Darla Booher drew large crowds at the BHPH Dealer Forum and NIADA Convention for her presentation on the important metrics she follows in her dealership.
The audience wanted to gain actionable insight from the 2015 National Quality Dealer of the Year.
In looking back at her own career, the renowned dealer and president of the Dealer Depot in Greer, South Carolina, quickly points to one decision that has helped her dealership thrive more than any other: completing the Certified Master Dealer certification.
“I’ve attributed the certified master dealer as probably the smartest thing I’ve ever done,” Booher said. “The course helped me to grow my dealership. Quite frankly, I don’t know if I would be in business right now if I had not taken the CMD course.”
The CMD program is returning in August, with a pair of unique sessions tailored to the BHPH and retail sectors of the used vehicle industry. Registration is underway for both sessions at niada.com/certified-master-dealer/. The BHPH section is Aug. 4-7 at the DFW Airport Marriott in Grapevine, Texas. The retail section is Aug. 11-14 at the Airport Marriott in Atlanta, Georgia.
Discounts of 50 percent off the registration are available for the 2025 NIADA Convention attendees, 20 Groups members and current CMDs. For the discount code and eligibility, contact John Dismukes, john@niada.com.
Booher continues to use the lessons and materials from the course. She said it helped her learn how to manage her resources, especially her staff.
“Your equipment, cash in the bank, cars, you think of as your resources. But when you think of the amount of payroll dollars that you use toward your team and put that in perspective, you go, ‘Wow,’ that’s a huge resource.”
Another concept she grasped from the course was the “Can I afford it rule?” It helped her turn her focus from the gross profit to the net profit and what that number was as a percentage of her gross. From there, she could do a calculation to figure out the gross she needed to make a purchase.
“If I wanted to do a $5,000 advertising campaign, how many cars do I have to sell so my net profit does not drop? That was big to be able to focus on that,” Booher said.
For a complete review of the curriculum for the Certified Master Dealer course, click here.
