JT's Spilling The Secrets at MRC 2025

Allie Shell
Oct 23
3 min read

Before the Ad Spend: The Culture Hack Every Dealer Needs

If you’ve been in the dealer world long enough, you know the pattern: pump more money into ads → hope for more leads → then wonder why showroom traffic still isn’t hitting. It’s familiar. It’s frustrating. But it might just be missing the real magic.

Enter Jonathan Thompson — CEO & Founder of Automotive Marketing Gurus (AMG), creator of the MOJO Platform, culture-champion and marketing strategist extraordinaire. And at MRC 2025? He’s bringing a workshop-style session titled:

“Before the Ad Spend: Creating a Culture Where Everyone Sells”

Here’s why you should be excited — and why this session is designed for the kind of refresh your dealership might not even know it needs.

Rather than diving straight into channels, budgets, vendors, Jonathan urges us to look inward first — at culture.
He’ll bring real examples, a culture audit checklist, and frameworks drawn from AMG/XDC/MOJO experiences.
The idea? When everyone at your dealership—from service to sales to BDC to finance—is aligned and charged up, your marketing spend becomes exponentially more effective.

It’s less “throw more dollars into Facebook/Google” and more “build a culture where every team member becomes a mini-marketer, ambassador, closer.”

JT’s background backs up this approach: He’s spent years helping dealers stop wasting marketing dollars and instead invest in the people + processes that drive profit.

We Know Your Time is Limited so if You Don't Have Time to Read the Rest of the Page, Here's a Short Teaser Video From JT to Learn More

Session Details & Why You Should Attend

Date: Day Two – Monday, November 17, 2025
Time: 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: Plaza 2
Format: Mini-Workshop (so yes, it’s interactive)

Because it’s a mini-workshop, there’s a limited capacity, so you’ll want to lock in your spot early when registering — opt-in during your ticket purchase.

What To Expect From This Session

Audit prompts: “What’s the vibe in your showroom before the ads even launch?”
Culture frameworks: Simple, actionable ways to shift internal mindsets.
Team alignment strategies: How to get people outside the marketing department on board the “we all sell” train.
Practical takeaways: Not just ideas, but thing-you-can-do-Monday morning tactics.

What You'll Gain (and why it’s fun)

Clarity: You’ll walk away clear on why culture matters — not just slogans like “team sells together”.
Confidence: With frameworks and checklists in hand, you’ll feel empowered to start the shift.
Energy: JT brings enthusiasm—he’s a people-first champion who speaks with spark, transparency and purpose.
Connection: You'll find yourself in a room with like-minded professionals who are also ready to move beyond “more budget” as the answer.
Momentum: Because when culture and marketing align? That’s where the real momentum happens (and the ad dollars finally get amplified).

How to Join (and what to do beforehand)

Register for MRC 2025 if you haven’t yet. Secure your ticket (early bird or full-price).
Opt-in to the mini-workshop “Before the Ad Spend…” during checkout so you reserve your seat.
Bring your team (or key leaders): Culture changes don’t happen in isolation. Have your BDC manager, showroom leader or marketing director ready.
Come prepared with one question: What’s our culture blind-spot? What is preventing everyone from selling?
Be ready to roll up your sleeves: This isn’t passive. This is workshop-style action.
Follow up: After MRC, apply the audit checklist, connect with JT’s frameworks, share with your team — keep the energy going.

In Case You Still Aren't Convinced to Attend...

If your dealership’s marketing spend is getting louder but the results aren’t changing, this is your moment. Rather than buy more ad space, it might be time to build more belonging and buy-in from your entire team.

JT’s session isn’t just “another talk about marketing budgets”. It’s a culture reset. If you’re ready for that, join us at MRC 2025. Because the smartest money might just be the people in your seats, not the dollars you’re spending.