1. Redundant Training- It ain’t redundant until you’re perfect. You ain’t perfect. If your sales staff isn’t polished enough to be able to justify the price then you are not going to get the desired gross. It’s just that simple. Get busy training and you’ll get more gross. (If you have a bunch of knuckleheads working with you then all the training in the world isn’t going to make a difference.) At the very least, you should have a lot walk once a week with all managers and all salespeople. The more your people know about your inventory, the more your gross goes up. (Training Proposal.)

2. Ask For More On The Right Units- There are some that you need to start way high. Some very low. vAuto’s Profit Time and my UpYourGross are great software tools to help you know which units are which.

Once in a while you gotta “ask for it all.” Since the beginning of this business, high average gross profit has been achieved by hitting a home run once in a while. You can’t hit it if you don’t take a full swing. If it’s a low mileage, really nice car you deserve more money for it. You don’t deserve more money for an edgy one and you have to be smart enough to know which is which. And without a doubt, you have every right to ask more money for a certified car. But that doesn’t mean you sit on the “more money” pricing forever. Change the pricing daily.

3. Not selling in Today’s Market-Your most profitable car is a 20-day car. If you are retailing a lot of cars at the 30, 45, 60 plus day mark, you don’t have a chance. Speed wins; the lack of speed kills. Why don’t you try charting those units that you sell at 45 days and beyond to see what they are doing to your average gross profit? In the movie “A Few Good Men,” Jack Nicholson might have been talking about you. You can’t handle the truth.

4. Does Your Website Suck?–stop reading this and go look at your website. Is it easy to surf through and/or do you have a bunch of crap popping up?

5. No Early Warning Radar-You’re asleep at the wheel. You have to be able to spot a problem child on day one, not day 44 or day 59. Every one of your aged units has a story to go with it. That story started back on day one.

You have to be smart enough to have an “Early Warning Radar” system in your arsenal. Fix your Radar system and your grosses will improve. I invented “Early Warning Radar.” You should steal it and use it.

Five Simple things to pay attention to. That’s all I’m gonna say,Tommy Gibbs

I’ve spent most of my life observing and studying leadership skills. It started with my first little league coach, my college coaches, my experience as an athlete and as a NCAA college basketball referee.

Then into the business world, observing some of the best and some of the worst. Reading, studying and attending workshops have all been a part of my journey on why leadership is stinky and the reverse, why it excels.

Today, I’m taking the leadership is stinky side of the equation.

I started off with 10 reasons leadership is stinky. I ended up with 30 and could have kept going.

Here you go:

1. They aren’t flexible. You can tie this thought to any sport you want. The best teams are lead by people who make the right adjustments at the right time. Leaders are like boxers. They are bobbing and weaving. Far too often leaders get locked into whatever and their whatever drives the team nuts.

2. They don’t pay attention. What a simple concept. Real leaders have their eyes and ears open 24/7. They don’t lock themselves in their office and issue orders. They walk around. They ask questions. They listen.

3. They think they know it all. Nobody knows it all. You don’t, I don’t. Even CNN & Fox don’t. Leaders know what they don’t know.

4. They want you to rely on them to tell you everything to do. That’s not what real leaders do. Leaders say, “I trust your good judgment, you decide.” When you stumble, they coach you up, not put you down.

5. They walk like a turtle. Show me a slow walker and I’ll show you someone nobody wants to follow. Get some pep in your step and get your butt in gear.

6. They are a stick in the mud. What a miserable life if you can’t laugh at yourself. If you don’t have a sense of humor you need to get a sense of humor.

7. They are arrogant and egotistical. There’s a big difference in being confident and being a jerk. Don’t be a jerk.

8. They aren’t likeable. Ties into being a jerk. If you’re not likeable the odds of being a great leader are about slim and none.

9. They hide the details. Leaders want to give you more than you need to know. They know that the more you know, the faster you learn. The faster you learn, the faster you buy in. The faster you buy in, the faster the team grows.

10. They put the wrong people in the wrong seats on the bus. Leaders know that just because you have skill A doesn’t mean it’s a fit for seat B. Getting the right people in the right seats is critical for success.

11. They have lapses in integrity. You either have integrity or you don’t. It’s not a part time thing to be used when you see fit. Leaders have integrity 24/7/365.

12. They say stupid things. Leaders use common sense before they open their mouth. The problem in today’s world is common sense isn’t so common.

13. They run around like a nut. Leaders know when to be calm and when to get excited. Too much of either makes people suspicious of you.

14. They have boss tattooed on their chest. Leaders aren’t the least bit concerned about tattoos or titles.

15. They say, “Look at me, look what I did.” Leaders say you guys did an awesome job. Way to go. I’m proud of you.

16. They blame others. Leaders say, “I let you down.” I need your help so I can do a better job. Let’s all work harder and smarter to do better.

17. They say do this, do that. Leaders say, “I need your help”

18. They got promoted over their head. They know it. Everyone knows it. Not their fault. Somebody screwed up. Leaders don’t have to live with it. When all else fails, leaders hit the eject button, reset and move on.

19. They never read the bible. Leaders follow the golden rule. It simple. It’s easy. Preach it. Talk it. Walk it.

20. They don’t do what they say they are going to do. Leaders are true to their word.

21. They lack discipline. Leaders understand the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.

22. They confuse friendship and loyalty. Leaders are loyal, but they are smart enough to know when their loyalty to certain individuals is hurting the team. Leaders make hard decisions. You can be loyal without being stupid. Don’t be stupid.

23. They don’t own a mirror. Leaders find most of the solutions to their problems in the bathroom mirror.

24. They live in the past. Leaders say, just because we’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean we’re going to keep doing it that way.

25. They stop learning and growing. Leaders invest time and money on self and team development.

26. They resist change. Leaders knock down the walls of resistance. They know resistance is enemy #1.

27. They let people be mean to others. Leaders have a motto, “If you aren’t nice to your teammates and our customers you can’t work here.” Another simple concept for you.

28. They micro-manage. Leaders are good checkers, but they give people a job and let them do their job. They coach when necessary and stay out of the way the rest of the time. Leaders don’t “number” people to death.

29. They don’t look like a leader. I understand you want to dress casual. I do too, but I don’t. Ok, I’ll give you one day a week and that’s painful for me to say. The rest of the time you need to set the example and look the part.

30. This one’s for you. You pick. I’m sure you’ve got one that I left out. Hit reply and I’ll steal it from you.

I’ve said enough so that’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

What to Do When You Hate Your Job (and Maybe Your Boss)

It’s Monday morning. You’re staring at the clock, dreading the day ahead. You’ve been telling yourself it’s “just a phase,” but let’s be honest—this isn’t a phase. You hate your job.

But here’s the twist: hating your job doesn’t mean you’re stuck, and it doesn’t mean it’s time to walk out the door just yet.

I come from the school of “work hard, show up, and good things will come.” And more often than not, that approach pays off. Sometimes we fall in love with the job because we got better at it. Sometimes the lessons and scars become the tools we use to land our next opportunity.

I, like a lot of you didn’t wake up one day and think “I wanna be in the car business,” but here we are a whole bunch of years later still at it and loving it.

But what happens when the real problem isn’t the work—it’s the leadership?

Let’s talk about that.

1. Separate the Work from the Environment

Ask yourself: Is it the work you hate, or the people around you? The job might be a great fit, but toxic leadership can make anything feel unbearable.

If it’s the environment that’s draining you, not the actual tasks, you’ve just gained clarity—and clarity is power.

2. Learn While You’re There

Every bad boss is a case study in what not to do. If you aspire to lead, you’re getting a free education on how to avoid damaging morale, crushing initiative, or micromanaging people into misery.

Keep a mental list titled: “When I’m the boss, I’ll never do this.”

3. Be Better Than the Boss

You don’t have to sink to their level. Set the tone for your own professionalism. Show up on time. Be kind. Be consistent. If nothing else, you build your reputation—and your resilience.

4. Focus on Transferable Skills

Are you building communication chops? Gaining industry insight? Managing conflict? Don’t throw away a bad situation before extracting the good from it.

Treat it like the gym: hard, uncomfortable—but making you stronger.

5. Find a Mentor Outside the Chaos

Don’t suffer in silence. Get advice from someone outside the drama—a mentor, coach, or even a peer who can offer perspective. Sometimes you need someone to remind you of your worth.

6. Have a Plan B, But Work Your Plan A

Yes, polish your resume. Yes, network. But don’t mentally quit before you physically leave. That short-circuits your growth.

You never know: the skills you sharpen in this season might lead to your next promotion—or your exit plan.

7. If You Must Go, Go with Class

Don’t burn bridges. Document your contributions. Exit with dignity. Because someday, that “bad boss” might read about your success and realize who they pushed away.

Final Thought: Quitting Isn’t Always the Answer. Growth Is.

Not every job will feel like your dream. Not every boss will inspire you. But if you focus on getting better—not bitter—you’ll walk away stronger, smarter, and more equipped to lead the right way when it’s your turn.

That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

In the world of new car dealerships, especially when you’re part of a multi-store group there’s a habit that sounds good on paper but quietly eats away at your bottom line. It’s called “passing the car around.”

You know the drill: a used car hits 60 days, and rather than take a wholesale loss or aggressively retail it, one store “sells” it to a sister store down the street. On paper, the problem is solved. In reality, it’s just been relocated.

 It’s a “shell game” that you cannot win.

And it’s bad business idea.

The Illusion of Recovery: Passing a 60-day-old unit to a sister store may look like movement, but it’s often just shuffling the loss rather than solving the problem.

Wholesale to one of your other dealerships isn’t a Win: Taking a write-down to move a car internally is still a loss.

That car had retail potential.

Why haven’t you already retailed it?

Was it price or something else like lousy recon?

A retail exit strategy is always a better choice. Even if you have to discount, selling to a retail customer nearly always beats wholesale-to-sister-store economics.

We are in the retail business. I know you know the benefits of retailing a unit even if you retail it at a loss.

1. You capture a new customer for your store

2. There might be a trade

3. You made some service gross

4. You made some F&I Income

5. A salesperson got excited because they sold a car

Kicking the Can Down the Road: All too often, the second store ends up with an even older unit that’s now less desirable and harder to retail.

You’re Not Solving the Problem — You’re Delaying It

When you pass a car to another store, you’re not getting rid of a problem, you’re simply kicking the can down the road.

What often happens next?

• The second store sits on the unit.
• It hits 60 plus days.
• Now it’s even harder to move.
• Eventually, it gets wholesaled out at a bigger loss.
• In the end you’re ROI totally sucks.

What you thought was a clever workaround becomes a ticking time bomb in someone else’s inventory.

The Bottom Line

Passing cars between stores might make the inventory report look better short-term, but it’s a false win. The damage to gross, discipline, and long-term performance is real. Trust me on this; your people hate the idea and you should be smart than putting such a bad policy in place.

Stop playing the shell game. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs