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Most dealers talk about changing culture. Jim Colon and Perry Watson III actually did it. At Marysville Toyota, they launched with a radical model: one-price, one-person, and salaried staff who guide customers from start to finish. Seven years later, the results are undeniable — President’s Award honors, #4 reputation ranking in the entire Seattle metro, and customers driving more than an hour past other Toyota stores just to buy from them.
In this conversation, Jim and Perry share why they love people more than they love cars, how that philosophy shapes their recruiting, retention, and customer experience, and why AI search is starting to recommend them based on reputation alone. It’s proof that doing the right thing — for employees and for customers — compounds in ways no sale sign ever could.
Takeaways
0:00 Intro — Meeting Jim Colon & Perry Watson III of Marysville Toyota
0:58 Why they launched with one-price, one-person, and salaried staff
2:24 The real impact: recruiting higher-quality employees
3:07 Needs assessments that put the customer first, not the car to sell
3:32 Attracting talent from outside the auto industry — and making it work
4:09 From zero to #4 in Seattle metro reputation rankings in just seven years
4:38 Customers driving over an hour past other Toyota stores to buy from them
5:26 Why their marketing never promotes “sales” — only the experience
5:59 Operating with less than 20 days supply but still growing share
6:09 Highest Google scores in the area: 4.7 across nearly 5,000 surveys
6:41 Why authentic feedback drives reputation more than begging for reviews
7:31 How AI search is already recommending Marysville Toyota
8:59 Why Reddit and DealerRater now influence AI-driven car shopping
9:21 Their mantra: “Love people more than you love cars” — and why it works
9:56 Winning Toyota’s President’s Award — and what it proves about loyalty
10:56 Why focusing only on their PMA (not other dealers) is their true advantage
Learn more about Marysville Toyota at https://www.marysvilletoyota.com
NAMAD Sessions is brought to you by Mia and produced by the More Than Cars Media Network - https://www.mia.inc/