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