Three Numbers Every Dealership Should Track
Return Rate, Sentiment and Efficiency at a Glance. Three numbers that tell you whether your customers are coming back, how they feel about it, and how efficiently you’re serving them
Do You Know Your Customer Retention Rate?
Many Dealers Don’t and That’s a Problem There’s a number sitting inside your DMS (Dealer Management System) right now that many dealer principals have never calculated. It’s not gross profit.
When Retention Isn’t a People Problem
It’s a Leadership Rhythm Problem In late 2024, we began working with a dealership that, by most traditional measures, was healthy. Financially strong. Absorption solid. Processes documented. Reporting clear. From the
A Leading Indicator of Dealership Health
Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) At Sheppard & Company, we’ve learned to pay very close attention to early signals. Not the lagging indicators that show up on a financial statement six or twelve months later,
Strategic Clarity Is a Team Sport
How Most Annual Plans Get Built. This article demonstrates how the best dealers don’t plan alone and how peer learning turns good plans into executable ones. Every year, I see
Why Your Leadership Team Is Busy, But Not Aligned
I don’t know a single dealer executive who isn’t working hard. Leadership teams are stretched thin. Calendars are full. Days are long. Most leaders feel like they’re carrying more than their fair share, and in many cases,
Your 2026 Results Are Already Locked In
They’re Sitting in Your Training Plan There’s a line often quoted in military and leadership circles that I think about every January: “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations;
Top 25 for ’25: Books We Love
Which one will you read (or gift) next? Our Top 25 Books for ’25 list is here! A handpicked list by the Sheppard & Company team of the ideas shaping our
The Leadership Reset: Slowing Down So You Can Lead Forward
There’s a moment every December, usually sometime between the final sales push and the holiday closure, when the pace finally breaks. By now, you should be very close to or
Why Your Dealership Culture Is Failing You
On the surface, your dealership culture might look great. Everyone gets along. Meetings are smooth. People don’t argue. There’s “alignment” in the leadership team. But a culture that feels comfortable