In my newsletter from last week (CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE) I discussed the idea of moving your reconditioning cost on used cars to a line item. I received a lot of positive responses. I also received the question below in regard to that article.

"I am trying to understand your last newsletter.  Are you trying to tell dealers to create a reconditioning expense line and not put recon into the cost of cars?  That seems crazy. That is a great way to have dealers lose money. Please advise if I am reading this wrong."

MY RESPONSE: 

Yep, that’s what I’m saying. Doesn’t mean I’m right…but, if I opened a new store today that’s exactly what I would do. That’s the way CarMax does it and they outsell and outbuy dealers in the markets they are in.

The point in the newsletter is that by doing recon as a “line item” you have a buying advantage over your competitors…if you buy more cars, you run more cars through your service department. If you buy more cars and end up with a lower cost than your competitor then you can advertise them cheaper. Advertising them cheaper on the Internet causes more traffic to show up. You sell more. You make more.

You turn more volume and more total gross goes on the books. CarMax reported in the last quarter that their average gross was $3236. Before I go further every used car manager will tell you that it’s impossible to outbid a CarMax buyer. The $3236 breaks down in the following way: Front $2212, F&I $1024.

But, but, but, but…the $2212 has no recon cost deducted from it. It’s hidden as a line item. So what? Why does it matter whether it’s part of the gross or a line item? It matters because of the competitive edge it gives you in buying, which runs more numbers through the store.

I don’t think many dealers are even close to making the switch, but in time they will have to do something creative to give them an edge in acquiring cars and an edge in getting the customer to show up at the front door. The front door traffic is being driven by Internet pricing. In general dealer’s average grosses continues to go down.

If one stays with the conventional way of doing business then another approach to consider is changing the concept of charging full retail in the service department. We both know the reason why it’s done that way.

Dealers cannot continue to have the used car department prop up the service department and give the used car department such "poor service" (speed, attitude, and overcharging for things that are not needed.) But for gosh sakes if we’re going to keep it that way someone needs to explain to the service manager whose name is on the sign.

The sales department drives the bottom line for the entire dealership. The attitude of the sales department is critical to the overall success of the bottom line. If they thought they were being treated fairly, how many more cars would they buy? How many more cars would they not wholesale? How many more would they retail? Bottom line is that they feel they are in one way or another being screwed by the service department. (It’s true and you know it’s true.)

We can both agree that Internet pricing is moving all dealers to more of a "one price" concept. Going to pay plans that pay on volume rather than gross is a direction that more dealers are moving towards (CarMax.)

At the risk of contradicting myself, the reality is that if we did not pay managers and sales people on gross then it would not matter what we charged them in service.

So, you can see why CarMax has such an advantage. They have the best of all worlds. They use a line item and they don’t pay on gross and Bingo, they outsell everyone else.

 We can’t always agree on everything, but I think one thing we can agree on is the "way we’ve always done business" is not going to be as effective as it once was. Technology is changing the business faster than most can keep up.

When I watch people hold their phone up to a song playing on the radio and it immediately tells them the name and artist of the song then I know I’m hanging out in a world that’s going to require me to get way out of my comfort zone in order to survive and thrive…That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

So, have you left yet for the NADA Convention? You’re either getting ready to leave, you have left or you’re not going…I’m sure if you’re not going there is a good reason. 

Let’s review a few of the reasons you might have for not going:

1. Just too darn busy-business is busting through the roof and the dealership just cannot afford for you to be away. If you’re away from the store more than a couple of days it’s going to fall apart. 

Tommy’s Response-You’ve got to be kidding me. So, you’re telling me that if you leave, business will go south and ruin the rest of the year? The reality is if that’s even close to being true, then you either need new people or you need to do a better job of leading/teaching/coaching them to do what you’re paying them to do. 

2. Same old crap at the convention every year so why the heck even bother going.

Tommy’s Response-You’ve got to be kidding me. Do you really believe that? Are you living on another planet? With the way technology is changing so fast you cannot really believe that’s true? The reality is you can get left behind in a heartbeat if you don’t stay on top of the high tech world. Change is going to happen with or without you.

3. The speakers they have are just a re-hash of the same old stuff.

Tommy’s Response-You’ve got to be kidding me. NADA works really hard to make sure they bring you up to date well-informed, skilled speakers with information designed to directly improve your bottom line when you get back to the store. I’m not speaking this year, but you can bet I’ll be attending workshops to steal every idea I can. You should be doing the same. For arguments sake, say you get just one good idea from one of the speakers. One good idea will make you thousands and thousands of dollars.

4. I went last year so I don’t need to go this year.

Tommy’s Response-Uggg, re-read 1 through 3!

5. We had a tough year last year and I really can’t afford to go.

Tommy’s Response-Of all the excuses, I kind of get this one, but, but, but…this is when you need to ante up and “just do it.” You need to invest in yourself and your dealership. I’m betting that on the high side you can go for less than $2000, probably more like $1500. Go to enough parties and you can eat for free. Isn’t that a small investment in order to improve your performance and profitability? Just cut your advertising budget back by $1500 and bingo you’re there! 

6. Tommy, you don’t get it. I’m not the final decision maker around here so it’s not my decision to go or not. The big boss makes that decision. He’s going but he wants me to stay here. He said he will bring some good stuff back.

Tommy’s Response-I feel really sorry for you. Someone, (like your boss) just doesn’t get it. God Bless you for hanging in there all these years. You’re a good man (or woman) Charlie Brown. I’ve never understood this idea of not doing everything you can to develop the people who are on your team.  There’s nothing more uplifting and beneficial as investing money on your staff to improve the quality of their lives and your business. To those big bosses out there, I think you sometimes forget what a treat it is for your people to get to attend an event like the NADA convention.  Not only does it buy education, it buys an incredible amount of dedication and loyalty.

Ok, I’ve said enough. Probably annoyed you a little bit. Looking forward to seeing you at the convention. I’ll be hanging out at the vAuto booth. Stop by and I’ll give you a copy of “The Little Used Car Book,” Volume 2. It’s even better than Volume 1, so come by early before I run out. That’s all I’m gonna say. 

The Tipster has some tips for you. But, before I give you some tips let’s get to the heart of this article. If you want to have a record 2011 it starts right now. Not December, Not January 1, Not the First quarter of next year…It starts right now…Let your motto be “If it ain’t broke, fix it anyway.”

Trust me on this one, it may not be “broke”, but if you let it sit long enough it will eventually break and you will be blindsided.

Tip # 1-Dissect each department. Break them all down. Pretend you are starting from scratch. Don’t assume anything. Nothing is sacred. Be ready to change and perfect any and all processes. 

Tip #2-Analyze, analyze, analyze. Make the numbers work. Here’s a number you need to make work. 120%. Once you have figured out how many units you should be selling, think of how many sales people you will need to get the job done. If you think your volume number is 100 and you think your team will average 10 units each then the number of sales people you need is 10. Right? Wrong!

What you really need to get the job done is another 2 sales people. It takes 120% of what you think you might need. There are always a few sales people having a bad month. You fire some. Some quit. Someone is sick, broke a leg or whatever. You cannot hit your number doing straight up math….Think 120%. That’s how you will get your number. Don’t worry about overloading your sales force. You need to worry about overloading your bottom line.

Tip#3-Relocate; as in send some folks packing. Loyalty is a wonderful thing. Too wonderful. Yes it’s a people business, but darn it, it’s a business. You’re not running a charity. There are some people that just need to go. If you love them so much you can’t part with them, then send them to the farm and mail them a check each month. Get someone on board who can get the job done.

Tip #4-Now that you’ve analyzed and figured out your team, lay out the new plan. Bring your key players into the new plan. Let them have some input. It’s ok to let them think it’s their idea. The more they think it’s their idea, the better.

Tip#5-Present it to the entire management team. Your key managers have to help sell the plan and create “buy in.” Buy in is critical to the success of the organization.

Tip#6-Educate the team. It doesn’t matter how long you are in this business you need to continue to look for opportunities to ramp up your performance. Educating the team is never an expense. It’s an investment in them and your future.

Tip#7-Put the plan in play now. Not January 1. Now is the time to get the kinks out. It’s like spring training. You want to be able to rock and roll on January 1, not March 1.

Tip#8-That’s all I’m gonna say. Tommy Gibbs

Last week I wrote about some of the reasons you needed to attend the NADA Convention. One of the things I failed to mention was how much you can learn from networking and talking to other dealers.

On Saturday night I attended a dinner hosted by Dale Pollak and the vAuto staff for dealers and world famous people like myself. You would think most of the conversation would center on the car business, and for the most part that was true.

However one of the more interesting things that was discussed was the Zappos Shoe Company in Las Vegas. If you’re not familiar with them, they sell shoes online. They sell lots and lots of shoes.

One of the things they’re famous for is that they allow you to return shoes free of charge for up to 365 days. You can order 100 pairs of shoes. Keep one pair or none and return the ones you don’t like.

Based on the conversation and my research, I found out that they are a really neat company with a cool culture. The even have "chill" rooms where you can take a nap if you’re tired.

It’s my understanding that when they hire someone they put them through three to four weeks of training. At the end of the training they bring the trainees in a room and offer them $2,500 to quit. A few of them take it…Zappos is thrilled to pay those people because they know they are not their kind of people in the first place. 

As a dealer for 20 plus years I preached, posted and hammered our corporate culture and core values very much centered around Ritz Carlton and Disney concepts. I’m betting your core values and concepts are pretty close to what mine were.

 

These are the 10 Values Zappos Lives By:

 • Deliver WOW Through Service

 • Embrace and Drive Change

 • Create Fun and A Little Weirdness

 • Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded

 • Pursue Growth and Learning

 • Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication

  • Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

  • Do More With Less

  • Be Passionate and Determined

  • Be Humble

Now that I’ve given you some “warm and fuzzy,” let me give you some reality. Oftentimes owners, dealers, General Managers, CEOs develop some great Core Values and Corporate Culture, but more often than not that’s all they do.

They talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk. Talking the talk without walking the walk absolutely destroys the morale of your organization.

If the shoe fits wear it, if not return it for a full refund. That’s all I’m gonna say.

 

Click Here To See Video of Zappos Tour  

Ok, I lied. You’ve got a story for me. I’m betting your oldest unit in stock has a unique story? Please tell me you know what your oldest unit in stock is? Ok, let’s suppose you don’t know. Quick, go look it up and go ask someone in charge the following: “What’s the story on that unit?”

Here’s a little known fact, or at least one that’s ignored. The oldest unit in stock always has a story. It didn’t become an aged unit on day 45 or day 60. It was an “aged unit” getting ready to happen on day one.

If you dig deep enough you will find out that there was some sort of unique problem with that unit early on and no one recognized the problem. There’s a long list of what the problem might have been, but the bottom line is no one was paying attention. Someone was asleep at the wheel.

There are times when the problem is actually recognized early, but “bad brain muscle memory” kicks in like “I think I can make the problem go away.” Not long after that mindset, another one kicks in that says, “Just ignore it, it will go away.”

If you’ve been in the car business for any length of time you’ve heard the saying “Your first loss is your best loss.” So why do we hang on hoping for a miracle to happen? Beats me.

Here’s a big first step towards not having such problem children in your inventory. Do a “trade walk” everyday right after your save-a-deal meeting. The first step towards doing a “trade walk” is having a designated place for all incoming vehicles to be parked. Purchase cars are part of the “trade walk.”

All members of the management team are included in the “trade walk.” There is only one definition of “all.” Used Car Manager, New Car Manager, F&I Manager, Service Manager, General Sales Manager, General Manager and anyone else that has the word manager tattooed on their chest.

Stop and talk about each and every car. You will be surprised at the input you will get from the team. You will keep some cars you might have let “Bubba” and the “Gang” have and you will decide to unload some that you might have kept in the past. With the cars that you decide to keep it’s critical to establish a “timeline” for how long you will keep each unit and how you will price them.

This has nothing to do with a “Bucket System.” A “Bucket System” is designed to force you to change the pricing at specific days of age. The “timeline” is designed to determine how many days you will let it sit on the shelf before you dump it. My preferred timelines are 20, 30, and 45 days. Some cars get 20, some 30 and some 45.

Once you establish the “timeline” you then need to establish the “Price Line.” The “Price Line” will determine how you will price it coming out of the box. If you have decided a car is a 20 day car then you will want to price it very aggressively to the market and so on.

Establishing a “timeline” creates a sense of urgency. When the service manager is standing there on the trade walk and a car has been designated as a 20 day car, then the sense of urgency to get the car through service goes way up. The same sense of urgency carries over to all the members of the management team.

The name of this article is “I have a story for you.” The real story is not to have a story on your oldest car in stock. My story to you is if you pay attention, do the trade walk, set a timeline and price the cars correctly from jump street, then you will have very few stories to tell.

That’s the end of my story and that’s all I’m gonna say,   Tommy Gibbs

As you can well imagine I fly an awful lot. The bad thing about my flying is I don’t fly the same routes week to week. Thus, I end up flying on almost every airline that serves the continental United States and Canada.

I’m sure you probably have your favorite airline, and my favorite is Southwest by far. Southwest is the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried per year (as of 2009.) Southwest maintains the third-largest passenger fleet of aircraft among all of the world’s commercial airlines. Southwest operates more than 3,200 flights daily.

Southwest Airlines is one of the world’s most profitable airlines, posting a profit for the 37th consecutive year in January 2010. On September 27, 2010, Southwest Airlines announced it would acquire AirTran Airways.

When I say Southwest is my favorite, it’s not even close. They win hands down or hands up or whatever. 99% of the time they leave on time, they arrive on time. What more could you ask for?

I even like they way they board. I know, I know some of you like airlines that have seat assignments. With Southwest you pay an additional $10 and you get to board first. Then it’s every man, woman and child for themselves. Go get ‘em. Pick any seat you like. I like that.

I flew American this past week. Purchased my ticket 30 days in advance and guess what? Didn’t have a seat assignment. I checked in two hours early, was the last person to board the plane and got stuck in a center seat. So much for flying airlines with seat assignments.

So what does all this have to do with the automobile business? Plenty! Both their business and your business is all about keeping it simple and communicating the “message.”

I cannot understand for the life of me why the other airlines don’t “get it.” Southwest can load and unload a plane of passengers faster than a speeding bullet. They operate on a twenty minute turn around time. Talk about fast. (What’s your turn around time when it comes to getting a used car through recon? Speed Wins, Lack of Speed Loses.)

As you may know they don’t charge for bags. Because they don’t charge for bags more people check their bags. By more people checking their bags, they load and unload faster. All the flight attendants “get it.” Their mission is hurry up and go faster. (Does everyone in your dealership “get it?” Are they all on the same page? Do they understand how critical speed is when it comes to your used car inventory?)

Southwest uses the same aircraft, Boeing 737s, with the same seat configurations on 99% of their flights. Think about that one. How much simpler can it be for the crew members when they fly and serve on the same aircraft all the time. (Do all your managers use the same processes? Are they all preaching the same message? Are they all working a different system?)

All the other airlines roll a beverage cart down the middle of the aisle. The Southwest flight attendants take your order, bring the drinks to you. I mean come on, how simple is that?  No stupid carts in the middle.

One of the most important things about Southwest is their employees like the company they work for and they have fun. Imagine that. They go to work and have fun. I can tell you from speaking to other airline employees, not only are they not having fun, they hate the company they are working for. (Are the people in your organization having fun?)

But here’s the real deal. Everyone, and I mean everyone knows their job at Southwest. Their people are well trained and understand the word “speed.” They move fast, they don’t mess around, they get it done.  Though I don’t have any surveys to prove it I’m betting they have the most satisfied customers in the industry. (Does your entire team understand the mission of your business?)

So, the moral to the story is when your team understands their assignment, are well trained, are having fun, and you keep it simple, your chance of success goes way up and you fly high, really high. That’s all I’m gonna say. Tommy Gibbs

Ice Cream and Coffee are absolutely two of my favorites, but not necessarily together.  Is there anything better than the first lick of an ice cream cone or the first sip of coffee?

The first of everything in life is the best. Your first love, your first computer, your first car, your first job, your first house, your first management position.

The more you eat the ice cream cone and the more coffee you drink the less enjoyment there is. The first taste of anything is always better than the second and so on.

Call it the “The Point of Diminishing Return of Satisfaction.” (I made that up; I make lots of things up, just work with me.)

Used cars are no different. Think of the first day that you own a used car as if it’s the first taste of coffee or ice cream. It tastes a lot better if you sell it on day one than it does on day 61.  The longer your coffee sits the colder it gets. Not so good. The longer ice cream sits the more it melts and the less ice cream you get to enjoy.  The longer a used car sits the less you make on it. The less you make on it the less enjoyment you get to have.

But even if the coffee stayed warm, and the ice cream stayed cold, your second taste of either is never as good as the first.

You’re going to hear a lot about the “Life Cycle” of your used cars this year. My definition of “Life Cycle” would be how long you allow a car to hang around and more important, what elements impact and extend your “Life Cycle?” The management of “Life Cycle” is the most important element of maximizing the potential of your used car department.

Doesn’t it stand to reason that if you can shorten the Life Cycle of your used cars that you’re going to enjoy them a whole lot more and make more money? Dealers and used car managers are always looking for that magic bullet. We all know there is no magic bullet, but if there was one it would be called the bullet of “Life Cycle Management.”

When you shorten the life cycle you make more gross and sell more used cars. 

Poor “Life Cycle” management impacts:
A. Slow Turn
B. Aging
C. Volume
D. Gross
E. Poor ROI
F. Attitudes
G. Ability to Trade at the Door
H. Future Acquisitions

There are many factors that create a slow turn and a long life cycle. 

Life Cycle Factors:
A. Acquisition to Write Up
B. Write Up To Shop
C. Shop & Parts Issues
D. Willingness to Re-Route (Sublet and/or jobber for parts)
E. Detail/Clean Up Issues-Same as “D”
F. Photos-Quality and Quantity
G. Posted on Internet
H. Pricing
I.  Gross Attitudes
J.  Pay Plans

If you focus on fixing “Life Cycle” factors then your coffee is always warm and your ice cream is always cold and the taste doesn’t get old.  That’s all I’m gonna say. Tommy Gibbs

Do you ever feel like all you do is put things off? Things you know you need to just get handled, but for whatever reason you keep setting them aside?

I’m in my 10th week of a grueling exercise program called P90X. I’m a former Marine and I’ve been an athlete in one form or another all my life, but I’ve gotta tell you P90X is a killer.

One of my best excuses for not doing it each day is I’m in a hotel room and it’s too much trouble to bother with it. But, one way or the other I’ve learned to work it in. Thus in 10 weeks I’ve lost about 9 lbs, an inch and a half off my waist and gained some much needed muscle that’s so important to have at my age.

So what’s the connection? As much as I try putting it off, I’m always so much happier and successful when I “just do it.” When I put it behind me and it’s done I have a much more productive day.

One of the challenges we all have in life is to make decisions that need to be made in order to ultimately make us and those around us more successful. Be it exercising, cleaning your desk off or decisions on the direction of your company, the sooner you get it done the better.

In the mid 80’s my business partner Ashton Lewis introduced me to the Franklin Planner. You know the day planner book that you write everything down in. It’s the deal where you prioritize things you need to do with a letter A, B or C. Then you number them A1, A2, and so on.

This concept takes a few minutes of your time each day, preferably early in the morning or at the end of your day to prioritize those items for your next day, week, month, etc. It was astonishing as to how much more I got accomplished each day by doing so. There is something special about writing things down and checking them off.

And the fact of the matter is when I make use of it like I know I should I’m so much more productive. If you don’t write it down (and even when you do) your brain is constantly fighting with you to put it off to another day. Never forget how important the saying is “the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” You’re going to have one or the other and you get to pick.

Can you recall a time when you wanted to do something important, yet you managed to make enough excuses to leave it for a later date? Putting something off once makes it easier to put it off again, and before you know it, several weeks have passed and you still haven’t done it?

If you are in a Leadership position don’t think for one moment that others don’t notice that you are either a “doer” or a “do notter.” (Yep I made that word up.) When others see you putting things off they tend to follow your lead and over time your organization develops a “do nothing” attitude.

See if this makes sense?
 
1. Delaying things becomes addictive. Even if your intention is to put it off “just this one time”. The act of putting it off sets a chain reaction that will make it easier to delay this task again. In fact, it becomes more likely that the task will be postponed again.

2. The more we make excuses, the more we buy into them, the easier it is to make additional     excuses to support our mind-created beliefs.

3. The more we put things off the bigger the task becomes. It snowballs larger and larger, until the task becomes so big that you will never get it done.

4. Constantly thinking about doing something but avoiding the actual act of doing it takes energy. You end up spending more energy pondering it and making excuses for it than just getting it done.You’ll actually save time and attention energy by just doing it.   

5. We can only move on with our lives when we can get past our internal conflict between our story of procrastination and our desire to get it done. You really start to be productive when you can change your attitude.

Isn’t it interesting that once you make a decision and move on that you look back and think “what the heck took so long to make the decision in the first place?” Life is so much better.

So my final point is I have a confession to make. When I started this article I was using the need to write to avoid doing my P90X program. Thus, after writing the first paragraph I stopped writing, did P90X and I feel so much better about myself. I’m off to a great start today…just can’t wait to make some more decisions. Let the fun begin. That’s all I’m gonna say. Tommy Gibbs

Most dealers are seeing their average gross profit continue to head south. Dealers using pricing tools to drive traffic via the Internet have become frustrated that even though volume has gone up average gross keeps going down.

A lot of dealers want to blame the Internet and their pricing tool.  Pricing is neither the fix nor the problem. Pricing in and of itself is just a small part of the equation.

There’s a cultural revolution going on and by and large most dealers are fighting it rather than embracing it.  The Internet and the way the customer wants to shop and receive information continue to challenge a dealer’s conventional way of doing business.

The Internet has become “the showroom.” Therefore, until you match your staff, pay plans, selling process and culture to the “new showroom” not only will your
gross continue to go down, but your frustration will continue to go up.

TEN and WIN:

1.  If you are using some sort of bucket system whereby you price your cars from day 1 to day 10 at a certain percentage of market, and then you make changes at day 11, etc., consider doing a daily “unit evaluation.” Each unit has to stand on its own relative to the market and other conditions. 
You are selling yourself short (in some cases selling yourself high) when you pick an arbitrary number like 98% of market to start your pricing at. Each unit has to be weighted based on many elements including supply and demand and your previous history with that unit. The key point here is you have to spend a little more time analyzing each unit before you jump out into the market with a “price.”

2.  Creating value starts even before the customer shows up. 40 to 60 pictures in a studio setting is an absolute must. If you’re still doing 12 to 20 in a non-studio environment you are at a huge disadvantage from “Jump Street.”

3.  Make sure you have descriptive window sticker prices on your cars. Your window sticker prices should have the full retail value printed on them. Not your selling price or Internet price. The full retail value. That number needs to be part of your sales person’s presentation when creating value with your potential buyer.

4.  Use a “hang tag” with terminology like “Internet Value Price” or “Internet Market Value Price.” Of course that price should match what you have on the Internet. Some dealers are still posting a higher price on the car than the Internet hoping a drunk falls into the dealership and pays “the price.” Very bad strategy.

5.  Make sure you are displaying the “Internet Value Pricing” definition throughout the showroom and that your sales people take the time to explain it to every customer before they start negotiating.

6.  Your sales staff has to be convinced that the prices you are putting out on the Internet are a great value. Make sure you bring pricing tool examples into your sales meetings each week and show the sales staff how “right” your cars are priced. The sales people have to become believers in your “pricing.” The customer “thinks” the price is too high. We have to give the sales staff the ammunition to offset the customer’s thinking.

7.  More documentation. You have access to all the cars in the market. You cannot allow the customer to win the “information battle.” You don’t have to prove to the customer that you are the cheapest. You just have to prove you are competitive and then make sure you sell the value of your vehicle and your dealership. The greatest thing about used cars is there are no two alike!

8.  Make sure you are tracking GAP, which stands for “Give Away Profit.” GAP is the difference between the Internet price and the transaction price. You will find out who is screwing what up when you track GAP. Dealers tracking GAP see an increase in average gross profit by at least $300 per unit. You can’t measure what you don’t track.

9.  Change your pay plan. Sales people need to be rewarded on how little they give up based on the GAP concept. Set your pay plan based on the Internet asking price. The simplest way is if they hold the line on that number they make X. For every dollar they “give up,” X comes down on a sliding scale.

10. Gross Profit Improvement Grid. Develop an under allowance grid based on ACV. If you don’t want to make up your own contact me and I will share mine with you for free. The bottom line is your sales process should be disciplined to serve up an under allowance on the first pass on every trade.

The more this business changes the more it stays the same. It’s a lot like football. It’s all about blocking and tackling. Yes, trick plays are cool once in a while, but the bottom line is that winning teams have solid fundamentals.

It’s been said that “gross is just a state of mind.” That’s only partly true. Gross is a state of fundamentals, disciplined processes and the ability to adapt your organization to the marketplace. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs