MySuccessCompany.com E-NEWSLETTER
April 2020
This Month’s Selling Principle:
Why Are You Here? How to Create A Personal Mission Statement
Does your dealership have a published mission statement? Can you recite it by heart? And does it represent your own business philosophy?
Many of the stores I work with have their company mission statement prominently displayed for all to see. When I’ve asked about it, most of the dealers or general managers tell me that, generally speaking, their operations adhere very closely to that mission statement. When I ask the employees, however, some tell me they didn’t even know their dealership had a mission statement, and virtually all tell me that they had little if anything to do with the creation of that statement.
I’m passing no judgement here. Nearly all the car people I get to work with are sincere and very well intentioned. Nearly all of the 
world’s top producing organizations, be it corporate, athletic, or otherwise, have a rallying cry, a stated purpose that all of its members can measure themselves by. Now, since many top producing sales people believe that we’re in business for ourselves, building our own personal practices within the dealership, doesn’t it make sense to have our own personal mission statement? Something that, when read, can inspire us, buoy us, and remind us what our business purpose is? I think so. With that in mind, here are some basic guidelines to building a useful and meaningful personal mission statement. (Adapted from Applied Strategic Planning; A How To Do It Guide, by J.W. Pfeiffer, L.D. Goodstein, and T.M. Nolan, 1986, San Diego, CA: University Associates.)
1) Our mission statement needs to be clear and understandable to everyone who reads it.
2) It needs to be brief enough for us to keep in mind.
3) Our statement needs to clearly define what client needs we are attempting to fill, who our clients are, and what resources we plan to employ.
4) It should focus primarily on a single thrust of effort.
5) It should reflect our personal distinctive competence.
6) Our mission statement needs to be broad enough to allow us flexibility in implementation but not so broad as to hinder our focus.
7) It should serve as a template and means by which we make our business decisions.
8) It MUST be consistent with our values, beliefs, and philosophy.
9) Our statement should reflect something attainable.
10) Our mission statement should be worded so as to serve as an energy source and rallying point for our careers.
Once we’ve constructed our personal mission statement we need to memorize it, put it in our evidence manuals, include it in our marketing efforts to our clientele, place it on our business cards, share it with prospects, etc. Simply stated, we need to use it! Allow it to be one more tool we can use to distinguish and separate us from the average car salesperson.
Next time you see me, ask me to share my personal mission statement with you. Just be prepared to share yours with me too!
So, until next time, be well, and do good work!
Michael D. Hargrove
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“I suggest that your presence in the world of form has a grand mission and that you can discover and begin thinking, feeling and behaving in ways consistent with that mission.”
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Objection of the Month: “I don’t want/need to drive it.”
These are just a few of the most common strategies shared at the workshops we’ve conducted all across North America and attended by thousands of the top sales people in our field. Please keep in mind that nothing works all the time, and no one thing will work for everybody. Each of these strategies, of course, need to be tailored to the individual user, to the specific customer, and the particular situation. Also, this is by no means the definitive work on overcoming this particular objection and it’s not intended to be.
a. “That’s okay, no problem, I’ll drive!”
1a. then we just go ahead and switch places halfway through the demo route.
b. “You wouldn’t pay $200 for a pair of shoes without trying them on first would you? Let’s not make the same mistake with a $30,000 car.”
c. “Do you like spending time with salespeople? Neither do I really. Please let’s just take this for a quick spin so I can get a little time away from these guys.”
d. “You know, Mr. Customer, there are only two things that are FREE at any dealership and one of them is the first ride in your new car. And when we get back, may I bring you the only other free thing? Do you like yours black or with cream and sugar?”
e. “There are several critical contact points in making your decision. One of them is where the rubber meets the road. Another is where the seat meets your backside. Let’s make sure you get a chance to experience both, shall we?”
f. “Do you know what P.D.I. means? It stands for pre-delivery inspection. It’s literally the single most important service your car will ever receive. This is where a factory trained technician goes from the front to the back of the car making adjustments and checking levels. This becomes a base point for your car’s personality for the rest of its life. You see all these Accords? Each one drives a little different based on how it was PDI’d. Let’s see if you can tell the difference.”
g. “Look, this thing’s got ________ miles on it. Let’s just make sure no one’s hit a curb with it.”
h. “Have you ever baked anything before? Then you know there’s a recipe that needs to be followed for the dish to come out right, isn’t that true? We can experiment with the minor ingredients, that’s actually the fun of baking, but if any one of the main ingredients are missing, the recipe won’t come out right, right? Well, there’s a definite recipe to making an intelligent car buying decision, and the demo ride…is one of the main ingredients. Let’s make sure this recipe comes out right, shall we?”
i. “Ma’am, I wouldn’t ask you to buy a car you haven’t driven.”
j. “Have you ever seen a movie twice? Did you see different things the second time? Let’s drive this a second time just in case, okay?”
k. “A car, just like a wedding ring, is a major purchase. Unlike a wedding ring, however, a car can’t be resized. So, let’s take a moment to make sure this one fits just right, shall we?”
Next month’s objection will be: “I need my wife/husband.” We need YOUR input! Please forward your ideas on this one, or your suggestions on which objection to cover next, to [email protected].
“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”
Robert Byrne
On Success:
Getting Anything in Life or Biz We Want: The 2 Things Strategy
by Michael D. Hargrove
“There are two things you must do to get anything in life you want,” my father would tell me. After turning 15 1/2, it became time to test this strategy out.
The first part of the deal, I had already nailed; maintaining an A average throughout junior high school. This first condition, I must admit, was pretty easy to do. For years learning, and learning of any kind, had been my passion. So, long hours of study and excellent grades came fairly easily. The second part of the deal was going to prove to be a bit more challenging. I had to pay for the insurance and maintenance myself. If I couldn’t do that, then the car would sit. I had to get a job, quickly, and get a part time one that would pay enough to cover teenage insurance rates.
There was a Super A grocery store at the corner of Mines and Rosemead, right down the street from where my family lived, that would do the trick. I had heard that a box boy (the early ’70s were less politically correct) could make good money and a clerk could make “killer bucks.” I decided to work there.
Immediately after church, I rode my bike to the store, locked it up, and went in to scope things out. After watching the checkout stands for a few minutes, I asked to see the manager. Sonny had a quick gate, dark hair, brown eyes, a moustache, and was short, short in stature and short with me.
“Sorry Pal,” he said, “We’ve got plenty of box boys already. I got no openings but check back with me later.” and he quickly walked away from me not even waiting to hear the witty and endearing reply I had rehearsed for just such an event. He didn’t smile, didn’t sugar coat it, didn’t even try to fake a look of empathy. I was sure he must have had something more important to attend to although I don’t think he realized that the issue before him was one of life or death. I left a little crest-fallen but still determined to work there.
“The first thing you must do to get anything in life you want,” my dad would tell me, “is to ask. Ask, ask, ask, ask, ask, ask, ask, ask, ask, and always remember to ask again.” It was a strategy that consistently failed on him but always worked on my mother. Maybe it would work on Sonny.
The next day, after school let out, I rode my bike back to the Super A. I found Sonny. I asked him for a job. He asked, “Didn’t I tell you I had no openings yesterday?” “Yes, sir.” I replied. “What makes you think anything’s changed, Son?” “I really need this job, Sir, and you did tell me to check back with you, so I am.” I replied. “Well, I still don’t need you. You can always check back with me though.” he said smiling at me. Then he turned and quickly walked away. I thought to myself that his tone had changed and he did call me Son, didn’t he? I left encouraged.
The next day, same time, same question, similar reply. I came back the following day, same time, and asked again to be hired. Sonny again
told me he had no openings. The day after that I returned to ask Sonny again for the job but he stopped me short. “Look, I admire your tenacity, Michael, but you have to stop asking me. No means no. Sorry.” He looked long and hard at me waiting for my reply. It didn’t come. I wasn’t prepared for that. He asked, “Okay?” still staring and frowning at me. I just stood there silent. Finally, I muttered a weak “But I really need this job, Sir.” “Sorry.” was all he said.
I stood there, stunned, just watching the box boys. Then I remembered the second part of my father’s lesson; “But sometimes, Michael, asking simply isn’t enough. And when asking isn’t enough you must take action. Sometimes massive action.”
“Okay, the two things I must do to get anything in life are to ask and take action,” I thought. “Asking’s getting me nowhere, what action can I take? What action can I take? What action…?” I took action.
The young checker looked at me like I was crazy. So did her customer. But I just kept on bagging the groceries. I took care to follow what I had seen the “official” box boys do though I’m sure I was making some mistakes. I was going as fast as I could, smiling all the way. When one of the “officials” stepped in to finish the order, I simply found another checker who was “official- less” and started bagging their order. I did this for over two hours, and was getting better at it the whole time, until I finally had to leave in order to get home in time for dinner. I guess no one had complained, so Sonny never came to the front of the store to notice what I was doing. But I had my plan.
Next day, I did the same thing right after school. This time I caught a little grief from one of the “officials.” His name was Dave. He was a lot bigger than me, I mean A LOT bigger. He had been boxing for over two years now, and was impatient about getting his promotion I later found out. He must have felt that I was treading on his turf and he made no effort to hide it. He asked menacingly, “What do you think you’re doing?” “Boxing groceries.” I said smiling. “Not here you’re not!” he snorted as he cut in front of me and pushed me out of the way with his backside. The checker pretended not to notice and the customer didn’t know what to make of it. I just moved to another check stand.
Dave made it a point, after finishing each of his orders, to find me and either verbally or physically move me out of my plan of action. All the other box boys either ignored me altogether or adopted Dave’s tactics although none of them were physical with me. I eventually became discouraged and actually was afraid I might start crying. It looked like I’d have to come up with another plan.
Just in time, one checker very sweetly said to me, “Over here, Honey, you can bag for me.” Her name was Helen. She was a small woman, perhaps in her late 30’s or early 40’s, neatly kept, with a motherly look and presence. She was the senior checker so no one messed with me. She asked me what I was trying to do. I told her my plan. I was going to keep bagging until Sonny gave me the job. She smiled and said that Sonny can sometimes be a hard man but either way, I could bag for her. I also found out that it was Sonny’s day off, but I was committed to my plan of action and besides I enjoyed Helen’s company. I stayed and boxed for Helen until my dinner time.
The following day was Saturday. I was there right when the store opened. I found my place at the back of Helen’s check stand. Several hours had gone by with Sonny watching what I was doing and acting as if he wasn’t watching or at least didn’t notice it was me. Both Helen and I would engage each customer in friendly conversation as we quickly and efficiently totaled and bagged their groceries. With Helen’s coaching, I was getting real good at boxing. This was fun! I almost forgot I wasn’t getting paid for it. That is until Sonny finally approached me.
He walked up to me when Helen didn’t have a customer and said, “I’m sorry, Michael, but you can’t do this any longer.” “And why not?!” That wasn’t my voice, it was Helen’s! She continued, “He’s not hurting anyone Sonny and besides he’s the best box boy we have here. Dave is always sulking around with a sour face because he keeps getting passed over, Teresa’s slower than Congress, Steve’s always late and if he does show up half the time he’s stoned, and Nicole’s only waiting for Hollywood to call!” Sonny couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Helen finished with, “Why don’t you just give him the darn job, Sonny?!” She stared down Sonny like she were his mother and Sonny just stood there frowning speechlessly.
I got the job that day. Thanks to Helen, my dad, and the lesson he taught me. I worked hard, was always on time, was consistently friendly and polite, and quickly became the number one box boy in the eyes of the checkers. Helen and I became fast friends and she took pride in the way I attacked my duties, playfully reminding Sonny that I was her idea. Sonny quickly came around too and was generous with his praise and with my schedule. The other box boys warmed up to me also with the exception of Dave who never seemed able to change his sour demeanor.
Three months later, after realizing that boxing wasn’t going to pay me enough, I asked Sonny for a promotion. He only told me “No” once, explaining that there was no way he could promote me before Dave. “The union, you know, seniority.” I told him that I understood but I was going to get a clerks job today one way or another. He gently said, “No one will hire you off the street as a clerk.”
It took several stores and several times asking but I got my promotion that day. When I gave Sonny my two weeks notice the next day, he was shocked. He said he’d give me the promotion right now if I’d just agree to stay, but I had already given my new employer my word. Eventually, Sonny told me he was genuinely sorry to see me go and wished me luck.
Over the years the “two things” strategy has proven to be more than reliable. It has become my battle cry, consistently reaping for me good fortune. As the years passed, long after I had moved on to other jobs and other industries, I would still occasionally drop by the Super A to say hello to my friends there. Sonny eventually moved on. Helen did too. But I think Dave might still be boxing there.
© Copyright 2013 by Michael D. Hargrove and Bottom Line Underwriters, Inc. All rights reserved.
Upcoming Public Events:
Retail Automotive Sales: The Professional’s One Day Workshop
“Great information offered in an engaging way. Even after nine years in sales, I’m surprised I’ve learned this much. The workbook is a great reference to hone my skills and revisit the studied material.”
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Date(s): May 12th & 13th, 2020
Location: The Best Western Hotel – Tacoma Dome
2611 East E Street
Tacoma, WA 98421
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Location: Embassy Suites Hotel – Seattle North
20610 44th Ave. West
Lynnwood, WA 98036
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Here’s our entire schedule of upcoming public events–> Schedule Page
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