Most automotive vendors have a deployment problem they are calling an adoption problem.
Who I help
The window where outside perspective changes the trajectory is shorter than most leadership teams expect.
Your tool is live. Results are inconsistent.
It works in some stores and fails in others. You have tried training. You have tried process. The gap is still there.
Your GTM worked early. It is not scaling.
What closed your first deals is not closing the next tier. The message, the motion, or the market has shifted and the playbook has not caught up.
The strategy is right. The field is not running it.
Leadership is aligned. Execution is not. Something is breaking between the boardroom and the rooftop.
Trying to get on an OEM certified vendor list and not sure what they are actually looking for?
I ran the Audi Certified Vendor Program. Every technology company seeking access to the Audi dealer network came through my office first.
Your tool works in some stores and fails in others. You cannot figure out why.
It is not the technology. It is not the process. It is the third leg of the stool: the behavioral characteristics of the team executing the play.
Not sure what you need?
Tell me what is happening in your business. No pitch, no obligation. Just a straight answer on whether I can help.
You think it is a software evaluation.
It is a risk assessment.
I ran the Audi Certified Vendor Program. Every vendor who wanted access to 300 franchise dealers came through my office. I was the gatekeeper. I know the game from the other side of the table.
- /The invisible ledger the OEM uses to score risk
- /The unspoken objections that kill deals before the pilot
- /How to translate your product into OEM corporate language
"Every technology company that wanted access to our 300-dealer network came through my office. I was not a participant in that process. I was the gatekeeper."
Kirk Preiser, former Director, Audi Certified Vendor Program
Thirty years in the work. Not on the sidelines.
I have spent 30 years in automotive, working inside the organizations most people only advise from the outside.
Today I work with companies that are stuck. Revenue is not where it should be, execution is inconsistent, or the strategy looks right on paper but is not translating in the field. I come in, figure out what is actually driving the miss, and help fix it. Not as a consultant who hands you a deck and leaves. As someone who has run the plays, knows where they break down, and stays in the work until it moves.
If that sounds like what you need, let's talk.
How I work
I have seen this pattern across OEM, fleet, and SaaS. The variable most leadership teams miss is behavioral.
The problem is rarely what leadership thinks it is
Strategy, ICP fit, launch design, training, employee buy-in, sustainment. Any of these can be the real variable. Most teams default to blaming the dealer. That is almost never the whole answer.
The missing variable is almost always behavioral
Same technology. Same process. Different results across locations. The gap lives in the people executing the play, not the play itself.
I find it and fix it
Not a framework. Not a deck. I stay embedded until the actual problem is solved.
How we can work together.
Engagements are scoped individually. No fixed pricing is listed because no two situations are the same.
Diagnostic
Find the real problem.
You know something is off. You do not know exactly what. I come in, investigate, and tell you what is actually driving the miss.
Best for: companies that know something is wrong but cannot pinpoint it
Fractional Executive
Senior judgment without a full-time hire.
I work alongside your leadership team on a regular cadence. Strategy, execution accountability, vendor decisions, and cross-functional alignment.
Best for: companies that need senior-level judgment on a sustained basis
Project-Based
A defined problem. A defined outcome.
Fixed-scope work for a specific challenge. GTM strategy, OEM vendor positioning, operational redesign, or a specific initiative that needs focused execution support.
Best for: companies with a clear problem and a defined outcome in mind
Results that came from doing the work.
Inherited an underperforming region and transformed it into a consistent top-quartile national performer. Delivered a 289% increase in new vehicle sales and a 5-point lift in market share. Led the region to #1 in Return on Sales nationwide. Achieved sustained #1 national rankings in both Sales and Service CSI by rebuilding accountability, coaching discipline, and execution standards across the dealer network.
Handpicked by senior leadership to build Audi's first nationwide customer experience transformation from the ground up. Designed and launched the Audi Retail Experience platform across 300+ U.S. dealerships, connecting digital and in-person experiences across 1.2M+ annual customer interactions. Achieved 80% dealer adoption in the first 12 months without financial incentives.
Managed a $150M+ annual enterprise portfolio across 6,000+ units, negotiating 100+ enterprise contracts including multiple $20M+ agreements. Improved customer satisfaction from 63% to 93% across Fortune 500 fleet clients while reducing goodwill expense by $1.5M.
Built the enterprise pipeline from zero for an AI-driven SaaS platform, growing opportunities by 200% and validating product-market fit across automotive, powersports, RV, and marine. Secured OEM and large-group partnerships across automotive, powersports, and marine, including multi-brand enterprise agreements and national training organization partnerships.
If you are missing targets and not sure why, that is exactly where I start.
Tell me what is happening. I will tell you if I can help.
From the people who have seen the work.
“Kirk brings a rare blend of OEM-level insight and practical, in-store experience that makes him uniquely effective in driving real-world results. He listens, collaborates, and tailors solutions that work in the real world.”
“Kirk has outstanding industry knowledge on the automotive industry. His keynote speech and panel discussions at Reuters Auto Retail USA 2023 were insightful, informative, and full of passion.”
“I have always been impressed with his drive to deliver great customer experience while keeping in mind the needs of the automotive retail network. He is humble, attentive, collaborative and a pleasure to work with.”
“I am particularly impressed by Kirk's ability to draw a clear strategic vision and bring it to life most efficiently. His ability to communicate clearly throughout the organization in a transparent manner is outstanding.”
“Kirk is a thoughtful person who genuinely attacks every opportunity with a 'Never Settle' attitude. He challenges the status quo while being incredibly respectful of everyone around him. I would recommend Kirk for any leadership role where strategic vision and tenacity will be necessary for success.”
“It is not easy to effect change between OEMs and dealers, but Kirk's commitment to improving the customer experience will influence positive improvements throughout the industry.”
“Kirk has always been ahead of the game when consulting with his dealers. Kirk wants to change the industry one dealer at a time. I know with each endeavor Kirk will change the industry on a larger scale.”
Ready to see what this looks like for your situation?
Projects that moved the needle.
A selection of engagements across automotive retail, SaaS, fleet, and market entry. Names are withheld where appropriate.
Deskless Showroom & In-Store Digital Retail Innovation
Created the industry's first deskless, digital-enabled showroom. Redesigned the full in-store digital retail workflow years before the industry adopted similar models. Work showcased at NADA, JD Power Automotive Summit, and Reuters Automotive Summit.
National Omnichannel Retail Transformation
Led the automaker's first true omnichannel retail transformation, unifying online shopping, CRM, showroom, and service workflows across a 300-dealer network. Established national CX standards and built the enterprise cadence that enabled nationwide adoption.
Regional Retail Network Turnaround
Turned a historically low-performing retail region into a top national performer. Achieved #1 rankings in customer satisfaction, certified pre-owned performance, and parts attainment. Drove multi-million-dollar facility reinvestment across the network.
AI-Enabled CX Platform & OEM GTM Acceleration
Repositioned an AI mystery shop product into a full OEM-facing CX intelligence platform. Expanded qualified pipeline from under $150K to more than $3M through ICP definition and message-to-market alignment.
On the main stage.
Keynote addresses and workshops at the industry's most significant events. The same perspective you get in an engagement, applied publicly.
On the record.
Keynote stages, podcast conversations, and industry panels. The same perspective you get in an engagement, applied publicly.
AI in Automotive Dealerships: Opportunities, Future Trends, and Risks
Spotlight Series keynote at the National Automobile Dealers Association annual show in New Orleans. Covered AI adoption, lead management, and the risks of deploying unproven technology at scale.
View Announcement→Improving Lead Performance: New Automated Opportunities for Dealers
Joined Micah Tindor (Sr. Director of Strategy, Kelley Blue Book) and Jade Terreberry (Cox Automotive) to discuss AI-driven lead management, automated follow-up, and what separates dealers who convert from those who do not.
Listen→Kirk Preiser: Why Customer Experience Matters
A one-hour conversation on the real barriers to CX transformation in automotive retail. Why dealers know what needs to change and still do not change it, and what actually moves the needle.
Listen→Kirk Preiser, Director of Retail Buying Experience, Audi of America
Recorded live at the 2023 NADA Show. Discussed Audi's approach to modernizing the retail buying experience and the gap between OEM strategy and dealer-level execution.
Listen→Keynote & Panel: The Future of Automotive Retail CX
Keynote address and panel discussion on the future of automotive retail customer experience. Described by Reuters Events as "insightful, informative, and full of passion."
View Profile→The insights.
Eight articles on the execution problems that cost automotive companies the most. Every piece connects back to the same thesis: the gap between strategy and field performance is rarely where leadership thinks it is.
The OEM Certification Mirage
Every vendor thinks they are walking into a software evaluation. They are not. They are walking into a risk assessment, and they are playing a game where they do not even know the rules.
Why AI Is Failing in the Dealership (And It's Not the AI)
Despite record investments in dealer technology, the gap between what these tools promise and what they actually deliver has never been wider. The technology isn't broken. The problem is the execution gap.
The Activation Illusion: Why Dealers Go Live and Never Change
Deployment metrics look great. Dealer behavior hasn't changed. The gap between going live and operational adoption is where accounts are lost.
The Field Execution Gap: When the Strategy Doesn't Make It to the Service Lane
Strategy is clean in the boardroom. It exists in PowerPoint decks and multi-year roadmaps. The problem is what happens between the boardroom and the field.
Scaling Without Breaking: The GTM Trap for Automotive SaaS
Early traction with innovative dealers does not predict mainstream adoption. The GTM motion that got you here will not get you there.
The Lead Graveyard: Why 81% of Dealer Leads Die in the BDC
Lead quality is rarely the problem. The problem is the broken workflow between lead receipt and human follow-up.
The Human Handoff: The Missing Link in Automotive AI Integration
AI does not replace humans in automotive retail. It amplifies them. But only when the handoff protocol is designed correctly.
The Third Leg of the Stool
Same technology. Same process. Entirely different outcomes. The failure is not in the tool and it is not in the process. The failure is in the behavioral characteristics of the humans executing the play.
Tell me what is not working. I will tell you if I can help.
Describe what is happening in your business. I read every message personally and respond within 24 hours, whether or not there is a fit. You will get a straight answer either way.
Prefer to talk first? Pick a time directly on my calendar.