Improving Gross Profit Part 3

1. Think in terms of improving gross in small increments. Try paying the managers a bonus for achieving nominal increases each month. Start by improving gross by $50 a unit. Do that over the next year and you will see a slow and effective way to increase your gross. You can only eat the elephant one bite at a time.

2. How could I talk about your grosses without mentioning “Life Cycle Management?” Life Cycle Management is designed to help you create a sense of urgency on those cars that are most likely to kill your grosses. The faster they go away the better your gross will become. My UpYourGross software tool puts you on the path to better grosses and more efficiency.

3. Track GAP and ROI. When you do, grosses go up. How much are you giving up once the customer shows up at your store with a price from the Internet? If you don’t know then you can’t fix it. (GAP-Give-Away-Profit)

4. Improve your look to book. You make the most money on units you trade. You will trade for more if you get serious about improving look to book. Review every appraisal from the previous day in your “save-a-deal” meeting every morning. Someone in management should be responsible for calling every customer that had a trade and up the ante.

5. Shoot the moon on the right stuff. Since the beginning of the car business, higher grosses are driven by some home run cars. You have to understand which ones are home runs, singles, doubles, and triples.

6. Try some old-school. If you’re not a true one-price dealer serve up an under-allowance on every trade. It should be part of your discipline each time you appraise a unit.

7. If you’re still struggling with gross maybe it’s time to let me train your entire management team? My message is powerful and long-lasting.

Fix what you can fix. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

My Wish-List

1. I wish we could do away with packs.
2. I wish every sales person worked his or her entire deal on a tablet.
3. I wish we could eliminate cashiers.
4. I wish we had salaried salespeople with annual bonuses.
5. I wish we had salaried management with annual bonuses.
6. I wish we didn’t have to rely on processing fees to make a nice bottom line.
7. I wish we had two-tiered pricing from the service department to the used car department.
8. I wish every service writer presented the menu on a tablet.
9. I wish we didn’t have to negotiate prices.
10. I wish we didn’t have “towers of power.”
11. I wish salespeople didn’t sit behind a desk to work with a customer.
12. I wish sales management & salespeople had a 40-hour workweek.
13. I wish we could get units through service in 3 days.
14. I wish we never would have any units over 60 days
old.
15. I wish we didn’t have new car rebates.
16. I wish auction fees could be reduced.
17. I wish we focused more on “leading” rather than “managing.”
18. I wish every dealer was in a 20 group.
19. I wish your showroom didn’t look like a showroom.
20. I wish I’d see you at the NADA convention.
21. I wish 75% of a sales transaction could take place online.
22. I wish you’d get 12 turns per year.
23. I wish we could rid ourselves of “Legacy Thinking.”
24. I wish you would finally hire me.
25. I wish you a great holiday season.
That’s all I’m gonna wish for, Tommy Gibbs

Bonus Wish: I wish I didn’t send you so many newsletters, but I can’t resist myself. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

Still Making a Plan?

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 salespeople 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 salespeople. 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-Turn your used car department upside down. Look at it from every angle possible and start making changes.

Tip#8-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.

2019 isn’t going to be easy. Now is the time to light the fire. You will win in 2019 by preparing to win right now. That’s all I’m gonna say. Tommy Gibbs

Should You Take a Walk?

Most health magazines would tell you that walking 20 minutes a day has huge health benefits. There are also some huge business benefits if you would make yourself take a walk. Try these three walks and your health and business will improve:

1. The Meet Your Team Walk-The first walk occurs each day as soon as you arrive at the dealership. Generally speaking I’m directing most of my writings at the dealer and/or General Manager of the dealership, but in this specific case it can apply to anyone and will pay huge dividends regardless of your position.

Start at the back of the dealership and work your way toward the front. Your mission should be to speak to as many team members (call them what you want) as possible. Over time you should get to know them.

Make it a point to stop and talk to every technician, every porter, every service writer, etc.

Work your way into the body and parts departments and do the same. Then visit the office staff and sales department. Of course, the sequence may depend on your actual job and role in the operation, but you get the point. In time you need to at least learn the following:
Their name. (Duh!)
Where are they originally from?
How long have they worked there?
What drew them to the type of work they are doing and to the company?
Married/single?
Spouse’s name?
Children, ages/boy/girl?
Hobbies/what do they like to do in free time?
What are their long term goals in life?
Find out something from them that others would be surprised about.
As I was writing this I considered explaining the benefits of taking a “team walk” each day, but concluded that if you can’t figure it out yourself it’s hopeless and you might be in the wrong business.

2. The Trade Walk-there should be a staging area where all trades are parked. All members of management must go on the trade walk every day at a specific time, preferably after your “save-a-deal meeting.”

All managers means GM, GSM, Used Car Manager, F&I Manager, BDC Manager, Internet Manager, New Car Manager and most importantly the Service Manager. Stop at each car and talk about the car.

You will be amazed at how many more trades you will end up keeping and how many more deals you actually are able to put together by getting insight and suggestions from the various members of your management team. It is very foolish to allow one person to make decisions on which trades to keep and not keep.

The concessions and input you will get from your service manager will pay valuable dividends. It’s a total no-brainer. (My software mobile app will help you.)

3. The Lot Walk-The lot walk takes place once a week preferably after your weekend kick off sales meeting which should be on Friday. (I’ve never understood the concept of having a kick off sales meeting on a Saturday.) After the meeting, all sales people and all the members of the management team including the service manager will take a lot walk. Stop at each vehicle on the lot and talk about the unit.

This is how you get your entire sales team involved in selling more used cars. The more they know about your inventory the more they will sell. You have to force feed them. You will find out why certain cars have not sold because as you stop to talk about the specific cars the salespeople will tell you why that car is still sitting there getting stale.

Oftentimes there is an issue with a car as to why it has not sold. By having the service manager on the walk he/she will jump all over the issue and get it handled for you. It’s called the “embarrassment factor.”

So, here’s the bottom line. Start walking. Walking is good for your health. Walking is good for your business. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

Making Mistakes?

A wise man was once said the key to his success was “I’ve made lots of mistakes.”

And therein lies one of the keys to you becoming an even better leader. Allow yourself, and especially those around you, the latitude to make some mistakes.

The key is to learn from the mistakes. As a dealer for over 20 years I know I made a lot of mistakes and I’m sure I made some of the same ones twice. But, I’d like to think I learned something from each mistake.

Far too often when dealing with team members, leaders don’t use mistakes as a teaching moment, but as a criticism moment. It’s absolutely imperative that we learn from our mistakes and that we don’t continue to make the same ones over and over again.

As it relates to used car management why would you allow the same buyer to continue to go to the same auction sites, buy cars and 60 days later you take them back and lose money on them?

To be real, it may or may not be 100% the buyer’s fault. It may be that there’s no strategy to deal with vehicles that have a high market day’s supply and a high cost to market. In either case, there’s a consistent mistake being made that you as a leader are allowing to happen. Shame on you.

The key is to give your team enough rope to make some mistakes, but not so much that they choke themselves and your business in the process.

When people are allowed to make some mistakes, your organization becomes more innovative. Without innovation, your organization becomes stymied. (Get innovated, join a 20 Group.)

It’s very difficult to be a great mentor when you micro-manage every decision that’s made.

When you micro-manage you end up with micro-growth. Team members like working in an environment where they feel like they are allowed to grow. When they grow, you grow.

You’re making a big mistake if you don’t manage your mistakes. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

Is Now The Time?

You may be running out of time. The year is closing out fast.

You’ve been contemplating hiring me to improve your used car operation, but keep procrastinating thinking your used car department will fix itself.

Part of that contemplation is you’re concerned about the investment and my material making waves with your team.

You will earn the investment back overnight and I’m not going to screw up what you and your team are already doing well.

I come to you. Your team stays in place. You save money and you make more money when you hire me.

I am going to enhance what you do well and give you some powerful concepts to take you to the next level.

Here’s the biggie; I’m going to get your team on the same page.

It’s a pretty safe bet that you have a management staff that all have their own way of thinking about your new and used car business. Some of their thinking is spot on. Some of it not so much.

I’ll destroy the myths and line the moon, stars and earth up.

See if any of this applies to you:

1. You’ve had evaporation. Regardless of how good you are or how well disciplined you are, there’s going to be an evaporation of processes over a period of time. Bam! I can fix that!

2. You’ve had some turnover. Most people do. Turnover isn’t a sin. What’s a sin is not ensuring that the new guys and gals get it. If you don’t give them the right tools, they don’t have a chance. Bam! I can fix that!

3. The business is changing. Your team needs to understand the changes taking place and how to attack them. Bam! I can fix that!

4. Your team has gotten a little complacent, either because business has been pretty darn good or they have accepted the status quo. They need to be re-energized and see the possibilities. Bam! I can fix that!

5. Your average grosses continue to decline. Mostly they decline because someone’s not paying attention to the little things. Bam! I can fix that!

6. You have aged inventory and wholesale losses. Aged inventory helps create #5. Aged inventory causes wholesale losses. Bam! I can fix that!

7. You have a team that struggles to get on the same page. You have old school thinking. You have new school thinking. You have no thinking. Bam! I can fix that!

8. The number of days it takes to get a car online and on the line is killing you. Bam! I can fix that!

9. You’re sick and tired of listening to the bickering, excuses, and lack of forward movement. Bam! I can fix that!

10. You need a coach. You need someone to lean on. You need another set of eyes on the subject. Bam! I can fix that!

A quote worth remembering: “The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit.” Morihei Ueshiba

You’ll become smarter when you hire me. Becoming smarter is always a bargain, something you can buy for a lot less than it’s worth.

Is now the time? That’s all I’m gonna ask, Tommy Gibbs

What Are You Guarding?

1. Guard Against The “Peter Principle”-Don’t promote people based strictly on how they have performed in their current role. Promote them to their ability to perform in their new role. People are often promoted to their level of incompetence.

2. Guard The Processes-The team with the best and most consistent processes wins the most often.

3. Guard The Team-It really is about the team. You need team players. If they aren’t on the same team you cannot afford to keep them on the team. They will destroy morale and production

4. Guard The Customers-When you protect your customers, you build your business and set the bar for the team to do the same. The team is watching and emulating how you deal with customer issues.

5. Guard The Vendors-You must demand the same high quality and standards from your vendors as you demand from your team. Don’t lower your standards because you’re saving a few bucks.

6. Guard The Culture-There’s nothing more important that you can do than guard your culture. You cannot afford to hire people who aren’t of the same mindset. If you make that mistake you will wake up one day and there is no culture.

7. Guard Against Legacy Thinking-Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s the best way. Stop looking back. Look forward.

8. Guard Against Making The Same Mistakes-Mistakes are a part of growing, but what you cannot allow is the same mistakes happening over and over again.

9. Guard The Training-You cannot train too much. It’s not “redundant training” until the team is perfect. The team isn’t perfect.

10. Guard The Passion-Don’t let anyone steal or drain your passion and don’t be afraid to show your passion for all the above.

That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

All Stopped Up?

You might be constipated. When you’re 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.”

Having 60-day-old plus units in stock is a lot like being constipated. 60-day-old units will make you sluggish and hold back your potential to be as productive as you might be.

You can never perform your best when you’re all stopped up. Your “A game” will never show up when you have used car constipation. Think of it as Poop in the chute.

Until you get the water out of your used car inventory, you will never be but so good. You will have a few good months, but unless you commit to a good diet of solid processes you will always struggle.

One of the best ways to fix the problem is to reappraise the entire inventory, extract the water, give each unit a new birthday and put in my “Life Cycle Management Process.”

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

Having aged units makes you stinky. Don’t be stinky. Constipation is fixable. Aged inventory is fixable. When you fix it, you feel better. When you feel better, you make more money.

If you give a hoot you’ll clean up your poop. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy GibbsTommy Gibbs

How Hurricane Harvey Has Affected Used Car Prices

Auctions prices all over the country are on the rise. Without a doubt, the culprit in the rise of high prices is Hurricane Harvey. Dealers from the storm-ravaged areas are traveling far and wide acquiring inventory at record-breaking prices.

This sort of activity has a snowball effect on pricing for all dealers regardless of what part of the country you might be located. So what should you do?

Be cool.
Stay calm.
Don’t panic.
Don’t jump in too deep
.

No doubt, the law of supply and demand is currently increasing the prices you pay and the value of used cars in the marketplace. Keep the following in mind:

A. Know your market and know your lenders. The market may not be willing to reimburse you for the added values, and for sure the lenders may not be willing to advance the money you need to make it work.

B. This is a short-term blip on the map. If you think this is a “new business model” that you’re going to see for much more than 45 to 90 days, you’re going to wake up with an ugly mess.

C. Avoid jumping too heavily into the game. Now is not the time to go nuts at the auctions. Now is the time to go nuts at the front door. Up your look-to-book north of 50%. If you’re going to bury yourself, then bury yourself in a trade. You made a deal. You sold a car. You have a new customer. Dig it?

D. Amp up your disciplines. I feel the same way about the fake news I hear about off-lease cars coming into the market and affecting used car values. If you know what you’re doing, and have discipline, then most of this stuff will have little or no impact on your used car operations.

F. When you turn your inventory, the law of supply and demand will only impact you but so much.

E. Turn baby turn is what you should always be thinking when you purchase auction units, but ever more so as this “hurricane of high prices” passes. The upper level winds will eventually carry it out to sea.

That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

Who’s Your Joe Bullard?

As you can well imagine I get to meet and work with some really great people in my travels.

There are a lot of things I miss about being a automobile dealer, and one of the things I miss the most is the people. I’ve always found my teammates to be inspiring and a source of energy that propelled me through my day.

I loved connecting with the individuals that come to work every day that do their best to help us succeed. Great leaders realize the importance of every individual on the team. They know everyone plays a role in the company’s success.

Joe Bullard Automotive is located in Mobile, AL and now being operated by third generation dealer Ty Bullard.

Meet Lee Dell Scarborough. He’s the real Joe Bullard. I hope you will steal this idea and acknowledge your real Joe Bullard. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs