Happy Holloween!
Hang on, the season is near!
If you listen closley you can hear
Christmas Music...
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
How fast do you go?
Why are there speed limits?
Because we should only move so
fast on a daily basis.
When we move too fast
we miss something.
As a matter of a fact, your best days are the ones you can slow down and enjoy the ride.
How often do you slow down
and take in what life is giving you?
Try it, let me know how that works for you!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Do you volenteer
Why does it feel good to give some of your time
to a cause besides yourself?
Find time to give back.
Find something you can have fun with,
it will come back double.
My wife Rojelia and I at the annual
Heart of Gold Golf Event 10/18/2012
The Heart of Gold Donates to the Childrens Hospital.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Key Sayings
Remember that people buy or don't buy primarily based on good feelings not logic!
Feelings created by the Salesperson.
Close like life depends on it - because it does!
Be Bold or Be Broke!!
Even a bad run is better than no run!
And one for Holloween!
If the broom fits, ride it....
Feelings created by the Salesperson.
Close like life depends on it - because it does!
Be Bold or Be Broke!!
Even a bad run is better than no run!
And one for Holloween!
If the broom fits, ride it....
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
What did you learn today ?
Do you think about learning?
How often do you try to learn?
How hard would it be to learn one new fact a day?
Try it for a week, take a calendar a just write on it one fact each day.
CDC or BDC
Customer Development Center (CDC)
versus
Business Development Center.
You spend thousands of dollars every month to get traffic through your phone, doors, internet and service drive.
Are you working all the angles?
It really it does not matter so long as you have a good return on investment.
Why is it such a challenge to have someone help control your traffic?
Is it the change?
Is it because it is different that what we have done in the past?
Are we afraid we will ruin our consultants attitude?
Bottom line we need to maximize our results.
Think about it...
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Confidence-Harvey Mackay
Confidence does not come naturally to most people. Even the most successful people have struggled with it in their careers. The good news is that you can develop confidence, just like any muscle or character trait.
Here are some tips:
Don't compare yourself with others.
Focus on your own achievements and ambitions, not anyone else's. Other people will always be more successful than you at different stages of your life and career, and obsessing about them will only send your confidence plunging. Concentrate on identifying and improving your own unique strengths and skills.
Track your success.
Keep a log of your accomplishments, large and small. Recording victories on a daily basis will make you feel more successful, and looking over your progress will boost your self-esteem. In addition, reviewing your achievements should give you some good ideas for what to work on next.
Practice being assertive.
Take an active role in pursuing success, no matter how anxious you feel.
Accept failure is not the end of the world.
Learn from your mistakes. Understand that the pursuit of perfections often limits your accomplishments. Many achievements have been far from perfect, but were more than good enough to be proud of.
Step out of your comfort zone.
Push yourself beyond your known limits, and see how successful you can be. When you realize what you can accomplish, your confidence soars. Your potential is unlimited. You are the only one who can limit it.
Set goals.
Decide what you want to accomplish, both in your career and personal life. Reaching goals is a tremendous confidence builder. It also spurs you to set higher goals.
Prepare to succeed.
Keep improving your skills and you will build confidence. Knowing that you are capable is central to a positive self-image. Take care of both your body and your mind.
Here are some tips:
Don't compare yourself with others.
Focus on your own achievements and ambitions, not anyone else's. Other people will always be more successful than you at different stages of your life and career, and obsessing about them will only send your confidence plunging. Concentrate on identifying and improving your own unique strengths and skills.
Track your success.
Keep a log of your accomplishments, large and small. Recording victories on a daily basis will make you feel more successful, and looking over your progress will boost your self-esteem. In addition, reviewing your achievements should give you some good ideas for what to work on next.
Practice being assertive.
Take an active role in pursuing success, no matter how anxious you feel.
Accept failure is not the end of the world.
Learn from your mistakes. Understand that the pursuit of perfections often limits your accomplishments. Many achievements have been far from perfect, but were more than good enough to be proud of.
Step out of your comfort zone.
Push yourself beyond your known limits, and see how successful you can be. When you realize what you can accomplish, your confidence soars. Your potential is unlimited. You are the only one who can limit it.
Set goals.
Decide what you want to accomplish, both in your career and personal life. Reaching goals is a tremendous confidence builder. It also spurs you to set higher goals.
Prepare to succeed.
Keep improving your skills and you will build confidence. Knowing that you are capable is central to a positive self-image. Take care of both your body and your mind.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Part 5 of 5 - The Five Seductions of Leadership
Taken from an article on Leadership by Dave Anderson in Oct edition of Dealer Magazine
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction #5: Leaders are seduced by success.
Success is an intoxicant, and intoxicated people don't behave rationally. Because of this, success lies at the core of the other four seductions. Success can make one so arrogant, prideful, and blind to reality that they keep skipping right down the yellow-brick road until they smack right into a wall of irrelevance.
Remedy: Understand Jim Collin's principle, "The enemy of great is good." This simply means that the number one reason so many reading this message are unlikely to become great is because they've gotten good; as a result they've stopped stretching, changing, risking, holding other accountable, narrowing their focus and have lost their killer instinct. This doesn't have to happen on your leadership watch, and it won't if you are aware of, and work to overcome the five leadership seductions. They are very real and they aren't going away. But they can be overcome.
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction #5: Leaders are seduced by success.
Success is an intoxicant, and intoxicated people don't behave rationally. Because of this, success lies at the core of the other four seductions. Success can make one so arrogant, prideful, and blind to reality that they keep skipping right down the yellow-brick road until they smack right into a wall of irrelevance.
Remedy: Understand Jim Collin's principle, "The enemy of great is good." This simply means that the number one reason so many reading this message are unlikely to become great is because they've gotten good; as a result they've stopped stretching, changing, risking, holding other accountable, narrowing their focus and have lost their killer instinct. This doesn't have to happen on your leadership watch, and it won't if you are aware of, and work to overcome the five leadership seductions. They are very real and they aren't going away. But they can be overcome.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Part 4 of 5 - The Five Seductions of Leadership
Taken from an article on Leadership by Dave Anderson in Oct edition of Dealer Magazine
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction #4: Leaders are seduced by stupidity.
Ignorance means you don't know better. To be stupid means you know better but do the wrong thing anyway. Moronic means that stupidity becomes a lifestyle; thus it's best to stop at stupid! The problem is that stupidity is often masked and leaders are seduced by it when they are successful in spite of themselves.
It's essential to face reality and understand that if you do stupid things and are successful, your success isn't because you do stupid things, but in spite of the fact you do stupid things. You can rest assured that eventually stupid will catch up with you.
Remedy: Look at areas where you know personal and team behaviors fall short of excellent, but where you feel no urgency to correct them because poor results haven't reached crisis levels yet. Then shake off the seduction of stupidity by deciding to do what you know is beneficial in the long-term. The shelf-life for getting away with stupidity in the short-term may be nearing its expiration date.
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction #4: Leaders are seduced by stupidity.
Ignorance means you don't know better. To be stupid means you know better but do the wrong thing anyway. Moronic means that stupidity becomes a lifestyle; thus it's best to stop at stupid! The problem is that stupidity is often masked and leaders are seduced by it when they are successful in spite of themselves.
It's essential to face reality and understand that if you do stupid things and are successful, your success isn't because you do stupid things, but in spite of the fact you do stupid things. You can rest assured that eventually stupid will catch up with you.
Remedy: Look at areas where you know personal and team behaviors fall short of excellent, but where you feel no urgency to correct them because poor results haven't reached crisis levels yet. Then shake off the seduction of stupidity by deciding to do what you know is beneficial in the long-term. The shelf-life for getting away with stupidity in the short-term may be nearing its expiration date.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Part 3 of 5- The Five Seductions of Leadership
Taken from an article on Leadership by Dave Anderson in Oct edition of Dealer Magazine
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction #3: Leaders are seduced by tolerance.
Hollywood, the media and political correctness will wrongly convince you that you should tolerate just about anything today; and not doing so makes you hateful or harsh.
However, both your culture and personal leadership is largely defined by the presence of absolutes, and by what you refuse to tolerate. In a strong culture there still is right and wrong; winning and losing; success and failure, as well as consequences that accompany bad behavior and poor performance.
Remedy: Find and eliminate gray areas for performance and behavior shortfalls with clearer expectations and consequences for failure. Be specific and follow through.
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction #3: Leaders are seduced by tolerance.
Hollywood, the media and political correctness will wrongly convince you that you should tolerate just about anything today; and not doing so makes you hateful or harsh.
However, both your culture and personal leadership is largely defined by the presence of absolutes, and by what you refuse to tolerate. In a strong culture there still is right and wrong; winning and losing; success and failure, as well as consequences that accompany bad behavior and poor performance.
Remedy: Find and eliminate gray areas for performance and behavior shortfalls with clearer expectations and consequences for failure. Be specific and follow through.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Part 2 of 5 - The Five Seductions of Leadership
Taken from an article on Leadership by Dave Anderson in Oct edition of Dealer Magazine
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction #2: Leaders are seduced by tradition.
This seduction includes the tendency to bond with, and become desensitized to, the mediocrity of some tenured employees, your old ways of doing things, and key elements of the status quo. Frankly, it's far easier to defend the status quo, "how we've always done things", and non-performing employees when things are going well. But to ward off the complacency that will break your momentum you must continue to challenge and attack the status quo, before the bottom falls into a rut. Unfortunately, it often takes a crisis to shake an organization out of its immersion in and addiction to tradition.
Remedy: Practice the discipline of changing before you have to and renewing yourself in absence of a crisis. Teach and expect your people to do likewise.
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction #2: Leaders are seduced by tradition.
This seduction includes the tendency to bond with, and become desensitized to, the mediocrity of some tenured employees, your old ways of doing things, and key elements of the status quo. Frankly, it's far easier to defend the status quo, "how we've always done things", and non-performing employees when things are going well. But to ward off the complacency that will break your momentum you must continue to challenge and attack the status quo, before the bottom falls into a rut. Unfortunately, it often takes a crisis to shake an organization out of its immersion in and addiction to tradition.
Remedy: Practice the discipline of changing before you have to and renewing yourself in absence of a crisis. Teach and expect your people to do likewise.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
1st of the Five Seductions of Leadership
Taken from an article on Leadership by Dave Anderson in Oct edition of Dealer Magazine
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction 1: Leaders are seduced by motion.
When seduced by motion you can find yourself immersed in such a frantic swirl of daily motion that you routinely confuse activity with accomplishment, put second things first, do the wrong thing often and well, and achieve little meaningful results by days-end.
The following are questions to help diagnose your proneness to being seduced by motion.
-Do you schedule priorities and work the rest of the day around them, or do you try to cram your priorities into a haphazard day?
-Do you feel a false sense of accomplishment because you've been too busy and in motion all day, or do you rate your effectiveness by weather or not you spend enough time on the right things?
-When you get off track and begin to major in minor things, how quickly do you catch yourself and correct your course?
-Do you survey your department are you at ease because everyone appears busy, or do you dig deeper to determine if they are actually doing what is productive and will lead to results? In other words do you confuse their doing a lot with doing what matters? Is each members day planned in advance, and do you review their plan to help them determine daily priorities?
Remedy: Measure your personal and team's effectiveness by what you put into the hours, instead of the number of hours you put in. Resolve not to confue motion with progress.
Seduction is defined as: enticing someone from the right behavior; to lure or entice away from duties, principles or proper conduct.
Seduction 1: Leaders are seduced by motion.
When seduced by motion you can find yourself immersed in such a frantic swirl of daily motion that you routinely confuse activity with accomplishment, put second things first, do the wrong thing often and well, and achieve little meaningful results by days-end.
The following are questions to help diagnose your proneness to being seduced by motion.
-Do you schedule priorities and work the rest of the day around them, or do you try to cram your priorities into a haphazard day?
-Do you feel a false sense of accomplishment because you've been too busy and in motion all day, or do you rate your effectiveness by weather or not you spend enough time on the right things?
-When you get off track and begin to major in minor things, how quickly do you catch yourself and correct your course?
-Do you survey your department are you at ease because everyone appears busy, or do you dig deeper to determine if they are actually doing what is productive and will lead to results? In other words do you confuse their doing a lot with doing what matters? Is each members day planned in advance, and do you review their plan to help them determine daily priorities?
Remedy: Measure your personal and team's effectiveness by what you put into the hours, instead of the number of hours you put in. Resolve not to confue motion with progress.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Fear of Change
Why do we fear change in our lives?
Why is it that if your a believer that you can not follow one simple rule, to let go?
Why do we fear letting go?
To give up control of our life?
Do we really believe that we control its total direction.
Why do we fear changing jobs?
Is it truly a fear of failure?
Is it a fear that we will not be in our comfort zone?
Why is it more difficult to change as we get older?
Is it because we are more set in our ways?
I just spent two weeks ending a 5 1/2 year job. My fear was that the relationships that had been built were going to be lost. Truth is it is up to me to see that they carry on. I lost sleep, had anxious thoughts, was afraid but that all passed. My friends understood, and they are still my friends. What in the heck was I worried about.
Be excited for change, make your life an adventure. Take some chances, and challenge yourself.
Why is it that if your a believer that you can not follow one simple rule, to let go?
Why do we fear letting go?
To give up control of our life?
Do we really believe that we control its total direction.
Why do we fear changing jobs?
Is it truly a fear of failure?
Is it a fear that we will not be in our comfort zone?
Why is it more difficult to change as we get older?
Is it because we are more set in our ways?
I just spent two weeks ending a 5 1/2 year job. My fear was that the relationships that had been built were going to be lost. Truth is it is up to me to see that they carry on. I lost sleep, had anxious thoughts, was afraid but that all passed. My friends understood, and they are still my friends. What in the heck was I worried about.
Be excited for change, make your life an adventure. Take some chances, and challenge yourself.
Tim Marvel 10-12-12
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Are you rich?
Remember that life is not about money!
How many people can you count on
if you really needed?
Friday, October 5, 2012
Process Evaporation
For most of us we have just completed our "busy season", our "summer selling months". We get extremely busy and we cut corners so that we have time to get everything done.
Turn the page, it is time to slow down our process.
What have you short cut that will now cost you money?
Let's just look at a couple departments for areas where our processes may have evaporated:
Turn the page, it is time to slow down our process.
What have you short cut that will now cost you money?
Let's just look at a couple departments for areas where our processes may have evaporated:
The following is a checklist of processes that you may or may not have in your operation. The purpose of this exercise is to review your operation to see what processes you have implemented in your operation that are no longer being utilized or has been modified from your original process.
New Vehicle Department:
1. 100% T.O. to Management
2. Listing of 90+ day old units
3. Aged vehicles on the front line
4. All customers logged and follow up
5. Managers have desk log up on computer
6. Daily one-on-ones with all sales staff
7. No short cuts in sales process
8. Referral program is being utilized
9. GM/Dealer approves all units ordered
10. Sources of customers are accurate
11. Damages to new vehicles disclosed
12. Introduction to new customers to service
13. RDR and rebates confirmed at delivery
14. Ongoing scheduled training session’s
15. Lease renewal process
16. Lease returns process
17. Accessory sales process
18. Damaged properly disclosed
19. Delivery Process
Used Vehicle Department:
1. CarFax run on every unit in inventory
2. Two managers appraising trades
3. Used vehicles ranked A, B, C, & D
4. Used Units front line ready in 3 days
5. Daily walk around trades by variable managers
6. Re pricing units at 30 and 45 days
7. Recon and appraisal dollars per unit are close
8. All vehicles to auction or sold seal bid process
9. Inventory rotated weekly
10. Hoods and trunks up every 15 days
Internet department:
1. All leads are responded to within 4 hours
2. All leads called within 24 hours
3. Sources of leads are analyzed monthly
4. Website has current programs, specials, etc
5. Used vehicles identified as certified
F&I Department
1. Managers doing interview with customer’s
2. Managers presenting menu 100% of time
3. Missing menu log maintained
4. Finance revenue less than 50% of F&I income
5. Deals out of F&I within 24 hours
6. Deals funded within 4 days
7. Titles and Power of attorney signed
8. Managers at desk when not with customer’s
9. Arbitration agreement signed in F&I
10. Deals completed outside of dealership-notarized
Service Department
1. Service walk around every customer
2. Previous history/preprinted on appointments
3. Menu presentation every customer
4. Inspect all vehicles with multi-point inspection
5. Active delivery to customer
6. Labor grid pricing
7. Loaner vehicles being tracked
8. No loaner out more then 3 days
9. No repair orders more than 5 days old
10. Work in process checked weekly
11. OSHA records, training, and documentation
12. Shuttle and rental reimbursement from factory
13. Service advisors selling extended contracts on drive
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Compliance
Compliance is a hot topic once again.
The calendar has turned to fall and as the market adjusts for the 4th quarter the light seems to shine on this topic.
My suggestion is that you pay close attention or it could cost you. There is a Car Dealership in North Carolina that has just been fined $1.5M. I do not know the details of the story, however it does revolve around Compliance.
Here are a few easy tips to get started in the right direction:
1. Have a designated Compliance Officer
2, Document on a weekly basis what it is that your doing to remain compliant.
3. Review that log in your weekly Manager Meeting.
4. Dealer Principle could but should not be Compliance Officer.
5. Ask your warranty provider for direction.
6. At the very least google "Automotive Compliance" and collect information to move forward.
The calendar has turned to fall and as the market adjusts for the 4th quarter the light seems to shine on this topic.
My suggestion is that you pay close attention or it could cost you. There is a Car Dealership in North Carolina that has just been fined $1.5M. I do not know the details of the story, however it does revolve around Compliance.
Here are a few easy tips to get started in the right direction:
1. Have a designated Compliance Officer
2, Document on a weekly basis what it is that your doing to remain compliant.
3. Review that log in your weekly Manager Meeting.
4. Dealer Principle could but should not be Compliance Officer.
5. Ask your warranty provider for direction.
6. At the very least google "Automotive Compliance" and collect information to move forward.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Why should I measure results?
You can only manage what you measure!
or
When performance is measured,
peformance improves.
When performance is measured and reported back,
the rate of improvement accelerates.
Thomas S MonsonA religious leader and author
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Have you arrived
Do you think you know everything?
Truth is that technology will pass you by
if you don't open your mind.
if you don't open your mind.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Tools
What ever work you do you should have a tool box.
Your tool box will have a collection of tools such as word tracks, or processes that have
worked for you over time.
If you are in sales it should include a variety of trial closes, word tracks that you can use on the
phone our face to face with customers.
Remember this "we know what they are going to say"
-I need my wife
-Just looking
-Shopping several places
-Color
-Equipment
-Payment
-Give me your best price
We should know what we are going to say.
No suprises
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