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Lead, Follow…Or Learn How To Lead! (Don’t Get Out Of The Way…)

We were young once and we were fearless! Then we got some schooling and some more, then we got trained, then we were led, then we completely forgot how in the heck to be fearless! Add today's worthless media, sprinkle in some naysayers, a fair dose of skepticism and you've got a full-blown problem.

How to fix it? Leadership, which is defined as the activity of leading; with the leader being "a person who rules or guides or inspires others". Let's throw out the 'rules' definition for our purposes here (there are too many examples of lacking leadership to touch that one).

So, not everyone is going to be or desires to be a leader. That is why 95% of the American public controls 5% of the wealth. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with being a follower. To be an effective leader, however, it takes more effort in a number of areas. First, you have to know where you are going (aka start with the end in mind). Second, you have to completely believe in what you are doing. Third, you must understand the task at hand. Fourth, you must be accomplished enough to know the fundamentals (26 plus times to make something a habit). Also, you can't be swayed by followers…ever!

We use the expressions "industry leader", "thought leader", "technology leader" and others like those too loosely many times. Leaders consistently and methodically do what needs to be done, many times without fanfare or credit. Leaders in the retail space are commonly not the loudest person of the staff (whether automotive, real estate or other markets). And remember: leaders are made, not born!

Today's market conditions and challenges are ripe with opportunity. It takes leaders to push through, know the target, set the course and get the whole team to go with them. Together Everyone Achieves More is not simply a saying. It's a mindset. It's a belief. It's a mantra. It's a reality. If you think for a moment that you can be a leader by yourself, you still have a lot to learn.

Don't worry though, because the true leaders haven't stopped learning as well. You'll see them reading, listening, attending, challenging, paying attention and many more activities around going forward. Will you make mistakes and missteps? Absolutely! If you're afraid of failure, learn to follow. If you're not afraid to fail, learn to lead and it will become natural.

Are you where you want to be right now? today? last week? If not, start leading. The old adage of "lead, follow or get out of the way" has two truths, not three. If you're in business and you get out of the way, you will die. Our 'next' economy has no space for that. Follow if you may, but there's too many risks associated with that.

It is my hope that you will learn to lead, desire to succeed through failure and compel yourself enough to change. Find leaders around you and tag along (if they're truly a leader, they'll absolutely want you around). It will be interesting to see which retailers reach out for help this month instead of following one more day or finding out that waiting is the last nail in their coffin…

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Power Results

May 13, 2009 by Gary May 2
Don’t Look Down…I Said Don’t Look Down!

It's absolutely amazing…we humans. Creatures of habit, intrigue and fear-based reactivity. Right now is no exception, obviously! However, it is also possibly one of the most defining times as well. True leaders will come out of these challenges and leave those that just waited behind.

Survival of the fittest? Nope. Natural selection? Not in the least. Those that listen, learn and lead will become the only true survivors in the new environment, whatever that is. A constant vegetative state leaves you…in a vegetative state. A mind set for challenges, diversity and no's, armed with direction and goals is in a complete different state. One of success!

When you were a kid, you had a challenge: brick wall, log over a wash or stream, even a tightrope (you must have interesting family stories to tell!) and someone yelled "don't look down!". Did you? Of course. It's not if you look, but what you do afterward that matters most. If you persevered, you were rewarded with confidence, self-worth, maybe even status… If you succumbed to the "look" and ran back, hobbled off or fell, you likely received a completely different result.

Fast forward 20-40 years. There are challenges up the wazoo right now. Whatever you do: Don't Look Down! OK, what to do now? The sand already is full of heads, the job boards are stuffed with resumes, your industry friends and associates are doing a little CYA (fine, a lot) while they forgot about you and the water cooler has been repossessed. What now?

How ever imposing the view into the chasm, do what you know how to do best. That is if what you do best is do. Don't take my advice, you already know what you need to do. Quit blaming the person that yelled and warned you, they're the messenger. What is the message that you will hear?

This can't be said enough: get your plan down on paper, figure out what you are committed to doing, figure out how to get there (yes, with outside help period!), measure, qualify, watch, gage and review but absolutely positively do it! The difference most times between failing and failing forward to success is simply a matter of inches: the six between your ears!

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

May 6, 2009 by Gary May 0
Digital Dealer in 500 Words Or Less (It Should Be Way More…)

If you could find a fundamentally harder time to think about events, traveling, speakers and spending time (and money) in Las Vegas, it would be a stretch.  Fact is that you would be justified by not even thinking about anything but 'the next customer' right now.

For the 420 plus dealership staff that just spent the last three days at Digital Dealer: CONGRATULATIONS! The fact that you put your money where your mouth is about growing your business is a great step forward in addressing the market, getting a foot up on your competition and utilizing newer ways to connect with your customers.

Chances are you left with too many ideas and strategies to remember and that's great. Some of those ideas likely came directly from the speakers at the event. Now before you go rushing out signing up new vendors, canceling your existing ones, bringing in the flavor-of-the-week, well-polished messenger and other gotta-do-it-now activities, stop and think.

How does everything work with your direction, intentions, brand, budget and goals? Was there a Dealership Goal Setting 101 session? Shoot, I missed that one! Also I couldn't find the 'Connecting and staying in touch' networking event (although you do have a partial list of attendees). You most likely had more than enough time to talk with session speakers in the 10 minutes you had before the next session… If you paid to come to the event, you should have gotten everything you needed out of it. So check before you spend (yes, there were completely qualified, hard-working vendors speaking on stage but many biased as well, just to be straight).

There are likely multiple suppliers for the solution(s) that you're thinking about but chances are you didn't hear from their competition on stage (credit to the always honest Dennis Galbraith of Cars.com who pulls no punches, mentions their competition and tells people it doesn't matter who you're going to hire as long as you know what you need).

Mike Roscoe has put on a number of events that our industry needs…to this point. It's time to get all of your thoughts back to the team that runs the conference to make sure that the value stays in. With all of the attention on the OEMs and suppliers, dealers are not getting their fair support. In my mind, everyone that paid the money to expo in Las Vegas wants and needs dealers to be successful (and make a few bucks).

Now is the time to take our industry where it needs to go. We can't wait. We can't accept things as they are. We can't put our heads in the sand and cross our fingers that it will be better in 2-5 years. Take the bull by the horns or we'll be simply left with bulls–t. I'm proud to have the involvement with Digital Dealer, many of the associated companies and the great folks that attended.

Let's make sure that we can keep getting together a few times a year…

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Power Results

April 22, 2009 by Gary May 0
Because it’s whatcha whatcha whatcha want!

Let's face it: everything that happens is due to your choices. Your job. Your successes. Your failures. Your knowledge. Your doubt. Your leadership. Your mindset. Your resistance. Nothing defines us more than…us. Performance is an indicator of readiness, focus and opportunity.

So why is it that the more things change, the more people want to stay the same? Dealers want more from less but will still buy things that absolutely make no sense. General managers say that they only want their people to sell but expect the factory to feed them. Salespeople say they want more customers but don't do the activities to back it up.

What is it exactly that you want? What is it that floats your boat? If you want to rise in the morning and achieve mediocrity, you should do it somewhere that people don't expect much. Greater things are expected in our industry and that should not change. Leaders are not born; they're made, built and modeled. If what you want is to excel, be the best at what you do. If you're going to succeed, do what successful people do!

Unfortunately we're in a 'wait and see' world. In one of my other businesses, it's always interesting talking with people about creating income. They're worried about the economy, their job, money, savings, college for kids, investments, etc. Ask someone if they're open to making more money and invariably you'll hear 'yes' immediately. Tell them there is actual work involved and listen to how they're too busy, their pet died a couple months ago, their uncle is coming into town in 14 weeks and other excuses that will not only blow your mind but show the lack of desire or drive!

Know goals…gets results. No goals…gets results. What you want has do be matched by what you'll do to achieve it. Make it your business to believe, visualize, announce and then get your results.

SO…what'cha what'cha what'cha want?

p.s. Sorry! It is 'stolen' but I couldn't avoid that title. Full credit to the Beastie Boys and so appropriate here… In the event that you actually do something new, please comment and let us know how you're getting what you want…and more power to you!

April 15, 2009 by Gary May 0
Success: A Four-Letter Word? Not Today

It used to be, by common knowledge, that success was defined by work (and how much you did). Now days it seems success is defined by smaller multi-million dollar losses, one more gizmo sold than the competition, not spending anything compared to what you did last year and more or the like.

I'm not the first to remind everyone not to lower the bar too far or get to the point where goal setting is replaced by complacency. But I may be one of the first to say: just remember why you got into business in the first place! Now, you may have been fortunate to fall into a highly profitable business/niche just because you had the money to get in. Good job (not great, though).

If you have built your name, presence and equity with a solid foundation, it's time to kick yourself into high gear. Maintain your business plan, don't create a new one for hard times. Adjust, don't start over. Keep your edge and aim to do better than 'just maintain'.

Right now it's more important than ever to:
1. Talk with EVERY prospect and client (don't talk at them)
2. Validate EVERY opportunity you have (people do things for their reasons, not yours)
3. Set goals and write EVERY one down (you can't hit what you can 't see)
4. Follow up with EVERYONE (the ones you don't stay in touch with become someone else's best client)
5. Support EVERY aspect of your business (not just what you're most comfortable with)

Hard work is more important than ever, just remember why you're doing it and what kind of results you're looking for. If you're determined to succeed, have all of your employees, vendors and clients supporting you, continually deliver products/services and great value on time and per your commitments, chances are you'll win.

What ever you decide to do, do it well and do it every time. Here's to success!!

Best Practices: Professional Insight, Power Results

March 20, 2009 by Gary May 0
OK, It’s Time To Get It…Follow Up Is The Key!

It doesn't matter who you are, what you sell or where you sell. Further, it doesn't matter if you're actively selling or making sales happen away from the front lines. There are a number of things that make business tick:

  1. Passion about what you're doing and/or representing
  2. Solid fundamentals; especially process
  3. Understanding and belief in your business' mission and/or goals

Some still count on their manufacturer's brand or their 'book of business' to bring in customers.  If you can still enjoy that luxury today, count yourself as extremely fortunate. For most businesses, that's not the case. But, it's not as difficult as many make it.

A few things are paramount and undeniable:

  1. People want to know what's in it for them
  2. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care
  3. People want to understand value, advantage or benefit

Simply put, consumers want a reason to connect. The number one active failure is follow up, bar none. When you tell someone that you'll call them back in 30 minutes, keep your word. When you say that a customer will be taken care of, it's your job to ensure that (and be careful because their understanding of what that means may be dramatically different than yours!). If a person understands that something will be replaced, delivered or set aside, do it!

More and more, I find that follow up is atrocious. You'd figure with fewer sales, dramatically less people visiting businesses and more time to do the proper things, we'd be getting it right. It comes down to driving effective results, which comes from setting expectations and delivering! If you don't have good follow up you're dead. And not just an alert in your CRM…really do it!

Many time, follow up is the job of a customer service department or a BDC. No matter what, whoever handles follow up represents the whole company. I've heard it many times that a salesperson will excuse a customer's opinion or experience because "customer service did the follow up, not me". News flash: you're deaf, dumb and blind if you believe that.

Yes, first impressions are lasting ones. But the last impressions may be all for many consumers today and that could severely impact your business. If you don't leverage software or other technology, have reminders and build a plan (and cushion) into your day every day, you are in for a rude awakening.

Think about these things:

  • Time effectiveness = results / time
  • The principal of stewardship is taking responsibility over what you have
  • Success is the progressive realization of a worthwhile dream or goal
  • Change is made when you:
    1. Decide to make business happen
    2. Make a commitment to follow up
    3. Put action into decision and commitment

Make follow up a critical part of your business plan and do it right. It's not someone else's responsibility, it's yours. Or else it's someone else's business! And have a purpose to succeed.

No purpose –> No goals        Know purpose –> Know goals

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

February 15, 2009 by Gary May 0
The Step You Cut Out In 2009…Might Be You

Fact is, more often than not, when you cut corners in sales the one that is affected most is you.  It is also a fact of business life that we're replaceable, as I've experienced myself. Why is it then that most people don't typically go the extra mile, especially when it is so needed?

This is not to say that there are not plenty of go-getters out there. Today it is critically important to think about making the most of every opportunity, especially with fewer prospects and less marketing dollars. Here is a list of common mistakes when it comes to achieving sales success in a down market:

1. Customer assumptions (examples: won't qualify, didn't want the aftermarket wheels, etc)
2. Market assumptions (examples: should call prospects less, nobody will buy when stocks are down, etc)
3. Other assumptions (examples: every lead will be for the unit we don't have, every customer is a jack, etc)

Taking out critical steps and not following sounds processes is what leads to failure. It's not the lead, not the market, not the model and not the customer. Successful sales people always do more than it takes and live by process. Take the time to build for your success by taking every step necessary. Some ideas you may want to consider for a successful 2009:

1. Create a set of tasks that you achieve every day and make them habit
    Set 1: start of day list (nothing else gets done before this does)
    Set 2: process on every sale with a required sign off or completion checklist
    Set 3: accountability checks throughout the day (follow ups, contacts, management)
    Set 4: end of day list (prepare for the next sales day before you leave and have tasks written down)
2. State, write down and maintain goals
    A. Make them visible and be accountable to them daily, weekly and monthly
    B. Track so you're not surprised
    C. Have others challenge you and check on you (do this with those who are more successful)
3. Learn, learn, learn
    A. Pick up something new as often as possible, even daily (task, idea, expert advice, etc)
    B. Apply sound principals
    C. Check for success, if it's not working…drop it

If you can do at least the above items and don't cut out any steps, you'll not only likely be successful but chances are you'll have saved your own job. In working with dealers last year, at least one sales person at every client didn't know how to work their compensation backwards. In other words, they had no idea how to make the $5,000, $7,500, $10,000 a month they said they wanted to based on more than a simple desire and some idea of units. To top it off, they usually had very little to none of the steps above to guide them.

If you're ready to reinvest in yourself as well as reinvent yourself, the time is now, the reason is you, the purpose is to do what needs to be done and the end game is success.  If you don't want to be in sales, clearly don't want to work Internet
leads and have no desire to do anything but 'wait', you're definitely looking at one clear outcome.

Little steps lead to bigger ones. You learned that as a child and then lost it in the hustle-and-bustle of our world. Remember that walking is controlled falling, that's all. You can fall without failing. Do what it takes to do what you do better. Make 2009 a great year of successes…starting now. Go out there and be great!

Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results

January 2, 2009 by Gary May 0