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Comment by Sally Whitesell on March 17, 2015 at 8:00am

Thanks Brian and yes it is Vince Vaughn.  I spent a fortune to get him to pose for me;-)  Actually they had free pics on a site for 24 hours to promote his new movie.  I was hoping it would get some attention.  How fortunate you are to be able to take Sybil to work with you.  I always tell my husband when I travel that I miss my dog and my husband.  He get's the order and completely understands.

Comment by Brian Bennington on March 15, 2015 at 8:19pm

Why Sally, how encouraging!  And, you can bet "Brain won't give up until the fat lady sings."  

Sybil #5, my German Shepherd who's with me everyday at work and is sleeping here next to my desk, really likes that you like animals.  I've had "Sybils" and cats since I was in my 20s, and wouldn't have wanted to have lived my life without them.  The three times I was a bachelor, I often joked to the women I met, "Love a man's dog, love a man."  Now, don't get the wrong idea.  While I was labeled an "incorrigible womanizer" until my 30s, which I whole-heartedly believe was one of the benefits of playing in a R&R road band in the 60s and 70s, my wife #3 and I have been married for 29 years, and we even work together.  (Of note, my wife knew my "history," but being the salesman that I am, I acted on my belief that "A good sales person can always use the truth to their advantage," and long ago convinced her that everyone before her was "practice, so I'd be just right for her."

Your interest in getting involved with local charities is the wise move.  After all, "Charity begins at home."  You and Amy are definitely on the same page, as the best way to give is to cut out as many "middlemen" as possible between you and those you are helping.  By the way, is that Vince Vaughn in your post's photo?        

Comment by Sally Whitesell on March 15, 2015 at 8:51am

Brian, I have to agree that some of the large organizations are abusing those with a soft giving heart.  Only a small percentage of donations really go to the cause.  That is why I like to find smaller local charities that make a difference in my community.  I happen to know that Amy heads up an outreach every Thursday at her local coffee shop that feeds over 300 people.  "Yes she is amazing because feeding 5 is hard enough"  It's all about choosing wisely.  As a big animal lover, I feel honored to walk with the animals!  No body will love you more unconditionally than a good pet!  Don't give up Brain, there are still a lot of people who can benefit from your knowledge and compassion!  

Comment by Brian Bennington on March 13, 2015 at 7:35pm

Hey Sally, at 247 views and counting, your post is garnering the readership it deserves.  In regards to Amy's comments, since I was in my twenties, I was always surprised about women's quest for equality, primarily because, by that time, I'd recognized their superiority in about every measure there is, except for maybe fist fighting.  Take Amy, for example.  A capable competent auto professional while raising five children.  Amazing! Especially when you consider that if men had to carry and give birth to the next generation, the human race would disappear in no time.  I love women.  Always have and always will.  I've tried to live my life complimenting them, not competing with them.  And, in turn, they've enriched my existence more than I can express.

Reading Julie's reference to "Brian," while it was a bit unclear, I think she visualizes me as a selfish "ogre," not wanting to participate in anything charitable.  She's partially right in one accord.  More and more it's coming out that administrators of charitable organization and the marketing groups they employ, are lining their pockets first before dispersing their contributions, almost as an afterthought.  Take, for example, the Red Cross.  Just google it and you can see they're under fire, and they're far from alone.  Unfortunately, the "good-hearted" charity volunteers are raising money to give to "black-hearted" professional charity administrators.  Man, it seems like every organization I was brought up to believe in has tuned out to be a facade for greed on an unparalleled scale.  From banks, to education, to religion, to medicine, everyone wants to makes sure they collect their "boat payments" before anything else.  My father often commented that "people are a miserable bunch of bastards," and the older I get, the more I appreciate his wisdom.  He wasn't as harsh as that sounds, as he also commented that "Man among the angels is ludicrous, but with the animals, he can walk proud."

How the hell I got here from your original post Sally, I'm not quite sure.  But, I am sure that a good blog here moves your mind to places and considerations that only fresh observations and viewpoints can do. 

        

       

Comment by Sally Whitesell on March 13, 2015 at 2:52pm

I love that two automotive professional women have validated my point.  As I mentioned in our women's research this came through loud and clear!  There are many talented dedicated professionals out there who also have a passion and responsibility to spend time with their families and give back to the community.  Yes, it does takes a lot of hours and dedication to become successful and competitive in our business but it can be done with some flexibility.  Julie, how fortunate you are to work in a Dealership that appreciates your talent enough to put these types of programs in place. Thank you for taking the time to make a great point!

Brian, you have some valid points! I too believe we have become a society that rewards mediocre performance but that is a whole different issue.  Just ask any of my client's how much I preach accountability!  Social conscience  and flexibility do not have to cost anything but time and that is really what we are talking about here.  Keep the quotes coming. 

Comment by Amy Kern-Smith on March 13, 2015 at 1:21pm

Great post Sally!  I love working in the automotive industry and have only been able to do so because of flexibility and strong support from the industry as a working mother of 5.  Not only that but the partnership and support with my outreach passions have really been huge and I have grown as an employee and team member because of it.  Thanks for writing this as with some small changes we could see some big differences.

Comment by Brian Bennington on March 9, 2015 at 11:24pm

Hey Sally,  Just to let you know, your post arrived on DE right after your response did, and I noticed your count has now jumped to "90."  Good going!  Now, let me qualify these comments before I make them, as in general, I've lost faith in most statistics, especially those from today's "higher learning institutions."  To begin with, "If you torture the data long enough, it will say anything," (A quote really worth googling I wished I'd said.)  And colleges today are rapidly losing credibility by doing things like continually raising their prices, primarily because the government guarantees their loans and nobody's monitoring them, but before I digress any further, just know I'd have to know a lot more about the statisticians' "agenda" before I'd believe them.  (As to education, I'd suggest you video the first episode of the new HBO series "Silicon Valley."  They really nail what education has become!)

Most who read this will, though, just as they might believe that "social conscience" is a good career move.  I'd say do it only when you can afford it.  Until then, the key to successful employment is one word, and it's something every worker and business (including yours and mine) is judged by.  That word is "results."  The main reason for the vast turnover in auto jobs are faulty hiring practices, something extremely common when the "unqualified" do the hiring and are more concerned with getting someone "on board" rather explaining exactly what the work entails.  I've got two clients who both sell the same make in the same situation, yet one is continually going through employees while the other seldom looses theirs.  From what I can tell, the first operates in a rather erratic manner and the other maintains a fair, but firm, operation.  Chalk one up for stability!

Like most jobs in most industries, auto jobs aren't for everyone.  Unfortunately, too many of today's young people are being raised in the "all who participate get a trophy" environment, and that's just not real life.  At least, not in today's society where "Greed" is more and more the prime motivator.  Thus, no matter how you cut it, an employee who risks "burning themselves out" with long hours and hard work is the one who employers want working for them.  The trick is finding a job you like, regardless of what it is, and then you'll "never work a day in your life."  I learned long ago that "the only bad jobs you'll ever have are the ones you do poorly."  Sorry for all of the quotes, but I love "snappy one-liners" just like I love this business.  I'd really enjoy sitting around discussing this over the cocktails of our choice, but alas, that will never happen.     

   

 

 

Comment by julie kimes on March 9, 2015 at 11:10pm

Very seldom will I comment on a blog but you have sparked a nerve! As a successful female in the automotive field I have been blessed to work at the same dealership - in a field I love-with people I love. I and many others have devoted our professional careers trying to change the public perception. Fortunately, if it weren't for the split shifts, the weekends with family, paid maternity leaves, paid vacations, etc I wouldn't have stayed in the business I have such a passion for. Let's face it, The car business does HaVE sales professionals. Treat them as such! You want to improve your retention LOOK AT YOUR OWN STORES numbers! Data is a big word these days but I challenge all of you to look at your own stores data. It's not rocket science! What is your customer value? What is your retention by salesperson? What is the Roi salesperson data, sales, Refferals, service, finance) It took me almost 3 years to build my client base. With constant turnover can you really achieve this? What happens to that salesperson who jumps ship? I am a firm believer if a salesperson jumps ship it WILL and does cost you more money than the 3 rookies you have had to hire make to replace the professional. Now in the "review" based world we live in, you need to Appreciate your team, build them, push them but keep THEM HAPPY and they will keep you happy. In 2008 I was asked to be gsm of a sister store had Brian's mentality, it did not share our dealer groups professional philosophy. I can't begin to tell you how horrible the culture was. It was amazing ride watching the transformation and the growth that took place because of it. One last note- every person on our team "gives back" and yes we "the sales professional" does care about community, causes and most importantly PEOPLE! Salespeople, sales managers, service employees, prep, etc all stand behind all of our causes and work at all the events!! Non paid! That usually what every volunteer does! Not sure why it's thought to be odd if done in the car business!

Comment by Sally Whitesell on March 9, 2015 at 5:59pm

Brian thanks for letting me know about the limited exposure to my blog.  I will look into it.  Regarding my article, I think you missed the first sentence. I was sharing information from a Harvard Business study not just giving my opinion.  I did this research to gather information for my clients and thought it would be helpful to others.  I get asked all the time why Dealers have so much turn over and why they are not attracting new talent.  There is a reason for these kinds of studies; we can’t keep doing the same things and expect different results.  I am all for hard work, goal setting and capitalism.  Without it we wouldn’t be here having this discussion, but we can’t stick our heads in the sand and ignore a change in the majority of the populations’ priorities.  I would never encourage anyone to work less but I would encourage us all to explore how we get the most production from employees while they are at work. This may not be my most popular article but I am not in the habit of just telling people what they want to hear.  There is nothing “socialist” about it.  I have many dealers who have turned to flexible schedules and have their teams involved in group efforts for charities.  I have one dealer that has the majority of their employees involved in Relay for Life.  They all wear the bracelets and some train together.  Customers ask about their bracelets and signs all the time and some have even asked to sponsor or donate.  It cost the dealer nothing but it is a great team building project for a cause!  Automotive professionals can be some of the most generous people I know and they are not afraid to invest in charity programs or their people.  Have you ever been in a dealership around the Holidays? 

In regards to my pricing, I know we offer the most comprehensive training for a very competitive price.  I use my product, my reputation and my long term clients to sell my products as over 90% of our business comes from referrals.   While I understand the “OLD” sales rule, in this case I like to go with a new more open format.  I have nothing to hide and it has worked very well for me.  Competitive pricing is a huge part of our business as you can see in every ad ever ran.  It gets them in the door or in my case on the phone or to my website although I am removing my promotion so that my blog stays within the guidelines of DE.  This is posted directly from our Newsletter so it appeared the same.  My bad, I turned off my oil lamp before I checked it out. :-)

Comment by Brian Bennington on March 8, 2015 at 11:12pm

Good afternoon Sally,  The only reason I'm responding to this is because I read your comment on Rebecca Kon's post noting you'd just put something similar up.  However, it never arrived in my email and I had to pull it up on your personal page.  And, with only 37 hits, I think you can tell it probably didn't get regular circulation.  It's too bad to, as considering DE and ADM seem to be primarily vendors, I'd bet less than 5 of your hits were legitimate prospects.  

Fortunately for me, I've stayed busy enough I've never given hustling business on these site much thought. That's OK though, as the longer I'm a member, the more I realize what I do is pretty "far afield" from what most here invest their efforts in, let alone understand what relationship centered marketing is, or the mechanics of how it works.  Personally, I'm just happy I've been able to do something for others for over 20 years that I spent 20 years before learning how profitable it is.

I did read your post a couple of times and I'd suggest you approach this on a more "base" level.  I can't imagine a manager bringing up things like "giving back to society" and "connecting employees to charities" to the owner without sounding like they're "not of this earth."  Really, it almost merits "instant dismissal."  Yes, owners are charitable and many contribute to social causes, but they want to do it when they want to do it and know they can afford to do it.  And, I'd bet most really don't want to tamper with their "money machine" without a real financial incentive.  (Honestly, I think most of the things being pitched to dealers here require way too much "dealer involvement" and "changing their ways." That's why everything we do is "turn key" for them.)   And, I'd suggest "no prices."  You should always remember that old and very cardinal sales rule, that being "Price is a closing tool, not a selling tool."  My best to you, and please extend my greetings to "Frenchy."

By the way, your comment that "when the majority of the work force speaks out, we have to listen" sounds like some sort of "socialist manifesto."  It just ain't so.  And, I think even suggesting this to new workers does them a disservice. Luckily for dealers and those who want to get ahead, capitalism and advancement will reward a 60 hour work week more than a 40 hour work week.  I'd find it hard to believe you reached your position without regularly "burning the midnight oil"!    

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