DealerELITE Interviews - DealerELITE.net2024-03-29T14:49:10Zhttps://www.dealerelite.net/forum/categories/dealerelite-interviews/listForCategory?feed=yes&xn_auth=nodealerElite's Exclusive Interview with Jim Zieglertag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-04-02:5283893:Topic:2882692012-04-02T11:50:03.712ZDealerELITEhttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ChrisandMike
<p><a href="http://www.dealerelite.net/profile/JamesAZiegler" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" height="216" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311732035?profile=original" width="216"></img></a></p>
<p align="center"><b><span class="font-size-6">An Exclusive Interview with Jim Ziegler</span> <br></br></b><em><span class="font-size-3">dE gets one-on-one, down and dirty, with the Alpha Dawg</span></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> What motivates Jim Ziegler?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> …</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://www.dealerelite.net/profile/JamesAZiegler" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311732035?profile=original" width="216" height="216"/></a></p>
<p align="center"><b><span class="font-size-6">An Exclusive Interview with Jim Ziegler</span> <br/></b><em><span class="font-size-3">dE gets one-on-one, down and dirty, with the Alpha Dawg</span></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> What motivates Jim Ziegler?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ziegler:</strong> My life and business is all about relationships Chris. I have a philosophy that the most powerful people on Earth are those people that influence the most other people.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">The power of influence is magnified by the number of relationships a person can manage with the amplification made possible by Social Mediums like Facebook, LinkedIn and, of course DealerElite.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> Jim, How long have you been a Dealer Elite member?</span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ziegler:</strong> I became a contributing member of Dealer Elite from the very beginning more than two years now.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> Jim, you've achieved a lot of recognition with a 36 year career in the national spotlight. Record setting manager, professional speaker, magazine columnist, sales and management trainer to the automobile industry; your time must be extremely compressed. Why do you dedicate so much time and energy to participating on Dealer Elite forums?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ziegler:</strong> Great question Chris. I have a lot of friends here. We do things for each other and it's like a fraternity/sorority of like-minded people. You know I call my inner circle of friends and associates 'The Alpha Dawg Tribe', and; 'The Tribe' is a very real and substantial force. We get things done.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Sort of like that great 20th century philosopher, Mr. Ringo Starr, once said, <i>"I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends".</i></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> Jim, I have a question I've wanted to ask you for nearly 20 years now. Your company is Ziegler SuperSystems, inc. <a href="http://www.zieglersupersystems.com" target="_blank">http://www.ZieglerSuperSystems.com</a><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">You're into to so many things: We see you everywhere at the same time. Exactly what do you see as your priorities and goals in your life and business?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ziegler:</strong> (laughs) That's the secret Chris. I'm actually identical triplets living as a single identity.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Seriously though, the formula for success is organization and super productivity. When I am in the office it is not uncommon for me to speak to 100 or more dealers in a single day. I've been called the one-man BDC. Some of these dealers have been clients for 25 years, or their parents were.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">I've created a recognizable brand, the jewelry, the baseball hats, the swagger and persona are all part of a carefully projected character that is the Alpha Dawg. There's a strong possibility I might not really take it all that seriously. Those who know me get it.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">My wife Debbie and I founded Ziegler SuperSystems on the kitchen table in 1986 when I left the retail business to embark on this adventure.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Although I do perform sales training in dealerships, I consider myself a management trainer and dealership consultant. I am one of the very few nationally recognized trainers in our business that actually was a successful manager in retail. For more than 36 years I've traveled more than 200-250 days a year speaking, training, and actually working in real dealerships with real customers.</span> <br/><br/><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> Tell me in more detail, exactly what do you teach in your seminars?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ziegler:</strong> Primarily, we (Ziegler SuperSystems) are in the seminar business. In my previous life I was a Rock Jock at WAPE Radio in Jacksonville long before the car business. I already had the speaking skills and stage presence before I became a car salesman, and ultimately; a record-setting manager.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">For the first twenty-five years in business we had as many as 40 employees and 6000 feet of upscale offices. All of that shifted radically in 2008 when the economy crashed and I brought the business home.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Our bread and butter seminars are the Automobile Sales Managers Seminar and The F&I Mastermind Seminar. Teaching managers how to be sales managers, how to motivate a sales team, and how to negotiate profitable car deals; this makes us unique because there's no one else in the industry teaching what we do and getting the results we can document in profit and unit sales increases. <a href="http://www.ZieglerSeminars.com">http://www.ZieglerSeminars.com</a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">The F&I Mastermind Seminar is getting immediate and measurable results as soon as the students return to the dealerships. Everything we teach is high integrity, finesse and persuasion. There are too many excuse-makers in the business today trying to explain why they can't do the numbers. My students are doing it consistently.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> Jim, what about the Internet Battle Plan Seminars?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ziegler:</strong> Chris, I am often made fun of because I still use an America Online as my primary email account, BUT; the truth be known, I have had that account and that email address continually since 1996. We have had income-producing websites since the late 90's.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">A few years ago it became obvious you couldn't be in the Car Business unless you were involved in technology enabled sales and marketing. I was already in the seminar business so the transition was easy. <a href="http://www.InternetBattlePlan.com">http://www.InternetBattlePlan.com</a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">I am a CSP, a certified speaking professional, in the National Speakers Association which is the highest earned designation you can achieve in NSA. A lot of the internet and technology marketing expertise I have learned came from some of the foremost experts in the world, NOT from other people associated with the car business teaching the same old stuff to each other they originally learned from each other. I always strongly advocate people seek training outside of our industry for new fresh concepts, technology applications and techniques.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">The Internet Battle Plan is NOT a conference with 50 or 60 speakers you have to weed through to find the real ones. There no selling from the stage, which has become a disease with some of these events .</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">I wanted Battle Plan to be a learning experience delivering real usable information that the audience could go back to their dealerships and implement immediately, and see immediate results, without having to hire a vendor to do it for you. So I select only those speakers who are A-Team Players with value to present to the audience. We have sponsors true, but, unlike some of the largest conferences you can't buy your way onto the stage.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">We're getting larger crowds every time. The Internet battle Plan coming up in Cleveland has a Rock n Roll theme since it is right next to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> Jim, many DealerElite members know you as the Car Guy, sales trainer, management trainer, F&I trainer; But, most recently we've seen the other side of Jim Ziegler, the activist. Your blogs and campaign about TrueCar here on DealerElite and elsewhere have created a national movement with literally dozens of spinoff blogs, and hundreds of thousands of page views. <a href="../../profiles/blogs/true-car-and-zag-cyber-bandits-or-good-for-the-car-business">http://www.dealerelite.net/profiles/blogs/true-car-and-zag-cyber-bandits-or-good-for-the-car-business</a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Whatever inspired you to take on this cause?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ziegler:</strong> Well Chris, to better understand, you'd have to look at my history. This isn't the first time I've mobilized a movement to take on an injustice, and prevailed. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's I spearheaded a movement against Ford Motor Company's infamous Blue Oval program and The Ford Auto Collections. These programs were oppressive and vindictive against the dealers. In the end I was able to rally enough forces from many different directions to bring both programs down. Once again going back to that theory of mine that the most powerful people on Earth are those people who influence the most other people.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Right now I have more than 100,000 friends and followers on the Social networks. Most of them are Car People and The Alpha Dawg Tribe is highly responsive. My email database has more than 135,000 subscribers that I can send a message to at the speed of electricity. Ordinarily I hang around my Facebook Pages or Twitter @JimZiegler. It's not uncommon for me to have 300-400 unique visitors in a single day on my pages.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">When TrueCar popped up on my radar last November, they had already made ripples when Jeff Kerschner of Dealer Refresh had written an article about them Unfortunately Jeff's article had a short shelf life and he moved on to other subjects.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">When I saw my first video interview featuring Scott Painter of TrueCar arrogantly proclaiming his company was going to eliminate the retail car business using our data and our money, bells went off. A ragtag band of Merry Men (and women) went into action writing discussing, emailing, blogging, and I personally hit the speaking circuit. It began on November 27th, 2011 and, by December we had a full scale revolt coming at TrueCar from every side. State Dealer bodies got involved and state authorities found their business model illegal in many states.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Right now, Scott Painter and TrueCar are conducting every speech they can pay for him to be on stage. He's apologizing and admitting they made mistakes and saying he now loves the car dealers. I hope nobody falls for this. I believe they are as evil and devious as ever and a danger to our business.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">The next step beyond TrueCar is the Data Pirates. That battle is about to heat up as we mobilize an industry against all vendors that take data from dealers DMS Computers and resell it, or repurpose it, or aggregate it with personal identifiable and financial transaction data to sell to your dealerships' competitors, and use it against our best interest.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Personally, I am sick and disgusted with these vendors that take our data and our money and then use it to market 'distrust' to the consumers. We are paying companies to make us look bad and perpetuate stereotypes and bad images of car dealers. TrueCar has made a business model out of slandering car dealers and making the public distrust us.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Of course you might say Edmunds.com and CarFax are also data aggregators that promote public dislike of Car Dealers, and you'd be right. They are in the cross hairs in upcoming campaigns but, truthfully, TrueCar is still at the top of the menu. Our mission in 2012 is going to be to kill all sources of data and put it tightly back in dealership control.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> Jim, you've done it, been there, seen it, and pioneered it. Are there retirement plans in your future? I see where you just contracted to be a featured speaker at the National Automobile Dealers Convention in Brazil in Sao Paulo in August. What's next?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ziegler:</strong> (Ziegler laughs again) Retire? Chris retirement is such an absurd concept. People who look forward to retirement hate what they do. My plan is to die onstage in front of cheering audience. Somebody will yell out, <i>"There goes Jim!"</i> and the next sound will be a thud.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">I've written featured columns for major industry publications since 1988. Some say I have been the most read columnist in the industry by industry people. Currently I am writing for Wards' Dealer Business Magazine and F&I Showroom Magazines.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Since 1986 I've been a presenter/speaker at 14 NADA National Conventions and 79 State Dealer Convention Keynote Speeches. In 2008 I was the Keynote Speaker for the Australian Auto Dealers Annual Convention in Brisbane Gold Coast.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">I've become friends with all of my nationally recognized competitors except one (really don't like that guy). </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Grant Cardone, Joe Verde, Dave Anderson and, most recently, Brain Pasch have all become friends. It's a big world.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Am I slowing down? Unfortunately, I don't know how. I am totally booked at my outrageous fee plus first-class travel (Ziegler don't fly in the back of no planes) as far into the future as I choose to be. I love working in these dealerships actually desking deals, internet as well as selling and delivering F&I deals. Yes, I actually still do it.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">There's a lot of credibility when Car People see me working real deals with real customers, and doing it extremely well.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> Other than the public, in-your-face, bigger than life Jim Ziegler, the extrovert on steroids; what would people be surprised to know about you?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ziegler:</strong> I really love my family. My wife Debbie has been with me 30 years, originally she was an 'up'. That's right, sold her a car back in the day, ended up marrying.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">My son and my granddaughter, my dog Sadie and cat Sophie; it doesn't get any better than this.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Chinese buffets and Corvettes, chess and Facebook. Next to my family, most of all I love my friends. Every phone call or text ends the same way. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>DealerElite:</strong> You can contact Jim at ZieglerSS@aol.com or call (770) 921-4440</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p> Interview with Dave Anderson of Dave Anderson's LearnToLeadtag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-03-28:5283893:Topic:2869332012-03-28T03:25:06.765ZDealerELITEhttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ChrisandMike
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-3"><b><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311732182?profile=original" width="183"></img></b></span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-5"><b>Exclusive Interview with Dave Anderson of LearnToLead</b></span></span></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><b><br></br></b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><b>What is Dave Anderson’s LearnToLead?</b></span><br></br><br></br><span class="font-size-3">A leadership training company I started with my wife in 1999 after…</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-3"><b><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311732182?profile=original" width="183"/></b></span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-5"><b>Exclusive Interview with Dave Anderson of LearnToLead</b></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><span class="font-size-3"><b><br/></b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><b>What is Dave Anderson’s LearnToLead?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">A leadership training company I started with my wife in 1999 after leaving a $300,000,000 auto group. We’re based just north of Los Angeles. Our purpose is to provide the tools and inspiration leaders need to grow themselves, build a team and together advance their organization. Our philosophy is that nothing gets better in an organization until the leaders do.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><b>How long have you been a Dealer Elite member?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">From its inception over two years ago.</span><br/><br/><br/> <span class="font-size-3"><b>What do you like best about Dealer Elite?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">The breadth and depth of its content is like a Library of Congress for the automotive industry. There is a wide range of voices contributing encouragement, best practices, and networking opportunities. The resources are constantly updated and relevant. The overall tone of the community is very positive, supportive, and giving.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><b>What makes LearnToLead different from other training companies?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">We specialize in leadership training and will not even train an organization’s sales staff until the leadership team has been trained in how to: recruit, interview, set clear expectations, train, coach, mentor, cast vision, develop strategy, and hold people accountable. In fact, our belief is that it is irresponsible to train subordinates and let them languish under untrained, overrated leaders. Our business is famous for taking live eggs, putting them under dead chickens and then wondering why they don’t hatch.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">My perspective is different than many trainers in that while I started on the front line selling cars, I worked my way to a very high level within a large dealership group and was responsible for leading and developing dozens of managers. Frankly, you cannot export to others what you don’t have yourself and someone who has not led something substantial is going to have a difficult time coaching others to do the same.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">I would also mention that my approach is quite direct and to the point. I can’t tolerate fluff, political correctness, blame or excuses and that comes through in my personality, material, and drive to help our clients get beyond being successful and to reach their fullest potential.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">My philosophy for running my business on a day-to-day business is simple. I understand what my zone is--my strengths--and I've built a team that allows me to stay there. I've surrounded myself with great people who are good at the things I am not. I set clear and high expectations for them, provide the tools they need to reach their objectives and then get out of their way. I hold my people very accountable for results. While I'm demanding, I'm very generous in return for a job well done.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><b>This all sounds interesting? Can you explain in more detail?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">I conduct both private and public workshops; our private clients will make up approximately 85% of the 100 days I speak each year. We are blessed with very high customer retention, and do business today with many of our very first clients from 13 years ago.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Our online training is unique in that we own a large production studio and film new material that we add monthly in both leadership and sales modules. We believe it’s important to bring the most relevant information to clients as possible, and since business challenges are ever-changing we are obliged to help our clients stay at the top of their game. We also film two new DVDs monthly in our studio for our hundreds of DVD of the Month subscribers. In addition, we offer the Anderson Profiles, a comprehensive pre-employment assessment customized especially for the automotive business. It evaluates 24 personality traits and does an incredible job of predicting someone’s success potential for a position before you hire him or her. This has been one of our fastest growing divisions over the past seven years. It has helped our best clients to virtually eliminate hiring errors.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><b>Do you also work with companies outside of the car business?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">I’ve written twelve books and that has broadened our customer base into many industries. I don’t pursue markets outside of our niche industry—automotive—but neither do I turn it down as the principles I teach are applicable across industries. We have clients in banking, insurance, manufacturing, and more. The books have also opened the doors for me to speak in fourteen different countries, as they’ve been translated into multiple languages and are available worldwide.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><b>What do you see as the biggest danger for the car business today?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">A grave danger for any business today is that their operation becomes infected by society’s cultural currents watering down their levels of urgency, accountability, moral and performance standards.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Your business culture is your number one asset to protect because of the principle that culture dictates behavior and behaviors determine results. Because of this you must have a strong culture that aligns with your vision or the vision isn’t going to happen. Here’s the danger: If you don’t shape your culture from inside out with the right core values, performance expectations, shared mission and people, then society’s trends and values will shape your culture for you from the outside in. That’s not a pleasant scenario because much of society’s values are corrupt, perverse, and morally bankrupt: more blame, entitlement, instant gratification, political correctness, selfishness, and the tolerance and defense of acts that just a few years ago were taboo. We teach business leaders how to build high performance cultures that prevent society’s cultural currents from diminishing what they’ve spent their lives building, and show them how to weed them out and reverse the damage if they’ve taken up residence.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Wh</strong><b>at advice would you give to someone who wants to become a manger but is not yet?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">Begin to assume the traits of the position before you’re in the position. Read leadership books, attend leadership courses and begin to think and act like a leader in your current role. Show that, before you ask to manage others, you are able to manage yourself: your own time, emotions, work ethic, discipline, character choices and more. Understand that leadership is about performance and not position; a responsibility not a perk. You are there to add value to your team; the team isn’t there to add value to you. In fact, you need your people a lot more than they need you.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">It’s also wise to understand that once you get a leadership title, that title doesn’t make you a leader; it merely buys you time to become one. It’s a foolish and arrogant notion to think that you’ve been made more competent by virtue of a change in title. It’s also helpful to grasp that you won’t automatically have followers; you will only have subordinates. How you act as a leader will determine whether or not those subordinates ever convert into followers.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><b>What do you do for fun?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">Fun and balance are important in our business because of the long hours and high stress levels. Our family belongs to a great church that enriches our life. My wife, Rhonda, runs the business operations, so we’re in constant contact and are together often during my speaking engagements; my daughter runs our non-profit foundation which helps keep us close. She’s also taking a much larger role of responsibility within our company. While working with family can be challenging, it’s a ton of fun if you do it right.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">I have a library in my house with over 1200 books. I relax by reading, researching and writing. I’m a black belt in Tang Soo Do karate so I’m at the dojo working out and sparring every day I’m in town, except the weekends. We also have an ocean front place up the coast in Monterey that’s the most relaxing place on earth. It’s our favorite place to go for a break. I’m very fortunate that I still find my work extremely fun. I love what I do, which makes work and fun synonymous most of the time.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><b>What is the Matthew 25:35 Foundation?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">It’s a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation that my wife and I started several years ago to help the less fortunate. We provide food, shelter, clothing, education, medicine, and more to under-resourced people in the United States and abroad.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Our big project now is helping to build an orphanage in Chennai, India to rescue baby girls from infanticide and make sure they are raised in a safe environment. Ten girls have been saved to-date, but others are being murdered there every day simply because they are girls and the families believe they are a curse. Needless to say, we have a strong sense of urgency here.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">We also partner with John Maxwell’s EQUIP, and I’ve been a volunteer trainer for them for the past many years. I teach a biblically-based leadership course to Christian pastors and business people in select regions of the world. I did this in Moscow for three years and have since trained leaders from the Underground Church in Iran for the past seven years. These leadership development courses help them grow their organizations despite the fact that expanding a church’s membership or starting new churches is outlawed. I’ll return this fall to teach this special group of men and women again and I can’t wait because I’m drawn to, and inspired by, their commitment. Some who come to these meetings are on death lists—they have prices on their heads. Others have been imprisoned because our course materials were found in their possession, but they come back again nonetheless so they can improve themselves, their teams, and their country. We obviously take security precautions: no cell phones or cameras and the attendees use nick-names so if they’re interrogated they cannot disclose the names of other attendees. These workshops are intense in that we all live together in a secluded place for several days, spending 24/7 together. I work through translators as I teach the classes, and that’s always a bit challenging.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">People question the risks I take to work with these leaders every year, but that’s the way commitment works: it draws others to you. They learn from my lessons and I learn from their commitment. This is why I have so little tolerance for those who talk about wanting to get better, but are so utterly pathetic that they won’t even walk across the street into a library and check out a book that is free to advance their state in life. They claim to be committed to something, but the truth is they’re barely interested in it. With the resources we have available to improve ourselves in this country there’s little excuse for anyone in our business being either poor or stupid. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">In my opinion, volunteering always returns to you more than you give. It adds life to your years. Many people today are worried about adding years to their life, but if you don’t add life to your years you simply perpetuate the misery of your mediocrity.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><b>What’s next for you and your company?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">This is the year of our extreme makeover: we’ve just moved into new offices and doubled our space; we’ve got a new website in the works, and are also redesigning our entire online training platform—and we’re doing it all at the same time.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">I’ve got some solid book concepts in the pipeline, and we’ve recently launched a new and comprehensive program for our top clients, <i>Inner Circle Acceleration Training</i>. This process focuses on advancing the growth of the top three to four people in a dealership. The growth you realize by focusing on developing the inner circle within an organization blows the roof off the place.</span><br/><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><b>How would our dE member's contact you?</b></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3">They can contact me through Dealer Elite, at <a href="mailto:dave@learntolead.com">dave@learntolead.com</a>, or 818-735-9503.</span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p> Interview with Jeff Cowan from Jeff Cowan's PROTALKtag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-03-23:5283893:Topic:2854412012-03-23T12:14:59.047ZDealerELITEhttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ChrisandMike
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://automotiveservicetraining.com/" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" height="108" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311732219?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="180"></img></a> <strong><span class="font-size-4"><br></br>Exclusive interview with Jeff Cowan from Jeff Cowan's PROTALK…<br></br><br></br></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dealerelite.net/profile/PROTALK" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311732553?profile=original" width="272"></img></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-4"><b><br></br></b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://automotiveservicetraining.com/"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311732219?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" height="108" width="180"/></a><strong><span class="font-size-4"><br/>Exclusive interview with Jeff Cowan from Jeff Cowan's PROTALK<br/><br/></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.dealerelite.net/profile/PROTALK"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311732553?profile=original" width="272"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-4"><b><br/></b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-4"><b><br/></b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b>What is PRO TALK?</b><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Jeff Cowan’s PRO TALK is training that focuses on helping service departments increase their sales revenues through time tested and proven sales techniques. We focus on increasing Customer Paid Labor and Parts Sales, Customer Retention, and Customer Service Scores. PRO TALK turns your Service Clerks into professional selling Service Advisors that are capable of customer service-based selling techniques that don’t require pushing or twisting arms.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b>How long have you been a DealerELITE member?</b><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Since January 3<sup>rd</sup>, 2012</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b>What do you like best about DealerELITE?</b><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">We like that it is Automotive Industry Specific. DealerELITE makes it so easy to connect with industry professionals and gain valuable knowledge.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b>What does PRO TALK do that is different from other companies like yours and are there any others similar?</b><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Our processes are constantly updated and improved based on what is currently being demanded by customers and the industry itself. PRO TALK receives a constant flow of beneficial information from expert field trainers and from clients that have attended the many workshops Jeff conducts. Our training method was created on the job, out in the field.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b>O.K. Jeff, so how does PRO TALK work?</b><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">In addition to our customized one and two day public and private sales training workshops, PRO TALK offers On-Your-Drive training where one of our expert trainers participates in your specific service drives, side-by-side with your service advisors to train, coach, role play, critique, and write service orders as needed. We also offer an interactive online sales training platform that provides cutting edge video training and testing for service advisors and fixed operations employees. Service Advisors will learn exactly how to walk around “Every Car, Every Time <b>®</b>” to increase sales through the “Sit, Flip, Pop and Look <b>®</b>” technique, how to increase sales both on the drive and on the telephone through our top “100 Service Advisor Closing Techniques and Word Tracks”, as well as many other time tested service department sales techniques and skills.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b>Why should dealers partner with PRO TALK versus others?</b><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">The techniques that PRO TALK teaches were developed on the drive side-by-side with Service Advisors. Pro Talk has trained several thousand dealerships, has visited over 2,200 automobile service drives in the United States and Canada, and was the first to offer side-by-side on-your-drive training to dealerships. Our process driven Service Advisor Sales Training Workshops, web based Service Advisor Sales Training platform, and In-House, On Your Drive Service Advisor Sales Training services have set the standard for delivering results. Dealerships have seen increased Customer Satisfaction Scores and Customer Retention and increased customer paid labor and parts sales (5/10 increase in 10 days to start).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b>How much does PRO TALK cost?</b><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Cost varies depending on product or service.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b>What can car dealers do to make PRO TALK better?</b><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">They can continue to give us great feedback and suggestions.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b> </b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><b>How would a dE member contact you and sign-up?</b><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><a href="mailto:info@jcowansprotalk.com">info@jcowansprotalk.com</a>, 800-248-2931, <a href="http://www.AutomotiveServiceTraining.com">www.AutomotiveServiceTraining.com</a></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4"> <br/></span></p> Interview with Jesse Biter of DealersUnitedtag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-01-05:5283893:Topic:2670872012-01-05T18:55:12.337ZDealerELITEhttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ChrisandMike
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dealerelite.net/profile/JesseBiter#.TwXj5fLe7HM" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311728745?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="123" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311728745?profile=original" width="198"></img></a> <span class="font-size-5"><strong>Exclusive Interview with Jesse Biter of DealersUnited<br></br></strong></span> <br></br> <a href="http://www.dealerelite.net/profile/JesseBiter#.TwXj5fLe7HM" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311728808?profile=original" width="149"></img></a></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">dE:…</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.dealerelite.net/profile/JesseBiter#.TwXj5fLe7HM"></a><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311728745?profile=original"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311728745?profile=original" width="198" height="123"/></a><span class="font-size-5"><strong>Exclusive Interview with Jesse Biter of DealersUnited<br/></strong></span> <br/> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dealerelite.net/profile/JesseBiter#.TwXj5fLe7HM"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311728808?profile=original" width="149"/></a></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: What is DealersUnited?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: Dealers United is a service designed to unite private dealerships to compete against the MegaDealer Groups</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: How long have you been a DealerELITE member?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: I’ve been a member of DealerELITE for 6 months now and I love it.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: What do you like best about DealerELITE?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: I love the active community and daily emails I receive. DealerELITE makes it easy for me to stay in tune with the industry.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: What does DealersUnited do that is different than others like you?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: There are no companies like Dealers United. While there are Co-Op type companies, Dealers United is the only service that 1) Vets the vendors through an exhaustive research process, 2) Educations the dealers on each vendor and their product, 3) Negotiates deals based on a certain number of dealers signing up for that deal, 4) Is completely free to the dealer.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: That all sounds interesting. Can you explain in more detail?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: The competitive landscape may be tilted in favor of the MegaDealers, but it doesn’t have to stay that way thanks to Dealers United. We are the first service to leverage the combined buying and negotiating power of private dealerships, as well as provide business development services for its members. Dealers United goes beyond the normal buying co-op by vetting, negotiating, and following up with vendors, making sure vendors deliver as promised. In addition to its strength in numbers philosophy, DU is driven by two other key concepts. First, joining is free and any dealer may join; no hassles, no fees. Second, DU is a service of, by and for dealers; and, appropriately, dealers call the shots.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: Ok Jesse... so how does it all work?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: Dealers United members identify a specific service they desire, say SEO, CRM or DMS through a group vote each month. Industry experts from Dealers United research leading providers of that service/product through Q&A sessions and onsite visits with businesses. Once the best of the best vendor in the category is selected, Dealers United negotiates the best deal - leveraging the combined buying power of its membership. At the end of each month, DU will distribute a detailed video about the vendor to members, as well as specifics of the upcoming deal. Dealers decide whether they want to participate by agreeing to the discounted price and buying the offer. If the minimum number of dealers is met, it’s a done deal and the participating members are given the group discount on the product or service. Each vendor deal that DU members select will be time-sensitive, with clearly stated start and end dates, as well as parameters for the minimum and maximum number of dealers the chosen vendor can handle. Biter estimates DU members could enjoy vendor savings of anywhere between 45 to 75 percent. This savings represents money dealers could reinvest in their businesses or simply take to their bottom lines.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: Why should dealers partner with DealersUnited versus any others?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: Dealers should partner with Dealers United because it’s a Win-Win for Dealers and Vendors. Vendors benefit as well. Dealers United will act as the voice for private dealerships while giving those vendors with superior product offerings the opportunity to market to a highly-targeted group. Each month dealers will be asked for feedback on which vendor providers they’d like reviewed by Dealers United. DU will then research the vendors within a specific silo, whether it is CRM, Social Media, Web Design etc. and select the provider that represents the best quality and value for dealer members. Instead of a vendor having to spend resources reaching one dealer at a time, they’ll be able to capture bigger, multi-dealer sales with less effort. Vendors will still need to deliver. DU plans to secure service performance level guarantees (just like the MegaDealers routinely enjoy). If a particular vendor fails or under performs, participating members could be entitled to receive credits for the missing or unsatisfactory service.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: Here's what we all must be wondering. How much does it cost?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: That’s the best part, it’s free to dealers. Dealers United gets paid the way a travel agent gets paid. A travel agent’s main focus is to ensure you’re getting a good value and that you have the best vacation possible. That’s our job. The vendors pay us a commission for facilitating the sale so that dealers never have to pay Dealers United. Dealers get to receive all of the vendor vetting and negotiating work we do without ever having to commit to anything.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: What can dealers do to make DealersUnited better?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: Dealers are already helping us make Dealers United better. One of Dealers United’s philosophies is that the dealers know best. We understand that and therefore we are constantly asking our dealers for input. We ask them which services we should spend our time researching for them. We also ask them to feed us questions they would like us to have answered. Dealers love being a part of the process.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: How should a dE member, or any other dealer contact you and/or sign-up?</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: Any dE member should go to <a href="http://www.dealersunited.com" target="_blank">www.DealersUnited.com</a> and signup.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">dE: Jesse, thank you so much for your time. It was great to have you.</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-3">JB: Thank you. It was my pleasure.</span></p>