New logo!

In an effort to continue to try and brand myself I have received my new logo. It's somewhat simple but I love it. I plan on putting it on my shirts and maybe doing key chains and such for my customers. Maybe it'll catch on soon!

Fist Pump Guy Out!

Customer service matters!

Had a good training class this a.m. Thank you Kevin for your preparation and input. We mainly discussed how to better streamline the finance dept and try and speed up the process without hitting snags. Having paperwork filled out properly and completely is a must in order to make sure your customer isn't waiting too long. If the finance dept gets held up because of your mistake then please don't blame the finance dept when your deal doesn't close.

Customer service has to always be in mind in whatever business you might be in. We are in a time, in this country especially, when we are in a big hurry. We are usually more concerned with more and more numbers instead of focusing on individual needs. Yes, it is difficult sometimes when everything is based on budgets and goals but we have to be very careful not to just treat the customer/client like another number. Part of the problem is because businesses have become so cut throat and another cause is because in order to get a decent paycheck you have to sell more units or contracts. Granted, that's where we've put ourselves. We've trained the customer to be more price conscious and want to shop more. The problem with that is that when a customer doesn't purchase local they are doing themselves a great injustice, though they may not realize it. We have to make sure they are our focus and not the #s. Yes we need to strive to hit the numbers but it should never be in sacrifice of customer service like some of the big retailers!

Thanks for reading!

Fist Pump Guy out!

WOOOOOOOO!

I recently watched a couple of old Ric Flair short videos. Now, you want to see someone who was a great entertainer and knew how to work a camera or a crowd it was him. He had a way to get under your skin and make you not like him and yet like him at the same time. Now, granted I'm not agreeing with everything he did in his personal life I'm just referring to what you saw on camera. As a kid I watched wrestling a lot. I didn't understand that it was staged when I was that young and so I really enjoyed the fight. As I got older I lost a little interest in wrestling but I still admire some of the guys that put their bodies through what they did to entertain people.

Ric Flair had it all though. He could work himself into a frenzy with pretty much ease and he always knew what to say. He had a way to make people so mad that people in the stands wanted to hit him and I'm sure many tried. But that's how he kept you engaged. He always ended up yelling in the camera and turning red in the face. He had a way to describe who he was and that he was the best and you almost had to believe him no matter if he won or lost. He made you believe that he was rich and had all these cars and expensive jewelry, though I don't know if he really did. He often talked about how he could have any woman he wanted, not sure if that was true either but he made you believe it even if it wasn't. Ric Flair has been able to do this for a long time and I still am not sure if it was really true or not.lol

What does this have to do with the car business? I'm glad you asked that question. Sometimes, selling a car is about showmanship. It's how you demonstrate the vehicle and how you sell yourself. I'm not saying that you need to be as loud and full of charisma like Ric Flair but you definitely need to be confident and enthusiastic about what or who you are selling. Some guy/girls are overly aggressive and boastful which a lot of the times turns the customer off. And many times some guys/girls are very boring or non-engaged with the customer and likewise turn off the customer. If you are not confident in what you are doing then chances are it will show in your presentation. On the other hand, someone that is confident and has a little energy and eagerness about them can wooooo a customer to the point of a sale even if you are not the lowest price. It's very important to understand that missing a sale or getting a sale isn't always about price, even if the customer says it is. A lot of the time it's because they like the salesman or doesn't like the salesman. I think far too often we want to blame it on the price and not take responsibility that maybe we were the cause of a missed sale. Sometimes we don't sale ourselves or the dealership enough. Sometimes we are overly pushy and aggressive and run the customer to another lot. It's not always the price!

With today's technology, and people doing more and more shopping online, we have a harder time with pricing but, as I said before, a customer sometimes is more satisfied with a great salesperson than a good price. Let's face it, most of the time dealerships are cutting each other's throats the way they gouge prices just to grab a customer and the price may not be much different than what you presented them. And many times the advertising or pricing is just a gimmick to get them in the door and they end up buying anyway because, though it may not be what they thought, they don't want to admit they drove a long distance to buy and don't buy. Most of the time they buy just because they drove the distance. If they come in your dealership they may buy just because they got you as a salesperson so it's vitally important to make a great impression. You always want to show that you want them as a valued customer, show them that they are important and take interest in what they are saying and wanting. So, to make a long story short, let's make sure that we woooooooooooooooooooooo every customer we come in contact with!

Thanks for reading!!!

Fist Pump Guy Out!

1st time in a while!

Sometimes with the busyness of our life, the hectic work schedules and a rambunctious 4 year old I forget how nice it is just to have a few hours alone with my wife. I know many husbands don't really like or want to be around their wives that much at one time but I truly enjoy it. Yea, I'm a little aggravating sometimes with my joking around but I think she still loves me. We don't really get to do it much and since we both had today off together, which is odd in itself.....thanks Mary, we decided to do something together. We went to the movies for probably the 1st time in about a year or so. We are both super hero nerds at heart and watched The Avengers Civil War movie, which was awesome btw and wouldn't mind seeing it again. It doesn't seem like much just to go to the movies together but it's nice for it to just be the two of us from time to time. We didn't really have to worry about work too much, though we both had to deal with some work type texts. We just got our tickets, a huge thing of popcorn extra butter, nachos with extra cheese and jalapeños....which I'm paying for now, and had most of it eaten before the movie even started!lol. We held hands and she even put her feet across my legs. It was almost like no one else was even there. I don't get to tell people stuff like this often but I really enjoyed this day with her. No matter how tough our jobs are and how much we stress sometimes we always seem to let all that go when we go to the movies or out in general even though it's not very often. I wish we had the opportunity to do things like this more often but I guess when you don't get use to doing it regularly it makes it even that more special!
Thanks for the awesome day sweetheart!

Fist Pump Guy out!

Follow the Fist Pump to Enterprise!

I just wanted to send a quick shout out to all my customers and say Thank You for your business! I truly appreciate it! I also wanted to send out a quick message to all my friends and family and ask that if you know anyone that may be looking for a new or pre-owned vehicle to send them over to see me. Just tell them to ask for me and let me know that you sent them and I will handle the rest! There have been people sent over here to Bondy's Toyota  that were suppose to ask for me and didn't and ended up buying from others here. Though I appreciate them buying from Bondy's in general I don't get paid unless I sell them a vehicle myself. Please tell them to ask for me. If you need me to I will text you a business card or you can get it from this Blog post! Thank you in advance!

Fist Pump Guy out!

Is an online presence necessary today?

One thing I've learned in this business, if I've learned nothing else, is that you must always be learning. I've heard it said that "if you are not moving forward you are moving backwards". I can see how that is so in many different lines of work but especially in the car business have I seen this. I'm not one that needs to be rich or be known more than anyone else but I can see where learning everyday is a must. I look around some days and see different sales people that show no desire to learn or try and progress. They seem content to just do nothing and hope something happens. Not to say that product knowledge is more important than anything else but it is necessary. You must work to try to improve all of your skills in order to move to the next level or even to stay in tune with where you are. With an ever growing market and social media growth now, more than ever, one needs to be able to set himself/herself apart from the crowd. Now, how to do that may be different from the next person but it is necessary. 

With more and more people shopping for vehicles online the salesman is not as needed as they once were but for now are still needed at least. So, we know that an online presence is very necessary which is why an online presence is necessary for many salespeople. I'm not saying that everyone has to be online or have websites in order to be successful but there may come a time when it is definitely necessary. Keep in mind that if many people are shopping online then they are also looking at online reviews for your dealership/business and for some of the salesman that may be working there. If you or your dealership have a bad reputation then it may come down to them going somewhere else to shop even if you are very local. Having a good online image is vitally important!

What do people see when they search you online? Do they see vulgar things or things that would make you seem like you are disrespectful and dishonest? Do they see a recent arrest record or conviction of theft or something like that? Or, do they see a bunch of 5 star reviews? Do they see that you are family man/woman that loves people and seems to have a heart to help people? Do they see all the customers that you've helped or sold to? Do they see your name pop up whenever a video is searched or your dealership is searched? Do they see awards you have won and promotions that you may have received? Remember, many people do shop price, though not as much as you might think, but they will pay a little more and drive a little further to work with someone that they like and trust, even if all they have seen or heard of you is online. If, you don't think people are searching you online then you are deceived! Maybe not everyone but many, many do!

So, the question comes down to, "What do people see when they search you online?". It is very important, especially long term, that people see good things when they search you. It may take a while for the online presence to really pay off but it will. If you only got one or two more deals more a month from people searching you online then that is payment in itself. Even if you wanted to start a personal website the cost is very minimum. And most social media sites are cost free, at least for now, and they are easy to use. Use as many as you can keep up with! Hire an assistant if necessary to work your social media alone! 

Thanks for reading!

Fist Pump Guy Out!

Sad but necessary

Just for the record, I am never happy with someone getting terminated from their employer. Yes, sometimes it is necessary and yes, many times it is warranted but I am never happy about it. I would much rather see someone learn from their mistakes, or from warnings that have been given, and change their ways verses being terminated. If one refuses to change and can't listen to counsel then that person is untrainable and therefore may need to seek employment elsewhere but it still doesn't make me happy. I don't like anyone struggling at all but if one continues in wicked ways and continues to get caught then people have to make decisions, no matter how tough it might be.

But isn't it ironic that when a person is thought of to be a certain way that when something like termination happens that the same one affirms what people already believed about them? You can really see who people really are when adversity strikes. Sometimes people take it in stride and move on and then some have to resort to anger and hostility because that's all they have inside them anyways. That's the persons true character. The one that comes out when some type of adversity hits. But even then, I am not happy or excited when someone gets fired no matter if it is for the best or not. It's really sad to see and I don't like it. So, just to be clear, I don't get happy or excited, nor do I like it, when someone gets terminated though it may be necessary. When I was a manager with a big retail chain I never liked terminating people though it was necessary and part of my job. I have never been fired from a job, thank God, but I have seen it happen many times and have fired people too and it is hard every single time. Yes, they deserved it many times because of tardiness, absences, thefts or whatever else but it isn't easy.

In closing, a few comments about my post yesterday, I want to say I still feel the same about what I said. If someone is purposely being dishonest they need to be let go, especially after they've been warned or talked to. It isn't personal but a necessary part of running an honest business. One, it is necessary for morale because you don't want others doing the same things and thinking it is okay to do dishonest things. And two, it's important to set standards and follow through with them. When you are training people it is very important to prepare them for the real world. Do people get things by being dishonest? Yes, but that still doesn't make it right. Would you teach your kids to lie and cheat and steal knowing what the consequences are? No?! Then why would we want to accept it from friends or co-workers? The answer is pretty clear to me but not everyone thinks like I do. I actually think of others. Maybe not as much as I'm suppose to or even as much as I should but ultimately that is part of my goal. As I said yesterday, selfishness is dangerous and can lead to many terrible things in your life and those around you. So, don't think for a minute that you doing things that are dishonest isn't noticed at some point. Maybe a kid you know, a co-worker, a boss or even your own child may see it and mimic what they just saw and think that because you did it then it's okay.

Think about it!

Have a great Wednesday!

Fist Pump Guy Out!

When is enough enough?

I need to start today's blog with a quick statement..... I do not understand some people. I don't understand why some people do what they do. My faith aside for a minute I just don't understand the fact that some people have no ethics or morals whatsoever and it bugs me to no end. I went home last night and thought about this situation for a while. I finally decided that it wasn't worth worrying and stressing over but it still doesn't make sense to me why people have to be so bluntly dishonest and not care one bit.

I guess the question comes down to.... "When do you call a thief a thief and liar a liar?" Is it after they've been busted once and then it was swept under the rug because they "perform" better than anyone else? Is it after they have been busted numerous times and again it is swept under the rug because they seemingly out perform everyone else by a landslide? Is it because, in my line of work, that certain things become acceptable as long as the car gets sold? As long as the uppers get paid it doesn't matter who sells it even though others are struggling because they keep having things stolen from them? I don't know how to really answer the questions I've just asked. The only conclusion I can come up with is that dishonesty to perform better than anyone else is better that honesty and integrity. I'm not sure if everyone feels this way and I don't want to lump everyone into one category but I can only assume that when things are being allowed to happen on a regular basis that it is better to "out perform" dishonestly than to perform decently and honestly. I got news for you, my integrity is way more important that "performing" better than anyone else. If I can't get it honestly then I don't want it. If I can't say that "I'm on top" by doing things the right way then I'm okay with that! If I fall a little short on my goal but I'm doing it honestly then I'm okay with that! If I for one second feel like I have to be dishonest and lose my integrity in any job I perform then I can't do the job and need to move on. Yea, I get it, there are many in this business that are dishonest and people may not even realize it as long as they get what they want but I have One I have to answer to even if I did want to be dishonest. I can't control how some people act and things they do other than just try and be a positive influence that rubs off and I can't control how things are handled but I myself choose to be as honest as I possibly can be.

Now, the question I want to pose is this...."If one is being dishonest and "out performing" everyone else by taking deals from others then why is it allowed?" It's because he is "selling" a lot more than everyone else and he "out performs" everyone and the uppers don't want to lose "their best sales person". But, I guess I wonder, that if all the numbers he puts up were actually customers of another sales person? I wonder how many people he has actually stolen from others in order to make more money and to be on top? I wonder when you start saying that the one's supporting what he does and makes excuses for what he does are just as guilty as he is? When do you say "birds of a feather flock together"? I don't know how to answer these questions either because, quite frankly, I don't come in everyday trying to figure out a way to cheat the system and steal from others! I hope this isn't being too harsh but if you continued to have things taken from you, maybe more than you're aware of, and nothing is done then at what point to need to change your environment? At what point do you say "I've had enough"? I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that feels like this and I'm sure that I'm not the only one that actually likes his job but hates the way certain co-workers think and act.

Selfishness and greed is very dangerous! It affects the one doing it and affects how people act around them because of their actions!

How do you measure success?

In many ways the car business is primarily focused on units sold and that is usually how many dealers measure their success monthly and also how many sales people measure their success monthly. The other side of that is focused primarily on gross and that is how they measure their success. If you listen to many of the big names out there they say that money is the focus always. When you listen to them speak they always gear success towards money. That begs the question of "Is monetary things the only way to measure success?"

Well, the idea has always been that money is the ultimate goal and factor of one's success. I want to tell you that I try my hardest to not make things about money nor do I try to compare myself with others around me that make more money. I don't mean that I don't want to make money or that I don't need money because I have bills like everyone else. I simply wanted to state that because, though selling cars is the ultimate goal, that focusing only on that and how to make more money can take other things away from you. It can take your happiness and joy and replace it with resentment and stress along with worry. Now, granted, I still worry sometimes, not because I want to for sure, but because I have place a bigger burden on myself than I need to. I try not to but if you have a bad month or a bad few months and you get behind then your stress level rises and then you find yourself doing or saying things you may not want to nor realize you are. I guess that is part of being in sales.

Having said that, if you have a good and supporting spouse you can have a different attitude. My wife, for example, is pretty supportive of me. I do my best to not talk about my day because her job, by far, is way more important and stressful than mine. I do my best to be supportive of her too but she is supportive in the fact that she has confidence in me. Being in the car business is very stressful and it has a tendency to effect your life especially the family. Long hours worked and almost every Saturday can and will take a toll on the relationship you might have with your family. In turn, if you have trouble at home it can affect you at work, regardless of your profession.

I guess what I am getting at is this. though I want to be successful and have things that I need, I don't necessarily base my income on my success. Yes, I have made good money in the car business and I thank God for what He blesses me with but I don't want the money and material stuff to be what measures my success. I want my relationship with my Lord, my wife and my kids to be my ultimate measuring stick. If I have all the money in the world and my relationship with any of the three is not good then I have nothing. The Bible says "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" not because money, in itself, is evil but the love of it. It can and will affect your marriage and other relationships if you let it be the primary focus in any part of your life. If money is your primary, and most important goal then you may be blinded to what you truly need in your life and what your family truly needs form you. Yes, have stuff is nice but not if you have to sacrifice the happiness and joy that comes from your family. Many people have committed suicide, divorced their spouse and even robbed and killed because of their "need" for money.

All that to say, don't let your goal of making lots of money and having material things affect your relationship with others. When is it enough? After you've lost all the important people in your life? or to the point you don't care about anyone else but yourself?

Thanks for reading!