How to Improve Dealer Action Plans

AutoNation just reminded the industry why fixed ops wins championships. In 2025, AutoNation generated: $4.83 BILLION in service & parts revenue. Lithia, the #2 group, generated: $3.91 BILLION. That’s a difference of nearly $923 MILLION. Now here’s where the story gets interesting… Lithia has 447 stores. AutoNation has 271 stores. That means Lithia has 176 MORE rooftops than AutoNation… and still trails them by almost a billion dollars in fixed ops revenue. Put that into perspective: Those additional 176 Lithia stores would need to generate: Roughly $5.24 million MORE per year per store or about $436,000 MORE per month per store …just to tie AutoNation. Or… Every Lithia rooftop would need to improve by roughly: $2.06 million MORE annually per store That’s not a “more stores” advantage. That’s operational dominance. So how do dealer groups grow fixed ops revenue WITHOUT adding more tech bays? A combination of everything: • Increase labor hours per RO • Increase technician proficiency • Improve utilization before hiring more techs • Expand ELR and customer-pay labor rates • Align warranty rates closer to door rates • Increase MPI conversion rates • Improve advisor sales process • Reduce dispatch downtime • Improve shop throughput • Extend service hours before building additions • Improve customer retention after warranty expiration • Use AI and data mining to reactivate dormant customers • Increase same-day service capability • Improve BDC/service lane coordination • Add pickup & delivery and mobile service • Improve appointment show rates • Reduce cycle times • Optimize parts availability and workflow Most dealerships don’t have a bay problem. They have an efficiency problem. The future of dealership profitability is going to belong to the groups that treat fixed ops like a production system, not just a department. And the numbers are starting to prove it. Source: Automotive News Top 100 Dealership Groups Service & Parts Report [oai_citation:0‡051026Top100Dealers-S&PBodyShop-050826.pdf](sediment://file_00000000242c722fac0533db33718e7 :::

"𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲." 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻... 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. PepsiCo, 2015. Post-QBR high-fives all around. We'd identified three areas scoring below 4. Supplier acknowledged the gaps. Everyone agreed on what needed to improve. I checked back 6 weeks later. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Area 1: No progress • Area 2: "We're working on it" • Area 3: No one could remember what we'd committed to 𝗪𝗵𝘆? Because we didn't document the improvement plan. No owners. No deadlines. No follow-up scheduled. We scored them. We discussed it. We accomplished nothing. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟳 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗥𝗠 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿. 🎄 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Do your scorecards lead to documented improvement plans, or are they just data in a spreadsheet? SGAR requires action on scores below 4: → What specifically needs to improve? → Who owns it (both sides)? → Timeline for progress? → How will you measure success? → Act within 2 weeks of the QBR Scorecards without consequences don't drive behaviour change. 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗪𝗶𝗻 (𝟮𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗻): For any area your supplier scored below 4, create a simple improvement plan using this template: 1. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗮𝗽: What exactly needs to improve? 2. 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲: Why is performance at this level? 3. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: What will they do? What will you do? 4. 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀: Who's responsible (both sides)? 5. 𝗗𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: When will we check progress? (2-4 weeks) 6. 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰: How will we know it worked? Share this with the supplier. Schedule a mid-quarter check-in to track progress. After that PepsiCo failure, I made improvement plans mandatory for any area scoring below 4. Template sent within 48 hours of QBR. Progress check scheduled immediately. No exceptions. Result? Supplier performance improved 23% year-over-year because we closed the loop. Measurement without action is just paperwork. Ps: Want the editable version of this template plus 23 other tactical vendor management tools? Sign up at https://lnkd.in/eJKDiq9P, you'll get the complete toolkit on December 25th.

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀. If your team’s goals sound great on paper but never move the needle — this one’s for you. There’s a difference between having an idea and having a plan. That’s where the SMART framework earns its stripes.   Here’s how to make your next action plan SMART: 1️⃣ Specific – Is the focus crystal clear, or are you solving five problems at once? 2️⃣ Measurable – Can you actually track progress, or is it based on “I think we’re doing better”? 3️⃣ Actionable – Is it something that can be completed through effort, not luck? 4️⃣ Realistic – Is the goal within the person’s skill set and time capacity? 5️⃣ Time-Bound – Is there a deadline or cadence for accountability?   Example in action: Meet Joe. Joe’s great with clients, knows his product, and closes deals. But his results are slipping. After reviewing his activity, the issue isn’t skill — it’s focus. He’s not prospecting enough.   Here’s how his manager helped him build a SMART plan: ✅ Specific: Focus on prospecting activity only (calls, emails, or stops — not servicing calls). ✅ Measurable: Increase from 10 to 30 prospecting activities per week. ✅ Actionable: Schedule two 30-minute prospecting blocks per day and share the calendar with his manager. ✅ Realistic: Joe already has the skill — he just needed structure. ✅ Time-Bound: 60-day plan with check-ins every two weeks and CRM reviews every Friday at 2PM.   Within a few weeks, Joe didn’t just “feel” busier — he was more productive, more confident, and back on track. “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” – Peter Drucker “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry “Discipline turns potential into progress.” – Matt Antonucci   If you’re struggling to move the needle, revisit your goals and ask: Is this SMART, or just hopeful?   🔄 What’s one way you’ve made your team’s goals SMARTer? Drop an example below — it might help another leader today. #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadingTheFront #GoalSetting #SMARTGoals #SalesLeadership -------------- Want more like this in your feed? ➡️Engage (like/comment/repost) ➡️Go to Matt Antonucci and click/tap the (🔔) 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀. 😊

Bobcat dealers who start the year strong with their marketing are better positioned to finish the year strong with their sales. Not because they spend more. But because they build momentum earlier than everyone else. Whether you have a full marketing team or a single person wearing multiple hats, these strategies apply at every level: 1. Build a unified marketing plan, not a random collection of tactics. ⚡If the plan is sitting in a drawer, it isn't a plan, it's a document. Identify 2-3 priorities for Q1 and execute them. 2. Refresh your digital storefront. ⚡Audit your website, Google Business Profile, and paid search presence. Make sure inventory, pricing, CTAs, and seasonal messaging reflect what you want to sell right now. 3. Treat organic social as your foundation. ⚡Top dealers aren't sporadic, they're consistent. They post 2-3 times per week using clear content pillars such as: brand, sales, seasonal needs, parts & service, community, education. 4. Build seasonal campaigns early. ⚡Spring is not the time to start planning spring. Your campaigns should already be in motion before the snow melts. Early planning = lower costs + better relevance. 5. Strengthen your local presence, online and offline. ⚡Dealer success is hyper‑local. Consistent organic social, community partnerships, customer spotlights, events, and boots‑on‑the‑ground relationships create trust competitors can’t replicate. Strong years don’t happen by accident, they’re engineered through focus, consistency, and early execution 📈 #DealerMarketing #SalesAndMarketing