There is an old saying carpenters use. "Measure twice, cut once."…

What a year we've had.  There were ups and downs, but I'm so looking forward to next year.  I had the privilege of working with enough dealers to see an even bigger need for training in 2012.  But, my challenge is not that I see it, but getting dealers to see it as well.  As many in my industry know, the most common objection to training of any kind is that the dealer has it handled.  They just don't see a need.  In my opinion, many of them just don't see!

For example:  Follow-up. …

Human nature doesn’t believe a penny saved is the same as a penny earned. That is one of the reasons why the field of sales is preferable to other fields. The real worth of a salesperson is sure to be appreciated and adequately rewarded. No other employee can raise their own pay. If we are not succeeding, the fault is not with the field, but with us as sales people.

Salesmanship is the art of selling. Many people believe a successful salesperson is born, not made, that they succeed…

Hopefully many dealers have had their strategic planning meetings with their staff and set goals for next year.  Identified their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats...established the tactics they will use to accomplish their goals. Mind maps are helpful tools you might consider...many free or inexpensive mind mapping tools are available online or as apps for ipads and such.  I use ithoughts on the ipad.  A good friend prefers the web based …

Objections should be embraced, welcomed, cherished, tolerated, tackled ,…

Not avoided, ignored, threatened, discouraged, or disgusted by…

After all an “Objection” is not at all complete “Rejection”

If I were to ask the woman of my dreams out I would much rather deal with an objection,

I’m…

We all have one week of work before 2011 becomes a collection of files to be stored away.  Sure, we'll go back and get some things for this years taxes.  Perhaps even take a look at some trends that occurred during the year.  But what are the things that will make 2012 a better year for you?  Chances are, there will be talk of improvement, higher numbers, better grosses, and maybe even a reduction in expenses.  But, it will all fade before the Christmas decorations are taken down.

In…

Direct Response Marketing

First of all lets go over the definition of “Direct Response”:

Definition – What does Direct Response Marketing mean?

“Direct-response marketing is a type of marketing that elicits a…

Customers never buy things based on price alone........

If you don't believe me take a look at Starbucks or Apple computer. What dealerships need to realize is customers can buy vehicles anywhere and most brands have great product lines as well. The question is what are you doing to attract new customers and maintain your existing customers by creating an amazing customer experience. Think about your local high end hotel, that dry cleaner or grocery store that…

While the majority of my time is now spent trianing new salespeople, I still get to work with experienced teams on occassion.  I enjoy this break, especially during this time of year.  It's always easy to get new people to set high goals becasue they're still excited about their new career and want to make a great impression.  Getting veterans to set goals is more like trying to get a college student to be done with a major paper BEFORE the night before!

As an expert in human personal…

What are you doing this Thursday?  Besides eating and some football.  Some will travel a bit and some will stay home.  But too many may find themselves forgetting that this day is more than just a day off in the busy lives of those in the car business.  I'm hoping to change that.

This year I am thankful for the new associations I've made.  I am grateful for all of those who took the time to teach me more about this business as I grew.  I want to sow my appreciation to the hundreds of…

I have a different perspective about online reputation and ratings for car dealers.  It comes from my days working the line, selling cars, and from eventually managing stores that were consistently #1 in our market.  Our team always knew they were a vital part of delivering an outstanding experience.  The success…

We have been helping Dealerships all over North America for over 20 years now. We have been working with Sales, Service, Internet, and of course Social Media departments as well.

The Fantastic thing about "Most" service departments that we work with now is Dealerships have a large database of customers but they are not "helping" thier customers manage the service of thier vehicles. For example if all your service team did was bring all or most of your active service customers in "one"…

What ever happened to record players? How about Beta tape players? Anyone remember pagers? Here's a good one,typewriters.

One thing is for sure nothing is forever. No matter how useful or advanced, it too will one day be obsolete.

Now in my mid 30's, (o.k. late 30's) I remember thinking how hip and cool my…

Even trainers have days when the message is not about how to sell a car or increase gross.  There are plenty of things much more important than that.  While the passion for training is what drives my colleagues as well as myself, today is different.  Monday morning I will be in a dealership helping hire and train, but today is a day to step back and acknowledge those who contribute so much more.

As a veteran who served as Viet Nam was winding down, I am so much happier at the respect…

After more than a few weeks on the road, I needed a haircut.  I've been blessed (or cursed) with a full head of hair that grows very fast.  I am not all that keen on having my hair cut in spas, salons, etc.  But I do admit that going to the franchise Sports Clips is fun in a manly way.  You get to watch ESPN and they give you a massage after your cut.  And, I really like the hot towel on my face.

Because it's my birthday this month, I received an email from Sports Clips reminding me…

Winter 1982.  I was the F&I manager for a Chrysler, Plymouth, Jaguar, Deloreon dealer. (One of my better career moves.)  It was also a time that was very troubling for Chrysler.  They had gotten their loan (bailout) from the government and had cut back on their field support.  We got the memo that some of each dealership staff would volunteer for the New York Auto Show.  Each of us would have to go to the city and spend two hours at the Chrysler booth. (And we still had to pay for our…

It is no secret that we are all experiencing some difficult times in our respective economies and that these times are causing many in the automobile industry to question their career paths. However, even in these challenging times, there are those that continue to flourish because they seem to know something that many or their counterparts do not.  These individuals continue to give themselves pay raises every month and every year.  They have figured out some time ago that they have to make…