The Dealer Resource Group
Choosing The Prize (6th in the Choosing Series)
Modesty is over-rated.
It's okay to stand in front of the mirror or your peers and proclaim that you're going for sales person of the month. It's okay to claim to achieve the highest gross in the coming month. Simply put, it's okay to choose the prize. Actually, it's better than okay. It's essential.
Choosing the prize means you understand what it takes to get there. Deciding on excellence and the benefits that come with such an achievement causes one to understand the ingredients necessary to fulfill such an endeavor. In fact, making that choice is the very thing that keeps us going when the task seems too much to handle.
Too often people are trained that goal setting is about finding things that are realistic and attainable. I grew up in New Jersey - that's crap. Goals should be biger than anything we've ever done before. That's because to achieve them, we're going to have to work harder and longer than ever before so it should be something worthy of such an effort.
When I'm interviewing potential trainees for one of our dealerships, I'm often asked if someone new to the business can really make six figures. My answer is always the same. "Absolutely!" I pause and then continue, "But, you have to do a hundred thousand dollar job. You aren't going to make that kind of money with $40,000 worth of effort." Look at it this way, the best part of our profession is that every payday is a report card. It reflects our efforts of the past pay period.
Here's another way to look at it. How many of you would like to succeed beyond your wildest dreams? Well, here's step one. You need to have wild dreams. Shocker. You can't possibly achieve the top level of success without first wanting to get there. And, you can't get there without doing the work. So, it only stands to reason that the first thing one needs to do in order to have a shot at the prize is to first claim it and then do the work.
It's your choice.
John Fuhrman is the Senior National Trainer for Carolina Automotive Resource Services, a unit of The Dealer Resource Group. His ten books have reached 1.5 million readers and he has trained sales professionals around the world. Currently, he is training new sales people for dealers through his cutting edge programs. Learn more at http://www.thedealerresourcegroup.webs.com and see the previous "Choosing" series and other articles. (c)2011 by John Fuhrman - Permission to reprint this post in its entirety, including contact information, is hereby granted.
The Dealer Resource Group
Choosing The Prize (6th in the Choosing Series)
Modesty is over-rated.
It's okay to stand in front of the mirror or your peers and proclaim that you're going for sales person of the month. It's okay to claim to achieve the highest gross in the coming month. Simply put, it's okay to choose the prize. Actually, it's better than okay. It's essential.
Choosing the prize means you understand what it takes to get there. Deciding on excellence and the benefits that come with such an achievement causes one to understand the ingredients necessary to fulfill such an endeavor. In fact, making that choice is the very thing that keeps us going when the task seems too much to handle.
Too often people are trained that goal setting is about finding things that are realistic and attainable. I grew up in New Jersey - that's crap. Goals should be biger than anything we've ever done before. That's because to achieve them, we're going to have to work harder and longer than ever before so it should be something worthy of such an effort.
When I'm interviewing potential trainees for one of our dealerships, I'm often asked if someone new to the business can really make six figures. My answer is always the same. "Absolutely!" I pause and then continue, "But, you have to do a hundred thousand dollar job. You aren't going to make that kind of money with $40,000 worth of effort." Look at it this way, the best part of our profession is that every payday is a report card. It reflects our efforts of the past pay period.
Here's another way to look at it. How many of you would like to succeed beyond your wildest dreams? Well, here's step one. You need to have wild dreams. Shocker. You can't possibly achieve the top level of success without first wanting to get there. And, you can't get there without doing the work. So, it only stands to reason that the first thing one needs to do in order to have a shot at the prize is to first claim it and then do the work.
It's your choice.
John Fuhrman is the Senior National Trainer for Carolina Automotive Resource Services, a unit of The Dealer Resource Group. His ten books have reached 1.5 million readers and he has trained sales professionals around the world. Currently, he is training new sales people for dealers through his cutting edge programs. Learn more at http://www.thedealerresourcegroup.webs.com and see the previous "Choosing" series and other articles. (c)2011 by John Fuhrman - Permission to reprint this post in its entirety, including contact information, is hereby granted.
No Comments
The Dealer Resource Group
Choosing Persistence (5th In The Choosing Series)
"I will persist until I succeed."
That was the first line in the Scroll Marked lll in Og Mandino's classic, "The Greatest Salesman In The World." Having had the privilege of being able to spend time in his NH home, I can honestly say, I have witnessed persistence like no other. Og Mandino spent his writing life with one goal - change lives! Simply stated but difficult to accomplish. is writing and speeches are a large part of what inspired me to write adn travel the world as a speaker. But, this one line from his first book, changed my life.
"I will persist until I succeed."
Imagine if this was the only change in the way you thought. Suppose you were able to commit to this single purpose. How many lives would you impact? First, you must choose to be persistent. Many will talk about it, but the sad fact is, too many just talk. Making the choice is the commitment. Sticking with it, determines the outcome of your work and maybe even your quality of life.
What would persistence mean in our world of car sales? Sticking with the customer for one more "no"? Certainly. Walking the inventory when its 98 degrees to get one more demo drive? Definitely. But, what about what you do when the customer leaves the lot without making a purchase? Before you answer, let me share the reality.
In the last 60 days, I have trained 65 sales people for my client dealers. One assignment we make all of them do is to shop area dealers. This is done knowing there are two possibilities. First, they meet a real professional and see what they should aspire to. Second, they discover who and what NOT to be when they run into the less than perfect sales person.
While they are shopping, we instruct them not to lead the salesperson in any way. Just let them do what they normally do and then we'll see what happens. Here are the results:
Out of 65 shopping trips:
1 salesperson took the student's name and phone number.
3 salespeople invited the student into the showroom.
5 salespeople handed out brochures.
32 never asked for the students' names.
40 never showed a single vehicle.
65 never followed up with a phone call or email.
"I will persist until I succeed."
How can a dealer expect to increase their business without follow-up? The problem is, most dealers think everything is fine. Even the dealers I visited after these shopping trips all insisted that they get it all right when it comes to follow-up. I suggest that dealers become "persistant" in making certain that their customers are followed up. That means choosing to check and be certain that the name and phone number of all guests are recorded.
Salespeople need to "persist" at working to make sure that each customer is treated in such a way that follow-up is not only expected, but welcomed by the customer. Professionals need to choose persistence so that they never leave a single stone unturned with every potential deal. Just suppose you were able to follow up and add just 2 extra deals per month. How would your W-2 look with an extra 24 deals on it. That's like earning an extra month's pay for just doing your job.
"I will persist until I succeed."
The choice is yours.
Special of the month: The first 30 dealers or GM's who email me their dealer name, address and phone number will receive a new copy of my latest book. "YES!" has been endorsed by auto industry professionals and is my 10th book. Email me at dealerprofitnow@aol.com and get your copy before they run out.
John Fuhrman is the Senior National Trainer for Carolina Automotive Resource Services, a unit of The Dealer Resource Group. His ten books have reached 1.5 million readers and he has trained sales professionals around the world. Currently, he is training new sales people for dealers through his cutting edge programs. Learn more at http://www.thedealerresourcegroup.webs.com and see the previous "Choosing" series and other articles. (c)2011 by John Fuhrman - Permission to reprint this post in its entirety, including contact information, is hereby granted.
No Comments
The Dealer Resource Group
Choosing Persistence (5th In The Choosing Series)
"I will persist until I succeed."
That was the first line in the Scroll Marked lll in Og Mandino's classic, "The Greatest Salesman In The World." Having had the privilege of being able to spend time in his NH home, I can honestly say, I have witnessed persistence like no other. Og Mandino spent his writing life with one goal - change lives! Simply stated but difficult to accomplish. is writing and speeches are a large part of what inspired me to write adn travel the world as a speaker. But, this one line from his first book, changed my life.
"I will persist until I succeed."
Imagine if this was the only change in the way you thought. Suppose you were able to commit to this single purpose. How many lives would you impact? First, you must choose to be persistent. Many will talk about it, but the sad fact is, too many just talk. Making the choice is the commitment. Sticking with it, determines the outcome of your work and maybe even your quality of life.
What would persistence mean in our world of car sales? Sticking with the customer for one more "no"? Certainly. Walking the inventory when its 98 degrees to get one more demo drive? Definitely. But, what about what you do when the customer leaves the lot without making a purchase? Before you answer, let me share the reality.
In the last 60 days, I have trained 65 sales people for my client dealers. One assignment we make all of them do is to shop area dealers. This is done knowing there are two possibilities. First, they meet a real professional and see what they should aspire to. Second, they discover who and what NOT to be when they run into the less than perfect sales person.
While they are shopping, we instruct them not to lead the salesperson in any way. Just let them do what they normally do and then we'll see what happens. Here are the results:
Out of 65 shopping trips:
1 salesperson took the student's name and phone number.
3 salespeople invited the student into the showroom.
5 salespeople handed out brochures.
32 never asked for the students' names.
40 never showed a single vehicle.
65 never followed up with a phone call or email.
"I will persist until I succeed."
How can a dealer expect to increase their business without follow-up? The problem is, most dealers think everything is fine. Even the dealers I visited after these shopping trips all insisted that they get it all right when it comes to follow-up. I suggest that dealers become "persistant" in making certain that their customers are followed up. That means choosing to check and be certain that the name and phone number of all guests are recorded.
Salespeople need to "persist" at working to make sure that each customer is treated in such a way that follow-up is not only expected, but welcomed by the customer. Professionals need to choose persistence so that they never leave a single stone unturned with every potential deal. Just suppose you were able to follow up and add just 2 extra deals per month. How would your W-2 look with an extra 24 deals on it. That's like earning an extra month's pay for just doing your job.
"I will persist until I succeed."
The choice is yours.
Special of the month: The first 30 dealers or GM's who email me their dealer name, address and phone number will receive a new copy of my latest book. "YES!" has been endorsed by auto industry professionals and is my 10th book. Email me at dealerprofitnow@aol.com and get your copy before they run out.
John Fuhrman is the Senior National Trainer for Carolina Automotive Resource Services, a unit of The Dealer Resource Group. His ten books have reached 1.5 million readers and he has trained sales professionals around the world. Currently, he is training new sales people for dealers through his cutting edge programs. Learn more at http://www.thedealerresourcegroup.webs.com and see the previous "Choosing" series and other articles. (c)2011 by John Fuhrman - Permission to reprint this post in its entirety, including contact information, is hereby granted.
No Comments
The Dealer Resource Group
If Only I Could...
When you find yourself having a less than fantastic week on the road, or see frustration rear its ugly head, do you ever say, "If I could only train one thing to get through to these people..."? Just as some food for thought, as trainers, what would be the one thing you would train if you were limited on time for the rest of your career?
I would love to here from my talented peers exactly thier idea of the "ONE THING" that they are most passionate about, or that their clients need above all else, or just the thing they wish they could focus on all the time. As a speaker, traveling the world, I became known for my signature story. For nearly 16 years I have shared this story to tens of thousands of people. I became known just for that story. What's your signature?
If you could comment with as much detail as you'd like, I know every reader (myself included) would benefit from understanding your most passionate area of expertise. For me, I'd like to know what makes you so excited to teach this one thing.
My Passion Is The Fear Of Rejection
Before I began training, before my first book was published, my resume sounded like this: "He was fired from his last corporate job, turned down by every publisher he submitted his book idea to, and even lost a fishing tournament to his 6 year old daughter..."
Fast forward to today: Ten books published, translated into a dozen languages, 1.5 million readers, spoken and trained throughout the US, Great Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Morocco, South Africa and more.
You don't have to be a genious to see there is a big gap between the two statements. How does someone go from the former to the latter? What's the secret?"
I always share this with my audiences. Don't see me as I am and compare where you are to determine what your level of success might or might not be. Fill in the gap. See what went into making things change for the better. But, in the essence of space, I'll share the secret to my success.
One more letter.
That's it. My secret, just like most success secrets, is incredibly simple. All I did was send out one more letter. I always wish to be able to share something more profound to all who hear or read my message. Unfortunately, this is the truth.
You see, I was turned down 100 times by publishers, before I signed my first book contract. Now, to us "car people" 100 rejections may not seem like much. But, the average writer quit after hearing no just 10 times. The average sales person quits after a bad month. The average dealer, "Tried that once and it didn't work."
The secret to my success has nothing to do with technique. It has even less to do with skill. All I have accomplished thus far is the direct result of reaching 100 rejections, pausing for a day, and then sending out just one more letter. The result of that one extra try has been my entire life as a speaker/writer/trainer.
You see, the focus for me, was not on how many people told me no, my goal was to see my name on the cover of a book. That's it - period. So, along the way, I actually never kept count of the rejections. I simply took the letter, put it in a file, and sent out the next letter to the next publisher. It wasn't until the end, after I signed my first contract, that I went back and counted how many letters were in that folder. 100 publishers had told me no. 1 said yes. Bad odds.
Had I been counting those letters, I am certain I would have given up. But, that would be because I took my focus from where it should be to where it did no good. If you focus on what you want, the rejections along the way become speed bumps instead of mountains. As long as you're willing to take one more step, give it one more shot or make one more attempt, you're still in the game.
Here's a quote from one of my books:
"If you're unwilling to fail, you've already reached your maximum potential."
Fail fast, fail often. The reward is worth it.
Special of the month: The first 30 dealers or GM's who email me their dealer name, address and phone number will receive a new copy of my latest book. "YES!" has been endorsed by auto industry professionals and is my 10th book. Email me at dealerprofitnow@aol.com and get your copy before they run out.
John Fuhrman is the Senior National Trainer for Carolina Automotive Resource Services, a unit of The Dealer Resource Group. His ten books have reached 1.5 million readers and he has trained sales professionals around the world. Currently, he is training new sales people for dealers through his cutting edge programs. Learn more at http://www.thedealerresourcegroup.webs.com and see the previous "Choosing" series and other articles. (c)2011 by John Fuhrman - Permission to reprint this post in its entirety, including contact information, is hereby granted.
No Comments
The Dealer Resource Group
If Only I Could...
When you find yourself having a less than fantastic week on the road, or see frustration rear its ugly head, do you ever say, "If I could only train one thing to get through to these people..."? Just as some food for thought, as trainers, what would be the one thing you would train if you were limited on time for the rest of your career?
I would love to here from my talented peers exactly thier idea of the "ONE THING" that they are most passionate about, or that their clients need above all else, or just the thing they wish they could focus on all the time. As a speaker, traveling the world, I became known for my signature story. For nearly 16 years I have shared this story to tens of thousands of people. I became known just for that story. What's your signature?
If you could comment with as much detail as you'd like, I know every reader (myself included) would benefit from understanding your most passionate area of expertise. For me, I'd like to know what makes you so excited to teach this one thing.
My Passion Is The Fear Of Rejection
Before I began training, before my first book was published, my resume sounded like this: "He was fired from his last corporate job, turned down by every publisher he submitted his book idea to, and even lost a fishing tournament to his 6 year old daughter..."
Fast forward to today: Ten books published, translated into a dozen languages, 1.5 million readers, spoken and trained throughout the US, Great Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Morocco, South Africa and more.
You don't have to be a genious to see there is a big gap between the two statements. How does someone go from the former to the latter? What's the secret?"
I always share this with my audiences. Don't see me as I am and compare where you are to determine what your level of success might or might not be. Fill in the gap. See what went into making things change for the better. But, in the essence of space, I'll share the secret to my success.
One more letter.
That's it. My secret, just like most success secrets, is incredibly simple. All I did was send out one more letter. I always wish to be able to share something more profound to all who hear or read my message. Unfortunately, this is the truth.
You see, I was turned down 100 times by publishers, before I signed my first book contract. Now, to us "car people" 100 rejections may not seem like much. But, the average writer quit after hearing no just 10 times. The average sales person quits after a bad month. The average dealer, "Tried that once and it didn't work."
The secret to my success has nothing to do with technique. It has even less to do with skill. All I have accomplished thus far is the direct result of reaching 100 rejections, pausing for a day, and then sending out just one more letter. The result of that one extra try has been my entire life as a speaker/writer/trainer.
You see, the focus for me, was not on how many people told me no, my goal was to see my name on the cover of a book. That's it - period. So, along the way, I actually never kept count of the rejections. I simply took the letter, put it in a file, and sent out the next letter to the next publisher. It wasn't until the end, after I signed my first contract, that I went back and counted how many letters were in that folder. 100 publishers had told me no. 1 said yes. Bad odds.
Had I been counting those letters, I am certain I would have given up. But, that would be because I took my focus from where it should be to where it did no good. If you focus on what you want, the rejections along the way become speed bumps instead of mountains. As long as you're willing to take one more step, give it one more shot or make one more attempt, you're still in the game.
Here's a quote from one of my books:
"If you're unwilling to fail, you've already reached your maximum potential."
Fail fast, fail often. The reward is worth it.
Special of the month: The first 30 dealers or GM's who email me their dealer name, address and phone number will receive a new copy of my latest book. "YES!" has been endorsed by auto industry professionals and is my 10th book. Email me at dealerprofitnow@aol.com and get your copy before they run out.
John Fuhrman is the Senior National Trainer for Carolina Automotive Resource Services, a unit of The Dealer Resource Group. His ten books have reached 1.5 million readers and he has trained sales professionals around the world. Currently, he is training new sales people for dealers through his cutting edge programs. Learn more at http://www.thedealerresourcegroup.webs.com and see the previous "Choosing" series and other articles. (c)2011 by John Fuhrman - Permission to reprint this post in its entirety, including contact information, is hereby granted.
No Comments
No Comments