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!

Is It Worth It?

Well, it's a new year! It seems like these days that the years go by faster and faster. I'm not sure why that is though. It really seems that way the older I get. Every year seems to go by faster and it seems like I have less time to do things.

As many of you know, I am in the car business. I have been doing this for almost 6 years now and it doesn't really get any easier. Every time I think I seem to have a handle on it something happens to put doubt back in my head. I think that's life in general though. Every time I think that I will do this for the rest of my working life I have a month that makes me question the decision to come into this business.

One thing that makes this business so dangerous is the fact that you can make really good money doing it. And once that starts happening it doesn't seem like you can escape. In other words, the more money you're able to make the more debt you seem to accumulate and that's how you get trapped. Now, I'm not saying that I absolutely hate the car business or anything like that. I'm just stating a fact that once you get in it's very hard to get out. The car business has changed dramatically over the years, even since I first started back in 2010. It's actually gotten a little harder in my opinion with the increased use of the internet and the amount of competition that is cut throat. It's all about the numbers and many dealerships don't care how they get to their number and they will do almost anything to get there and use whoever they have to to get there. It's really amazing to me the number of  cars that many dealerships sell. But that doesn't mean things are easy all of the time.

Many dealers use high pressure sales tactics or sneaky pricing schemes that seem a little dishonest to say the least but most of that is just to get people in the door. But most customers don't know the difference and will drive hundreds of miles to "save thousands" as they will tell you, all the while not really saving anything close to that. Many dealers have ways of hiding fees and not charging full taxes, to out of state customers, to make it look like they were getting a much better deal than they actually are. It actually amazes me how well this stuff works. Not all salesmen and dealers are dishonest, I get that, but there are a lot out there that are right on the border and will do whatever it takes to sell a car.

I definitely don't want anyone to think that I am against the car business because I'm not. I have enjoyed my time in it and it has done a great job providing for my family. I'm just saying, is all the time spent here away from your family really worth it? I mean, let's face it, many of us spend more time with our co-workers than with our families and we establish relationships, sometimes, with people at work better than with our own spouses and kids. It really gets one confused about how to separate the two. I have done a good job with this over the years but it doesn't get any easier. Is it worth it? Is the money worth the separation? Many dealers require 5,6, or 7 days a week and many of us work at least 50-60 hours a week and sometimes more. Many managers may only get 1 or 2 days off in a whole month and I'm sure that takes a toll on them and their families. All of this to compensate for a lifestyle that probably started the moment they stepped into the car business.

Once again, I am not bashing the business. I am just stating my opinion on how I feel as one who is actually in the biz. I know it is a choice, and I chose to get in it, but that leads me back to my first point....once you get in, and are successful, it's very hard to get out because where else can you go and make the kind of money to be made in the car business?

Gary P.
"The Fist Pump Guy"

One's True Character

One thing that truly troubles me in this business, or any part of life in general, is what people will do or how people will change when they are put in desperate times. Often many people put their trust in the wrong thing or the wrong person to get what they want. Greed also sometimes takes over and also contributes to some of the same characteristics.

Many times you can see who or what a person truly is when put into those challenging positions. When these times come people change their character and usually not for the better. They start trying to lie, cheat and steal their way back. Two problems with this is one, it's not morally okay to do any of these and two, they usually either come back to haunt you or lead you deeper into the abyss. Once that slippery slope is approached you start sliding. One leads to another and then to another until eventually there is no turning back. 

Usually people that do these things on a regular basis are immune and numb to the fact that they are doing them. They seem not to understand, or care, that lying, cheating or stealing to get ahead are not okay until they get caught and then, and only then, do they want forgiveness. This is not true remorse but only guilt which aren't the same thing and many don't understand the difference. 

These people even seem to do these things to people they know and love. This is truly disturbing because if one can lie, cheat and steal to and from people they know then it probably isn't any problem doing these things to people they don't know.

In a society where morals are growing worse and worse, though many will say they are getting better, it is getting harder and harder for many to distinguish between a truly honest person and one that is deceitful and that leads people think that everyone is dishonest when they may not be. I would hope that this wouldn't be the case but sadly I think a lot of the time it is.

I think everyone should have to earn a living at something but unfortunately many people want to get things for nothing and get them dishonestly and that makes it hard for everyone else that wants to do things honestly.

 My whole idea for writing this particular blog is to say that sometimes what we see on the outside of someone is not always what is on the inside and many of those people are only concerned with themselves (you might call this selfish) and how they can accomplish what they want to accomplish no matter who it hurts.