Look, if you are committed to becoming a top-flight performer in the automotive sales industry then it is imperative that you understand the fundamental  characteristics  of top-performing salespeople!

GREAT NEWS! Today, I’m going to walk you through the eight characteristics of a highly successful sales professional, and the steps that YOU need to commit to taking in order to become one of them!

1. Great Attitude

2. Commitment

3. Work Plan

4. Selling intellect; Sell on emotion, close on logic

Growing up I was always advised to be cautious or “play it safe” if you will. I have since come to realize that this is the worst advice you can give an  individual looking to accomplish great things in their lives.

Far to often human beings can be governed by fear which is the number one “dream killer” in my opinion. I have come to realize fear represents great opportunity!

When I was making the decision to start my company I had two things to consider:

1) Do I “bring it along on the side” while I continue in my current career?
OR
2) Leave my comfort zone (career) and commit 100% to my new company?

Option 1 was the easier of the two, no question, however it presented its own challenges as well:

– I would only be able to invest one third of the time toward building my company.

– It would make it to easy to give up.

– How am I going to focus on continuing to perform in my current career while needing to focus on performing in my new company?

When I considered option 2 I also recognized the challenges I would face:

– What if I don’t start to generate revenue right away?

– What if it doesn’t work and I end up leaving a great position I currently have?

– How do I know I can do this?

These are all valid questions!

It was then a light bulb went off for me. While I was selling cars at the age of 22 I had saved up enough money to buy my first condo. When I finally bought the unit immediately I was reminded that I am a commissioned sales person, with no guaranteed income. I now was responsible for $2500/ month in living expenses and could not afford to have an off month.

That was one of the first times I felt this “dream killing” fear I speak of. What I did was I made a decision that I would not be defeated and I used that “fear” as energy to increase my performance. Each month I knew the bills that were coming and I started to perform at a level where I had them covered by the 10th of the month. I actually doubled my income after I moved into that condo which reminded me how the pressure of that situation delivered me prosperity.

What it came down to was a decision. You have heard it before “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”
Fact of the matter is you will never know what you are capable of until your back is against the wall.

In case you are wondering I chose option #2.

I started my company in the midst of a recession one day after I signed the papers to the biggest mortgage I had ever had in my life. My friends and family thought I was crazy and strongly advised against my decision while providing me their “comfort advice.” I responded to their advice with “comfort is next to apathy and apathy is next to death”

When a decision is made to become great where there is a lot of “pressure” involved, use that pressure as fuel while remaining focused on your goal and I guarantee you will achieve “prosperity.”

If you want do discuss your selling career and what I could provide you with to reach the income levels you deserve, fill out the form below and we can talk!

Make it a Great Day!
-Alan

If you’re serious about investing in yourself and your career then fill out the form below and lets talk!

Since the start of the year there has been an increased and intensifying focus on the United States election and rightfully so. As human beings have proven time and time again we demand change and are forced to adapt to it whether we like it or not.

While this may seem like a fantastic opportunity to bring about solutions to challenges that are being experienced by a country and its people, this is not the path that an election year tends to take.   Instead, we, as inherently selfish human beings, start to focus on what we believe would be best for “ourselves” instead of the country.   Now – I’m not throwing stones in glass houses here but let’s call a spade a spade.  What tends to happen is people become so passionate about their beliefs which are usually rooted in their own personal desires that anyone who opposes them becomes an enemy and a debate partner.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “how is all of this costing me money?” Allow me to explain.

You see right now at this very second you are reading this article which is providing a point of view.   You are more than likely reading it because you are all amped up and ready to share your retort with others in the event my point of view conflicts with yours.   If this turned out to be the case you would then spend valuable time that you will never get back expending energy on sharing your opinions instead of taking action towards things that are directly in your control, like your career.

Look, it’s important for you to understand what your presidential candidates stand for so you can make an informed decision, but there is a greater understanding that must be achieved.   The understanding is that all you are in control of is your own vote, period.   Once that vote of yours is cast, you have no more control in the outcome of the situation.

Astonishingly, there is only one president in the history of the United States who ever won 100% of the vote; Washington.   Every other president was voted in with a certain number of people being left very upset with the country’s decision. Just think about how many people were upset living through two full terms of George W. Bush when he won both elections with just over 50% of the vote.

This means that no matter what your point of view is, or whom you decide to support, there is a solid possibility you will not be happy with the outcome of the election, so get over it.

I share this with you because it is vitally important that you understand the value of your time.   We all have the same 24hrs in a day to bring about success in our lives and we can’t afford to be wasting time and energy on things that are out of our control.   What is in your control is your vote – make a decision on it, commit to it, and move on.

Conversely, you are fully in control when it comes to your career and how you utilize your time while at work.   This is why you should focus on expending your time and energy on actions and conversations that will increase your production and income instead of expending your energy debating your political beliefs with others.

Staying focused on things that are in your control like your production levels at work will deliver far more revenue and opportunity than debating one of Donald’s or Hillary’s policies ever will.   Each 20 minute debate you have with a co-worker is 10 more phone calls that could have been made to drum up more business – you get the idea.   The number one reason they are costing you money is because of the distraction that is created by focusing on these things which are out of your control.

Being passionate about important issues is an admirable character trait which you should hold on to dearly, but, if you want Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton to stop costing you money than I encourage you to plow your own field and let the country take care of itself!

If you can’t seem to stop ranting about the elections and want to learn how to create, capture and close business on demand at your dealership then check out my A.C.E. Lead Generation Solutions program HERE!

Finally, if you’re looking to create exceptional levels of success in your automotive sales career – I can show you how to become a top performer in your dealership!

Make It A Great Day!

-Alan

If you are serious about investing in yourself and are ready to learn how to dominate every single aspect of your automotive sales career then fill out the form below and let’s talk!

Now that I have your attention I want to talk about something serious that you need to protect, your CAREER!

Successful businesses understand the importance of collecting customer information. In the automotive industry dealers are constantly creating innovative methods to capture the information of all current and future potential customers as they understand the value of re-marketing. Dealers are investing large sums of money to ensure this vital information is not only collected but utilized efficiently to generate more sales.

Ask yourself how many times in the last year has your dealership held a “private sale event?” In some cases you have dealerships conducting these types of events on a bi-weekly basis to create business. Vendors in our industry have also identified the immense opportunities to generate business through a dealerships database and in doing so they have created a number of innovative ways to effectively do so.

So – the dealers get it, the vendors get it, but do YOU get it?

You see the dealerships have Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools in place to capture this information. You as a model employee assist in their effectiveness by logging all of the customers you talk to or do business with in to that system which mutually benefits both parties. Now in the event there was a power outage for example the dealership has all of that information backed up. They understand the value of it and take the appropriate measures to protect it.

My question to the salespeople in our industry is this, Are YOU Protected?

Hypothetically speaking what if a meteor was to fly out of the sky tonight and blow up your dealership and any back up measures they had in place to retrieve all of their (and your) customer information, where would that leave you?

Ok, maybe that example is a bit too far fetched for you, fine.

Let’s take a look at another all too real scenario that plays out in dealerships all the time, turnover. Some dealerships transfer ownership and when the “new guard” arrives perhaps you don’t see eye to eye and you decide to move on or are asked to leave – are YOU protected?

My point is simple, YOU must ensure you protect yourself!

In my A.C.E. Selling Systems Program/Tribe this is something very important that I teach my students.  There is a systematic approach to successfully collecting potential customers information and effectively marketing to them that will guarantee more sales!
(Message me HERE to find out more)

You need to create your own personal database of customers/raving fans if you truly want to experience incredible levels of success in your career! This does not mean you discontinue effectively logging your dealership traffic. This means you take ownership of creating, developing and protecting the single most valuable asset in your career, your customer database!

Three very important things are accomplished by doing so:

1) You will have all of your customers in your hands in the event something happens at your dealership

2) You will be able to effectively market to them in a personal way that will create the ultimate level of sincerity between you and your clients.

3) You will remain inspired on a daily basis because of what you are building, your personal empire!

Think about it, if you are saving for retirement you do not leave the money in a park next to a tree, you PROTECT it! You are acutely aware of where your investment is while constantly mitigating risk on it. It should be no different with your customers and their contact information, when managed properly they are a personal retirement plan for you that will pay you for years to come.

I see many uninspired salespeople on the showroom floors of dealerships in our industry. The main reason is because they treat their opportunity in the dealership as a “J.O.B” and not a Career. Sales professionals who treat their opportunity in the dealership like a career understand this and are motivated to build their book of business and protect it! They remain inspired through judging their days by the seeds they sow, not by what they reap. Each day where they can add names, email addresses and phone numbers to their database of customers is considered a win.

The individuals who treat their opportunity in the dealerships like a “J.O.B” do not do what career minded people do and therefore they never experience the same results or fulfillment. When you are building and creating your career and future you will not only become extremely motivated and inspired to take action on a daily basis, you will also be creating the ultimate retirement plan while making an income in line with the top 5% of the country.

Those that keep showing up to their “J.O.B” on the other hand will always remain where they are,
“J-ust O-ver B-roke“

If you want to learn how to create business on demand and start treating your “J.O.B” like a Career then check out my
A.C.E. Lead Generation Program where I fully teach you how to create multiple streams of revenue in your career that will have you taking Massive Action every day!  You will also learn how to Create & Protect your very own book of business!

Finally, If you are looking to create exceptional levels of success in your automotive sales career – I can show you how to become a top performer in your environment!

Make it a Great Day!

-Alan

If you are serious about investing in yourself and want to learn how to dominate every single aspect of your automotive sales career than fill out the form below and lets talk!

I don’t watch T.V. but I have heard of the show
“The Walking Dead” and I get the concept. The funny thing is when I first saw advertisements for it I thought it would be better suited to call the program “The Majority of Sales Teams”.

When I started my career back in 2000 I was too young to even notice the make up of our sales team. The fact that I was able to wear a shirt and tie to work had me ecstatic compared to working in a factory so I was already winning! Like many new automotive sales consultants I experienced success right away. My first month I sold 12 units followed by 14 in my second month and I was feeling really good about where I was headed, not to mention I was making three times the money.  It was around this time when I started to notice the toxicity of the sales floor.

Our team had 12 sales people, three of them were top performers and had been with the company for a number of years. Then there were six average performers, two guys who couldn’t cut it and were on their way out the door and me, the new guy. I noticed the top performers tended to stay to themselves, they would say encouraging things to me in passing but the majority of the time they were at their desks focused and constantly working. The “middle six” were always floating around talking about anything but selling cars and smoking what seemed to be a million cigarettes a day.

Initially everyone was pleasant to me as I was a young kid filled with “piss and vinegar” in their eyes. At the end of my second month we had a sales meeting where the management started calling out members of the “middle six” because here I was the new kid out selling them while some had been there for 5 to 10 years. It was during this meeting I’ll never forget the words of Bob, and yes his name was really Bob. In defence of his weak performance that month Bob made a comment directed towards me while under the scrutiny of management. He looked at me with this smart-ass face and said “new broom sweeps the floor” followed by his future prediction that I would “come back down to earth” in due time.

The “middle six” all nodded in agreement with the buffoonery of Bob’s comments and it was then and there I realized that I needed to avoid that bunch if I was ever going to become successful. These are the exact “zombies” that are crawling all over the sales floors in our industry. They sloth around the dealership like the walking dead looking to consume the ambition and desire to succeed from everyone in their path. These “zombies” exist in a world where the glass is always half empty and their destiny is mediocrity. They feel as though success is a unicorn that is unattainable for you or themselves. Much like the Walking Dead show if you let these “dealership zombies” get to close you could become infected as well which is why it is so important you avoid them.

Hopefully if you’re reading this you haven’t been infected and understand how dangerous these “dealership zombies” are. The fact is over the last 6 years working with numerous dealerships I continue to see individuals fall victim to these lifeless, ambition sucking zombies so I wanted to give you 5 vital tips on how you can survive and flourish amongst them.

Here we go!

1) Stay Active – each day you arrive at work you should have a specific game plan on what you are there to accomplish and how you are going to accomplish it! I personally believe in creating these game plans the night before so I can hit the ground running when I arrive at the dealership. This will allow you to maximize your efforts in an effective and efficient manner.
Here is wisdom: A rolling stone gathers no moss. If you are constantly taking action not only will you not have time to cross paths with the zombies, they wont be able to keep up with you.

2) Control Your Environment – fill your space with reaffirming messages. Have motivational quotes pinned up on your wall or at your desk. I encourage salespeople to have a “goals book” specifically at their dealership so they can maintain their focus on their goals and purpose for carrying out tasks that day. Here is wisdom: Purpose provides Discipline. Having an acute focus on your goals will provide you with the disciple necessary to stick to your game plan and avoid the zombies.

3) Be Aware – understand that at one point or another the zombies on your sales floor were once like you! Individuals who were filled with a strong desire to succeed before they became infected. Misery loves company and this is why so many have fallen victim to the zombies. While it is simple to be successful in this business nobody said it was easy.
Here is wisdom: The path to Hell was paved with good intentions. Don’t speak about it, be about it. Affirm your goals and game plans daily, then carry them out.

4) Guarantee Success – look, all of the zombies that are selling 8 cars a month are only talking to 35 people/month. If you want to guarantee your success it’s really quite simple. Here is wisdom: Create enough opportunities to afford failure. One of the biggest ways to keep the zombies off your tail is through performance. 8 car guys can’t keep up with 20 cars guys period. You must aim to have 5 new conversations about vehicle purchases with potential customers each day. If you do so over 22 working days during the month you will be working with 110 potential customers. The industry closing average is 20% so by doing so you should sell 22 units, that’s if you’re average and you’re not!

5) Protect Yourself – you must protect yourself and your goals. Surround yourself with empowering individuals who are driven and focused on creating their lives! Here is wisdom: You are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. You should aim to be the dumbest and poorest in your inner circle. This will allow you to grow into greater levels of performance and success. As I mentioned many ambitious sales people fell victim to the zombies because they were comfortable existing amongst mediocrity. There is a reason only 3% of the country make a six figure income and it’s because they understand how dangerous comfort is. Comfort is next to apathy and apathy is next to death, by surrounding yourself with the right people you will constantly be pushed in a supportive environment that will allow you to realize your full potential.

Regardless of your current situation or dealership environment I want you to consider this:

The rear view mirror in your car is much smaller than the windshield, that’s because I don’t care where you’ve been, I care where you’re going! With these tips we can not only guarantee success, we also just may turn our sales floors from “The Walking Dead” to the
“Running Alive!”

If you want to be shown step by step how to generate business on demand then check out my A.C.E Lead Generation Program and you can learn how to create 5 additional revenue streams that will substantially increase your income!

Finally, If you are looking to create exceptional levels of success in your automotive sales career I can show you how to become a top performer in your environment!

Make it a Great Day!

-Alan

If you are serious about investing in yourself and want to learn how to dominate every single aspect of your automotive sales career than fill out the form below and let’s talk!

If you ask any salesperson on the planet if they think social media can create more leads, opportunities, and sold units you will hear “Absolutely!”  If you then ask all of those same salespeople if they are effectively delivering more units through social media the majority of answers completely change to “no” or “not really.”  For this reason, I want to provide clarity on exactly how you can set yourself up on social media to create and capture business!

First things first, if you are reading this right now and are not utilizing social media to capture more business, great news! That will change by the time you finish this article.  If you are currently experiencing success, stay tuned, I have something for you!

Step 1:  Get In The Game!

If you are going to utilize sites like Facebook to capture more business than you must have an account.  Now I’m assuming you already have one but in the event you don’t, I want to make sure we start from ground zero.  The fact of the matter is simple, if you are not utilizing this free platform to market yourself, you should reconsider your career.  It is far too painful to come into this amazing business and become a victim of “floor traffic” or “walk ins.” To take advantage of the opportunities available, you need to have a personal profile set up on Facebook!

Step 2:  Represent!

Look, many people avoid representing themselves and their careers on Facebook. They do so because they don’t want to spam their friends with “work stuff” or they want Facebook to be this private space for friends and family only. There are two big problems with this mindset:

1) The exact people you should be looking at to start the growth of your audience are FRIENDS & FAMILY! If you are not committed to your career it will end quickly and painfully; this is a fact. When you are committed to your career and the value that you personally bring to the marketplace, you should be announcing that to the world, especially to your friends and family.

2) NEWSFLASH – Nothing is private on Facebook! I always find it amusing that people feel all of their personal info and pictures are safely stowed away online when they are not. If you want to have a collection of memories that are for friends and families eyes only, get a photo album and kick it old school.

So when I say represent, you need to go all in! By all in I mean let your Facebook page clearly illustrate to your viewers that you are an automotive sales professional.  Your main banner picture, as well as your profile picture, should tell the world that you are in the business.  Remember, perception is reality and if people are going to land on your page, be sure that they will know without a shadow of a doubt that you are in the car business. I currently have over 1500 friend requests on Facebook that I can’t accept because my friend list is maxed out. When I have a spot open to accept a new friend, I simply scroll the list and if I can clearly identify that you are an automotive sales professional, I accept. If I cannot clearly identify an individual, I skip over them.  Your potential customers will do the same.

Step 3: Build It, They Will Come!

I don’t care if you have 5 or 4500 friends on your list, the goal is simple; max out your friend list! Facebook will allow you to have 5000 friends on your list. Set a goal every day to add 10 new people to your friend list each day. You have heard the saying “It’s a numbers game;” well, it’s true. The person you grab a coffee from each day should be on your list along with every single human being you ever come into contact with that has a pulse. If you are starting from zero as you read this then do the math. If you committed to adding 10 people per day to your page than you would hit 5000 in about a year and a half. Your career is not a race, it is a marathon, so stay the course. Before you know it you will have a maxed out following that will be producing numerous car deals each month.

Step 4:  Provide Value!

Our industry has “push marketed” to our customers for what seems like forever and it has become quite evident that customers are fed up with it! By “push marketing” I mean, dealerships/salespeople blowing up the telephones of potential customers to tell them about all the money they can save if they buy a car right now. This approach simply pisses people off because there is no respect shown to them. Think about it, we make calls to people who have no interest or desire to spend 20k-80k on a nicer newer vehicle yet we believe they’ll change their mind because we are going to save them money on a purchase they have no intention of making.

The key to developing a power base of raving fan advocates on Facebook is to effectively utilize “pull marketing.” By “pull marketing” I mean, provide value that will keep them engaged with you and your page.  This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of successfully marketing in today’s world. You see the content you provide is not a showcase of your product necessarily but instead an opportunity to showcase YOU!

I have always said “people don’t buy cars, people buy people!” and for this reason, you should utilize your social presence as an opportunity for your audience to get to know you. Providing value can be a number of different things. For example, you could shoot a video informing your audience of where they can find the best gas prices in the area. By doing so, you are afforded an opportunity to indirectly sell yourself through a video where you share this valuable information. When you continue to be viewed by potential customers in this manner, they develop a comfort level with you that will have them seeking you out when they are in the market. The key is to remain “top of mind” with your audience to the point that when an automotive need arises in their life, you will be the first name they think of and in turn reach out to!

Step 5: Be Consistent!  

There is no such thing as too much value so I personally aim to post at least once a day. At the bare minimum, I would suggest aiming to deliver 3 to 5 posts of value per week. An example of a text post that you could use would look like this:

“Have you considered tinting the windows on your vehicle? It could prolong the life of your interior from fading due to the sun! Just a friendly tip from Alan your car guy!”

An example of a video post that you could use could simply be you sharing the news about where the best gas prices in your area are. Again, this allows your audience to become familiar and comfortable with you.

Step 6: Engagement! 

All of the posts you make on Facebook will produce comments and opinions, do not ignore them as it is very important to engage your audience. If someone is taking the time to provide feedback on your posts, taking the time to respond goes a long way. Remember, your Facebook page can and will act as a “rapport builder” with potential customers.

Step 7: Never Make It About You When It’s About You!

I know, I know, you are reading that again for the third time, let me explain.

If you look at my Facebook pages, you will notice that I do not directly sell to my audience. I do have numerous programs that continue to change the lives of salespeople in our industry but I don’t blatantly post things like “buy my stuff” or “90% off.”

When I am looking to find warm prospects, I follow a very simple yet effective rule:

“Never Make Statements, Always Ask Questions!”

You see this is how you can effectively create engagement that can and will lead to opportunities. For example, you could post a question like this:

“When You Bought Your Current Vehicle:

 – What Year Was It?

 – What Was the Term?”

This will get you a number of responses as it is an engaging question. Notice also how it has nothing to do with me? Now when the responses start coming in and people are saying “5 years ago and 72 months” they are basically telling you that their vehicle has 1 year of payments remaining. Studies have shown that many customers trade in their vehicles within 18 months of their contract ending. These are the types of posts that you can be making that will produce multiple leads within the same day while never directly “selling” the customer.

Step 8: Create a Facebook Business Page!

There is a reason I waited so long to mention this step.  Many hear of a Facebook “business page” and decide to go that route while ignoring everything I have shared with you so far. The reason many get caught in that trap is that you are actually able to run targeted ads to the posts that you make on your business page. The problem is you still need to develop an audience of followers to market to.  While this is an area I could write a novel on, we will save that for another post.

What you want to do is establish a business page that you can draw followers. One of the many ways you can do this is by posting all of your content from your business page originally and then share it to your personal page. This will allow your audience to see where the content is coming from which will allow you to pick up extra “likes” on your page from the people who are enjoying your content.

Look, here’s the deal, there is a ton of business available to you online when you position yourself properly. The only reason motivated people don’t take action to build it is because they don’t know how. The combination of posting effective video and text content is guaranteed to deliver you massive returns.

If you are anything like me, you would love it if there was a step by step example of how to utilize all of the various techniques discussed in this article. For that reason, I have created my A.C.E Social Hacks program where I show all of my winning clients exactly how I do everything on social media. This is a program that will show you how I created an audience of concentrated automotive professionals exceeding 30,000 in less than 19 months.  This is significant because while my audience is automotive specific, your audience is human beings with a drivers license and a pulse; it is far more vast!

To check out the A.C.E Social Hacks program >> CLICK HERE

I also have cracked the code on creating marketing videos that generate hundreds of thousands of views organically! To discover how to utilize everything discussed in this article while mastering video, check out my Cracking The Video Marketing Code program where I show you the exact 10 steps I follow for every marketing video I create.

To check out the Cracking The Video Marketing Code program >> CLICK HERE

In closing, I have just one question for you….

If the best ime to plant a tree was 20 years ago, when’s the next best time?

EXACTLY!

Get set up on social media properly and start creating the production levels and paychecks that you deserve, or find yourself on the point waiting for the “up bus”  #DontHoldYourBreath

Make It A Great Day!

-Alan

If you are serious about investing in yourself and are ready to learn how to dominate every single aspect of your automotive sales career then fill out the form below and let’s talk!

One of the biggest misconceptions is that good people leave organizations for monetary reasons. While this may seem logical I have come to find that this is simply not the case.

One of the aspects of my business is to identify & provide talent to numerous automotive dealerships

( www.AlanDickie.com )

In doing so I have come to know a great number of amazing dealerships & ownership groups. I have also come to know an even greater number of incredibly talented people with excellent track records. I am frequently contacted by talented sales people & managers who are performing in their respective dealerships to confidentially discuss their desire to change stores.

WHY?

I used to think, “you’re doing great and making an income that is in line with the top 5% of our industry” It did not make sense to me at first due to my misconception that money was the be all end all when it came to happiness. I soon discovered a consistency in the reason these professionals desired change, do you know what it was?

ENVIRONMENT!

The successful dealerships & ownership groups in our industry have talent that will not leave them because they have created phenomenal working environments for their teams. Why are these environments so great?

Here are a few reasons:

-Team members are made to feel important & appreciated!

Our business is like a rubix cube sometimes and requires a lot of split decision making, problem solving and management all while being responsible for millions of dollars on a daily basis. This is quite the load to bear however manageable when the dealership respects & appreciates a “job well done” Nobody is perfect and in these environments there is much more focus on the 85% of the job done right and less focus on the 15% of mistakes we will learn from.

-Successful environments understand that a “pat on the back” goes much further than a dollar!

When a member of your team closes that deal that nobody thought was going to close and it took 3hrs to do so, the comment is,

“way to go! nobody would have dug their heels that deep on that customer, great work, the coffee is on me!”

Not,

“You gave the car away”

Giving a your team the acknowledgement they deserve is sometimes far more important to them than a dollar.

-Great organizations get involved with their teams and their personal goals to motivate one another!

Look we all know what the dealerships goal is to make money and be profitable. No employee will ever perform at their peak if their sole motivation is to make money for their dealership. The successful organizations I work with are involved in the lives and the goal setting of their teams!

Think about it, you have a salesperson named “Bob” – is Bob going to perform better with you telling him each day

“we need to hit 200 cars this month”

or

“Hey Bob, when are you taking me fishing on that new boat you’re going to buy with your bonus when we hit 200 cars this month?”

You see, encouraging Bob each day to reach his goal of buying the boat with his bonus will directly achieve the dealers goal of being profitable and everybody wins!

Successful organizations treat their environments like a garden that is well taken care of and constantly maintained while organizations with high turnover of staff tend to operate more like a brothel and nobody wants to work at a brothel.

**If you are looking to create new levels of success in your automotive sales career – I can show you how to become a top performer in your environment!**

Make it a Great Day!
-Alan

If you’re serious about investing in yourself and your career then fill out the form below and lets talk!

If an automotive dealership has 15 sales people, 3 of them are top performers, 7 of them do a good job and the bottom 5 are a “revolving door”.

Does this math sound familiar?

Based on my personal experience as a salesperson and manager during my career I can assure you it doesn’t have to be that way at all!

Let me explain, when I started my automotive sales career over 15 years ago I couldn’t close a paper cut but I could make a friend! I was fortunate enough to work for a true leader who was hands on and lead by example. This allowed me to build and develop relationships with my customers that afforded me the patience from them necessary for me to succeed as I developed my abilities.

Developing in this type of environment was not only easy, it was effective. I learned daily through watching and listening to my leader as he constantly fed me information. This experience provided me with the ability to create winning sales teams when I entered into management. I hired individuals who possessed the character traits I had when I started my career and provided them with all the information necessary to succeed while leading by example. What I have learned has allowed me to put the revolving door to death.

My NADA 2016 session “Staff Solutions: Loose the Band-Aid, Stitch the Wound” will bring death to your “revolving door” while breathing life into your sales floor! Be There!

Immediately after watching the fight this past weekend I couldn’t help myself from noticing the incredible lessons salespeople could learn from both fighters.  When you make a decision to provide for yourself and your family through selling there is no question you have chosen the path less traveled.  It is a path filled with peaks and valleys that can deliver incredible rewards and crushing defeats.

So why do we do it?

Simple – the highs are indescribable and the lows are temporary when we approach our careers in the same manner as Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz did on Saturday night.  The beauty of this fight was that both men displayed the character traits necessary to be successful in sales.

Nate Diaz was a last minute replacement for the original fighter that was supposed to fight Conor due to an injury that occurred less than two weeks before the fight date.  As a replacement on such short notice there were obvious disadvantages Nate would face by choosing to move forward and accept the fight.

For Example:
– Less than two weeks to properly prepare for a cage fight is not enough time.
– His opponent had been specifically training to fight and perform on this exact day for months.

Conor McGregor was fully immersed in a training camp focused on a fighter that had a completely different fighting style than Nate which can be a great mental distraction.  On top of that he was being asked to compete against Nate at a weight class which was 15 pounds higher than his originally scheduled fight.  Accepting this fight posed a number of concerns for Connor as well.

These are what we would describe as “valleys” if you will; the not so desirable facts about the opportunity presented.  The “peaks” of moving forward with this fight would be a 7 figure pay day for both fighters.  It has been said many times before that any time value exceeds price, business gets done.

When we enter a career in sales we know the long hours, no guarantees, and high levels of accountability we are going to be faced with but the “value” of the above average rewards (income) far exceed the “price” (comfort & perceived stability) so we move forward and accept the challenge.

NATE DIAZ WINS BY SUBMISSION IN ROUND 2!

So what did Nate teach us?

Nate had every reason to logically justify not taking this fight for all of the above mentioned reasons and more.  Much like entering a commission sales career he was presented with an opportunity and went for it.  It has been said before “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”  While there was risk involved the chance that was presented could change his life if he was successful.

Early on in the fight it seemed as though Connor was getting the better of Nate.  What Nate displayed was a willingness to not give up.  He made a decision to take the opportunity and he was committed to being victorious.  That is the same level of commitment required by salespeople if they truly want to experience all of the rewards available through selling.  Many times you will face adversity and how you handle it can and will define you.  Successful people fight through adversity and remain focused on why they showed up in the first place and that’s exactly what Nate did on his way to securing a victory.

So what did Conor teach us?

Conor had built such a level of confidence in his abilities that he continued to welcome any and all challenges.  It is this willingness to go for failure that truly exposes us to incredible opportunities to achieve greatness.  With all great opportunities however there is a chance of failure and in this fight Conor experienced just that.

And further:

After the fight when asked if he felt that he “bit off more than he could chew” his response was no.  Like all successful people Conor understood that he was the problem and the solution.  He stated that he didn’t realize that the bigger man could take more punishment.  Fighting at a higher weight was never an excuse to justify his loss.  Many salespeople justify poor performances based on the time of year or the economy.  True performers will never allow factors outside of their control to dictate their futures.  Conor owned the result and was already talking about the adjustments he needed to make in order to come back and be successful at that weight class.

It was amazing how you could see in Conor’s face immediately after the fight was over, a look of “ah well, next.”  Successful salespeople have learned how to do the same after a poor performance.  They are confident in their abilities and willingness to improve that a failure is nothing more than a minor setback to them.  Many people would be crushed, embarrassed, and humiliated in a situation like that but not Conor and not the successful salespeople I have studied and come to know.

Look, Conor McGregor stormed on to the scene in the UFC crushing his competition every step of the way.  Many salespeople enter their careers in a similar fashion.  What separates Connor and successful salespeople from mediocrity is their ability to be the problem and the solution in their careers. They consistently view adversity as a small bump in the road on the way to the greatness they decided to achieve from the onset of their careers.

If you want do discuss your selling career and what I could provide you with to reach the income levels you deserve, fill out the form below and we can talk!

Make it a Great Day!
-Alan

If you’re serious about investing in yourself and your career then fill out the form below and lets talk!<

When dealing with customers it is vital to your success to always agree
first! Regardless of how extreme the request or idea of your customer is
you should always agree first. By doing so you will start your sales
process of on a positive foot which will allow you to share your logic and
expertise later in the deal with an open minded customer.agree

Far to often sales people will greet customers extreme expectations with
negative response’s like NO or that is IMPOSSIBLE. All this will do is
create a stand off with your customer where instead of working your way to
a mutually beneficial agreement, you will spend your time butting heads on
who’s right hand who’s wrong, and that never results in a sold & delivered
unit.

For example, when a customer says to you “I want $1500 for my 20 year old
vehicle with 300,000 km’s” try responding with a positive comment like
“that vehicle has served you well and I can appreciate the value it holds
for you!”

or

“I fully understand sir and can guarantee we will get you top dollar for
your trade!”

These responses will start to build a relationship where the customer will
feel that you are in fact on his side with his best interests in mind and
that will work wonders for you in the close.

Remember there are many factors involved in successfully earning a
customers business and usually these types of requests are feelers for the
customer to gauge whether you are there to be of assistance or not.

When you go through your sales process in this manner it will build and
develop the rapport necessary to use logic and justification in the close
when overcoming the trade value objection.

If you want to find an endless amount if incredible information that will take your automotive selling career to epic levels then fill out the form below!

Make it a Great Day!
-Alan

If you’re serious about investing in yourself and your career then fill out the form below and lets talk!