If you're not first you're last?

One thing that is very hard to get use to in the car business is the fact that we have what we call "a 30 day career". What I mean by that is that since you have to basically start over every month it's like having a 30 day career.  In other words, you could have a great month then a bad month or two and sometimes, depending on your employer, you could be let go. Not that it happens like that very often but it could. Most dealers give you more like 90 days but you get the point.
No matter how long you've been in this business it doesn't get any easier. You work really hard to make a successful month then you have to start over around the 1st and the cycle continues over and over as long as you are in it. Hence, the saying, you go from hero to zero. In other words you have a very good month and maybe even lead the board and on the 1st you are back at zero. It almost seems like what Ricky Bobby said in Talladega Nights, "If you're not first you're last". It's really not like that but it can feel like that sometimes. You can have a record breaking month and make the dealer a lot of money and once the 1st hits it's like it didn't even matter or happen. No matter how hard you worked it really isn't that noticed.
I've noticed that everyone has a bad month from time to time. I mean, the level of a bad month actually is dependent on each individual's averages but it still happens from time to time. Every one, in this business, has a month that doesn't match up to their standards. It's hard to swallow sometimes, especially when you don't hit your own goals. Now, some will do anything to make their month, even if it's dishonest though I choose not to. And even some managers will let things slide under the rug just to hit numbers but when the 1st hits you start all over no matter if you or the company hits its goals. I've been doing this a while now but it's still hard to get use to. I always kinda dread the 1st of the month to be honest with you. I struggle with the fact that no matter how hard I worked or the sweat I put in that it starts all over around the 1st. Also, the 1st brings about bills and usually we don't even get our commission checks til around the 7th so I have to plan them out ahead of time. So, if I have a bad month it could affect the next month before I even have a chance to sell anything.
So, though I do think it's important to hit the goals you need to hit to make your month and pay your bills, I don't necessarily believe that "if you're not 1st you're last" because I don't compare myself to others. The main reason is because, though some sell more than I do, I can't focus on them because it may effect what I normally do to stay ahead. If you are competitive it will happen from time to time that you may try to out do others but at the end of the day it's about the effort you put forth to make the month happen that you need to happen in order to provide for you and/or your family.

Yes, we are technically in a 30 day career, but it doesn't really have to be like that as long as you work hard at whatever you do and put forth the effort and practice that is necessary to stay on top of your game. Keep pushing forward and don't let others around you affect what and how you work your business. Do what you know to be right and honest and it will eventually work itself out for you.

Thanks for reading!

Fist Pump Guy out!

#ifyourenotfirstyourelast #30daycareer #fromherotozero #thefistpumpguy

Importance of Building Your Reputation

I currently work in a field that doesn't have the best reputation or track record. For years, and still today, car salesmen have taken a bad wrap for being dishonest or thieves. Granted, back in the day and even some today, deserve to have that stigma but not everyone does. Back in the older days there was much more emphasis on word of mouth business and that is also mainly how one's reputation got around. Today it is bigger than it has ever been when it comes to getting the word out about a person or a business.
Today, we are in a very technological world that depends highly on electronic gadgets to just get by day to day. I am a firm believer that some of these same gadgets have actually made us dumber since we don't have to remember things as much anymore. But that doesn't change the fact that they are here and here to stay. There are so many ways to get information nowadays from phones to tablets and watches and it's still growing. You may be asking yourself "where in the world is he going with this?". Well, my point is this, if there is so much technology out there and every person has some form of it just about then why wouldn't someone be concerned about their reputation? If any person at any given time can do an online search and find out just about anything about anybody then why wouldn't you be concerned about what they might find?
Now, granted, there are many jobs that one may have that may not be affected so much by a good or bad reputation but that's not the majority. Even if you are job hunting your reputation can either help or hurt you. If you are trying to grow a business with new business it can too be affected by a good or bad reputation. So, I am always baffled when I here someone say "I don't care what people think about me" or "I'm not concerned about my reputation". Ideally, just about everyone has some feelings about what people think about them. They try and play it off like they don't but they really do. I'm always amazed at the amount of people that walk around with a chip on their shoulder because they can't find a "decent" job and they like to say that they are being treated unfairly. There may be some times that they may be treated like that but a lot of times they have just had a bad reputation following them. Whether they are a job jumper or they don't come to work on time their reputation follows them. Most of the time it's their fault and they like to blame others.
Ideally, in order to be truly successful, you need to have a very favorable reputation. Whether it's looking for a new job, or trying to excel in your current job, having and building a good reputation is vitally important. If you are trying to get ahead at work by hard work then you want to be known as a hard worker and someone who can get the job done. If you are applying for a new position or a new job then you want that same reputation to follow you. Let's face the fact that many businesses search potential applicants online to get more information. You can lie or stretch the truth a little on a application and get away with it but it's hard to get away from the published truth online so you need to make a valiant effort to be reputable online.
 Search yourself online and see what you find. Do you find good or bad things about yourself? Do you find anything at all? Because not finding anything can be bad at times too but we will talk about online presence at a later time. Make sure you are being noticed but that you are being noticed for the right things.

Thanks for reading!

Fist Pump Guy out!

#thefistpumpguy #buildingyourreputation #getsresults

Fishing with the wrong bait?

Many know that I have been training on Building your Reputation and how important it is in any kind of sales position. I have been tying in different topics to try to show you how to build your reputation effectively. Today I am going to briefly talk about the topic I trained on yesterday in the meeting that I am certain is vitally important in sales but especially in the car business.
Selling cars can be easy and hard at times but far too often salespeople make it harder than it needs to be especially new salespeople. It's made hard by a simple mistake and that is they might be Fishing With The Wrong Bait. What do I mean by that? I will tell you in a second. But let me ask you something first. Have you ever spent an excessive amount of time on the lot showing a vehicle, or multiple vehicles, and get the customer inside and they do not close? There can be a few different reasons why they don't close but many times we blame it on the price or they may even say it's the price. The fact is that many times, though we or they might say it's the price, we are on the wrong product/vehicle.
Fishing With The Wrong Bait means you are trying to sell them the wrong product/vehicle. If you haven't gone through the correct steps and asked the right questions then you can find yourself trying to build value in the wrong thing. That's not to say that you should always give too much credibility to all they say they "want" as I said in my last post but that you should listen and then follow their request with "what about this particular vehicle are you attracted to?" or "how important is this feature to you to be on your next vehicle?". These are just examples of coarse but you do need to know why and what they really need so that you make sure you are showing the right thing because you don't want to be on too much vehicle but you also don't want to be on too little vehicle. You can also ask them "what do you like most/least about your current vehicle?" or "what would you like to have on your new ride that you don't have now?" and other questions like that but you also have to take into account what their budget may be if you know because too much vehicle will blow them out to another dealership, probably to buy the exact lesser model car you are trying to switch them back to.
Another important step to make sure you are on the right product/vehicle is to model up/model down them. This means that you need to either show them a model up from what they are wanting to look at or show them a model down or maybe even do both. The reason is because that it helps you build more value in what you are really trying to sell them or it helps you find out what is really important to them, based on what they told you they wanted, and it sets you up with a switch vehicle or two just in case the payment is too much or the money isn't right for them then you can say something like "you remember that other model I showed you? It would be closer to your range/payment than this model is". This will help you close them on the car they are in finance on or it will help you switch them to the car you probably thought they should've went with in the first place. Either way you do two things, you find out what is really most important to them and you build an extreme amount of credibility and value in yourself which is also highly important in any sales position which ultimately leads to building your Reputation and gives you more/higher Results/Rewards.
My ending thought is this, make sure you are asking the right questions and showing the right amount of interest in your customers. If you actually listen then you will have an easier time distinguishing what they really need and an easier time picking out the right product/vehicle. Remember, you are the professional so act like it. They look to you for answers many times and you need to be able to solve their problem and answer their questions. Many times the customer needs to be led, if not every time, because all too often they do not even know what they want or what's best for them. It's up to you to make the difference which is why it's so important to make sure that you are Fishing With The Right Bait!

Thanks for reading!

Fist Pump Guy out!

#thefistpumpguy #fishingwiththewrongbait #buildingyourreputation #getsresults #followthefistpumptoenterprise

The Phone Booth Salesman

When I came up with this training title I was telling myself how dumb it may sound to the sales staff. I was thinking that they would think I was some kind of idiot.....though I think I am a little. I think many of them tune me out anyway so I decided to train on this topic regardless.
I am a huge Superman fan. He was always my favorite superhero. I was always amazed at how he was able to keep his identity a secret but yet able to change into his superhero dress while needing little time or cover to do so. This is where I came up with the idea of The Phone Booth Salesman.
You might be asking "what in the world is he talking about?" a Phone Booth Salesman? Yea, I know, it sounded a little dumb to me when it was running through my head as I came up with the material to cover in the meeting under this title. But I started to think what this could mean in the sales force. Superman was able to step into a phone booth and change in less than a few seconds....in the older episodes anyways. He was able to change when there was trouble or someone was in trouble. He was able to "adapt" into what people needed him to be.
That's what I think is necessary for the sales force, especially in car sales. We are approaching a time when the majority of any kind of sales will be done online, at least the searching part anyways, and it will be necessary to stand out and be noticed. As I've discussed before, building your reputation is very important and can lead to you being needed in sales. So, being able to adapt to a customers needs or being able to adapt to a different time is very necessary now for sure.
What do I mean by being able to adapt? Well, for starters, we must adapt to the times. In a growing age of technology we have the opportunity to be lost in the chaos. It's becoming less of a face to face business and more and more of a face to screen business but no matter if you are on the other side of the screen or if you are the one on the lot you need to make sure you have a good reputation and you are relevant. Being able to adapt helps make you both. If you are able to answer all questions and handle all issues you will be needed. If you are able to show that you are the one to call when a customer has a problem or if you are simply there to set an appointment for them you will be needed. In the past these things weren't necessary but now they are very necessary,  especially in the automotive business. If your service dept can't figure out a problem on a car then you want them to be able to call you for the solution. Who knows?....you might even pick up a customer in the process. Whatever is going on you need to be involved and you need to be able to adapt to that situation. It will only make you more needed and wanted. You need to make yourself a necessity and not a liability, no matter what your chosen profession or job happens to be.
I see, especially today, that many people don't want to change. I get it. I didn't either. I am older than I once was and I for one can see how much technology has actually hurt how we live but that doesn't change the fact that it is here and we must adapt to the situation. Much like how Superman was able to change into his superhero dress we must be able to change into what the customer needs us to be. It may be hard to even want to change but there's a time coming when you need to make sure you are different and indispensable.
At the end of the day you want the customer/client to think of you with all of there automotive needs, or whatever your job is, no matter if you are able to directly help them or not. Adapt and succeed or don't and eventually fail. We all miss it sometimes and fail but you must always continue pressing forward towards the results/rewards.

Thanks for reading!

Fist Pump Guy Out!

#thefistpumpguy #phoneboothsalesman #buildingyourreputation

Questioning integrity

I want to talk about a situation that happened at work yesterday but first let me do a summary of my training from last week. If you read my last blog post then you will see that I trained a lot on how important one's Reputation can be, especially if you're in any kind of sales or if you own your own business. Basically, without going through every point, your Reputation is built through effort of your own to earn Respect and ultimately earns you Results/Rewards. Now, having said that, I am a big proponent of honesty in the workplace. I don't really care what kind of business you have but I believe that trust, honesty and integrity are some very important qualities that one can have. Granted, not all think like I do, especially in the car business, but that's who I am. So, when someone questions my integrity I get a little upset.

Now, to the event yesterday. I was confronted about a situation that happened with a customer I had just sold. Now, just a thought, if you assume something without having the facts it can lead to a serious situation so don't do that. Also, if you have an issue with someone then you need to find out the facts and then try and find out what happened instead of accusing someone. Because, though you might think they did something to deceive another doesn't always necessarily mean they did. What I mean is that things aren't always what they appear to be on the surface unless that's what you've already made up in your mind has happened. So, I guess where I am going with this is the fact that because my integrity was questioned in a public environment without allowing me time to explain what happened and when I do get somewhat of a chance to explain I then am basically called a liar and compared to those that do things purposely to deceive others when I didn't even do what I was being accused of. So, needless to say I got highly upset. Those that know me know that I don't get upset often especially to the point where I am actually angry. That happened yesterday. For that I am sorry. I apologize to any employee or customer that may have heard the commotion when I lost my cool. I am truly sorry that I let my emotions get the best of me. I really got too upset over an issue that, first of all didn't happen but second of all wasn't worth the time it took to get that mad. But had the person asked me about the situation instead of accusing me then I don't believe that it would have taken place at all. But instead of doing just a little bit of research this person jumped to conclusions and questioned my integrity which I take to heart. That's no excuse for me losing my temper like that and again I am sorry for that. 

So, now I am going to offer some helpful tips to anyone that suspects something dishonest is going on and the steps to handle it. First, take a look at the Reputation of the person you're about to accuse. See, what kind of example they have been and their track record. Are they someone that has done these things before multiple times? Are they someone that is always trying to deceive others or stealing from them? Has it been proven at other jobs that they are that type of person? Second, do your research. Look into the situation first and gather the facts. Give the benefit of the doubt if you have no proof. That's better than making yourself look like an idiot because you accused someone of doing something they didn't do. Third, gather those facts and make sure they are accurate. Sometimes, "taking a witness' word for it" may not be good enough since they may have their own agenda against that person too. Forth, after you have gathered all you think you need, or even if you have found no evidence, go to the person in private and try and talk it out. That would be much better that confronting someone in front of co-workers because they will definitely go on the defensive real quick. If you truly want to know the truth then you will actually listen. If you have already made up your mind then you won't hear a word they say and will probably either cut them off or not let them talk at all. Not doing these things to handle a situation correctly can and will ruin work relationships especially in the car business since we spend more time with they guys and girls at the dealership than we do with our own families. Now, I understand that we spend 10-12 hours a day with each other and we can act like brothers sometimes and fight but it doesn't need to be over something that isn't true and petty.

Just a side note, you notice I didn't mention going to a manager for help. The reason is, in the car business anyways, because they don't like handling these types of situations. A lot of times they have their own agenda against the same person and won't handle the situation correctly either. Besides, as long as the car gets sold they don't care who sells it even if it was done dishonestly....in most cases anyways. So, going to a manager isn't always they best way to handle a situation. My theory on this is that though a manager may have one or two they can count on to get a job done or get a customer served others may see that as favoritism and therefore develop and agenda that is obvious. So, just use common since when going to a manager even if it just for advice because, though many of them are knowledgeable in what they do many haven't been trained how to handle people and learn how to deal with situations nor do they want to. 

So, to make a long story short, do your research and give people the benefit of the doubt especially if you know them to be an honorable and respectful person instead of accusing and confronting them for something they might not have done. 

Hope this helps! Thanks for reading!

Fist Pump Guy Out!

#thefistpumpguy #findthefactsfirst #checkthereputation 

Buidling Reputation leads to Results!

This is the topic I trained on this morning during our sales meeting. Soak it in and allow it to help you no matter what type of sales you are in! Don't let anyone tell you that your reputation isn't important because everyone has one. You have to know if yours is negative or positive and how you can improve it in order to earn Respect and get Results!

Thanks for reading!

Fist Pump Guy out!
#thefistpumpguy #buildingyourreputation #getsresults #followthefistpumptoenterprise

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!

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!