Time for Dashboard Dialogues – NADA Edition!
With NADA merely weeks away, we’ve brought the legendary Travis Wise back on the Dashboard Dialogues podcast for an action-packed episode. Oh, and did we mention he brought along his 1969 Chevy Camaro RS?
Watch as Travis and Sam discuss:
– What to expect at NADA 2022
– Tips for NADA first-timers
– Travis’ first NADA experience
– The intricacies of a 1969 Chevy Camaro
Transcript
Transcript
Transcript
00:00:17:14 – 00:00:32:26
Sam Flecker
Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the Dashboard Dialogues podcast. As usual, I’m your host, Sam Flecker. Today we’ve got one of my favorite guests back in the building the man himself, Travis Wise or Travis the wise as he’s sometimes referred to around the Dealerslink office because he knows a hell of a lot about cars.
00:00:34:06 – 00:00:48:08
Sam Flecker
If you didn’t see our last episode, Travis is one of the co-founders of Dealerslink and he is a automotive sales expert. He’s also got a very cool model car collection. Last time he took me out in his cobra. What year was that Cobra again?
00:00:48:28 – 00:00:50:02
Travis Wise
They’re Full-Size cars.
00:00:50:02 – 00:00:53:05
Travis Wise
Yeah, yeah. Shelby Cobra last time.
00:00:53:26 – 00:01:12:10
Sam Flecker
Might have been the coolest day of my professional career thus far. Not sure, but today he’s got something else in store for us, which I’m very excited about. But let’s not get too sidetracked here so that we’re going to be talking about NADA, the biggest automotive dealer trade show in the nation.
00:01:13:00 – 00:01:30:04
Sam Flecker
Last year we had COVID. It was all digital. This year we’re back in person. Super excited Dealerslink has got a few tricks up its sleeve this year. We’ll get into that. All right, before we jump into things, why don’t you tell us about the vehicle you have brought me to ride in?
00:01:30:24 – 00:01:33:13
Travis Wise
OK, so thank. You for having me.
00:01:33:13 – 00:01:38:24
Travis Wise
I appreciate you Sam. This is always a blast. I love doing these podcasts.
00:01:39:03 – 00:01:56:17
Travis Wise
Appreciate you having me back. The car I brought today is a 1969 RS Camaro, and it’s had a complete frame off. Rotisserie restoration. They call it. So it is a brand new car with about 1000 miles on it.
00:01:57:00 – 00:02:02:03
Sam Flecker
Wow. I’m a big fan of rotisserie chicken, so I think I’m going to like this car.
00:02:02:09 – 00:02:08:14
Travis Wise
If you. Like rotisserie chicken. You’re going to you’re going to really like how cooked this thing is.
00:02:08:24 – 00:02:13:05
Sam Flecker
You got. Wow, OK, let’s get into that man. Yeah, let’s get into it.
00:02:13:06 – 00:02:16:20
Travis Wise
Let’s talk about NADA I’m really stoked about NADA.
00:02:16:20 – 00:02:21:11
Sam Flecker
So as am I. I think everyone in the Dealerslink office is. It’s an exciting time of the year.
00:02:21:18 – 00:02:22:12
Travis Wise
Yeah, yeah.
00:02:22:20 – 00:02:23:19
Travis Wise
It’s our Super Bowl.
00:02:25:00 – 00:02:37:21
Sam Flecker
So for before we get into specifics. For those of you who might not know, do you mind giving just a quick background about exactly what NADA and the NADA convention are for our guests?
00:02:38:01 – 00:03:18:29
Travis Wise
Yeah. So the NADA Convention is really more of a social gathering place once a year for all of the vendors, all of the, you know, the franchises, the dealers. It’s really educational. It’s a place. Where they have a lot of breakout. Sessions for the dealers. Talk about upcoming products, talk about upcoming incentives, talk about the market where it’s going, the trends that they’re facing and everything, and then have some keynote speakers that, you know, get in there and just talk about business in the U.S., you know, they say seven out of ten businesses in the U.S. are directly affected by the car business. I mean, the oil and gas industry.
00:03:19:09 – 00:04:08:11
Travis Wise
Manufacturing parts, manufacturing dealerships that. You know, have. three or 400 people working. At them to support the local communities. And when you have 15-20 franchised. Dealers in a. Region, that’s a lot of employment. That’s a lot of what it takes to keep a community thriving and delivery businesses, everybody, everything that moves is really, you know, dependent on the car business and that infrastructure. So it’s, you know, really the show is about getting in there, meet new vendors, see and where you can get some synergies going, you know, showing your new products, things. That are new that you’re doing for the industry that. Just kind of, you know, be the cutting edge and lead guide.
00:04:08:11 – 00:04:16:20
Travis Wise
And direct in. And help them be successful. You know, a lot of people go there to just get customers, you know, and.
00:04:16:20 – 00:04:29:10
Travis Wise
Then there’s your dealer. Advocates. Yeah. You know, we’re we’re really a company based with dealer advocates. We’re we’re advocates of the car dealer. And that’s hard to find out there.
00:04:29:19 – 00:04:30:01
Travis Wise
Yeah.
00:04:30:16 – 00:04:44:07
Sam Flecker
Awesome. Well, you know, it’s a big networking event. It sounds like it. You know, I mean, a lot of the people making a lot of friends. So very exciting time. Do you mind telling us about your very first NADA and kind of how it compares to now?
00:04:44:18 – 00:04:46:29
Travis Wise
Yeah. So my. Very first NADA
00:04:46:29 – 00:04:49:29
Travis Wise
When you were a wee lad.
00:04:50:25 – 00:04:52:23
Travis Wise
As if I can remember that far back.
00:04:53:17 – 00:05:21:24
Travis Wise
No, it’s it. Was in Orlando, the first. one that I ever went to. And we had a Fastbook booth because our Dealerslink, dealer direct model was only. In the western portion. Of the U.S. in the Rocky Mountains. So when we went there, we went there selling. Our. Booking tool and it was. Just to really get a. Taste for what NADA was about and what was going on there. And to be quite frank with you, it was absolutely overwhelming.
00:05:22:04 – 00:05:26:18
Sam Flecker
I can imagine. Yeah, yeah, especially as a new new person there and everything.
00:05:26:18 – 00:05:40:08
Travis Wise
Well, yeah, to be on the other side, too. Instead of walking through a show and then having to stop you and try and advocate their products to you. I was on the other side of that and I was trying to stop dealers and advocate.
00:05:41:00 – 00:05:51:10
Travis Wise
And I’m like. Man, when guys would say I would step up and I would do something and I’d be like, Man, when guys said stuff like that to me, I was like, What are you an idiot?
00:05:51:20 – 00:06:07:21
Travis Wise
I got to do something different. Yeah. So it was a real eye opener. I ended up. Doing a presentation for. A customer that ended up being a competition in a state. You know, I literally educated him and I. I tell you what, Sam.
00:06:07:21 – 00:06:11:21
Travis Wise
There’s no better. Compliment than somebody copying you. Yeah.
00:06:12:06 – 00:06:13:08
Sam Flecker
That’s true. That’s true.
00:06:13:13 – 00:06:19:11
Travis Wise
I mean, that’s, you know, they’re willing to invest like we did. You know, you’re on to something. Yeah. So we took it as a good thing.
00:06:19:19 – 00:06:24:00
Sam Flecker
So going off that, what are you looking forward to most this year about going to NADA?
00:06:24:12 – 00:06:28:20
Travis Wise
You know, the cold. Beers with. Friends.
00:06:28:20 – 00:06:44:05
Travis Wise
The Real thing. Is, is, is networking. Yeah. You know, you can make all the money in the world, but the things that God gave you. Free are worth more. Than any dollar you can get. And one of those things is, you know, the people you work with, the people in the industry, you know.
00:06:44:13 – 00:06:56:06
Travis Wise
The camaraderie you build. With the dealers and the clients and, you know, actually getting up, making a. Difference and the rest just. Call it kind of falls in line. So I might joke around saying it’s the cold beers with friends.
00:06:56:22 – 00:07:11:15
Sam Flecker
But that’s a. I mean, there’s the social aspect, you know, you’re making connections and that’s I think it’s so great about the car industry. It’s not very formal corporate. You know, you’re you’re becoming friends with these guys, even, you know, wherever you’re working with and you’re relatable people but have a passion for cars.
00:07:12:11 – 00:07:13:02
Travis Wise
Yeah, yeah.
00:07:13:13 – 00:07:24:14
Travis Wise
90%. Of the people in my life are affiliated. Directly. They’re either my dealer friends or. You know. That’s a lot. That’s the. Industry.
00:07:24:15 – 00:07:37:23
Travis Wise
That’s that’s what we do. And and it’s always fun to see. What I really like to see is, is the competition. Yeah. And how. Hard. They’re stepping up their game because if they’re not coming really. Hard at us right now, they’re in trouble.
00:07:38:23 – 00:07:45:08
Sam Flecker
So what advice would you have for NADA first timers?
00:07:46:10 – 00:07:52:16
Travis Wise
There’s there’s two first timers. There’s are you the first time vendor? Are you the first time dealer?
00:07:53:11 – 00:07:53:20
Sam Flecker
True.
00:07:54:08 – 00:08:07:11
Travis Wise
First time dealers. Thirst for. Knowledge. Get all the information you can speak to as many people as you. Can for what you came there for. You know, if you came there for inventory management.
00:08:08:15 – 00:08:22:26
Travis Wise
Get all the knowledge you can about inventory management. It is absolutely a place that you can get it really good education, really thrive in there and see what’s new in the market, you know, and then you can see where it’s hokey pokey too.
00:08:23:06 – 00:08:48:17
Travis Wise
You know, you could see with the smoke and mirrors is and what the real guys are that are getting it done and having fun and and. Really. Have fun, you know. Just surrender the. Outcome. Go there, learn as. Much as you can, go to the sessions and enjoy yourself and network. Yeah, yeah. Now, as a vendor, if it’s your. first time as a vendor, you’d better. Have some comfortable shoes and a lot of Tylenol.
00:08:48:23 – 00:09:01:02
Sam Flecker
Yeah, a lot of time on your feet, for sure. All right. So as many of us know, we’ve got a variety of exciting new features that are going to be shown this year at NADA, and Dealerslink has a whole new look that we’re going to Premiere.
00:09:01:03 – 00:09:18:07
Sam Flecker
So do you mind telling us a bit about that, Travis? Yeah, the new look. You know. It’s it’s more. Sophisticated. It’s more modern, it’s more tech. It’s really what. The whole. Industry’s moving towards. You know, it really took us some time to get a get. A finger on the exact brand. We needed.
00:09:18:19 – 00:09:34:28
Travis Wise
To just bring us. Into the. Future and. Really be a. Solid look for us for years to come. Yeah. You know, and it’s always nice to get new socks, new look on the pens, you know, you get to switch up the swag and get the booth looking good and new logos on some shirts. But yeah, yeah.
00:09:35:14 – 00:09:59:17
Travis Wise
But at the end of the day, the main slogan that we have in there that really, really reaches out and should connect with the. Dealer is connect the profit. Yeah. You know, we could be technology, you know, we could be all these things, but we give you opportunity. That directly. Connects you to profit. And that’s really what the new statement is in our new branding is connect. To profit.
00:09:59:24 – 00:10:02:25
Sam Flecker
Connect to profit. Don’t forget it. It’s going to be everywhere soon.
00:10:04:00 – 00:10:05:02
Travis Wise
Yeah, that’s that’s us
00:10:05:07 – 00:10:11:18
Sam Flecker
Cool. So in your opinion, why should dealers check out the Dealerslink booth this year?
00:10:11:28 – 00:10:33:24
Travis Wise
Well, A, you know, we. We’re going to have our cash wheel spinning and we’re going to be having a blast. So number one, if you’re not having fun in. The car. Business anymore, you need to come and see us. We’re going to have some fun. Well, re indoctrinate. You into, you know, having fun in the car business because the car business is fun. You know, people. Are buying cars are. Getting excited. It’s a good thing.
00:10:33:24 – 00:10:53:09
Travis Wise
You know, the other thing that I’m looking. Forward to. Is and I know that everybody’s going to see. Us different. Is we have just raised the bar across the board on. Dealer direct. Buying on how to. Stock your inventory. How to weigh and measure how to bring more opportunity to your salespeople.
00:10:53:09 – 00:11:06:27
Travis Wise
So that they get the deals that you’ve. Already paid to get in your front door. And that’s really going to be, you know, the deciding factor. Of who. Wins. Boots on the ground out. There. And it is. We’re going to bring the car deals and we’re going to bring the opportunity.
00:11:07:06 – 00:11:14:19
Travis Wise
And that’s what I’m really excited about. Yeah, and that’s what’s going. To cure a lot of the problems. You know, you can sell your way out of anything.
00:11:14:19 – 00:11:20:11
Sam Flecker
Yeah, yeah, you certainly can as well. That’s a that’s a very good way of putting it.
00:11:20:23 – 00:11:27:25
Travis Wise
You could sell your way out of any kind of trouble. It’s little more car deals, little more money, little more connected to the profit.
00:11:27:26 – 00:11:31:26
Travis Wise
Next thing you know, things are good again. Yeah, that’s what we’re here for, to help them out.
00:11:32:01 – 00:11:43:15
Sam Flecker
Very true. Well, got me. Certainly got me excited, so I’m looking forward to it. Cool. Before we go check out this car. Do you have any crazy NADA stories for us?
00:11:43:15 – 00:11:45:11
Travis Wise
I got a few crazy. Things.
00:11:45:12 – 00:11:47:04
Sam Flecker
Appropriate. Of course appropriate. Of course.
00:11:48:17 – 00:11:58:03
Travis Wise
Appropriate. Of course. You don’t want me to tell you about the one guy. I got to wake up at 5:00 a.m. and go save from the, you know, guys that we’re going to beat the hell out of him if he didn’t give them a whole bunch of money.
00:11:58:17 – 00:12:42:23
Travis Wise
Yeah. There’s those stories. But I think the I think one of the funnest ones was way back when me and me and. The partners were. Standing there, and. It was our NADA that we brought up and we wanted to go to this place in Orlando, called the Ice Bar Ice Bar. Yes, they have all these ice. Sculptures everywhere. And when you go in, they give you. These big fur coats. To stand around and have a drink. And you know, it’s cold in there because it’s all these ice. Sculptures and we’re like, Yeah, let’s. Go check that out and we go rolling in there and we just. Started a new. Product. Yeah, we. Just started an export. Product and data management, and we figured out immediately that we could just dominate data management and. We went to the. Ice bar.
00:12:43:04 – 00:12:53:09
Travis Wise
And we walked up and they wouldn’t let us in it. And we’re like, Why can’t we go in here? Like, What’s the deal? And they’re like, Oh, it’s rented out as a private. Party to one of our competitors.
00:12:53:21 – 00:13:02:19
Travis Wise
And is. This for me, was a great moment because we’re standing there and we’re. Looking in the window like a bunch of kids that can’t go inside because we’re not allowed in.
00:13:02:29 – 00:13:20:11
Travis Wise
And my business partner looks at. Me and he goes. Get your pickax, boys. This is a vein of gold. These guys probably. Paid 1,000,000 bucks to get this place, and we flat out have five times the product they do. We will own this bar.
00:13:20:13 – 00:13:20:22
Travis Wise
Yeah.
00:13:21:07 – 00:13:24:04
Travis Wise
So I was like, You know what? You’re right. And ever since.
00:13:24:04 – 00:13:35:12
Travis Wise
Then, we have just been Dunkin’. I won’t say because I don’t like to pick on competitors in general, but we’ve just been Dunkin’, their heads in the water. So I don’t know if that’s a. Funny story, but it’s. one of my favorite parts of NADA.
00:13:35:24 – 00:13:47:06
Travis Wise
And it really at that. Moment solidified that we were just going to press the open market. We can help the dealers. We can give them a better service, better product, better price, better support.
00:13:47:23 – 00:13:49:13
Travis Wise
Yeah, just do a better job.
00:13:49:28 – 00:13:51:10
Sam Flecker
Did you ever make it into the Ice Bar?
00:13:52:02 – 00:13:53:17
Travis Wise
You know what? No.
00:13:54:09 – 00:13:56:29
Sam Flecker
I suppose they’re overrated. Anyways, we got enough ice in Colorado.
00:13:57:03 – 00:14:04:19
Travis Wise
But yeah, yeah. That’s the funny part is we got an ice bar going on outside right now. It looks like it’s going to snow, so we don’t need to go. Put the fur coats. On if we have to.
00:14:05:15 – 00:14:06:24
Sam Flecker
We don’t need to go to Orlando for Ice.
00:14:07:08 – 00:14:08:03
Travis Wise
Place’s horrible.
00:14:08:15 – 00:14:10:20
Sam Flecker
Anyways, let’s go check out this car.
00:14:11:11 – 00:14:15:26
Travis Wise
Yeah, you want to go for a ride in the car? But I don’t. Drive this car very far.
00:14:16:00 – 00:14:25:15
Sam Flecker
So also before before we get going, I’m here to grant you. Golden Ticket, a Dashboard Dialgoues sticker, put it wherever you like.
00:14:26:28 – 00:14:28:15
Travis Wise
This is going on the toolbox.
00:14:28:16 – 00:14:30:02
Sam Flecker
Oh yeah, I love it.
00:14:30:05 – 00:14:31:12
Travis Wise
Where all the stickers go.
00:14:31:13 – 00:14:39:19
Sam Flecker
Love it. Well, thanks for coming on today, Travis. Good to see you. Excited to Check out this car. And yeah, enjoy NADA!
00:14:40:03 – 00:14:51:03
Travis Wise
Hey, Sam, thank you for having me, I appreciate it. Love doing the podcast. I’ll come back anytime you just let me know. I’ve got a 58 Impala we probably should drag you out here too.
00:14:51:03 – 00:14:54:08
Sam Flecker
So I think I am very on board with that.
00:14:54:15 – 00:15:08:22
Sam Flecker
Cool. Well, for those of you watching. Thanks for tuning in and we’ll see you soon. Be sure to check out the Dashboard Dialogues podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud and Google Play. See you next episode.
