Beyond The First Pencil
Beyond The First Pencil is where dealership operations meet financial reality.
Hosted by Kathi Kruse, of Kruse Control and Automotive CFO-To-Go™, this podcast is for dealers, OEMs, GMs, and controllers who want more than surface-level advice. You’ll get straight talk on financial statements, internal controls, cash flow, and the operational gaps that quietly erode profit.
From gross to net, from process to profit, each episode delivers real-world insights on how dealerships actually make money… and where they lose it.
Because selling cars is one thing. Keeping the profit is another.
Beyond The First Pencil
When Shady Comes to Shop: Dealing with Tricky Customers
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Kathi and Mike believe delivering the very best customer experience is crucial to dealership profitability. When it comes to selling cars, not all customers are created equal. Some approach the dealership with a lack of trust and the expectation of an adversarial buying experience. Sometimes, people are just shady, which happens in any business that deals with the public. We share our insights on how to mitigate issues with tricky customers.
Kathi shares her latest update on the Facebook/Meta ads experience. It ain’t good.
In our music segment:
Belinda Carlyle’s birthday
Anniversary of New Order’s album Substance
Kathi’s hot movie tips:
The YouTube Effect (documentary)
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough (documentary on Netflix)
If you're a car person (worked/working in dealerships like us) we want to hear from you.
Got a question (or two or three)? Email either (or both) of us!
Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com
Mike: mikethecarguy@outlook.com