As a decades-long veteran of the automotive retail industry, the author of this strategy manual for car dealerships to survive a shifting market landscape has 45 tips for workers in the industry, and many of them may be hard pills to swallow. Still, it’s undeniable that with the rise of online retailers, the continued existence of third-party mechanics and parts dealers, and paradigm shifters offering home delivery, transparent pricing, and even car vending machines, that traditional dealerships are leaving money on the table. Suggestions run the spectrum from improving compliance, offering a more comprehensive online marketplace, participating in job fairs to attract more qualified talent, or even just avoiding deceptive advertising. While it will be difficult for established managers and dealer principals to look in the mirror at the flaws in their business, this book could save them from being a victim of a changing economy.

Written specifically for professionals in the automotive retail space, from the top all the way down to the entry-level, many of the 45 suggestions in this book will require either management buy-in or the authority to make massive organizational changes. But it also can be a helpful read for the car consumer to know what kinds of practices are predatory and what to expect from a truly progressive and customer-focused dealership. Zanan’s style isn’t one for mincing words, which instills a level of trust in his expertise. It also puts readers into the mindset that they’re not being coddled and that changes need to happen sooner rather than later. A truly eye-opening read about the process of buying and selling cars, this book has the potential to be the manual that dealer principals swear by and see as responsible for saving their business.

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