Company News    March 4, 2022

Applied Concepts Continues Expansion with Hiring of Automotive Veterans for Sales and Business Development

Applied Concepts
Applied Concepts

Former Cox Automotive executives Toni Eckman and Chris Farnham join sales and performance training company

LAKE MARY, FL, USA, February 21, 2022 -- Applied Concepts, the largest auto dealership sales and performance training company in the country, has hired auto industry professionals Toni Eckman and Chris Farnham as regional sales directors to expand and strengthen the company’s presence and capabilities across the country.

Regional Sales Director for Central U.S.

applied-concepts-toni-eckmanToni Eckman was hired as regional sales director for the central U.S. She has 20+ years in the automotive industry, having most recently served as regional sales director for ACV Auctions, a national dealer-to-dealer wholesale/retail online auction platform. Previously Eckman held several sales and performance positions at Cox Automotive companies Xtime, NextGear Capital and Autotrader. Eckman has a proven track record
in exceeding revenue goals through market penetration and team-based selling.

 ” The way consumers purchase vehicles is continually changing and we have assembled a team that help dealerships adapt to modern retailing practices and be successful in this ever-evolving landscape.”
   — Jason Jones, CEO of Applied Concepts

 

Regional Sales Director for Western U.S.

applied-concepts-chris-farnhamChris Farnham was hired as regional sales director for the western U.S. Farnham comes to Applied Concepts from Cox Automotive where he held several sales and business development positions within the company. He ranked number four in the nation for Dealer.com sales and number one in the nation for KBB sales. He served as national sales manager for Haystak Digital Marketing where he worked with auto dealerships to develop and implement digital marketing strategies.

“Toni and Chris bring solid experience and valuable expertise to Applied Concepts that will be of great benefit to both our company and our clients,” said Jason Jones, CEO of Applied Concepts. “The way consumers purchase vehicles is continually changing and we have assembled a team that help dealerships adapt to modern retailing practices and be successful in this ever-evolving landscape.”


Applied Concepts provides sales and performance training and coaching for employees of auto dealerships to improve the way they connect and communicate with customers. The company has partnerships with more than 3,000 dealerships across the country and has conducted more than 2 million training and coaching sessions. A wide variety of programs and topics are offered through live, one-on-one remote training and coaching as well as an e-learning platform.

The company was founded in 1983 and acquired in 2019 by CEO Jason Jones, along with a growth-oriented Boston-based private equity firm, with the mission of turning it into the definitive source of training in the automotive industry. The company is based in Lake Mary, Florida. More information is available online at AppliedConcepts.com and on social media @ACWorksForYou.