Today we live in an instant society.  We want instant answers to all of our problems, concerns, career moves, etc.  Thanks to the Internet, a lot of information can be instantly in front of us.  Because of ATMs, we have access to our money - "Instantly."  And, too many of your customers are in a bad way because of instant gratification.

But, what about success?  How fast can you have it?  Is success a matter of simply putting in enough time and by being in the right place?  Some people who aren't successful believe exactly that.  Yet success has nothing to do with time.  It has to do with steps.  There are steps involved in becoming successful and depending on what your definition is, determines how many steps.  How long it takes you to climb each step is totally up to you.  But, I want to share some steps for those who seem to be in a time crunch.  You know what I mean.  You know what to do but can't ever seem to find the time to do it.

Everyone can find 15 mnutes here and there.  Think about yesterday in the dealership.  I know, you were buried in work.  Couldn't find time to breathe.  Okay, now let's be honest.  Make any personal calls?  Stand outside talking?  Read the paper or magazine?  Stood talking at the "desk"?  Or, were you really with customers every minute of the day?  If so, send me an email and I'll post congratulations to you on my web site.

But, rather than plan your whole day, let's look at 15 minutes at a time.

When someone feels pressed for time, the first thing that needs to change is the way they think about time itself.  If all you can see in your life is not enough time, that's what you'll always have.  But, what if I could prove there is plenty of time?  At least give it a try.

STEP 1 - The First 15 Minutes

Tomorrow, set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier than normal.  15 minutes won't kill you.  Now, when it goes off, get right out of bed.  Head to your favorite place in the house, a comfortable chair, the back deck, etc.  Now just relax.  Don't think.  Don't read.  Don't turn on the radio or TV.  Don't check your emails.  Just do nothing.  It's only 15 minutes.  But, if you can do it, it will change your life regarding time.  That's because, if you can afford to spend 15 mnutes every day doing absolutely nothing but relaxing, you really do have more than enough time.

Step 2 - The Second 15 Minutes

After relaxing, get to work about 15 minutes early.  This is especially important if you were off the day before.  Arrive fully dressed and ready to work (I always hated it when sales people had to tie their ties or fix their hair during my sales meetings).  Now, take a walk.  Walk the used car lot and take note what is missing.  You'd hate to be talking to a customer about that "perfect car" you had in mind for them only to find out it was sold on your day off.  Walk the service area and see what trades came in the night before.  Make a note of any that you have customers for.  Walk your new vehicle inventory to make sure the lot wasn't rearranged last night.  Know where your product is.

Step 3 - The Third 15 Minutes

These 15 minutes can be done at anytime during the day.  When you find yourself with nothing to do, head over to the customer waiting area and say hello to anyone sitting there.  Ask them who their sales person was.  If that person is still there, tell the customer how lucky they are to have a good person like that taking care of them.  If the sales person has left for greener grass, introduce yourself and let them know that they still have someone at the dealership to help them when they need it.  Offer to book their next appointment.  Ask if they'd like to receive updates on models, rebates, sales, etc.  You'd be happy to emal them.

Step 4 - The Fourth 15 Minutes

This is another break that can be done whenever you like.  Take your last batch of customers who did not buy and review them with one of your managers.  Come up with ways to get the customer back, develop ideas for other vehicles, or just learn how to do better the next time.  Sales people who did this were always first in my mind when one of my customers came in and needed to be taken care of (I never believed in house deals).  The real benefit of this type of reveiw is that you're putting yourself in a selling frame of mind and if a customer drives on to the lot, you are really ready to help them armed with fresh ideas.

Step 5 - The Last 15 Minutes

If you believe we only use a small percentage of our brains, you understand the power of the subconcious mind to get things done for us.  The last 15 minutes before you get to sleep take a piece of paper and write down the things you'd like to have solutions for tomorrow.  You can write down that you need ideas fo a particular customer, how to do better follow-up, ways to generate referrals, or even ask for ideas for other issues.  The point is, that part of your mind works on the last thoughts you gave it before falling asleep.

These are just a few ways to increase the odds of success.  To impact your future and your bottom line, stop spending time - INVEST IT!

John Fuhrman is the Senior National Trainer for Carolina Automotive Resource Services, a unit of The Dealer Resource Group.  His ten books have reached 1.5 million readers and he has trained sales professionals around the world.  When your dealership needs amazing results hiring new people, visit http://www.thedealerresourcegroup.webs.com.   ATTENTION DEALERS:  VISIT OUR WEB SITE AND REGISTER TO KEEP UP ON MONTHLY TRAINING SAVING SPECIALS.  Our trainers are ready to show you our "WOW!" factor.  (c)2011 by John Fuhrman - Permission to reprint this post in its entirety, including contact information, is hereby granted.