Amazing intro

Listen to We Are Alive! (Playlist 8) by steve-ography #np on #SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/steve-ography/we-are-alive-playlist-8

The Allegory of the Cave in the Car Business

http://faculty.washington.edu/smcohen/320/cave.htm

2015 F-150 Sales Portland Test Drive

Check out my video log! 2015 F-150 Built Ford Tough Test Drive Event: http://youtu.be/LzTKmFBtJ2E

More Than the Money

I was just promoted to an Internet Sales Manager!  This is exciting news.  I feel motivated to take this career to the next level.  I look forward to sharing my experiences in the coming years with all who venture onto this blog.

Currently I am having adventures with all who wander onto Courtesy Ford's lot.  You know, past the lot lizards and the looky-loos, and right to my new desk, which is currently located near the corner window.  The car business is a lot of hard work with the amount of hours we put in.  We often work from 8:30am to 9:00pm many days in a row.  When I get home there is peace, and when I get home realize that my office is in a state of constant party.  People everywhere, phones ringing, deals being made.  Everyday is a Saturday for that people making that next move in life.  Even when your car is broken and you HAVE to shop there is no reason to subject yourself to bad service.  You should hear some of the horror stories I hear from people who shop at other dealers!

What I've found is people who buy Fords are more often than not reasonable folks who like good value in what they buy.  Ford owners are very loyal as well.  So once the nerves signing up for a large purchase wears off, there is a time of enthusiasm customers feel that can only come with a giant leap.  It's cool to be a part of that excitement.  Kind of like this picture of me jumping off high rocks in the Clackamas River.

To the unknown world of ownership we go.  That thrill of having something that is truly and solely yours.  Owning something that truly improves your life.  A few examples from this month include the nice man who needed a more fuel efficient ride to help transport his wife with cerebral palsy (besides the old Ford E-350 transport van).  So I sold him a pre-owned Ford Transit Connect!

Like the young woman this week who had poor credit and expensive taste.  She needed a nice chap to help her build credit.  She wanted a $20K Edge.  The Edge easy to fall in love with, shoot, I just saw it in the latest Bond film...usually reserved for Austin Martins and Audis right?  Well there the Edge was, in all its bold glory.   Right by the Edge on our lot there was the $10K Focus that she could actually afford!  And these Focuses are great too.  The trouble was, she had really never driven a stick!  But that didn't stop me from taking her to the nearest parking lot and going through step by step how to do it (remembering my Ski Instructor past).  Then jumping out the car in the near empty golf course parking lot, I say, "OK! Let's do it!"  and she says, "Who, Me?".....YES!  Go go GO!  And we did figure eights in the parking lot until she got up enough courage to go out into the open road.  Later she purchased the car, and that's what it's all about.

So, yes I earn commissions for what I do.  But truly what it's about is serving others to get what you want.  Let's face it, we all need a little help.  Especially buying a car.  Thanks for reading, and happy driving!

Leap Year Post

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR NEXT CAR BUYING DECISION

So why haven't I been posting?  December, January and February have been very good months.  Each day has its ups and downs, and each day I get better at my craft.  From what I've found is that people nowadays are using the car purchase to fulfill a NEED over a WANT.

"My car died. I need more space.  I need less space.  I need a truck now.  I don't need a truck.  I need better gas mileage..."  There are many facts my customers and I have found.  We agree that the car or truck or SUV or van has to be "right" for them and their specific situation.  We also agree that most cars are durable and most nowadays are safe (though Ford's surely lead the pack).  And we most certainly agree that budget is important and that means saving on fuel.   So how can we get to a solution?  Customers either know what they want and know where to look, or they don't know what they want and don't know where to look.  Sometimes we are looking for something that doesn't exist.

I am right there with you!  My dream car is a fuel efficient ride that my 6 foot 8 body can have headroom in, and I want it to last a long time so I don't have to spend money on maintenance.  I also want room to haul some gear if I have to, and not be overly expensive.  REALITY CHECK, THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT EXIST.  So, I can either A.) deal with what I have and hope for the best (fix my 2002 hail damaged Nissan Sentra with 128k on it), or B.) save my money toward's a new purchase, because I'm not C.) not driving.  Fixing the old car feels unintelligent, while a new, good purchase feels smart- doesn't it?  You see the smug look on movie star's faces like Danny DeVito when they jump out of their electric cars?  It's because they feel smart.  Me, driving an old clunker- feels dumb.  OK, well the clunker is paid for and it's doubtful my apartment building is going to be set up for electric cars anytime soon so...

Why is mobility so important anyway?  Can't I just ride my bike or ride the bus?  Yeah right.  My car is part of my personality.  My livelihood.  I feel safe in my car.  I feel free like I can go anywhere in my car.

The best advice I can give is to visit me or call (970) 209-9270.  We can figure it out together.  Right now the average price per gallon reached $4.00 for regular.  The average age of vehicles on the road is 10-12 years and the average price for a new car is going up each year to make them more fuel efficient.

The future is anyone's best guess.  But my job is to find out what to do to help you out RIGHT NOW.  

All the best, and happy shopping.

Jason

Mini to Winn(ee)

The car business is strange.  Sometimes you can work and work and get zilch and other times you simply are at the right place at the right time and hit a home run!  Either way it's a lot of hours, and a lot of time spent away from home.  How is the car biz strange?  For one, selling cars is like those guys at Pawn Stars say, "you never know, what's gonna walk through that door."

Seriously true!  This month has been a roller-coaster for me helping my customers simply fill a need in their lives.  I feel somewhat honored that these people have come to me and confided in my abilities as a salesperson to help them out.  Put it this way- my month has consisted of selling a vehicle to: a man who hasn't driven in two years and has to have a breathalyzer put on his new car before he gets his license, a nice family from Italy who has moved here temporarily to do work as an electrical engineer (lots of paperwork for that one!), a nice older man who wanted a truck (OK that was pretty standard), a woman who just won $10,000 playing the Oregon lottery, and two groups of people who got in pretty serious car accidents!  All I did was wake up those days, put on my selling shoes and went to work.

Each time there were concerns, there were struggles and obstacles I had to overcome.  But in the end there was a point on the board and a minimum commission.  WOOHOO!  In truth, I am providing a service by giving people what they need (and also what they want), but in this economy where people are keeping their cars longer and being very smart with their money I will happily take what I can get.

So I will continue my quest to be the best car salesman I can be.  After a year I can say I've learned a lot, but there are more closes I can practice, more product knowledge I can gain, and more customers to deliver excellent service to.

Happy driving! 

Self driving cars

Selling is Like Golf

There are moments when car sales can seem daunting and even impossible.  Kind of like taking tricky golf shots where in front of you are a multitude of obstacles.  Asking complete strangers to fork out several thousand dollars is not even easy.  Neither is trying to hit this island green from 176 yards out in the pouring rain at Eastmoreland.  On occasion there is a Zen Moment where your only focus is the goal, that waving flag.  The stars align, the sun peaks through and you are playing like a seasoned vet, even after a short year in the biz.


Sales is a numbers game and 95% mental.  I will talk to four or five customers on a busy Saturday and get five "No's" in a matter of a few hours (not to mention the "No's" I receive on follow up calls).  The no's are like slogging through the rain on a wet October day, hitting duff after slice after hook into the trees/water/sandtrap/goosepile.  But you keep going through the motions that you know work and try to stay positive.  Commanding yourself to stay positive.


Chance often favors the prepared mind.  So, when the call is sent out on the sales floor over the intercom, "available sales pick up line one," I instinctively grab the phone and positively set an appointment for that shiny new Lincoln.  Then brush up on product knowledge beforehand, greet the customer full of steam and look toward the glorious end of the perfect sales transaction (me making some money, and the customer extremely happy).  


Like that perfect eye of the downpour that decided to come out when I was in the midst of frustration.  Teeing up, I shook the memories of those errant shots off like dust in the wind, zero in on the pin and illuminated by a clear goal (the sun actually helps in this one).  Confidently I take a practice stroke, then knowingly commit in the backswing.  I let that four-iron rip, playing the fade....  Safely on the green, and that's just the beginning.  Ahh...

There are transcendent moments in life where we can step away from ourselves and see what is happening while we are experiencing that moment.  Visualizing the end result as positive while at the same time consciously identifying every blade of grass your ball is going to pass over before it sinks in the hole.  Visualizing the signing of the deal while knowing every word you are going to say in response to every question or every objection.  


And you sink that birdie and you sink that sale.  And you are validated.  Healthy, happy and thrilled that your skill is enough to pay the bills.