Rapid-Ride

Accelerator, oh Accelerator. Where art thou, my Accelerator? Is what we imagine you're saying because IT'S THURSDAY, folks! Our quote of the day comes from none other than the wonderful Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (say that three times fast).

"The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times--The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile"

What exactly is he talking about here? Well, have you ever been in the middle of a busy day, and all the sudden it's like instinct takes over, and you're almost watching yourself be awesome? That's called "Flow" or "Being in the flow state". It's something many of us have experienced, but few can truly put into practice. Mr. Csikszentmihalyi is arguing that the places, times, and conditions that create this state are the best life has to offer.

We think so too. For those of us that have experienced this magical state of existence, we're sure that we'd all like to capture it in a jar, and bring it out whenever needed. While you can't quite bottle up a state of being, you can set yourself up to fall into it easier. Much like meditation, or working out, it takes practice, but if you:

1. Brush up on your scripts, and make sure all the tools in your belt are sharp.
2. Work hard. Always. Eventually hard work and practice leads to muscle memory.
3. Build a professional image for yourself by always looking sharp, confident, and friendly.
4. Work hard.
5. Focus on establishing rapport with your customer. As we like to say "Make a friend, then do business."
6. Work hard.

Did we mention work hard?

Remember, you can't force yourself into the flow, and it won't happen every time. Don't get discouraged if you're not feeling like things are always coming effortlessly. BUT, we promise that if you put in the work, hone your skills, and give it your all every time, this will become second nature.

----

That's it for us this week, folks. As usual, we hope your year is going well! Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner, so let us know in the comments who you're rooting for 🏈

If you'd like to develop a 16-car-per-month sales force, call Dan Culver at (503)-939-7583

Oh hey, our favorite day of the week has arrived! It's THURSDAY folks, so you know what that means!

"We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less."

-Diogenes

Today, we're examining the difference between TALKING and LISTENING. As salespeople, you're no stranger to talking -- it comes with the job. But we'd like you to stop and take a second to think about what it really means to listen. Look, we're all guilty of not being the most attentive listener. Sometimes you're talking to a friend, a co-worker, or a customer, and you start hearing the teacher from Charlie Brown. "WAH WAH-WAH WAHWAH"! All you want to do is get out your next line of dialogue and this person won't let you get a word in edge-wise!

When you find yourself doing this, we want you to make every effort to steer back into the conversation and really LISTEN to what they say. Even if they're droning on about self help seminars! Practicing listening is crucial to being an effective salesperson.

When you are actually focused and LISTENING to what the customer is saying, you'll find that you suddenly have the perfect question to ask, or feature to highlight. You'll be able to make them feel heard and respected. It will make the TALKING part much easier!

So, we encourage you to get out there and listen. You sure can TALK yourself into trouble, but it can be quite difficult to LISTEN yourself into a bad position.

-----

As the first month of the new year comes to a close, we hope you're looking forward to new opportunities, new customers, and fresh challenges in the coming months.

If you'd like to develop a 16-car-per-month sales force, call Dan Culver at (503)-939-7583

Happy Thursday, friends!

Today we're talking about marketing; specifically how it relates to PR, and how you can assemble a rolling PR firm for yourself. Think about it this way: you can market yourself silly, and get feet in the dealership, but if you deliver a poor product or service the PR woes will be detrimental to you.

When you trust in the process, do the history lesson, selection/alternate selection, present them with an alternate means of getting new cars, and they drive off the lot in the vehicle of their dreams with a deal that makes sense? You've just "hired" your own personal PR person. You've built a renewable relationship, and have secured someone that will go and spit-shine your public image for you.

However, don't forget that the opposite is also true. If you don't put in the work to be the best problem solver you can, and provide a net negative experience for the customer; you'll have a PR person working against you.

Don't worry, though! All you have to do is be yourself, and put in a little elbow grease, because you're a nice person who solves problems.

"Follow the process. Be a specialist. Be an expert. But most of all, be yourself."

--

We hope that you're getting ready to wind down and spend some time with family, friends, or take a moment for yourself. It's been quite a year, and we've all earned some peace and quiet.

Wherever you are, and whoever you're with, we at Rapid Ride wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!