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20 Groups — In Good Times and In Challenging Times by TIADA Staff
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ou have probably heard the term before, but for those of you who are new to the concept, a 20 Group consists of approximately 15-20 dealers from different geographical areas that come together several times a year to exchange best practices on every aspect of the independent dealer business. These dealers are guided and coached by an industry expert called the moderator and use benchmark data as their foundation. There are 20 Groups for BHPH, Retail, LHPH and also 20 Groups with a narrower focus such as Finance, Collections, Service, Accounting, etc. “Groups are structured to accommodate pretty much any size, time in business, DMS or model,” said Brent Carmichael, a long-time 20
Houston. “There were about 10 of us, everyone in a similar situation in that we all needed that something else in our business because business wasn’t clicking the way that it should. That first 20 Group has been a family to me for nearly 15 years,” Zak added. With travel restrictions due to COVID-19 many 20 Group meetings are now taking place via online platforms and in quite a different format. Instead of the one to three full days, they have adapted according to the needs. “In the early stages of the pandemic our 20 Group was meeting for two to three hours every two weeks,” said Jon Turan with MCMC in Burleson, a dealership that has participated in 20 Groups since 1996. Russell Moore with Top Notch Used Cars in
Groups moderator with NCM Associates, a company that has over 5,000 group members in 465 different groups. “We have even developed a virtual 20 Group meeting product for groups that would prefer not to travel at this time,” added Carmichael. It is during these challenging times that many dealers have turned to their 20 Groups family for continuous support. “I recall the first meeting I had in Sarasota, FL,” says Greg Zak with Dixon Motors in
Conroe misses the face-to-face time with his closeknit group of 5 years, but they continue to communicate on a regular basis to share knowledge. “I have [received] so many benefits from the group; one of the biggest is my wonderful members that I lean on daily for advice,” Russell commented. And it seems that many dealers agree on the benefits a 20 Group can provide for their dealership as long as there is a full commitment not only to
October 2020
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