Cherry-picking is predictable

Dealers buy vehicles to manage risk.

Given the choice, they will always select:

• Cleaner stock
• Lower-risk vehicles
• Faster-turn units

This isn’t opportunistic. It’s rational.

Why fleets enable it

Cherry-picking usually exists because:

• Stock is sold individually
• Buyers face no consequence for skipping vehicles
• Disposal channels lack structure

Over time, this leaves fleets with harder-to-sell vehicles.

Why “relationship selling” makes it worse

Long-standing buyer relationships often reinforce the problem.

Buyers learn they can wait.
Sellers absorb the leftovers.

That imbalance compounds.

How to change buyer behaviour

Fleets that reduce cherry-picking usually:

• Group vehicles intelligently
• Use batch or structured sales
• Control access and timing
• Measure buyer participation

Behaviour changes when the rules change.

The goal is balance, not force

The aim is not to punish buyers.

It’s to:

• Improve flow
• Protect pricing
• Reduce leftovers

Good structure benefits both sides.

Final thoughts

Cherry-picking doesn’t disappear on its own.

It’s designed out through process.

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