Podcasts have become one of the most practical learning tools for automotive professionals. Unlike video content, they work during commutes, between lots, during physical exercise, and anywhere a screen isn't practical. For salespeople and managers with unpredictable schedules, audio is often the easiest format to stay consistent with.

Here are the podcasts worth your time in 2026.

What Makes a Dealership Podcast Worth Your Time

Not all automotive podcasts are equal. Before you subscribe, evaluate:

Industry depth vs. entertainment: Some podcasts about car sales are primarily entertainment — storytelling about deals or lifestyle content. Others are genuinely focused on developing your skills and business thinking. Know which you're looking for.

Relevance to your role: A podcast for dealer principals won't have the same practical utility for a floor salesperson, and vice versa. Find content targeted at your current role and where you're trying to go.

Actionability: The best episodes leave you with something specific to try in the next week — a technique, a script, a mindset shift. If you can't articulate what you'd do differently after an episode, the content may be interesting but not actionable.

Recommended Podcasts

Automotive News Podcast

For managers and DPs who need to stay current on industry trends, the Automotive News podcast delivers reliable coverage of market shifts, OEM developments, and business stories that affect the retail side.

Best for: GMs, DPs, and managers who need to stay current on the industry landscape.

Cadence: Weekly or near-weekly episodes.

Dealer Playbook

A well-established podcast covering modern dealership operations — digital marketing, sales processes, technology adoption, and leadership. Interviews with successful dealers and industry experts make it consistently relevant for operators at all levels.

Best for: Managers and dealer principals looking for strategic and operational perspective.

Fixed Ops Roundtable

One of the few podcasts focused specifically on fixed operations — service, parts, and collision. If you're a service manager or service advisor, this fills a gap that most automotive podcasts ignore.

Best for: Service managers, parts managers, and fixed ops leaders.

Sales trainer podcast content (Andy Elliott, Grant Cardone)

Several prominent automotive sales trainers have podcast-format content or have appeared on sales podcasts with automotive-specific episodes. The quality varies, but the better episodes provide practical scripting and objection handling discussion.

Best for: Floor salespeople and BDC agents looking for technique-focused content.

General sales and leadership podcasts

Many of the highest-quality development podcasts aren't automotive-specific — they're about sales, leadership, psychology, and customer experience broadly. "The Sales Hacker Podcast," "Masters of Scale," and similar programs offer frameworks that translate directly to automotive even when the examples aren't.

Best for: Professionals who want to develop beyond automotive-specific content into broader business thinking.

How to Learn From Podcasts Effectively

Passive listening produces passive retention. To get more from podcast content:

Listen actively: Have something to capture notes — a voice memo app, a notepad, a note in your phone. When something resonates, capture it before the episode ends.

Apply one thing per episode: Don't try to implement everything from every episode. Pick one idea and try it this week. If it works, add it. If it doesn't, understand why.

Discuss what you hear: The team that shares podcast ideas builds a learning culture. Reference something you heard at the morning meeting: "I was listening to the Dealer Playbook on the way in and they made an interesting point about..."

Re-listen to episodes that apply to current challenges: An episode you listened to six months ago about lease renewals might be exactly what you need today. Podcasts aren't one-time content — revisit when the topic is live.

The Practical Limitation

As with books and YouTube, podcasts develop thinking — not execution skills.

A podcast about trade-in objection handling will give you language and perspective. It won't build the automatic response that practice creates. The commute is a great time for podcast learning. But the practice needs to happen in a real or simulated customer interaction.

Building a Team Podcast Culture

If you want to incorporate podcasts into your training program:

• Recommend 2-3 specific episodes per month as optional but recognized
• Create a short discussion prompt for the team meeting ("We're discussing episode X — what did you take from it?")
• Acknowledge staff who come in with insights from external content — it signals that self-directed learning is valued
• Build a shared playlist or recommendation list so your best finds circulate

FAQ

Are there podcasts specifically for BDC professionals? Less common than floor sales content, but episodes within broader automotive podcasts cover BDC specifically. Filter for episodes that discuss phone skills, lead handling, and appointment setting.

How long should podcast episodes be to stay engaging? 20-40 minutes is the sweet spot for commute-length content. Longer episodes (60+ minutes) tend to work better for dedicated listening time.

Should dealerships have their own internal podcast? Some large dealer groups use internal podcasts to distribute leadership messages, training insights, and store updates. For smaller operations, a weekly voice memo from the GM can accomplish a similar purpose.

What's the best way to share podcast episodes with a team? Create a shared Spotify playlist or simply text/email episode links. Keep it low-friction — if sharing an episode requires a login or special app, most people won't bother.

Are there any podcasts specifically for service advisors? Fixed Ops Roundtable is the most directly relevant. Several service-focused consultants also produce podcast content worth following.

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