While training a group of experienced sales people, I posed a question.  "How much do you want to earn this year?"  I thought this was a direct question.  Simple and to the point.  I was amazed at the answers (which turned into stories) from these seasoned veterans.  Some complained about higher taxes.  Others were already adjusting their goals (downward of course) because they weren't on track.  But, they all had one thing in common.  It was someone else's fault that they weren't going to…

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Where you are at this very moment is exactly where you chose to be.

 

The first time I heard that statement, I was having the worst month ever.  I looked at the person who said that, like they had two heads.  My response, less than kind, was, "Are you seriously telling me that somehow I decided to go broke and have a really bad month?  Is that what you're saying?"  He didn't even bat an eye.  "Yes," he continued, "And I can prove it."

 

He proceeded by asking me…

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It's Monday morning and I'm getting ready for a new adventure.  While I'll still be working with dealers to help them staff up and train, I'll be responsible for marketing and delivering on my own.  With the market still not where it needs to be and many dealers believing they still do everything right, this is a scary endeavor.  How can one possibly compete  with companies that have been around for a while?  How can a "new kid" (even as old as I am), possibly go up against the old…

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Business has begun to pick up.  You've lost some people due to the previous year's slow down.  You've added a franchise.  You want more coverage.  All of these are legitimate reasons to begin a hiring campaign to add sales people to your team.  But, other than the cost of advertising, are you prepared for the "real hidden cost" of hiring?

 

There are two directions to take when beginning a campaign.  You can go for experience or you can train new salespeople in the style of…

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Without spending too much time stuck on memory lane, I look back on some of the first cars I sold when I started in the business. There was a bill-of-sale, odometer statement for the trade-in, maybe a bank contract, and a buyers order. That was the entire paper process. You finished the deal by putting a stock tag on the trade (No FTC labels back then).



Within the year, there were added papers to verify that neither party tampered with the narrow gas tank h*** that was now standard… Continue

Kids are expensive.  I know, tell me something I don't know.  But, I thought it would get easier as they grew.  WRONG!  As I set my daughter up in her first apartment at college, the bare necessities had me hoping for a lot more book sales and training assignments.  But, we went shopping anyway.  She needed everything from bedding to pots and pans.  Furniture to picture frames.  For those of you with college age kids, you know what I mean.

 

So, after many trips to stores,…

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