Michael Zak
From the President
Are You Committed to Learn?
Howdy,
The other day I mentioned to my wife that Biden was not running for president and she said the Democrats wanted Hilary to win so they were not running anyone viable against her AND she believes Hilary will win! Of course I was not happy with her answer and said something back to her along the line that people need to understand the issues at hand and get involved. Her comeback more or less was, be willing to put your money and your actions were your mouth is.
Now this article is not about my wife and I bickering about the 2016 election however it made me think how dealers come up with reasons to not get involved in Associations. Some of the dealers actually give money however I have never seen them at an event whether here in Houston or at the annual state convention. I hear excuses, as well as other dealers when discussing this matter, that my business is too busy right now, or my business is too slow, I am short on staff, my staff is not trained, I have legal / audit issues to resolve, I have to go to the auction this week, it is end of the month, it is the beginning of the month, I am in a 20 Group so I travel a lot, I have been in business a long time and I have seen nothing new under the sun, etc.
If you are reading this article more than likely you are a small business owner with multiple areas to manage and an increasing number of laws, regulations, technology advances, industry changes, and advertising venues than ever before. You cannot afford to continue your current status quo and keep ahead of the curve without additional help and a lot of that help is available from current dealer experience as well as industry experts.
Through Association conferences, meetings, and dealer networking in just the last 3 months I have learned additional ways to manage Facebook advertising and website changes. I have gained knowledge concerning an internal private chat service, telephone selling tips, and 1-2 advertising firms to help my business. Through Association meetings I have now new electronic payment methods installed and opening up new business channels to introduce liability insurance to my customers. Finally my staff is now better trained on how to sell.
I do not know a dealer whether in Houston, Texas, or across the country that has not had a challenge free year in some area of the dealership. However most all dealers I have run across are looking to listen and learn about how to solve their challenge(s). You can begin learning new ways later this month by attending our next meeting, Monday November 9th. Come learn from a panel of experienced dealers on how to run a business or the problems they encountered and how they successfully overcame them.
I look forward to seeing you on the 9th at the Cadillac and tell others about this chance to network, learn, and grow their business.
Cheers
P.S. – My wife is not voting for Hilary!