#440 - Are You Starting the Trade Conversation Too Late?

In this episode of the Independent Dealer Podcast, Jeff Watson and Luke Godwin are coming to you live from Denver, Colorado at the NIADA 2026 National Convention. No guest, no studio — just two guys in rocking chairs sharing what they're seeing, hearing, and thinking after a week of conversations with dealers from across the country. From AI and daily score boarding to EV velocity, subprime lending shifts, and a low-balance trade cycle that's moved way further out than most dealers realize — this one covers the themes nobody's putting in a press release.What You'll Learn:-Why "know your numbers" is still the dominant theme at NIADA 2026 — and how AI is changing what dealers actually do with those numbers once they have them-The scoreboarding framework both Jeff and Luke keep coming back to — and why the metric you assign an employee has to be something they can actually control-Why independents are outselling franchises on direct-to-consumer EV brands like Tesla and Rivian — and why velocity is the only strategy that works when prices fluctuate that fast-Why subprime banks are still slow to finance EVs — and why one dealer buying 300 EVs a month should absolutely be reinsuring that battery risk himself-How capital markets are quietly re-entering the subprime space — and what it means that Capital One is calling dealers who never reached out-Why the low-balance trade conversation has shifted from $2,500 to $6,500 — and why starting it at 18 to 24 months in the loan is now the number that actually works-Why Jeff is so scared of shiny objects he admits he probably misses good ones — and what finally convinced him to change his payment processorIf you're an independent dealer who couldn't make it to Denver this year — this is the closest thing to being in the room.Support the businesses that support the podcast:Buckeye Risk Services - Reinsurance and wealth strategies for independent dealers.https://theindependentdealer.com/buckeyeBlytz - BHPH payment processing with fast funding and text-to-pay.https://theindependentdealer.com/blytzpayIturan GPS - Asset protection and customer management for BHPH and retail dealers.https://theindependentdealer.com/ituranFollow & Connect:Website: www.theindependentdealer.comFacebook Group: @independentautogroupLuke Godwin: @lukegodwinJeff Watson: /sendtojeffwLike, subscribe, and share this with a dealer who needs to hear it.