The Setup: The Moment of Belittlement
30+ years ago, I dropped out of university to sell cars. Like many of you reading this, my start wasn’t by choice…it was by necessity. I wasn’t looking for a career. I was looking to survive.
One day, a so-called “friend” of mine…a charter member of the Lucky Sperm Club…mocked me for it. Publicly.
He had that entitled, smug air of someone who had never had to figure things out for himself. To him, selling cars was a dead-end job, a failure. He laughed at me, probably assuming I’d be begging him for a job someday when he became “successful.”
At the time? It stung. Badly.
At that moment, truth be told, I wanted to take his head off. But I didn’t.
Instead, I shot back:
“I’m in school now, brother… Deal School.”
“Every day, I learn about people and putting things together. Over time, these skills will pay me way more than that piece of paper will pay you. The product might change. The amount of zeros may change. But the basics are all the same.”
“Watch me.”
That wasn’t just a comeback…it was a realization that would shape my entire career.
The Only Thing That Changes Is the Size of the Deal
Years passed. He went off to finish university, got his degree, and set off to climb the corporate ladder.
I stayed in Deal School.
I learned how to read people, negotiate, identify undercurrents, see around corners and create opportunities.
Then, one day, he came back to me.
Not to gloat. To ask for a job.
His piece of paper didn’t get him the big corporate career he expected. And he had obviously forgotten our exchange years earlier.
I politely declined.
“This kind of thing is obviously way beneath you,” I said.
He ended up taking a job at the local minivan plant in Windsor Ontario, bolting doors onto Chrysler vans.
Nothing wrong with that job… but the irony wasn’t lost on me.
Why This Matters for Today’s Dealership Managers
Here’s the lesson: this business is a hell of a lot bigger than most people realize.
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Managers are in the best "Deal School" in the world. Every day, you’re shaping careers, closing deals, and refining instincts that most so-called “business professionals” never develop.
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Your skill set is portable. Whether you stay in automotive or branch out, knowing how to read people, negotiate, and create opportunities is an elite-level advantage.
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The world underestimates car people. Just like that guy underestimated me, many still look down on the industry. They’re wrong.
This Newsletter is sponsored by Can-Am Dealer Services
How the Deals Got Bigger
Back then? I was selling Jeeps at a standalone Jeep store.
Then, I moved to a Dodge store, where I sold the first vehicles Enterprise Rent-A-Car ever bought in Canada.
(The size and complexity of the deals got bigger… but the basics stayed the same.)
Next, I opened my own wholesale business, exporting vehicles dealer-to-dealer internationally.
(Now the deals were bigger, the stakes higher… but the rules of human psychology still applied.)
Flash forward to today.
I own multiple automotive-related companies and am still growing. And guess what?
The size and complexity of the deals have skyrocketed… but the basics? Still exactly the same.
The Guy Who Mocked Me?
Every once in a while, I’ll see him around town. He always looks the same…bags under his eyes, frumpy, steel toes on.
The size and complexity of his deal never changed.
And he’s still pretty basic.
So, the next time someone tries to diminish what you do, remember this:
They don’t see the whole board. You do.
Welcome to Deal School.
That’s all for now
See you next Tuesday
About Bob Manor
Bob Manor is the founder of South Ontario Auto Remarketing, Can-Am Dealer Services, and is Co-Founder of Auto Auction Review. Bob is also the creator of the Freedom Formula. With over 30 years of experience in the car dealership world, Bob specializes in wholesale, dealer services, and personal branding. His mission is to help dealership professionals take control of their careers, build resilient personal brands, and achieve lasting freedom in business and life.
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