One of the most common conversations I have with dealerships goes something like this:
“We tried buying cars from the public before. It didn’t really work.”
Sometimes they were calling for-sale-by-owner listings. Other times they were working leads from programs like KBB ICO or AccuTrade. In almost every case, the dealership genuinely wanted the program to succeed. They knew buying directly from consumers could improve their inventory mix and reduce dependence on auctions.
But when I dig a little deeper and ask how the program was structured, the answer is almost always the same.
“We gave it to the sales team.”
And that’s usually where things went wrong.
Salespeople are talented professionals. They’re trained to build rapport, overcome objections, and guide customers toward a purchase decision. But the structure of their job makes them a poor fit for running a vehicle acquisition program.
Salespeople are geared, trained, and incentivized to sell cars.
Their compensation plans reward them for closing deals in the showroom. Their time is consumed by incoming customers, follow-up on sales leads, and meeting daily and monthly sales targets.
When acquisition becomes just another responsibility on their plate, it inevitably falls to the bottom of the priority list.
And that’s completely understandable.
If a salesperson has to choose between working a customer who wants to buy a car today or reaching out to someone who might sell a car two or three weeks from now, the choice is obvious.
They’re going to focus on the deal that’s in front of them.
Buying cars from the public—whether you’re reaching out to for-sale-by-owner listings or working third-party leads—is fundamentally different from selling vehicles.
Instead of working with customers who are ready to buy, you’re engaging with sellers who are often still exploring their options.
Many start with unrealistic expectations about what their vehicle is worth. Some are simply testing the waters. Others intend to sell privately and only become open to a dealer offer later in the process.
As one dealer told me during a recent conversation:
“It just seems like there’s a lot you have to do to make it work.”
And they’re right.
That’s why acquisition requires a completely different approach—one built on consistent outreach, disciplined follow-up, and the patience to work through a large number of conversations before a deal comes together.
It’s not unusual for an acquisition specialist to speak with dozens—or even hundreds—of sellers before purchasing a vehicle.
That kind of process discipline is difficult to maintain when it’s a secondary responsibility.
When dealerships successfully build a vehicle acquisition program, there is almost always one common factor.
Someone owns the process.
Not part of the process. Not when they have time. Not when the showroom is slow.
It’s their job—and only their job.
A dedicated acquisition specialist wakes up every day focused on one objective: finding opportunities to buy vehicles from the public and turning those conversations into inventory.
They manage outreach, follow-up, negotiations, and appointments. They track every conversation and revisit sellers as their expectations change.
Over time, this consistent effort compounds.
Deals that looked impossible three weeks ago suddenly become realistic. Sellers who weren’t ready to transact earlier call back. Conversations that might have been forgotten in a shared system turn into purchases.
Consistency is what drives results.
Of course, not every dealership has the capacity to hire and train a dedicated acquisition specialist immediately.
In those cases, some stores look for ways to support the process externally until they’re ready to build the role in-house. Programs like our Managed Buyer Program exist to fill that gap—providing the dedicated outreach and follow-up required to consistently acquire vehicles from the public.
Whether the role lives inside your dealership or is supported externally, the key principle remains the same:
Someone has to own the process.
Dealerships don’t struggle with private party acquisition because the strategy is flawed.
They struggle because the execution is inconsistent.
When the responsibility is spread across a sales team, the program never gets the sustained focus it requires.
But when a dealership assigns one person to own the process—and equips them with the right tools and support—the results can be transformational.
Buying cars from the public is one of the most powerful ways for dealerships to control their inventory pipeline.
It just requires treating acquisition like what it truly is:
A full-time job.