Dawn Jabour on Redefining the Dealership Experience
The moment Dawn Jabour stepped away from the podium at Women in Automotive 2025, she knew something had shifted. Attendees weren’t just politely applauding—they were literally leaning forward, notebooks filled with ideas, already planning how to transform their dealerships by Monday morning. Her session on sensory marketing hadn’t just informed; it had ignited a revolution in how we think about customer experience. Because here’s what the automotive industry is finally realizing: while we’ve been obsessing over digital metrics and AI chatbots, we’ve forgotten that humans don’t just see advertisements—they feel experiences through every single sense.
At the Women in Automotive 2025 conference in Nashville, Dawn Jabour, Director of Sales and Account Management at Spectrio, didn’t just present another marketing strategy. She challenged an entire room of industry professionals to completely rethink how customers experience their dealerships. Her session, Engaging Her Senses, became one of those pivotal moments where you could actually see lightbulbs switching on across the audience.
“What struck me most was watching people connect the dots,” Dawn reflects about her WIA 2025 presentation. “They were realizing that something as simple as a playlist or a coffee aroma can shape how women feel about walking into a dealership. The audience wasn’t passive—they were leaning in, jotting notes, and immediately asking, ‘How can we do this tomorrow?'”
The Forgotten Sense That Changes Everything
Here’s what most dealerships miss: while they’re pouring millions into digital campaigns and the latest tech, they’re completely overlooking the sense that’s most tied to memory and emotion—scent.
“Dealerships spend millions on digital campaigns, but often overlook the fact that smell is the sense most tied to memory and emotion,” Dawn emphasizes. “Think about how quickly the smell of leather transports you—or how a stale showroom can kill the vibe. When a dealership nails scent, they’re anchoring an emotional experience customers actually remember.”
It’s a revelation that seems obvious once you hear it, yet it’s been hiding in plain sight. How many dealerships have you walked into where that new car smell felt artificial, or worse, where cleaning products overwhelmed any positive sensory experience? Dawn’s approach flips this script entirely.
Beyond Theory: Real Changes You Can Make Tomorrow
What makes Dawn’s approach so powerful isn’t just the concept—it’s the immediate practicality. When asked about one simple change a dealership could implement immediately, her answer was refreshingly straightforward.
“Start with music. Swap out generic background radio for curated playlists that match your brand and customer demographic. It’s low-cost, instantly noticeable, and it changes the energy in the room. Bonus: it sets the tone before a salesperson even introduces themselves.”
But Dawn doesn’t stop at simple fixes. She paints a picture of how traditional and digital marketing can dance together in perfect harmony. Imagine a new model launch weekend where traditional advertising drives traffic—direct mail, on-lot banners, radio—while digital technology choreographs the actual visit. Digital signage adapts in real-time based on who’s standing in front of it, using privacy-safe audience cues to show cargo and safety features to families near the SUV display, or performance clips to enthusiasts checking out the sports models.
“Layer the senses,” Dawn suggests. “A subtle new-car leather scent in the showroom, a brand-aligned playlist by the feature vehicle, a trim-and-fabric touch bar by F&I, and espresso samples in the lounge. Traditional brings them in, digital directs the journey, and adaptive, sensory cues make the experience memorable—and purchase-moving.”
From OEM Launches to Local Dealership Reality
Dawn’s 25+ years spanning OEMs, startups, and dealership floors gives her a unique vantage point. She’s launched national programs with Audi and rolled out tech pilots at the ground level. This range shapes everything about her approach.
“It gave me range,” she explains. “I’ve seen what works in theory and what actually sticks in practice. That’s why my examples balance scale with reality—you can dream big, but the execution has to be simple enough for a sales manager in Grapevine, Texas, to implement on Monday morning.”
This practical wisdom extends to her take on why some dealerships lag behind in adopting new approaches. Rather than judging, Dawn recognizes the spectrum of comfort levels among dealers. Some are early adopters ready to take risks, others wait to see what works, and some prefer to avoid the carnage of failed experiments. Each has their place, she believes, and each must make decisions that fit their specific business model.
Making Luxury Accessible Across All Brands
One of the most intriguing parts of our conversation centered on how different brands can elevate their customer experience without breaking the bank. When discussing North Park Lexus’s gorgeous outdoor seating area—essentially the Nordstrom of dealerships—the question arose: How can a CDJ store create a memorable experience without Lexus-level investment?
Dawn’s answer reveals her gift for practical transformation. “Take the time to evaluate what’s being perceived when people walk in the store,” she advises. Small tweaks can make massive differences: adding a coffee station, setting up a simple snack bar with fresh-baked cookies, or installing controlled digital signage that ensures customers aren’t subjected to Jerry Springer or negative news while waiting for service.
“You want to control the environment to be positive, upbeat, and uplifting,” Dawn explains. “Especially when people are waiting for service they’re paying for or being presented with high estimates. There are quite a few things dealers can change to give that better experience, whether it’s a Lexus store or any other brand.”
Breaking Ground at WIA 2025
Speaking at the Women in Automotive conference had been on Dawn’s bucket list for five to eight years. When she finally took that stage in Nashville, it wasn’t just a personal milestone—it was a moment that reinforced why women’s leadership in automotive matters so deeply.
“The women that I have been blessed to have in my world and network are all front runners and forward thinkers and trailblazers,” Dawn reflects. “They’ve all taken risks and made it more pleasant and worthwhile to challenge the narrative that’s current in some people’s minds.”
The support she experienced from fellow speakers, leadership, and board members at WIA 2025 exemplified the community’s strength. It’s particularly striking in an industry where, as Dawn notes with a mix of humor and frustration, women are the primary decision-makers in vehicle purchases yet are “just now getting a voice in the industry—and barely one at that.”
The Personal Touch That Makes the Professional Memorable
What makes Dawn particularly effective as a speaker and consultant isn’t just her expertise—it’s her ability to connect through unexpected personal details. She races BMX, used to rodeo, and shoots shotguns. These aren’t just hobbies; they’re icebreakers that immediately shift the dynamic in a room.
When asked to describe her marketing philosophy using one of the five senses, Dawn chose scent—despite having what she calls a “mediocre sense of smell.” Her reasoning reveals the depth of her understanding: “The olfactory sense goes straight to the brain and is an overall body feeling emotion. It’s a game changer. If you can market with scent and it reminds you of an experience that’s positive and brings you back to a place where you had a great time, you’re able to bring people to that type of place inside the dealership.”
The Transformation Starts with Intention
Dawn’s core message resonates far beyond the automotive industry: “Every dealership already has the tools—it’s just about being intentional. The senses are always at play; the question is whether you’re designing them or leaving them to chance.”
This shift in perspective—from passive acceptance to active design—is where transformation begins. She challenges every professional to walk into their own environment next week and genuinely assess: What do customers actually see, hear, smell, taste, and feel here?
For Dawn, the evolution from “advertising to” customers to “engaging with” them represents one of the most significant shifts in her 25-year career. “Dealers are realizing the sale is just the beginning; the relationship is what drives lifetime value,” she observes. And relationships, as any successful woman in automotive will tell you, are built on experiences that engage all the senses.
Your Next Move in Sensory Strategy
Dawn Jabour’s session at WIA 2025 wasn’t just about marketing tactics—it was about recognizing the full spectrum of human experience in business interactions. In an industry racing toward digital transformation, she reminds us that the most powerful connections happen when we honor the fact that we’re still wonderfully, complexly human.
The question isn’t whether sensory marketing works—Dawn has 25 years of proof that it does. The question is whether you’re ready to stop leaving these powerful tools to chance and start designing experiences that customers will actually remember, talk about, and return to.
As you walk into your dealership, office, or any professional space tomorrow, take Dawn’s challenge: Look around with fresh eyes. Listen with intention. Notice the subtle scents and textures. Because somewhere in those sensory details lies the difference between a transaction and a transformation, between a customer and a lifelong advocate.
The tools are already there. The senses are always at play. Now it’s time to be intentional about designing the experience that will set you apart in an industry ready for revolution.
Ready to revolutionize your approach to automotive marketing and customer experience? Join the conversation at Women in Automotive, where leaders like Dawn Jabour are reshaping the industry one innovative strategy at a time. Whether you’re looking to implement sensory marketing in your dealership or seeking a community of forward-thinking professionals, WIA is here to support your journey. Because when women lead in automotive, the entire industry moves forward.