Guide · October 29, 2026 · 2 min read
Dealer principal vs general manager: what each does, and who to pitch
What a dealer principal is, what a dealership general manager does, how the two roles differ, and which one to email first when you sell to dealers.
What is a dealer principal
Both titles sit at the top of a dealership, and vendors mix them up all the time. They are different jobs with different priorities, and knowing which one you are writing to changes what you should say.
What is a dealer principal?
The dealer principal is the person ultimately responsible for the dealership, and the person the manufacturer deals with under the franchise agreement. Often they are the owner or a part-owner. In a dealer group, a principal may oversee several stores, or the group may name a principal for each one.
What does a dealership general manager do?
The general manager runs the store day to day and answers for its profit. Department heads report to the GM: sales, used cars, F&I, the BDC, service and parts. The GM approves anything that touches more than one department.
| Dealer principal | General manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Accountable to | The manufacturer and the owners | The dealer principal |
| Focus | Strategy, capital, the franchise | Daily operations and profit |
| Signs off on | Large, long, store-wide contracts | Cross-department tools and budgets |
| Pitch them | The business result at store or group level | The operational result this quarter |
When they are the same person
At many smaller stores the owner runs the store, so the dealer principal is also the GM. Titles like “dealer operator” or “owner and general manager” are common. Check the title rather than assuming every store has two people.
Who to pitch first
- Department tools: the department head, with the GM copied once it crosses departments.
- Store-wide tools: the GM first, the dealer principal for sign-off.
- Group-wide systems: group leadership, not a single store’s principal.
Write to a dealer principal about money and risk; write to a GM about this month’s problem.
Finding both
DealerData lists the dealer principal and the GM at every US and Canadian dealership, with verified work emails. See 7 ways to find their email, or every other title in car dealership job titles.
Frequently asked questions
Is a dealer principal the owner?
Often, but not always. The dealer principal is the person ultimately responsible for the store under the franchise agreement; they may own it outright, hold a stake, or run it for a group.
Who is higher, the dealer principal or the general manager?
The dealer principal. The general manager runs the store day to day and reports to the dealer principal.
Should I email the dealer principal or the GM?
For most products, start with the GM or the department head who owns the problem. Bring in the dealer principal for large, store-wide or long contracts.
Find the right person at every dealership.
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