Mike French
The most successful recyclers don’t try to be better than everyone else. They reposition themselves so they’re not directly comparable at all.
After nearly 40 years of marketing automotive recyclers and vendors, and writing two marketing books for the industry, I’ve come to a clear conclusion: being better isn’t always better. In fact, in many cases, it’s the very thing holding businesses back. Let me explain.
Why “better parts” marketing leads to price pressure—and what the best recyclers do instead
For years, automotive recyclers have been told to differentiate by being better. Better recycled OEM parts. Better inventory systems. Better warranties. Better pricing.
On the surface, that sounds right. In practice, it creates a problem. The moment you position yourself as “better,” you place yourself squarely in the same category as every other recycler. You invite direct comparison—yard to yard, part to part, price to price. And once buyers start comparing, price becomes the tiebreaker. Even if your operation is significantly stronger—cleaner parts, better grading, faster fulfillment, fewer returns—the buyer rarely perceives that full difference. What feels like a major upgrade to you often looks like a modest improvement to them.
And modest improvements don’t justify premium pricing. So margins shrink. Discounts increase. And sales teams feel constant pressure to “sharpen the pencil.” That’s the trap.
What the Top Performers Do Differently
The most successful recyclers don’t try to be better than everyone else. They reposition themselves so they’re not directly comparable at all. Instead of selling parts, they sell outcomes. Instead of competing on inventory size or price points, they compete on what matters most to their customers’ businesses.
For example…
Rather than saying, “We sell high-quality recycled OEM parts,” they position themselves as: “We help repair facilities complete jobs faster, reduce comebacks, and protect their reputation.” That’s a fundamentally different conversation. Now the buyer isn’t evaluating condition codes or asking who’s cheapest. They’re thinking about cycle time. Labor efficiency. Customer satisfaction. Profit per repair. The recycled part becomes a means to an end—not the product itself.
Moving Beyond the Parts Conversation
Consider how often friction occurs
in the supply chain:
• The wrong part arrives.
• The condition doesn’t match expectations.
• Delays stall a repair.
• Labor time is wasted.
• Trust erodes between supplier and shop.
A recycler that positions itself as the safest, lowest-risk way to source OEM parts steps out of the commodity game entirely. Now they’re not competing with other recyclers. They’re competing with:
• Lost time
• Rework
• Frustration
• Comebacks
• Damaged relationships with insurers and customers
When framed this way, pricing objections fade. Because the buyer isn’t weighing cost per part—they’re weighing the cost of doing it wrong.
From Selling Parts to Delivering Confidence
The strongest positioning in today’s automotive recycling market isn’t about having more parts. It’s about delivering:
• Reliability
• Speed
• Accuracy
• Confidence
• Peace of mind
When a recycler owns that position, the conversation shifts dramatically. Customers aren’t asking, “Can I get this cheaper somewhere else?”
They’re asking, “Who helps me get this job done right the first time?” That’s when price stops being the focus—and value takes its place. Therefore …
In a market where many still compete on “better,” the real opportunity lies in becoming incomparable. Stop asking how you can be 10% better than the recycler down the road. Start asking how you can be positioned so differently that comparison doesn’t even make sense. Clarify the outcome you truly deliver. Define the risk you remove. Articulate the problem you solve better than anyone else. Train your sales team to sell results, not recycled parts. Align your marketing around business impact, not inventory counts. Shift your messaging from price to performance.
Because the recyclers who thrive in the next decade won’t be the ones who are slightly better. They’ll be the ones who are clearly different. And different wins!
Mike French is retired after 39 years of business in the automotive recycling industry. He is an author, publisher, consultant, and speaker. Mike is the founder and executive director of the Christian Auto Recyclers and Vendors Association (CARVA) and will be at upcoming recycler trade shows and events. Mike is available to speak at your group, conference, or event. He loves to share inspirational stories that demonstrate how the Word of God actively changes lives.
He can be reached at mike@carva.group. Visit www.CARVA.group and/or www.PowerPackedPromises.com.
