If you’ve been reading my newsletters for a while, you’ve probably noticed a pattern.

More than half of what I write comes back to one thing: discipline in your used car operation.

Why?

Because the truth is simple — whether you like it or not:

The stronger your used car department is, the stronger your entire dealership becomes.

New. Service. Parts. Profitability. Stability.

That’s not an opinion.

That’s not a theory.

That’s a fact.

You can argue with it if you want.

You’ll still be wrong.

There’s an old saying:

“Do the things you don’t want to do, so you can do the things you want to do.”

That might be good life advice, but it’s essential in the automobile business.

No department demands more discipline, structure, and daily execution than used cars.

And the discipline dealers struggle with most?

Inventory turn.

Let me say it plainly:

No unit should ever become 60 days old.

Some of the most disciplined operators I work with are already pushing that number to 30 to 45 days.

Now here’s the reality.

Every dealer says they want to make more money.

But making more money requires doing things you don’t enjoy doing — consistently.

Pricing aggressively.

Holding people accountable.

Managing aging inventory daily.

Making uncomfortable decisions early instead of expensive decisions later.

That’s the pain of discipline.

If you’re not currently operating on a max 60-day turn, getting there will hurt.

It will cost money.

Your team will have reasons why it “can’t be done.”

Excuses always sound logical — right up until profitability shows up.

But once you get there?

The dealership runs smoother.

Cash flow improves.

Stress drops.

Profit rises.

And suddenly… business gets fun again.

Now you’re doing the things you want to do.

You’ve probably heard this before:

“The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”

One hurts now.

The other hurts forever.

If you were using my lifecycle management process, you’d experience a lot less pain.

That’s all I’m going to say.

— Tommy Gibbs