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Cars, dealerships and sales people can be commodities. As a sales person, your job is to move everything you do and everything you have towards being a non-commoditized item or service. You must sell your difference.

When making a decision, customers look for deciding factors. Being able to know what the differences are and then helping the customer know what they look like, sound like and feel like is your job. Customers don’t spend an hour with you and say, “This is exactly the vehicle I’ve found everywhere, the dealership is exactly the same as every other one I have seen, your presentation was the same as every sales person gave me and the information you have given me is identical to everything else I have received, so I want to do business with you.”

People make buying decisions by matching up what they know or think they know to what you give them and then by finding what they did not know or understand. The first step is to match up with their thoughts and belief systems. If they don’t connect with who you are and what you give them, they won’t buy from you. Although that’s a big part of selling, it’s only the first half. The deal maker is making sure you stand out with your positive difference.

Go back to the 3Ms – Money, Me and Machine. What makes your vehicle unique? If nothing, what makes your dealership unique and the better choice? If you still say nothing, you better go on a mission to find something. When you have the answer, always ask yourself deeper questions about your answer, such as “How?” and “Why is that so?” Be concise and specific and be emphatic with your statements. Conviction creates confidence and confidence sells cars. If you are confident, it will be evident.

The last of the 3Ms is ME. Me means YOU. What about you personally will make you the unique and better choice among sales people? Nobody on earth is the same; we all have our unique experiences, talents, abilities, personalities and thoughts. Utilize that to not only connect with people, but to sell your difference. Relate to customers in a personal way that shows why they should do business with you.

If you are new, sell the difference of how they benefit from that. Show your eagerness to please and go beyond what most veterans would do. If you are a veteran sales person, sell your knowledge and experience in how that will make their life better. Let me say that again – “Make their life better.” That’s your job – to make their life better. People don’t buy a car from you because they thought you were going to take them out of their car, put them in a worse car, with more mileage, and worse terms and give them less knowledge, service or experience. TLC – Think Like a Customer, not a sales person.

Ask lots of questions. Find out what they liked while they shopped and bought before. Find out what they have not liked about shopping and buying a vehicle. Don’t assume that your uniqueness is enough. Package your uniqueness in a way that is appealing to the customer. People buy products every day because of the packaging. How do you present your package? How do you dress? What kind of questions do you ask? How do you present? If your customer shops five dealerships, will they have absolutely no choice but to choose you if the sales person truly makes the difference?

Write down every criterion a customer consciously and subconsciously considers about you and any other sales person when they buy. Rate yourself honestly from 1-10 on each. Then have someone else rate you on each from 1-10 on each. Once you have an accurate assessment of your position you can now create a game plan to improve on each one. Break your plan into small chunks. Make your growth and improvement plan gradual and consistent. Consistent = Persistent. When you see the improvement in you, your customers will too. You make the ultimate difference in everything.

Don't Sell A Price, Sell A Lifestyle
► Target Marketing To Life Events
► Market To Many Stages Of Life
► Stop Selling By Price Alone
► Create Your Marketing Plan Today!

Different stages of life require unique marketing messages and  campaigns. With digital marketing, you can advertise to prospects with content that will increase your conversions. That's this week on Think Tank Tuesday.

Many sales people tend to always be chasing the next customer and worrying about the next paycheck. The good news is that this is unnecessary and can be fixed forever in two years or less. Sales people can eliminate future sales and income anxiety once and for all.

What’s the key to creating freedom? It’s marketing. If you are a sales person who is waiting for your business to provide an endless funnel of prospects and buyers, you are living in a fantasy land. Even with a ton of leads and traffic provided to you, you must have a marketing plan to utilize the traffic, leads and power of your customer base.

Write down everything you are doing to market yourself. Your goal should be to add to this list every month and strengthen or add dimensions to everything you already are doing. Eventually, you will begin to integrate your message from all your sources of marketing and the power of your marketing plan will begin to grow tremendously. You will appear to be everywhere at once. Your goal is to appear bigger, better and even more successful than you already are. Perception becomes reality.

All sales people should have direct mail in their marketing plan. The direct mail campaign should contain marketing letters that are geared towards multiple approaches, including: holidays, special events, news, new residents, existing customers, inactive customers, residents that surround existing customers, inactive customers, potential customers already using your service, newsletters and lead generation letters to potential customers offering a free report or service.

In your letters, utilize a consistent theme. You should, over time, make yourself a quasi-celebrity with your marketing. Always have a photo or caricature of you, or your family or staff in the marketing pieces. Make your likeness, theme and messages take on a status of recognition. Your marketing should grow legs and take on a life of its own that is enduring. Market share of mind creates greater market share.

Talk to people in your marketing in a personal and conversational tone. A great advertising person once said, “You must enter into the conversation they are already having in their head.” Don’t be afraid to be unique and controversial in your marketing. The worst mistake you can ever make in marketing is to be boring. There are way too many advertising messages today for you to put out just another look alike, same-old marketing piece that gets lost in the shuffle. Unique, bold, consistent and personal get rewarded today.

Don’t allow yourself to get caught in the excuse trap of saying, “I tried that once and it didn’t work.” You may not have done it right the first time; most don’t. That’s not a reason to quit.

Always think of the 3Ms – Message, Market and Media. What is your message? What is your marketplace you are delivering the message to, and does it match? What media will you use to reach the market?

The more you can target your message to a targeted audience, the better your results. There are list companies that can provide demographic, socio-graphic or just about any other filter you desire to qualify your potential and desired market. The old saying is that the best way to have a successful restaurant is to find a hungry crowd. You must also find your hungry crowd. Once you find them, you must bring them to you, gain them as customers, build a fence around them and never let them go.

The best way to create a sellable marketing approach in your message is to study copywriting and the masters of the craft. Writing copy for ads, letters, marketing pieces and newsletters that get people to take action is a learnable skill that will make you more money than robbing a bank. Study, practice and test your copywriting skills everyday. Nothing will teach you as much about sales, marketing and business as copywriting skills.

Learning to write copy, plan marketing sequences, doing the grunt work or hiring someone to do it certainly isn’t sexy. It won’t cure your traffic, lead or sales woes over night. But in the long run, they will be the things that make you successful, wealthy and free.

http://www.internetsales20group.com 

Canadian Internet & Digital Marketing Director, Ryan Holtz Reviews the Internet Sales 20 Group 

Ryan flew all the way from Canada to attend the most recent Internet Sales 20 group in Los Angeles. He was blown away by the #is20g. He said it was the BEST conference that he has ever attended... EVER!

http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com 856-546-2440 

You know there are cars on your lot that are going to sell faster than others. Take those that sit for long periods of time and market them directly to customers that want them. That's this week on Hard Facts.

What's the common image of a salesperson? The big bad wolf.

The big bad wolf seeks and destroys. It's a predator who pounces on its prey, eats the weak and leaves a bloody mess behind. This image makes the job of salespeople a lot harder than it should be. The good news is that this creates an opportunity to kill the wolf and turn the negative into a positive.

If you were to ask 10 customers what they hate about salespeople and the buying experience, you'd get an earful. Take each of those answers and list when it occurs in the sequence of your normal sales process. Begin to review the list and sequence with a TLC Mindset (Think Like a Customer).

Picture your customer, or even yourself as a customer, in the buying process and the negative experience. Remember, perception is reality: Selling is nothing more than helping customers solve problems in a manner they feel positive about. The key word is "feel." Emotions are key to everything in life, including sales and the buying experience.

In marketing and sales, you must constantly remove the barriers of entry for a customer. Picture a road with potholes, detours and obstacles and the emotions they create when encountered. This is exactly what a customer feels every time they encounter a barrier in your buying process.

Begin to think in terms of proactively eliminating each barrier. Now take this a step further and begin to promote the differences in a manner that separates you from the competition in a manner that is positive but not arrogant. Create a funnel process that allows the customer to move effortlessly and positively through the process.

Old school training methods that are based upon closing deals rather than opening relationships are dead. Consumers are too educated, have too many choices and demand a better experience today. Don't continue your current sales process just because that's the way you have always done it or because of the worst philosophy ever spoken - "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Create a selling philosophy and process that becomes a part of your brand, your defining message and your culture. I guarantee it's easier to recruit, hire and train winning salespeople with this philosophy and process.

Begin by analyzing everything from the initial contact on a phone call, a visit to your Web site or when they pull into your business. I can think of at least five negative things that occur in a traditional meet and greet and 10 absolute deal killers that occur at least 50 percent of the time or more when you are profiling and interviewing customers.

For a list of these deal killers, along with 10 suggestions to improve your process, feel free to e-mail me at info@tewart.com.

http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com 856-546-2440 

Mid-Week Motivation with Joe Cala - Baking A Cake - Automotive Sales - Car Sales 

There are 24 hours and a total of 1,440 in every day. Successful people just seem to get a lot more done in a day than unsuccessful people. The main reason is successful people keep the main thing the main thing. Success is not an accident.

First, you must be honest about your strengths and your weaknesses. Spend your time in what you are strong at and delegate what you are not. A sales person reading this article may immediately think they don’t have anyone to delegate to. This is limited thinking. Find someone who is good at what you are not and make an alliance with them. Either pay them for their services, or offer them your services in exchange. If you go through your client list, you will come up with many people who can assist you in getting what you want. Keep this order: Be, Do, Have. The type of person you want to be, should determine what you want to do and have.

Before you begin to do anything, ask yourself these three questions:

1. What do I want to do?

2. Why do I want to do it?

3. How can I do it?

When the “why” gets strong, the “how” gets easy. A good exercise before you start a task is the Payoff Matrix Exercise. Draw four quadrants – The bottom left quadrant is titled “Quick Win,” The bottom right quadrant is titled “Waste of Time,” the top left quadrant is “Business Opportunity,” the top right quadrant is “Special Effort.” To the left of the quadrants put the word “Payoff.” At the bottom of the quadrants put the word “Effort.” When considering a task, measure the amount of effort you think it will take and then go from left to right until you think you have reached the correct measurement of effort and stop. Next, think of the amount of payoff you could expect from the task and measure it going upwards. When you stop, you will have an axis of measurement that will land in one of the four quadrants. This will tell you what the estimated bang for buck is for the task.

Successful people simply get tasks done that reward them greater. When something comes your way use the 4Ds of time management: Do it, Delegate it, Dump it, or Defer it. Make quick but educated decisions on what is the correct action based upon the reward potential.

Unsuccessful people think backwards. They get caught up in the “When-Then” Syndrome. “When I get to here, then I will do that.” The problem is they never get there. Always start with the end in mind. Everything else is a mind game. Unsuccessful people work for wages to pay bills. Successful people work for profits and opportunities.

Successful people educate and motivate by reading, learning and practicing personal development; unsuccessful people watch TV. Successful people think big and live large; unsuccessful people think small and live little. Unsuccessful people hate change; successful people embrace change and create it.

Successful people play to win; unsuccessful people play not to lose. The root of scarcity is scared, success and money does not follow scared. Unsuccessful people believe in luck and lotteries; successful people make their luck and lottery everyday.

Unsuccessful people wish for success; successful people create it. Unsuccessful people quit easy; successful people never quit. Unsuccessful people fear failure; successful people know it’s a part of the process. Unsuccessful people talk about things and people; successful people talk about ideas and possibilities. Unsuccessful people think about today; successful people think about the future and live today.

Success or failure, it’s your choice. If you would like the Payoff Matrix, e-mail me at info@tewart.com and put “Payoff Matrix” in the subject line.

Here at Lacy Ford Lincoln and Subaru, the internet department started making general videos for our customers. Tell me what you think I did a couple of them you can go to my facebook for more videos. Thanks please give me some input on what I should change.

Chelsey Decker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN_1Fi4firo

Recently I listened in on a KPA webinar. One of the speakers was asked, “Do you recommend taking the same content across different platforms for changing it up?”

He responded, “If the creative is good, then yes. However I’m really against posting the same material in multiple places.”

In ecommerce, we learned this was a huge mistake quite a while back. Because we work in the dealership we see the message constantly. We tire of it and assume everyone has seen it. Often there is a certain arrogance that our customers follow us in every single channel, that simply isn’t the case.

The plan shouldn’t be, “Did I put a different message in each channel”, the plan should be, “Did we put this message in every channel we could?”

Even if you don’t fully post in each place, point everything to a central point. Don’t cop out and point everything to Facebook unless necessary. Facebook isn’t your de facto website. Use all the channels to funnel to your website whenever possible, the place where your finance forms and inventory live.

Consumers are irritated when they missed out on a deal because they didn’t know about it. They aren’t blaming themselves when that happens, they are blaming you.

As a sales professional, it can be an eye-opening experience when you go shopping for yourself. Weaknesses in other’s presentations can teach us lessons about how to strengthen our own. One common theme you might notice is that many people don’t seem to recognize that people don’t buy products or services. People buy from people.

People buy solutions to perceived or real problems. Good sales people assist buyers in solving their problems through emotions, visual imagery, and proper logic and people skills. The one component of sales that makes everything come together is people skills. You may be great at product knowledge, presentation, demonstrations or closing skills, but none of those things will matter if you don’t create a relationship with your customer.

A catalyst is an agent of change. There’s not a better way to describe sales people. When your customer begins to shop, they are beginning a process of change. If you are the sales person who makes the sale, it will usually be because you were better at assisting the customer to make that change. Let’s look at some ways to make those changes happen in a positive way that allows your customer to buy. Take notice of the phrase “allows your customer to buy,” rather than “you selling the customer.”

Imagine, for example, going to shop for a hot tub. You go to a nationally known store that has obviously conducted sales training for their sales representatives. The sales person has a very specific sales presentation. He also has considerable knowledge about his product and the competing products. The sales person is enthusiastic and energetic. In other words, he has a lot of good things going for him.

However, the sales person has a fatal flaw in his approach that probably costs him lots of business. The sales person tries very hard to be a sales person but he misses being just a person by a mile. What’s the difference?

The sales person begins to immediately show you the hot tubs and begins his process without taking the time to ask any questions and build a rapport that creates trust. When someone starts off a sales process in this manner, they are beginning what could be called the “Spray and Pray Method of Selling.” They spray out a presentation and pray that the customer gets excited about something in their verbal barrage about the product. They have no idea what that something might be.

This method lacks specifics, empathy, warmth, personalization, communication and listening skills, just to name a few problems. Imagine a different approach. A sales approach where the salesperson would have asked the some of the following questions:

• “Who will be primarily using the hot tub?”

• “How many people will usually use it at a time?”

• “Will it be used for recreational purposes, therapeutic or both?”

• “Will kids be using the hot tub?”

• “Do you currently have or have you had a hot tub in the past?”

• ”If so, what did you like and dislike?”

• “Where will the hot tub be located?”

• “What kind of foundation will it be on?”

• “Will the area that the hot tub will be located at be enclosed or open?”

• “What is the most important thing to you about a hot tub?”

• “How long have you been shopping for a hot tub?”

• “During this shopping process, what has been the No. 1 thing about a hot tub or any features that has excited you the most?”

• “During your shopping process, has there been anything you may have wanted that you have not seen or anything in particular that has disappointed you?”

You can think of a ton of questions that would allow specific answers and enable the customer to experience the change they are looking for. You can use the keywords and answers the customer supplies you to laser in on what they want to accomplish, using specific examples that involve active and present-tense ownership imagery.

When you are doing these things, you are relating to your customer in an empathic and personal way that separates you from all the other sales people. Never forget that you were a person before you became a sales person, and that people buy from people.

The holidays are quickly approaching. Do you have plans in place to make your dealership a stop on customer's shopping lists? Learn how to take your Black Friday and Cyber Monday strategies further. That's this week on Think Tank Tuesday.

For every one on this board that didn't get to make it to Internet Sales 20 Group in LA.....Shame on you! Once again, Sean V. and his band of industry phenoms blew it out of the water! Every once in a while I will catch my wife off guard and I'll say, "I can't wait until tomorrow." She always responds, "Why, what's happening tomorrow?" to which I respond, "I get better looking every day!" Then she punches me and moves on. This is kind of like thinking about what these people could possibly do to trump this trump of the last trump! No matter how good it gets, the next one always seems to get better. In this digital world that we live in, information changes dramatically between these events. The speakers at the IS20G are the people who are right in the middle of these changes...whether they are writing about them or making the changes themselves! I don't care how many conferences that you have been to...I guarantee you have never been to one like this. The interaction is a game-changer.

I will say that Sean V. Bradley is the finest moderator in the country, in ANY industry. Whether he agrees with the speaker or not, he will explore EVERY angle of the conversation. He encourages...no, he INSISTS on participation from everyone. Attendees will tell you that they get as much from other dealers as they do from the speakers. First, a presenter will speak to a point, then a dealer will chime in on the effectiveness of the method. Then another attendee will ask THAT dealer specific questions. It's awesome to be a part of these discussions. Then, as if that is not enough, at the end, you get a chance to get together with accountability partners to formulate a plan to execute what you have learned. IS20G was over less than a week ago and I have already had communication with MY accountability partner...and I'm a General Manager!

Now, to my friends who DID attend...

Rubber. Meets. Road.

Ideas are easy, execution is hard. Why don't we lift weights? Because they're frickin' heavy, that's why!

From the book "The Greatest Salesman in the World".  A book, second only to the Bible, in shaping my life.

I will leave you in the capable hands of Og Mandino...

My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible.

All are of no value unless they are followed by action.

I will act now. Never has there been a map, however carefully executed to detail and scale, which carried its owner over even one inch of ground. Never has there been a parchment of law, however fair, which prevented one crime. Never has there been a scroll, even such as the one I hold, which earned so much as a penny or produced a single word of acclamation. Action, alone, is the tinder which ignites the map, the parchment, this scroll, my dreams, my plans, my goals, into a living force. Action is the food and drink which will nourish my success.

I will act now. My procrastination which has held me back was born of fear and now I recognize this secret mined from the depths of all courageous hearts. Now I know that to conquer fear I must always act without hesitation and the flutters in my heart will vanish. Now I know that action reduces the lion of terror to an act of equanimity.

I will act now. Henceforth, I will remember the lesson of the firefly who gives of its light only when it is on the wing, only when it is in action. I will become a firefly and even in the day my glow will be seen in spite of the sun. Let others be as butterflies who preen their wings yet depend on the charity of a flower for life. I will be as the firefly and my light will brighten the world.

I will act now. I will not avoid the tasks of today and charge them to tomorrow for I know that tomorrow never comes. Let me act now even though my actions may not bring happiness or success for it is better to act and fail than not to act and flounder. Happiness, in truth, may not be the fruit plucked by my action yet without action all fruit will die on the vine.

I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words again and again, each hour, each day, every day, until the words become as much a habit as my breathing and the actions which follow become as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids. With these words I can condition my mind to perform every act necessary for my success. With these words I can condition my mind to meet every challenge which the failure avoids.

I will act now. I will repeat these words again and again and again. When I awake I will say them and leap from my cot while the failure sleeps yet another hour.

I will act now. When I enter the market place I will say them and immediately confront my first prospect while the failure ponders yet his possibility of rebuff.

I will act now. When I face a closed door I will say them and knock while the failure waits outside with fear and trepidation.

I will act now. When I face temptation I will say them and immediately act to remove myself from evil.

I will act now. When I am tempted to quit and begin again tomorrow I will say them and immediately act to consummate another sale.

I will act now. Only action determines my value in the market place and to multiply my value I will multiply my actions. I will walk where the failure fears to walk. I will work when the failure seeks rest. I will talk when the failure remains silent. I will call on ten who can buy my goods while the failure makes grand plans to call on one. I will say it is done before the failure says it is too late.

I will act now. For now is all I have. Tomorrow is the day reserved for the labor of the lazy. I am not lazy. Tomorrow is the day when the evil become good. I am not evil. Tomorrow is the day when the weak become strong. I am not weak. Tomorrow is the day when the failure will succeed. I am not a failure.

I will act now. When the lion is hungry he eats. When the eagle has thirst he drinks. Lest they act, both will perish.

I hunger for success. I thirst for happiness and peace of mind. Lest I act I will perish in a life of lure, misery, and sleepless nights. I will command, and I will obey mine own command.

I will act now. Success will not wait. If I delay she will become betrothed to another and lost to me forever. This is the time. This is the place. I am the one.

I will act now.

Who's your Danny?

http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com 856-546-2440

Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley "Attitude" - Sell More Cars - Car Sales

Check this out did something on my free time!!!

My%20Movie5.wlmp

4 Qualities Great Salespeople Avoid

Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/qualities-great-salespeople-avoid/#Ms9J29bwqGhqf6wr.99

In this business we focus on all the steps to the sale.  Over the course of the last couple years, even with the technology that is revolutionizing our industry, one of the most important talents to have is THE PHONE.

When you read that last sentence, I have to assume many of you are cringing as it's the flaw of our business for many.  How many times do Managers have to harp on salespeople to MAKE THEIR calls?  And of the people making their calls, what is the quality of the phone calls?  Anyone can pick up the phone, and say "I completed my phone calls"-but the whole purpose of the phone call is the FIRST STEP to making a sale.

A phone call when handled properly, leads to an appointment, an appointment leads to the sale.  We can all agree on this.

Here is my confession, before intense phone training-I relied on my video greetings and one or two phone calls a day to make sales.  YES, it was effective, but after being a trainer for Phone Ninjas, when I came back into a store I APPLIED everything I taught. 

So, I get it.  I can remember a time, when I would "complete" my calls for the day but they weren't effective. Part of this was because I really didn't know what to say.  I would do the typical "if you have any questions, let me know, I am happy to help." And guess what?  I got a few phone calls back, but they were only phone calls impressed with the video greeting they got.

Now, I call a customer 4x a day and aim my video greetings not to "sell them a car online", but to "sell them the phone call/calling me back" and when I get them on the phone I don't ask if they need help, I help them.

I see you are interested in a new Honda CRV, is that correct? 

Yes

Okay great, and are you interested in a CRV with leather or cloth interior.

Cloth

Okay excellent!  Any preference on having a moonroof or without a moonroof?

I want a moonroof

Perfect.  Great news Mr. Customer, I'm looking at my availability and I just got a new shipment in with about 20 new CRV's.  Based on that availability, WHEN are you available to visit with me?  Right now, or later today?

I KNOW, that phone calls are a problem in our industry...to keep this as simple and short as possible...  WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET EFFECTIVE PHONE CALLS MADE from sales people.  Is it training or accountability?  Or both?  What are the best practices to get this done?



Elise Kephart is a sales and marketing phenomenon in the automobile business and is nationally recognized as "The YouTube Diva". Since 2007 Elise has sold thousands of vehicles to local and out of the area clients. Her personable and persuasive sales and marketing videos are personalized for every customer creating a strong bond and trust. Elise has presented at seminars nationwide, including several of Jim Ziegler’s Internet Battle Plans as well as the spring 2012 Digital Dealer conference in Orlando, where she has consistently 'wowed' the audience by teaching how to create and edit quick and effective videos and deliver them to customers within minutes. Elise has visited several dealerships across the country teaching her unique technique in the auto industry and has been praised by the likes of Jim Ziegler, Grant Cardone as well as Dealer Marketing Magazine. Elise is currently an Internet Manager at Sunset Honda in San Luis Obispo, California. Her amazing videos can be seen at youtube.com/sunsethonda and she can be reached at ekephart@sunsethonda.com

One skill I'm working on is building a Profile of the customer, starting with the lead.

What's the difference between Profiling and Qualifying?  Here are some questions, see if you can tell which is which:

1.  Are you looking for a sedan or SUV?

2.  How do you use your vehicle when you are not commuting to and from work?

3.  Are you considering a new vehicle, used or both?

4.  Did you buy your current vehicle new or used?

Profiling is based on what people DO, who they ARE, where they LIVE, not what they SAY they want.  See the difference?  

Ever heard that "Buyers are Liars"?  Of course.  Ever heard this one:  "Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying"?  That's a quote by Emerson.  People usually won't 'lie' about the kinds of 'conversational' questions we ask while profiling.  But if they sense it's a 'sales' related question, especially involving money or intent to buy, their guard goes up.

Profiling allows the Automotive Sales Professional to diagnose the customers hot buttons and buying motives, and enables us to BUILD VALUE at each step of the buying process, rather than resorting to price, price, price.

Your effectiveness in leadership will come from being around your team. You will have plenty of time at your desk to analyze reports, crunch numbers and work in your CRM, however resist the temptation to anchor down there and invest your time to the team.

You be the thermostat in your department and set the temperature every morning through your actions and by what you say. Your words are so important to the success & failure of your department. What you say, how you say it and why you say things will create an atmosphere and culture either positive or negative based on your choice of words. Think about it. Words are what you are reading right now. Words contain power. Words store within them energy to release into the atmosphere in which they are aimed towards. Words can create peace. Words can create wars. Words are powerful! Life and death are truly in the power of the tongue. Speak words that will inspire, encourage, teach, build up, and inject confidence. Let’s look at the power of words for a moment and see what they do to you when you just read and look at them let alone hear them spoken to you from someone. Don’t just read them to get through this, but behold them, think on them one at a time and let them marinate into your being as you do.

What do these words below remind you of? How do they make you feel when you see and experience them? Who do they bring into your mind when you see them?

• Love

• Warmth

• Fun

• Laughing

• Peaceful

• Calm

• Tranquil

• Exciting

• Rich

• Scared

• Angry

• Hate

• Mad

• Sad

• Crying

• Overwhelmed

• Busy

• Stressed

• Depressed

• Lack

• Confused

Now this exercise was based on us only focusing on 1 word at a time. As I did this focusing on just 1 word at a time I experienced within me a wide variety of emotions, thoughts, memories, and feelings that I used to associate with these words listed above. If we can experience this much impact on just a group of single words alone, disconnected from other words creating sentences, then think about the impact these words will have once they are laser focused statements directed towards us with passion, feeling and meaning behind them. Words are powerful so use them wisely. They will create an environment, a culture and a temperature within your organization. Think before you talk, respond and react.

Talk to your team each morning. Create an open door to yourself so they can open up to you and give you access to help train, coach and teach them.

Stay approachable and be consistent. Consistency is so important. You do not want to be a roller coaster department always going up and down. Stay consistent in meetings, ongoing training, and anything else you say & do.

Recognize your team for who they are. They are people who are working together to accomplish individual & corporate goals every day. Whether they are performing well or poorly never minimize them, embarrass them or make fun of them in their abilities, lack of abilities, skillsets, good month, bad month or anything that would seem to lower their self-esteem.  Although this may not be the most popular way to lead this is very effective and will help keep your team happy and wanting to come to work with and for you. Nobody likes to feel lowered in how they feel or are viewed in any sense of the meaning. Treat them with the same courtesy, kindness and respect as you would like to be treated.

Ask Your Team Questions

Your success is directly related to your team’s success. It’s your responsibility to remove any hindrance, roadblock or distraction negatively affecting their results, energy, morale and efforts. Here are just a few questions that you can ask your team to help discover these possibilities:

• Is there anything slowing you down as you perform your duties each day?
• What can I do to help you perform to your highest capacity?
• Do you have everything you need to do your job?
• What are some, if any, challenges you are facing?
• What is the most challenging objection you hear and would like help overcoming?
• What is your strongest rebuttal to overcome Price? Availability? Convenience? Research? Credit? Hate Buying A Car?
• If you were me what could I do differently to make your experience better?
• If you were the customer what could we do better as a company to make their experience better?