I’m thinking that even if you don’t, you probably have. We often lie to ourselves in order to justify whatever it is we’re trying to justify.

Let me save you some consulting money…

The biggest problem in your used car department

isn’t your market…

isn’t your inventory…

isn’t your competition…

It’s you.

More specifically—

The lies you tell yourself.

Now before you get defensive… stay with me.

Because these aren’t the obvious lies.

These are the comfortable ones.

The ones that sound smart.

The ones that feel justified.

The ones everybody nods their head to in the meeting.

“We’re priced to the market.”

(Then why are your cars having birthdays on the lot?)

“Recon is fine.”

(Define ‘fine.’ Because you “think” you’re getting them through quickly.)

“Packs are working.”

(I doubt it. I really, really doubt it.)

“We just need more leads.”

(You’re not converting the ones you’ve got.)

“I don’t want to get rid of it because I can’t replace it.”

(Are you serious? You want some more of those so they too can sit around for 90 days?)

Here’s what you’re really doing—

You’re building a case… instead of building a business.

And you’re a good lawyer.

You’ve got evidence.

You’ve got opinions.

You’ve got other people agreeing with you.

But none of that changes the scoreboard.

And make no mistake—

Used cars is a scoreboard business.

Turn.

Age.

Gross.

TAG…fix the tag.

No opinions.

No feelings.

No stories.

Part of the lying is the justification.

You start explaining instead of fixing.

Defending instead of adjusting.

Talking instead of acting.

And here’s the truth nobody likes—

Every time you lie to yourself about your used car operation is another day justifying what you want to justify.

Choose your lies wisely, that’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs.

I’m a baseball fan in part because baseball exemplifies life and the car business.

Let me ask you something…

If you’re stepping into the batter’s box, what count do you want?

3–0?

3–1?

2–0?

Exactly.

Because in baseball, the count tells you everything. It tells you who’s in control.

And the same thing is true in your used car department.

When You’ve Got the Count… Life Is Good

3–0 count

The pitcher’s in trouble. He can’t miss again. What do you get? A “get me over” fastball—right down the middle.

That’s what it looks like when you have:

Zero units over 30 days old.

You’re not guessing.

You’re not hoping.

You’re in control.

Customers show up—and you’re swinging at your pitch. Gross is strong. Decisions are easy. No pressure.

3–1 count

Still a beautiful place to live. You can be aggressive. Miss it? No big deal—you’ve still got another strike.

That’s your store when you have:

Zero units over 45 days old.

You’ve got flexibility.

You’ve got confidence.

You’re not discounting out of fear—you’re selling out of strength.

2–0 or 2–1 count

Now the hitter gets selective. “I’m not swinging unless it’s what I want.”

That’s the equivalent of:

Zero units over 60 days old.

You’re still ahead.

Still in control.

Still choosing your pitch.

Now Let’s Tell the Truth…

Most dealers don’t operate in hitter’s counts.

They’re behind in the count.

0–2.

1–2.

Hanging on.

Why?

Because they let inventory age.

They hold on too long.

They “hope” instead of act.

It’s like putting a blindfold on and taking three hefty cuts. Once in a while you might get lucky.

Old Inventory = You’re Chasing the Pitch

Once units creep past 60 days…

You’re no longer the hitter.

You’re reacting.

You’re protecting.

You’re just trying not to strike out.

Gross shrinks.

Decisions get emotional.

And every deal feels harder than it should.

Sound familiar?

The Best Operators Do One Thing Differently

They protect the count.

They don’t let inventory age into a bad position.

They manage it daily.

They price it aggressively.

They turn it before it turns on them.

Because they understand this:

You don’t make your money when the car is 75 days old.

You make it when the count is in your favor which is about 30 days or less.

Final Thought

The goal is to step into the box every day…

with the count in your favor.

Because when you’ve got the count—

you don’t need luck.

You just need a good swing. Having the count in your favor improves the odds of you hitting it out of the park.

Going, going, gone! Thanks all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs