Paragon’s Brian Benstock shares takeaways from recent 20 group meeting

With tight inventory and quotas to meet, how are sales teams managing? For Paragon Honda and Acura, having a plan with the future in mind is key. On today’s edition of Inside Automotive, we’re pleased to welcome back Brian Benstock, Partner GM and Vice President of Paragon Honda and Paragon Acura to discuss sales as well as his first, in person, dealer meeting happening now.

It’s very different and so impactful says Benstock. Usually, the question at the meeting is, how’s business? then you get a variety of answers. Benstock says now the question is, can we look forward to retaining as things normalize?

Benstock thinks they are at a low point in inventory. Toyota and Honda announced a reduction in inventory for last month and October. There are going to have to get to the finish line with far and fewer cars. Benstock thinks as long as inventory stays the way automakers have described them, they’ll be okay.

If we want to clean up the environment, don’t we want to clean up the entire environment, Benstock asks? He believes if vehicles are going to be sold on the roads of America, then they should be clean vehicles. If you’re going to subsidize electrification by $12,000 a car, it should be across the board or not at all. Benstock says he’s going to sell whatever it is, however it’s produced. He’s in the transportation business and that’s the mindset dealers need to have today. There are forces you can’t control. He doesn’t necessarily believe EV is the way to go, due to environmental concerns.

Benstock says his biggest concern is Apple Inc., producing cars. He says they have the capability to disrupt this industry like any other company. Apple is one of the world’s most profitable corporations. It’s only a question of time and it’s going to be interesting to see where this goes, says Benstock.

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