From Small-Town Roots to Used Car Powerhouse

In the latest episode of Lot Talk, powered by Lotpop, the hosts Chris Keene, Renaldo Leonard, and John Anderson kick off Season 2 with a high-impact interview featuring Rob Ruth, Dealer Principal of Bob Ruth Ford in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. What makes this episode a must-listen for used car dealers? Ruth breaks down the mindset, culture, and operational strategies that turned a small-town Ford store into a nationally recognized success.

Whether you’re a dealer principal looking to scale, a GM hoping to improve gross, or a BDC manager focused on digital retailing, Rob Ruth’s playbook offers critical takeaways. Here’s a breakdown of what you can learn to help increase both gross and volume in used car sales.

1. Build Trust and Let Go: Leadership That Multiplies Itself

Rob’s leadership philosophy starts with one word: trust. For Ruth, building a high-performing team meant letting go of the “I can do it better myself” mentality.

“The hardest part was letting go. I had to move a thousand miles away from the store to truly learn how to delegate.” – Rob Ruth

Instead of hiring for instant results, Ruth promotes from within. His store has developed salespeople into managers and even groomed recon staff into GSMs. It’s not just about finding talent; it’s about building it. He advises leaders to delegate small tasks first—freeing themselves up to focus on big-picture growth and strategy.

📌 Takeaway: Start by giving away the small stuff. Develop internal talent before looking outside. Trust isn’t given—it’s built through alignment, discipline, and shared goals.

2. Culture Is the Ultimate Competitive Advantage

Ruth’s team isn’t just consistent—they’re exceptional. That didn’t happen by accident. Culture, he says, is about giving people a path and helping them win.

Rob literally grew up in the dealership—his childhood home was inside the store. That experience gave him a unique appreciation for every role, and today his leadership reflects that empathy and discipline.

“We were a 50-car store. Then 100. Then 200. Now 400. To double that again, we need a team that buys in—and we’ve got it because they see the opportunity.”

The culture at Bob Ruth Ford is grounded in transparency, accountability, and mentorship. Rob and his managers promote from within and expect each leader to train their replacement. That’s how you scale sustainably.

📌 Takeaway: Culture isn’t ping-pong tables and casual Fridays. It’s alignment, mentorship, and providing visible pathways for growth.

3. Break Down the Variable vs. Fixed Divide

One of the most innovative elements of Ruth’s strategy is how he unites variable and fixed ops with shared compensation plans.

“We compensate sales and service managers on both sides of the business. Why? Because we all win when we sell more used cars.”

This model eliminates the age-old conflict between used car and service managers. It aligns their incentives around what’s best for the dealership as a whole—moving more cars and driving more ROs.

📌 Takeaway: Want real operational unity? Pay plans should reflect shared goals. Align compensation to reward cooperation, not competition.

4. Adapt Fast: The Digital Retailing Pivot During COVID

When Pennsylvania deemed car dealerships “non-essential” during the early days of COVID, Ruth didn’t sit idle. His team kept the BDC running, made hundreds of deals virtually, and delivered vehicles curbside the moment restrictions lifted.

“People said it was the best car buying experience they’d ever had. Why? Because we respected their time.”

This mindset has stuck. Whether a customer is three miles away or three states away, the team now asks one simple question:

“How do you want to buy your car?”

📌 Takeaway: Stop forcing customers to fit your process. Build a process that fits them. Ruth’s digital-first mindset helped them future-proof their sales funnel.

5. Buying Cars Is About Serving People, Not Just Making Offers

The dealership’s acquisition engine was born from necessity when auction prices became unsustainable. Ruth started buying cars himself—messaging sellers on his personal phone. That quickly scaled into a buying center.

The key? Service-first thinking.

“Sales is service. I don’t just make an offer—I explain why we’re trustworthy, how we make the process easy, and how we take care of the paperwork.”

📌 Takeaway: Your acquisition pitch should answer: Why are they selling? How can you make their life easier? Lead with trust and convenience.

6. Your Team Is Your Scalability

Rob’s ultimate advice for growth: Always be grooming your replacement. The faster your team can take on new roles, the more bandwidth you have to pursue new opportunities.

Whether it’s sending four employees to NADA Academy or developing service techs into managers, Ruth’s organization thrives because its people are constantly being prepared for what’s next.

“If someone wants a promotion, they better be training their replacement.”

📌 Takeaway: Stop being the bottleneck. Grow your people so they can grow your business.

Final Thoughts: It’s Not Rocket Science—It’s Relentless Discipline

Rob Ruth’s dealership isn’t successful because it’s located in a booming metro (it’s not). It’s not because he has more resources than the competition (he didn’t). It’s because he implemented timeless business principles with discipline, heart, and clarity.

• Hire for trust and grow from within.
• Align compensation across departments.
• Let customers lead the buying process.
• Focus on value, not friction.
• Always be building the next generation of leaders.

It’s a strategy built on people, not products—and that’s how you sell more cars faster, with better margins and longer-lasting success.