Jordan Belfort Digital Dealer Keynote Controversy

[Daniel J. Mondello]

I keep seeing negative posts from numerous high profile business leaders in this industry condemning Digital Dealer #17 for hiring Jordan Belfort (the Real Wolf of Wall st) as the keynoter for the conference next month. Such arguments as "Do we want our customers, friends, and rival dealers knowing we learned from the Wolf of Wall st? What message does this send? We're trying to shed our criminal appearance of the past" and other Blah, Blah, Blah.

I find it humorous that we are doing everything in our power to convince the general public to forgive dealers for the many unscrupulous practices dealers utilized in the "past". Whether all dealers are guilty of these practices or not is not really up for debate whether any of us knowingly participated in any of these actions is irrelevant - one way or another we've become part of a stereotype don't believe google.com/image search "Car Salesmen"
What I Think is extremely funny is that some of us think as dealers we deserve forgiveness for our actions of the past BUT THERE CAN BE NO REDEMPTION FOR JORDAN BELFORT who for those of us who follow him know that he has really changed his entire approach and no works to help businesses discover ethical ways to sell. Let's not be hypocrites now.

Could Digital Dealer have selected a better or more relevant keynote speaker? NO, I don't believe could have for the very reasons mentioned above.

Agree or disagree? Stay positive. We're all entitled to our opinions here - I've voiced mine and I'm dying to hear yours.

 

[JessicaRuth]

We're all grown ups in charge of our own actions. So, if we don't like that Jordan Belfort is speaking at Digital, don't go. Clearly, there are a lot of conferences to choose from and if this one doesn't attract you for other reasons (what will you bring back to the dealership so you can sell more cars and be more successful, or something like that) then don't go.

As far as the uproar that's following DD's choice to have him there....Well, negative attention is still attention.

 

[yagoparamo]

Agreed with Dany that everyone deserves redemption and that should be specially easy to understand in our business as we change from obscure and obsolete ways to a more clear way of doing business.

I also agree with Jessica (I hope t see you there!) that in the end is our choice to support/not the event.

However I also understand that some of the focus went to the fact that this may attract unwanted negative attention to our industry. How will this perceived by the news channels or others outside the industry? How would customers that don't understand what we do perceive our patronage to this individual?

Three thoughts:

1) Jordan is probably in a different place in life and a very interesting person to spend an evening with.

2) With all the choices available it wouldn't have been difficult for DD to chose another speaker.

3) DD did a great job to their business (and to us vendors participating), they got a lot of attention by the community <------ Free advertising.

 

[Jlewis74]

One of my biggest issues with him is he talks about how much money he is making but he still owes money to the people he stole from. When he is giving these speeches he talks about things he did back in the day to make money(steal from people) I don't think he regrets what he did I think he regrets he got careless and got caught.

Now if he would have came out of it humble and paid back all the money he owes and used the message of rehabilitation it would be different.

I agree its up to you if you attend but I don't think its good for the car business as a whole.

 

[ed.brooks]

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I keep seeing negative posts from numerous high profile business leaders in this industry condemning Digital Dealer #17 for hiring Jordan Belfort...

Those "high profile business leaders" are (almost) all involved in promoting in competing events. Take it for what it's worth. This is all about self promotion - in my opinion

That being said, I think the "Wolf" is scum.