The Weekly Refresh: AutoUSA, Dean Evans, Blackberry, Sean Bradley

Mr Bradley:

I don't know your credentials but judging from your appearance you seem to be in your late 20's or early 30's. Based upon that, what makes you think you can speak with any authority about the auto business. I have been in it for 50 years, starting as a salesman all the way up to owning multiple dealerships. I have taught selling and internet sales and each and everyday I learn something new. And if vendors and consultants are possible hypocrites, do you fall under that catagory?

Chuck Price

Chuck,

Sorry for the delayed response. I just concluded another successful Internet Sales Bootcamp with NCM & Associates... www.internetsalesbootcamp.com

Lets get right to it... I am 5'5", about 145 pounds, 31 years of age, engaged have a 6 year old, an 8 year old step daughter and a little boy on the way. ARMY ROTC & Reserves, Rider University, Zeta Beta Tau University (Russian Major).


why you ask...?

I have been doing automotive Internet sales and BDC for almost 1/3 of the time I have been breathing air on this earth.

I started also selling cars on the front lines, I was salesman of the year... I was averaging 28-35 units a month. A lot of people are full of shit and say whatever... well, I worked at Weisleder Lincoln Mercury Mazda in Brick NJ, Call and verify the Owner’s name is Taylor Weisleder and the GM, is Jeff Baymond.
From there, I got scooped up by a dealer group called Pine Belt, Kia, Nissan and Cadillac dealership... I took them from 20 units a month to 110 units a month and i am talking about on the Internet. Couple of years later, I did it again at Cherry hill Nissan. I took a single point dealership from 27 units to 100 units a month online.

I was making close to $200,000 a year but wasn't satisfied, I decided to launch my first company, Dealer Synergy about 4 years ago.

I secured a 4 year contract with Dealerskins as their EXCLUSIVE NATIONAL training company...

Since then I have:

* Been contracted by numerous NATIONLAL automotive vendors like Carsdirect, AVV Webcontrol, Interactive Financial Marketing Group... just to name a few. I have trained these companies... everything from their executive teams, their CS teams, sales teams and even their technology teams. Verifiable.

As a matter of fact, please feel free to reach out. But don't ask a front line local rep, it might be above their pay grade. The President of AVV is ED Braunbeck... by the way, Dealer Synergy is the OFFICIAL North East training company for them now

The President of Interactive Financial is Travis Weisleder, as for Carsdirect the two senior VP's that I work with are Ken Potter and Josh Evans. I have trained over 40 outside sales reps for Carsdirect and I do all of their national training through our Synergy Sessions... www.synergysessions.com

As for Dealerskins, the founder of the company... Michael Wynns is one of my closest friends in the world and one of my mentors... his contact info can be supplied upon request. Michael is now an owner of Visible Customer (Which I plugged him in with those guys by the way).

* I write for about 9 national publications... www.dubisgroup.com/synergy - those are just some of my articles

* Was the featured attraction for Trader Publishing at NADA 06
* featured attraction for IFMG NADA 07
* Presenter at the first AAISP, multiple sessions
* General Assembly speaker at the 07 AAISP.... and as a matter of fact, my session was so packed, people could NOT even fit into the room. I had to create another session for the people who could not FIT into my room!
* Dealix voted best of the best 06, 07 and every other coming year
* JP Power expert speaker for the 07 round table
*NADA 20 group speaker

**** And the best one... I am the creator of the NCM / Dealer Syenrgy Internet Sales Bootcamp.

If you have really been in the car business for 1/2 a century, then you know who NCM is... if not www.ncm20.com

They are the Bentley, Cristal of 20 groups...

I have spoken at over 34 20 groups in the last 6 months and conducted 3 bootcamps...

My bootcamps cost approximately $3,000 and we People pay me $150,000 and fly all over the country to hear me talk about Automotive Internet Sales & BDC. In the 60 years that NCM has been in existence, my bootcamp, that i have created and that I am the instructor is their most profitable and highest attended... EVER

* I have been on COVER after COVER... My clients have been on COVER after COVER of automotive sales magazines...

* Nelson Mazda.... Cover of Digital Dealer Feb. 2007, I took them from 7 unts to 80 online (when the article was written, they were at like 54...they have since made it over 80).

*Peruzzi Toyota on the Cover of Auto Dealer Monthly... yup, just last month...30 units - 107 ONLINE!!!

Besides that...

All of these so called Internet trainers and consultants... if you ad up all of their clients and revenue... Still don't equal what Dealer Synergy is doing.

I own their names... their URLs... How can you be a national "expert"... teach dealers Internet sales and your technology is ghetto and you can NOT even secure your own Name or PMA?

**** Did I mention I do this in 3 countries...

* All over the US... that means Hawaii too (I have two dealers there).

*Canada

*Russia, I have been working in Russia for the last 5 years... as a matter of fact, I took the former CEO of Dealerskins and his wife to Moscow not to long ago for a couple of weeks...

*** I hope I have cleared things up for you. And before you assume anything you should do a little research, you are on Dealer Refresh... I would think you could have taken a second to Google some info...

I have worked incredibly hard to get to where I am in life. Anyone that even knows me a little will tell you I am the realest person you will ever meet.

I am not corporate... nor do I want to be I am a car guy, bottom line. this is what I know and love.

If you want to have a man to man conversation with me, you can reach me on my cell 856-264-0564.

Sean V. Bradley-

Chuck,

Since when has a person's level of knowledge, or level of comprehension for that matter, been based off of physical appearance? "Judging a book by its cover"? Isn't that a little ignorant on your behalf? For someone with so called 50 years of car experience and a person claiming to have a lot of Internet knowledge, one would think that you would at the very least know how to punch www.google.com into the Internet tool bar and do your research before just writing the first comment that pops into your mind. And you teach Internet sales?? Wow, I pitty your students. When it comes to the ability to understand a variety of topics and information, I hate to break the news to you Chuck, but we are NOT all created equal. Some people are just born with a natural gift, it is innate. Just because it has taken you 50 years to comprehend what Sean Bradley knows in 10, you should not pass judgement. That is why HE is the expert and YOU are NOT. I have heard time and time again from Sean's OWN direct competitors, that there is no one else like Sean Bradley. He is the "real" deal. There is no need for me to repeat all of Sean successes, but sir if you are so good at Internet Sales, why have I not heard of you? When I googled your name, you were no where to be found. Maybe you should take one of Sean's classes. I am sure he can teach you a thing or two.

By the way, who are you? What have you done with Internet Sales? Have you ever been on the cover of a magazine, or even written for one? If you are going to talk, spill it.

Lastly, It sounds to me like you are saying that every car person that has 50 years of experience like you, knows EXACTLY what you know, nothing more, nothing less. Let's hope not, because from the sound of things, you don't seem to be too intelligent. Get your head out of the clouds and try putting it into a book.

Sean Bradley is a good guy who has a ton to offer in the space. This thread has no purpose and again folks with no history start this stuff.

It is important that all voices be heard and all opinions be respected. I personally know of stores that Sean has trained that are seeing double-digit increases in sales. Is he for everyone? no, but none of us are.

Keith

Ouch! Personal attacks may not be the way to go here, and sometimes the best defense is to say nothing. I know you Sean. You seem to be doing well for yourself. Should have probably left it at that. We all know that it's pretty easy to pay to play for the covers of the mags. Name dropping is never good although you redeemed yourself in my book with the Greek system plug.

Btw in case anyone is interested, I am 5"11, 138 pounds, a Kappa Alpha Theta. I've been on some panels and some covers too. And I have the utmost respect for this gal Erica. Tall like me. Kappa Kappa Gamma though...

And one more thing!!!!!

Please have visual of tough black chick (me) shaking her head from side to side...

in reference to this...
I own their names... their URLs... How can you be a national "expert"... teach dealers Internet sales and your technology is ghetto and you can NOT even secure your own Name or PMA?

Why his technology gotta be ghetto? You da one talkin bout Bentleys and Cristal. Sh-t...

If anyone is following this thread you will see that I did remove a comment.

**Anonymous posts and comments that personally attack or allude to an "individual" with unsubstantiated accusations will be removed.**

Everyone has their own game and their own opinions. Sean brings another dynamic to this business and is very straight forward about it. He's obviously very passionate about what he does and I'm sure we can have a little respect for that.

Hey Ash - thanks for the shout out. Kinda random, but appreciated.

This whole string is sad. Single tear. I concur with Ashley on not saying anything, but I can see Sean's frustrations with someone claiming that without x number of years, how can you do x? Age and wisdom are but numbers and opinions. Look at Mozart, Beethoven, Mark Zuckerberg, JFK, Kevin Rose, Larry Page, Sergei Brin, George Washington, Albert Einstein - none of them had 50 years experience in anything when they had some of the greatest accomplishments of their lives and I would certainly pay to hear them speak and heed their advice. I mean Kennedy slept with Marilyn Monroe - what guy would not pay to get womanizing advice from him? (that was a joke - he was hot, rich and powerful so I guess that is not really advice. I coulda told you that hot, powerful, rich guys can get just about anyone for free and I have never even been a hot, powerful, rich guy!!)

Not one of Joe Verde's trainers has 50 years experience nor did he when he begun. Who else? Grant Cardone and Paul Cummings - neither with 50 years. In fact, I probably wouldn't go see any of them if they did...not gonna lie, young, energetic dynamos are pretty standard in the world of training (in any industry) . What made these people some of the most successful trainers in the industry? My guess they are the same things that make Shaun successful - passion, understanding, the desire to help, patience, energy, and experience. It doesn't have to be 50 years or even 10 years for that matter...heck, professors only have to go through 8 years of school before they can teach (and sometimes they can even start with only a masters), so why should the car business need to give 50 years?

I am sure you were just using 50 as an example and we are throwing that back a little over-zealously, but similar to your use of the number - it adds a little oomph to your argument and even more to the counter-argument. I don't think at any point Sean said the phrase "I know everything and will never learn more and until the end of time, my current philosophies will remain accurate and applicable" Everyone knows things change and that as time drags on, the face of business will change, as will our methods and tactics, yet this does not mean that no one should try to share with others what has him/her and others to be successful. And if I had to guess, as Sean's business evolves, he includes more and more examples of other people's successes and innovations versus only his own experiences.

And bad form to anonymous post person. Kershner totally voted you off the island. You are so not invited to join ESAP.

Very well said, Erica. And in case anyone is wondering, ESAP is the Elite Society for Automotive Professionals. It's for the cool kids. And Sean, you are invited to join anytime. Don't worry, Mr. Anonymous Post Person won't be there

The post I saw that called it as he saw it had a name on it and it wasn't anonymous.

And it dissappeared. Funny how that happened.

Gary, trust me it was an anonymous post. AND it came from the SAME IP address that your writing from.

I'm closing this post for comments. This is the first I had to do this but I guess there is a first for everything.