It is always a pleasure to kick off a new month by bringing our entire staff together, and May 1st came with a first—a juggler performing while employees were recognized for great performance by a teammate and received $20 per shout-out. Nick, the juggler, was fantastic. He had balls and bowling pins flying through the air and performed until it was time to discuss new business and the state of the automotive world. My opening comment was to the point: “You are reading a lot in the news about tariffs—it’s all smoke.”
I was balanced in my presentation, noting that the situation was subject to change and that any major impact would likely be felt 60 to 90 days down the road, if and when full implementation occurs. That’s my opinion, and I supported it by sharing some of the end-of-month results our clients reported for April, which, as expected, were positive.
Our company boasts a diverse workforce—from employees fresh out of college to veteran riders of the roller coaster known as “automotive.” There may not have been a collective sigh of relief, but the reassurance was appreciated throughout the room. The tension sparked by the word “tariff” is a flame fanned by today’s opinion-heavy social media—more fluster than facts, not to mention political partisanship.
Note: As this blog is being written, an email from Automotive News popped up titled, “Trump tariff relief ‘not enough’ to end supply chain and pricing worries, executives say”… and to that we add, time will tell.
Our business is always about timing—understanding a situation as it unfolds and responding with a plan that capitalizes on the market’s reaction. The good news right now is that buyers see an advantage in getting ahead of what they think the tariff will do to prices. Even better news: most dealerships have an in-stock supply to meet the demand. And when you look at the calendar and see that May has five Saturdays—one being Memorial Day weekend, followed by a full week until the 31st—this is a great time to do what you do best: SELL!
Nick the juggler wasn’t perfect—there were a few drops—but he recovered without missing a beat and acknowledged the staff’s applause with a big bow. That’s the lesson: it’s showtime. Perform like a pro—your audience is waiting!
