From 2 Sales to 32 in One Month
In 2013, I was hired by a local automotive dealership that specialized in pre-owned vehicles. When I started, they had just come off a month with only two total sales—a number so low, I had to double-check it. But the data didn’t lie. The dealership was struggling, and I was brought in to help turn things around.
What followed was one of the most rewarding transformations I’ve been a part of—an operation that went from near-invisible in the market to needing extra staff and a second location within months.
Step One: Diagnose the Problem
As with every new role, I began by examining the historical data. Unsurprisingly, there wasn’t much. But there was just enough digital marketing performance data to spot an immediate opportunity.
One publication was costing the dealership $800 per month—yet delivering zero leads. In contrast, a smaller publication they were paying far less for was quietly bringing in four or more leads every month.
The solution was clear: cut the waste, reallocate the spend. So, I cancelled the underperforming contract and shifted the budget to the publication that was producing results.
That decision didn’t go unnoticed. In an attempt to keep the account, the high-cost publisher sent a representative to my office—gifts in hand and charm on full display. She suggested perhaps our vehicle photos were the problem. My response was simple: “We’re using the same photos for the other platform that’s generating leads.” That ended the conversation. Business is business—and my job was to validate and justify every dollar spent.
Step Two: Optimize the Budget
Marketing budgets often suffer from misalignment—too much spent in ineffective areas, not enough in high-performing ones. This dealership was no different.
So I did what I’ve done many times before: cut the marketing budget in half, removed ineffective vendors, and redirected spend to channels that could actually move the needle. I also introduced new digital strategies the dealership had never tried before—methods tailored to target ready-to-buy local customers looking for specific makes, models, and price points.
The Results: Sales Surge in 30 Days
The impact was fast and dramatic.
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In July 2013, just one month after these changes, the dealership closed over 32 vehicle sales—a massive increase from the two sales just weeks prior.
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The spike in business meant they had to hire additional salespeople to keep up with demand.
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Even I had to step out from behind my desk to help out on the lot—despite having no prior experience in automotive sales.
My very first sale? Two pickup trucks in a single transaction. It’s still one of my favorite stories from that time.
The Long-Term Impact
The dealership went on to open a second location, and that dismal month of two sales quickly became a distant memory. What they needed wasn’t more money thrown at marketing—it was accountability, strategy, and data-backed decision-making.
Key Takeaways for Small Businesses
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Track everything – If you’re not tracking ROI on your marketing spend, you’re guessing.
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Don’t be loyal to underperformance – Just because a vendor has a slick pitch doesn’t mean they’re delivering results.
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Smaller budgets can outperform big ones – When optimized properly, less money can go a longer way.
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Stay flexible – Be ready to test new strategies and adjust on the fly.
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Sometimes you’ll wear many hats – From marketing to sales, leadership means stepping in wherever needed.
Every turnaround has its own challenges, but the lesson remains the same: success in marketing isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what works. And often, what works is hidden in the data you haven’t yet looked at.