In 2025, the pressure to move used car inventory quickly is higher than ever. Margins are tight, competition is fierce, and floorplan costs aren’t getting any kinder. The instinct for many dealerships is to push harder—more cars, more hustle, longer hours.
But at what cost?
The truth is, pushing for speed without structure leads to team burnout, sloppy processes, and missed opportunities. There’s a smarter, more sustainable way to increase velocity without burning out your people.
1. Streamline Decision-Making
One of the biggest time-killers in a dealership isn’t lack of effort—it’s bottlenecks. And sometimes, you don’t even know where the bottlenecks are or that you even have them. Whether it's a bottleneck in the task approval process or pricing adjustments, bottlenecks need to be identified and resolved as quickly as possible.
Quick win: Give your team clear parameters and process playbooks so they can move faster with confidence. Trust and autonomy = speed.
2. Automate the Repetitive Stuff
Manual processes are the enemy of efficiency. From following up with leads to updating inventory across platforms, the more you can automate, the less your team is bogged down by busywork.
Quick win: Use CRMs and dealership software to automate follow-ups, appointment reminders, and price updates across your website and third-party platforms.
3. Use Data to Drive Smarter Inventory Moves
Every vehicle has a story—and the right data helps you decide which ones are worth writing. If your team is guessing what will move quickly, you’re leaving money (and time) on the table.
Quick win: Analyze your turn times, market demand, and reconditioning cost history to prioritize high-velocity vehicles and skip the slow movers.
4. Protect Your People From Burnout
Your team can’t sell more if they’re running on empty. If you're relying on overtime and reactive chaos to move inventory, burnout is coming.
Quick win: Set realistic expectations, encourage time off, and give your team the tools they need to work smarter—not just harder.
5. Keep Everyone in the Loop
Nothing slows down sales like poor communication. Whether it’s service, vendors, or the sales floor—disconnected teams cost you time and inventory movement.
Quick win: Use a centralized platform (yep, like Cartuul 👋) to track what’s ready to sell, what’s waiting on prep, and what’s in the pipeline. When everyone’s aligned, deals close faster.
The Bottom Line
Speed sells—but speed without structure breaks your team. Dealerships that scale sustainably in 2025 will be the ones that invest in smarter systems, cleaner processes, and tools that support their people—not replace them. Efficiency doesn’t mean asking your team to do more—it means giving them less chaos, more clarity, and space to do their best work.