Sermon on the Engine Mount

1-8-09 Apex, NC

Good morning my automotive brothers and sisters.

For all you newcomers, welcome to St. Henry II located in the diocese of GM, Ford and Chrysler. For you transplants in the back pews, this homily is for you too. So stay awake before you head back to Tennessee and Georgia. Remember we are all believers. Although I personally did not spend last night in a Holiday Inn Express, I did study for the priesthood in my youth, fully qualifying me to give you the message of Hope and Increased Consumer Confidence in this a new year...

If you read and listen to the deathsayers out there today, terms like FEAR, LOW, THE NEW NORMAL, NO IMPROVEMENT, SHEDDING JOBS, CUTTING COSTS... Blah Blah Blah...on and on my brothers and sisters. These are the non-believers. They are non-autophytes. And I say this to all the non-believers out there. CRAPPOLA!! Knock off the doom and gloom. 2009 is not 1929.

You want success in this business? Then go after it. You want to fix consumer confidence? Fix it. No one said it was easy. Obama says hard work and responsibility will get us out of this current fiscal challenge. I have to agree.

Customer Confidence will increase with the following strategy. Give your potential and current faithful an EXPERIENCE. The reason Fresh Market can sell their products for more than the local grocery store is the experience. The reason Walmart and McDonalds grow is VALUE. The reason why the electronics industry is growing is ENTERTAINMENT. Who does not want a Wii, even if they cannot afford it. This ain't ROCKET SCIENCE brethren!!

Stimulus with stimuli. Stimulus means EXCITE TO ACTION!!

We need born again car people. Genesis is indeed Chapter One. The beginning to our renewed success is simple.

Go back to Fundamentals. Make it FUN. Take the DUH out of middle and focus on your MENTALS.

Greet everyone everywhere with a smile. It is the best way to quickly improve your looks. And you just never know when that smile might lead to a visit to your dealership. Be ethical. Be honest. Be friendly. Give the customer what they NEED first, then what they want. Listen. Stop playing games. Stop the spring butt to and from the desk with your salesperson as the messenger. Remember the customer's last experience determines the next visit. So stop hitting the customer in the face with a full pop pencil. They are as smart as we are so treat them as such.

The average customer hated shopping for a car in great times. That's why they tell you they are just looking!! They detest the process even more now and put it off in bad times for more reasons then we think about. Remember that old school rhymes with mold and fool. You will get a better profit with service and value than by playing hide the peanut. Knock off maxing profit with every deal and with every trade. The very same people who hate shopping for a new vehicle LOVE buying one when the experience is there. Make it fun and reduce everyone's stress. Your customers will love you and will have other followers come to your congregations.

Amen and Alleluia... Now please stand... And pass the basket!!