The Way to Climb Out from Never

In a world where the word “never” seems to be more popular today, it has created a body of fear. If the automotive business is doing one thing to most dealers, it’s testing their knowledge of what it takes to survive and grow. The weak die and the strong survive. The word “never” seems to come out often. Dealers say “I can never get out of debt;” “The up bus is never coming back;” “Oh never mind, I will never make it;” “The car business is never going to be the same;” “GM is never going to be like it was before;” and “It’s never going to be like it was back in the heyday.”

Have you caught yourself saying that nasty word? People talk to themselves all day long and the words you repeat bring on certain feelings that introduce some sort of action. The “never will I make it” dealer puts success on layaway, the other dealer says, “I’m not going to buy into this ridiculous media depression.”

How Do I Climb Up From Never?

You ask for help! Don’t even attempt to do this all by yourself. This is when you need to call on your allies or even more importantly, join, get back in, fall back in, beg back in or keep attending a Twenty Group. Our company sells seminars and we visit dealerships and our sales team performs a short 20-minute sales meeting. At the end we offer a special price for our workshops. We typically hear this from salespeople. I can’t afford to come to your workshop.

We then ask them, “How long have you been in the auto business?” Some come back and say, 7 years. We come back and say, well if you can’t afford to come, then that is the real reason why you have to come, after seven years you should be able to afford a few hundred dollars. The story is similar when I hear; “We used to belong to a Twenty Group.” If you have to cut out the happy meals at Ronald’s house, find a way to beg, borrow, break the piggy, cash the pop bottles in, sell your rookie Mantle card, and just get back in. You need help!

I Googled the word “twenty” and one of the definitions that came back was for 20-20, a measurement of your visual acuity, which means the ability to resolve fine details. Isn’t that what a composite does?

I liked this definition as well – Acuity – ability to localize precisely. The numbers don’t lie do they? Operating a dealership without a composite is like being on a rudderless ship. Without a strong hand on the tiller and a good crew behind you, you just might end up on the rocks. Your compass is your Twenty Group. You can focus clearly with a committed plan backed by the others in your group that will help guide you, whether you are wounded financially or personally. This is not the time to cut your expenses and say, I can’t justify leaving my dealership to go off to sunny land and go out for drinks, smokes and golf. The Twenty Group generates best ideas, and challenges you to be accountable for your successes and failures. If a person isn’t accountable I can assure he or she will fall down emotionally, physically and finally finan-

cially.

Motivation Is the Desire to Succeed

Training Is the HowTo

The numbers in a composite are like family photographs. Those are history; you keep them for memories, however the numbers in a composite are pretty much the same. History was recorded, so how do you improve today so that your numbers improve? There are four ways to improve your numbers.

1. Improve the person – remove the person – replace the person

2. Improve your polices – tolerate your polices – eliminate your polices if you don’t enforce them

3. Improve your process’s – develop a process – enforce the process

4. Improve and review your procedures – change your old ways or you die!

Now what would be the best way to get the above done? Well, you could sit at your desk and scratch your head. You could go out and start screaming for your team members to get their butts in gear or “I’m going to get really mad.” You could call an emergency 911 meeting, grab some donuts and say ok guys what do we need to do now? When the donuts run out, so does the meeting though. Or and it’s a big “OAR,” attend your Twenty Group and you open your mind and listen, observe and finally ask for help on how to become even more profitable through this cycle that we are all “growing” through.

Yes I did type the word “growing.” The word ASK has so many different meanings. I once heard someone say that word ASK means – Always Seek Knowledge – or Always Seek KASH! Why not ask the experts for more knowledge and money. The Twenty Group is the best way to ASK. I have spoke for NADA and Leedom and Associates Twenty Groups, and every time I do, it amazes me at the combined knowledge in the room.

The ideas that float and soar are there for you to grab and bring back to your dealership to grow you, your people and your profits. It’s time to grow on, not play the game of never mind. Email me at george@georgedans.com to receive my free Standard Operating Procedure handbook that will help you grow through the cycle that you are in.