4x'ing Used Car Sales: This Franchise Dealers Ultimate Pre-Owned Playbook | JR Toothman, Dealer Principal at Toothman Ford

Today I’m joined by JR Toothman, Dealer Principal at Toothman Ford. We break down how he’s quietly 4x’ing used car sales—his secret acquisition playbook, the hailstorm that led to his biggest sales day ever, and the behind-the-scenes strategy powering his used car empire.
This episode is brought to you by:
1. OPENLANE - The world’s best online dealer marketplace for used cars, bringing you exclusive inventory, simple transactions, and better outcomes. Learn more @ https://www.openlane.com/
2. CDG Recruiting - The Go-To Talent Partner for Dealers. Hire pre-vetted GMs, sales, F&I, fixed ops, C-suite, and back-office talent—ready to perform. Faster hires, better results. Book a call → http://www.CDGRecruiting.com
3. CarGurus - maximize your performance on the #1 most visited car shopping site in the U.S. With data-driven intelligence on what to buy, how to improve the visibility of your listings, and how to optimize pricing, CarGurus will help drive revenue at every stage. Learn more @ http://insights.cargurus.com/cdg.
Similarweb, Traffic Report (Cars.com, Autotrader, TrueCar, CARFAX Listings (defined as CARFAX Total visits minus Vehicle History Reports traffic), Q4'24, USA.
CarGurus analysis of US dealers that changed a vehicle price based on NBDR recommendations compared to vehicles without an NBDR- informed price change from Nov 2023 through Dec 2024, finding that dealers that made NBDR-price informed change see a 42% median increase in VDP views per day.
Market Probe International, blinded survey of 600 dealers, Aug 2024. Based on 313 dealers who pay for at least two listings sites.
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Topics:
00:54 – How can dealerships embrace technology and data?
01:54 – How have dealerships evolved over time?
05:16 – What is your personal background and career journey?
08:09 – How does your family impact the business?
10:59 – What marketing strategies do you use, and how is your store set up?
19:49 – Why focus on the used car market?
22:09 – What are your strategies for buying cars?
26:29 – How do you optimize inventory and acquire vehicles?
39:23 – What do you see in the future of the used car market?
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