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Artwork for The Dealer Playbook

The Dealer Playbook

Michael Cirillo
Automotive Industry
Customer Experience
Artificial Intelligence
Electric Vehicles
Marketing Strategies
Leadership
Customer Service
Social Media Marketing
Social Media
Customer Engagement
NADA
Operational Efficiency
Leadership Development
Google Business Profile
Automotive Sales
Community Engagement
Automotive Marketing
Dealership Operations
Autofi
Building a Dealership

The Dealer Playbook is the podcast for serious automotive professionals. The ones who think beyond the transaction. Hosted by Michael Cirillo, now in its 12th year, The Dealer Playbook delivers straight-talk conversations with the dealers, operators, and leaders who are actually building something. If you run a store, lead a team, or are building a career worth having, this is your show. New episo... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes730Founded13 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusiness

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Artwork for The Dealer Playbook

Latest Episodes

How many salespeople at your dealership know they should be creating content but keep finding reasons to put it off?

They don't know what to post. They don't like being on camera. They're worried about looking stupid. Or they spend so much time tryi... more

The vendor hype machine has dealers buying AI SEO, GEO and AI visibility on faith. Brooke Furniss shows you what to verify before you write the next check.

Every few months there’s another marketing acronym dealers are told they need to understand. ... more

Could your dealership be missing out on 50 additional car sales every month?

Luke Godwin, a third-generation car dealer, founder of Godwin Consulting Group, and co-host of the Independent Dealer Podcast, believes many franchise dealers are overlooki... more

This is one of those episodes where you'll want to pull up your own website halfway through.

Michael sits down with his neighbor, Wade of Kerzie.ai, to talk about why AI keeps skipping right past dealership websites. Wade's been tracking how fast se... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Contact Information
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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Raffi Mouchmouchian
Former Dodge dealership salesperson, social media creator and dealership content consultant
RM Content Media
Episode: “Anyone Can Do This” - Social Media for Car Sales Pros Who Overthink It | Raffi Mouchmouchian, CEO RM Content Media
Brooke C Furniss
Founder of BZ Consultants Group and host of Facts Not Feelings
BZ Consultants Group
Episode: “A Band-Aid on a Bullet Hole” - Why AI SEO Pitches Keep Failing Dealers | Brooke C Furniss, founder of BZ Consultants Group
Luke Godwin
Third-generation car dealer, buy here, pay here operator, and founder of Godwin Consulting Group.
Godwin Consulting Group
Episode: “50 More Cars a Month” - Why Every Franchise Dealer Needs a Subprime Department | Luke Godwin, Owner Godwin Motors
Wade Kerzie
Founder of Kerzie AI
Kerzie AI
Episode: “AI Can’t Find You” — Why AI Is Skipping Your Dealership Website | Wade Kerzie, Founder Kerzie AI
Kevin Rudolph
Sales Team Leader at Royal Buick GMC
Royal Buick GMC
Episode: “I Didn’t Have to Chase Ups” — Car Sales Systems Behind 64 Cars in 15 Days | Kevin Rudolph, Sales Team Leader at Royal Buick GMC
Charlie Czerniawski
Car Sales Manager, Sansone Toyota (guest on episode)
Sansone Toyota
Episode: “Stop Doing The Memes” — What Actually Works for Dealers on Social Media | Charlie Czerniawski, Car Sales Manager at Sansone Toyota
Hank Ebeling
Owner and Lead Coach at H4 Training; consultant focused on customer service
H4 Training
Episode: "Forget the Gimmicks" - How to Win Customers for Life | Hank Ebeling, Owner and Lead Coach at H4 Training
Rob Ruth
Pres. of Bob Ruth Ford; scaled pre-owned operation
Bob Ruth Ford
Episode: "Sold 300+ Used Cars" - This Ford Store Cracked The Used Car Game | Rob Ruth, President - Bob Ruth Ford
Travis Baldwin
VP at Best Deal Auto Sales; founder of Dealer Defender
Best Deal Auto Sales; Dealer Defender
Episode: "We Want To Actively Give Back" — An Independent Dealer On Trust Over Ad Spend | Travis Baldwin, Vice President at Best Deal Auto Sales

Host

Michael Cirillo
Host of The Dealer Playbook, a longtime operator-focused show

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 201 ratings
  • Practical, no pitch

    Michael runs a show where dealers get straight answers, not sales pitches. Being a guest, I saw how much he prepares and how well he keeps the conversation on what a store can actually do Monday morning. If you run a dealership or a group, it's worth the time.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wade Kerzie
    United States24 days ago
  • Dealer Playbook Delivers

    The Dealer Playbook is one of those podcasts that actually feels useful. Great conversations, real-world insight, and plenty of takeaways you can put to work in the dealership. Definitely worth a listen if you’re in the automotive business.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DealerDefender
    United States2 months ago
  • Industry experts

    I only wish I would have found this podcast sooner

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rtomsa1
    United States3 months ago
  • Energy. Insights. Humor.

    Michael Cirillo is a fantastic host who brings energy, wit, and real knowledge of the dealer world to every conversation.

    I had a great time joining him on The Dealer Playbook to trade insights and also learn from his perspective.

    He asked sharp questions that pushed the discussion beyond surface-level marketing and into what really makes dealership events stand out.

    The episode covers everything from knowing your audience to elevating experiences through partnerships, sports lessons, and ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ORT D.Point
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great podcast

    Michael is an innovator in this industry and the messages he puts out are poignant for all within the auto world. This is a MUST FOLLOW for industry leaders like myself!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mike Wood, U of L
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are consistently engaging, with actionable takeaways and practical storytelling.
The show is viewed as a credible resource for automotive leaders seeking real-world growth strategies.
Listeners describe the host as energetic, insightful, and deeply knowledgeable about dealership dynamics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

“Anyone Can Do This” - Social Media for Car Sales Pros Who Overthink It | Raffi Mouchmouchian, CEO RM Content Media
Q: What would you say to those people?
For someone unsure where to begin, Raffi suggests recreating a video they like or making a simple video about a car, sharing their opinion and useful facts, and posting without overthinking it.
“Anyone Can Do This” - Social Media for Car Sales Pros Who Overthink It | Raffi Mouchmouchian, CEO RM Content Media
Q: Can anyone do this?
Raffi believes anyone can create social media content by finding a style that suits them instead of copying someone else's delivery.
“50 More Cars a Month” - Why Every Franchise Dealer Needs a Subprime Department | Luke Godwin, Owner Godwin Motors
Q: What are the first one or two, maybe three moves that you're recommending for somebody that's thinking in this direction?
Godwin recommends confirming the business has enough capital and hiring a general manager with intimate buy here, pay here experience. Existing franchise-store managers may not have the necessary expertise.
“50 More Cars a Month” - Why Every Franchise Dealer Needs a Subprime Department | Luke Godwin, Owner Godwin Motors
Q: Why should franchise dealers add buy here, pay here to their toolkit, and what objections would they hear?
Godwin says dealers already spend money attracting buyers and processing applications, yet some customers cannot get approved through traditional financing. A separate buy here, pay here operation can serve those buyers and sell trade-ins that might otherwise go to auction. He identifies the operation's messiness and the risk of exposing showroom customers to difficult collection situations as key objections, recommending a separate operation.
“A Band-Aid on a Bullet Hole” - Why AI SEO Pitches Keep Failing Dealers | Brooke C Furniss, founder of BZ Consultants Group
Q: How do we reconcile the challenge of, I want to go faster and I want to be cheaper like any operator, against the, no, but it's got to be done right?
Furniss says AI can help with parts of the work, but it does not replace human judgment, business context, connected data and expertise. Dealers should not assume a tool can handle every SEO task or produce sound results from shallow prompts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Dealer Playbook

What is The Dealer Playbook about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The series centers on actionable strategies for running and growing auto dealerships, with a steady mix of leadership, sales, marketing, and technology discussions. Episodes frequently cover practical operations, AI adoption, inventory management, coaching, and culture—delivered through real-world show-and-tell and coaching stories from dealer principals and executives. The format tends to favor concrete frameworks, measurable improvements, and human-centered leadership, making it useful for practitioners aiming to boost profitability, customer experience, and team performance. A notable strength is bringing together operators who translate big ideas into repeatable, day-to-day wins while staying focused on ethical leadership and durable gr... more

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How many listeners does The Dealer Playbook get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Dealer Playbook?

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How many subscribers and views does The Dealer Playbook have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Dealer Playbook has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Dealer Playbook?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Dealer Playbook:

1. Car Dealership Guy Podcast
2. Dropping Bombs
3. The Iced Coffee Hour
4. Automotive News Daily Drive
5. The Game with Alex Hormozi

How many episodes of The Dealer Playbook are there?

The Dealer Playbook launched 13 years ago and published 730 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Dealer Playbook?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Dealer Playbook?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Dealer Playbook from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Dealer Playbook?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Dealer Playbook. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Dealer Playbook?

Recent guests on The Dealer Playbook include:

1. Raffi Mouchmouchian
2. Brooke C Furniss
3. Luke Godwin
4. Wade Kerzie
5. Kevin Rudolph
6. Charlie Czerniawski
7. Hank Ebeling
8. Rob Ruth

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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