With only three weeks remaining in 2025, used car managers face a critical decision: continue the reactive cycle that's plagued the industry, or embrace a proactive approach that separates winners from survivors in 2026.
The latest LotTalk podcast featuring hosts Chris Keene, John Anderson, and Renaldo Leonard delivered an unfiltered reality check for dealers struggling to break free from the feast-or-famine cycle. Their message is clear—if you haven't prepared for 2026 by now, you're already behind.
John Anderson opened with a powerful metaphor about Alabama coach Nick Saban's message to incoming athletes: the gap between what you know you should do and what you can get away with. That bridge is where feelings destroy actions.
"How many times have your feelings got in the way of your actions?" Anderson challenged. "And as a result, where do you find yourself in your preparation for 2026?"
It's the same trap that ensnares dealers every year. You have a big month, take a breather, and suddenly you've lost the first week of the next month. Scale that to year-end planning, and dealers find themselves scrambling in December to fix problems they should have addressed in October.
The issue isn't just procrastination—it's the dangerous cycle of reactionary management. Dealers concentrate on clearing aged inventory while fresh inventory rolls downhill into the same problem. It's a cat chasing its tail, never catching up because today's actions set up tomorrow's failures.
Renaldo Leonard emphasized the power of proactive positioning: "If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready."
This philosophy extends beyond inventory management to every aspect of operations. Leonard advocates setting aside time daily to think ahead, asking: "If the market does this, how will I be prepared?" That forward-thinking mindset creates competitive advantages while competitors scramble reactively.
The fundamentals haven't changed—lean inventory, disciplined bucket management, and consistent processes. Yet too many dealers abandon these basics when pressure mounts, defaulting to the dangerous strategy of trying to save their way into profit.
"The things that really give you a competitive advantage, they suck," Leonard admitted. "But you got to find a way to embrace doing those things that are going to give you that advantage."
The data tells a sobering story. National shopper index numbers have plummeted to levels not seen since December 2020. Historically, the index rebounds by this point in December, but 2025 defies that pattern.
Even more revealing: while shopper index drops and wholesale sold percentages decline, retail days to turn are trending downward. Anderson's analysis suggests dealers are aggressively dumping aged inventory, creating a race to the bottom that impacts everyone.
"If dealers are gutting their aged inventory right now, and you've got a comparable unit, what is the customer going to gravitate towards?" Anderson asked. "Lowest price point."
For dealers sitting on aged inventory, this creates urgent pressure. But for those running clean operations—selling what they stock and moving 65% or more of inventory in the first 30 days—this market presents opportunity, not crisis.
Keene highlighted a standout LotPop dealer carrying over 300 used cars in rural Pennsylvania. Their numbers demolish the excuse that market conditions dictate success:
"This dealership doesn't feel like doing it when they want to do it," Keene emphasized. "They've got a process, and they are very proactive with their approach each and every single day."
These dealers don't wait for selling season. They don't blame the market. They define their own market through disciplined execution.
The Car Dealership Guy recently predicted dealers will eliminate a third of their software stack over the next 12 to 18 months. The LotTalk hosts see this trend accelerating as vendor bloat reaches unsustainable levels.
But here's the critical distinction: Are you evaluating vendors or partners?
"If your tech stack doesn't provide coaching and accountability, nuke them," Keene declared. "But find you a partner. Don't find a vendor."
The difference is stark. Vendors supply a service and disappear. Partners invest weekly in your success, call out your blind spots, and hold you accountable even when it's uncomfortable.
Leonard outlined the test: "If you're on the phone with someone who is a partner with you and you express that you have an issue, they immediately have the answer or can get back to you in the next 30 to 45 minutes. That's a partner."
Before eliminating technology, dealers must ask themselves: Have we made a genuine attempt to understand and implement this tool? Too often, leadership purchases solutions they never fully deploy, then blames the technology when their team doesn't use it.
As the year closes, the hosts stressed fundamental disciplines that separate thriving dealers from struggling ones:
1. Sell What You're Stocking
If you stock 100 units, you must sell 100 units. The math is unforgiving—anything less creates aging problems that compound monthly.
2. Move 65% of Sales from 0-30 Day Inventory
Fresh inventory attracts customers, commands higher prices, and turns faster. This metric alone transforms profitability.
3. Match Your Virtual Dealership to Your Physical One
"If you're running one dealership, you're running two," Anderson reminded listeners. "Your virtual store gets most of your customers."
If you'd fire a salesperson who tells showroom customers a vehicle is sold and walks away, you should be equally intolerant of leads dying in your CRM without alternative vehicle suggestions.
4. Don't Let AI Replace Human Interaction
As Harvard professor Kareem Lakhani noted, "AI won't replace humans, but humans with AI will replace humans without AI." The technology enhances your team—it doesn't replace the art of human connection that closes deals.
Anderson's reflection on cancellations reveals the heart of the issue: "What we do works. It does. So it is painful when we're working with a dealer that won't attempt to get it."
The LotPop team has endured plenty of profanity-laced voicemails from dealers who resist being challenged. But as Leonard pointed out, that resistance validates they're on the right track. "If we're not doing the right thing, everybody would be singing Kumbaya and telling everybody how great we are."
Real partnership requires two commitments. Your partner must bring data-driven insights, proactive coaching, and accountability. But you must show up ready to execute on those insights, even when it's uncomfortable.
As Keene stated bluntly to every new client: "We ain't here to be friends with you. We're here to help you sell more cars, make more money. And if we become friends along the way, it's a bonus."
Bobby Knight once said, "Everybody says they have a will to win, but very few have the ability to do the things it takes to prepare to win."
With three weeks left in 2025, honest self-assessment is required. Look at your last several years. Are you fighting the same battles repeatedly? Do sales spike when the market is hot and crater when it cools? Or have you built consistent month-over-month performance regardless of seasonality?
For struggling dealers, the question is simple: How have your feelings interfered with your actions, and where has that left you?
For successful dealers, complacency is the enemy. Being ranked number one doesn't mean you've maximized potential—it might mean you've settled.
The market won't wait. Competitors won't slow down. And customers increasingly expect digital experiences that match or exceed the physical dealership.
2026 will separate dealers committed to proactive excellence from those perpetually reacting to circumstances. The choice, as Anderson's bracelet reminds him daily, comes down to me versus me.
Which version of yourself will show up in 2026?
Ready to stop reacting and start winning? Visit LotTalkPodcast.com to connect with Chris, John, and Renaldo and learn how proactive inventory management transforms dealerships.