Speaker: Joe Powell
Why is a Dealer 20 Group something every dealer should take advantage of?
Joe Powell: You know, I feel like the 20 groups for independent dealers are pretty much mandatory. There's just no other place that as an independent dealer, we can have a board of directors that we can get together with a few times a year to brush ideas off of each other. Have other dealers help hold us accountable, learn what works from other dealers, they can learn from you in turn, it's just an accountability group that each and every dealer should have.
How impactful are NIADA 20 Groups in terms of ROI for your dealership?
Joe Powell: You know, I was in a 20 group for about 10 years and, you know, we had heard the same story pretty much from the dealers over and over. So I decided that I was going to lay out of the 20 groups for a little while COVID came along and I thought, well, maybe this might not be the best time to be traveling. But here's what I found out after two years of being out of a group, I decided to get back in the group. What I didn't realize when I was out was the amount of accountability that the 20 groups were holding me for. I wasn't studying my numbers as well. I got a little bit complacent. My return on investment went down sharply because quite honestly, I didn't have my eye on the ball. That's one thing that other independent dealers are very good at is holding its each of us accountable. And whenever we have to go in and present our numbers every month, we show whether we're profitable or not And the other guys want to see it, we do our best to make sure that our sales are where they need to be our return on investment is where it needs to be. And without the 20 groups holding us accountable, that just wasn't happening during the COVID years that I stepped back.
How difficult would it be to gain the knowledge one gains being in a 20 Group without being in that 20 Group?
Joe Powell: You know, I've thought for years that being an independent dealer, where do you go to get advice? Where do you go to get knowledge of? Maybe some struggles you're going through in your dealership. I think without being in a 20 group, there's just no way of doing that. You don't have your, you're not tight with your local dealers because so many of those are competitors. Being in a 20 group You have somebody to call when something's going wrong. You have somebody that they can call when they need some advice. And not only that the friendships you gain along the way are invaluable. Being in a 20 group, the knowledge you get there, there's just no other place to get it without Sitting next to other dealers that are doing the same thing you're doing in different markets, learning what works for them. They learn what works from you. It's just mandatory to gain the knowledge to be in the 20 group.
What makes NIADA 20 Groups, specifically, so special?
Joe Powell: As independent dealers, we have choices of who's 20 group we want to join. There's different organizations out here that have 20 groups. But in my opinion, why not go with the association that in turn supports their dealers back. We want to give to the association. We want them to be able to lobby on our behalf. I don't see any other place other than the NIDS 20 groups that I would support primarily because that's who supports me.
What would you say to someone who isn't in an NIADA 20 Group yet?
Joe Powell: I've run across quite a few dealers over the years and the topic of 20 groups has been brought up and I'm always a proponent of 4 20 groups and people say why? And I'm like, You don't know what you don't know before I was a member of the 20 groups. I had no idea what went on in those meetings After I became a member of the 20 groups I decided. Wow. I missed out on so much the years that I waited to join a 20 group because I thought I couldn't afford it. I made my money back after the first meeting, every meeting I attended, I got paid dividends being a member of a 20 group. If you're not a member yet, why get started, start today. Joining 20 group membership immediately, if not sooner.
