6 Moves Dealers Can Make in January 2026 to Win All Year

January is pivotal for equipment dealers because it’s when momentum is either captured or lost. The choices made now determine whether that momentum carries forward or fades as the year unfolds.

It normally feels slower since December is one of the busiest months, but that perceived slowdown often masks the strategic decisions that quietly shape the entire year. In 2026, margins are going to continue to be tight. Inventory decisions will still carry risks. Customers who continue to be more educated are more price aware and slower to commit. At the same time, many dealers are coming off a year where they moved inventory to clean up the balance sheet, but profitability was still hard to come by.  

The most profitable equipment dealers aren’t panicking. They also aren’t doing more; they’re doing different things earlier, and with far more intention. They start to make key decisions in January, versus waiting to see what spring brings.

Here’s what I find those dealers are doing differently in January 2026 and how you can apply the same principles.

1. They Start January with Decisions, Not Discussions

Average dealers use January to “talk things through”.  Profitable dealers use January to decide and align.

They walk into the year with:

• Clear inventory targets and a focus on the items between 180- 270 days old that didn’t sell in December.  

• They are defining a timeline on how long to hold that carried over interest bearing inventory.

• Adjusting the aged equipment to the market you are actually in. Not the one you bought the equipment in.
  

Instead of revisiting the same questions each week (“Should we push this unit?” or “Should we look at pricing?”). They remove ambiguity early.

Action you can take this month

• Focus on the aged equipment and equipment you have made curtailments on or that is in paid inventory.

• Remove bureaucracy from the decision-making process.  Build the framework on which the team can work to stay nimble.

• Decide which inventory must move in Q1 vs. Q2
  

Less paralysis equals faster execution and speed matters in Q1 because very few people have to purchase something for the spring season.

2. They Treat Aging Inventory as a Strategy Problem, Not a Sales Problem

Top performing dealers don’t tell salespeople to “sell harder” in January. They recognize that aging inventory is usually the result of market changes, seasonal influences, pricing, or processes.  January is a time to prioritize what you need to sell. Not necessarily what people are buying.  Prioritization is key.

In January 2026, profitable dealers are:

• Auditing why 270-365 day equipment didn’t sell in 2025

• Separating “market-viable” units from true problem inventory

• Making decisive moves early, before carrying costs and devaluation continues further.
  

They’re willing to take a controlled loss in Q1 rather than a painful one in Q3.

Action you can take this month

• Categorize aging inventory into: Reprice, Reposition, Liquidate.

• Assigning a clear plan to every unit over 180 days or for Ag dealers if utilization is more than one season away. The last thing a customer is thinking about is a combine in January. However, you likely have carried over combines to sell that are drawing interest or in paid inventory. Prioritizing those units and finding finance options to help pull a customer ahead into the cycle, versus waiting until after the spring season.

• Stop hoping the market will fix what discipline and prioritization didn’t.
  

Hope is expensive. Clarity is profitable.

3. They're Focusing on Selling Equipment in the Same Market They Traded the Equipment In

Used equipment continues to be a major opportunity in 2026, but only for disciplined dealers selling in the same market they bought the equipment in.

Profitable dealers are:

• Pushing out equipment before any additional devaluation occurs.

• Avoiding emotional attachments to trade-ins.

• Watching market data closely, not relying on gut feel alone.
  

They understand that velocity beats nostalgia. A fast-moving used machine with a smaller margin is better than a “great deal” that sits for 10 months.  That is the key to selling in the market you bought the machine in. Timing matters.

Action you can take this month

• Review average days-to-turn for used inventory.

• Adjust pricing now to match real market demand.

• Empower sales teams with clearer used-equipment guardrails. Challenge them to make something happen.

• Prioritizing customers who have the ability to purchase.
  

Discipline early in the year prevents regret later.

4. They Simplify the Sales Process Before the Busy Season Hits

Dealers know that the internet speeds up the sales process for buyers.  The time to make a decision makes a difference. Empowerment and accountability speed the time to sale.

In January 2026, the dealers continue to simplify:

• Quoting

• Approvals

• Follow-ups
  

They’re removing friction now, so Q2 and Q3 run smoother.

Action you can take this month

• Map your quote-to-order process on one page

• Identify where deals get stuck or delayed in your process

• Eliminate at least one unnecessary approval step
  

Every extra step adds delay. Every delay matters when you are competing with the internet.

5. They Focus Sales Meetings on Execution, Not Reporting

Profitable dealers don’t waste January sales meetings recapping last year endlessly and focusing on what already happened. They are building plans to maximize 2026.

Yes, they review results, but only to inform action and adjust course.

Their meetings focus on:

• Which deals should close in Q1.

• Where pricing pressure is increasing.

• What products are slowing down that we need to push into the market before they devalue further.

• Defining what the barriers to success are and working to remove them.
  

They talk less about activity and more about outcomes.

Action you can take this month

• Replace one reporting meeting with a deal-strategy session.

• Ask: “What’s preventing this deal from closing?”.

• Hold leadership accountable for removing obstacles.
  

Salespeople sell more when leadership clears the path.

6.  They Align Leadership Early and Stay Aligned

Top dealers don’t allow mixed messages.

In January, leadership teams align on:

• Growth vs. profitability priorities

• When to push volume and when to protect margin

• What “good” looks like in 2026
  

This alignment shows up in decisions, not slogans.

Action you can take this month

• Get leadership aligned in one focused working session.

• Document priorities and trade-offs.

• Communicate those decisions clearly to the team.
  

Misalignment is one of the fastest ways to erode profit.

Don’t Make January the Missed Opportunity

Most dealers treat January as a warm-up or a planning month. If it follows a strong December, it was a chance to catch your breath. However, in this market, January must be a month for contribution and focusing on a strong year.

Profitable equipment dealers treat it as the foundation and set the pace for the year.

The decisions made this month about inventory, pricing, process, and priorities will quietly determine what the rest of 2026 feels like.

Not by working harder.Not by selling louder.But by getting clear early and executing with discipline.

This year, discipline and focus will be the ultimate competitive advantage.