Imagine an apple tree. Ringing any bells? I’ve always taught that you have one - a tree full of ripe apples waiting to be helped by you. Well, with Carlos, I’ve learned that I was wrong. You don’t just have a tree. You have a whole apple orchard! 

We’re so happy to have you watching our video series, Advertising for Success. We’ve been giving you all of our best ideas for how to grow your business, hoping to help you transition fully to the relationship business. After a couple years of working with Carlos, we have so much more knowledge than we could have imagined. We’ve had the opportunity to start from scratch in a career, see what works best, and find you the most efficient, most profitable, most enjoyable way to do this business.

You remember Carlos, right? He started as a brand new salesman at Les Stanford, and his manager and coach is the one and only, Mr. Ali Reda. Want to know the best part? He started out 100% in the relationship business! Carlos hasn’t taken a single transactional customer. He began his career in a very different way than anyone in our industry ever had before! 

Watch this week’s video, and let me tell you what we’ve learned about a tree that is actually a whole entire orchard.

Okay, close your eyes and imagine an apple tree, lush with green apples. Can you see it? Now look past that little tree. Can you see that you’re in an orchard surrounded by a network of apples, just waiting for you, ripe for the picking? 

Let’s think about that, shall we? 

71% of new salespeople fail because of tough transactional customers, and managers who don’t nurture them through those experiences. Carlos hasn’t had to deal with trying to help anyone who thinks he’s a terrible person. His customers are greeted with a friendly smile. They know him. There are no walls up. They give him all the information he needs while they’re just catching up, and then he gives them the best options. It’s so easy, and it’s the way this business is supposed to work.

We want the apples to fall from your tree, and drop directly into the palm of your hand. We’ve taught for many years that your apple tree is filled with friends and family, and that being a presence in your community will help the tree to grow. But now, we know how to turn that tree into a whole orchard. Using your social media platforms, we want you to have every opportunity to expand your network exponentially.

Last week, we gave you some homework to do - a 60 day challenge to make four new friends every day. It’s been a week now! How’s it going? Pretty easy marketing, right?  

Let’s turn up the volume on this challenge a little. Now that you’ve been able to see how simple it is, what else can you do to widen your audience? The answer, of course, is to be present. Be part of your community, and participate. And how do you do that on Facebook? Join groups, my friend. Access what you care about with other people who are on the same page as you. 

There are Facebook groups out there for absolutely everything you can imagine being interested in. You’re already going in every day and sending out your friend requests. While you’re there, join a group. Just join a few groups every week for the rest of this challenge. Comment on the posts, like what the others put out there, and engage this new community. Need some ideas to get started?

• Keep it local. - Obviously this is still about helping people with their automotive needs, so make sure you are joining groups specific to your community. Do you have a favorite coffee shop in town? Look them up! Like their page, and see if they have a group. It’s likely that they do. Join the group for your neighborhood community center, your local food bank, and your gym. Join the group for your children’s school, and any activities they do. There is a group for everything - remember to start small and close to home. This is where you want your new friends to be.
• What are you interested in? - Join the groups that tickle your fancy, and get connected with people who care about what you care about. Whether you’re a gardening enthusiast, a bookworm, or a sports nut, this is how you get to put yourself in a place to loudly profess it. These are your people. Easy to agree with on at least this subject, you will find it almost effortless to create meaningful bonds in a group like this.
• Go through your life story. - Where have you been? What have you done? Where do you know more people? These are the questions to ask when you’re looking for groups with large amounts of people that already know you. What was your first job? Look up that group, and join! How about your high school? I bet your class has a group too. Get in there! Everywhere you’ve ever been is an opportunity to reconnect with people from your past.

Be yourself in there! Don’t be nervous to post a picture of your delicious breakfast at the coffee shop, to comment on the new book you just read, or to send out some love to someone you haven’t talked to in decades. People like you. You are magnetic, caring, interesting, and helpful.  Need a reminder? Be who you are at your best, and live the life of your dreams. You deserve it!

How are you enjoying our challenge so far? You’re finding it all pretty easy, I hope. Do the work, and watch your business change before your eyes. Tell us in the comments below, what’s the first group you’ll join?