How to Make Marketing Finally Work for You with John Fitzpatrick | The David Spisak Show

In his July 2025 appearance on The David Spisak Show, John Fitzpatrick spoke directly to how dealer groups should think about marketing spend and where most stores lose momentum. He outlined three principles that shape the next phase of automotive retail. Alignment across data, systems, and partners so every effort supports one strategy. Accountability that ties every dollar to performance instead of activity. Retention that treats after-sales as a growth engine and a core driver of customer lifetime value. John also walked through Force Marketing’s path. How the company started. How acquiring GSM expanded their capabilities. And how dealers can use their DMS and CRM data more intelligently to create more predictable activity across the business. The conversation touches on the problem of reactive marketing, the difference between spend and investment, and what John looks for when building teams that support large groups. Watch the full podcast in John’s own words here:   In his July 2025 appearance on The David Spisak Show, John Fitzpatrick spoke directly to how dealer groups should think about marketing spend and where most stores lose momentum. He outlined three principles that shape the next phase of automotive retail. Alignment across data, systems, and partners so every effort supports one strategy. Accountability that ties every dollar to performance instead of activity. Retention that treats after-sales as a growth engine and a core driver of customer lifetime value. John also walked through Force Marketing’s path. How the company started. How acquiring GSM expanded their capabilities. And how dealers can use their DMS and CRM data more intelligently to create more predictable activity across the business. The conversation touches on the problem of reactive marketing, the difference between spend and investment, and what John looks for when building teams that support large groups. Watch the full podcast in John’s own words here: