Just finished my first Dealer Synergy Training workshop week which was run and lead by "the great" Anthony Alagona! We had a blast throughout the entire process. It was intense and repetitive, but always progressive and positive boot camp like training. The 1st day Anthony was here was literally my 1st day in the Internet Sales Dept. I was a complete blank slated newbie who had no idea what the steps even were for any of the formats and protocols. And thanks to Anthony's help along with a great networking team of all of my colleagues here at Jim Ball, I am now able to recite the Inbound, Outbound, and Rebuttals Scripts and word-tracks backwards, forwards, and side-ways word for word while being able to inject my personality into it during the process. Anthony is by far one of the most driven, optimistic, positive, and inspirational people that which I have ever had the honor of meeting.  From telling us to chase our dreams and not ever let anyone tell us what we can't accomplish in our lives, to encouraging us to actually make the commitment to ourselves and to hold ourselves accountable for such promises. I love the "Time is running out" as well as the "How bad do you want it" videos that he introduced us to as well. I now watch each video right before leaving for work each day on my laptop to get myself pumped up and ready for the day! I also loved the idea that Mr. Bradley came up with in the "3 minute book", I think its an ingenious idea to literally look at and focus on the representation of your goals each day before you even make that 1st call in the morning, thank you for that and this tremendous program you have created for all of us Mr. Bradley. And I digress, but in conclusion, Anthony was definitely a phenomenal team leader, motivator, and friend during his stay here. I look forward to the next time that we will have the pleasure of seeing him so that he can see just how much all of his training has paid off and helped all of us here at Jim Ball, thanks Anthony, you rock brthr!!

  -Joe Latona

Just finished our first full week of training! Thanks to Anthony we are all ready to take the world of internet sales by storm!

How are we going to succeed do you ask?

1.We are going to do our three minute books everyday!

2. We are going to role play and follow our scripts

3. We are going to learn about our vendors

4. And we are all going to become Yoda’s on imagic

...be on the look out for my full write up on my thoughts on the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People!

My name is Rob and I'm an ISM at Jim Ball automotive. Wanted to give a shout out to Anthony for the doing an outstanding  job training all of us. Anthony kept it interesting, upbeat,fun,but most of all we all learned a lot. 

Just finished our training with Anthony.  He is great! I definitely learned a lot.  I am very new at this position and I wasnt sure what to expect.  I wasn't very confident with the script before the past few days, but I definitely feel comfortable with it now.  Today was the first time I actually got through all 10 steps and booked the appointment with the customer.  We worked on the script and rebuttals so much they are pretty much drilled in my head.  I've learned that I need to keep a positive attitude, stay motivated, and have confidence when I am on the phone.  I would definitely recommend Anthony's training to any dealership!!

Just finished up the week training with Sean V. Bradley and Anthony Alagona... This team is looking awesome!   Can't wait to implement our processes and rock out!    Thanks Dealer Synergy!!

Hi Everyone,

We are new!!  Does anyone know how to send a Text Message through iMagic???

Ten Tips for creating an Eye catching Show Vehicle using Accessories

With every cul-de-sac lit up like Rockefeller Center, millions of sales papers advertising $3 dollar flat screen TVs at Wal-Mart (slight exaggeration), and ginormous inflatable snowmen in every mall parking lot, consumers are distracted. The biggest shopping season is in full swing and it’s easy for your dealership to get lost in the holiday shuffle. In order to compete you must take a lesson from the big retail giants like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. Ever wonder why they spend so much energy creating those elaborate window displays every year? It’s because it grabs the consumer’s attention, draws them into the store, and leads them to purchase merchandise. With a well pre-loaded vehicle, you can do the same thing. Here are ten tips for creating an eye catching show vehicle.

1.            Wheel Kits: A nice set of wheels on any car will grab attention. But, this is particularly important for prospects interested in purchasing trucks like the Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Silverado , and Ford F-150.

2.            Wraps: One of the hottest accessories in the Insignia system right now are the wraps that allow you to choose custom stripes for vehicles like the Chevy Camaro and the Chevy Cruze.  Did you know the Neiman Marcus 2011 edition of the Camaro sold out in 3 minutes! The model had unique paint and stripping.

3.            Grills: An easy way to separate your inventory from every other dealer selling the same brand is grills. Mazda is doing a great job with the new Mazda 3 grill mask selections. It’s different from any other brand. If you are selling trucks this is excellent way to grab attention as well.

4.            Electronics: It seems that we are quickly approaching the age were TV’s in the headrest of minivans and navigation in the dash of all vehicles will be standard. Why not get ahead of the trend? Both are very unique selling features for families. 

5.            Custom leather packages: For prospects who desire more luxury, custom leather on an economically produced model can really grab their attention.

6.            Window tint: This needs no explanation!

7.            Chrome accents: Prospects looking for sporty vehicles, trucks and economy vehicles all enjoy a little flash. Chrome accents like gas covers, fender trims and mirror covers give the vehicle a glitzy personalized feel.

8.            Sunroof: This is an attractive feature no matter the season.  The Hyundai Veloster offers this in an accessories package called the style package. It also includes a chrome grill surround with piano black highlights and a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

9.            iPod and Smart Phone adaptor kits: This is especially important to younger buyers. Vehicles like the Scion XB and the KIA Soul were created with them in mind and the iPod adapter is standard on all models.  Why not place the OE iPod cable inside to match the car.

10.          Body side molding: the right type of molding on a car can almost change the identity of it. For that reason alone the model will stand out. This has become a hot item for any dealer to up-sell.

Insignia Group, the leading provider of accessories sales systems and training has helped dealers maximize profits for over 10 years. Supporting 20+ brands and dealerships nationwide, we help our customers establish and grow their Accessories Profit Center. Call 888-579-4458 to learn more or schedule a demo.

Today I had the privilege of ministering Gods word to His people. 9 people made an eternal decision to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Thank u Lord for allowing me to help lead people to You.

I think any and every front line sales professional should have their own website. Whether it functions as a "evidence manual" or a full blown "lead generator" with inventory, etc. Either way being able to say to a prospect " hey before we get together check out www.robertwiesman.com to find out a little more about me and the services I provide and what some past customers have said about working with me."  Automatically will seperate you from the other sales people they have spoke to or dealt with and shows you are a true professional. They will see videos of you giving service tips, walk arounds, customer testimonials etc. You can also have a bio on you, with pictures of your family and pets. Posting a reference sheet with names, numbers, emails and short testimonals from your best customers will score big! Sky is the limit with what you can do with it and it is just one more thing you can be doing that the "sales person" up the block, around the corner and down the street is not.

“The Lord IS GOOD TO ALL…”

- Psalm 145:9 (New King James Version)

This is not a “maybe He might be good, if you do this or that” kind of answer. This is a definite, “The Lord IS…” kind of an answer! He is good to all. His goodness is not only to a certain type of person. His goodness is for ALL people. He is good to everyone. No matter their age, race, ethnicity, nationality, social status, income level or gender, God is good to all humanity.

“If you then, being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him.”

- Matthew 7:11 (New King James Version)

This sounds like a good God to me. God will give you good things for you to enjoy in this life. He wants only good things for you.

 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

- Psalm 84:11 (New King James Version)

Do you see that this is a God who does not withhold the good things He has for you? He does not dangle the carrot in front of you and pull it away as you get closer to it. He does not keep moving away from you as you approach Him. On the contrary, He draws near to you as you draw near to Him. He is not a bad God. He is a good God. He has only good things for you. This verse tells us that “…he will withhold no good thing to those that walk uprightly”. The word “uprightly” means “honesty and integrity.” This word comes from the root word that means “complete, whole and entire” (Lexical aids to the new and old Testament; the Hebrew/Greek Key Study Bible). What does all this mean? This means that when you walk in total, complete, entire honesty and integrity, you will receive every good thing that God has for you to receive in this life! Not bad; it’s all good because God is all good!

 “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in Him.”

- Psalm 34:8 (New King James Version)

The five natural senses can sometimes help us to know when something is either good or bad. We can see, touch, smell, hear and taste to help us know whether we like something or not. The sense of taste is awesome. When we eat something that is not good or may not be to our liking, the sense of taste tells you. Likewise, concerning the things of God, we have spiritual senses as well. One of which is the sense of taste. We can see this phrase used in Psalm 34:8. We can spiritually drink from the wells of salvation. We can spiritually eat from the bread of life. God wants us to taste His fruit. He wants us to get a taste of His flavor for our life. He wants us to bite into the life of God in Christ. He wants us to eat from the tree of life found in His Word. Why? Because when we taste the good things and the fruit of God, we will see that it is good. When you come in contact with the sweetness of God, you’ll have a spiritual sweet tooth for more. These are the sweets that will not decay your life or make your life rotten. These are the sweets that are good for you.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

- James 1:17 (New King James Version)

Every good gift comes from God. This encompasses anything that is profitable, useful, and constitutionally good. (Lexical aids to the new and old Testament; the Hebrew/Greek Key Study Bible). God is the source of all good gifts and all perfect gifts. This word “perfect” does not mean “free from fault” or “to be without deficiency.” This word refers to that which meets the need of a person (Lexical aids to the new and old Testament; the Hebrew/Greek Key Study Bible). Every gift that is for you alone or a gift that meets the need of someone else is from God. He is the giver and source of every good thing, gift and circumstance in this world. Taste and see that the Lord is Good!

Aristotle said, “You are what you repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act, it is a habit!” 

A habit is something you form into your life do to a continued daily practice. Depending on what you are continually practicing, habits can be either good or bad. The time and efforts you invest into them determine the developments of your habits.  If you allow more time and efforts to be the focus of some habits over others they will grow stronger, have a larger appetite and desire more attention. The larger the appetite the more it wants to be fed. The more it craves the more it gains control to rule your life. The more it rules your life the more you have lost having a habit and allowed a habit to have you.

We could learn about habits through the parent and child relationship. Good manners are developed through the continued daily investment of example, time, consistency and energy from parents to their children. The parents enforce the habit through influence. When a child receives a gift, the parent says, “Say thank you.” The child than says, “Thank you.” The child than gives the parent the gift back and the parent says, “Thank you.” The parent than tells the child to say, “You’re Welcome!” What is taking place here? The parent is enforcing a continued practice of response through influencing the child to say certain things. These are practices done with the hopes of developing good manners into the child’s character. The parent continues this for days, weeks and even months until it has become a habit. When it is a habit the parent no longer has to remind the child to do it anymore. The thing that was not natural is now a natural response. The child doesn’t have to think about it or even look to the parent anymore. Why, because it is a habit.

Now just because the habit is formed, enforced and is a natural response in the child’s life doesn’t mean the habit is there to stay for life. As a matter of fact the good habit can be influenced to change. Just as the good habit came through the influence of the parents is the same way the habit can be changed. Remember that, “Bad company corrupts and ruins good habits.” This is why it is so important to be careful of who you are hanging out with. Who you associate with will begin to rub off on you and effect your manners, character and speech. Your company will influence your habits. Your habits will influence your character. Your character will influence your reputation. Your reputation will influence your life. Your life will influence your world. Do you see the importance of keeping good company? Good company promotes good habits, good character, good reputation, a good life and ultimately makes a good world. In the same way, bad company promotes bad habits, bad character, bad reputation, a bad life and ultimately creates a bad world.

As professionals in the dealership and life in general you have worked so hard on developing good habits. You have invested your, time, energy, money and efforts into building good character and a solid reputation.

Here’s how you can protect yourself from “Bad Company” destroying your “Good Habits.”

1.      Don’t hang around the wrong people!

Don’t associate with people who are always complaining and negative. These people will ruin what you worked so hard on building. It’s always easier to look at the bad side of things. It takes discipline to train yourself to look at the good and achieve good results. If someone can get you to ruin your reputation they can effectively ruin your life.

2.      Hate what is bad!

We are to detest with horror the results and consequences of living a life that exhibits bad habits. We need to be like Teflon. Teflon is a material used on cookware for the purpose of keeping the food from sticking to the pan. We need to be Teflon to the bad ways and bad habits that try to stick to us.  They should slide right off of us.

3.      Hold onto what is good!

This is admonishing us to push away the bad ways and habits of life and to embrace the good ways and habits of life. When it comes to the good habits and ways of living this life we should be like glue. We should let them stick to us like crazy glue. Don’t switch them around either. Don’t slip away from doing good. Instead you should overcome the bad habits and intentions with the good habits and intentions you live.

Don’t be overcome by bad habits, rather overcome bad habits with good ones!

It’s in our power to make a difference in our lives. We have the influence to change our world! It falls on us. We are to never hold back the good that is in our hands. Good people who have good habits need to step out and stand up for what is good. What good is it? It is so good that it will change your life and the lives of others.

Philippians 3:13-14 (KJV)
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

If there's ONE THING we need to do, it is forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before! Too many people can never reach forth unto those things which are before, because they STILL have one hand holding onto those things which are behind. Let 2011 go, let those things stay in the past and move on to those things which are before you. It is a good day, a great month, it will be a blessed and prosperous year.

We have all had the customer who consistently drills us throughout  the sales process with "price, prce, price". "if the price isnt right, were not gonna buy it!".

Guys, its never about price. Never has been, and never will be. If the buyer doesnt LOVE it, and more importantly, if it doesnt solve PROBLEMS. They are not going to buy it, no matter what the price.

So we've sorted through all the inventory, overcame every objection and finally landed on the car they haveinterest in.We've done our job right? we have a car deal here, all you have to do is test drive and write em' up, get em' the lowest price and bang, money in your pocket.

No, no, no...

This is where 99.9% of all automotive professionals fail.

The first rule of selling is to ALWAYS agree with the customer. "This price is too high!" ..I agree with you sir, this price is high, follow me. Snap, just like that you now have there attention. Now that you've taken control, you now have to build value in excess of the price.

How is that accomplished? with 3 keys. Feature, Advantage, Benfit

Need an example? Feature: Alloy rims -- Benefit: Light weight, durable -- Benefit: Better gas mileage

If your selling a $30,000 product you have to sell $60,000 worth of features. $100,000 to $200,000 and so on.

I guarantee you if you follow this step every time. You will never be doubting yourself again and asking why they bought for $200 less at the dealer up the street.

Follow Me: http://twitter.com/#!/GaryDeanWest   @garydeanwest

Facebook: www.facebook.com/garydeanwest

http://www.dealersynergy.com

How Bad Do You Want It?

Out of thousands of videos that we have ever seen relating to inspiration and motivation, literally none seem to encompass the spirit of hard work and determination as this one video. “How Bad Do You Want It?” features former East Carolina running back Giavanni Ruffin along with a speech given by Eric Thomas aka “The Hip Hop Preacher”.

Giavanni Ruffin, a 6’1, 215 lb. running back, played college football at East Carolina where he mainly served in a backup role. Even as a backup, the thought of making the NFL never left Ruffin’s head.

“I’m hungry and determined,” Ruffin told Who’s Next Football. “When you start from the bottom you always want more. I’m one of the hardest workers you'll ever meet. I hate losing and I love to win. Every day, I take the necessary steps to become better for the team and for myself.”

After watching this video, you will completely understand the type of athlete and person Giavanni Ruffin is. Besides running an impressive 4.4 40-yard dash time, Ruffin may possess some of the more unique qualities found in a football player: a never-ending determination. There is nothing shallow about him. He lets his actions speak louder than words.

In this video, Ruffin is training his heart out during the NFL Lockout, hoping that someday he can make it on an NFL roster.  

“To be nobody but yourself in a world that's doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight. Never stop fighting.” E. E. Cummings

As you go through this life you will fight many battles, circumstances, people, feelings, emotions, physical barriers, pain, fear and exhaustion just to become you. Just to be heard. Just to do what interests you. Just to reach your dreams. Just to achieve your sales goals. Just to accomplish your God given purpose. If you ever want to succeed in anything in life you will have to fight to succeed. If you want to be a failure, do nothing. Always do what is easy and what doesn’t challenge you at all. Never stand up for what’s right. Never go against the crowd. Blend in to fit in and be accepted but don’t say what you really think. Only say what people want to hear and what they want you to say. Do this and you will without fail, be a successful failure! When you want something bad enough, you’ll fight for it. When you love someone enough you’ll fight to protect him or her. When you know it’s the right thing to do, you’ll fight for that cause.

The truth is we’re all fighters. A fighter is a person with the will, courage, determination, ability, or disposition to fight, struggle and resist something for a specific cause. Everyday we fight for others to hear us, accept us, love us and notice us. We fight for our ideas. We fight for our beliefs. We fight for our families and we fight for our friends. We fight to hit our goals and sales objectives everyday, every month and every year. In the midst of life, work and all that is happening outside of us; there is an unending war; a continuing battle that is taking place from within. This is a fight that only you can fight. You will have outside influence from people and circumstances but the decisions you choose and the choices you make will be the result of this fight. This is the fight for your will!

What is your will? It is the driving force of what you ultimately think, say and do. It is the combined makeup of your values, (what you like and don’t like), your thoughts, opinions, belief system, desires and pleasures. It is the mental faculty by which you deliberately choose a course of action. It is the power to arrive at one’s own choice and decision and to then act upon it independently in spite of anything that opposes you. It is the thing that causes you to lean towards that which creates joy in your life. Your will is that magnetic force that pulls you towards doing that which you like and want to do. Your will is also used to do what you don’t want to do. Your will is the final vote that allows the course of action to either take place or not. Your will has power. It is known as will power. Your will power is the strength and energy that is used to carry through your choices in life. Your will power is the ability to carry out one’s decisions, wishes and plans.  Your will power is also known as discipline and self-control. When people break habits they try to do it with will power”. When people try to accomplish success in any area they do it through the exercising of will power. As you exercise your will power you are strengthening the ability of your will to make a choice. This will power is what you use to ultimately become you. Everything you are today is the result of your exercised will power.

George Allen

“One of the most difficult things everyone has to learn is that for your entire life you must keep fighting and adjusting if you hope to survive. No matter who you are or what your position is you must keep fighting for whatever it is you desire to achieve.”

Nothing worth having in life is ever gained easily. If we want to achieve anything in this life we have to proactively fight for it. Too many people have fallen into the reactive fight stance in life. We’ve allowed ourselves to wait for something to come against us and than we fight back to make sure we don’t lose and get defeated. Now don’t misunderstand me. We will have to still do that at times. However, we should also put together attack plans to proactively go after our dreams, purposes and goals. We should fight on purpose, not just defensively.

Paulo Coelho

“But there is suffering in life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you're fighting for.”

Each one of us has been designed to live our life in this world for a specific purpose. There is no such thing as a worthless person. There is no such thing as a meaningless life. God handcrafted and fashioned each and every one of us. We are all unique and special for this world and His plan. No one else has the same finger print! No one else has the same DNA. Out of all the billions of people who have lived, are living and ever will live, you are “One of a Kind!” There is no one who is exactly like you. Even identical twins are not identical. You are “One of a Kind!” Don’t lose YOU! “One of a Kind” things are more valuable than copies. If everyone has it than the rarity and short supply holds no value.

For example: The Treskilling Yellow stamp from Sweden is the only one of its kind. It has a current value of more than $2 million (or $87 billion per kilogram, according to the site). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treskilling_Yellow) The rarity and only one of its kind demands an extremely high value. The same is true with the Gutenberg Bible.  Around the world there is an enormous amount of vintage books, but perhaps the rarest is the famous Gutenberg Bible: First appeared in a book printed in 1456. There are several hundred copies of the Bible itself, but the very first copy of the two-volume book will cost a collector of antique books around 20-25 million dollars. What to say if one page of the book goes under the hammer for 25 thousand dollars, but sold last year, a two-volume - not the first edition – to someone at 5.5 million dollars! Incredible!

This truth is not only consistent with these two items but also with you! Everybody is born an original, “One of a Kind” but sadly many end up dying a copy. Why is this? Because too many people have allowed others to shape, create, mold and fashion them into what they want them to be rather then fight to be who they really are.

It’s a fight to be you, but it’s a fight that’s worth fighting. Fight to be you! Fight to reach your purpose! Don’t settle to live someone else’s plans, purposes and life instead of yours! You’re an original. Be you to the best of your ability. Be who God created you to be in life, at work and in everything you do. Never stop fighting to preserve the individuality and uniqueness you are and you have to change this world for good!

Hyundai has launched an inventive social marketing program called the “HYUNDAI RACE” at Times Square, one of the busiest city cross streets in the world. By downloading a controller app from the iTunes app store, participants can enjoy the HYUNDAI RACE featuring the all-new Hyundai Veloster on a prominent billboard via Hyundai WiFi.

Steve Shannon, Hyundai Motor America vice president of Marketing said, “Having a large video display in Times Square certainly creates awareness among consumers through creative graphic elements. But Hyundai’s racing game takes engagement to a new level. The game invites the audience to interact with Hyundai in the middle of one of the world’s busiest venues for commerce and tourism. It’s a great example of our innovative marketing at work.”

HYUNDAI RACE  is played by tilting a smart phone like one would steer a car. Players race their Veloster against the clock and their score will get posted on the billboard to be ranked amongst other players. HYUNDAI RACE will be up on the billboard in Times Square until the end of this year, and Hyundai will continue launching a number of other interactive experiences in Times Square thoughout 2012.