CBT News brings you exclusive coverage from the 2025 NADA Show in New Orleans, featuring a conversation with the legendary Joe Verde of the Joe Verde Group, joined by seasoned sales trainers Sean Gardner and Doug Christiansen. Together, these industry veterans reflect on four decades of transformative training for salespeople and managers while addressing the evolving needs of dealerships in today’s challenging automotive landscape.
Key Takeaways
- The Joe Verde Group emphasizes the critical importance of practicing skills to see results. Merely watching training videos is insufficient. The core business development courses, designed to be completed over 30 days with guided practice sessions, equip participants with actionable skills. Following this structured approach helps salespeople achieve significant success. For instance, Kevin Shannon, a long-time participant, progressed from earning $40,000 annually to $200,000 over a span of eight to nine years due to consistent training and skill development.
- Joe Verde highlights the transformative impact of properly structured training on sales professionals. The methodology focuses on developing skills such as asking the right questions, avoiding price-centric discussions, and effectively steering customer conversations. The training program’s comprehensive structure—spanning over 20 courses and typically retained by dealerships for five years—ensures lasting growth. The team stresses that the secret to increasing showroom sales lies in enhancing the skills of the existing staff rather than relying solely on advertising or new technology.
- With over 40 years of experience in the industry, Joe Verde and his team have established a reputation for delivering measurable results for dealerships. Dealers who implement the training have witnessed consistent improvements in their teams’ performance. As a former student and sponsor, the host shares personal success attributed to Joe Verde’s training. The session concludes with encouragement for dealers and sales managers to invest in training to boost their dealership’s sales success, further underscoring the program’s effectiveness and enduring value.
Catch all of CBT News’ coverage of the 2025 NADA Show here.
