How Cavender Built a Scalable Dealer Group: The Framework for Success | Rob Cavender & Eric Barbosa, Cavender Auto Group

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Rob Cavender, COO of Cavender Auto Group, and Eric Barbosa, VP of Variable Operations, to discuss how they create and execute a blueprint for success in retail automotive, how they’re training salespeople to become General Managers, the growing pains of scaling a dealer group, and the secrets they've uncovered along the way—plus much more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. IkonTechnologies - Ikon Technologies was founded by dealers, for dealers, to solve the daily challenges your dealership faces. Our no-cost Lot Management Platform, with Find the Car, Find the Keys™ technology, makes finding inventory easy, while our patented Smart Marketing platform and Dealer-branded Connect app drives customer loyalty and drive revenue growth back to your dealership. Schedule a demo today to see how Ikon Technologies can help drive your dealership’s success by visiting @ https://hubs.la/Q02WVYbV0 2. Richtech Robotics - Titan is the autonomous parts delivery system that keeps techs in bays, helping you reach new heights of productivity. By eliminating wasted trips to the parts counter, Titan boosts fixed ops efficiency by up to 12%, accelerating service times and streamlining operations. Let Titan handle the heavy lifting – reducing injuries, cutting downtime, and raising your dealership’s profitability. For a limited time, Richtech Robotics is offering a FREE 2-week pilot – just cover shipping.Visit @ https://www.richtechrobotics.com/cdg to book your trial now. 3. CDG Recruiting - Building on the success of my industry job board, I’m launching CDG Recruiting — a more hands-on, personalized automotive recruiting service. Our team has decades of experience and has successfully placed over 1,000 roles in the automotive industry. So if you’re ready to find your next rockstar employee, try CDG Recruiting today by visiting @ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ 🚨 Don’t forget to subscribe to Car Dealership Guy Bites, for quick, daily insights into automotive retail — delivered in less than 5 minutes: Subscribe on Apple: https://carguymedia.com/apple_bites Subscribe on Spotify: https://carguymedia.com/spotify_bites Subscribe on YouTube: https://carguymedia.com/youtube_bites Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: https://cdgpartner.com Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: https://bit.ly/3Suismu Topics: 00:18 – How do authenticity and vulnerability shape leadership? 00:54 – Why are podcasts such a powerful tool? 01:54 – What has Eric Barbosa’s career journey been like? 03:47 – How has Rob’s family legacy influenced business growth? 07:25 – What lessons can be learned from running a family business? 17:00 – What strategies improve the customer experience? 29:39 – How is AI transforming customer engagement? 30:54 – How can AI redefine sales metrics? 41:58 – How do values-based leadership and emotional intelligence drive success? Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ My Socials: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com