deposits trust into the relationship or withdraws it. That changes the way we should think about selling service. The recommendation is not the beginning of the sale. It’s the moment the advisor discovers whether enough confidence was built to support the recommendation. In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I break down how high-performing advisors make small relationship deposits throughout the customer experience, why thoughtful questions make recommendations more personal and how trust affects approvals, retention, CSI, referrals and income. You’ll also hear one question that can completely change the recommendation conversation: “How long are you planning to keep your vehicle?” The practical challenge is simple: before presenting the repair, make three intentional deposits. Use the customer’s name. Ask a question that reveals what matters to them. Explain what happens next. Then notice how differently the recommendation conversation feels. Here’s the question worth debating: When a customer declines necessary work, are we too quick to blame the price—or should we examine the experience we created before presenting it? Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 🎧 | | | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | 🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥 LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. Reynolds and Reynolds is a leading automotive DMS platform that helps dealerships run more efficient, connected, and customer-focused sales and service operations. ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42588585

Stop Mastering the Comeback to Sales Objections. Master the Conversation with Jen’s Tips! 08/18/2026

Stop Mastering the Comeback to Sales Objections. Master the Conversation with Jen’s Tips! There are things being said on dealership sales floors every single day that we need to retire. “What offers have you received?” “Who else are you shopping?” “What do I need to do to earn your business today?” “We're not going to lose your business over $200.” As a trainer and coach, I understand where these responses came from. Many of us were taught them. But buyers changed. Today's customer has information, choices, pricing, reviews, trade values and multiple dealerships sitting in the palm of their hand. And every sentence we use either makes that customer feel helped or handled. In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I'm challenging the way we think about some of the most common “objections” in automotive sales: “I just want your best price.” “What's my trade worth?” “I don't want to come in.” Because I don't think these are objections at all. They're buying moments. The customer isn't necessarily fighting you. They're trying to reduce uncertainty, understand their options and feel confident enough to take another step. I'm breaking down the simple approach I coach in dealerships: Positive → Value → Next Step. Start by embracing what the customer wants. Add something that genuinely helps them. Then lead them toward a logical next step. No boxing match. No clever comeback. No trying to prove the customer wrong. Throw value, not punches. Managers, this is an episode I'd absolutely use in a sales meeting. Put your team's current responses on the board and ask one question: Does this make the customer feel helped or handled? Then rebuild the conversation together. Because dealerships have spent years teaching salespeople to master the comeback. I think it's time we master the conversation. Check out our sponsors! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | | | | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42474285

Salespeople, Before You Ask for the Appointment, Do THIS! 08/18/2026

Salespeople, Before You Ask for the Appointment, Do THIS! I've listened to thousands of dealership phone calls, and there's one moment I hear over and over: “Do you have the vehicle?” “Yes.” “Great. When can you come in?” And then we wonder why the customer doesn't show. As a trainer and sales coach, you must have great questions, the right questions. They must uncover important aspects to gettng appointments that show. In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I'm breaking down how I coach salespeople to stop collecting information and start collecting reasons for the appointment. The customer hasn't driven the vehicle yet? That's a reason. They're comparing two models? Reason. They have a trade? Reason. They've never owned your brand? Reason. They're unsure about financing, features, space, lifestyle fit, or what's actually right for them? Those aren't objections to overcome. They're opportunities to help. You'll learn why curiosity beats scripts, how to weigh one question against another, how to uncover the customer's real situation without making the conversation feel like an interrogation, and how to stack enough value that the appointment becomes the customer's logical next step, not your sales pitch. Managers, this is a great episode to use with your team. Listen together, pause it, role-play the questions, and challenge your people to identify the reason behind the appointment before they're allowed to ask for one. I make my training accessible because I genuinely love watching dealership people get better, gain confidence, make progress, and WIN in their roles. And I'm grateful to the sponsors who help make Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki and this education possible: LotLinx, Matador, and ZukiTalk. Check out our sponsors! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | | | 954-873-8029 | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42474255

Stop Selling the Car They Asked About | Expand the Buy & Win More Deals 08/11/2026

Stop Selling the Car They Asked About | Expand the Buy & Win More Deals The first car a customer asks about is rarely the one they actually buy. So why do so many salespeople build the entire opportunity around ONE vehicle? A customer calls about a black Tahoe they found online and immediately the salesperson locks in: availability, price, features, photos, incentives and appointment. Meanwhile, that customer may be looking at multiple vehicles and talking to multiple dealerships. In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, automotive sales coach and trainer Jen Suzuki breaks down a strategy she calls EXPAND THE BUY. The goal isn't to talk customers out of what they want. It's to learn enough about them that you can help them discover what else might work. Are they committed to that exact trim? That color? That equipment? What actually attracted them to the vehicle? What matters most? What else could potentially fit better? Those questions create something every salesperson needs: ROOM. Room when the vehicle sells. Room when the payment doesn't work. Room when they arrive and don't love the color. Room when another vehicle catches their attention. Room to become their automotive expert instead of the person assigned to one VIN. Jen explains how expanding the buy can create more flexibility, stronger appointments, better vehicle presentations and more opportunities to keep a deal moving. The mindset shift is simple: Stop thinking: “I need to sell them this car.” Start thinking: “I need to help them find the RIGHT car.” You're not there to match people to inventory. You're there to guide decisions through curiosity, questions and expertise. The first car gets their attention. The right car rolls out the door. Check out our sponsors! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | | | 954-873-8029 | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42390495

The More You Talk, The Less They Buy | The Sales Skill Most Car Salespeople Get Backwards 08/11/2026

The More You Talk, The Less They Buy | The Sales Skill Most Car Salespeople Get Backwards What if the thing you think makes you better at selling is actually costing you deals? In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, sales coach and trainer Jen Suzuki breaks down one of the most common habits she sees in dealership training, call recordings, and role plays: salespeople talking too much. A customer walks in and the salesperson immediately starts explaining inventory, incentives, MPG, warranties, pricing, features, colors and specials. It feels productive. It feels like selling. But there’s one big problem: you haven't learned anything about the customer yet. The more you talk, the more you guess. I explain why high-performing salespeople don't try to control conversations by filling every second. They lead with curiosity. They ask better questions. They listen for clues. And they're comfortable enough to let silence do some of the work. You'll learn why customers often tell you exactly how to help them, if you give them enough room to talk and why silence after presenting numbers may be one of the most powerful moments in the entire sales process. You'll also hear a simple challenge you can immediately take back to the showroom: after asking a question, wait two seconds longer than feels natural. Because you don't get paid to talk. You get paid to understand. The more you talk, the more you guess. The more you listen, the more you win. When you master that, you stop pushing deals and start guiding decisions. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki brings practical sales, service, leadership and automotive training straight from the dealership floor designed to help automotive professionals grow their skills, confidence and results. Check out our sponsors! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | | | 954-873-8029 | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42389990

How Character Built the Preston Automotive Group Founder, Dave Wilson | The Moments That Built a Leader! 08/05/2026

The Most Overlooked Skill in Automotive Sales is the Walk-around | Stop Showing Cars. Start Selling Lifestyles! 08/04/2026

The Confidence Advantage Every Service Advisor Needs 07/29/2026

The Financing Conversation Every Advisor Should Master 07/23/2026

She Built One of the Best Service BDC Teams I've Ever Seen 07/20/2026

She Built One of the Best Service BDC Teams I've Ever Seen When people think about a Service BDC, they usually picture someone answering phones and setting appointments. Emma Cole saw something completely different. When she stepped into one of the largest service departments in the country, there wasn't a blueprint waiting for her. She had to build the department, earn trust with advisors, hire the right people, create new processes, and figure out how to keep a team motivated while making hundreds of calls every day. And she did. In this episode, Emma shares exactly how she built one of the most impressive Service BDC operations I've seen. We talk about finding opportunities that most dealerships overlook, building a team that actually wants to win, handling declined services, keeping advisors and BDC on the same page, and why leadership has to be hands-on when the pressure is on. If you've ever wondered whether a Service BDC can make a real impact on retention, customer experience, and service revenue...this episode will probably change your mind. We cover: How Emma built a Service BDC from the ground up. The lead sources most dealerships never work consistently. Why declined services deserve their own strategy. How to hire people with hustle—not just experience. The biggest mistakes BDC teams make and how to avoid them. Why communication between advisors and BDC can make or break the customer experience. One thing I loved about Emma... She never waited for someone to hand her a process. She built one. Check out our sponsors! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | | | 954-873-8029 | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42038945

Inside Dealer 20 Groups: What Top Operators Are Talking About Right Now 07/15/2026

Inside Dealer 20 Groups: What Top Operators Are Talking About Right Now Everybody wants to know what the best dealerships are doing differently. So I went straight to someone who sees them every day. In this episode, I sat down with Joel Dalbo, one of NADA's longtime Dealer 20 Group moderators. He spends his days in rooms with some of the highest-performing dealer principals and leadership teams in the country, so I wanted to know... What are they talking about right now? What challenges keep coming up? And what separates the stores that consistently outperform everyone else? What surprised me most was how often the conversation came back to the basics. Hiring the right people. Developing leaders. Executing the plan. Not trying to fix five things at once. We also talked about AI, and Joel shared something I thought was really interesting. The dealers who are winning aren't waiting around to see what happens. They're experimenting, learning from each other, and figuring out how AI fits into their business before someone else figures it out for them. If you're leading a dealership, managing a team, or just trying to build a stronger operation, this conversation is full of practical ideas you can actually use. We cover: The biggest leadership mistakes Joel sees over and over. Why execution beats great ideas every time. How top-performing dealers hire, coach, and keep great people. What Dealer 20 Groups are saying about AI today. The dealership metrics Joel thinks deserve a lot more attention. One thing Joel said really stuck with me... There aren't any magic shortcuts. The dealerships that keep winning are usually the ones that never stop getting better. Check out our sponsors! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | | | 954-873-8029 | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42038915

Inside Matador AI: What the Fastest-Growing Dealers Are Doing Differently 07/13/2026

Inside Matador AI: What the Fastest-Growing Dealers Are Doing Differently AI is everywhere right now. But here's the question that really matters... Why are some dealerships getting great results while others are frustrated and wondering if AI is even worth it? In this episode, I sat down with Kevin, Chief Product Officer at Matador AI, to talk about what actually happens behind the scenes. How do they decide what features to build? What are they seeing across hundreds of dealerships? And what separates the stores that are making AI work from the ones that aren't? One thing really stood out to me... The technology usually isn't the problem. Adoption is. We talked about why AI isn't something you just turn on and hope for the best. It takes partnership, feedback, training, and leaders who are willing to keep improving right along with the technology. I also loved hearing how the Matador team studies real dealership conversations every single day to find friction, improve the product, and help dealers spot opportunities they didn't even know they were missing. If you're thinking about AI, already using it, or trying to figure out why your results aren't where you hoped they'd be, I think you'll get a lot from this conversation. We cover: Why dealerships struggle with AI adoption. How Matador learns from real customer conversations. What successful dealers are doing differently. Where AI is heading next in sales and service. Simple lessons any dealership can use, no matter what AI platform you're running. This is a conversation about building a dealership that's ready for what's next! Check out our sponsors! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | | | 954-873-8029 | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/42038860

Nobody Ever Showed Me The Way. That's Why I've Dedicated My Career To Helping Others Find Theirs. 07/08/2026

Nobody Ever Showed Me The Way. That's Why I've Dedicated My Career To Helping Others Find Theirs. People hear me teaching every week. They see the energy, the passion, the coaching, and now AI innovation. But they don't always know where it came from. In this special interview, ASOTU Founder & CEO Paul Daly turns the microphone around and asks me the questions I rarely get asked. We talk about how I got started in automotive, why I built eDealer Solutions over two decades ago, what I've learned from training thousands of dealership professionals, and why helping people believe in themselves still matters more to me than any sales process. We also dive into the future of dealership leadership, AI adoption, why old-school sales tactics are losing their effectiveness, and how leaders can stay relevant without losing the human connection that makes this industry so rewarding. I also share the story behind creating ZukiTalk, why consistency matters more than talent, and what continues to motivate me after more than 20 years of coaching dealerships across North America. If you've ever wondered what drives me, why I care so deeply about this industry, or where I believe automotive retail is headed next, this conversation gives you a look behind the scenes. Because at the end of the day... I'm not just passionate about selling more cars. I'm passionate about helping people discover what they're capable of becoming. Check out our sponsors! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | | | 954-873-8029 | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/41990805

The Hard Truth About Leading Dealerships Today with John Inman, CEO McCurley Dealerships 07/07/2026

Logic Explains. Emotion Closes! Sell More with Me! 07/02/2026

Why AI Infrastructure Matters to Your Dealership 06/17/2026

Why AI Infrastructure Matters to Your Dealership What do AI data centers have to do with leadership in car dealerships? A lot more than most people realize. In this thought-provoking episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, Jen breaks down one of the biggest conversations shaping the future of business, AI infrastructure, and leadership… in plain English. No tech jargon. No fear tactics. Just real-world perspective from someone actively training inside dealerships every single week while building AI tools for the automotive industry herself. Jen explains what AI data centers actually are, why the world is suddenly talking about them, and why dealership leaders should care about infrastructure, energy usage, AI adoption, and the future workforce. She tackles the fear, misinformation, and online hysteria surrounding AI while helping leaders think more critically and responsibly about where technology is heading. As founder of eDealer Solutions and co-founder of ZukiTalk, Jen connects the dots between AI infrastructure, dealership operations, customer communication, employee adaptability, productivity, and leadership responsibility. This episode is ultimately about perspective. Every major technological shift in history required infrastructure expansion, and AI is no different. The leaders who stay curious, adaptable, and informed will be far better positioned than the ones operating from fear or misinformation. If you’re in automotive retail, leadership, fixed ops, sales, service, or simply trying to understand what AI actually means for society and business, this episode delivers a practical and balanced conversation about the future already unfolding around us. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 🎧 | | 954-873-8029 | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | 🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥 LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/41365385

The Next Great Dealership Skill: Leading Through AI Change with NUMA AI Founder 06/16/2026

The Next Great Dealership Skill: Leading Through AI Change with NUMA AI Founder Most AI conversations focus on the technology. This one focuses on the people building it. In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, I sit down with Tasso Roumeliotis, Founder & CEO of NUMA AI, for a candid conversation about leadership, change, AI adoption, customer experience and what dealership operators need to understand as artificial intelligence becomes part of daily operations. What fascinated me most wasn't the product. It was learning how an outsider to automotive earned trust inside one of the most operationally complex industries in the world and what dealership leaders can learn from that journey. We discuss: • Why most AI failures are actually adoption failures • The resistance employees feel when AI enters the workplace • How leaders should communicate AI change to their teams • Why understanding the people behind AI matters as much as understanding the technology • The future role of dealership leadership in an AI-driven world • How AI can improve visibility into customer experience and operational performance • Why empathy may become the most valuable human skill in automotive retail • What operators should be thinking about now to prepare for the next few years Whether you're a dealer principal, general manager, fixed ops leader, sales leader, service manager, BDC director, or simply curious about where automotive retail is headed, this episode offers practical insight into the leadership side of AI transformation. Because the future won't be determined by who buys the most AI. It will be determined by who leads people through change the best. Subscribe for weekly conversations focused on leadership, customer experience, AI, sales, service, and dealership growth. Check out our sponsors! LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.ZukiTalk.com helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | | | 954-873-8029 | | Meet me! | Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | /episode/index/show/jennifersuzuki/id/41506500

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

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