Dealer 20 groups are one of the most valuable and underutilized resources in automotive retail. The premise is simple: a group of non-competing dealers — similar in size, franchise mix, or market type — meet regularly to share financial data, compare performance metrics, and exchange best practices.

The dealers who get the most from 20 groups treat them as accountability partners and learning communities. The ones who get the least treat them as a reporting exercise.

What a Dealer 20 Group Actually Is

A 20 group typically consists of 15-25 dealers organized around similar operating characteristics. Groups are facilitated by organizations like NCM Associates, NADA, or manufacturer-sponsored groups. Each member submits financial data (formatted to a standardized composite) and meets 2-3 times per year in person.

The composite — the aggregate performance data for the group — is where the real value starts. Every dealer can see where they rank against peers on metrics like:

• Gross per unit (front and back)
• Sales expense as a percentage of gross
• F&I PVR and product penetration
• Service absorption rate
• Fixed ops effective labor rate
• Inventory turn rate
• Advertising cost per unit

These benchmarks are more meaningful than national averages because they're drawn from dealers at similar scale and market type.

Training Resources Commonly Shared in 20 Groups

Best practices documentation: Dealers who've solved a specific problem — improving their trade-in appraisal process, restructuring their BDC follow-up cadence, reducing recon time — often document what they did and share it with the group. These real-world process documents are some of the most actionable training content available.

Script and process sharing: A dealer with a high-performing BDC might share their current scripts, objection responses, and follow-up templates. A dealer with excellent service advisor retention might share their compensation model and training approach.

Vendor recommendations: 20 group members frequently share what training platforms, DMS systems, and vendor relationships are working for them. This peer validation is more trustworthy than vendor marketing claims.

Manager spotlights: Some groups invite members to present how they've developed a specific manager or team. These peer case studies are often the most valuable sessions because they're specific, honest, and drawn from real operational experience.

Financial benchmarking: The composite itself is a training tool. A dealer seeing that their peers average $1,200 PVR while they're at $800 has a clear development target for their F&I office.

How to Use 20 Group Benchmarking for Training Decisions

The composite data answers a question most dealers can't answer independently: "Is our performance gap a people problem, a process problem, or a market problem?"

If your close rate is 10% below the group average, it's worth investigating whether your process differs from peers'. If your F&I PVR is consistently below composite, it's worth asking a high-performing peer how they run their F&I office.

Using the composite as a training roadmap:

1. Identify your 2-3 metrics most below group composite
2. Ask the group who's strongest in those areas
3. Learn specifically what they do differently — not just what their metric is
4. Build training targeting that specific gap

This turns benchmarking from a reporting exercise into a development agenda.

Getting More Training Value From Your 20 Group

Bring questions, not just reports: Come to each meeting with 2-3 specific performance challenges you want peer input on. Members who ask specific questions get more than those who listen passively.

Visit high-performing peers: Most dealers in a 20 group are willing to let members visit their store. A day spent observing how a top-performing BDC operates is worth more than three hours of presentation at the meeting.

Follow up between meetings: The 20 group doesn't have to wait for the next in-person meeting to be useful. A phone call to the dealer who's best at lease retention before your next sales meeting is a 15-minute investment with real value.

Bring your managers: If your GSM is struggling with a specific challenge, having them present their situation to the group and receive peer input is powerful. The group's perspective carries weight because they're operators, not consultants.

Training Platforms Dealers Are Most Commonly Recommending

Based on what consistently surfaces in peer discussions across dealer groups, the training categories generating the most conversation include:

AI roleplay and communication training: As this category has matured, more dealers are implementing AI-powered practice tools for BDC and floor sales. Peer recommendations drive significant adoption decisions.

BDC process documentation platforms: Tools that help standardize scripts, cadences, and follow-up processes come up frequently because BDC performance varies so widely across the group.

Fixed ops performance tools: Service advisor training, MPI presentation effectiveness, and service-to-sales handoff are persistent topics in groups with strong fixed ops composites.

FAQ

How do I join a 20 group? Contact NCM Associates, NADA, or your OEM's dealer relations team. Many manufacturer groups facilitate dealer peer groups. Dealer 20 groups exist at multiple levels — local, regional, and national.

Are there 20 groups specifically for specific franchise types? Yes. Groups exist organized by brand, by market size, by geography, and by special focus areas (fixed ops only groups, digital marketing groups, etc.).

What does 20 group membership cost? NCM and similar facilitation organizations charge membership fees that typically run $3,000-$10,000+ per year depending on group type. Most dealers find the ROI from composite insights and peer connections justifies this significantly.

Can my managers participate, or is it dealer principal only? Most 20 groups are primarily for DPs and GMs. Some groups include GSM or service manager participation for specific sessions or have parallel peer groups for managers.

What's the biggest mistake dealers make in their 20 group? Treating composite reporting as the deliverable rather than the starting point. The composite tells you where you are. The peer conversation tells you how to get better.

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