1-31-09 Apex, NC... We are already a month into 2009 and things are still dragging along. Today after a college football all-star game, Howard Schnellenberger, probably one of the greatest coaches ever, said this... "Keep your eyes and ears open and you're going to learn a lot!" Well said. If you are in the car business you are learning on a daily basis. What really has to happen is that we as an industry, both dealer and manufacturer, have got to get consumer confidence up and convince the public to return to their normal pattern of buying vehicles at regular intervals. This is a global camaraderie; Toyota, Ford, KIA, GM... it makes no difference. To survive we have to work together. We have to get it together. We have to focus together. And we have to succeed together.
Keep your eyes and ears open... you might improve results.
Happy selling!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Last Daze
1-30-09 Apex, NC... There is a lot of activity going on in the dealerships this time of the month, and a lot of pressure. Contrary to popular belief, the deals can be found any day a customer walks into a car dealership BUT the end of the month always has its own set of priorities. If you are buying a vehicle this is not a bad time to walk into the store; the salespeople are eager to please and if they have the vehicle on the lot you can move forward rather quickly and get a good deal that also is fair to the dealership. Without some profit, a store will quickly close its doors.
So if you need a new ride, there is no better time than the present...
Happy selling!(And BUYING!)
So if you need a new ride, there is no better time than the present...
Happy selling!(And BUYING!)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Stunned-U-LESS Package $819 BILLION!!
1-29-09 Apex, NC... I usually never have two blogs in one day... The Stimulus Package, hopefully will work...unfortunately it is full of well, a number of things!
The deficit soars. It is almost an eye-opening trillion dollars. And it turns the government into KING KONG. We taxpayers are all Faye Wrays... This is unreal scary...The thing costs more than the Iraq War for gosh sakes!
I say give every family in America $45,000; every single person $25,000 and get rid of unemployment. Do NOT expand it... People need a finacial jump start. And this almost trillion dollar super fund is not going to work as well as having everyone being fiscally responsible to turn this recession around. Add it up; it is cheaper. A bridge loan at 0% to everyone is way cheaper than this large bureaucratic gorilla.
Even eleven Democrats voted NAY; let alone every single Republican...
How about this for a social program GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK!!!
As always,
Happy selling!
The deficit soars. It is almost an eye-opening trillion dollars. And it turns the government into KING KONG. We taxpayers are all Faye Wrays... This is unreal scary...The thing costs more than the Iraq War for gosh sakes!
I say give every family in America $45,000; every single person $25,000 and get rid of unemployment. Do NOT expand it... People need a finacial jump start. And this almost trillion dollar super fund is not going to work as well as having everyone being fiscally responsible to turn this recession around. Add it up; it is cheaper. A bridge loan at 0% to everyone is way cheaper than this large bureaucratic gorilla.
Even eleven Democrats voted NAY; let alone every single Republican...
How about this for a social program GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK!!!
As always,
Happy selling!
The Opposite of Lay Off is Stay On
1-29-09 Apex NC... As we all well know, retail anything is a challenge today. I still firmly believe that you grow your business out of this economic situation NOT cut, spend, and slash the company to do so. Many salespeople in every sector sat on their hands, dooming and glooming in December; and sales reflected that. The only way to climb back up is through you!
Interestingly, if you search the web, you find success stories. Companies who are adding people and opening new stores. They exist. Not surprising to me, growth companies do one common thing. They believe in it. They support it. They make it a top priority. In fact growth and this common factor go hand-in-hand. They train their people, involve their people, and they pay attention to their people. TRAINING is the common thread in success... It keeps people on the same page. It simplifies process and energizes organizational climate. It works. One well-known company in 2008, averaged 240 hours of training per employee per the year. Enough said...
We live in the age of speed. BlackBerrys, computers, navigation make it a breeze to access information. Yet one thing has not changed since the 1950's. We stop what we do and watch the local news on T.V. Why? It ties us to community. Links us to information that we need. And no matter the electronic device, we simply need this information to connect.
Just as the local news is the common link for community, training is the common link for success. Staying connected keeps the company strong. Training is the driver to professional success.
Happy selling!
Interestingly, if you search the web, you find success stories. Companies who are adding people and opening new stores. They exist. Not surprising to me, growth companies do one common thing. They believe in it. They support it. They make it a top priority. In fact growth and this common factor go hand-in-hand. They train their people, involve their people, and they pay attention to their people. TRAINING is the common thread in success... It keeps people on the same page. It simplifies process and energizes organizational climate. It works. One well-known company in 2008, averaged 240 hours of training per employee per the year. Enough said...
We live in the age of speed. BlackBerrys, computers, navigation make it a breeze to access information. Yet one thing has not changed since the 1950's. We stop what we do and watch the local news on T.V. Why? It ties us to community. Links us to information that we need. And no matter the electronic device, we simply need this information to connect.
Just as the local news is the common link for community, training is the common link for success. Staying connected keeps the company strong. Training is the driver to professional success.
Happy selling!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Why I Love Recessions!
1-27-09 Apex, NC... I love recessions. Here is why.
1. Recessions keep you humble. You really get to assess your personal and professional portfolio HONESTLY in tough times. Egos must hit the curb.
2. Recessions make you listen. When things are brewing as they are right now, you need to make the most out of every contact and situation. You do that by active listening.
3. Recessions keep you focused. When you have to put food on the table, you stay on the straight and narrow.
4. Recessions never suffer fools lightly. The cakes, the fakes, and the flakes go away. The lazy perish. People do not hide well in these times. The good people stand out.
5. The Charles Ponzi type people pop out in recessions. When the money is tight, the schemes, some long-standing, dissolve like a Fizzi.
6. The arrogant and the greedy types get theirs in recessions. They cannot hide their cars, their beach houses, their office makeovers, their oriental rugs, and their shower curtains any longer when they let people go for the good of the company they soak off of.
7. Good habits are created in recessions. Waste not want not. Watching assets, conserving water and gas, eating healthier and cheaper, reading more, and paying attention to the little things.
8. Recessions draw people together. Facebook is taking off. People stay home more and actually pay attention to their kids.
9. Recessions create opportunity. The good people who have lost their positions or have had their salaries freeze, will find their passion and make it work.
10. Recessions increase FAITH. The relationship we really should have is straight up beyond the heavens. Count your blessings.
HAPPY SELLING!
1. Recessions keep you humble. You really get to assess your personal and professional portfolio HONESTLY in tough times. Egos must hit the curb.
2. Recessions make you listen. When things are brewing as they are right now, you need to make the most out of every contact and situation. You do that by active listening.
3. Recessions keep you focused. When you have to put food on the table, you stay on the straight and narrow.
4. Recessions never suffer fools lightly. The cakes, the fakes, and the flakes go away. The lazy perish. People do not hide well in these times. The good people stand out.
5. The Charles Ponzi type people pop out in recessions. When the money is tight, the schemes, some long-standing, dissolve like a Fizzi.
6. The arrogant and the greedy types get theirs in recessions. They cannot hide their cars, their beach houses, their office makeovers, their oriental rugs, and their shower curtains any longer when they let people go for the good of the company they soak off of.
7. Good habits are created in recessions. Waste not want not. Watching assets, conserving water and gas, eating healthier and cheaper, reading more, and paying attention to the little things.
8. Recessions draw people together. Facebook is taking off. People stay home more and actually pay attention to their kids.
9. Recessions create opportunity. The good people who have lost their positions or have had their salaries freeze, will find their passion and make it work.
10. Recessions increase FAITH. The relationship we really should have is straight up beyond the heavens. Count your blessings.
HAPPY SELLING!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wanted Dead Or Alive
1-26-09 Apex, NC... Have you seen your wanted poster nailed to poles, pinned on the post office bulletin boards, or distributed as fliers? Nope. Me either. We have to work at being wanted. If you are in the car business in 2009, times by every stretch are challenging. I am in a lot of stores and it usually is the same. Used cars are holding their own, give or take; and new vehicle sales, even with the incentives, could be better. In fact it MUST get better.
If you are in the business, think out of the box a little bit and see what you can come up with in drawing traffic to your store. If you are a customer, tell your salesperson what you need and what you want. Tell the truth. Here is a fact. The customer always fibs first; so be upfront and give the dealer all the info he or she needs to help you with your car problem. Problem? Yep, you would not walk into the showroom if your vehicle was a cream puff that you loved beyond all things. It is a win win. We can fix your problem if you just let us. Enjoy the process and your new ride!
Happy selling!
If you are in the business, think out of the box a little bit and see what you can come up with in drawing traffic to your store. If you are a customer, tell your salesperson what you need and what you want. Tell the truth. Here is a fact. The customer always fibs first; so be upfront and give the dealer all the info he or she needs to help you with your car problem. Problem? Yep, you would not walk into the showroom if your vehicle was a cream puff that you loved beyond all things. It is a win win. We can fix your problem if you just let us. Enjoy the process and your new ride!
Happy selling!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Good News
1-25-09 Apex, NC... Man, good news now a days is as rare as snow in the Keys... For example, NO ONE remembers that Ford Motor Company had a huge profit in the first quarter of 2008 or that price of gas last summer forced us to use fuel more wisely; in fact with gas at $1.90 give or take, we have not changed our habits. Did you know that for every penny we save at the pump, we put a billion bucks back in our pockets?
We just have to create our own good news. We need to focus on opportunity not problems, and successes not failures.
Bad news sells papers and bad news leads on the six o'clock news. You read that Harley is laying off a thousand people, and Nortel is in the tank... and so on. Bad news breeds like a bad cold. People get worried. People panic. Most of the mess we are in economically has been spun from investors and from speculators. I simply refuse to participate. Things are getting better. This is the country to be successful in. Pity parties are out. Common sense and hard work are in. Negatives are out and service to others is in. The next time you get a bad case of pessimism, call me, the Therapist is always near by.
The only restructuring we need is between our ears and the only bankruptcy we really fear is in our hearts.
Happy selling!!
We just have to create our own good news. We need to focus on opportunity not problems, and successes not failures.
Bad news sells papers and bad news leads on the six o'clock news. You read that Harley is laying off a thousand people, and Nortel is in the tank... and so on. Bad news breeds like a bad cold. People get worried. People panic. Most of the mess we are in economically has been spun from investors and from speculators. I simply refuse to participate. Things are getting better. This is the country to be successful in. Pity parties are out. Common sense and hard work are in. Negatives are out and service to others is in. The next time you get a bad case of pessimism, call me, the Therapist is always near by.
The only restructuring we need is between our ears and the only bankruptcy we really fear is in our hearts.
Happy selling!!
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