Some decisions are just beyond tough. Your best employee commits a firing offence and getting rid of that employee is going to hurt badly. What do you do?

Believe it or not there is an equation, if you will, for creating a successful new or used car business. These elements are the same in almost any sales business, but in my world it’s clear. An equation, or recipe, call it what you will, but there are three core ingredients that when added up, equal success.

I’ve gone through a few CRM builds in my career and I can tell you one thing, do it right and you have an invaluable tool. Do it wrong and the losses could be substantial.

I don’t want to disparage a business, but in my neighbourhood, we have two grocery stores. One is the, well… it’s the nice one. You can tell the moment you go in. Everything is perfect.

Just arrived on the ferry at Porvenir, Chile, on our way back to Punta Arenas, Chile, and then the final leg will be up to Puerto Natales, and then it’s all over. It has been an absolutely fabulous journey.

I would say this video falls into the category, “I can’t believe that actually happened”. But I can tell you it did because it happened at my store many years ago, and it’s an example of just how far an unethical salesperson with a very small brain can go.

I’m sure I’m treading dangerously here, but if you’ve been in the car business for a while then you will definitely get it. In the car business we have relationships with banks.

To be clear not all dealer kids are assholes. Some are exceptional. But for those in the industry, you may be familiar with the stereotypical dealer kid.

Sales process design. It’s all about the steps in your process, combined with the best practices in each step. Next thing, quality marketing creation. Branding, consistency, messaging, and budget.

We all know the number one complaint from customers in the car business is: "The salesperson told me this... ", but do you know what the second one is? Sales staff, or management, not returning calls or emails to unhappy clients. Let's face it. Nobody likes to deal with heat, but ignoring it only makes it worse.

Let’s face it: everyone has flaws. Whether it’s things they are not good at, or personality traits that are a little annoying, everybody has something. If you’re one of those people who think they don’t have one, then that’s yours.

You spend hours selling the customer a vehicle. All the features and benefits. All the great things about this particular car, and now you have to tell them they can’t have it, but they can have this other great one! The question is, how do you do it right so you don’t blow up your deal?

After having worked for several decades in many dealerships in almost all positions, there is one type of salesperson I can say I greatly dislike. It also happens to be the one salesperson most dealerships are terrified to get rid of. The showroom bully who also happens to be the top salesperson, by a lot.

You may or may not realize it, but the majority of your deals likely hinge on how you treat the customer's trade-in. Many a deal have been blown up because a salesperson, or even a manager has failed to identify the trade as the key hot button in the deal.

This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves, managers that think that they either need to be best friends with the sales staff, or that somehow the sales staff exist just to be their personal entourage. You cannot be best friends and be a good manager, so pick one. I'm going to tell you a few stories about managers who had their priorities screwed up, and how it negatively impacted them, and the dealership.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or brand-new salesperson, here’s a little insight into customer psychology and the relationship between the work you do for a client, and their level of commitment to buy.

Not my job. The three most hated words by employers because they say so much. If you’re that person who has uttered those words once or twice, then stay tuned and find out just what your employer, or manager, thinks when they hear it.

It’s time for a little self-reflection. In sales, like the jungle, the rule is, “the hungry eat”. Sometimes you have to ask yourself: are you really seeking out success or are you waiting for someone to bring it to you?