Michael Hayes signs off after 50+ years as Brian Crossin joins as co-host — packs, pricing, tech and lessons from five decades.
After more than 50 years in the automotive industry, Michael Hayes is heading into retirement — and this is his last episode as co-host of Dealer Driven.
In this episode we flip the format. Camron Wilson is joined by Brian Crossin, NADA’s new Academy Director and incoming co-host, and together they turn the tables on Michael to talk about his five decades in this business: the changes, the lessons, and where he sees the industry headed next. Brian brings more than 20 years of dealership experience, including 12 years in parts management, before his passion for teaching and mentoring led him into training and instruction.
Michael explains why hard packs that once carried low risk now have major consequences in a market-based pricing world, why he says “if we called packs tariffs, dealers would be beside themselves,” and what today’s customers really expect — clear pricing and respect for their time. He also digs into the biggest mistakes dealerships make when adopting new technology and AI (“AI doesn’t improve the process, AI accelerates the process you currently have”), the biggest mistake of his own career as a dealer, and why long-term thinking and customer retention beat short-term thinking.
Plus, Michael shares what still excites him about the future of automotive retail — from the freedom of mobility to technology as a leveling factor that gives the smallest dealer in America access to the same information as the largest.
Whether you’re on the showroom floor or behind the desk, this episode is a send-off, a hand-off, and a masterclass in what five decades in the business can teach us.
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Presented by The National Automobile Dealers Association
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