As most of us know, constipation can be a terrible thing. When you are constipated it’s virtually impossible to be as productive as you might otherwise be.

Exercise, drinking lots of water and in some really bad cases taking a strong laxative can often relieve the problem and get you back on your “A Game.”

Most of you have had a good run with inventory turn, but some of you have gotten slack and you have stuff aging on you.

Having 60-day-old plus units in stock is a lot like being constipated. You can never perform your best when you’re all stopped up.

60-day-old units will make you sluggish and hold back your potential to be as productive as you might be. Your “A game” will never show up when you have used car constipation. Think of it as poop in the chute.

Dealers will often give their used car inventory a laxative, flush the system and start over. It can be a risky and costly approach.

The problem is that even when they “blow it all out” it doesn’t do that much good in the big picture.

Since they don’t change their diet or exercise, so the inventory continues to be constipated and therefore hold them back from achieving their maximum potential.

A good diet for the used car department would be to have good solid processes. A good exercise program for the used car department would be to understand the role that speed plays toward good health. Good diet and exercise can help you avoid used car constipation.

Constipation makes you stinky. You don’t want to be stinky. Having aged units makes you stinky. You don’t want to be stinky.

It’s not a matter of fixing a one-time constipation issue.

It’s a matter of the right diet and exercise to live a happier and fuller life. If you give a hoot you’ll clean up your poop. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

We’re talking about your job. Yes, your job.

We know it’s not easy, that’s why you’re asked to do it. If it were easy, we’d put someone in it with a lot less talent. Less drive. Less enthusiasm. Less moxie. Less grit. Less get up and go.

Your job was never designed to be easy. If it were easy no one would care. And if it were easy, you’d be paid a lot less.

Sure, you’re not paid enough. But, it’s not always about what you’re being paid. It’s about what you’re paying to the big picture.

Sometimes it takes some serious grinding it out to get the pay to match. You will eventually get to the point where you’re being paid for more than you are actually doing.

Never forget that you’re contributing. You’re contributing in a big way. A way that others can’t contribute. We need you to keep doing what’s not easy.

Just stay the course. Of course, the course is not always easy, but needed. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

As a new car dealer for over 20 years the training of salespeople was big on my list of priorities.

We always had someone in charge of training of which I was always a part of. At one time we even had an offsite training center that was state of the art with video cameras for role play, etc.

As I’m writing this, I’m sitting here shaking my head because I just don’t get it.

Over the last few weeks I’ve driven by the same dealership at various times of the day and there are always 4 or 5 salespeople standing out on the “porch,” looking like they are getting ready to mug the next customer that shows up.

If I were a customer there is no way I’d be pulling into customer parking and take a chance with that mob standing there.

How can this being going on in today’s world?

Where’s the leadership?

Have we not learned anything over the past 20 years?

All that money you’ve tied up in your CRM and technology going right down the drain.

The owners of the dealership are friends and clients of mine.
I know their culture.
I know their standards.
I know what they believe in.
This doesn’t match any of it.

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t get and keep good people here’s part of it right here:

People want to feel productive.
People want to feel like they are contributing.
People want to work for an organization that’s disciplined and gives direction.

Why would anyone with half a brain want to work in an organization that has no more direction than this?

Here’s the reality; that store isn’t alone. Some of you have the same issue.

Open your eyes, there’s a hot mess out on your porch and it’s costing you money.

Oh yes, there’s training going on at your dealership. It’s happening right out on the porch.

That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

First I want to make it perfectly clear the amount of respect I have for those who have been in this business for many years.

Those that have grinded it out, those that have street-savvy, and those that at times made chicken salad out of chicken poop.

There is no adjective to describe the admiration I have for you.

That being said I want to speak to those of you that are in charge of the hiring and struggle to find that superstar used car manager. The used car manager you need may very well be right under your own roof, and you’re walking right by him or her a dozen times a day.

For whatever misconceived reason, when you need a used car manager, the first thing you want to do is find a used car guru that works someplace else and lure them away.

I don’t have to tell you the challenges of hiring from the outside. I don’t have to, but I will.

1. The person you hire isn’t going to have the same culture that you’ve been working so hard to develop.

2. Their thinking about the used car business isn’t going to necessarily align with yours. That doesn’t mean either of you has it right or wrong. It just means it’s going to be frustrating and more than likely expensive.

3. If you’re running an ad in Automotive News, most of the respondents are going to be from outside your area. I’m not even going to attempt to list all the issues tied to bringing someone in from afar. If you don’t understand those issues then you’ve got a lot more problems than I can help you with.

4. When you hire from the outside you are looking for a miracle worker to fix the mess left from the last miracle worker. Most likely the mess will get bigger. All you’re doing is rinse and repeat.

5. You’re doing nothing to encourage people to want to grow and develop within your organization when you keep going to the outside. You need to promote from within.

The real answer is that you don’t need someone from the outside with a bunch of experience. What you need is to commit to giving someone from within a chance and a whole bunch of your personal time and energy.

What you need is:

1. Someone that’s a young “thinker.”
2. Someone that has high energy.
3. Someone that believes in your culture and store.
4. Someone that’s coachable.
5. Someone that has common sense.
6. Someone that understands technology.
7. Someone that has integrity.
8. Someone that has a strong work ethic.
9. Someone that has good communication skills.
10. Someone that’s hungry.

If you don’t have someone or multiple someones like this in your organization then you need to rethink your organization. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs